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¶ The first Booke OF THABRIDGEMENT OF Histories, taken out of the Hystorye of Trogus Pompeius by Iustine the Historiographer. (Book 1)
IN the first beginnyng of thin∣ges the rule and gouernement of countreyes, and nacions was in the handes of kynges. Who were ad∣uaunced* 1.1 to this hyghe estate and preheminence, not through ambi∣cion and fauour of the comminal∣tye, but for their vertuous and mo¦deste behauioure suffycientlye tryed and approued amon∣gest good men. There were no lawes to bynd men to their obedience: but the commaundementes of Princes were in steade of lawes, whose custome was rather to defend tha•…•… enlarge y• borders, of their kyngdomes. And there was no¦ne that woulde vsurpe or take vpon him, further than in his owne countreye where he was borne. Ninus kyng of* 1.2 Thassirians, did first alter and breake this olde and aunci•…•…t custome of the Gentiles, through a straunge desyre of bea∣ryng rule. For he first made warre vpon his neyghbours, and conquered the nacions whyche yesiknewe not howe to make resystence agaynste hym, euen vnto the borders of Affricke. There were before his tyme two auncient kyn∣ges, Uexores kyng of Egypt, and Tanais kyng of Scithia of the which thone made a voyage into Pontus, and the o∣ther into Egypt. But they made warre a farre of, and not nere home, not of purpose to enlarge theyr empyre, but to