feare that they durst neither put on their armour lest they might geue occasiō to the Bactriās to set vpō thē nor they could not remaine quiet lest thei might seme so wickedly to leue their kynge There were clamours through out the campe of diuers sortes and tunes wythout any head and without any apointment Such as partayned to Nabarzanes and Bessus deceiued by such lamētacion as they harde brought them worde that the kyng had killed him self Whereupon the prepaired thither so fast as thei could gallop Darius taken prisoner by Bessus and Nabarzanes and such folowed after as thei had chosen to be mynisters of their mischeife When they were entred into the kings pauilion bicause the Enuches declared that he was on liue they cōmaunded him to be bound Thus he whych before was caried in a chariot and honoured of his men like a god was made prisoner by hys owne seruauntes without any foreine powre and put into a vile cart couered ouer with beastes skynnes and spoyle was made of the kinges stufe in such sort as if it had bene taken in the warres And when they had laden them selues with the pray gotten after so foule a maner they conuaied them selues into their countries But Artabazus with those of whom he had the charge and with the Greake souldiers toke the way towardes Parthina thinking to be more sure any where then in the felowship of those traitors The Percians whom Bessus had burdened with so many faire promises specially bicause thei had no other mā to folowe ioyned them selues to the Bactrians and the third daye ouertoke them But to thintent Darius should not want such honor as was due vnto his estate Bessus caused him to be bound wyth golden fetters such were the despightes that his fortune made him subiect vnto And for that he should not be knowen by his apparell ▪ they couered the carte with foull hides of beastes and caused vnknowē mē to driue it forwards And lest by enquiring the Armye he might be discouered such as had the charge of hym folowed afarre of Whan Alexander hard that Darius was remoued to Echatane he lefte the way that he was in and with all the spede he could make folowed after Darius that was said to be gone into Media But when Alexander was come to Taba which is the cheife Citie of Paratacene Taba Paratacene it was there shewed him by fugitiues that came out of Darius camp that he was fled with al spede into Bactria And afterwardes vnderstod the matter more certeinly by Bagistenes of Babilō who could not affirme directly that Darius was vsed as a prisoner but declared that either he was in daūger of death or of captiuitie Alexander vpon those newes called his capteines togither and shewed them that he had a greate enterprise but such one as the trauail was verie short Darius he sayd was not far of forsaken of his own men and either takē as a presoner or slaine In whose parson he shewed their whole victorye to consiste and the greatnes of the matter to be reward sufficient of their haste making They all cried with one voice that they were redy to folowe him where he would go and that he should neither spare there labor nor their perill Wherupon he cōueied his army forwardes with merueilous spede rather in post then after the cōmon ordre of marching neither resting daie nor night til they had passed v.c furlōges come to the village where Darius was taken There Melun Melun Darius Interpreter who by reason of his sicknes could not folowe the army was taken through Alexanders celeritie who fayning that he fledde awaye from his maister declared the whole matter but how great so euer his desire was to ouertake his enemies it was necessary for hym to giue his men rest of their trauayle So that determining to leue the teste of his army behinde did chose out six thousand horsemen and added to them iii.c whiche they cal Dimichas that were fotemen heuy harnised but yet did ride on horseback and when the matter and place required lighted fought on foote When Alexander was taking ordre about these thinges Orsellos and Mythracenes which for the hatred they bare to Bessus for his treason fled from him declared to the kynge that the Percians were but v.c furlonges of and proffered to guide hym by a nearer way Their cōmyng was gratefull to the king for by their conduccion in the begynning of the nigh the toke his iourney wyth suche horsemen as he had appointed willing his fote battell to folowe after wyth all spede possible He marched forwardes in a square battell and kept such an ordre that the firste might ioyne with the laste and such as came behind releue them the went before When they had passed .ccc. furlonges of their way Broculus Broculus the sonne of Mazeus that sometime had bene gouernour of Siria met Alexander and declared that Bessus was within two hūdred furlonges marching with his men out of all ordre as one that did caste no doubtes seming to him that they went towardes Hircania wherfore yf haste were made he said they myght sone be ouertaken found disparckled here ther out of al aray He affirmed also that Darius