§oS f the Bifcovery, Settlement, and Commerce Book I. 
dity and working it up at home. Ivory was alfo brought 
from thence as well as from Africa , and great Quantity 
of Skins and Firs which are diftinguifhed under the two 
Heads of Babylonian and Parthian and they likewife 
brought many wild Bealls* fuch as Lions, Bears, Leopards, 
Panthers, and fome Birds. As to Metals, we find none 
mentioned except Iron or Steel, under the Title of Ver- 
tum Indicu'm ; and this, we are told by Pliny, came from 
the Country of the Seres, and was efteemed the very bell 
in the World ; and next to it was the Parthian Iron, but 
whether it came wrought or unwrought does not very 
dearly appear, but the former is the moft probable. That 
they might, under theReigns of the Greek Emperors, have 
this fine Iron or Steel from China , where that Commo- 
dity is ftill met with in the greateft Perfection •, I will not 
deny but that it came from thence in the Time of Pliny, 
Is not eafy to comprehend, and therefore I am apt to be- 
lieve that they received it from the Siamefie, who might 
Inform them that they had it from the Seres. 
We find Cotton alfo, and a Sort of Mohair amongft 
die Commodities that were brought from the Indies and 
chough the true Purple was to be had in Europe, yet it 
feems that of the Indies was moft admired, and in the 
greateft Efteem, otherwife it cannot be imagined that they 
would have taken the Pains to have brought it from Coun- 
tries at fo great a Diftance. It would take up too much 
Time, ftiould we endeavour to trace out the different 
Ways by which ail thefe Indian Commodities were 
brought to Conjiantinople. It is fufficient for our Pur- 
pofe that they were brought thither, fince this clearly 
fhews that the Subjects of the Greek Empire had a con- 
fiderable Trade to the Indies. 
We might alledge, to prove this ftill more largely the 
Teftimony of Ammianus , Mercellinus, and feveral of the 
Byzantine Hiftorians, which however would lead us into 
•abundance of critical Difputes, and therefore we fhall wave 
their Authorities, efpecially fince the Account already 
given of the Indian Monks, or Monks who had travelled 
to the Indies , for with refpeCt to our SubjeCt, it is much 
the fame Thing which they were, is as clear a Tefti- 
mony on this Head as we could wilh. It is alfo very cer- 
tain, and the Reader will meet with the cleared Proof of 
It in a fucceeding SeCtion, that by this Time, or very foon 
after, the Syrians had not only reached China, but were 
«ven eftablifhed there, and formed a Chriftian Church, 
the Members of which were very numerous in all the Pro- 
vinces of that extenfive Empire ; neither can it be ima- 
gined that, upon this Eftablifhment, they ftiould immedi- 
ately relinquifh all Correfpondence with their Countrymen j 
though this might, and indeed really did happen in Pro- 
cels of Time, and for Reafons that will appear here- 
after. 
7. We have very different Characters given us of the 
Emperor Juflinian by different Writers, according as 
their Humours led them ; but upon the whole, it is very 
Certain that he was one of the beft Princes this Empire 
ever had, took the greateft Pains to fettle and fupport the 
Government, to regulate the Laws, and to leave every 
thing in fuch a Condition that fucceeding Princes might 
be able to govern without Trouble, by adhereing to the 
Rules which he had laid down. 
He deceafed in the eighty-third Year of his Age, A. D. 
565, and was fucceeded by his Nephew Juft in II in 
whole Time the Empire was fo fhaken by domeftick Con- 
fufions, and towards the latter End of his Reign invaded 
by the Perfians on the one Side, and by the y hares on 
the other, that the Weight of Government became abfo- 
lutely insupportable, infomuch that he fell diftraCted. 
Tiberius had thereupon the Adminiftration of the Em- 
pire committed to his Care, with the Title of C<efar 
and after the Death of Juft in , he fucceeded him in the 
Empire, which he governed with great Magnanimity, 
and had fuch Succefs againft the Perfians , as reduced 
their Power very low. 
