it is, that I might feare. In the first warre of the Medes, when the Persians had spoyled Asia, besetting the cities herein with huge and puissant forces, yea, and threatening the defendants thereof with terrible torments and dolorous death, they brought the people, thus shut up and besieged, to this extremitie, that they all, sore afflicted with great and grievous calamities, after they had killed their owne deare wives and children, and throwne their mooveable goods into the fire, cast themselves also by heapes after them, striving a vie who might be for most in that commune flame, that consumed them and their countrey together. This argu∣ment soone after, Phrynicus digested and penned in a swelling tragicall style, and brought it upon the Stage in the Theatre of Athens: and having for a while good audience with contentment, when his high and loftie Tragoedie went on still, and wrung forth many a teare, the people supposing that he had insolently inser∣ted these grievous afflictions also of theirs among Stage-playes, not by way of consolation, but in reprochfull manner, to put them in mind of the miseries that their lovely citie and countrey (supported with no helpes of protectors and defen∣dors) had sustained, in heat of indignation condemned and confined him to Mile∣tus. For Miletus was a colonie of the Athenians, transported and planted among other Ionians by Nileus the sonne of that Codrus, who (by report) in the Dorique warre devoted himselfe to death for his countrey. But let us come to our purposed historie. Maximinus, governour of Rome in times past in place of vice-Praefect, was very obscurely borne at Sopianae, a towne of Valeria, and his father of no better calling than a clerke, belonging to the Presidents office, discended from the race of the Carpi, whom Diocletian removed from out of their auncient habitations, and brought over into Pannonia. This Maximinus after he had bestowed some meane studie in the liberall Sciences, and become a disnoble advocat and defendor of cau∣ses, when he had also governed Corsica and Sardinia likewise, ruled Thuscia. From whence being advaunced to the office and charge of Rome-cities a purvey∣or for corne and victuals, by reason that his successour stayed long in his journey, kept in his hands still the rule of that province also. And at the first he demeaned himselfe very circumspectly and wisely in three respects: first, for that the words were fresh and rife in his eares spoken by his father (who was passing skilfull in that which the flight of Augurall fowles or the singing of birds fore-signified) implying thus much, That he should mount to high regiments, but die in the end by the exe∣cutioners hands. Secondly, because having gotten a man of Sardinia, whom him∣selfe afterwards by deceitfull trecherie and craftie guile murthered (as commonly the rumor ran) one who was very cunning in raising hurtfull spirits, and solliciting the presages of such ghosts and spectres, fearing least so long as he remained alive, he should be detected, he was more gentle and tractable. Lastly, because creeping as he did a long time below, like a serpent lying under the ground, he could not as yet raise any great matters of bloudie and capitall consequence.