Here it remained, until it was taken away, with other ſpoil, by Choſroes, the King of Perſia, who, aware of the ſanctity of the relic, had it placed on the right hand of his throne. He was ſo puffed up with pride, that he ordered himſelf to be adored. His people, hitherto, had worſhipped the ſun, but now he ordained that henceforth he was to be conſidered the principal Perſon in the Trinity (the Father), and that the relic of the Croſs was to be looked upon as the Son, whilſt a golden cock which he had made was to repreſent the Holy Ghoſt.[51] [Sidenote: _Woodcut No. 52._] [Sidenote: _No. 53._] [Sidenote: _No. 54._] Then Heraclius made war againſt Choſroes, and meeting with a Perſian army under one of the ſons of that monarch, it was agreed that, in order to prevent a uſeleſs effuſion of blood, the two commanders ſhould fight it out between them, and whoever was vanquiſhed ſhould ſubmit.[52] The duel was fought on a bridge over the Danube, and Heraclius vanquiſhed and killed the ſon of Choſroes.[53] The Perſian army then made their ſubmiſſion,[54] and the penance impoſed upon them by the conqueror was that they ſhould all be baptized, which was duly done. [Sidenote: _Woodcut No. 55._] [Sidenote: _No. 56._] [Sidenote: _No. 57._] [Sidenote: _No. 58._] [Sidenote: _No. 59._] [Sidenote: _No. 60._] [Sidenote: _No. 61._] [Sidenote: _No. 62._] Heraclius then went to Choſroes, and told him what he had done, offering him his life if he too would embrace Chriſtianity,[55] but the Perſian monarch refuſed, and Heraclius ſmote off his head.[56] He then crowned a ſon of Choſroes, and cauſed him to be baptized,[57] himſelf ſtanding ſponſor, and buried the ſlain king with befitting honours.[58] Then, taking poſſesſion of the holy relic,[59] he ſet out with it for Jeruſalem. But, as he was bearing it in great ſtate, he came to that gate of the City through which Jeſus went to His paſſion, worn, buffeted, ſcorned, and weary, carrying the heavy burden of His croſs. And ſuddenly the gateway became ſolid maſonry, ſo that he could not paſs through, and an angel appeared in the heavens, and reproved him for his oſtentatious diſplay in a place which his Saviour had previouſly trodden in ſuch deep humility.[60] Heraclius diſmounted from his horſe, and, ſtripping himſelf of all the trappings of royalty, barefoot, and in his ſhirt,[61] he meekly bore the Croſs to its appointed place,[62] the maſonry diſappearing as ſoon as he had humbled himſelf. [Sidenote: _Woodcut No. 63._] [Sidenote: _No. 64._] A piece of the Croſs was afterwards ſent to Rome, where it duly arrived after a very ſtormy voyage,[63] and it was there preſerved for the adoration of the faithful.[64] JOHN ASHTON. [Illustration] FOOTNOTES: