But take this Interpretation which Way you will, it seems to be a very wild one. For whether the City was demolish’d by its own Inhabitants, or any foreign Power, it could neither Way be any reasonable Cause of Joy to them. This Prediction of the Oracle was seconded by another Prediction of the _Astronomers_ to the same Purpose. Some Historians have attested, as ’tis confirm’d by _Suidas_, that _Constantine_ the _Great_, after he had finish’d the City, sent for one _Valens_ an _Astronomer_ of great Skill, and commanded him to enquire what Star had the _Ascendant_ at the Birth of the City, and by that means inform him of the Duration of it. _Valens_ predicted that the City would continue six hundred and ninety Years; but that Time is past and gone. Therefore, says _Zonaras_, I must conclude, that this Prophecy of _Valens_ was erroneous, and that there’s little Dependance to be had upon the Rules of _Astronomy_, or otherwise that _Valens_ only meant the Time of her Prosperity, when the Laws of Polity were strictly obey’d, when the publick Peace was preserv’d, when their _Senate_ was in high Estimation among the People, when the Empire flourish’d and was under a regular Administration, and there was no such Thing as Tyranny, and Arbitrary Power among them. But to finish the Oracular Predictions concerning this City, I come now to _Zosimus_, a very ancient Historian, if compar’d with _Tzetzes_, and _Zonaras_. This Author writes, that _Constantinople_ was arriv’d to such a State of Grandeur, and Magnificence, that no City in the World was to be compar’d with it, in point of Greatness, or Prosperity. _And yet_, as he proceeds, _when after a long Search I could find no divine Oracle, or Prophecy presignifying any Increase of Happiness to_ Constantinople, _I at last accidentally, having read many Historians, and other Authors for that Purpose, met with an Oracular Prediction of a Sibyl, nam’d_ Erythræa Phaelles, _or_ Phaenno _of_ Epirus. _This Woman, they tell you, being inspir’d, utter’d Oracles, to which_ Nicomedes, _the Son of_ Prussias, _conforming himself, especially in such Predictions as might be some Advantage to himself, enter’d into a War with his Father_. The Oracle runs thus: