CAP. XXVI.
The expedition of Chosroes made against Edessa.
FUrthermore the same Procopius hath layd downe in writing the thinges whiche of olde were remembred, touchinge Edessa and Agbarus, and how Christ wrote an Epistle vnto Agba∣rus: Againe how Chosroes made an other inuasion, and determined to besiege Edessa hoping to disproue the report and fame that was spred farre and nigh of that citie, to wit, that no enemye woulde euer be able to subdue Edessa. Which thinge is not mentioned at all in the Epistle which Christe our God wrote vnto Agbarus (as it is to be seene in the historie of Eusebius Pamphilus, where the Epistle is layde downe worde by worde) yet it is not onely noysed, but belieued of the faythfull, and his pretended euent confirmed the report to be true. For when Chosroes went about to take the citie, although he made many an assault, and raysed a wonderfull great contremure, so that he might easily scale the walles of the citie with sundrie other engines, yet went he away and coulde not preuayle. And howe it so fell out I will declare. Chosroes first commaunded his soldiers to carie thither a great pile of tymber, how so euer they were for to besiege the citie, which was in maner as soone done as spoken. The tymber beinge framed rounde, and earth heaped in the mid∣dest, it was set right ouer against the walles, and raysed by a litle and a litle with tymber and o∣ther fillinge stuffe, vntill it came to a great height, that the top thereof was higher then the walles of the citie. From thence they shotte at the citie, and at suche as hazarded their liues in defence of the walles, the citizens seeinge this contremure muche lyke an high mountayne to drawe nigh their citie, and that by all likelyhood the enemy woulde come in a foote, they got them very early and made a ditche ouer against their hillocke, threwe fire therein, that the flame might take holde of their timber, and make their contremure euen with the grounde. This beinge done and fire cast in, it fell not out as they wished, because the fire coulde not breake out, and take into the aer for to consume the pile of timber. Last of all, when as they seemed nowe to yeelde, despairinge of their safety, they bringe forth an Image whiche God himselfe, and not the handes of man had shaped, the whiche Christe had sent vnto Agbarus, when Agbarus desired to see him. This holy picture they drewe through the ditche they had made, and conueyed in water, of this water they threwe v∣pon* 1.1 the pile and heape of timber, so that by the prouidence of God aydinge and assistinge the fayth of suche as practised the circumstances, that whiche they coulde not bringe to passe before is nowe easily cōpassed. For immediatly the vndermost wood toke fire, & was quickely burned into coales, the flame flashed vpwards, and set the whole pile on fire. The Edessaeans being besieged, and espi∣inge at length that both smoke and flame brake out, deuised this sleight which followeth for to de∣ceaue the enemy. They called for litle flagons, filled them ful of towe, hirds, brimstone, with other kinde of stuffe that easily woulde take fire, and threwe them vpon the enemyes pile or contremure. The flagons beinge violently throwen and chafed, yeelded forth suche cloudes of smoke as darke∣ned altogether the smoke and flame that rose of the enemies pile, so that as many as were ignorant of the pollicie thought verilye there was no other smoke saue that which proceeded from the fla∣gons. But the thirde day after, the flames were espied to flashe out of the earth, and then the Persi∣ans