was yet aliue Alexander that was hote before in his pursuite was with his wordes muche more pricked forwardes so that he caused them put spores to their horses and passed forwardes a gallop and went so farre forth that they might heare the noise of their enemies made as thei marched But the duste that dyd ryse toke awaye their fight and therefore he stayed a while tyl the duste was vanished away And then both Bessus parceyued the Macedons and they sawe the Percians as they fled Notwithstanding they had not ben hable to haue matched with them if Bessus had had as great courage to fight as he had to betraye hys master For besides that they excedid the Macedons in nombre and powre who being forweried and sore trauayled should haue had to do with them that were iustie freshe But the name of Alexander and his fame which is of great moment euer in the warres put thē in such feare that thei could not staye them selues Then Bessus and other that were parteners of the cōspiracy came to the carte where Darius was parsuaded him to leape on horsebacke and fle from hys enemies that were at hand But he affirming that the gods were come to his reueng and calling for the assistaunce of Alexander Darius wounded to death said that in no wyse he woulde go wyth traitors wherewith they were so sturred to wrath that they threw dartes at him and left him woūded in many places of his body They thucst in the beastes also that driew the cart to thintent they should not be hable to passe forwardes slew his two seruaūtes that did waite vpon him Whē they had cōmitted this acte they thought it expedient to disperse
the playnes whyche be not knowen but to suche as be of the same countrey Though this straight was naturally strong and defeÌ„ded besides by a strong power that letted not Alexander to attempt it but brought engynes which they call Arietes to beate downe such fortificatioÌ„ as was made with hande and with slinges and shote of arrowes did beate his enemyes from the places of their defence When he had driuen them awaye he passed throughe the fortificatioÌ„s he had wonne and made approche vnto the rocke But the streame that grewe of the assemble of waters falling from the mountayne was an impedimente to him therin And it semed a wonderfull worke to fil the chanel of the riuer yet he caused trees and stones to be brought to the place and set the thing in hande When his enemyes that neuer had sene any suche worke before sawe the worke rise sodaynlye lyke a mountayne were put in a marueylous feare wherby the kynge supposyng they might haue bene brought to render it vp sent one Oxatres of the same nacion to persuade Sisymythres to render vp the rocke And in the meane season to put them in the more terrour he caused towers of woode to be brought forwardes and did shote wyth engynes so oute of the same that the enemies forsakynge all other strengthes retired into the toppe of the rocke Oxatres finding Sisymythres in this feare perswaded hym rather to proue Alexanders beneuolence then his force seynge that all creatures submitted theim selues vnto him that he onely should not be his let goynge with his victorious army into India wherby he should turne other mens plage vpon his owne necke Sisymythres would haue bene contented to folowe his aduise but that she whiche was both his mother and his wyfe affyrmed howe she woulde rather dye then commit hir selfe into anye mans handes And therfore beynge ashamed that the loue of libertye shoulde remayne more in a womanne then in him altered his purpose takinge that way whiche was more honest then sure and dismissed him that was the meane for peace determinyng vtterly to abide the extremitye of the siege Yet when he had weyghed well his enemies power and hys owne togethers began againe to repent him of his wiues counsail which was more rashe then necessarie made sute that Oxatres woulde returne proferinge then to commit hym selfe to the kinges will onely requirynge of Oxatres that he would not vtter hys wyues mynde and opinion for feare least she should not obteyne hir Pardon He sente therfore Oxatres before and he came after wyth his wyfe his children all his kynsfolke wythout tariynge for any assuraunce promised to hym by Oxatres Alexander hearynge of their commyng sent hys horsemen before to cause theim to staye and tarye for hys coÌ„myng And when he was come to the place wher they were he offered Sacrifice to Minerua and Victoria restorynge to Sysymythres his former rule and aucthoritie and put him in hope of a greater countrey if he would faythfully coÌ„tinue his frendship and toke his two sonnes presented to him by the father to serue in his warres Alexander lefte his fotemenne to subdue suche as were yet vnyelden and wente forwardes with hys horsemen into other partes The way was craggye and difficulte whyche at the firste they endured indifferentlye but afterwardes when their horse houes were torne asunder and they vtterly forweried manye were not able to folowe but rydde disperkled and out of order the