CAP. XVIII.* 1.1
Of the Emperoure Iulians voyage into Persia and his miserable ende.
THe Emperour vnderstanding the maner of the Persians that in winter they are very weake,* 1.2 of smale power and simple courage (for they are a kinde of people that can not awaye with colde: the Mede also as it is commonly sayde, all winter tyme, neuer pulleth his hande out of his bosome) knowinge also that the Romayne souldiere is of power and force, thoughe the weather pinche neuer so much: marched forewardes a litle before winter and led his army into Persia. First he destroyed the countrey, the villages, threwe downe theyr castells after∣wardes he fell a ransackinge of their cities. He besieged Ctesiphon that greate citie of Persia, and pinched therein the kinge of Persia very sore, so that he sente vnto him many Embassadors hum∣bly requestinge him to take from him some parte of his kingdome, to ende the fielde, to rayse the siege and so goe his way. But Iulian was nothinge moued therewith: pitied them not at all: nei∣ther remembred he the common sayinge: To conquere is prayse worthye but insolentely to tri∣umphe ouer the cōquered is a despiteful Act: he put confidence in fond coniectures of south saying, he trusted to much fantasticall dreames, the which Maximus the Philosopher then present put in his heade: he hoped verylie to counteruayle or rather to surmount the greater glorie and no∣ble prowesse of Alexander the Greate, so that he sette noughte by the humble sute of the Per∣sians: he dreamed accordinge vnto the opinion of Pythagoras and Plato that by the transmigra∣tion of the soules from one body into an other, the soule of Alexander was crepte into his car∣kasse: or rather that he was Alexander himselfe in an other body. The whiche opinion led him into a foule error, and caused him to make light of the kinge of Persia his requeste. The kinge vnderstandinge that his embassie was to no purpose, beinge broughte to a narrowe straicte and sore plunge gathered his power the daye after this embassie and ioyned with the Romayne hoste face to face. The Romaynes althoughe they founde greate faulte with theyr Emperoure for refusinge the offer and fallinge to bloodshed, yet doubted they not to deale with the Persians who nowe were come forthe to meete them, so that in the ende they putte them to flighte and wonne the fielde. The Emperoure himselfe was a horsebacke at the battell to the ende he mighte ani∣mate and incourage the souldiers: but trusting to much to his prosperitie and thinkinge himselfe cockesure wente into his campe without complete harnesse. Therefore an arrowe beinge sod∣daynely shotte at him, pearced throughe his arme and stucke in his ribbes whiche gaue him his deathes wounde, but who did it, was neuer knowen. Some reporte that he was wounded by a fugitiue Persian: some other that he was slayne by one of his owne souldiers, whiche is rife in euerye mans mouthe, yet Calistus one of the Emperours housholde garde, who wrote his life in Heroycall verse, and the battell whiche he gaue then vnto the Persians, say the that it was a wicked fiende or Deuell that runne him throughe, whiche peraduenture is fayned after the maner of Poeticall inuention, and yet it may very well be true, for we learne that the furies of Hell haue often times recompenced suche lewde persons with extreme punishmente. But