Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/166

 them entertained by the State, who under pre­tence of Trading, or some other Invention, went every day among the Enemies, and some of them into the very Court of the King of Persia, where having discovered the Intrigues of the Barbarians, they returned with all di­ligence, to make Report to the Emperors, who thereby had time not only to foresee, but to prevent most of their Designs, as having Ad­vertisement a long time before. Tis now ma­ny years since, the Persians have taken this Custome from us, but Cosroes made better use of it, then any of his Predecessors, having gi­ven more then ordinary Wages to his Spyes, and great and magnificent Rewards, when any thing did happily succeed, never employing any that was born a Subject of Rome. But Justi­nian having cut off this Entercourse, was the occasion of very great Losses, and particularly of the Country of the Laziens, which was Con­quered by the Enemy, because Justinian could never get Intelligence of the place, against which the King of the Persians designed. It had been likewise a Custome of old, to keep a great num­ber of Cammels, at the Charges of the State, which were to follow the Army upon its March in time of War, to carry the Baggage, that the Country people might not be disturbed in their Business, and that nothing might be wanting to the Souldiers: But Justinian, Retrenched them likewise for the greatest part, so that at present when one has any accasion more then ordinary, and