werines of their trauaile so much ouercame shame The kyng notwithstandyng chaunged often horse and pursued wythout ceassyng his enemies that fledde before hym By reason wherof all the noble young men that were wonte to accompanye him were lefte behynde sauynge onelye Philippe Lysimachus brother Philip who then beynge in the floure of his youthe and of great likelihode to become an excellent manne folowed on fote the kynge that did ride on horsebacke by the space of fifty furloÌ„ges Lisymachus diuers times profring to him his horse But in no wise he would depart from the kyng notwithstandyng that he had on his corselet and all his armoure When the kinge passed through a woode where his enemies laye in embushement he fought notablye and rescued the kynge fightynge wyth hys enemyes But after they were â—ite to flyght and driuen out of the woodes the greatnes of his courage which hadde susteyned him in the heate of the fight faynted wyth his bodye and beyng all on a swette leaned him selfe to a tree whyche did not so staye him but that he fel to the earth and beynge taken vp againe by the Kinges handes shronke downe from hym and dyed The kynge beyng sorowfull for his deathe receiued an other tidynges no lesse to be lamented For before he came to his campe he was aduertised of the deathe of Erigius one of hys moste notable Capitaynes whose funerals were bothe celebrated wyth greate pompe and ceremonies of honoure From thence he determined to goo vnto the Dahans where he vnderstode that Spitamenes was But Fortune that neuer ceased to fauoure hym finished the iourney of his spitamenes as she did many other Spytamenes was enflamed wyth the ouermuche loue of his wife whom he caried wyth hym in al his hasardes and aduentures But she that coulde not well endure fliynge nor to chaunge places like an outlawe became so wery of trauayl that by flattery and fayre meanes she entised her husbande to leaue his fliyng and go about seyng he sawe no waye to escape to procure Alexanders fauoure of whose clemencye she saied he had sene so great experience And to moue him the more in the matter she brought before him their childreÌ„ begotteÌ„ betwixt them makyng request that at the least wayes he would take pity on theÌ„ wherin she thought her praier would be the more effectual bicause Alexander was so nere at hand But Spitamenes iudging her not to do this by way of couÌ„sail but of purpose to betray him and that she desiered to submit her selfe vnto Alexander in confidence of hir beuty drew out his swerde to haue strikeÌ„ her if he had not bene letted by his brethreÌ„ WheÌ„ they would not suffer him otherwise to hurt her he coÌ„maunded hir to auoyde hys syght threatenynge to kyll hir if she profered to come agayne to his presence And to mitigate his loue towardes hir he spente the nyght amonges hys concubynes But his loue that was so deapelye grounded thereby ceassed not but rather kyndeled the more towardes his wyfe Wherfore he reconciled him selfe agayne vnto hir makyng his continuall request that she would not counsayl nor moue hym anye more in the matter but be content wyth suche chaunces as Fortune woulde sende hym for he estemed death lyghter then to yeld him selfe She purged her selfe of her former perswasion which appered to her she saied to haue bene good and though it were after a womans maner yet it proceaded of a faithfull meanynge But from thence forth she was contented to do as it shoulde please
victorers into our countrey Doe not you as these negligeÌ„t husbandmen that lose their frute after it is once rype The rewardes of our iourney be greater then our perill The countrey that we go vnto is ryche and of no force thether I purpose to bryng you bothe to wynne glory to get you spoile for worthy you are to cary such riches in to your couÌ„trey whiche be so plentifull there that the sea doth cast them vp against the shore You be men of that vertue that ye ought to leaue not â—yng vnproued nor nothing vndone for feare I desire and praye you by the glory ye haue gotten in whiche ye excede the state of men and by all that I haue deserued of you and you of me wherewith ye remaine as inuincible that ye wil not forsake me purposing to visite the end of the worlde me I say that haue bene brought vp as a chyld amonges you I will make no mencioÌ„ howe I am your kyng In the rest of thinges I haue commaunded you let me nowe entreate you in this one point It is I that make this request vnto you whiche neuer commaunded you any thing but I put my selfe formost in thaduenture daunger and the which ofteÌ„ times in mine own persone haue bene the formoste in defence of the battaill take not the victory out of my handes with the whiche if enuy be not the let I shall become equal in glory both to Hercules and Bacchus Geue your assent to myne intercession and at length breake your obstinate silence Where is your showting become that was wont to be a declaratioÌ„ of your cherefulnes Where be the countenaunces of my couÌ„trey men I know you not my souldiers and it