THE HISTORIE OF QVINTVS Curcius conteyning the Actes of the greate Alexander translated out of Latine into Englishe by Iohn Brende 1553. ¶ Imprinted at London by Rycharde Tottell Cum Priuilegio ab imprimendum so lam ⧠TO THE RIGHT hyghe and myghtye Prince Ihon Duke of Northumberlande Earle marshall of Englande c. Iohn Brende wisheth continuall prosperitie wyth encrease of honour MAnye haue wrytten and experyence besydes declareth how necessary historical knowledge is to all kynd of men but specially to princes and to others whiâ—h excel in dignitye or beare aucthorytye in eny commune wealth the same beyng counted the most excellent kynde of knowledge the chiefest parte of ciuyl prudence and the mirrour of mans lyfe There is required in all magistrates both a fayeth and feare in God and also an outwarde policye in worldly thynges wherof as the one is to be learned by the scryptures so the other must chiefly be gathered by readyng of histories For in them men may see the groundes and beginnynges of coÌ„men wealthes the causes of their encrease of their prosperous mayntenauÌ„ce and good preseruation and againe by what meanes they decreased decayed and came to ruyne There the vertues and vices of men do appeare howe by their good doynges they florished by their euil actes they decayed How they prospered so loÌ„g as they mainteyned iustice persecutd vice vsed clemencye mercye were liberal religyous vertuous and voyde of couetousnes And contrariwise howe they fell into manifold calamityes miseries troubles when they embraced vyce and forsoke vertue In historyes it is apparaÌ„t how dauÌ„gerous it is to begyn alteracions in a coÌ„men wealth How enuy hatredes oft risyng vpoÌ„ smal causes haue ben the destruction of great kyngdomes And that disobeyete of hygher powers suche as rebellyd agaynst magystrates neuer escapyd punyshment nor came to good end In theym there be presydentys for all cases that may happeÌ„ in folowyng the good in eschuyng the euyl in auoydyng incoÌ„uenyences in forseyng mischiefes In them may be learnyd how to temper in prosperitye how to endure in aduersytye after what maner men should vse them selues both in tyme of peace warre As in all artes there be certeyne prynciples and rules for men to folowe so in hystoryes there be ensamples paynted out of all kynde of vertues wherin both the dignitye of vertue foulenes of vyce appeareth much more lyuelye then in eny morall teachyng there beyng expressed by way of ensample all that Philosophy doth teach by waye of precepts Thys is suche a kynde of knowledge as make men apt eueÌ„ wyth smal experyeÌ„ce eyther to gouerne in publyke matters or in their owne pryuate affayres For by coÌ„paryng thynges past wyth thynges presente men maye easelye gather what is to be folowyd and what is to be eschuyd And he whyche can reade theÌ„ wyth such iudgement waiyng the tymes wyth the causes and occasions of thynges shall bothe see moste deepelye in all matters best declare hys opynion wynne most estymacioÌ„ of prudence wysdome For if aged men be estemyd for the wysest by reason of their experyeÌ„ce Or if Homer paynted forth in the persoÌ„ of Vlyxes the ymage of a perfyte wyse man imputyng the cause therof to the knowledge he hadde gatheryd by traueylyng many couÌ„treyes by vewyng and markyng the customes and maners of dyuers nacyous Then such as be wel experte in hystories and by the well applying of them can take the due fruite perteyning to the same must nedes obteygne profouÌ„dnes of iudgement with a stable and grouÌ„ded wysedome For in them men may beholde as it were before there eies both the whole worlde and the gouerment therof with the policies and lawes the discipline customes maÌ„ners of al people from the begynnyng Thys is suche a thyng that who so euer is clerely voyde of it though he be endued wyth neuer so greate a wytte otherwise with such aptnes of nature or other goodly vertues Yet when he shall haue to do in weyghtye affaires he shall fynde a certeigne mayme and imperfection not onely in ciuyll gouerment but also in the matters perteining to the warre For al though in an excellent capitaine nature must geue the chiefest partes that is to say hardines stowtenes of stomacke wyth a natural wisdome and vnderstanding by which qualities onely experience therunto adioyned diuers haue become famous capitaines Yet thys is a thynge that geueth a greter policye groundeth a deaper Iudgemente addeth a further ornament and glory and formeth a perfitnes an excellencie in a shorter space The shortnes of a mans liefe shortened besides by so manye casualties is the cause that men be taken awaye before the canne get suche an actual experience as may make theÌ„ perfite and coÌ„monly become rotten before they canne attayne to a rypenes in knowledge But by thys kynd of learning in youth a man is become aged he hathe knowledge wythout experience he is wyse before it is loked for he is become a councelour the firste houre and a man of warre the fyrste daye The same thynge hath bene verified in manye whych in young age haue bene prudente councellours and in small experience politique capitaynes Alexander hereof is an euidente ensample who brought vp vndre Aristotle in learnynge and so geuen to this kinde of studye that he had Homer alwayes laied vnder his beddes hede wherby he myght be admonished of the vertues and offyce of an excellent Prynce entered into hys kingdome whan he was but .xx. yeares of age and neuerthelesse bothe established hys owne estate wyth suche prudence that wythin shorte space besides the enlargynge of hys owne boundes he subdued the greatest parte of the worlde And albeit he began so young and continued so smale tyme yet no mans actes be comparable to his beinge counted the most excellente captayne from the begynnyng But if eny man wyl impute the greatnes of his doynges to the perfyte disciplyne the Macedons vsed in the warres and to the politique Capitaynes and expert souldiers left to hym by hys father Phyllyp it shal appeare euydeÌ„tly by the decaye of Realmes when they haue bene gouerned by imprudent Prynces and by the ouerthrowes the Romaynes receyued when they were conducted by euyll Capitaines that no prudence of counsellours can take place nor eny dysciplyne or experience of the souldiours can auayle if the heade be not a maÌ„ of excelleÌ„t vertue There is nothing newe vnder the Sunne as the wyse man faith and it is impossible for eny thing to chauÌ„ce either in the war or in coÌ„mon policye but that the lyke maye be founde to haue chaunced in times past Al which thinges laied vp in memorye as in a place of store meÌ„ may alwayes be furnished for all chaunces that maye occurre Seing histories be then so good and necessary it were muche requisite for mens instruccion that they were translated into suche touÌ„ges as most men myght vnderstaÌ„d them and specially the histories of antiquitye whych both
and did incorporate you amonges mine owne people causinge you to vse the same habite and the same armoure But your obedience and pacience towardes the aucthoritie appeareth muche better in you then in them Therfore I haue ioyned to my selfe in mariage the daughter of Oxatres that is a Percian not disdayninge to beget children vpon a captiue And afterwardes desiringe more aboundauntlye to encrease the issue of my bodye I toke to wife the daughter of Darius and was the aucthour that my neare frendes likewise shoulde beget children vpon captiues mindynge by this holye couenaÌ„te to exclude the difference betwene the victorers and the vainquished Wherfore you must now thinke that you be not souldiours vnto me adopted but more naturall And that Asia and Europe is one kyngdome without any difference I haue geuen vnto you armoure after the maner of the Macedons I haue brought all straungnes and noueltie into a custome and nowe ye be both my countreymen and my souldiours all thinges take vpon them one fourme and fashion I haue not thought it vnsemely for the Persians to shadowe the customes of the Macedons nor for the Macedons to counterfeit the Percians seynge thei ought to be vnder one lawe custome that should liue vnder one kynge When he had made this oration he committed the custody of his person vnto the Persians he made them of his guarde and his officers of iustice bi whom when the Macedons whiche had geuen occasion of this sedicion were ledde bound vnto execution one of them that was more auncient and of greater estimacion theÌ„ the rest spake after this maner Howe longe will you thus geue place vnto your wil in executynge vs after the straungers maner Your souldiours and countreymen be drawen to execusion by their owne prisoners before their cause be hearde If you haue iudged vs worthye of death at leastwayes chaung the ministers of your wrath This was a good admonishmente if he hadde bene pacient to heare the trueth But his wrath was groweÌ„ into a woodnes so that when he sawe theim whiche hadde the charge of the prisoners staye a little at the matter he caused the prisoners to be tumbled into the riuer and there drowned Notwithstandynge the crueltye of this punishement the souldiours were not sâ—urred to any sedition but repayred by rowtes vnto their capitaines and vnto suche as were neare aboute the kynge requirynge that if there yet remained anye infected with the same offence that he shoulde commaunde theim to be putte to death proferynge their bodyes to be punished and executed at his owne will After it was knowen that Liuetenaunteships were geuen vnto the PerciaÌ„s and that they were distributed into diuers orders and suche names geuen vnto them as were vnto the Macedons and that they were reiected wyth reproche they coulde not then any lenger conteine theim selues nor suffer the doloure they had conceyued in their hertes but with a great throng pressed to the courte wearyng onely their nethermost garmentes and leauynge their weapons without the gate in token of repentaunce There wyth weapynge and all tokens of humilitie they made request to be admitted to the kynges presence that he would vouchsafe to pardon their offence pacifiynge his wrath with the deathe of so manye of theim as he shoulde thinke good rather theÌ„ to suffer them to liue in such reproch whiche excepte he woulde release Alexander was reconsiled to his souldiours they protested they woulde neuer departe out of the place When those thynges were declared vnto Alexander he caused the courte gates to be opened and came forthe amonges them Wheras beholdynge their lamentation and repentaunce their miserable behauour and affliction he coulde not abstayne to weape longe tyme wyth theim and in coÌ„sideration of their modestie forgaue theÌ„ their former offeÌ„ces And after he had temperately told theÌ„ their faultes and againe comforted them with gentle words he discharged many froÌ„ the seruice of the warres sent theÌ„ home liberally rewarded writing to Antipater his liuetenant in Macedon that he should assigne theÌ„ the chiefe places in the Threatres at triumphes and open playes wheras they shoulde sit with garlaÌ„des on their heades he willed that their children after their deathes should enioye their fathers wages He appointed Craterus to be their ruler to whoÌ„ in the place of Antipater he had committed the gouernement of Macedon Tessalie and Thrace sendynge for Antipater to repaire vnto him with a supplie of yong souldiers Alexander had receiued letters before both froÌ„ hym and Olympias his mother Olymyias AlexaÌ„ders mother wherby dissension appeared to be betwixt them For his mother acused Antipater that he wente aboute to make him selfe kyng And Antipater did write howe Olympias did manye thinges otherwise then it did become her Antipater did take his callynge awaye so greuouslye in his hart that he conspired therupon to poyson Alexander who hauynge accomplished the matters that before be meÌ„cioned went to Echatan that standeth in Media to set order in the necessarie affaires of his Empire and there ordeyned solempne triumphes and feasting It chaunsed Ephestion whom the kynge specially loued The death of EphestioÌ„ and vsed in place of a brother about the same time to dye of a feuer Whose death Alexander toke more sorowfullye then can well be credited committynge in his doloure manie thinges that were vnseaminge for the maiestye of a Prince He commaunded Ephestions phisition to be hanged as though he had died through his negligence He laye embracynge of the dead bodye and coulde hardlye be taken awaye by his frendes but continued his sorowe night and daye There be many other thinges written in that behalfe which be scarsely credible But it is certayne that he commaunded sacrifice to be made vnto him as vnto a God and consumed in his buriall and making of his tombe aboue .xii. M. talentes As he was returninge to Babilon the Caldian Prophetes met him on the waye exhortynge him that he shoulde not enter into the citye For that it was signified that if he wente thether at that time he should be in great peryll of his life Notwithstanding he regarded not their admonishmentes but went forwardes in his iourney accordynge as he hadde appoynted For he vnderstode that Embassadours were come thither from all Regions tariynge for his comming The terrour of his name was so spredde throughe the worlde that all nacions shewed an obsequiousnes towardes him as though he had bene appoynted to be their kynge That caused him to make haste towardes Babylon to kepe there as it were a Parliamente of the whole worlde When he was come thither he receiued the Embassadours gentlye and afterwardes dispatched them home agayne There was aboute the same tyme a banquet prepared at one Tessalus Medius house Thessalus Medius wherunto the kynge beinge bidden came thither wyth such as were appoynted to kepe him companye But he had not so sone dronke of Hercules cuppe Alexander was poysoned but that he gaue a grunte
the countrey whiche his parte had bene to defend from destructiō Of his departure it came to passe that those whiche he left behynd thynking them selues betrayed would not so muche as abyde the fyght of their enemies when a muche lesse nōbre had bene sufficient to haue kept the passage The destruccion o◠Cilicia For the scituaciō of Cilicia is suche that it is enuironed round about with a continuall rough and steade Mountayne whiche rysing from the sea on the one syde fetchyng a compasse aboute ioyneth againe with the sea on the other syde Through that parte of this Mountayne whiche lieth furdest from the Sea beyng thre narowe and rough passages by one of the whiche they must entre that will passe into Cilicia This coūtrey towardes the Sea is playne and full of Riuers amonges which two be notable Pyramus and Cydnus Pyramus Cydnus but Cydnus moste speciall not so muche for his greatnes as for the clerenes of his water whiche from his firste spryng ronneth plesauntly through all the Countrey and hath no other Ryuer runnyng into hym to disturbe the purenes of his streame For whiche cause it remayneth alwaies clere ▪ and also coold by reason of the woodes that do shadowe all the banckes Tyme hath consumed many antiquities within that countrey whiche be remembred of the Poeres There maie yet be sene the foundacions of the Cities of Lyrnessus Lyrnessus Cebestus Coricius and Cebestus with the caue and woode of Coricius where saffron groweth with many other thynges whereof nothyng remayneth sauyng only the same When Alexander entred the straytes that before be mencioned and beheld the scituacion of them he neuer in all his life marueiled more of his owne felicitie and good fortune confessyng that it had not bene possible for hym to haue passed if any had stand at defence agaynst hym for that with stones only he myght haue bene destressed and the strayte besydes was so narrowe that there could not passe aboue foure in a front To thencrease of whiche difficulty the toppes of the Mountaynes hong ouer the ways whiche in many places were broken and made hollowe with the streames that ranne downe from the hilles Alexander sent the Thracians that were lyght armed to scower discouer the ways for feare the enemies should lye there in busshement and sodeynly breake forth vpon hym He appoyncted also a bād of Archers to take the toppe of the hyl which were willed so to marche that they myght be alwayes in a redines to fyghte After this maner he came with his army to the Cytie of Tarson Tarson whiche was set on fyre by the Percions because that Alexander should fynde no herborow there But Parmeno was sent thether with a choyse nomber of horsemen to quenche the fyer who vnderstandyng that the enemies were fled away through his commyng entred into the Cytie and by that meanes saued it from burnyng The Ryuer of Cydnus spoken of before dyd ronne through this Cytie where the kyng arryued about mydday it beynge in the Sommer season what tyme the heate is no where more feruent then in that countrey He toke suche delyght in the pleasauntnes of the water that he would nedes bathe his body to washe awaye the sweate dust he had caught and being in an heate entred naked into the water in euery mans syght thynckyng it should be a contentacion to his souldiers to se that the furnemētes about his body was no other but suche as they cōmonly vsed to weare Alexander by bathing in a Ryuer became in great perill of his life He was not so sone entred but all the partes of his body began to shake tremble his face waxed pale the liuely heate was mortified in all partes of his body His seruauntes toke hym vp and caried hym into his tent as one besides him self and at the poinct of death Then there was a great desolacion and heuines in the campe they wepte lamented and bewayled that suche a Kyng so noble a Capitaine as had not bene sene in any age should thus be taken from them in the chief of his enterprise and brunte of all his busines and that after suche a manner not in battaile slayne by his enemies but thus cast away bathing in a ryuer It greued them that Darius now beyng at hand should obtein the victory by suche a chaunce without seing of his enemy that they should be enforced to retourne back agayne as men vanquysshed by those Countreis through the whiche they had passed before as victorers In whiche countreis all thynges beyng destroyed by themselues or by their enemies it was of necessitie for them to dye for hunger though no man should persue them It became a question amonges them selues who should be their Capitayne in their flyeng away or what he were that durste succede Alexander And though they might saufely arriue at the Sea of Hellespont yet who should prepare them passage there And when they had disputed these questions their argument by and by was turned in compassion towardes their Prince lamentyng as mē out of their wittes that suche a floure of yought suche a force of courage as was in hym that thesame their kyng and companion in armes should after this sorte be taken from them In the meane season Alexāder began to drawe his breath somwhat better when he came vnto himselfe he lifted vp his eyes and began to knowe his frendes that were about hym the vehemens of his sicknes somwhat assuaging whiche was perceiued in that he began to vnderstand the perill he was in But the pensiuenes of his mynde was greate hinderaunce vnto his health for tidinges came that Darius within fiue dayes would be in Cilicia whiche was the thing that made him to sorowe and lamēt He could not take it but greuously that suche a victory should be plucked out of his handes through his infirmitie And that he should be taken as one tied in bondes and be put to some shamefull and vile death He called therfore to hym both his frendes and Phisiciōs and sayd vnto them ye see in what state of my busines fortune hath taken me The wordes of Alexander to his frendes in his sickenes Me thyncke the noyse of myne enemies do ringe in mine eares and I whiche moued first the warre am now chalenged and prouoked to fyght When Darius did wrytte to me suche proude letters he was not ignoraunt of myne estate yet peraduenture he shal be deceyued if I may vse myne own mynde in recouery of myne owne health My case requireth no slacke medicines nor slowe Phisicions I had rather dye sloutly at ones then to consume long tyme in my recouery Wherfore if there be any hope or connyng in physicke let it be shewed And thincke that I seke not remedy so muche for mine own life as I do for the care I haue to encountre with myne enemies When they harde him speake those wordes they were in great doubte
of his men whom after sufficient vowe taken he lette go to shewe Alexander what they had sene Darius remoued and passed the riuer of Piramê° of purpose to pursue after the Macedons whiche he thought had bene fleing away They whiche had their handes cut of came runnyng in amonges the Macedons declaryng that Darius was commyng in greate haste There was scarsely any credens geuen to their wordes but to be sure Alexander sent spyes towardes the Sea coaste to knowe whether Darius were there in persone or els had sent some other to make a shewe of a powre The Spies retournyng dyd reporte that his hole army was at hand and strayght wayes the fierce myght be sene whiche gaue suche a shewe by reason they lay straglyng so farre abrode to get forage as though the hole Countrey had bene on fyre When Alexander was assertayned of the truthe he encamped in the same place where the tydynges came vnto hym beyng marueylous glad that he knewe he should fyght specially in the streyghtes whiche was the thing that he had alwayes desyred But as it is commonly sene when daunger and extremitie is at hand confidens is conuerted into feare Alexanders ImaginacioÌ„ before the battaille So he doubted not without greate cause that fortune myght charge vpon hym by whose fauour he had done so great actes considered her mutabilitie by such thinges as she had takeÌ„ from other and geuen to hym he sawe there was no prorogracioÌ„ of the time but that after one night passed the victory should be determined But on the other side he called vnto remeÌ„braunce howe the reward ensuing of the victory farre exceded the aduenture For as the same was dowbtfull so beyng disconfited he was certayne to dye with honour and perpetuall praise When he had waied these thinges he gaue ordre that the souldiours should refresshe them selues and at the third watche to be armed and in a redines to set forwardes He himselfe went vp into the toppe of a mouÌ„tayn with many torches and lightes about hym where he made sacrifice vnto the goddes after his Countrey maner And when the houre was come apoincted vnto the souldiers at the third sound of the trompet they ware in a redines both to marche and fight Then exhortacion was geuen vnto them to passe on with bould courage and so by the spryng of the day they were come to the streightes wherein their purpose was to preuent Dariê° By that time such as were sent before to scowre the contrey came in and reported that the Percians were within .30 furlonges Then the battayles were stayed and set in suche ordre as they should fight Lyke as Alexander was enfourmed of Darius so he was aduertised of Alexander by the pesauntes of the couÌ„trey whiche came fearfully runnyng vnto hym declaryng that Alexander was at hande These wordes were not beleued for they could not thinck them to be comming whom they thought before to be fledde But when thei perceiued that it was so in dede because they were in better ordre to pursue their enemies then to encouÌ„tre with them in battaile they were striken with a marueilous sodeine feare Euery man toke him to his armour in haste whiche haste and the callyng that one made vpon an other did put a greater feare amonges them Some ran vp to the toppes of the hilles to view the Macedons other fell to brydling their horses So that the hoste full of diuersite and not ruled by any certayn gouernement with their hurley burley put all thinges out of ordre The ordre that Dariê° gaue for the battaille Darius at the first had apoincted one part of his power to take the mountayne Whiche settyng vpon his enemies backes might enclose them both behynde and before and assigned an other company to passe along the sea syde whiche was on the right hand to kepe his enemies doing on euery parte He gaue ordre also that .xx. thousand fotemen with a band of Archers should passe the ryuer of Pyramus and geue an vnset that way But if they found any impedimeÌ„t why they might do so then he willed them to retire amoÌ„ges the mountaines and to inuade their enemies on their backes But fortune whiche was of greater force then any policie determined those thinges that were wel deuised according as she thought good For some durste not for feare execute the thing that was commaunded them and then the rest worked in vayne for where the membres faile the hole body is confounded The order of the Perecians The ordre of Darius army stode thus araÌ„gid to fight his power being deuided into two battailles one marchiÌ„g on the left hand and the other on the right Nabarzanes enpaled the battaille on the right haÌ„d with a great power of horsmeÌ„ and .xxx. thousand Slingers and Archers Thymones was also in the battaille with .xxx. thousand mercenary Grekes being in very deade Dariê° chiefest force a power equall vnto Phalanx of the Macedons In the battaille on the left hand Aristomenes was in the fore front with .xxx. M. fotemen hauing plaÌ„ted for his succour relief such nacioÌ„s as were couÌ„ted moste valiaunt There were about the kynge beyng also in that battayle thre thousand choyse horsemen that were of the ordinary guard of his persone and .xl. thousand footemen with the horsemen of Hircany and Medya and the horsemen of other nacions were wynges on both sydes And besydes these nombres there went before this battaille in a forlorne heape .vi. thousand Slingers and casters of Dartes All the plaine grouÌ„d betwene the streightes was filled with men of warre â–ª and Darius battaille stode araunged from the mountayne downe to the Sea syde The mother and wyfe of Darius with all the flockes of women were receyued into the myddes of the battaille The order of the Macedons Alexander on the other syde set his square battaille of fote men called Phalanx beyng the Macedons chiefest force in the fore fronte Mycanor the sonne Parmenio was capitayne of the battaylle on the ryght hande and with him Cenos and Perdicas Meleager Tolomeus and Amintas were ioyned euery one with his owne bande Parmenio Caterus had the rule of the battaille on the left hand whiche stretched towardes the Sea but Parmenio had the chief charge Horsemen were set in wynges to both those battailles The MacedoÌ„ Tessalien horsemen beyng apoyncted to the rygth hande battaille and the horsemeÌ„ of Peleponese to the battaile on the other side before whiche battaylle there were also set Slingers with Archers amonges them and the Cretences that were lyghtely armed went before the mayne battaille The band of Agrians that were lately come out of Grece were assigned to encouÌ„tre with those that Darius had sent to take the toppe of the mouÌ„taine He willed Parmenio that as much as he might he should stretch out his baÌ„d towardes the sea to wtdrawe as farre as he could from the hilles whiche the enemies had taken But such as
