Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/164

 The Emperors which had Reigned before him, had Established ways of Intelligence, for the speedier understanding the Motions and Attempts of their Enemies upon the Frontiers, and particularly they had setled a Correspon­dency in every City and Village in those Pro­vinces, that thereby they might be adverti­sed of any Sedition or other accident that might happen; as also of the Deportment of their Governors and Lieutenant Generals; and for the safer and more speedy Conveyance of such sums of Money, as should be raised in the Pro­vinces more immediately under the Jurisdicti­on of the Empire, or in such as were only tributary: To this purpose in every days jour­ney, they had setled a Man who was to Post Eight Stages a day, but in some places their Stages were not so many, though five were the fewest. In these several Stages, there were about forty layd Horses, and a just proporti­on of Grooms: Those therefore who had any important Affairs, made use of this way, and by frequent change of Horses, which were al­ways in Breath, they would make as much way easily in one day, as in ten any other way. This was not only convenient to such as had bu­siness of importance, but was likewise of great advantage to those whose Lands lay in the middle of the Provinces, and yielded them a considerable Revenue, by giving them oppor­tunity of putting off their Grain and other Com­modities, to such as had the Charge of those Horses, and were to provide for the ­gers;