semeth that I am not knowen of you Me thinkes I crye to your defe eares in vayne and go about in waste to sturre vp your vnwilling and vnmoueable myndes Notwithstanding all these wordes they hong downe their heades towardes the earth and perseuered stil in silence Then he proceded I know not quod he wherin I haue vnwitting offended you that you will not once vouchesaue to loke me in the face I seme to be solitary and in a desert Is there none of you that I speake vnto will aunswere me Is there none at the lest wayes will deny my requeste What is the thyng that I require euen your owne glory and your owne greatnes Where be they nowe whome I sawe not long ago contending who should first take their kyng when he was wounded and nowe ye leaue me alone â–ª ye forsake me ye betraye me to myne enemies But I will not leaue mine enterprise though I go alone Put me forwardes to those ryuers to those beastes to those nacions the very names of whome ye feare so muche The Scythians and Bactrians shall go with me whiche of late were myne enemies and now be my souldiers I had rather dye then be a king to be ruled and at other mens appointment Departe you home go I say and triumphe of the habandoninge of your kyng For I will either obteine here the victory wherof you haue dispayred or els dye a death that shal be honorable Notwithstanding all that he had sayde there was not one souldier that would open his mouth to speake but stode wayting that some of the princes and great capitaynes shoulde declare vnto the kynge their estates and howe that there remayned not in them any obstinat refusall of the warres but that they were so exhausted with woundes and weried with continuall trauaill that they were not able to endure any lenger As they stode thus astonied and afrayed keping silence and lookyng vpon the grounde there beganne firste a whisperyng and a rumor and afterwardes a lamentacion amonges them and by lyttle and little thei beganne more manifestly to shewe their dolour the teares fallyng froÌ„ their eyes The kynges anger was then so turned into compassion that he was not able to keape hym selfe from weapyng At length the whole assemble brast out into an excessiue wepyng And when all the rest were at a stay to speake Cenus toke vpon hym to presse forwarde towardes the iudgement seate where Alexander stoode signifieng that he had somewhat to saye When the souldiers sawe he pulled his helmet from his head for so it was the custome to speake vnto the kyng they began to require hym that he woulde vtter the cause of the whole army Then Cenus beganne in this wyse â–ª Cenus wordes in the name of the whole army â–ª The Goddes defende our myndes from all wicked thoughtes as I doubt not but they wyll there is none of your souldiers but be of the same mynde towardes you that they haue bene in tymes past Whether it be your pleasure to commaunde them to go forwardes to fyght to hasarde them selues or with their bloud commend your name vnto the posteritie And if you will nedes perseuer in your opinion though we be vnarmed naked and without bloud we will either come after you or go before as you shall thynke expedient But if you wyll be content to heare the griefes and complayntes of your souldiers that be not fayned but expressed by force of very necessitie I humblie beseche you then that ye woulde vouchesaue fauourably to heare them that constantly haue folowed your authoritie and fortune and are yet redy to folow wheresoeuer you wil appoynte O Alexander with the greatnes of your actes ye haue not ouercome only your enemies but also your owne souldiers Whatsoeuer mans mortalitie is able to fulfyll that is perfourmed by vs hauing passed ouer so manye Seas and countreys better knowen to vs then to the very inhabiters nowe remayning in maner in the vttermoste ende of the worlde And yet for all this your purpose is to passe into an other worlde and seke out an Inde vnknowen to the Indians Ye couet to plucke out the wilde beastes and serpentes out of their dennes lurking places minding to serche further with your victory then the sonne hath visited with her beames which truly is an imaginacioÌ„ mete for your harte but farre exceding our capacitie and power Your manhode and courage is alwayes an encrease but our force groweth in declinacion Behold our bodies destitute of bloud perced with so many woundes and rotted with so many scarres Our weapons nowe be dulled and our armour is wasted consumed we weare our apparell after the PerciaÌ„s maner because our countrey garmentes do faill vs. We are degenerate out of our own fasshion growen into a strauÌ„ge habite What is he that hath his corselet or horse particuler to himselfe Cause it to be enquired how many seruauÌ„tes do folowe their maisters and what remaineth to euery maÌ„ of the spoyle Being the victorers of al meÌ„ of all men we are the poorest It is not hadoundaunce or excesse that trouble vs but the very warre it selfe Our municion is consumed and yet your will put furth this goodly army of yours naked vnto those beastes