noble of his Captaines all dyeng honorably afore the eies of their kyng with their faces to the grouÌ„d like as they fel receiued their death wouÌ„des without turnyng their backes Amonges whome Aticies Romythres Sabaces gouernour of Egipt that had the charge of great nombres of men were ouerthrowen and slayne and about them there lay by heapes a huyge nombre of the vulgare sorte both of horsemen and fotemen Of the Macedons also some were slayne of suche as pressed moste foreward amonges whome the ryght shoulder of Darius was somwhat hurte with a sworde In this thronge the horses that drue Darius Chariot were thruste in with pykes whiche beyng woode for payne of their woundes began to stroggle and ouerthrowe their maister Darius He fearyng therfore to be taken a lyue leaped downe and was set vpon a ledde horse and so fledde away castyng from his head his diademe because he would not be knowen Dariê° ouerthrowen Then all his men for feare disparkled flyeng by suche wayes as were open for them and throwe away their armoure whiche before thei had taken for their defence Suche a thing is feare that refuseth the thyng that should be his sauegarde When Parmenio sawe them flee he straight commaunded the horsemen to pursue them in the chase and put all his enemies to flyght that were on that parte But on the other hand the Percians dyd put the Tessaliens horsemen to a sore stresse for at the first shock they had broken one of their tropes yet for all that when the Tessalians sawe their enemies passe through them they closed themselues together agayne and charged vpoÌ„ the Percians who by reason of their onsetgeuing and for that they though themselues sure of the victory became cleane out of ordre were ouerthrowen with great slaughter The Tessalians had herein a great aduauntage by reason that the PerciaÌ„s besides that they be armed theÌ„selues haue their horses also barbed with plates of stele whiche was the cause that they could not either in the vnset or retire be so quicke as that TessaliaÌ„s were for by their celeritie wherin the feate of horsemen chiefly consiste they had ouerthrowen many of them before they could tourne their horses about When AlexaÌ„der vnderstode that his meÌ„ preuailed of their enemies on that parte likewise was bold then to folowe in the chase whiche he durst not do before he knew the battail to be clerely woÌ„ne thennemies repulsed on all sides AlexaÌ„der had not about him aboue a M. horsemeÌ„ with whoÌ„ he slewe innumerable of his enemies For who is he that in an ouerthrowe or a chase can noÌ„bre men Those few MacedoÌ„s did driue the multitude of their enemies before theÌ„ like shepe thesame feare that caused theÌ„ flee stayed theÌ„ likewise in their flieng The Grecians that were on Darius side vnder their capitain Amyntas which soÌ„time had bene in great aucthoritie with Alexander Amyntas but then against him brake out from the rest and marched away in ordre of battaill All the rest fled diuerse wayes some directly towardes Perce some by pathes priuy wayes escaped by the mouÌ„taines the woodes A few ther where that recouered their former caÌ„pe whiche they could not defend any time against the Macedons that were victours but the same immediatly was wonne being habundaÌ„t of all riches of gold siluer with appertaining not only to the warres but to all voluptuousnes excesse whiche riches whiles the souldiers violeÌ„tly spoiled they strowed the waies full of packes and fardels whiche they would not touche in respect of the couetous desire they had to thinges of greater valew But when thei came vnto the women as their tirementes were moste precious the more violeÌ„tly thei plucked theÌ„ away and their bodies were not fre from their luste enforcement The campe euery where was ful of tumulte lamentacioÌ„ as chauÌ„ce fel to eche one The libertie of the victours was suche that their crueltie raged vpon all ages kynd of creatures no kynd of mischief waÌ„ted amonges theÌ„ There might haue bene sene the variablenes of fortune when they whiche had prepared Darius pauilion with al kynd of delicacie and riche furniture reserued kept thesame for Alexand as for their old maister for the Macedons had lefte that vnspoiled according to their auncieÌ„t custome which are euer woÌ„t to receiue their king wheÌ„ he is victorious into the kinges pauilion that he hath vanquished Dariuâ— mother his wâ—fe his children takeÌ„ prisoners The mother and wyfe of Darius that where there taken prisoners moued all men to caste their eyes and inwarde conteÌ„placion towardes theÌ„ wherof th one deserued to be reuerenced for the maner that was in her for her yeares and the other for thexeleÌ„cy of her beuty which through her misaduentur was nothing stained She was sene embrasing her littell sonne in her armes not yet of the age of .vi. yeares borne as inheritour to the dominion whiche his father newly had loste There lay also two yong virgines in their graÌ„dmothers lappe yeuen then mariable whiche languyshed and lameÌ„ted not somuch through their own priuate sorowe as for the dolorousnes of thould woman About the mother and the wife were a great nombre of noble womeÌ„ that pulled their heare and tare their clothes without respecte what apperteined to their estate Who vnmyndfull of the falle Darius wife and his mother were come vnto â–ª called them by the name of Quenes with suche other titles of honour as they did before They all had forgot their own misery were diligeÌ„t to enquire the fortune of the field what successe the battell had that Darius was in For if he were aliue they sayd they could in no wise thinke theÌ„selues prisoners But he by the chaunging of many horses was by that tyme fled far awaye There were slayne of the Percians a hundred thousand footemen and .x. M. The noÌ„bre of theÌ„ that were slayne horsemen And of Alexanders coÌ„pany only v. C.iiii. hurte .xxxii. fotemeÌ„ and Cl. horsemeÌ„ killed So great a victory was gotten with so small a losse Alexander that was weried with pursuyng of Darius when he perceaued the night to drawe on that there was no hope to ouertake him whom he folowed returned into the Percians campe whiche a little before his commyng was taken by his men that night he made a banquet to suche as he accustomed to call for the hurte of his shoulder wherof the skinne was but smaly perished letted him not to kepe coÌ„pany As thei sat at meat sodainly they heard a piteful crie with a straunge howling and lamentacion that put them all in great feare Insomuche that the band that kept the watche about the kinges pauilion fearing it to be the beginning of some greater matter began to arme themselues The wyfe and mother of Darius with the other noble womeÌ„ that were taken prisoners were the cause of this sodayne feare by lamenting of Darius whoÌ„ they
they were Then vpon the pointes of two speares they set vp the signe that was appointed them and founde that in their coming vp they had lost of their nombre two and thirty The kyng being carefull not so muche for the desire he had to winne the rocke as for to saue those whom he had sent to so manifest a daūger stode all daye beholding the toppe of the mountayne And when darckenes of the night toke away the prospecte of the eyes he departed to refreshe his body The next day before it was ful light he perceiued the white cloth set vp in the toppe of the rocke but the varietie of the ayer and the sonne beginning to apeare and yet hiddē caused him to doubte a while whether his sighte had fayled him or no. But when it was full and open daye it appeared manifestly and all doubte was takē away Then he called Cophes by whome he had attempted their myndes before willing him ones agayne to exhorte them to be better aduised And if so be that in trust of their strength they would not submit them selues that then he should shewe to thē the men that had taken the rocke ouer their heades Whē Cophes came thether he beganne to persuade Arimazes to geue vp his strength therby to winne the kinges fauour and not enforce him to stay in the siege of a rock hauing so many weighty affaires in hād But he foūd him more obstinat and proude then he did before and willed Cophes to depart and moue him no more in the matter Then he toke Arimazes by the hād and required him to go with him out of the caue When they were come where as they might loke about he shewed him those that were gotten to the top of the cragge and skorning thē his pride axed of him whether Alexāders souldiers had gottē winges or no but that time the trōpettes were blowen in the Macedons campe thei might here the alarome that was made in the armye Whiche matter as many and vaine and trifling thinges are wont in the warres to growe to greate effect so that was the cause why they yelded them selues For feare so troubled them that they could not consider the smalle nombre that were ouer their heades but called Cophen againe in great hast who was departed away and sent with him Alexander .xxx. of the chief men authorised to yelde vp the rocke with composition for to depart in sauegard But Alexander not withstanding that he doubted lest his enemies discouering the fewnes of his men might put them to distresse yet trusting in the felicitie of his owne fortune and offended with the pride of Arimazes would agre to no cōdicion but that they should yelde simply Arimazes therupon dispayring more of his estate then he had cause Descended downe to the campe with the chiefest of the nacion that were of kinne to him All the whiche Alexander caused to be scourged with roddes and be crucified at the foote of the rocke The multitude that yelded with the money that there was taken were geuen in gifte to thinhabiters of the newe cities And the rule of the sayd rocke was committed to Artabasus with the charge of the countrey there about The eigth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedon ALexander hauing wonne this rock with greater fame then glory because his enemies remained in no place certaine it was necessary for him to seperate his power so deuided his army in thre partes He gaue the charge of the one part to Ephestion to Cenon the other toke the third part vnto him self His enemies were not all of one opinion for some of them seing their defence could not auaill yelded them selues before the fight to whome he gaue the cyties and the landes of those that continued still his enemies Messagetes Atynas But the outlawes of Bactria with .viii. C. horsemen wasted the villages of the Messagetes For the redresse wherof Attynas gouernour of that countrey went against them with .iii. C. horsemen not knowing that his enemies lay in wayte for him whiche had layd their imbushement in a wood ioyning to a great playne wheras they had appointed a certaine to driue cattel therby to drawe their enemies with the gredines of the praye within daunger of the bushemen When Attinas men sawe the driuers of the cattell they pursued them without ordre and whē they were passed the wood where thimbushement lay their enemies brake out vpon them casting no suche perils and slewe them euery one The fame of this ouerthrowe came immediatly vnto Craterus whiche drue thether with the horsemē But the Massagetes being fled before his comming he slewe M. Dahans of the Dahans that toke their parte wherby the whole rebellion of the whole countrey cessed Thus Alexander hauing subdued the Sogdians returned to Maracanda Whether Berdes whom he had sent to the Scythians inhabiting about Bosphrous came to him with Embassadours of that coūtrey Phrataphernes Phrataphernes also that had the chief rule of the Masagetes and Dahans whiche nacions were ioyned by affinitie togethers sent certaine messengers to Alexander offring to be at his cōmaundemēt The Scythian Embassadours made request that Alexander would mary their kinges doughter if the affinitie pleased him that he would suffre the princes of the Macedons to enter in mariage likewise with the noble mens doughters of their coūtrey promising that the king should come in person to visite him He hard gently both the Embassades and styll continued in that place till Ephestion and Artabasus came vnto him and then ioyning his power againe together came into the countrey that is called Basaria Basaria There is nothing more estemed in that nacion then to haue great herdes of wild beastes enclosed in parkes whiche be very plesaunt and full of springes Those parkes be enclosed with walles and towers builded within them to be lodges for the hunters There was one parke in that countrey that had remained vnhunted during the tyme of foure mens ages Wherinto Alexander entred with his whole army chasing the wilde beastes in euery quarter Amōges the rest there was a liō of a rare bignes that came rōning towardes Alexander Lysimachus Whiche thing when Lysimachus that afterwardes was king perceiued standing by chaunce then next to Alexāder perceiued he stepped before him to receiue the lyon with his hūting speare But Alexāder plucked him back and willed him to auoyde sayēg that he was able to kyll a lyon so well as Lysimachus This Lysimacus on a time hūting in Siria killed by himself alone an huge lyon But he was torne to the bones vnder his left shoulder put in great daunger of his life Which being the matter that Alexāder ment he performed with that worde no lesse then he promised for he did not only receiue the lyon but killed hym with one stroke Wherupon the fable rise howe Alexander shuld haue cast Lysimachus to a lyon But
possibilitie and still called for Aridens to come forthe amonges them Wherupon Meleager for the malice and enuy he bare vnto Perdicas toke an occasion boldlye to bring him into the assemble whoÌ„ the multitude saluted as kinge and called him Philippe This was the voyce of the people Aridens was chosen kyng but the nobilitie was of an other mind of whoÌ„ Pithon toke vpon him to put Perdicas deuise in execution and appoynted Perdicas and Leonatus whiche were descended of the bloude royall to be gouernours of the sonne whiche shoulde be borne of Roxane addinge moreouer that Craterus and Antipater shoulde haue the rule within Europe And vpon this they sware men to be obedient to Alexanders issue Meleager then doubting notwithout cause that some euill might come to him departed with suche as were of his faction but he returned immediatly againe and brought Philip with him into the court criyng out to the multitude for the assistyng of the coÌ„mune welth in aydynge of the newe Kynge whiche a little before they had elected and wylled them to make an experimente of his actiuitie persuadinge that he was the metest to rule ouer theÌ„ that was the issue of Philip that had bothe a king to his father and a king to his brother There is no profouÌ„d sea so stormy nor teÌ„pestuous The inconstancy of a multitude that raiseth vp so many sourges waues as a multitude doth mocions and alteracions when they haue gotten the bridle of a newe libertie not likely long to coÌ„tinue There wanted not some that gaue their consent to Perdicas but more agreed to make Philip king They could neither agre nor disagre to any thyng long time together One while repenting them of that they had determined and streightwaies forthought theÌ„ of that repentaunce Yet finally they were enclyned to preferre the kinges bloud Aridens was put in such feare with the aucthoritie of the nobilite that he departed out of the assemble after whose departure the fauour of the souldiers was rather silent then cessed towardes him So that at length he was called agayne and put vpon him his brothers vesture regal whiche laye in the chayre And Meleager put on his armour folowing as a guarde to the persone of the newe king The souldiers of the Phalanx classhed their speares to their targettes threatening to shed their bloud whiche coueted the kingdome that pertained not to them They reioysed that the force of the Empire should still continue in the same familie the right of whose enheritaunce comming of the bloud royall they shewed themselues redy alwayes to defende For by reason they were accustomed to honour the name of their kyng and to haue it in veneracion they thought no man worthy for it but suche one as came therunto by discent of bloud Perdicas therfore was afraied and with .vi. hundred men that were of an approued manhode kept the lodging wheras the body of Alexander lay Ptolomeus ioyned him selfe vnto hym and the bande of the younge men that were about the kynges persone But so many thousand of armed men as were vpon the other side did easely breake in vpon them Amonges whome the king was present with a great bande for the guard about his persone wherof Meleager was chief Perdicas therfore in a greate furye called them to his parte which would defende AlexaÌ„ders body but they which brake in vpon theÌ„ shrew dartes at him afarre of wherby many were hurt At the last the auncient men plucked of their head peces the better to be knowen desired them whiche were with perdicas to abstayne from ciuill warre geue place to the kyng to the greater parte Wherupon Perdicas was the firste that layde downe his weapon the rest did in like maner Meleager then persuaded theÌ„ that they should not depart but remayne still about the dead corse but he iudging that to be a deceite and a meane to entrap hym fled to the further side of Euphrates lieng ouer against the court Then the horsemen whiche consisted chiefly of the nobilitie flocked about Perdicas and Leonatus whiche thought good to departe out of the cytie and take the fieldes but because Perdicas was not without hope that the footemen woulde haue taken his parte remained stil within the cytie lest he myght seme to be the cause that the horsemen should deuide them selues from the rest of the armye Meleager ceassed not to beate in the kynges head that he could not establyshe himselfe surely in his estate but by the death of Perdicas whose ambicious mynde desirous of innouation was he sayde to be preuented in time Willyng the kyng to remembre what Perdicas had deserued at his haÌ„des and that no man could be faithfull to him whom he feared The kyng suffring the thing rather then geuing his coÌ„sent to the matter Meleager toke his silence for a commaundement and sent for Perdicas in the kynges name and they whiche were sent had commission to kyll hym if he made any sticking to come with them Perdicas hearing of their comming accompanied only with .xvi. yonge men that were of Alexanders guarde mette them at the entrey of the house and callyng them Meleagers slaues rebuked them with suche a constancy both of mynde and countenaunce that they returned back agayne as men amased Perdicas wylled suche as were in his company to leape on horsebacke and so with a fewe of hys frendes came vnto Leonatus mynding if any violence were moued againste hym to repulce it with a greater force The next daye the Macedons grudged and thought it a matter vnworthy that Perdicas after this maner should be brought in daunger of death and therfore determined with force to reuenge the rashenes of Meleagers doynges But he vnderstanding the mutyne that was amonges the souldiers gaue place and they repayred vnto the kyng demaundyng of hym if he had coÌ„maunded Perdicas to be taken He coÌ„fessed he had so done but that was by Meleagers mocion whiche was no cause he sayde for them to make any storre seing that Perdicas was alyue The assemble hereupon brake vp and Meleager became greatly afrayed specially by the parting of the horsemen so that he wiste not what to do for he sawe the mischief whiche he a little before had wrought against his enemy lyke to light vpoÌ„ him selfe and whyles he deuysed this and that three dayes were consumed The wonted fourme and faâ—â—on of the courte dyd remayne in the meane season For the Embassadours of diuers nacions made repaire vnto the kyng the captaines of the army did assemble about him and the guard wayted in armour as they were accustomed But the great sadnes that was there without any apparant cause signified some extreame dispaire There was suche a suspicion amonges them selues that men durst not company togethers nor speake one to another but stode imagening secretly with them selues and by comparing the time present with the tyme past and the new kyng with the olde they began to desire hym that was gone
other marieng a wyfe There were set furth sondry notable playes and deuises plesaunt to beholde And as Kyng Philip betwene the two Alexanders the one his natural sonne and the other his sonne in lawe was passyng through the preasse without any guarde The death of Philip. One Pansanias a young man of the nobilitie of Macedon when no man suspected any suche thing sodainly slewe him starck dead making that day whiche was apoincted to Ioye and triumphe lamentable and dolorous by the death of suche a prince Pansanias This Pansanias being a boie was enforced by Attalus to the vnnatural vse of his body whiche not content to do so himself at an other open banket caused diuers of his familiars to abuse him likewyse Attalus with whiche shame and villany the young man beyng sore greued as reason would coÌ„playned to the kyng whome although the dishonestie of the matter moued muche yet for the loue he bare to Attalus and for the respect of his seruice forbare to vse any reformacion in the matter This Attalus was very nere vnto the kynge and in speciall fauoure by reason he was kynsman vnto the Quene Cleopatra whoÌ„ Philip had laste maried He was also elected generall Capytayne of the Kynges Armye prepared to passe into Asia as one that was bothe valiaunt of hys persone and no lesse politique in the feates of warre vpon these respectes the Kynge endeuoured by all the meanes he coulde to pacefie Pansanias beyng kyndled with moste iuste cause of grief aswell by gyuing him great giftes and promocions as placing hym honourably amongest those IentlemeÌ„ that were for the guarde of his persone But all this could not appease the iust rage of his Ire whiche wrought so in hym that he determined to be reuenged not only vpon Attalus that dyd the villony but also vpon the Kynge that would not minister iustice Whiche determinacion he put in effect as is sayd before Many thynges myght be sayd more of the doynges and sayenges of this Philip but one thyng aboue an other is to be noted that although for the more parte he was alwayes occupied in the tourmoyle of the warres and other like busines yet had he euer suche affeccion to the studies of humanitie and good learnyng that he both did and spake many thynges worthy memory whiche were both witty and plesaunt He lyued seuen and fourty yeares and reigned .xxv. yeares beyng the .xxiii. kynge of the Macedons as they reigned in ordre ¶ The seconde boke of Quintus Curtius supplied of the actes of Alexander the greate Kyng of Macedonie WHen Philip was dead Alexander toke vpon hym as king the .20 yere of his age his sonne whiche for the greatnes of his actes was afterwardes called the great Alexander toke vpon him the kyngdome the .4.26 yeare after the buylding of Rome being of the age of .20 yeares His state stode at that tyme subiect to muche enuie hatred and hasard from all partes For the nacions and prouinces borderyng vpon hym could not wel beare their present bondage and euery one of them sought howe to recouer agayne their auncient dominion and enheritaunce The first thyng he attempted after he was kyng was the greuous execution he dyd vpon as manye as hadde conspiryd his fathers death whyche done he celebrated his funeralles with great pompe Concernyng his estate he sone establysshed it and that muche better theÌ„ any man could haue imagyned in one beyng of so yoÌ„g and tendre yeares for beyng of some had in contempt and of some suspected to be cruell towardes the one he bare hym self so stoutely that he toke from them all contempt and to the other so gentylly that their ymagened feare of his cruell disposition was cleane taken away he graunted vnto the Macedons fredom and priuiledge from all exaccion and bondage sauing from the seruice of warre by whiche act he got so great fauour and loue amonges his people that all affirmed by one consent howe the persone of their Kynge was chaunged and not his vertue his name was altered but not his good gouernement In the beginning of his raigne rebellion was made against hym on all sydes he by and by with an incredible stowtenes and coÌ„stancy of mynde stayed all their tumultes which thyng pacified and set in ordre he went to Corinthe in Peloponese Corinthe where callyng a generall Counsell of all the states of Grece Alexander elected Capitain generall against the PerciaÌ„s he was elected their generall Capitain against the Percians whiche before tyme had afflicted Grece with many plagues and at that present possessed the greatest Empire in the world his father had purposed that warre before but the preuencioÌ„ of death was the cause he brought not his purpose to passe Whiles he was in preparacion of this enterprise he was enfourmed howe the Atheniens the Thebanes and Lacedemonians were reuolted from hym and confederate with the Percians and all by meanes of an Oratour called Demosthenes Demosthenes whiche was corrupted by them with a great somme of money For the reformacion whereof Alexander so sodeynly had prepared an Army wherewith he came vpon them that they could scarsely beleue they sawe hym present of whose commyng they had not herde before In his way he practysed wyth the Tessalians and vsed to them suche gentle wordes and apte persuasions by puttyng them in remembraunce of his fathers benefites and of the auÌ„cient kynrede betwene theÌ„ by the discent froÌ„ Hercules that he brought them to the pointe that by an vnyuersall decre of the hole Countrey he was created their Gouernour So great was the celeritie that this young man vsed and his diligence so effectuall in all his doynges that he brought all suche in feare of hym as before turned from hym and regarded hym litle As the Atheniens were the firste that fayled so they firste of all repented and extolled with prayses Alexanders chyldhode whyche before they had despysed aboue the vertue of the auncient conquerours They also sent Embassadours to require of hym peace whome he sore rebuked when they came to his presence but yet was content at length to remytte their offence And although Demosthenes was chosen one of the Embassadours yet he came not to his Prince but from Cythron retourned agayne to Athens whiche his doyng was ether for feare that he had so often â—ayled agaynst Philip and stoored the Atheniens against hym or els to take away the suspicion of hym selfe from the Kynge of Percie of whome it was sayd that he had receyued a great somme of gold to stand agaynste the Macedons The same thyng was layed agaynste hym by Aesthines in an Oracion where he saieth Aesthynes presently the Kynges gold doth beare his charges but that can not laste hym long seyng no ryches can suffise his prodigall liuyng When Alexander had pacified those sturnes that were begonne in Grece before he would passe his Army into Asia he made a iourney agaynst the Peones the
