Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

80

the Macedonian Sariffa, yet coulde they not efcape,
but be fubiectes to the Empire of Rome, whan the
Pertians hauyng all theyr hope in artillerie, gaue no
place to them, but ouercame the Romanes, ofter than
the Romaynes them, and kepte battel with them,
many an hundred yeare, and flue the ryche Craffus
and hys fon wyth many a floute Romayne M Crass,
more, with their bowes. They draue MUAnto.'
Marcus Antonius ouer the hylles of Media luiiano."
in Armenia, to his great fhame and reproch. They flue
luhanus Apoflata, and Antonius Caracalla, they helde
in perpetual pryfon, ye moil noble emperour Valerian
in defpite of all the Romaynes and many other princes,
whiche wrote for his delyueraunce, as Bel folis called
kynge of kynges, Valerius kynge of Cadufia, Artha-
befdes kyng of Armenia, and many other princes
more, whom ye Parthians by reafon of theyr artillerie,
regarded neuer one whitte, and thus with the Romaynes,
I may e conclude, that the borders of theyr empyre were
not at the funne ryfinge and funne fetrynge, as Tullye
fayeth: but fo farre they went, as artillarie woulde
gyue them leaue. For I thinke all the grounde that
they had, eyther northewarde, farther than the borders
of Scythia, or EafLewarde, farther than the borders of
Parthia, a man myght haue boughte with a fmall deale
of money, of whiche thynge furely fhotyngwas the caufe.

From the fame contrie of Scythia the Gothians
Hunnes, and Wandalians came wyth the
fame wepons of artillarie, as Paulus Dia- a iac'
conus doth faye, and fo berafte Rome of her empyre
wyth fyre, fpoyle, and wafte, fo yat in fuche a learned
citie was lefte fcarce one man behynde, that had
learnynge or leyfoure to leue in writinge to them
whiche flioulde come after howe fo noble an Empyre,
in fo ihorte a whyle, by a rable of banyfhed bonde-
men, wythoute all order and pollicie, faue onelye
theyr naturalle and daylye exercife in artillarye, was
broughte to fuche thraldome and mine.

After them the Turkes hauing an other name, but yet