maried and in an vniuersall heuines bewayled the cause of hir owne sorowe But Sysigambis alone susteyned all there miseries The behauour of Darius mother vpon the death of Alexander and bewayled bothe hir owne case and her nefes her freshe sorowe causing her to call to mynde thinges paste A man would haue iudged by her behauour that Darius had bene newly slayne and that she had celebrated the funeralles of bothe her sonnes togither She did not only lament the deade but sorowed also for the lyuing Who shall nowe qd she take care of this yong woman or who can be like vnto Alexander nowe we be taken prisoners againe nowe we be newly fallen from our dignitie and estate After Darius death we found one to defend vs. But nowe since Alexander is gone who wyll haue respect of vs Amongs she called to mind how Occhus the cruell kinge had slayne her father and foure score of her brethren on one daye and that of seuen children borne of hir bodye there was but one of theim lefte aliue She sawe that fortune had aduaunced Darius and caused him to floryshe for a tyme to the entente he myght ende his life by greater crueltye Finallye she was so ouercome wyth sorowe that she couered her head turning her selfe from her nese and nephew that sate at her fete and abstayninge both frō meate frō beholdynge of the light ended hir life the fift daye after she was determined to dye This hir death was a great argument of the clemencye Alexander hadde shewed towardes her and of the iustice towardes all the captyues seyng that after Darius death she could abide to liue but after Alexanders departure she was ashamed to continue any lenger Considerynge Alexander rightwiselye A discourse of Alexanders vices and his vertues we must impute all his vertues to his owne nature and his vices either to hys youth or to the greatnes of his fortune There was in him an incredible force of courage and an exceadynge sufferaunce of trauaile He was endued with manhode excellinge not onely amonges kynges but also amonges such as had neither vertue nor qualitye He was of that liberalitye that oftentymes he gaue greater thinges then the reciuers could haue asked of God The multitude of kyngdomes that he gaue in gift and restored to such from whom he had taken theim by force was a token of his clemencye towardes them that he subdued He shewed a perpetuall contempte of deathe the feare wherof doth amase other men And as there was in him a greater desire of glorye and worldely prayse then reason woulde beare so was it intollerable in so yong a man enterprisynge so great actes The reuerence and affection he bare towardes his parentes appeared in that he purposed to consecrate his mother Olimpias to immortalitie and that he so sore reuenged Philips death How gentle and familiar was he towardes his frēdes and how beniuolence towarde his souldiours He had a wisedome equall to the greatnes of his harte and suche a policie and forecast as so yong yeres were scarsely able to receiue A measure in immoderate plesures And the vse of his lust lesse then nature desiered vsing no pleasure but that was lawefull these were wonderfull greate giftes and vertues But in that he compared him selfe to the Gods coueted diuine honours and beleued the Oracles that perswaded such thinges that he was offended with thē that woulde not worship him and geuen more vehementlye to wrath then was expedient That he altered his habite and apparell into the fashion of straungers coūterfaited the custome of them he had subdued and despised before his victorye were vices to be attributed to the greatnes of fortune As the heate of youthe stirred him to anger and to the desyre of drinkyng so age might haue mitigated againe those faultes Notwithstandynge it muste nedes be confessed that though he preuailed muche by his vertue yet ought he to impute more vnto his fortune which only of al mortal men he had in his owne power Howe oftē did she deliuer him from the poynte of death Howe often did she defende him wyth perpetuall felicitie when he hadde rashelye brought him selfe in peryll And when she poynted an ende to his glorye she euen then was contente to finyshe his life stayinge his fatall destenye tyll he had subdued the Orient visited the Occean Sea and fulfilled all that mans mortalitie was able to performe To this so greate a kynge and noble conqueroure a successour was loked for But the matter was of ouermuch importaūce for any one mā to take vpō him Alexanders name and renowne was so great amonges all Nacions and they were counted moste noble that might be partakers of his prosperous fortune thoughe the porcion was neuer so small But to returne agayne to Babilon from whence this digression hath bene made The assēble after the death of Alexander They whiche had the guarde and custodie of Alexanders persone ▪ called into the courte suche as hadde bene his chiefe frendes and captaines of the men of warre after whom there folowed a great multitude of Souldioures desierynge to knowe who shoulde be successoure