Triballes and Thillicians because he vnderstode they were conspityng togethers And for that they bordred vppon hys Countrey and were woute to inuade thesame vpon euery occasion thought to set stay amonges them before he would remoue hys power so farre of Amphipolis From the Cytie of Amphipolis therefore he set forewardes agaynste the Tracians whiche at that tyme were not vnder the rule or lawe of any man And in ten daies came to the mount Hemus Mount Hemus in the toppe wherof he found theÌ„ encamped with a great power to resist his passage In steade of treÌ„ches they had impaled theÌ„ selfes with their cariages crosse the streightes purposyng ther to let his iourney And if they should be inuaded by any other waye then by the strayghtes â–ª they dyd determyne to roulle the Cariages downe the hyll vpon the Macedones to breake the array of their battailes whiche deuise in dede they put in execution But the Souldiers had receyued before instruccions by AlexaÌ„der that as occasioÌ„ should serue parte should open their arraye to lette the Cartes and Wheales passe through them and that other should fall flat vpoÌ„ the grounde and by coueryng their bodies with their Targattes auoyde the daunger They vsed the matter accordyng to their instruccions and when the Cartes were passed by they with a courage and crye mounted vp agaynst their enemies and in a moment put them to flyght When Alexander was passed the Mountayne he entred into the Contrey of the Triballes as farre as the ryuer of Ligens Syrmus kyng of the Trybals When Syrmus Kynge of that lande vnderstode of his comyng he sent his wyfe and hys chyldren with suche of hys people as were not mere for the warres into an Iland called Pencascytuate within the Riuer of Danubye Penca Into whiche lande the Thracians that bordered with the Triballes were fledde also It was not long after that Syrmus hym selfe fledde thither lykewyse The rest of the Tryballes that were not with the Kynge withdrewe into an other Ilande where they kepte them selfes agaynste Alexander But he by polecye founde the meanes to drawe them out of theree strength whereby he slewe of them the nombre of thre thousande and the reste fledde awaye for of prysoners there were fewe taken After this battayles he marched towardes the Ryuer of Danubye to that Ilande where the Tracians and the other Tryballes were fledde They made notable resistans againste him which they might the better do by reason that Alexander wanted boates the bankes of the Iland were so highe stepe that they could not be mounted vpon but with great difficulty the streame besides ronnyng meruelously swifte because that the Ilande made yt narowe â–ª when Alexander perceyued the impossibility to assaile them he withdrewe to another place where gettyng a fewe boates passed the ryuer in the night to the noÌ„ber of M. ccccc horsemen 4000 fotemen wyth whiche company he set vpon a people called Getes Getes that stode redye in bataile on the further side of purpose to stoppe the Macedones their passage with .4000 horsemen .x. M. fotemeÌ„ By which sodeyne comyng ouer the Getes beiÌ„g afraid did not abyde the furste onset it seamed to theÌ„ a matter of wonderful aduenture for Alexander in one nyght wythout a bridge Danuby to passe his power ouer the brodest and depest ryuer of al Europe this matter stroke such fear in theÌ„ that they fledde into the woddes and deserte places leuing their cytie desolate which was taken by Alexander and ouerthrone Syrmus Kyng of the Triballes the Germains and the other Inhabiters of Danubie sent Embassadours thether vnto Alexander to enter with him in frendshyppe and amitie And he condiscending to their requestes enquired of the Germaines what thing it was in the world that they doubted most thinkinge in deade that the terrour of his name had bene the most feareful thing vnto theÌ„ But when they vnderstode his meanynge they aunswered that they doubted greatly the falling of the skye with whose presumptious auÌ„swer Alexander was nothing moued nor further replied sauing only that he said the Germains were alwaies a proud people and thereupon dismissed theÌ„ Agrians As he was going froÌ„ thence against the Agrians the PeaÌ„s Agryans clitê° Bardeleius Glancias Kynge of ThalaÌ„ts Lagarus he was aduertised that Clitus Bardeleius had rebelled and was confederate with Glancias the kynge of the Thaulantes he had also intelligeÌ„ce that the people of Anteria wold giue him bataile in his passage wherefore he coÌ„mytted to Lagarus the Kynge of Agryans wich was welbeloued of King Philip no les fauored of Alexander the charge to go againste the Anterians Anterians and promysed him vpon his retorne to giue him his suster Cyna in mariage Cina And AlexaÌ„der him self with great celeritie weÌ„t against Clytus Glaucias whoÌ„ in sondrey bataylles he ouercame put to flight Whiles Alexander was about thes thinges The Greks rebellyd he receiued aduertisemeÌ„t the diuers Cities in Greace specially the Thebans had rebelled which thinge moued him muche was the cause that he retorned with spede to oppresse the coÌ„mocion The Thebanes in this meane season besieged the Castle of Thebes wher in was a guarrison of Macedones and weÌ„t about by al meanes to win it To whose rescue Alexander came by greate iourneys encamped with his host nere to the Citie The siege of Thebes Such as bare rule amoÌ„ges the Thebanes wheÌ„ thei sawe AlexaÌ„der coÌ„e contrary to that they loked for doubted whether such ayde shuld coÌ„e to theÌ„ froÌ„ other Cities as was promysed began to consulte how to procede At leÌ„gth by a general consent they determyned to abide thaduenture of the warre The King in the meane seasoÌ„ stode at a staye geuyng theÌ„ spare to be better aduised chauÌ„ge purpose for he was of opinioÌ„ that not one Citye wold euer haue made resistance against so great a power as he had beinge aboue .xxx. thousand fotmen and thre thousand horsemen al olde Souldyers and experte in the traueiles of warre The truste of whose manhode and valyantenes had caused hym to vndertake the warres agaynst the Percians Trulye yf the Thebans had gyuen place too fortune to the tyme and wold haue required peace they mighte easelie haue obtained it his disire was so greate to passe into Asia against the Percians but the Thebans that were determined to trye their force and vse no praiers fought agaynst the MacedoÌ„es that far exceded their noÌ„bre obstynatly with greate manhode But whiles the batailes were ioyning the guarrison of the castle issued out vpon the Thebanes backe wherby being enclosed they were vanquyshed their Cytie taken spoiled The distraccion of Thebes and vtterly rased Which thynge Alexander did of purpose because he thought the reste the Grecians afraied by their eÌ„sample wold be the more quiet whiles he shoulde be in the warres of Asia to gratifie the Phocians and
of his sodein rashnes therfore euery one required him apart that he would not encrease his perill through any haste but suffre himself to be ordred by thaduise of his Phisiciōs For thei alledged that vnproued remedies were not suspected of them without cause seing his enemy had gone about to corrupt suche as were about him by promising a M. talentes to his killer Which cause alleged they thought no mā would be so bold to make any experiment of phisicke vpō him which for the want of triall therof myght in any wyse geue cause of suspection There was amongest the excellent phisicions that came with Alexāder out of Macedon one Philip of Acaxnon whiche was preferred to him for preseruacion of his health Philip Alexanders phisicion and had faithfully serued him from his childhode and therfore loued him with entire affection He promised to prouide for the Kynge an approued remedy but suche one as would worke sore vpon him by the drinkyng wherof he doubted not he sayd but to expulse the force of his disease That promise pleased no mā but only him which in the proufe therof should abide the perill For he could abide all thinges better then delay Darius and his power was alwayes in his eye and he had assured confidence that the victory should fall on his side if he myght be able but to stand in the sight of his mē The thing that only greued him was that the Phisiciō would not minister vnto him before the third day In the meane season Parmenio whome of all his nobilitie he trusted moste had exhorted him by his letter that he should not cōmit himself to the cure of Philip for that he was corrupted by Darius with a thousand talentes and the promis of his syster in mariage Those letters brought the kyng in great care and doubt and moued hym to way and pondre secretly with himself all those thinges that fear or hope could put in his hedde of th one syde or thother Shall I aduenture thought he to drynke this medicine Alexanders Imaginaciō what if it be poyson shal I not then be accoūpted the cause of myne owne death shall I suspecte the fidelitie of my Physicion or shall I suffre myne enemy to kyll me in my bedde yet were it better to peryshe by other mens treason then thus to dye through myne owne faynt herte His mynde beyng thus diuersely wrought he would shewe the contentes of the letter to no man but sealed it with his owne ring and layde it vnderneth his pillowe Two dayes nere passed on in these Imaginacions and the third daye the Phisicion came to his beddes syde with the medicine redy made When the kyng sawe hym he raysed vp hymselfe vpon his elbowe and takyng the letter in his lefte hande with the other hande toke the cuppe and streyght supped it of When he had so done he delyuered the letter to Philip to reade and whyles he was readyng he beheld hym continually in the face supposing that if he had bene faulty some token would haue apeared in his countenaunce When Philip had redde the letter he shewed more tokens of displesauntnes then of feare and there withall fell downe vpon his knees and said Sir I se my lyfe doth depende vpon your health But your recouery shall declare that I am falsely charged with this treason But when that by my meanes you shall get your health I truste ye will not deny me then my lyfe In the meane season laye feare asyde and suffre the medicine to worke and to haue his operacion Kepe your self quiet and suffer not your self to be troubled with the supersticious carefulnes of your frēdes which though it procedeth of good wil is yet much impediment vnto your health His wordes not only satisfied the kyng but made him to conceiue perfite hope to be hole and said vnto Philip If the goddes would haue graūted that to deuise a meane to proue the cōfidēce I haue in the the good wil towardes the thou couldest not haue chosen any so good as this is for notwithstāding the lfe I drāke of the medicine beleuing that to be no lesse careful for declaraciō of thine own truth thē for my heth therwith gaue him his hād yet afterwardes whē the medicine begā to worke it was such in operaciō that it semed to verefie Parmenios accusemēt for he faited oft and had muche labour to drawe his breath Then Philip left nothing vnproued or vndonne that might serue for his purpose He laid warme clothes to his body and alwaies as he fainted reuiued him againe with the sauour of one thing other And when he perceiued him once to come to him self he ceased not to fede him with talke and one while put him in remembraunce of his mother and his susters and an other while of the great victory that was at hand Alexanders recoueryng When the powre of medicine was once entred into his vaines ther apeared streight in all partes of his body manifest tokens of healt First quicknes came to the spirites and after the body recouered his strength a great deale soner then any mā loked for he should For the third day after he had bene in this case he walked in the sight of his souldiours which wonderfully reioysed to see him And they shewed no lesse affeccion vnto Philip whom euery one seuerally embraced gaue him thankes as vnto God It cannot be expressed besides the naturall veneraciō the Macedons vse to beare vnto their prince in what reuerence they especially had Alexander and how feruently they loued him They had conceiued of him an opinion that he could enterprise nothing but that it was furthered by God fortune was so fauorable vnto him that his rashenes was always encrease of his glory His age besydes scarcely rype and yet sufficient for so greate thynges dyd marueylously set forth all his doynges And thinges whiche out of the warres should be coūted lightnes are wōt to be moste acceptable to the souldiers as thexercising of his body amonges thē his apparell not differing from the cōmon sort with his courage forwardnes in the fielde whiche giftes geuen him of nature thīges done of policy did get him both loue and reuerence of his people When Darius harde of Alexanders sicknes he marched towardes the riuer of Euphrates with all the haste he could make in conueying of so cōbrouse an army He made there a brydge and in .v. daies passed ouer his people hauing great desire to get Cilicia before his enemy By that time Alexander had recouered his strength and was come to a Cytie called Solos Solos whiche the inhabitauntes yelded vnto him and for two hundred talentes obtayned assuraunce Notwithstāding he put a garison in the Castle and there celebrated playes and triumphes whiche he had vowed to Aesculapius and Minerua for the recouery of his health Where being geuē so quietly to his pastime shewed howe litle he estemed the
as were of the Macedons faccion and committed the cytie with a small guarrison to Appollodines and Athenagoras that were enclined to the Percians Alexanders captaines for al this continued the siege of the citie still not so muche in truste of their own strength as they did in hope of the facciō they had within the citie In whiche poinct they were not deceiued for through a sedicion whiche did aryse betwene Apollodines and the captaines of the men of warre occasion was ministred vnto the Macedons to breake into the Cytie When the gate was broken vp and a band of Macedons entred Scio taken then the cytesens whiche before had deuised to rebell against the Percians toke parte with Amphiterus and Egilochus so that the guarrison of the Percians were slaine and Pharnabasus with Apolloindes and Anathogoras were takē prisoners There were .xii. galies takē with their souldiers and rowers besides .xxx. shippes and vessels of Pirates with thre thousand Grekes that were in wages with the Percians with the Grekes they furnyshed vp their owne bandes and put the pyrotes to death bestowyng the rowers in their owne galeis Aristonicus It chaunsed that Aristonicus the vsurper of Methina ignoraunt of any suche matter as was chaunsed in the first parte of the night came with certayn piraters shippes to enter into the hauen whome when the watche demaunded what he was he sayd he was Aristonicus and came to the succour of Pharnabasus they said he was at reste could not then be spoken with all but it should be laufull for hym beyng their frende to enter into the hauē for that night and speake with hym when it was day Aristonicus was the first that entred and the pirates folowed him But whiles they placed their shyppes the watchemen drewe the chayne againe ouer the hauen and then called vp suche as lay there nere about so that none of them durst resist but were al taken prisoners and so deliuered to Amphiterus and Egilocus Mytelene From thence the Macedons passed to Mytelene whiche was kept by Chares of Athens with a guarison of two thousand Perciās but when he was not able to endure the siege he yelded vp the Cytie with conposicion to haue their liues saued and to departe in sauegarde vnto Imbros Imbros Darius dispairing of peace which he had procured both by his lettres and Embassadours gaue his mynd to assemble a new power and freshely to renue the warre Therfore he commaunded the Capitaines and rulers of his men to assemble at Babilon and that Bessus gouernour of the Bactrians Bactrians should come thether with al the power he could make The Bactrians be the moste hardie people amōges those nacions vnciuill men and much abhorring from the delicatnes of the Percians for by reason that they border vpō the Scithians whiche be a warlicke people they are accustomed to lyue by thefte and be conuersant continually in armes But Bessus that was suspect of treason that he would not be content with the second place put Darius in great doubte Who hauing an inckling that he compassed to be kyng feared only his treason hauyng no other way to bryng his purpose to passe Alexander wrought all the wayes he could obtayne to knoweledge where Darius was become and into what coūtrey he was gone And yet could not get any intelligence by reason of a custome amonges the Percians whiche are wont with a marueylous fidelitie to kepe close their princes secretes in the vtteryng wherof neither feare of death nor hope of rewarde can cause them bryng forth a worde This was a goodly discipline that the kinges ther had of olde time vsed emōges their subiectes in ponishing with losse of lief the lavesnes of the tounge which is there more greuosly chastysed then any other cryme The lauesnes of the tounge ponyshed with the Perciās Nor ther is not in those partes any goodnes loked for at any mans handes that hath not the gifte of secretnes wherof nature hath giuen a facilitye in mā Thys was the cause that Alexander was ingnorant of all thinges that his enemies did and therefore continued his siege before Gaza The Siege of Gaza Beties was Captayne there who was a man of a notable fidelitie towardes hys prince which with a small guarison defended the Cytie that was of a large compasse Wherfore Alexander perceyuing the aduauntage of the Scituacion set maney mynes in hande For the lightnes of the ground made the worcke easye hauinge nether rockes nor stones to gyue any impediment They began their mines on that side wher thei within could not destroy them And to auoyde the suspcion of any such worck in hande caused an aproche to be made to the wales wyth Towres that he had made of Tymbre But the ground woulde not serue for their carieng and remouing by reason of the losenes of the sande whereinto the wheles sonk and was cause that the ioyntes of the towres bracke a sonder About the conuoyans of them many were hurte and as muche truble they had in wythdrawinge of them as in setting them forwardes When he perceyued he could not preuail by that meanes he retired againe his mē for that time But the next daye he enuironed the Citie round about to gyue thassaulte in euerye parte at ones and before he remoued out of his campte made sacrifice after his contrey maner requiring the aide of the goddes It chaunsed as he was so doing that a Rauen flieng by let falle a clodde which she caried in hir clawes vpon the kinges Hede where it bracke resolued in peces And the rauen flewe vnto the next towre wher hir fethers were so entangled with Piche that she lighted vpon that she coulde not flee away but was taken of the standers theraboutes This was thought a matter worthye whereupon the deuyners should consulte for he him selfe was not free from the supersticon of such thynges Therefore Aristander to whom he gaue moste credite did interprete the same to be a signe of the distrucion of that Cytie but yet there was some parill apearing towardes the kynges person For which cause he perswaded Alexander that he shoulde not go about any enterpryse that daye Whyche though it greued hym muche that one Cytie shoulde be a staye and impedient vnto hym for hys free passage into Egipt yet he obeied the pronosticator caused all his men to returne Thennemies toke courage of their departure and thinkinge feare to haue bene the cause whie they came not forwardes sayled out of the Cytie and set vpon their tayle But they were more fierse in the beginnyng of the skyrmishe then constante in maintaining of the same For when they sawe the Macedons turne about they stayed and pursued no further Alexander hering the larume and remembring nothing the parill that was prophesied vnto hym at hys frendes requeste put on hys harnys which he was seldom accustmued to do resorted thether where the skyrmushe was moste hote There he
longe space And afterwards the teares yet distilling down his chekes vncouered his face and holding vp his handes to heauen said O you goddes that I do worship I require you cheflie to stablishe this kyngdome vnto my selfe Darius peticion But if ye haue determyned my ruyn and decaye then my request is that none maye reigne as kynge in my domynion but euen he that is so iust an ennemy and so mercifull a victorer And therefore though he had twise before required peace at Alexander his handes preuailed not but had conuerted al his mind towardes the warres yet he was then so ouercome with the continencye of his ennemy that he sent ten of the chiefest of his blod as Embassedors to treate wyth hym vpon condicons of peace Alexander calling a counsel gaue them presence to whom the eldest spake in this wise That Darius hath nowe the third tyme demaunded peace of you no powre hath coÌ„pelled hym The words of Darius Embasseadores but your iustice coÌ„tinency hath moued him He shuld not perceiue that ether his mother wife or childreÌ„ were prysoners sauing for want of their coÌ„pany you take care of their chastities which remaine on liue yea euen as you were their father you giue to theÌ„ the hoÌ„or aê‘taining suffer theÌ„ to coÌ„tinewe in their former estate I se the dolorousnes in your face that I saw in darius wheÌ„ I ê‘ted froÌ„ hiÌ„ yet he doth mornÌ„ for his wif you for your enemy And if the care of her buriall had not bene you had nowe stand in battell in redynes to fyght Is it anye maruell therefore if he require peace of suche one that is so frendly disposed towardes him What shall they nede to contend with armes betwene whom there remaineth no hatred In his former treaties he offred the Riuer of Alys whych boundeth vpon Lydia to be the confynes of your empire but nowe he proffereth you in dowre with his doughter to be deliuered out of haÌ„d al those countreis that lie betwene HellespoÌ„t and Euphrates For the performans of which his promys and for the obseruing of peace Occhus his sonne nowe in your possession shall be the pledge for his parte Hys request is to haue his mother and his two daughters restored vnto him for which thre you shall receyue .xxx thousand Talentes Except I knewe the moderacion that is in you I would not be so bold to say that this is a time when you ought not only to grauÌ„t peace but also to seke for it yourself Loke back and behold what a great thing you leue behind you and force how much it is that you couet before you Ouer great an empire is daungerus And it is harde to hold that you be not able to receiue Do you not se that those shippes which be of exceding greatnes that they cannot well be gouerned Iudge that to be the cause that Darius loste so muche Bicause that ouermuche is the occasion of much losse It is more facil to get many thinges then to keape a fewe How much more easly do our handes catche then holde styll The verie deathe of Darius wyfe nowe doth shewe that you haue not so get at occasion to shewe your coÌ„passion as you had before The Embassadours were remoued vnto an other place and he debated in counsell his opynion It was long before any durst vtter what they thought because they were vncertain howe the kyng was enclined Parmenios opinion concerning the raunsoming of prisoners At leÌ„gth Parmenio spake and said my opinioÌ„ was euer that the prisoners taken at Damaseo should haue bene deliuered to such as wold redeme theÌ„ wherby a great somme of money might haue bene made of them whiche nowe remaining in captiuitie pester the haÌ„des of many a maÌ„ of seruice And nowe I thinke moste necessary of all that you exchaunce for .xxx. talentes of gold this olde womaÌ„ and the two yong damosels which be but impedimeÌ„tes and disturbaunce to you in your iourneis The coÌ„quest he said was better that was gotteÌ„ by treaty rather theÌ„ by force And that there was neuer none before him that was lorde of all the countreis in length breadth lieng betwene Ister and Euphrates he willed him therefore rather to haue respect towardes Macedonia then to loke forewardes towardes Bactria the IndiaÌ„s His wordes liked not the king therfore so sone as Parmenio had made an end of his tale he made this answere And I if I were Parmenio would rather desire money then glory But now seing I am Alexander I am not in any doubte of pouertie haue coÌ„sideracion that I am a king no marchaunt I haue nothing wherof I wil make saie and muche lesse sell my fortune If I were in minde to deliuer the prisoners it were muche better to geue them frely then to ransome theÌ„ for money HereupoÌ„ he called in the Embassadours answered theÌ„ in this sort Alexanders aunswere to the Embassadours Shew you to Dariê° that the geuing of thankes is but waste to a mans enemy and let hym not thinke that I haue had any respect to his frendship in those thinges that I haue done of mine owne clemency liberalitie nor let him not impute the same in any wise towardes himself but to thinclinacioÌ„ of mine owne nature and that I contende not against mens calamities but against the force of mine enemies I vse not to make warres with women prisoners for he must be armed to whome I shall shewe my hatred And though it were so in dede that he meÌ„t good faith in his peace asking yet peraduenture I would aduise me before I would consent But seyng that at some tyme he hath by his letters prouoked my souldiers to betray me and at other tyme stored vp my frendes with money to my destruction I must pursue him to thuttermost not as a righteous enemy but as one that worketh his thinges by treason If I should accept the condicions of peace that you do bring I should acknowledge him to be victorer whiche liberally doth geue me all that is behynd the ryuer of Euphrates not consideryng in what place I speake now vnto you Haue you forgotte that I am passed the ryuer of Euphrates encamped beyond the boundes ye proffer me in dowre driue me from hence that I may knowe the same to be yours wherewith ye would infeoffe mâ— He proffereth me his doughter with no greater liberalitie then he would do to one of his seruauntes Dothe he thinke to do me a pleasure in preferryng me to be his sonne in lawe before Mazeus Go and shewe this to your kyng that both that he hath lost and that he hath yet in possession shall be vnto me rewardes of the warre whiche warre shall discusse the boundes of both our Empires and by the fortune of the battaille we shall fight to morowe appoincted to eche of vs our limittes Let hym knowe that I came not into Asia to receiue but to