He. was fucceeded, A. D . 582, by Mauritius , who 
married his Daughter Augujia, and in the Beginning of 
his Reign, was very prosperous, repelled the Invafion of 
the Perfians , and when that Kingdom fell into Confufion, 
•and their King Chofroes expelled, he received that Mo- 
3 
narch into his Dominions, and treated him with great 
Generality and Kindnefs -, he likewife raifed a great Army 
to reftore him, which he alfo performed very happily 5. 
and by this Means the Commerce between the Greeks 
and the Perfians was renewed, to the great Advantage of 
both Empires. The Clofe of this Emperor’s Reign 
was not at all anfwerable to its Beginning j for the Avares , 
under the Command of their King Chajanus , invaded the 
Empire ; and notwithstanding all the Precautions the 
Emperor could take to prevent the Progrefs of their 
Arms, ravaged all Thrace, and were on the Point of 
befieging Conjiantinople ; but in this however they were 
prevented by a Plague, which fwept off molt of their 
Army, upon which their King, who had twelve -thou- 
fand of Mauritius'* s Subjects Prifoners, offered to ranfom 
them for Half a Crown a piece, which not being granted, he 
put them all to Death. This fo much incenfed the People 
of Conjiantinople, that they rebelled, and called the Emperor 
a cruel, and greedy Tyrant. He, on the other hand, was fo 
afflicted with this unhappy Accident, that he begged the 
Prayers of all religious People, that this Offence might 
be pardoned, or that he might receive his Punifhrrient 
for it in this World. In this .he foon had his With •, for 
Phocas, who from a common Soldier, came to be General 
of his Army, rebelled againft him, was proclaimed Em- 
peror by the Army, and purfued Mauritius to Chalcedon, 
where he put' him with his Wife and Children to Death, 
which Mauritius buffered with great Patience, uttering 
thefe Words, Thou art juft, O Lord, and thy judgment is 
righteous. Thefe Events fell out in the Year 602. 
This Phocas , as he attained the Empire by Treafon and 
Murder, fo he governed with all the Circumftances of 
Cruelty and Barbarity that could render a Tyrant odious 5 
for being fenfible at firft that his Title was bad, he endea- 
voured to fecure himfeif in the Poffeffion of the Empire, 
by deftroying, without Mercy, all who were any way re- 
lated to the Imperial Family, or who were fo diftinguifhed 
by their Virtues, or their Employments, as to give him 
any Umbrage •, and this leading him to fhed the Blood of 
a Multitude of the Nobility, raifed a general Abhorrence 
of his Government over all the Empire. But, befides thefe 
domeftick Troubles, Phocas , almoft from the Beginning of 
his Reign, was preffed by a formidable Foreign Enemy. 
This was Chofroes King of Perfiia, who, in Gratitude for 
the Kindnefs fhewn him by the Emperor Mauricius, was 
no fooner .informed of his Murder, than he invaded the 
Provinces of the Greek Empire bordering upon his Domi- 
nions ; and this War, as it grievoufly diftreffed a great Part 
of the Empire, ferved to increafe the Hatred of the People 
againft the Monfter'who had occafioned it. As Misfortunes 
of this kind feldom come alone,and as it is natural for am- 
bitious Neighbours to take all Advantages over a declining 
Government, fo while the Affairs of Phocas were in this 
Condition, the Avares, Sclavonians, and other barbarous 
Nations, broke into and ravaged his Dominions. He, in 
the mean time, inftead of reforming, continued his Cruelty 
and Lewdnefs, till he was furprifed in his Palace by Photi- 
nus, whofe Wife he had ravifhed, and delivered to the Son 
of Heraclius, one of his Generals, who had taken Arms 
againft him. Heraclius , after upbraiding Phocas with his ' 
Crimes, cut off his Feet, Hands, and Privities ; and at laft 
beheaded him. Such was the End of this barbarous and 
blood-thirfty Tyrant, who, notwithflanding, was flattered 
by the Churchmen of his Time ; crowned by the Patriarch, 
of Conjiantinople while the Emperor Mauritius was ftill 
living, and owned by the Roman Pontiff, on whom he 
beftowed the Title of Univerfal Biftiop. 
8. The general Corruption of the People, and a Succef- 
fion either of Tyrants or weak Princes, had fo infeebled 
the Greek Empire, that when Heraclius afcended the 
Throne, which was A. D. 610, he found it fear ce poffible 
to make the neceffary Proviflons for the Security of the 
State and therefore, when he was attacked by Chofroes 
King of Perfiia, he did not behave with that Conftancy 
that might have been expedited from a Man of his great 
Courage, for, inftead of arming to oppofe them, he en- 
deavoured to purchafe Peace ; but when this was found 
impracticable, he compromifed Matters with the Avares, 
who were Enemies no left formidable than the Perfians, 