vnto Alexander The thronge of the souldiours was suche that manye of the capitaynes were excluded and coulde not enter into the courte A Proclamation therfore was made wherby all men were forbidden to enter except suche as were called by name But because their commaundement semed to want aucthoritie it was little regarded the multitude at the first began to make a greuous sorow lamentation But straightwaies the desire they had to vnderstande the successe of the matter stopped their lamētatiō made silēce Thē Perditas brought forth in sight of al the people the kinges chayre of estate wherin Alexanders Diademe his vestures regall hys armor was laide Emōges that which ornamētes Perdicas also laide downe the kinges signet deliuered to him the day before at the sight wherof they began to wepe and to renue againe their sorowe Then saied Perdicas Perdicas wordes Lo here is the rynge wherwith he was wōt to seale such thinges as perteined to the force of his Empire as he deliuered the same to me I so do restore it agayne to you And although no aduersitye can be deuised by the Goddes were they neuer so muche offended comperable to this Yet considering the greatnes of the actes whych he hath done we muste thinke that the Goddes sent suche a man as he was to raigne in the worlde whose tyme beyng expired that was appointed they haue called him againe to the place from whence he came Forsomuche therefore as none other thinge remaine of hym amonges vs but onely that whiche is alwayes wont to be remoued from immortalitie let vs perfourme the due pertayninge bothe to his bodye and to his name remembringe in what citye we be amonges what kynde of people and what a kynge and what maner of gouernoure we haue loste We must debate and deuise how to
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
taleÌ„ts And sent to Antipater such as had the gouernans of the Cities of Greac threscore taleÌ„ts He gaue order the suchas wer his coÌ„federats shuld with ther own powre of ships defed the seas of HellespoÌ„t according to the leage betwixt theÌ„ It was not yet come to his knowledg how MenoÌ„ was deade vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ he set his hole regard Menon knowing if that he moued not against hiÌ„ nomaÌ„ shuld enterrupt his passage before he cam to Darius The Cytye of Ancire Alexander came to the cytye Ancyre where he made hys musteres and so entred into Paphlagomya wherunto the Grecians be borderers of whome it is said the venetians be discended Rhaphlagomya Al this Contrey yealdid vnto him gaue him pledgs obteining to be free of tribute seing they neuer paid any â—â— the percians Calas was captayne there who taking with him the band of Souldirs that were lately come out of Macedon went vnto Capadocea Calas But Darius hearing of the deathe of Menon Capadocia was noles moued therwyth then the case required for then allother hope set apert he determyned to trye the matter in person coÌ„dempnyng all thynges that had ben don by hys deputies hauing opinion that good gouerment wanted in many of them and that fortune had fayled in them all He came therefore to Babylon wher he encamped Assembling al his force togithers in sight bicause he wold shewe the greater courage And vsing the ensample of Xrexes in takiÌ„g of his musters entrenched so much ground abut as was able to receiue .x. thousand men within the whych he lodged in the night suche as had bene mustred in the daye And from thens they were bestowed abrode in the plaine contrey of Mesepotanya the numbre of his horsmen fotemeÌ„ were innumerable and yet seamed to the syght to be more then they were There were of the Percyans an C. thousand of whom .xxx. thousand were horsemen Of the Medeans .x. thousand horsemeÌ„ .xxx. thousand fotemen Of the Barcanyts two thousand horsemen Themnubre of Darius men of warre with brode swordes light bucklers and .x. M. fotmeÌ„ with like weapoÌ„s Ther were of the ArmeÌ„ians .xl. thousand fotemen .vii. thousand horsemen The hircanyans of great estymacioÌ„ emongeste those nacioÌ„s had .vi. thousand horsemeÌ„ The deruicens were .xl. thousand fotemeÌ„ armed with pikes wherof parte had no hedes of IroÌ„ but dried the poiÌ„ts of theÌ„ in the fiere therwer also of the same nacioÌ„ .ii. M. horsmeÌ„ Ther caÌ„e froÌ„ the CaspiaÌ„ sea viii M. fotmeÌ„ .cc. horsmeÌ„ And with theÌ„ of the rude nacions of Asia .ii. M. fotemen and .iiii. M. hosemen To the increase af thes numbres there were .xxx. M Mercenary sauldiers that were Greaks Hast wold not suffer to cal for the BactriaÌ„s Sogdians Indians with other thinhabiters of the red sea nacioÌ„s which had naÌ„es scarsely knowen to ther owne kynge Thus Darius wanting nothing lesse theÌ„ the mullitud of meÌ„ greatly reiossed to behold them And puffed vp with the vanitye flattery of the greate men that were aboute hym turned to Charidemus of AtheÌ„s an experte maÌ„ of warre which for the displeasure that AlexaÌ„der did bere him was baÌ„ished his coÌ„trey asked him if he thought not this coÌ„pany sufficient to ouerthrowe