geue If he would haue bene content to be second persone and not coueted to be equall with me I would peraduenture haue grauÌ„ted his request But as two sonnes cannot shyne on the earth at once so likewise two suche great kingdomes cannot be at one time in the world without the subuersion therof Therfore let him either this day yelde himself or els prepare himself against the morowes fight nor let him not ê‘suade himself to haue other fortune then he hath proued alredy The Embassadours replied that seing he was resolued to procede with warre he did royally in that he was plain and did not fode the furth with hope of peace their request was therefore that they might be dispatched to the kynge to warne him to prepare likewise for the warre When they returned they declared that Alexander was determined out of hand to trie the matter by battaille Wherefore Darius sent Mazeus out of hand with iii. M. horsemeÌ„ to kepe the passages whereby the Macedones should passe When AlexaÌ„der had perfourmed the funeralles of Darius wife leuyng with a small guarrison al such as were vnprofitable for the fight within the strength of his campe set forwardes towardes his enemies His footemen were deuided into two battailles empaled with horsemen on both sydes and his cariage went in the myddes Then he sent Medinas with horsemen vpon the spores to discouer where Darius was Who commyng within the viewe of Mazeus durst not passe any further but brought reporte that he could here nothing els but the noyse of men and neying of horses Mazeus likewyse discouered them and returned back to Darius declaring that his enemies were commyng Then Darius whose desire was to encounter his enemies in the playne and open fieldes The ordre of Darius battilles commaunded his men to armour and deuided them into two partes wherof the one marched on the left hand and the other on the ryght In the battaille on the left hande a M. of the Bactrian horsemen had the first place with the like noÌ„bre of Dahans and .iiii. M. Aracâ—osians and Susians after whiche band of horsemeÌ„ there folowed Bessus C. hoked wagons and behind theÌ„ Bessus with an other band of .viii. M. Bactrians horsemeÌ„ .ii. M. Massagetes The footemen of diuers nacioÌ„s came next in ordre of battaille not mixed together but eche contreymeÌ„ by themselues Ariobarzanes Ariobarâ—anes and Oribates had the gouernement of the Percians MardiaÌ„s and SogdiaÌ„s But their charge was deuided and Orsines that was come of the .vii. PerciaÌ„s of the bloud of noble king Cyrus had the rule of the whole Other nacions folowed whose names were scarsely knowen to their owne company Cradates Cradates was the next whiche hauing also fiftie hoked wagons placed a band of Caspians horsemen before them and behind them the Indians and other the inhabiters of the redde sea rather names of men then good assistauÌ„ce This square was empaled with fiftie wagons vnto the whiche the mercenary souldiers were ioyned After them folowed the men of Armeny the lesse then the Babilonians and next the Bellitans with suche as inhabite the Cossean mountaynes The Gortuans came next whiche sometyme folowed the MediaÌ„s out of Euboia but at those dayes degenerated from their countrey customes The Phrigians Cathonians and Parthians enclosed the tayle This was the battaille on the left hand In the battaille on the ryght hand were the people of the greater army the Cadusians CapadociaÌ„s SiriaÌ„s and medians who had fifty hoked wagons The some of his whole army was .xlv. M. horsemeÌ„ CC. thousand footemeÌ„ When they were placed in ordre of battaille they marched forewardes ten furloÌ„ges and they were commaunded to stay Whiles the PerciaÌ„s after that maner taried for their enemies theâ— fell a sodain feare amonges the Macedons wherof there apeared no cause yet euery maÌ„ was amased a certain bread entred into their hertes The lightening that fel out of the ayer being in the somer season semed like fier and the flames sodainly appearing were thought to come from Darius campe If Mezeus whiche was sent to obserue their comming had set vpon them whileâ— they were in this feare he might haue done theÌ„ some notable domage But he was â—lack to do his enterprice remained vpon the toppe of an hille coÌ„tentâ— that he was not assailed AlexaÌ„der perceiuing the terrour that was come amonges his men made a signe for them is stay and gaue ordre that they should warme themselues â–ª refreshe their bodies geuing them to vnderstand that there was no cause why they should so sodainly conceiue a feare seing their enemies were yet a good distaunce from them At length when he perceiued they had recouered their spirites he exhorted them both to receiue courage and to put on their armour But yet he thoughte nothing more expedient for the case present then to fortifie his campe in the same place The next daye Mazeus whiche had planted himselfe on a hygh hill from whence he might beholde his enemies campe either for feare or els because his commission was but only to discouer returned agayne vnto Darius Vpon his departure the MacedoÌ„s by and by tâ—ke the hille whiche he had forsaken the same being of more strength then the playne where they remayned before from whence he might beholde their enemies campe And though the miste whiche the moiste hilles did caste forth toke not away clerely the vse of the prospeâ— yet it letted them to deserue the deuision of their enemies barteles and ther ordre the multitude of whom ouerspreade the fyldes and the noyse of suche a nombre fylled there eares thoughe they wepe farre of Then Alexander began to reuolue in his heade and debase wyth hym selfe one while Peâ—menyos opynion and a nother tyme his owne For he was come so farforth that he could not retire excepte he were victoret with out the great destruccyon of hys Armye The multytude of hys enemyes moued hym muche in respect of hys small noumbre yet on the other parte he remembred what great actes he had don with them and howe many nacions he had vanquysshed So that hope surmountynge hys feare he thought it moste daunger of all to differ the battell any lenger leste desperacion might growe amongest hys men and therefore dissâ—mblyng the matter caused the Mercenarye horsemen and the Peones to passe on before and deuided hys Phalanx as it hath bene saied before into two battayles and empaled the same wyth horsemen on both sides By that tyme the mâ—ste auoyded and began to wax clere the ordre of ther enemies apearing manifestly The Macedones then whither it were of courage or for that they were impacient to tarie any lenger made such a shoute as men of warre vse when they ioyne in battel the like was also made by the Percians So that the woods and vaille is round about rebounded wyth the terryble sounde The MacedoÌ„es then coulde not absteine any lenger but woulde haue
he were an ensaÌ„ple to theÌ„ to shewe their valiaÌ„tnes courage For he promised that he should be sene fighting with the formost knowing that so many wounds as he should get should be so many ornameÌ„ntes to his ê‘son He said they them selues knew that he would be no ê‘taker of the pray but that euer his cusâ—ume was to bestowe the rewardes of the victory to their behoue coÌ„moditie His former words he shewed to be spoken to such as were meÌ„ of courage But if ther were any that were otherwise he had to saye vnto the that they were come to the place from wheÌ„s they could not fle hauiÌ„g lest so many couÌ„treis behiÌ„d theÌ„ which they had passed ouer so many riuers mounteyns at their backes So that now there was no way to their houses and countrey but such as they muste make open with their owne handes This was the exhortacion he gaue vnto the captaines and to such of the souldiers as stode next him Dariê° that was in his left battail accompaned with a choyse band of electe horsemeÌ„ fotemeÌ„ dispiced the smal noÌ„bre of his ennemies their battails appearing to him shinne voyde of meÌ„ when he saw ther winges stretched so fat abrode He stode therfore in his Chariot on hie turning him self both on the right hand and the left The oracioÌ„ of Daryus spake in this sort to such as were abouts him We that loÌ„g ago were lords of al the couÌ„tries lieng betwixt HellespoÌ„t the Occian Sea are coÌ„pelled now to fight not for fame and glori but for our sauegard and our libertie with chyefly is to be estemed This daie shal I either establishe or make an ende of the greatest Impire that hath bene in any age At the riuer of Granik we fought with a smal part of our powre WheÌ„ we were vaÌ„quished in Cilicia Siria was able to receiue vs and the Ryuers of Tigre and Emphrates were as bulwarkes to defende our kingdome But now we come to that pointe that we haue no place to fle to if we be put to flight All thinges behind our backes are wasted with this long warre nether cities be inhabited nor meÌ„ left to tylle the grouÌ„d Both our wiefes and chyldren do folowe thys armye a praye redie for our ennemyes except we put forth our bodyes for the defence of suche as be dere vnto vs. So much as hath coÌ„cerned me I perfourmed preparing such an army as this huge plaine is scarsly able to receiue I distributed emonges you horse armour prouided the vitels should not want for such a multitude and haue choseÌ„ out an apt place to derayn the batailes in All the reste remaineth in your handes Do but dare and the victorie is yours Despise you this fame which is but a weke wepon against men of valeur It is rashenes which hitherto ye haue feared as a vertue wherof when the furste brunt is spent it waxeth then dul as the bees when they haue ones lost their thoÌ„ges This plaine hath disclosed their final nombre which the mouÌ„taines of Cilicia did hide you se how thinne their rankes be their winges how they be extended abrode howe their battels be emptie and voyde of men And such as be hinder most haue alredy turned their backes They may be ouerthrowne wyth the horse fete though I send none against them but the hoked wagons And if we wynne the battaile we make an end of the warre for thei haue no place to flie vnto They be shut in with Tigre on the one side with Euphrates on the other and such things as before made for their purpose now be turned and make clere against them Our Armie is light and without much baggage and they be laden with prayes and with booties We shal kill them therfore as they be wrayt in our spoiles And the same one thing shal be both our gaine and the cause of our victorye If any of you be moued wyth the fame of the nacion you must thinke that the armour and outward shew not the bodies of the veraie Macedons be their pÌ„sent we haue coÌ„sumed so much of their bloud since the warre begaÌ„ And seing they be but few their losse must nedes be to them the greater For howe great so euer Alexander doth seme to suche as be fearfull and towardes he is but a maÌ„ and if you trust me both rashe and without consideracion and hetherto more fortunat through ouer feare then by his own valure Ther is nothing can coÌ„tinue that is not gouerned by reasoÌ„ for though fortune seme to fauour for a whyle yet at length she shall not supporte his rasshenes Besydes that the estate of thynges be full of chaunge and no man hath perpetuall felicitie It may be that the prouidence of the goddes haue so ordeyned it that the Empire of the Percians encreased with suche prosperous successe by the space of two hundred and thirty yeares and brought to so great an height of fortune should nowe rather be shaken then vtterly ouerthrowen Therby to admonyshe vs of mans fragility whiche vseth to forget himself ouermuch in prosperous estate It is not long agoe since of our own mocion and courage we moued warre against the Grecians and inuaded their dominions but nowe we stand at defence in our owne countrey Thus we be tossed one against an other by exchaunge of fortune For one nacion cannot â—eare the greatnes of the Empire whiche we both do â—ouet But be it so that hope were taken from vs yet necessitie ought to prick vs forwardes the matter is come to suche extremitie He keapeth nowe as prisoners both my mother my two doughters and Occhus my sonne borne to the succession of this Empire He keapeth captiue your princes the issue that is descended of the bloud royall yea your capitaines equall with kynges and if you do not now lay to your handes I my self am lyke to become captiue Deliuer you therfore my bowels out of my prison and restore to me my children for whose sake I do not refuse to die Be you all sure that both my mother and my children for my wyfe is dead in prison be holding vp their haÌ„des crieÌ„g vnto the goddes calling for your helpe your coÌ„passioÌ„ and fidelitie that you would deliuer them from seruitude from fetters from the state they are in liuing at other mens will apointment Thinke you that they can be coÌ„tent to liue vnder such as thei could scarsly vouch saue to haue for subiectes I see that our enemies battailles do approche the nere the daunger is at hand the lesse the wordes I haue spokeÌ„ do content me I make request to you by the goddes of our couÌ„trey by the eternall fier that is caried vpon the aulters by the brightnes of the sonne that riseth within the bouÌ„des of mine Empire by the euerlasting memory of Cyrus which first did take the Empire froÌ„ the Medes Lidians gaue it to the PerciaÌ„s deliuer
geuen a charge to their enemies that had nere hande enuironed their kyng about and so compelled the Percians to turne their faces againe towardes them The battailles thus were sore trauailed on both sydes Alexander had his enemies bothe before and behynd â–ª and his enemies that came on his back were sore oppressed by the Agrians The Bactrians also that had spoyled the cariages were excluded from their own company and could not recouer their place agayne Thus the battaylles were deuyded in diuers partes and fought one against an other as their chaunce fell The two kynges that ioyned their battaylles hard one to an other renued agayne the fyght There were moste of the Percians slayne but the nombre of the wounded were lyke on both sydes Darius did ryde in a chariot and Alexander vpon an horse They both had a choise band about them whiche were careles of their owne lyues For if their kynges should miscary neyther they could be saufe nor yet desired to lyue Wherfore euery of them thought it a noble thyng to aduenture them selues before the face of their prince And he that coueted moste to defende his maister â–ª was in moste peryll for eche man coueted the honour to kyll the kynge on his contrary parte There whether it were an imaginacion of the eyes or a thyng done in dede suche as were about Alexander â–ª beleued that they sawe an Egle flickeryng aboue his head whiche neyther feared with classyng of the harneys nor by the cryeng of them that were dyeng honge styll in the ayet a lyttle aboue hym Then Arislander whiche ware a whyte garment and caried lawrell in hys hande shewed thys thyng vnto the souldiers as they were busye fyghtyng as a certayne token of victory whiche thyng did cause them whiche before were in some doubte cherefully and with great confidence to assayle their ennemies The fyght contynued after thys sorte vntill the tyme that he was slayne whiche gouerned the horse that drue Darius chariot Then neyther the Percians nor Macedons doubted but that Darius had bene slayne And the Percians vpon that imaginacion made a barbarous noyse and a sorowefull howlyng wherewith they sore troubled and astonied their whole hoste that were yet fyghtyng with equall victory Darius kynsmen and the Squires for his body that were on his left hand lefte hym and fled away with a mayn flyght but suche as stode in his defence dn his ryght hande conuoyed hym into the hart of the battaill It is sayd that Darius drue out his sworde and was determined diuerse tymes to kyll hymselfe rather then to susteine the shame of flyeng away But when he sawe as he sat alofte in his chariot that a great parte of his army remayned yet fighting he was ashamed to leue them in suche sorte And whyles he thus wauered in his opinioÌ„ betwixt hope and dispaire the Percians by little and lytle gaue grounde and shronck from their order Alexander that had tyred many horses did chaunge the same he did at that time ryde vpon strake at the faces of theÌ„ that stode at defence There was none then that made resistauÌ„ce any leÌ„ger â–ª but a manifest slaughter fell on the Percians Darius â—led and Darius tourned his chariot to flye awaye The Macedons pursued them hard that fled and the duste that flue vp to the skie toke away their prospect so that they wandred as it had bene in darknes and euer dreue together when they hard any voice that they knew Only the ratling and noyse of the chariot was a marcke for the Macedones to folowe after As fortune was prosperous to the Macedons on this parte and contrarious to their ennemies so on the other syde where Permenio in the lefte winge encountred with the Percians â–ª they had the better and the Macedons the worse Mazeus Mazeus wyth his whole bande gaue a great charge and put the horsemen that stoode in the winges to a sore distres And thervpon by reason he abouÌ„ded with multitude began to enclose the footemeÌ„ about Then Parmenio sent worde to Alexander in what daunger they were in whiche he signified to be such that except they had succour in tyme they coulde not resiste but he enforced to flye awaye Alexander was gone farre in the chase when this sorowfull message was brought him Wherfore he commanded the horsemen to staye and chafed wounderfullye that the victory was thus taken out of his haÌ„des that Dariê° had better fortune in fleing then he in hys folowing In the meane season the fame of Darius ouerthrowe was brought vnto Mazeus And therefore though he had the vpper hand yet he was striken with such feare of his fellowes misfortune that he made astarke pursuite vpon his enemies Parmenio was ignorant of the cause why the fight did slake so willingly of there parte Parmenio encouraged his soldiers but boldly vsing the occacion of the victorie called the Tessalien horesmen vnto hym and sayed Se you not how our enemies that euen nowe gaue vs a feirse onset be sodenly afrayed and withdrawe them selues I see the fortune of our kyng doth giue vs the victoryie All the feldes be strown with the Percians that be slaine Why do you therfore staye are you not good anoughe for men that be fleing They sawe his wordes had an apparaunce of a truthe â–ª and therfore by and by they toke courage and putting their spores to the horse made a full charge vpon their enemies who retired not by littell littill but marched away a great pace And they wanted nothing of flieng sauing that they had not yet directly turned their backes yet for al that insomuch as Permenio knewe not what was become of the king nor of hys battell stayed and woulde not pursue after them Mazeus hauing leisure geuen him to flie at his libertie passed the riuer of Tigre not the next way but by a further coÌ„passe about with more suretie and so recouered the Citie of Babilon with the remaynes of that vanqueshed Armye In the meane season Darius with a fewe that accompained him in his flieng came to the Riuer of Licus â–ª wher passinge ouer he stode in doubte whither he should breake the bridge or no for it was shewed him that his enemies were at hand But considering how many thousandes of his men by the breakinge therof should be a pray to hys enemies he left the bridge standing and at his departure said that he had rather open the waye to them that pursued him then to shut it against them that fled after him But Darius lefte not his flieng til he came to Arbilla where he arriued about midnight Who is able to conceyue in his mind or expresse in wordes the discomfirture the manifold chasises in this discoÌ„fiture the slaughter that fell both vpon captaines and souldiers the chasing of them that were put to flight the destruccion in particular and in generall Fortune heaped to gether that one daye the chaunces of a whole world
Therefore he caused an hyghe pole to be alwayes set before his pauilion wherupon remayned a sygne apparaunt to all men The token that they obserued was fire in the nyght smoke in the daye tyme. As he was marchyng towardes Susa Abulites that was ruler of that region Abulites either by Darius commaundement thynkyng by meanes of the spoyle to deteyne Alexander the lenger there or els of his owne fre wyll sent his sonne agaynst hym profferyng the deliuery of the cytie The young man was entreated very gently and by his conduccion Alexander passed forwardes till he came to the ryuer of Hydaspis Hydaspis whiche is counted to be a very delicat water Abulites there mette AlexaÌ„der with princely and riche giftes and presented him amonges the reste of other thinges Dromedary camels that were wounderfull swift with .xii. elephantes that Darius had sent for out of India to be a terrour to the Macedons which now were become an encrease of their streÌ„gth when the riches of the vanquisshed Susa whei Alexander found incredible treasours was come into the victorers handes He fouÌ„d in the citie an incredible treasure .l. M talentes of massy siluer that was vncoyned which riches gathered together in the space of many yeares by diuers kinges for their successioÌ„ posteritie thus in a momeÌ„t came into the haÌ„des of a forein prince AlexaÌ„der being lodged within the palaice did sit down in Darius seate whiche being higher then serued for his stature by reason his fete could not reche to the grouÌ„d one of the kinges pages put a bord vnderneth for him to treade vpoÌ„ At the doing wherof one of the Enukes that belonged to Darius loked heuely fetched great sythe whose sadnes when Alexander perceiued he enquired of him the cause He answered that when he beheld the bord wherupon Darius was wont to eate employed to so base an vse he could not behold it without great grief Alexander being therfore ashamed so muche to misuse the thing that before was had in suche a reuerence caused the same to be taken away Wherupon Philotas required hym not so to do but rather take it as a diuinacioÌ„ of his good lucke and fortune that the table wherupoÌ„ his enemy did eate should now become subiect vnder his fete Alexander purposing from thence to passe into Percia committed the cytie of Susa to Archilaus with .iii. M meÌ„ of warre Archilaus zenophilus and to zenophilus the charge of the castle leuing suche Macedons as were aged there in guarison But he did betake the keping of the treasure vnto Callicrates restored to Abulites the gouernement principalitie of the couÌ„trey of Susa Callicrates leuing within the cytie Darius mother his children And forasmuch as Alexander had at thesame tyme pleÌ„ty of cloth of purple sent hym out of his couÌ„trey with garmeÌ„tes redy made after the Macedon maner for the honour he bare to Sisigambis whome he had in reuerence as if she had bene his mother thought good to present parte of those to her with the persones that vsed to make them and willed it should be told her if she liked them that she should accustome her neces to make the lyke and geue them for presentes At the declaring of whiche message the teares ran out of her eyes whiche declared the gift not to be acceptable to her For the Percian womeÌ„ take nothyng in more despite the men to put their handes to wolle When reporte was made to Alexander in what sorte she had receiued his preseÌ„t thought both the matter meete to be excused and her to be comforted Alexanders excuse to Sisigambis of the present he sent her Therfore he came to visite her sayd This garment which I were was both of the gifte makyng of my susters our customes brought me into errour Therfore I require you that ye wil not take myne ignoraunce in euel parte I trust that otherwise I haue obserued sufficieÌ„tly all thynges whiche I knewe to be your customes When I vnderstode that it was not laufull amonges you for the sonne to sit in the mothers presence except she doth geue hym leue whensoeuer I came vnto your presence I would neuer sitte til you willed me so to do you would oftentimes haue fallen down worship me but I would not suffer you but haue euer honored you and geuen you the name due to my swete mother Olimpiades WheÌ„ the king with these wordes had wel pacified her he departed by four encaÌ„pinges came vnto a ryuer that the couÌ„treimeÌ„ cal Pasatigras Pasatigras which springing the mouÌ„taines of the VxioÌ„s roÌ„neth stepe down amoÌ„ges the rockes with woody baÌ„kes by the space of .30 forloÌ„ges but then desceÌ„ding into a plain it becometh nauigable so roÌ„neth with a more quiet streame in a softer grouÌ„d by the space of vi.c forloÌ„gs til such time as it doth eÌ„ter into the Percian sea Alexander passing this riuer wyth nyne thousand footemeÌ„ of the Macedons with the Agrians the Mecenary Grekes and with .iiii. thousand ThraciaÌ„s The vxione came amoÌ„ges the Vxions Whose couÌ„trey is nere vnto Susis and stretcheth out into Percia leuing betwixt it and Susis a narowe streight Madates had the rule of that contrey Madates who was such a man as was rare at that time for he determed to abide thextremitie for his duties sake Such as knewe the contrey did enforme Alexander that their was a priuie waye through the hilles wherby men might get to the farre side of the chief citie that partayned to them and if he would send a few that were light armed thei might be brought to a place where thei shuld appere aboue their enemies heades This counsell liked him so well that he made the councellers guydes and committed them to Tauron Tauron whome he apointed cheif of that enterprise He assigned to him a thousaÌ„d v.c mercenary soldiers and a thousand Agrians wyth whom after the sonne was gone downe he entred into his iourney Alexander in the third watche remoued hys campe and by the springe of the daye had passed the streightes There he set his meÌ„ in hand to cut downe timbre for the making of Towres and al other such thinges as pretayned to the assault of a cytie and so beganne his seige It was a difficult matter to make the approche the cytie stode so highe and the rockes gaue such impediment wherby the souldiers were repulced receyued many hâ—rtes contending both with thenemyes and the Scytuacion of the place Notwithstanding they gaue it not ouer by reason the kinge was euer amonges the foremoste asking of them if they were not ashamed being the Conquerours of so many cyties to be so longe in the winning of a smal castle that was so obscure vnknowen in the world As he was traueling amonges the rest they did shote and caste stones at him from the walles whom the souldiers defended wyth their tergettes because they could
