The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. VII. The Embassies of several Barbarous Nations, and the Gifts [bestowed on them] by the Em∣perour.

FOr, from all places Embassies arrived conti∣nually [at his Court,] and brought him such presents as were of greatest value amongst themselves. In so much that, even We our selves hapned on time to see various shapes of Bar∣barians, standing in order before the a Court-Gate of the Imperial Pallace. Whose garb and manner of dress was different and changeable; and the hair both of their head and beard much unlike. Their aspect grim, barbarous, and ter∣rible; and their Bodily Stature of an immense greatness. Some of them had ruddy counte∣nances; the faces of others were whiter than snow. In othersome of them there was a middle temperature of colour. For the Blem∣myae, Indi, and Aethiopes (who [as b Homer says,] are divided two ways, and live in the out-skirts of the earth;) were to be seen a∣mongst those forementioned Barbarians. Each o•• these persons (c in such manner as we see it commonly painted in Tables) brought severally to the Emperour such presents as were of great∣est value amongst themselves. Some [pre∣sented him with] Crowns of Gold; others, with Diadems beset with pretious Stones; others, with yellow-hair'd boyes; others, with Barbar••••k Garments d interwoven with Gold and Flowers; others, with Horses; others, with Bucklers, long Spears, Arrows, and Bowes. By which pre∣sents they demonstrated, that they made an offer of their Service and confederacy of Arms to the Emperour, if he pleased. The Emperour re∣ceived and kept the presents brought by each of them, and remunerated them with so many and such great Favours, that in an instant of time the persons who had brought these presents were extraordi∣narily enrich. Moreover▪ he e grac't the emi∣nenter persons amongst them with Roman dig∣nities: in so much that, very many of them forgat to return into their own Country, and † chose to make their Residence here amongst us.

Notes

• Eminent, or, conspi∣cuous.
• a

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as I found it written in the Fuke∣tian Manu∣script and in the Kings Sheets. So Graeci∣ans termed that gate of an house which they who go in, do first of all meet with: and they ac∣counted that to be the Limit; to pass which was lookt upon as a thing indecent in Matrons. Philo's words in his Book de Specialibus Legibus are these; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Without doubt Philo alludes to these Verses of Menander, which Stobaus records, chap. 163.

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

  These very verses of Menander, Harpocration does tacitly mean, in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Vales.
• b

  Homer's words (Odyss. 1. near the beginning) are these;

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉:

  Which M^r Hobbs has thus Englished;

  The Blackmoors are the utmost of mankind, As far as East and West asunder stand, So far the Blackmoors Borders are disjoyn'd.
• c

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. These words seem to be super∣fluous; unless Eusebius had a mind to express the matter it self more clearly in this manner, in favour to those who had not been present and seen it. For the pictures of the Emperours were usually so drawn, as that they might represent the Embassadours of the Barbarians making them presents, or the Provinces paying them Gold, as may be seen in the Notitia of the Roman Empire. Vales.
• d

  He means the Barbarick manner of weaving▪ of which sort is that in Virgil, in the first Book of his Aeneid.

  Et circumtextum croceo Velamen acantho. Vales.
• Or, Laid in order.
• e

  Amm▪ Marcellinus says the same in his 21 Book, pag. 190, and 195 of our Edition. Vales.
• †

  Or, Fell in love with.