the Macedons WheriuÌ„to Charidemus without resptte of the kinges pride or of hys owne estate aunswered Charidemus words â—nto Drius Peraduenture six qd he ye will not be content to heare the truth excepte I tell yt nowe it shal be to late hereafter This great preparatoÌ„ hiughe army of yours gathered of the multitud of somany nacioÌ„s that you haue raised vp froÌ„ al pies of Thorient is more fearfull to theinhabiturs hereabouts then terrible to your enemies your meÌ„ shine in colors and glister in armure of gold exceding so much in ryches that they which haue not sene theÌ„ which ther eies caÌ„not coÌ„ceiue any such thiÌ„g in their minds But coÌ„trariwise the MacedoÌ„es being rough souldiers wtout any such excesse be terrible to behold the froÌ„ts of ther batailes staÌ„d close togethers alwais in streÌ„gth furnished with pikes targets for defeÌ„ce The Phalant of the Macedons that which thei call ther Phallant is an immouable square of fotemen wherin euery one staÌ„d close to other ioyning weapoÌ„ to weapon euery souldier obedieÌ„t toy t whych is commauÌ„ded him redy at his captaines beck whyther it be tofolowe his ensigne to kepe hys armye to stand stil to ruÌ„ne to fetche a coÌ„pas to chang thorder of the battell to fight on this side or that side euery souldier can do thes thinges aswel as the captaines And because you shal not thinke gold siluer to be effectuall to thys matier they began and obserued this discipline pouerty beiÌ„g Maystres WheÌ„ they be werye the ground is there bed they are sattsfiedfied with suche meate as thei find by chaunce and thei measure not their sleape by the lengthe of the nyght Thinke you the horsmen of Thessaly the Alcharnans and Etolians whych be inuincible men of warre wil be repulsed with â—lynges or staues hardned in the fire It behoueth you to haue a like force to repulce theÌ„ and to be serued of the same kind of men Mi counsel is therfore that you seÌ„d this gold and siluer to wage souldiers out of those countreis from whence thei come Darius was a man of a meke and tractable dysposicion if the heighte of his estate had not altered the goodnes of hys nature which made hym so vnpatyent to here the truthe that he commaunded Charydemus to bee put streight wayes to death being a man that was fled to his proteccion and that gaue hym right profitable couÌ„sel When he was going towards his death he left not his libertye to speake but saide there is one at hande that shal reuenge my deathe For he againste whome I haue geuen the counsell shall punyshe the for not folowinge of the same And thou being thus altered with the libertye thou haste being a King shalt be an ensample to suche as shal come after that when they commit their doinges to fortune they clerely forget theÌ„ selues whiles Charidemus was speaking these wordes they which had the charge committed vnto them put him to death whereof afterwardes the Kynge toke ouer late repeÌ„tance for he confessed that he had spokeÌ„ the truth caused him to be buried Thymones Ther was one Thymones the soÌ„ne of Menter a yoÌ„g maÌ„ of great actiuite to whoÌ„ Darius gaue the charge of al the souldiers straungers in whom he had great coÌ„fidence and willed hym to receyue theÌ„ at Pharnabasus handes And gaue to Pharnabasus that rule the MenoÌ„ had before Thus Dariê° beiÌ„g careful of the busines he had in hand whither it were through pensiuenes of mind or that his fancie did deuine thiÌ„ges to coÌ„e was coÌ„tinually troubled with visioÌ„s in his sleape Dâ—riue dreame He dreamed that the MacedoÌ„s caÌ„pe was al on fire And shortly after yt
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
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
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
the CyreniaÌ„s came to him thither brought him pÌ„sentes whoÌ„ he iently entertained assuring theÌ„ of his frendship And that done went forwards in his voyage The firste the second daies traueil seamed tollerable not beiÌ„g yet come to the barein and wild wildernes and yet the ground they passed on was but vnfrutefull and dead erth But when the plaens apeared that were couered ouer wyth deape sand they then loked and sought a farre of wyth their eyes for the land eueÌ„ as men be accustomed to do wheÌ„ they saill in the mayne Sea For they could not iudge them selues on lande where they neuer sawe tree nor any apearance of habitacion or haunt of men And water ther was none to be found in that drie and burniÌ„g sand and such as thei had brought with them in bottels vpon camelles backes was consumed and spent Besides the sonne was so hote that it dried and burned vp all thinges When they were afflicted after this maner whither yt were by the wil of god or by chauÌ„ce the clowdes sodenly ouerwelmed the skye and so shadowed them that it was great coÌ„fort to suche as were forweried with the heat thoughe they wanted water to drinck But to supplie ther lacke therin ther fell by and by a great shoure which euery man for the greate desire they had to drincke gaped to receyue