worthy to suffer misaduenture They geue a greuous sentence vpon the estate of mans mortalitie dispaire muche of mercy that deny their cōpassion to mē in misery Now therfore since the goddes haue offered to you the thing whiche ye durste neuer haue wisshed for that is your countrey your wiues your childrē being the thinges whiche men esteme more then lyfe redeame oftentymes with death why do you doubt for the enioymēt of thē to breake out of this imprisonemēt I iudge that a yet of our own countrey moste naturall to vs where me thīkes is an other maner of beholding the light other customes other religiō another maner of tonge whiche for the pleasaūtnes is coueted of the barbarous naciōs what great thinges therfore be those that ye would willingly leaue the wāte of which only is the cause of your misery My opiniō is plain that we visite our countrey our home and not refuse so great a benefite as Alexander hath proffered vs and if any be so deteined with the loue of suche wifes children as they haue gotten here in seruitude let suche be no impedement to others that of al thinges esteme moste their naturall countrey There were but few of his opiniō for custome that is of greater force then nature preuailed in that matter They agreed to demaunde of Alexander that he would geue vnto them some place to inhabite in and there chosed out an hundred to be suters vnto hym in that behalfe Whome when Alexander perceiued coming towardes hym thynking that they would haue required the thing that he conceiued in his minde I haue apointed to you qd he beastes to cary you and to euery one a M. denires and when you shal come to Grece I wil so do for you that excepting your misfortune no other shall thinke themselues in better case then you But when he sawe them loke still towardes the ground and that they neither lifted vp their countenaūces nor did speake he enquired the cause of their heuines Then Eutemon rehearsed again those thinges in effect which he had spoken before in coūsel The king therfore pitieng no lesse their demaunde then he did their misfortune cōmaunded .iii. M. deneres to be geuen to euery one of them garmentes besides with shepe cattell and corne wherby they might till and sowe the lande that should be appointed vnto them The next day he assembled all the captaines of his army togethers and shewed thē that there was no citie more enemy to the Grekes then the same that was the chief seage of the aunciēt kinges of Perce from whence all the great armies had bene sent into Grece and howe Darius first after Xerxes had come out of that place to moue their vniust warre against Europe with the destruction of whiche cytie he thought good to reuenge their predecessours Thinhabiters had abandoned the citie The taking of Persepolis fled where feare dyd driue thē Wherupon the king streight wayes brought in all his footemen to the spoyle therof He had before that time wonne many cities some by force some by composicion that were full of substaūce princes treasure But the ryches of that citie did excide all the rest as in the place where the Perciās had layd their whole substaunce Gold and siluer was there foūd in heapes and great plenty of ryche vestures and furnimentes of houses not only for necessitie and necessary vse but for excesse and ostentacion whiche was so great that it gaue the victourers occasion to fight amonges them selues eche takyng other for enemies that had gotten the rychest spoyle The plenty there was suche that they could not employe to their vse the ryches they found but when they sawe thynges of value estemed them rather then toke them away Till suche time that euery one couetyng to haue a parte of euery thyng tare and brake a sonder the princely robes and the precious vessels of curious workemanship and the Images of gold and syluer were either beaton in gobetes or plucked in peces as euery one caught holde nothing was left vntouched nor nothing caried away whole Crueltie bare no lesse rule there then couetousnes euery one was so laden with gold and siluer that they esteamed not the keping of prisoners but kylled suche as they first spared in hope of gayne There were many therefore that preuented their enemies handes with voluntary death and diuerse that clothyng them selues in their moste precious apparell leaped downe from the walles with their wyfes and chyldren Certayne there were that set their owne houses on fyer whiche they iudged their enemies woulde els haue done shortely after because they would burne themselues amunges their owne family At length the kyng dyd forbyd any violence to be done to women and that no man should medle with any thyng pertayning to them The some of money taken within this Cytie was greater then any man can well credite but eyther we muste doubte of the reste or els beleue that hath bene lefte in memory howe that the treasure there found The treasure taken at Persepolis amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand talentes whiche treasure because that Alexander purposed to employ in his warres caused horse and camels to be brought from Susis and Babilon to cary thesame The takyng of the Cytie of Persagadis Persagadis wherein was founde syx thousand talentes was an encrease to this some whiche Cytie beyng buylded by Cyrus was yeldid vp by Gobares that had the kepyng therof Gobares Alexander lefte in the castle of Persepolis thre thousand Macedons in guarrison vnder Nycarides Nicarydes capitaine of the same and reserued to Tiridates that deliuered hym the treasure thesame honour that he enioyed with Darius Leuing in this cytie the greater parte of his army with his cariages vnder the rule of Permenio and Craterus He with a thousand horsemen and a band of footemen without any bagage went to visite in the winter season the inward partes of Perce There he was vexed troubled with shoures tēpestes that were in maner intollerable but yet he letted not to go forwardes in his enterprise to the place that he appointed In his iourney he came vnto a coūtrey that was couered all with snowe thesame also frosen by force of the could The wildnes and desert maner therof put the souldiers that were weried of trauail insuch a feare and terror that they imagened to haue sene the vttermoste boūdes of the world For when they beheld all thinges wast and no signe appearing of habitaciō of man they were amased and made requeste to returne againe before that the light and the elementes should fail them The king would not chastice them being in this terror but leped frō his horse and went one fote in the snow and ice Which thing whē his frēdes sawe they could not for shame but folow then the captaines did the like and finally the souldiers The kyng was the first
was about to speak stod in a stay betwixt feare and fidelitie beholding the king in the face WheÌ„ Darius parceiued that he beheld hym after that maner he wylled Bubace his Enuche that rode next hym Bubace to enquire of Patron if he had any thyng to saye to hym Patron sayde ye but his matter was suche as he woulde no man should here Then he was wylled to come nere and without any interpretour Darius vnderstandyng somwhat of the Greke tongue Patron sayd vnto hym Patrons wordes to Darius Syr of fyfty thousand Grekes that serued you there is a smalle nombre of vs ramaining whiche haue continually folowed you in all fortunes bearing vnto you thesame fidelitie and affection that we did in your moste florysshing estate And are determined wheresoeuer you be to take that for our countrey and home both prosperitie and aduersitie hath so coupled vs together by whiche inuincible fidelitie that is in vs. I desire and require you that you would vouchsaue to lodge within our campe and suffer vs to be the guarde of your persone We haue lost Grece we haue no Bactria to go vnto al our hope is in you and God graunt that other had the lyke It is not necessarye I shoulde speake any more nor would not demaunde the custody of your persone beyng an alien and a straunger if I knewe that others were well mynded towardes you Although Bessus was ignoraunt of the Greke tongue yet his coÌ„science pricked him to beleue that PatroÌ„ had disclosed some such matter therefore carieng away some part of his wordes by a greke interpretour became out of doubte Darius nothing afraid as it appeared by his couÌ„tenauÌ„ce enquired of PatroÌ„ what moued him to geue him such aduise Wherupon he thought not good to deferre it any leÌ„ger but said Bessus Nabarzanes worke treason against you so that your life and your estate stand in extreame peril and this day shal be the last either to the traitours or to you whose wordes if Darius had wel wayed and regarded Patron had receiued great glory of the presecuacion of his prince But let them mocke that lyst whiche be persuaded that thestate of man is gouerned at aduenture and by chaunce but I beleue that euery maÌ„ runneth his race by an immutable ordre and an euerlasting appointment by a knitting together of causes vnknowen appointed long before Darius aunswere vnto Parron Darius aunswere was that although the fidelitie of the Greke souldiers was sufficiently knowen vnto hym yet he was determined neuer to departe from his owne nation by whoÌ„ though he might be disceyued yet it was harde for hym to mistrust them whatsoeuer should chaunce to him he sayd he was mynded rather to suffer it amonges his owne subiectes then to parte from them Not desiring to liue if his own souldiers desired not his sauegarde Whereupon Patron dispairing of the kinges well doyng returned to them of whome he had the charge redy to aduenture any thyng for his sake Bessus in the meane season had vtterly determyned to slee Darius but fearing that he could not wynne AlexaÌ„ders fauour except he deliuered his enemy into his handes aliue deferred his purpose till that night folowing In the meane season he came to Darius and gaue him thankes that he had so warely and with suche wisdome auoyded the treason of that false Grecian who being corrupted by Alexander sought nothing but howe to make a present of his head whereat he said he could not maruaill that a mercenary maÌ„ shuld leue any thing vndone for money being without any pledge of his honestie without house home banisshed out of the world a doubtful enemy tossed here and there at the backe of all men that will corrupt hym And then he fell to purging of hym selfe callyng the Goddes of his countrey to wytnes of his innocentie in the matter Darius by his countenaunce semed to beleue hym yet he doubted not of the truth of the tale that Patron had tolde him but he was come to suche a pointe that it was as daungerous for hym not to beleue his owne men as to be deceyued There were .xxx. thousand whose lytenes was feared to haue consented to this conspiracy and Patron had but foure thousand to whome if he had committed his sauegarde and thereby condempned the fidelitie of his owne nacion he sawe that then they myght haue therof a goodly colour and a pretence to perfourme the thyng they went about and therefore chose rather to be killed innocently then to geue any occasion whereby he should seame to haue deserued death And yet when Bessus purged hymselfe he aunswered that he knewe there was no lesse iustice in Alexander then manhode and that they were deceiued that loked for any reward of treason at his handes knowyng that there was no sorer punyssher nor reuenger of the breche of fidelitie When the nyght drewe nere the Percians after their accustomed maner put of their armour and repayred to the next villages to prouide thynges necessary But the Bactrians as Bessus had commaunded them stode styll armed In the meane season Darius had sent for Artabasus and shewed hym what Patron had declared Whereupon Artabasus made no doubte but that he shoulde strayght wayes commit hym selfe amonges the Grekes thynkyng that the Percians wheÌ„ the kynges perill should be publyshed abroade would ioyne with the Grecians But Darius predestinat to his chaunce could not beare then any holsome counsel nor sought for any help in that case but embrased Artabazus as though he should neuer see hym more and being wet with the teares that one of them lette fall vpon another caused Artabazus to be taken away that claue faste vnto hym and because he would not see his sorowe in departing from hym he couered hys head and fell flat vpon the ground Then suche as were accustomed to the guarde of his persone whiche should haue bene his defence in all perils fled awaye thynkyng themselues ouer weake for suche nombre of armed men as they supposed to be commyng Then there was great solitarines within his lodgyng for none remayned about the kyng but a fewe Enukes that had no place to repaire vnto Then he debated and deuised with himselfe alone â–ª sometyme one thyng and sometyme another and by and by waxed wery of that solitarines whiche before he toke for a comforte and called Bubace vnto hym whome he behelde and sayd Go prouyde your selues whiche according to your duties haue bene true to your prince till the last howre Here I doe tary for the fatall lawe of my destynie peraduenture ye do maruayle that I do not ende myne owne lyfe I had rather dye thorough other mens wickednes then by mine own After those wordes Bubâ—ce filled both the kynges lodging and also the hole campe with morning and lamentacion and diuerse brake into Darius which tearyng their clothes bewayled his case with a barbarous howling out WheÌ„ the crie came vnto the PerciaÌ„s they were so amased for
breake out vpon their enemies AlexaÌ„der therfore caused his men after the maner of hunters to sake out ther lurkiÌ„g places killed many of them But at length he enuironed the woode with his souldiers round about to thintent they might breake in at euery place wher they should spie any entrey Wherby many wandred lost ther company in places that they knew not and were taken prysoners And amonges them Bucephalus AlexaÌ„ders horse Bucephalus Alexanders horse whom he did not esteame as men do other beastes for he would not suffre any other man to come vpon hys back and when the kynge would ride he would kneell downe vpon hys knees to receiue him so that he seamed to haue the sence to vnderstand whom he caried Alexander was more sorowfull and sturred to a greater wrath for the losse of the horse theÌ„ was expedient for such a cause for serching about to get the horse againe caused proclamacioÌ„ to be made by an interpreter the except he were restored he wold not leaue one of them aliue WheÌ„ they hard this terrible threating amoÌ„ges other giftes they presented vnto Alexander his horse yet he was not therwyth pacefied but comaunded the woodes to be cut downe earth to be brought for making of the wayes smooth which he cutt through the woodes This worck went so wel forward that the inhabiters dispayring of habilitie to defend their countrey yelded them selues to the kinge who receyuing their pledges committed them to the keaping of Phradates And from thence the fifte day returned againe to his campe There he gaue to Artabasus the double honor that Darius did vnto him and sent him home againe into his countrey After that he came to that citie of Hircania where Darius Palace was Nabarzanes vpon assurance came thither bringing with him great giftes and amonges the reste presented vnto AlexaÌ„der Bagoas an Enuche of singuler beauty being in the firste flowre of youth whom Darius accustomed and after Alexander The Amazons At whose intercession speicially he did pardon Nabarzanes The nacion of the AmazoÌ„s being nere vnto Hircania as hath bene sayed before did inhabite the playnes of Themiscirae about the riuer of Thermodoonta Thermodoonta had a quene reigning ouer theÌ„ called Thalestris which kept vnder her dominion all the countries betwene the Mount Caucasus and the riuer of Phasis Phasis who for the greate affeccion she had to see Alexander trauailed out of hir owne countrey and being come nere where he was she sente certayne before to declare that a quene was come of desire to visite him and to make hir acquayntaunce Whan libertie was giuen her to come to his presence she caused all the rest of hir band to stay and the came forwardes accompanied with .ccc. women Assone as she parceyued Alexander Thalestrys meâ—te Alexander she leaped from her horse carieng two Lances in hir hande The Amazons apparell is suche that it doth not couer all their bodies for their brestes be bare on the lefte syde nor their garmentes whiche they vse to knytte vp with a knot come not to their knees One breste thei alwaies reserue vntouched wherewith they noryshe their woman children but their ryght breastes thei vse to seare to make them more apt to drawe their bowes and caste their dartes Thalestis behelde Alexander with a bold countenaunce and considered in lokyng vpon hym that his personage aunswered not to the same that she had heard of his actes For the barbarous nacions geue great veneracion to the maiestie of the personage thynking none to be sufficient for the doing of greate actes but suche as nature haue endued with great personages It was demaunded of her if she had any request to make vnto Alexander Wherat she abashed not to confesse that she was come thether to get chyldren with hym thynkyng her selfe a personage worthy of whome he should get heires to enherite his kyngdome Couenanting that if it were a womaÌ„ she wold kepe it styll and if it were a man chylde she would restore it to the father Alexander enquired of her if she would go forwardes with him in his warres but therin she excused her selfe that she had left no ordre for the defence of her kyngdome But she continued styll in declaration of the cause of her commyng and required that her hope therein myght not be in vayne The womans appetite seamed to be more vehemently geuen to luste then the kynges was yet she obtayned of hym to stay for her cause and consumed thirtene daies in satisfieng of her desire Here AlexaÌ„der first forsoke vertue and fell to vice That done she departed to her owne kyngdome and Alexander went to Patthinia which was the place where he first shewed manifestly the vices that were in hym there he turned his continency and moderacion being the moste excellent vertues appearing in any kynde of estate into pryde and voluptuousnesse not esteamyng hys countrey customes nor the holsome temperaunce that was in the vsagies and discipline of the kynges of Macedon whiche iudged their ciuill vsage and maner to be ouer base for his greatnes but did counterfeit the heyghte and pompe of the Kynges of Perce representing the greatnes of the Goddes He was content to suffre men there to fall downe flat vpon the ground and worshyp hym and accustomed the victors of so many nacions by litle and litle to seruile offices coueting to make them equall vnto his captiues He ware vpon his head a diademe of purple interpaled with white lyke as Darius was accustomed and fasshioned his apparell of the maner of the Percians without scrupulesitie of any euell token that it signified for the victorer to chaunge his habite into the fasshion of hym whome he had vanquisshed And though he aduaunted that he ware the spoiles of his enemies yet with those spoyles he put vpon him their euell maners and the insolency of the mynde followed the pride of the apparell Besides he sealed suche letters as he sent into Europe with his accustomed seale but all the letters he sent abrode into Asia were sealed with Darius rynge So it appeared that one mynde could not beare the greatnes that apperteyned to two He apparelled also his frendes his capitaynes and his horsemen in Percian apparell wherat though they grudged in their myndes yet they durst not refuse it for feare of his displeasure His court was replenisshed with concubines for he still maynteined thre hundred .lx. that belonged to Darius amonges them were flockes of Enukes accustomed to perfourme the vse of women The old souldiers of Philippe naturally abhorryng suche thinges manifestly withstode to be infected with suche voluptuousnes and strauÌ„ge customes Wherupon there rose a general talke and opinioÌ„ throughout the caÌ„pe that they had lost more by the victory then they had wonne by the warre For when they sawe themselues ouercome in suche excesse foreine customes so to preuaile amonges them they iudged it aslender reward of their long being
abrode to returne home in the habite of prisoners They began to be ashamed of their king that was more like to suche as were subdued then to them that were victorious and that of a kyng of Macedon was become a prince of Perce one of Darius courtiers When he vnderstode that the chefe of his frendes and his men of warre were greuously offended with his doynges he went about to recouer fauour againe with giftes and liberalitie but it is to be thought that the rewardes of seruitude be vngratefull to fre men And therfore lest this matter might turne into a sedicion he thought good to breake the imaginacioÌ„s encreased by idlenes with the exercise of warres wherof an apt occasioÌ„ was geuen For Bessus inuesting him selfe as a kyng Bessus toke vpon him as kyng toke vpon hym the name of Artaxerses drawing to his parte the Scithians and other that were the inhabiters of the Ryuer of Tanais whiche thinges were reported to hym by Nabarzanes whome he had receiued into his fauour geuen the rule of the countrey that he had before When he had determined this new expedicioÌ„ he found his army so ouercharged and laden with spoyle other furnimeÌ„tes of voluptuousnes that they could not scarsly moue Wherfore he commaunded the baggage and stuf of the whole army to be brought together in one place excepting only such thinges as were very necessary The place was large and playne whether the cartes were brought laden and when euery one stode wayting and musing what he woulde commaunde them to doe he caused the beastes to be remoued first out of the way and then set his owne fardels on fyer and after all the reste Whiles these thynges were burning the owners were on fyer to see those thinges consumed for the sauing wherof they had oft quenched the flambes in Cyties of their enemies yet no man durste lament the price of his owne bloud seing they sawe the fyer consume the kynges ryches as well as their owne but the rather to pacefie them the kyng did mytigate their dolour with a briefe oracion Whereupon they that were euer apt for the warres and redy to doe all thynges began to be ioyfull that with the losse of their baggage they had saued their discipline accustomed in the warres As they were settyng forwardes towardes Bactria Nycanour Nycanour the sonne of Parmenio died sodainly whome euery man greatly lamented but chefely the kyng was so sorowefull desiring to haue stayed for the celebracion of his buriall but that want of vitayles caused hym to haste forwardes Philotas therfore was left behynde with two thousand and syx hundred souldiers to perfourme the ceremonis apperteining to his brothers buriall and he hym selfe marched towardes Bessus In the way letters were brought to Alexander from the lordes there about that Bessus was comming towardes hym with a great army Satribarzanes adding thereunto that Satribarzanes whome he had made prince of the Arians was newely rebelled agaynste hym For that cause notwythstandynge he was come nere vnto Bessus yet he thought it best first to oppresse Satribarzanes and for that entent brought forwardes his horsemen and footemen that were lyght armed to come sodaynly vpon his enemies His comming was not so pryuye but Satribarzanes knewe and fled into Bactria with two thousand horsemen For by reason he was not able to assemble any more in so shorte a tyme the reste toke the next mountaynes for their refuge The siege of a rocke There was a rock whiche towardes the west was hyghe and steape but towardes the east more lowe and easye to be clymbed vpon whiche parte it was full of trees The same rock had a fountayne that ran continually with great plenty of water and was in compasse two and thirty furlonges In the toppe was a grene plaine full of grasse where they placed the weaker multitude but the rest that were apt for defence beyng to the noÌ„bre of thirtene thousand got them selues to the eggies of the rock and there threwe downe stones and stockes of trees againste the Macedonians that came to assayle them He left Craterus to besyege this rocke going him self to pursue Satribarzanes And because he vnderstode that he was gone farre on his waye returned backe agayne to the siege of them that were vpon the rocke Fyrst he caused all thynges to be taken away that myght be any impediment to them in the assault therof But wheÌ„ they came to the bare and steape rock the labour semed waste where nature had wrought against them But he that was of a disposicioÌ„ alwayes to striue agaynst difficulties consideryng howe hard a matter it was to go forwardes and daungerous to returne backe agayne did caste in his head all the wayes and deuises that could be Imagined and nowe fantesied one thing and then an other as men be wont wheÌ„ the waies they haue found out first do not please them As he stode in a stay in doubt what to doe fortune did minister vnto him a meane which neither wit nor reason could inuente It chaunsed that the wynde blewe sore at the southwest what tyme the souldiers had felled great plenty of wood wherof thei thought to make them selues away vp against the rocke and the heat of the sonne had made thesame drye When Alexander perceiued the wynd to blowe after that sorte and the woode lieng in that place coÌ„ceiued by and by his purpose and willed more trees to be cut downe laid vpoÌ„ them putting all other thinges to it that were apt to kyndle and noryshe fier So that trees heaped vpon trees became as it were a mountaine so hyghe as the top of the rocke The same being set a fire in al partes at once the wynde caried the flambe into the face of their enemies the smoke couered ouer the sky The noise was then great that the fier made which burned not only the trees that were fired of purpose but also the rest of the woode growing nere there about The enemies were so tormented with the flambe heate of the fire that they were enforced to forsake their place of strength attempted to escape away where the fyer gaue them lest impediment But where the fier gaue place the Macedons stode in redines to receiue them so that they were consumed slayne diuers kynde of wayes Some threwe them selues downe the rockes some ran into the middes of the fier other fell into their enemies haÌ„des and a fewe haulf consumed with fier were takeÌ„ prisoners WheÌ„ AlexaÌ„der had done this act he returned to Craterê° which besieged Artacnan Artâ—cnan who hauing prepared all thinges in redines taried only for the kinges coÌ„ming to giue him the honour of the winning of the Cytie When Alexander was come he approched nere the walles with the towres of timbre that he had prepared for the assault at the syght whereof the inhabitaunts were so afrayed that they held vp their handes from the walles requiring hym to spare
long agoe by his mothers letters wherby he had warning to beware of thē and that now fearing the sequel of worser incōueniences had made thē sure wherunto he was enforced by apparaūt presūptions First he saied that day before Philotas treason came to light it was well knowen that they had much cōference with him in secrete also their brother which fled away whē Philotas was on that racke had declared by the absēting of him self the cause of his fliyng He shewed also that of late cōtrary to their accustomed maner of waiting without any cause mouing thē therunto but only by pretence of diligence preased next about the king of all other wherat marueilyng that they would furnish a roume wherunto thei were not appointed became so in doubt of their clustering together that he returned into the traine of the gētlemen that folowed him He declared besides that when Antiphanes clarke of the stable Antiphanes the daye before Philotas treasō came to light according to his accustomable maner gaue knowlege to Amintas that he should deliuer of his horse to such as had loste their owne He proudly aunswered again that except he would cōtent him selfe he should know shortly what maner of man he was Which violence of tonge rashnes of wordes bulked out quod he was nothing els but a declaratiō token of his traiterous hart These thinges beyng true he saied thei had no lesse deserued thē Philotas and if they were otherwise he desired thei might aunswere vnto the pointes Therupon Antiphanes was brought in to geue euidence of the horse not deliuered and of his proud aunswere geuē with threatening Whē Amintas had gottē libertie to speake he desired of the king that whiles they answered for thē selues their bādes might be losed which thing obtayned he made suite to haue his garment cast vpō him Thanswer of Amintas Which Alexander not only graūted but willed also such a spere to be deliuerd to his handes as other esquires vsed When he had receiued the same he eschued a little the place where the corps of Lincestes laye saied in this wise Whatsoeuer shall become of vs sir kyng we muste thinke if our chaunce be good the same to procede of your fauour if it be yil we must iudge the fault to be in our fortune seinge you suffer vs to pleade our cause without preiudice setting our mindes free our bodies at large with the same apparel restored vs wherin we were wōte to folow you Our cause is suche that we cā not doubt of it and we are passed the feare of fortune Therfore with your fauoure I wil aunswere first those poyntes wherwith you charged vs laste We knowe most assuredly that we be innocent of any kind of wordes spokē to the derogation of your maiestie And durst affirme that you had ouercome all enuy of men but that peraduenture you would thinke that I wente aboute wyth faire wordes to excuse thinges that haue bene maliciously spoken Though it were so that wordes sometime did escape vs either when we were fainte or weried in marchyng hasardyng our selues in fightynge or elles when we were sicke or dressyng of our woūdes our honest doynges otherwise do deserue that ye shoulde rather impute the same to the time then to any euil dispositiō in vs. For it is commenly sene where any thing chaūceth amisse al mē in maner become gilty of this fault We do violence sometime to our owne bodies whiche we hate not Yea the comming of the fathers vnto the children sometime is bothe vngratefull and also hateful But on the other side whē we receiue rewardes or giftes or whē we come ladē home with spoyle who can the stay vs who cā restraine our chearefulnes or who cā resist our courage in fighting The nature of mā is nether to kepe measure in displeasure nor in gladnes Thus are we driuē by the violēce of affectiō sometime with pitie sometime with fury as our presēt desire doth gouern vs. One while we are in mind to passe through India as far as the Occeā sea by by the memory of our wiues children and countrey call vs backe agayne dothe alter our purpose But as sone as the trumpet bloweth straight al these imaginations do passe away and euerye man then runneth into his araye and reuenge vpon their enemies the displeasures thei haue conceiued within their lodgynges I woulde Philotas had offended but onelye in wordes but passynge ouer that I will returne to the other poynte wherof we be accused The frendship that was betwixt Philotas vs. I will not onely not denye but also confesse that we did couet the same receiued therby great cōmoditye Do you maruaile that we did honoure and esteme the Sonne of Parmenio whom you did chose to be next about your persone and did auaunce aboue all other your frēdes you your self if it please you to heare the trueth are the cause of this our peryl What other thing moued vs to couet Philotas frendshyppe then that wee desired to please you By his preferment we were aduaūced to that degree of your fauour He stode in such case wyth you that it behoued vs as well to sue for his beneuolence as to feare to get his displeasure Haue not we sworne that we shoulde repute your enemies our enemies and honoure your frendes as our owne Should we haue bene found disobediēt in thys bonde of our dutie and specially towardes him whom ye did preferre aboue al mē If this be a fault ye haue fewe innocentes or surely none at all All men desired to be Philotas frendes but all that did couet coulde not be accepted So if ye will make no difference betwene the parteners of his treason and suche as were his frendes then so many be offenders as would haue bene his frendes What presūption haue you now that we shoulde offende I thinke because yesterday Philotas talked with vs familiarly alone Therof I cā not excuse my selfe if yesterday I chaūged any thing of mine accustomed maner liuyng but if so be we vsed euery day to do the like then custome must nedes make it to be none offēce But it may be said the horses were not deliuered to Antiphanes and the day before Philotas was detected this matter was betwene Antiphanes me for which cause if he wold make me to be suspected because I deliuered him not my horses that day There shal rise a doubtfull plee betwene the denier the demaūder sauing that his cause is better that kepeth stil his owne thē his that requireth another mans I had ten horses of the which Antiphanes had distributed .viii to suche as had loste their owne so there remained behind onely two which whē he would proudly wrongfully haue taken away I was enforced to kepe thē stil except I would haue serued on fote I can not denye but this cōmunicatiō was had betwene a man of a fre stomake a person of a
middes of his legge where the hed did stike still The Macedons that were sorowfull and amased for their kinges hurt caried him into his campe of whose departure out of the field his enemies were not ignoraunt for they might behold all thinges from the mountaine Wherupon the next day they sent Embassadours vnto Alexander whom he admitted to his presence vnfolding his wouÌ„d wherby he thought to dissimule the greatnes therof shewed his legge vnto them When they were commaunded to sit downe they said that he ring of his hurte they were as sorowfull for it as his owne subiectes whiche should welbe knowen for if they could find out the persone that did the dede he shuld be deliuered vnto his haÌ„des Seing they could not iudge them but sacrileges that woulde fight with goddes of whose vertue they supposed hym to be and therfore were determined to yeld theÌ„ selues Therupon he gaue them assuraunce receiued againe his men that were takeÌ„ prisoners and admitted them as his subiectes That done he remoued his campe was caried in a foote litter for the bearing wherof the horsemen and footemen coÌ„tended together The horsmen alledged it to be their office because the king accustomed to fight amonges them And the footemen argued for their parte that in asmuche as they vsed to cary the hurt souldiers that thought no reason their office should be taken from them chiefly when the kyng should be caried Alexander therfore in so great a contention of both partes thought it a difficult matter to geue senteÌ„ce because the iudgemeÌ„t should be greuous to them that should be put froÌ„ the office therfore ordred that they should cary him by course FroÌ„ thence the fourth day he came vnto a citie called Maracanda the walles wherof were .lxx. furloÌ„ges about Maracanda but the castle was without any wall he set a guarrison in the citie then burned and destroied the countrey thereaboutes Embassadours came vnto him The Scythians there froÌ„ the Scythes called Auians whiche had bene fre since the time that Cyrus was amonges them but yet they shewed them selues then redy to be at his commaundement They were knowen to be the moste rightuous people of all the barbarous nacioÌ„ 〈◊〉 that neuer vsed to make warre but when thei â—e prouoked whose moderacioÌ„ and temperauÌ„ce in vsing of their libertie made the inferriours equall vnto the supperiours Alexander receiued them gently and sent Penidas a frend of his to those Scithes that inhabited within Europe Penydas to forbid theÌ„ to passe the riuer of Tanais without his appointment Who had also a secrete commission to viewe the scituacioÌ„ of the couÌ„trey to visit those ScithiaÌ„s that inhabited about Bosphorus he willed him besides to choise out a place vpoÌ„ the brinke of Tanais where as he might build a citie to remain as a fortres for the subduing of those people that he entended to visite The rebellion of the Sogdians But this deuise was delayed by the rebellioÌ„ of the SogdiaÌ„s who had also drawen the BactriaÌ„s to their part There were of theÌ„ .vii. in horsmeÌ„ whose autoritie the rest folowed for the daunting of whome Alexander caused Spytamenes and Catenes the betrayers of Bessus to be sent for thinking by their meanes to bring the countrey agayn to his obedience and to subdue suche as had made this sturre But they whiche were iudged mete to stay the rebellioÌ„ and were sent for to that intent were the chief authours of all the reuolt whiche caused it to be noysed abrode that Alexander had sent for the Bactrian horsemen of purpose to kill them all Whiche commission they sayd being appointed to them they would not execute because they thought it ouer foull an act to commit against their countreymen And for that cause could as il beare then Alexanders crueltie as in times past Bessus treason By this meanes when feare of death was put into their heades they were easely sturred to armes whiche before were sufficiently enclyned of their owne myndes When Alexander was aduertised of their doinges he willed Craterus to besiege Cyropolis Ciropolis And he him self warme an other city of that countrey by an assault whiche he gaue to it on all partes at once and by a signe geuen caused all the chyldreÌ„ to be put to death making the rest a pray for the souldiers This done the cytie was rased to the ground to thintent that others by their ensample might be kept in obedience There was a valiaunt people called Memacenans Memacenans who were determined to abide the siege not only for their honesties sake but also for that they thought it moste for their suertie For the mitigating of whose wilfulnes the kyng sent to them fifty horsemen to declare his clemency towardes suche as submitted them selues and howe inexorable he was to suche as he wan by force Their answere was to them that they neither doubted of the kynges promis nor of his power but after their answere geuen they lodged them without their walles where as enterteining theÌ„ with great there till it was the depe of the nyght they set vpon them and slewe them all Alexander was no lesse moued with this matter then the case required but made an assault vnto the cytie on all partes at once whiche he found furnisshed in suche wyse that he could not take it at the first attempt Wherfore he appointed Meleager and Perdicas to the siege therof whiche first were at the siege of Ciropolis mynding to spare thesame because it was builded by Cyrus For he had not so great admiracion of any kyng that had reigned in those partes as of hym and Semyramis whose magnaminitie of mynde and fame of their actes semed to hym to excede all the rest But the obstinate wilfulnes of the inhabitauntes sturred vp his wrath For when he had taken the cytie he willed the Macedons to spoyle it whiche had great cause to be moued against them and so returned agayne to Meleager and Perdicas There was not one cytie that did more valiauntly abide the siege then the same did for both the hardiest of the souldiers were slayne and the kyng was brought in great daunger being striken in the necke with a stone so that he lost his sight and was felled to the earth so that he lost his sence The army lameÌ„ted thinking he had bene dead but he was inuincible against those thinges which put other men moste in feare For without tarieng he dressed his wounde and returned to the fyght and after anger had sturred vp the egernes he had of nature he renued the assault againe more fiersely then before At length a great peace of the wall was ouerthrowen by a myne at the whiche he brake in and put the whole cytie to sacke and to ruyne Menedemê° He sent from theÌ„ce Menedemus with .iii. M. footemen and .viii. C. horsemen to the citie of Maracanda which Spitamenes had newly taken and put out from theÌ„ce the guarrison of
his wordes was wonderfully troubled both with anger and shame when he sawe the secretes of the religion brought to light which he thought to haue kept secrete to him self and therfore caused Erigius to go aside and Aristander to be called in vnto him Whō he beheld in the face said I seme to the rather a priuate man then a king Seing I commaunded the to make sacrifice and thou hast declared the significatiō therof to other not to me For Erigius by thy report knoweth the priuities pertaining to me But sure I iudge that through his own feare he deuised an interpretacion of himselfe Therfore let me heare of thyne own mouth what thou hast found in the intrailes to thintent thou shalt not deny that thou hast spoken Aristāder therupō was amased loked pale not able to answere one word for feare But at length the same feare that made him holde his peace pricked him forwardes to speake lest the prolonging of the kinges expectacion might prouoke him to further wrath answered I said qd he there was in the enterprise great daunger and difficultie but yet that your attēpt shuld not be in vaine There is nothing that I haue perceiued by my sciēce trouble me so much as the loue I beare towardes you for I both cōsider your infirmitie what a momēt cōsisteth in your owne persone fearing you shuld not be able to endure the thinges that fortune is disposed to geue vnto you When Alexander hard him speake after that maner he willed him to haue confidence in his felicitie to whom fortune had graunted glory in greater thinges therupō dismissed him Afterwardes as the king was debating with suche as he cōsulted with before by what meanes he shuld passe the riuer Aristāder came amonges them affirming that he had found the intrailes contrary to that he did before with as likely signes of good successe as any that euer he sawe shewīg thē as great causes to reioyse as he did before to feare But immediatly hereupon he receiued newes that muche appaired the continuall felicitie he was wont to haue in all his procedinges Menedemus being sent as it hath bene said before to besiege Spitamenes the auctour of the Bactrians rebellion When he vnderstode of his enemies cōming both in auoidīg to be enclosed within walles trusting besides to take some aduaūtage of the Macedōs laid an imbushemēt to entrappe them There was a wood through the which thei shuld passe very apt for the purpose where he laid the Dahās whose custome was to cary two armed men vpon one horse from whence they vsed to leape down by course And by reason the swiftnes of the footemen was little inferior vnto the horsemē they troubled greatly the ordre of the horsemans fight Spitamenes gaue ordre to thē that whē their enemies shuld enter into the wood they should enuirone them about on all sides whiche when they perfourmed according to their appointmēt Menedemus seing him self enclosed on al parts not equall in nombre vnto his enemies resisted a greate while crieng out to the souldiers that there remayned no hope to them being intrapt after that maner but by making slaughter vpon their enemies receiue the cōfort of an honest death Menedemus rid vpon a strōg horse charging oft times vpon his enemies wherby he brake their ordre and made great slaughter till such tyme that he being laid at on all partes Hispydes receiued many woundes and fainted for want of bloud Then he exhorted Hispides that was one of his frendes to leape vpon his horse and escape away and with that worde he swounded fel to the ground from his horse Hispides might haue got away but after he had lost his frēd determined there to die taking no other care but how to spend his life with the losse of his enemies Wherfore he put his spoores to the horse and ranne in amonges them where he fought notably and at lengthe was slayne When the reste sawe thys ouerthrowe and losse of their capitaine they recouered an hill where Spitamenes did besiege them thinking to subdue them for want of vitaill There were slaine in that battaill two M. footemen and .iii. hundred horsemen Whiche misaduēture Alexander with great policy kept secret commaunding them that parted from the field vnder payne of death not publyshe this matter abrode But when he could not beare out any lenger a countenaunce contrary to his harte he went alone vnto his pauilion whiche he had set of purpose vpō the riuers side There he waked all the night deuising with him selfe what was best to doe And diuers times he lifted vp his tent to behold the fires in his enemies campe therby to coniecture their nombre when the daye apeared he put on a corselet and came forth amonges the souldiers beyng the first tyme they had sene him since he receiued his hurt They bare suche a veneracion vnto their kyng that with his presence only they put away the remēbraunce of the feare whiche caused them before to shrinke and reioysed so hartely that when they saluted him the teares distilled from their eyes and earnestly required the fight which before they had refused He toke ordre there amonges them that the horsemē and such as were of the square battaill of footemen should be caried ouer in boates that the light armed shuld swimme vpon bottels Neither the matter required any more to be spoken nor the king could not say any more by reason of his infirmitie For the souldiers went about the matter with suche good will cherefulnes of mind that within thre daies thei had finished .xii. M. boates Whē al thinges were prepared in redines for their passage there came xx embassadours of the Scithiās ridīg by the cāpe which required that it might be declared vnto the kinge that they hadde matter in commission to declare vnto him When they were receiued into his pauilion and commaunded to sit downe thei fixed their loke cōtinually vpon the kinges countenaunce whereby it was thought that waiynge the greatenes of his courage by his personage that they sawe presente it appeared to theim but small in respecte of the same they hearde of him The wittes of the Scythians be not rude and wtout knowledge as other barbarous people be For it is said that many of thē atteine to such learnyng as is possible for a nacion being alwayes in exercise of the warres Whose wordes spoken vnto Alexāder be left in memorie whiche thoughe thei differ from the maner of vs that haue happened in more ciuil times and framed our selues to a more humanitie Yet the fidelitie of the matter is not to be despised thoughe the phrase of their speach be not alowed And therfore I shall declare vncorruptlye the saiynges whiche the eldeste of those Embassadours did speake after this maner If the Goddes had geuen the a bodye accordyng to the vnsaciable desire of thi mind The oracion of the Scithians vnto Alexander the world
though Alexanders chaunce was good herein yet the MacedoÌ„s knewe that by the custome of his countrey he shoulde not haue hunted on foote without the chiefest of his nobilitie and frendes about him He killed within that parke .iiii. M. wilde beastes and there did banket his army returning afterwardes to Macicanda Actabasus excusing himself there by his age that he was vnapt for the rule of that countrey AlexaÌ„der committed the same to Clitus Clytus whiche was he that defended him with his target when he was fighting bareheaded at the ryuer of Granick there cut of with his sworde Rosaceris hand that was in a redines to stryke the kyng He was an old souldier of Philippes his father notable in many feates of warre that he had done Hellanice his suster was Alexanders nurse Hellanice whome he loued no lesse then his owne mother For these causes he committed the strongest part of his Empire to his fidelititie The kyng that purposed to set forward in his iourney the next day Alexander offended his freÌ„des with ouermuche aduaunting of himself made that night a solempne banket wherin being ouergreat an aduaunter of him self when he was chafed with drinking began to set furth the actes that he had done in suche sort that his wordes offended the eares of suche as knewe them to be trewe The auncient men kept silence till such time as he began to deface the doynges of Philippe his father aduauntynge the notable victorye at Cheronese to be his dede The glorye wherof he saide was taken from him by the malice and enuy of his father For he alledged howe in the mutine whiche rose betwene the Macedons and the Greke souldiours when Philippe lay hurt of a wounde whiche he receiued at that fraye thought him selfe sure no otherwise then to counterfaite to be dead When he defended his body wyth his buckeler slewe them with his owne hand that ranne vpon Philip to haue killed him Which act he saied his father would neuer gladly coÌ„fesse nor neuer could abide to acknowlege his safegard to come by his soÌ„ne He also declared how after the iourney he made by him self into Illiria in writyng vnto his father he ascribed the victorye vnto him selfe whiche ouerthrew his enemies put them to flight when Philip was awaye He said that in his opinioÌ„ it deserued but small coÌ„mendation to make a iourney into Samothracia when Asia ought to haue bene spoyled brente Nor he thought no man worthy praise in dede but suche as do so great actes that thei excede all mens credite The yong men that were present were glad to heare these wordes and such other like but thei were vngrateful vnto the auncientes specially for Philips cause vnder whoÌ„ they had long serued Then Clitus which in like case was not very sober turned to such as sate beneth him rehearsinge verses of Euripides wherof the kyng myght rather heare the sounde then the wordes The effect of theÌ„ was that the Grekes did euil which in the monumeÌ„tes of their victories did subscribe only the names of their kyngê which vsurped the glory to theÌ„ selfes the other men did wynne by sheding of ther bloud Alexander therefore which iudged his wordes to bene worse then they were enquered of such as sat next him what Clitus said But wheÌ„ they keapt silence Clitus with a lowder voyce rehersed philips doinges warres he made in Greace one after an other prefarring them before any actes done since that time Wherupon ther did rise a contencion betwene the yong men and the old But the king enforcing a paciens in him self when he hard Clitus deface his prayse coÌ„ceiued a woÌ„derfull wrath in his mind Yet it semed that he wold haue bridled his affection if Clitus wold haue made ane and of his presumptuous talk But wheÌ„ he would not ceasse he gaue occasion to Alexander to be further moued Then Clitus did procede so fareforth that he durst defend Parmenio case and prefarred the victory that Philip waÌ„ne of the Athenyens before the distruccion of Thebes going further further not only through dronkenship but euen of a forwardnes of a contencious minde at length said If we must dye through the Clitus wordes Clitus is the first For they receyue greatest rewards of thy victory that can most shamefully deface thy fathers memory The couÌ„trey of SogdiaÌ„ is giuen vnto me that hath so often rebelled and now not onely vnsubdued but such one as by no meanes can be brought to subiectioÌ„ I am placed amoÌ„gs those wild beastes that be of such an vnciuil disposicion But I could passe ouer things parteyning to my self if the souldiers of Philip were not dispised forgetting that if the old Atharias had not turned againe the yong men â–ª that gaue ouer the fight we had yet styked about Alycarnasus How is it then that Asia is coÌ„quered with thes yong meÌ„ But I se it is true that your vncle said in Italy he chaunsed vpon men you vpoÌ„ womeÌ„ Ther was nothing that Clitus speak or did in his rashnes that moued more the king then the honorable mencion made of Parmenio yet for al that he kept in his greif was coÌ„tented to coÌ„maund hym only to depart out of the festnor speake eny euil words against Clitus Sauing that he said if he should talke a little lenger he would brayde me with the sauing of his life wherof in very dede he wold oftentymes proudly aduauÌ„ce him selfe But notwithstandinge that the king had willed hym to departe yet he taried stil and would not rise And therefore such as sat next him toke him by the armes to leade him away blaming and giuing him exhortacion for his better vsage When Clitus sawe him selfe drawn forth against his wyll Ire was added to his dronknes and declared then alowde howe that he with his breste defended the kinges backe but now when the good turne was past the very memory of his benefit was hated And therwyth layd to his charge the death of Attalus and fynally mocked the Oracle of Iupiter whom Alexander claymed to be his father and said that he told him better truth then his father did At those wordes the king was sturred to suche wrath as he could scarsly haue borne being sobre But hauing then his sences ouercome wyth drink leped sodeinly from the table His frendes were amased wyth throwing down the cups for hast risse to wayt the end of the thing they sawe hym go about in such a fury He toke a speare out of a squires hand and would haue striken Clitus that was yet raging with thintemperaunce of his toung But he was stopped by Ptolomeus and Perdicas who tooke him in theyr armes stayed him for all hys striuing And Lysimachus and Leonatus toke away the speare Then he called to hys souldiers for ayde crying out that he was taken by his next freÌ„des as Darius was of late willed the trumpet to be blowen that the armed men might
thing qd he to recoÌ„pence such great benefites towards you al with the cost of alitel fraÌ„kinsence He shewed the Percians custume to be both religious and wyse in worshipping there kinges as gods thinking ther defence saueguard to consiste in the maiestie of ther prince He said that Hercules bacchus wer defied wheÌ„ they had once ouercome the enuie of such as liued â— ther time And meÌ„ that come after do easely beleue such thinges as haue bene confyrmed by there predecessours And if any of you qd he will sticke at this matter ye shal se me the fyrste that at the kinges comming in shall fall downe grâ—ueling on the earth and worship him Which president others ought to folow spicially men of moste wysdome that should alwayes be ensample to others in doing their duities towards their Prince His tale tended direcly agaist Calistenes whose grauitye and prompte libertye of speaking was hatefull vnto the Kinge for he thoutht him the man which only had stayed the Macedones that ells would redely haue done to hym that honor Herupon euery manes eies were inurned towardes Calistenes The worde of Calisâ—enes which â—â—ter silence made said in this wise If the king were present Cleo to heare thes thy words yt shuld not be nedeful then to auÌ„swer the for he him self wold make request that he might not thus swarue out of his kind into the custumes of straungiers Nor he would not suffre that thou shouldest deface bring in the obloquie enuye of men with such thy parnicious flattery hys noble actes brought to passe with suche fâ—â—icetyâ— and good fortune But because he is away I for hym will thus aunswere the. There is no frute sone rype that will continew long This I meane by the deuine honours whiche whiles thou goest about to geue vnto the kyng thou takest his honour from hym There is a time required that men shoulde beleue hym to be a god for that gift hath alwayes bene geueÌ„ to great meÌ„ When they are once dead by suche as came after theÌ„ I wyshe vnto the kyng immortalitie after his death that his life may be long and his estate continual But sanctifieng is a thing that sometime doth followe â— man but it doth neuer accompany him Thou diddest reherse ensamples of the defyeng of Hercules and Bacchus Thinkest thou that thei were madde goddes vpoÌ„ drinke and by the decre of one dynner the nature of Alexanders manhode must be remoued from our mortall eyes before the fame can bring hym into heauen Are not they goodly goddes Cleo that thou and I can make Would the kyng trowest thou be content to receiue of vs the aucthoritie of his godhedde I haue great desire to proue thy power If thou canst make a good first make a kynge It is muche more easy to geue a worldly kingdome then the possession of heauen Thinkest thou Cleo that the immortall goddes will heare the without disdayne or suffre these thy wicked deuises to take effecte they would we shouâ—â— holde vs coÌ„tent with the customes of our fore fathers and for my part I am not ashamed of my couÌ„trey nor I requiâ—e not to learne after what maner I should honour my prince For in mine opinion we acknowledge him sufficiently to be king and victorer of whome we receiue lawes to liue vnder Calistenes was fauourably hard of all men as the persone whom they counted the recouerer of their vniuersall libertie He did not only in his tale paynte out suche flatterers but also liuely expressed the opinion of the Macedons specially of suche as were auncient men to whome the exchaunge of their olde vsages were greuous The kyng was nothyng ignoraunt of the wordes that had passed betwyxt them for he stode behynde a particion of the hall and heard all the matter He sent word therfore to Hages and Cleo that at his comming in they should moue the straungers only to fall downe and worship hym after their countrey custome And after a whyle the kyng as though he had bene about some matters of importaunce returned agayne into the feaste then the Percians fell downe and worshypped him after suche sorte as was deuised But Policarpon that sat aboue the kyng at the boâ—de Polycarpon asked one in skorne that touched the grounde with his chyrine why he kyssed no harder With whiche wordes he moued Alexander to yre wherof he was euer vnpacient So that he sayd vnto Polycarpon It is thou that disdaynest to honour me shall I be mocked of the alone He aunswered that it was not seamely that a kynge should be skorned nor yet a subiect be dispysed With whiche worde the kyng plucked hym from the table and threwe him downe to whome he sayd failyng grouelynges vpon the earth Loo hast thou not done thy self that before thou diddest skorne in an other man therupon he commaunded him toward so brake vp the feast Polycarpon being thus punished was afterwardes pardoned But Calistenes whose contempt stobburnes the kyng had long grudged at grounded his displeasure then more deaper vpon whome there chaunsed shortly after an apt occasion to be reuenged It was a custome as it hath bene sayd before amonges the noble men of Macedon to put their sonnes when they were past their childhode in seruice to the king as pages to doe necessary busines about his persone Their vsage was to watche nightly by course at the chambre dore where the kyng lay The concubines were brought in by them by an other way then where the guarde watched Thei likewise receiued the horses of the gromes of the stable and brought them to the king when he leped on They alwayes were about the kyng both in hunting and in battail and were brought vp in the study of liberall sciences The chiefest honour was geuen vnto them because they might sitte and eate with the kyng none had power to correct theÌ„ with stripes but only the king himself This company was like a masse or store from wheÌ„ce al the capitaines and gouernours of the Macedons did come From thence came their latter kynges whose lynage the power of the Romaynes long after did extinct A treason conspired against Alexander Harmalaus one of that nombre because he had striken a hore whome the kyng had thought to haue striken him self was by his commaundement beaten and scourged with roddes whiche rebuke he toke greuously and coÌ„playned to Sostrates his frende that was one of the same company Sostrates Whiche seing the body torne wherunto he had so great affeccion and peraduenture offeÌ„ded also with the kyng before for some other cause Stirred so Harmolaus whiche was prouoked sufficiently alredy that eche gaue faith to other to find a way to destroye the kyng Whiche they executed not with any chyldishe proceding but wysely agreed to bring Nycostratus Antipater Asclepiodorus and Philotas into the felowship of their coÌ„spiracie And afteawards they ioyned vnto them more Anticles Elaptonius Phimanes But the
woundes for thy glory and victory whome thou haste very well rewarded The one be sprynckled thy table with his bloud and the other coulde not be suffred to dye a simple death Thus the capitaines of thy people be tormented and put to death a plesaunt spectacle to the Percians of whome they were victorers Parmenio by whome thou diddest sie thine enemy Attalus was put to death without iudgement Thus thou vsest thy handes of vs wretches as instrumentes one to kill another and whom thou diddest make thy tormentours alitle before straightwayes thou commaundest them to be tormented of others At those wordes the multitude began to shout against Harmolaus and his father drewe his sworde of purpose to haue slaine him if he had not bene letted by the kyng whiche cōmaunded Harmolaus to speake required the rest to heare him paciently whiche he said enforced the cause of his own punishemēt At lēgth with great labour thei held their peace then Harmolaus began again how liberall is he to suffre rude children to speake When the voice of Calistenes is shut vp in prison because he alone is able to tell his tale and why because thou fearest the frespeche of an innocent because thou canst not endure to behold his face yet I will iustifie he is not priuy to this matter But other there be here that purposed with me a noble enterprise of whom there is not any that can accuse Calistenes of consent and yet thou that art our pacient and rightuous king hast determined here his death These be the rewardes of the Macedons whose bloud thou doest misuse as vile and of no valeur Thou hast .xxx. M. mules carieng spoyle and treasure and yet the poore souldiers cary nothing with them but vnrewarded woundes and skarres All which thinges we did easely suffre before thou diddest betray vs to the barbarous and after a newe trade of victourers make vs slaues Thou allowest the apparell and disciplyne of the Percians and despysest the maners of thine own coūtrey And therfore we determined to kil the not king of Macedō but kyng of Perce and as a fugitiue we persecuted the by the lawe of armes Thou wouldest haue the Macedōs knele to the and worship the as a god Thou doest refuse Philip for thy father if any God had bene before Iupiter thou wouldest haue refused him likewyse Doest thou maruaille if free men can not beare this thy pryde what can we hope for at thy handes seyng we muste either dye as innocentes or els that is worse then death lyue and remayne in boundage as slaues Thou arte greatly in my debte if by this thou couldest amende for thou haste begunne to learne of me the thyng that free hartes cannot endure Spare them whose age shal be sufficiently tormented with the losse of their chyldren but vpon vs cause execution to be done to thintent we maye obtayne by our owne death the thynge we sought for by thyne When Harmolaus had spoken these wordes the kynge then aunswered after this maner The oraciō of Alexāder Howe false these thynges be whiche he hath learned of his instructour my pacience doth declare For notwithstanding he before confessed this treason Yet my mynde was ye should heare what he could saye Knowyng very well that when I gaue lybertie to this thief to speake that he woulde vse thesame rage and fury in his talke which before moued him to haue kylled me whome he ought to haue loued as his father Of late when that in huntyng he vsed a great presumption I commaunded hym to be chastised after the custome of our countrey vsed by the kynges of Macedon Whiche chastisement we must graunt nedefull to be done lyke as the people bee accustomed of their tutors the wyfes of their husbandes and seruauntes of their maisters This was all the crueltie I vsed towardes hym which he would haue reuenged with murther and treason But howe gentle I am to all persones that suffre me to vse myne owne disposicion synce you your selfe doe knowe it were superfluous for me to reherse I can not maruayll at all though the punyshement of traytours be displesaunt to Harmelaus since he hym selfe is in thesame case for when he commendeth Parmenio and Philotas it maketh for his owne purpose I pardoned Lyncestes Alexandre whiche was accused by two witnesses that he twise cōspired treason against me And againe conuicted yet deferred I his punishment twoo yeares tyll you your selues required he might haue his deseruing Towching Attalus ye remembre very well howe he wrought treason agaynste me before I was kyng And for Clytus I would God he had not moued me to yre whose rashe tounge speaking rebuke and shame both of me and you I suffred lenger then he would haue done me speaking the like The clemency of kynges and rulers cōsisteth not only in their owne disposicions but in theres that be vnder their subiection For the rigor of suche as be rulers is mitigated with humilitie But when mens mindes be voyd of reuerence high lowe be confounded as a like thē force is necessary to repulce violēce But why maruel I that he did lay cruelty against me that durst obiect towardes me couetousnes I wil not cal you to witnes one by one lest I shuld braide you with liberalitie by making declaraciō what I haue bestowed vpon you Behold the whole multitude which a litle while ago had nothing els but their bare armour doe they not lye in syluer beddes be not their tables charged with plate and possesse they not whole flockes of slaues They are not able to susteyne the spoyles of their enemies But it is sayd the Percians be honoured of me whom we haue conquered Truly they be so yet what greater proufcan there be of my moderaciō thē that I do not reigne proudely ouer suche as I haue subdued I came into Asia not vtterly to subuert the naciōs nor to make the one half of the worlde desert but to geue the cōquered cause not to repent them of our victory This is the occasion they gladly fight for you and for your kyngdome they spend their bloud which if they were proudly vsed would streight rebell against you The possession is not durable whiche is possessed by violence but the thankes of gentlenes receiued endureth euerlastingly If we purpose to enioye Asia and not to make a progresse through it we muste make them partakers of our clemency and then their fidelitie shal make our empire stable and perpetuall And truly we haue nowe more then we can well wyshe or desire Couetousnes is an vnsaciable thyng specially when men desire to fill the vessell that ronneth ouer But ye will saye that I myxe and brynge their customes amonges ours It is so and whie because I see in diuers nacions right many thynges whiche we nede not be ashamed to folowe And so greate an Empire as we haue gotten cannot otherwise be aptly gouerned except we deliuer some thynges to
thē and receiue likewise some again One thing is to be laught at that I should refuse Iupiter for my father being so acknowledged by his oracle as who saith the answere of the gods were in my power he proffered the name of his sōne vnto me which was not vnmete for the thinges we purposed I woulde wishe that the Indians beleued me to be a god for the successe in warre stand much by fame and that which is faulsely beleued somtyme worketh theffect of thinges true Do you me geue too excesse and prodigalyte bicause I garnished your armor with gold and siluer my purpose was to shewe to men accustumed with it nothing to be more vile then such kynd of mettell and to declare that the Macedōs inuincible in other thinges could not be ouercome with gold it self After this maner I shall blynd the eyes of the barbarous which are wont at the first sight to wonder at things be they neuer so base and wile And in that we shewe to make no estimacion of it We shal declare to euery one that we are not com for desire of gold nor siluer but to subdue the hole world From which glory thou traitour woldest haue bereued me and betraied the Macedons I being slaine to the barbarous nacions Thou doest exhorte me to spare your Parentes It is nedefull I should make him priuie what I haue determyned vpon them no and to that intent he might die wyth the greater dolour if he hath any care or memory of them It is long ago sins I did fordo the custume of putting thinnocent parentes and kinsfolkes of traytours to death with them And I now professe to pardon and haue them al in the same estymacion I had before I knowe whie thou wouldest haue thy Maister Calistenes brought furth whiche only estemeth the being of his sorte bicause thou desirest to he re pronoūced of his mouth those rayling wordes which euen nowe thou diddest spyt out agaynst me If he had bene a Macedon borne I had brought hym in wyth the a worthye mayster for such a desiple But being borne in another countrey he is subiect to an other lawe When he had spoken these wordes he dismissed the counsail commaunded all suche as were condempned to be deliuered to the souldioures of their owne bandes who bicause they woulde declare by some crueltye the loue they bare towardes their prince flew theim all by tormentes Calistenes also died vpon the racke innocent of the conspiracye against the kinges person but a mā not pliable to the custome of the courte and abhorring from the disposition of flatterers There was neuer thynge that brought the Grekes in greater indignation againste Alexander then that he not onelye kylled but caused to be tormented to death and that wythout iudgement a man endued with Godly maners good sciences by whom he was perswaded to liue when he purposed to haue died for sorowe that he hadde slayne Clitus with his cruelty repentaūce folowed that came to late But least he myght nourishe idlenes apte for sowynge of sedicious rumours he marched towarde India alwayes more glorious in warre then after his victorye The discriptiō of India The whole countrey of India lieth chiefely towardes the East conteyning more in length then it doth in breadth The North partes be full of mountaines and hilles but all the rest of the lande is plaine hauynge manye faire riuers whiche runninge out of mounte Caucasus do passe pleasauntlye throughe the countrey Indus Indus is more colde thē any of the other riuers whose water is not vnlike the coler of the sea But of al the riuers in the orient Ganges is most excellent Ganges which running frō the south passeth directly throughe many great moūtaines vntil that by the encountring of rockes his course is turned towarde the east where it is receiued into the red sea the violence of the streame breaketh downe his bakes swalowing in trees much of the grounde In many places the streme is kept in with rockes wherupō it beateth But where the groūd is more softe there the riuer becommeth more larger maketh many Ilandes The greatnes of Ganges is much encreased by Acesines Acesynes wherunto Acesines doth enter into the sea where these two riuers mete the water is violētly troubled whiles the one resisteth the others enter neither of them seme to geue place Diardenes is a riuer of the lesse fame Diardenes bicause it runneth in the vttermost bondes of India but yet it bryngeth forth Crocadiles as Nylus dothe also Dolphines with other monsters vnknowen to other nations Erimāthus Croked Erymanthus with his many turnynges and reflexiōs is consumed by the inhabitours with wateryng their grounde which is the cause that when it draweth nere the sea it becommeth very little and beareth no nāme There be many other riuers that do deuide the countrey but none of theim be so famous as these because they do not runne so farre The northe wynde dothe blast and harme most those partes that be nexte vnto the sea But those wyndes be so broken wyth the toppes of the mountaynes that they can not endomage the inwarde partes of the countrey wherfore fruites be very plentifull there and perfite But that region doth differ so much for thordinary course of time in other partes of the world that when other coūtries be burned most with the sunne India is couered ouer with snow And when other places be frosē the heat is there most intollerable yet there appeare not any natural cause why it should be so The couler of the Indian sea not differing much frō the water of other seas did take his name of king Erithrus wherof the ignoraunte toke opinion that the water of those Seas was redde The land is very haboūdant of flaxe whereof the more part of their garments be made The twygges of the trees be so tender that they receyue the prynt of letrs lyke waxe The byrdes by teaching counterfeit mens voyce There be manye beastes that are not bred amonges other nacions Rinocerities be there brought furth but not bredde The Elyphantes of that countrey be stronger then those that be made tame in Affrike and thre bignes do aunswer vnto there strenght The water of the Riuers do cary downe gold and ronne mildly without any great fall The Sea doth cast vpon the Shore both parles and precious stones Wherof proceded the cause of there great riches after ther Marchandise was once knowē to other nacions the purgings of the seas being then estemed as mans fansy would make the price The dissposysiōs of the men as in all other places be according to the scytuacion of the countreys they dwell in They make there garmentes of lynnyn cloth whych couer their bodyes downe to there fete They bynde soules vnder there fete of beastes skynnes wrappe roules of linnine aboute there heades Such as be in any degre either of nobilitie or riches haue precious stones hanging at
deade vnder him Wherfore whiles he was aboute to chaunge and take an other was caste farre behinde In the meane season Taxiles brother that was sent by Alexander vnto Porus began to exhorte him that he should not be so abstinate to proue the extremitye but rather yelde him selfe vnto the victorer But he notwithstandyng that his strength was nere past and his bloude fayled yet sturred vp at a knowen voyce saied â–ª that he knewe him to be the brother of Taxiles A traytoure to hys king and his countrey and with that word toke a dart whiche by chaunce was not fallen awaye and threwe it so at Taxyles brother that it passed throughe the middes of hys breste vnto hys backe And hauynge shewed this last profe of his manhode he fled agayne more faster then before But when the Elephant through many woundes that he had receiued fainted in like sort then he stayed and turned his fotemen towards his enemies that folowed By that time alexaÌ„der was come nere him who vnderstandyng the wilfulnes of Porus willed none to be spared that made resistaunce Wherupon euery man threw dartes against Porus suche fotemen as stode in his defeÌ„ce wherwith at length he was so oppressed that he began to fal from his Elephant Then the Indian wyiche was his gouernoure thinkyng that Porus desiered to haue lighted caused the beast after hys accustomed maner to bende towarde the earth whyche submittynge him selfe all the rest as they were taught bowed downe their bodies likewise which was the cause of Porus takynge and of the reste When Alexander sawe Porus bodye vpon the grounde caused him to be spoyled thinkyhg he had bene dead and diuers ranne about him to pull of his harnays and his vesture whiche thyng when the Elephant saw He began to defeÌ„d his master runnyng vpoÌ„ his spoylers and went about to lift him agayne vpon his backe Wherupon they all settyng vpon the Elephant slewe hym and layed Porus in a carte Whom when Alexander did beholde lyftyng vp his eyes moued with no hatred but with compassion saied vnto him What mischiefe and madnes was in thy mynde hearyng of the fame of my actes Alexanders wordes to Porus. to hasard the battayle with me and my power seyng Tapyles was so neare an example of the clemency that I vse to suche as submit them selues To whom he made answere Forsomuch quod he as I am demaunded a question I wyl aunswere as frely as I am spokeÌ„ vnto knowing mine owne strength Porus answere not hauing yet proued thine thought no maÌ„ of greater power theÌ„ mi selfe But nowe the successe of this battel hath declared the to be mightier And yet therin I do impute to my selfe not a little felicitie that I haue gotten the second place and am next vnto the. He was asked more ouer his opinioÌ„ after what maner he thought good the victorye shoulde be vsed Vse it quod he after such sort as this dayes fortune shal put in thy mind wherin ther hath ben sufficieÌ„t profe shewed you how traÌ„sitory the felicity of maÌ„ is This admonishment aduailed him more then if he had submitted him selfe or made any sute For when Alexander sawe the greatnes of his courage and his hart so voide of feare that it coulde not be broken with any aduersitye was moued not onely to geue him his life but also honorablye to entertayne hym For so long as he laye diseased of his woundê toke no lesse care of his curing theÌ„ if he had fought in his quarel And when he was once healed contrary to that which all men loked for he receiued him amonges the numbre of his frendes and enlarged his kingdome greater theÌ„ before There was nothing in AlexaÌ„ders nature more perfite or more coÌ„stante then that he woulde euer haue vertue in admiration when it was suche that it deserued true praise and glory And specially when he saw the same in hys enemy For when it chaunsed in any of his owne men it was somwhat terrible vnto him thinking that their fame might be a destructioÌ„ to his owne greatnes whiche he euer thought to growe more greater as they were of greatnes that he subdued The ninth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedon ALexander reioysinge in so notable a victorye wherby he sawe the confines of the Orient opened vnto hym offred vp sacrifice vnto the Sunne to cause his souldiours to be more willyng to goo forwardes in finishynge the rest of the warres assembled theÌ„ togethers after he had commended their doynges declared how in that latter battayle they hadde defeated broken the force of all the Indians and shoulde fynde frome thenceforthe nothynge but a plentifull praye For he sayed that in the countrey wherunto he was goynge the riches chiefelye remayned that was so muche spoken of throughout the whole worlde In respect wherof the spoyles of the Percians were but vyle and baggage and that occasion nowe was geuen theim not onelye to fill their owne houses but also all Macedonia and Greace with pearles wyth precious stones wyth gold and wyth Iuorye The Souldiours beynge desierous bothe of riches and of glorye because they hadde neuer fownde his wordes vayne promised him to do whatsoeuer he woulde haue them Wherupon he dismissed them full of good hope and set theim about the makyng of shyppes to the intente that hauynge ouerrunne all Asia â–ª he myght visite the Occean Sea that was in the ende of the worlde The Mountaynes nexte at hande were plentifull of Tymber to make Shippes withall in cuttynge downe wherof the Macedons founde Serpentes of such bignes as they hadde not sene before also Rhynocerites Rinocerites beastes that be seldome founde in any other place whiche name was geuen to theim by the Grekes for in the Indian language they be otherwise called Alexander builded a Citye vpon either side of the Riuer of Hidaspys whyche once perfourmed he gaue to euerye one of his capitaynes a crowne of golde and a thousand pieces of golde besides preferryng and rewardynge euery other accordynge to their qualitie degree and deseruyng Abyazares whyche had sent Embassadours vnto Alexdnder before the battayle fought wyth Porus sent then Embassadours to him agayne offeryng to do all thynges that he woulde appoynt so that he kepe his bodye at libertye For he desiered not to lyue except he myght remayne a kyng and he thought hym self vnmete to raygne after he had bene once a captiue He signified bi them to Abyazares that if his commyng should be greuous he woulde not stycke to visite him in parson Hauyng thus vainquished Porus and passed the riuer of Hidaspis he wente forwardes into the inwarde partes of India whyche was a countrey full of great woodes and high trees the ayre very holesome temperate the shadowe of the trees mitigatynge the heate of the sunne and the plentye of sprynges kepynge the grounde moyste There were also manye Serpentes sene whose scales glistered lyke golde There
was nothynge more daungerous then the poyson that proceaded from theim for immediatlye vpon the stingynge Death folowed tyll suche tyme as the inhabitours of the Countrey shewed a remedye Frome thence throughe Desertes they came vnto the great Ryuer of Hyraotys Hyraotys wherevnto there ioyned a great wood Whiche hauing such trees as are not wont to be sene in other places was also full of wilde pecokes Alexander remouing his campe from theÌ„ce wan a towne by assault and taking pledges appointed them to pay tribute After that he came to a great cytie after the maner of that couÌ„trey which was both wel walled and also enuyroned about with a marisse The inhabitaunce came furth against Alexander and ioyning their cartes together in a froÌ„t wherin their custome was to fight thei proffered him the battaill Some occupied dartes some speares and other axes and with greate agilitie leaped to and fro their cartes when either they woulde relieue their fellowes that were wery of fighting or els succour or rescue such as were in distresse This vnwonted kind of fighting put the Macedons at the first in feare specially beyng hurt a farre of by their enemies and not able to come to hande stripes with theÌ„ But after they had coÌ„sidered their disordred maner they esteamed not their force but enclosed their enemies about thurst theÌ„ in with pikes the soner to defeate them they cut the bandes wherwith the cartes were tied to seperate them asonder When they had after that maner lost eight hundred of their men they fled again into the cytie whiche the next day the Macedons did wynne by assault Certayne there were that saued them selues by flieng whiche seing the cytie lost swomme ouer the water and filled al the townes thereabout with feare They declared of what inuincible force their enemies were of iudging them in respecte of their power rather goddes then men When Alexander had gotten that cytie he sent Perdicas with a parte of his army to destroy the countrey and committing another parte to Emnenes for the subduing of suche as would not become obedient Emnenes he with the rest of his power came vnto a strong cytie whiche was the refuge of all the countrey thereabout Notwithstanding that the inhabitauÌ„tes sent to Alexander for peace yet they prepared neuertheles for the warre by reason of a sedicion which rose amonges them that made them to be of diuers opinions Some wold rather haue endured any extremitie then to yelde and other thought they were not able to make resistaunce and whiles they differred so in opinions and made no commen consultacion amoÌ„ges them Suche as helde opinion to yelde vp the cytie â–ª opened the gates and receyued in their enemies And notwithstanding that Alexander had iuste cause of displeasure against the countrey faccion yet he pardoned them all and receyuing their pledges remoued towardes the next cytie When the Indians that stoode vpon the walles sawe the pledges that were brought before the army whome they perceyued to be of the same nacion desyred communicacion with theÌ„ who declaring bothe the kynges clemencye and his force dyd moue them to rendre vp their cytie whose ensample the rest of the cytie dyd folowe Sophytes From thence he came into the cytie of Sophites whiche is a nacion as the Indians thynke moste excellyng in wisdome best gouerned and that haue the best customes amonges them The chyldren that be there gotten are not norysshed and brought vp accordyng to the wyll of their parentes but by the ordre of suche as haue the charge committed vnto them to viewe the state of the infantes If they perceyue any not apt to be come actiue or els wantyng any of their lymmes they cause them streyght wayes to be killed They vse to mary without any respect of the kyndred they come of or the greatnes of paâ—entage makyng no chose but in the shape of the body whiche is the shyng that is only estemed amonges them The kyng hym self was within the chief citie of the countrey against the which Alexander brought his power The gates were shut and no man appeared in armes vpon the walles to make any defence wherefore he stode in doubte a great while whether the cytie was abandoned or els that the inhabiters had kepte them selues secrete for some policy Whiles he remained in that expectacion sodainly the gate was opened the king which in good lines of personage excelled al the rest came furth with his two sonnes he ware a garmeÌ„t of gold and purple enpaled that couered the caulf of his legge the soles he ware on his feete were set with pricious stones All his armes were garnyshed with pearles and had hangyng at his eares two precious stones whiche were excelleÌ„t both for bignes and brightnes there he had a scepter of gold set with precious stones called Berillis which he after his salutacion made with huÌ„ble submission deliuered vnto Alexander yelding both him selfe his chyldren and his kyngdome into hys handes There were in that countrey very notable dogges for the huntyng of wylde beastes whiche specially were geuen to be egre vpon the lyon The kyng therfore to shewe their force and propertie vnto AlexaÌ„der put foure of them vnto a great lyon which steight wayes caught hym faste Then one whiche was accustomed to that office toke one of those dogges by the legge to plucke hym of the lyon and because he woulde not loose hys holde cut of his legge wiâ—h a sworde But when the dogge sticked neuer thelesse vnto his game he was cut a sondre in peace meale till suche tyme as he died hauing his teath stil fastened in the lyons fleshe Suche a feruentnes nature had wrought in those beastes as we vnderstode by the reporte Some tyme I am enforced to write thynges that I can scarsely beleue For I neither dare affirme the thinges wherof I doubt nor counceale suche thinges as I haue receiued for truthe Alexander leuing this kyng within his owne kingdome came vnto the ryuer of Hipasis Hyspasis kyng Phegelas and there ioyned with Ephestion whiche had subdued the countrey thereabout One Phegelas was kyng of the next nacion whiche commaunding his subiectes to continue in tilling of the ground as thei were wont to do mette Alexander with riche presentes refusing nothing that was commaunded him When he had taried with him two dayes and was determined the third daye to haue passed the ryuer he found therin great difficultie by reason that the streame was so large and full of great stones He staied therfore a while to be more fully aduertised of the estate of those couÌ„treis of all suche thinges as were necessary for him to knowe He vnderstode by Phegelas howe beyonde that ryuer theâ—e lay a desert of ten dayes iourney next to that desert the ryuer of Ganges which was the greatest ryuer in al the Orient He shewed that beionde Ganges there inhabited two nacions called Gangaridans Gangaridans PharrasiaÌ„s
thousand footemeÌ„ .x. M. horsemeÌ„ and .ix. C. armed wagons Wherof when the Macedons were aduertised whiche beleued that they had passed all perils seing a freshe warre arise with a new fierse nacion were amased with a sodayne feare and began agayne with sedicious wordes to reproue their kyng The â—uty â—â—s words of the souldiers They alledged that he would lately haue compelled them to passe the ryuer of Ganges for to make warre vpon those nacions lyeng beyonde the same Which enterpryse though it were left they had not for all that ended the warre neuer the more but rather made an exchaunge of a newe labour beyng put furthe amonges these wylde nacions to make the Occean sea open to hym with their bloud and to be drawen beyonde the sonne and sterres They were compelled they sayde to vysite those places whiche nature coueted to remoue from mans knowledge They grudged that to their newe armour thâ—â— were nowe enemies raysed vp whom if they should vanâ—â—ishe and put to flyght they coulde not see what benefite they shoulde receiue therby but onely darkenes and obscuritie of the ayre whiche alwayes couered the depe sea whyche sea was replenished wyth multitude of monsters wallowynge in those immoueable waters where as Nature decayinge fayled of her force The kynge little moued in his owne respecte was greatly troubled with those passions of his souldiours Alexander perswaded his souldiours Wherfore he assembled theim altogether declaring of howe feable a force those nacions were whom they feared so muche which only remayned and were impediment vnto them hauyng passed ouer so manye countreys to atteine both to the ende of their trauayle to the ende of the world He shewed howe that in respect of their former feare he had lefte his enterprice ouer Ganges with the conquest of the Nacions inhabitynge beyonde the same and had directed his iourney this waye where as their glorye should be as great and their peryll muche lesse and wherin they had not farre to trauayle seynge the Occean was in maner within sighte the ayre wherof he felt blowyng in his face He required them therfore that they woulde not enuye the glorye that he sought by passyng the boundes of Hercules and Bacchus seyng that with so little payne they myght geue vnto their kynge perpetuall fame and immortalitye In doynge wherof they shoulde departe out of India as victorers where as otherwise they shoulde seme to flye from thence It is the propertye of euerye multitude and specially of men of warre to be drawen with euery lyttle mocion amonges whom as sedition dothe sone rise so it is sone pacefied There was neuer a more cherefull crye made of any armye before theÌ„ the Souldiours then made vnto Alexander whiche willed him to leade them whether soeuer he would and make him selfe equall in glorye to them whose actes he dyd counterfeite Alexander reioysinge in the willyngnes that appeared in them remoued straightwayes towardes hys enemyes that were the stowtest people of all the Indians They prepared theim selues boldely for the warres and chose for their capitayne one of the Oxidracans that was of an approued manhode who encamped at the fote of a mountayne made fiers all abroade to cause his numbre appeare the greater and wente aboute in vayne to feare the Macedons when they were at reste by makynge of alaâ—oms with their cryes and maner of howlynge When the daye appeared Alexander hauynge an assured truste to winne the victorye commaunded the Souldiours to put on their armoure cherefully to fall in order of battayle But the Indians whether it were for feare or by reason of some sedition risen amonges them sodainelye fledde into the deserte mountaynes whom Alexander folowed in vaine and not able to ouertake them toke their cariage After this he came vnto a citye of the Oxidracans wherunto great numbre were fled The Oxidracans aswell in trust of the strength of the place as of their owne power As Alexander was about to make the approch Demophon his deuiner admonished him Demophon that he should eiher deferre the matter or els not meddle with it at all for that there appered signes that his life should be in perill When Alexander had hearde his wordes he behelde him and saide If any man should interrupt the when thou art busie about thy science or consideryng of the intrailes shoulde not he seme vnto the troublous and his coÌ„myng vngratefull Yes truely quod he So art thou nowe vnto me quod Alexander For hauynge so greate matters in hande whiche passe the intrailes of Beastes I fynde no greater impedimente then a supersticious diuiner And as sone as he hadde spoken the worde he caused them to rere vp ladders and whiles other menne sticked and stayed at the matter he mounted vp the walle The same was verye narrowe in the toppe not deuided wyth lopes as is communely vsed but enclosed with one whole and continuall battilment rounde aboute which caused it to be the more hard to scale Alexander therfore hauyng no conuenient rowme to stande at his defence stayed vpon the walle receyuyng vpon his target the dartes whyche were caste at him from all partes His souldiours could not get vnto him they were so beaten from the walles by castyng of Dartes and multitude of shotte that came from aboue Yet at length when by their stayinge thei sawe their kyng geuen vp into their enemies hands shame ouercame their immaculate daunger But their ouermuche haste was ouer great a lette and the cause why they coulde not come to the rescue of their king For whyles euery manne coueted vp the ladders they were so sore laden that they brake asunder and suche as were mounted vpon theim fell downe agayne deceyuynge Alexander of hys onelye hope So that in the syght of all the armye he stode destitute as in a deserte wythout anye ayde or succoure and hadde weried hys lefte arme wyth the whyche he helde his Target in receiuynge the blowes His frendes cried vnto hym that he shoulde leape downe vnto theim who stode in readines to receyue hym But he geuynge no eare vnto theim vndertoke an incredible enterprice and such one as hath not bene hearde of before deseruynge rather fame of rashenes then of any commendation that might sounde to his glorye For with a ful leape he did caste him selfe into the citye that was full of his enemies wheras he coulde sâ—arselye haue anye hope to fyght for his life or in diynge to be reuenged vpon his enemyes For before he coulde recouer hys fete agayne it was likelye either he shoulde haue bene slayne or taken aliue But he by chaunce so conueied his bodye that he fell vpon his fete and standinge encountred with such as came againste him Fortune so prouidyng that he coulde not be enclosed about by reasoÌ„ of an olde tree which as it had bene of purpose stode neare vnto the wall whose broade boughes full of leaues couered him from aboue and the greatnes of the stocke kept his enemies
exhorte you nor to behold you Beyng determined to sende some into their countrey before and to bryng the reste with me shortly after I see them aswell that shall go crying and mutining as those that I appoint to come with me What a matter is this Their crie is al a like notwithstanding that their cause is diuers I woulde fayne knowe whether they complaine that departe or they that tary still When he had spoken those wordes they cried all as it had bene with one mouth that they complayned euery man Then he said truly it cannot be so nor I cannot be persuaded that you should all be greued for the cause ye declare seing the case towcheth not the moste parte of you for I haue appointed more to departe then to remaine still There must nedes be some greater mischief then apeareth that shuld turne you al from me When was it euer sene that an whole army hath forsaken their kyng The slaues ronne not from their maisters all at once but there is alwayes a shame in some to leaue thē whō the rest forsakes But why do I forget that you be madde in your myndes or why go I about to cure you that be vncurable I condempne from hencefurth all the good hope that euer I conceiued of you am determined to worke no more with you as with my souldiers seing ye wil not be mine but with men vngrateful and vnmindfull of my goodnes The cause of this your madnes is euē the haboūdaunce of your prosperitie wherby you forget your old estate frō the which ye be deliuered through my benefite You are men worthy to haue spent your lyues in your former beggerie seing you cā better beare aduersitie then prosperous fortune behold you which a while ago were tributaries to the Illicians the Percians do now disdaine Asia the spoiles of so many naciōs You whiche vnder Philip went haulf naked now cōtepne robes of purple Your eyes cannot endure any lenger to behold the sight of gold siluer You desire againe your wodden disshes your targettes made of wikers your swordes couered with rust I receiued you in this simple estate with .v. C. talentes in debte when all my furnymētes exceded not in valure .lx. talentes This was the foūdaciō of my actes wherwith without enuie be it spoken I haue subdued the greatest part of the world Are you wery of Asia which haue ministred vnto you occasion of such glory that by the greatnes of your actes ye be made equal vnto the gods do you al make such haste into Europe to forsake me that am your kyng the more parte of you should haue lacked money to beare your charges there if I of my beneuolens had not payde your debtes Are you not ashamed that haue robbed all Asia to beare the spoyles of so many nacions within your belies and now to returne home to your wyfes childrē vnto whom there be but few of you that are able to shewe any rewardes of your victory For many of you shal be compelled to gage your armour if ye forsake this good hope ye might receiue at my handes These be the good men of warre that I shall want which of all their riches haue nothing left them but only their cōcubines The waye lieth open for your departure get you hence quickly out of my syght I with the Percians shall defende your backes when ye be gone I will hold none of you deliuer myne eyes ye vngratefull countremē of the sight I see of you Shal your parētes children receiue you with ioye whē they shal see you returne without your king Shall they couet to mete suche as be fugitiues forsakers of ther prince I truly shal triūphe vpō your departure whersoeuer you shall be I shall desire to be reuēged honoring alwaies preferring before you those whiche ye haue left here with me Now you shall knowe of what force an army is that lacketh a kyng and what moment doth consiste in me alone When he had spoken those wordes he leped in a fury from the iudgement seate and ranne into the throng of the armed men whereas he toke with his owne handes suche as had mutined moste against him Of whome there were none that durst make resistaunce deliuered xiii to his guarde for to be saufly kept Who woulde thinke that an assembly whiche a little before had spoken vnto their prince with suche fiersenes and rigour could haue bene so sodenly appalled for feare Which seing there companions ledde to execution durst not moue nor make any attempt But the inordinate libertie they vsed before their sedicious violence was then so stayed that neuer one of them durst resiste the king ronning amōges them but were al astonied for feare and stode like men amased with doubtfull imaginaciōs loking what he would determine of the offenders Whether it were the reuerēce they bare to his name because the naciōs that liue vnder kinges are wōt to honour thē as gods or were it the maiestie of his persone or els his own assured cōstancy executing his auctoritie with suche violence that put them in feare thei shewed a notable ensample of paciēce For they remained not only without slurre or mociō at the executing of their companions whō they knew to be put to death in the night time but also were more diligent in doing their duties then euer they were before pretermitting nothing pertaining to obedience naturall affeccion towardes their prince For the next day whē thei came to the courte and were not suffred to entre but all shotte out sauing the souldiers of Asia they made a sorowfull crye and lamentacion whiche spred ouer al the campe protesting that they would not liue if the kyng continued still in his wrath But he that was obstinat in all thinges that he had once conceiued in his head commaunded all the Macedons to keape still their cāpe and assembled the souldiers straungers together to whome by an Interpretour he made this Oracion Alexanders Oracion to the straūge souldiers At suche tyme as I came firste out of Europe into Asia my truste was to brynge vnder myne Empyre manye noble Nacions and greate power of men wherin I was not deceaued For besides that the fame reported you to be men of value I haue founde in you one thinge more whiche is an incomperable obediēce fidelitie and affection towardes your prince I thought voluptuousnes had ouerflowen all vertue amonges you and that through your great filicitie ye had bene drowned in pleasures But I finde it otherwise and perceyue that none obserue the discipline and order of the warres better then you do nor execute the same with more actiuitie nor stoutenes And beynge manfull and valeaunt menne ye embrace fidelitie no lesse then you do the rest This thinge I do but nowe acknowledge but I knewe it longe ago Whiche was the cause that I chose you out of the youth of your nacions to be my souldiours
supposed had bene slayne Which opinioÌ„ they conceiued through one of the Enuches whiche standing before their tent dore sawe a souldier cary a parcel of Dariê° diademe which he a litle before had cast from his head When Alexander vnderstode their errour wept as it was said to coÌ„sider Darius mysfortune and the womens affectioÌ„ towardes him And for their comforte sent to them one Mythrenes that betrayed Sardes who was expecte in the Percian tonge â—ythrenes but yet coÌ„sidering that the sight of him beiÌ„g a traitour should but encrease their sorow sent a noble maÌ„ called Leonatus to declare to theÌ„ how they were deceiued Leonatus that Darius was a liue He came towardes the tent where the womeÌ„ were with certain men in harnes sent worde before that he was come thether froÌ„ the kyng but when such as stode at the tent dore sawe armed men coÌ„ming supposing their errand had bene to murther their mestresses ran into them cried out that their laste houre was come for the men were at hand that were sent to kill theÌ„ The seruauÌ„tes therfore that neither durst let Leonatus in nor kepe him out brought him no aunswere but remained quietly to se what he would do When Leonatus had long taried at the dore sawe none came fourth to call him in left â—is men without entred amoÌ„ges the women Whose â—omming vnto them before he was admitted was the â—hing that feared theÌ„ moste of al. The mother therfore wyfe of Darius fell down at his fete requiring hym â—hat before thei were slaine he would suffer theÌ„ to bury Darius after his countrey manner â–ª whiche laste obserâ—aunce perfourmed they were coÌ„tent they said gladly â—o suffer death Leonatus assured them that both Darius was aliue that there was no harme towardes â—hem but should remaine in thesame estate thei were in â—efore When SiligaÌ„bis heard those wordes she was content to be lift vp from the grouÌ„d to receiue some comforte The next day Alexander with great diligeÌ„ce buried the bodies of such of his owne men as could be founde and willed thesame to be done to the noble meÌ„ of the Percians geuing licence to Darius mother to bury so many as she liste after the custume of her coÌ„trey whiche thing she perfourmed to a fewe that were next of her kynne â–ª according to the habilitie of her presente fortune for if she should haue vsed the Percians poÌ„pe therin the Macedons might haue enuied it which being victours vsed no great curiositie in the matter WheÌ„ the due was perfourmed to the dead AlexaÌ„der signified to â—he women prisoners that he himself would come to visitie them and causing such as came with hym to tarie without he only with Ephestion entred in amonges theÌ„ Ephestion Thesame Ephestion of all men was moste dere vnto Alexander brought vp in his companie from his yougth â–ª moste preuie with him in al thinges There was none that had such libertie to speake his mynde plainlye to the kinge as he had Which he vsed after suche sorte that he seamed to do it by no authoritie but by suffraunce and as he was of like yeares vnto him so in makiÌ„g and personage he did somwhat excel hym Wherfore the women thinking Ephestion to be the kinge did falle downe and worshyp hym as there contrey maner was to do to kinges till such tyme as one of the Enukes that was takeÌ„ prysoner shewed which of them was Alexander Then Sisigambis fell downe at his fete requiring pardon of her ignorauÌ„ce forsomuche as she did neuer se him before The king toke her vp by the hand and saied mother you be not deceyued for this is Alexandar also Whiche his humilitie contineÌ„cy of mind if he had continually obserued to this latter daies A disgrssion I would haue thought him muche more hapier then he was wheÌ„ that he hauing subdued all Asia from Hellispont to the OcciaÌ„ see would counterfiet the triuÌ„phes of Bacchus Or if that amonges the reste of hys conqueste he woulde haue labored to conquere his pride and his Ire which be vices inuincible Or if that in his dronkenes he would haue abstayned from the slaughter of his nobilitie and not to haue put to deathe those excellent men of warre without iudgemeÌ„t that helped him to coÌ„quere so many nacioÌ„s At this time the greatnes of his fortune had not yet altered his nature but afterwardes he coulde not beare his victories whith that vertue that he did winne theÌ„ TheÌ„ he behaued him self after suche a manner that he exceded in continencie and coÌ„passion all the kinges that had bene before his time Alexanders coÌ„â—ynuance and ClemeÌ„cye Entreating the two Quenes with those Virgines that were of excellent bewtye so reuerently as if thei had bene his siesters He not only absteyned from all violacion of Darius wief with in beuty excelled all the women of her time but also toke great care and diligence that none other should procure her to any dishonour And to all the womeÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded their ornementes and apparell to be restored So that thei waÌ„ted nothing of the magnificeÌ„ce of their former estate sauing only that assured coÌ„fideÌ„ce that creatures want in myserye Whiche thinges considred by Sisigambis she said vnto the king Sisigambis words vnto Alexander Sir your goodnes towardes vs doth deserue that we shuld make yesame praier for you that we did somtyme for Darius and we perceiue yow worthye to passe so greate a kyng as he was in felicitie and good fortune that habound so in iustice and clemencie you vouchsaue to cal me by the name of mother and of Quene but I confesse my selfe to be your hand maide For bothe I conceiue the greatnes of my estate paste and feale that I can beare this present seruitude It lieth only in your handes how we shall be delt with all and whether ye wyll make vs notable to the worlde through your clemencie or crueltie The kynge comforted them all he myght and willing them to be of good chere toke Darius sonne in hys armes Wherat the childe was nothinge afrayde hauyng neuer sene him before but toke and embrased him about the necke He was so moued with the constancy of the child that he beheld Ephestron and saied oh I would that Darius had had some part of thys gontle disposiicon When he was deperted from thence he caused .iii. aultars to be made vpon the Ryuer of Piramus and there did sacrifice to Iupiter Hercules and Mynerua and so went forewardes into Siria Syria Damasco He sent Parmenio before to Damasco wheras Darius treasure did remayne who vnderstanding by the way that Darius had sent one of his nobles thether fearing that for the smalnes of his owne nombre the DamasceÌ„s would kepe him out determined to send for a greater power Mardus but by chaunce one Mardus fell into the handes of the horsemeÌ„ that he had sent before to score the Countrey whiche beyng brought before