with open mouth When they had traueled foure dayes in passiÌ„g of these wild desertes and were come nere vnto the place of the Oracle there apeared a great swarme of Crowes flieng lowe before the troupe and when the hoste merched softely they sat downe vpon the grouÌ„d and sometime flewe forwardes as they had bene guides the shewe vnto tharmye the way The destricion of Hamon At length they came vnto the place consecrate vnto Iupiter where as it was a wonder to se in the mides of so wyld a desert such a grouÌ„d so enuironed on al partes with high trees defending the heat of the sonne such a nombre of springes ronyng euery where which cause the woodes alwaies to loke greane The ayer there al seasons of the yeare is like vnto the springe tyme holsom and temperat to liue in This cuntrey doth border wyth the Ethiops towardes the Este and vpon the arabies that they cal Troglodites vpoÌ„ the southe Ethiops Whose contrey stretche to the Red sea vpon the west it confineth with other Ethiops that be called Symenos vpon the the north by a NacioÌ„ called NasamoÌ„s who inhabiting vpon a flat shore be acustumed to liue on spoiles of the sea and lye alwaies in a wayt vpon the coste to spoyle such ships as suffre wracke the people which inhabite about the wood be called HaÌ„monios dwel in cotages scatered abrode The middes of there woode closed about with a treable walle is vnto them as a Castle In the fyrste warde is the Palaice of there auncient kinges in the second ther wyues children and concubines were lodged in whych place the Oracle of Iupiter is also The descricon of the Idolle And the laste is a place apointed for the men of warre Ther is also an other wood whiche in the middes hath a spring called the fountaine of the sonne which at the rising is luke warme in the heat of the day it is coolde in the euenynge warmeth againe so that at mydnight it is scalding hote and as it draweth towardes daie it demynisheth his heate more and more The same thing that is worshipped for Iubiter hath not the symilitude of other Images that craftes men do make for goddes but is very like vnto the fashioÌ„ of a nauell hauing in the middes a Emeraâ—de set about with perles WheÌ„ any answer is required the priestes cary thesame in a ship of gold that hath many plates of siluer hanging on both sides The Matrones the virgines folowe after singinge a iude songe after their couÌ„trey manner wherby they beleue to obtayne of Iupiter to shewe hys Oracle manifeste and true When Alexander was come vnto the place the eldeste of the Priestes met him and called him sonne affirming that Iupiter his father had geuen hym that name and he forgetting the state of his mortalitie said that he bothe did receyue and acknowledge thesame Then he demaunded further if thempire of the hole worlde were apointed to hym by destiny The flattery of the prophettes Whereupon the prophet prepared before to flattery aunswered that the hole worlde should come vnder his obeysaunce After that he demaunded whether al had suffred death that murthered his father The priest answered that his father could not be harmed by the treason of any man but he said that all Philippes killers were put to death one thing he added more that he should be inuincible til suche time as he should departe to the gods Thereupon Alexander made sacrifice both offred vnto Iupiter gaue great giftes vnto the priestes He liceÌ„sed also his frendes that they might coÌ„sult with the oracle for suche thinges as they would demauÌ„de but they enquired no further but if it were Iupiter his wil that thei shuld worship their king with deuine honours To them it was answered that if they honoured their prince being victorer as a god A digressioÌ„ it should be acceptable vnto Iupiter If he had with iudgement wayed the oracle according to the veritie he should well haue perceiued the vntruthe that was therein but whome fortune hath brought to beleue in her she make theÌ„ many times more desirous of glory then able to receiue it Alexander not only suffred but also coÌ„maunded himself to be called the sonne of Iupiter whiles he weÌ„t about to encrease the fame of his actes he did corrupt and deface them through suche vayne titles Whereby the Macedons accustomed to be gouerned by kinges but yet reseruiÌ„g a greater shadowe of libertie then other nacioÌ„s did withstaÌ„de hym more arogantly in affecting of hys in mortalytie then was eyther expedyent for hym or them but thes thinges shal be declared in tyme conuenient Nowe I will procede in the reste of his doinges The building of Alexandâ—a When AlexaÌ„der was returned from hamon and come to the marisse of Marcotes scituat nere vnto the Isle of Pharos viewed the nature of the place was at the fyrste determined to biuld a Citie within the Iland But afterwardes coÌ„sidering the Isle not to be large enough chose out the ground where AlexaÌ„dria is nowe called by the name of the biulder contayning all that ground betweÌ„e the Mere and the sea the which was in coÌ„pass as the walles went .lxxx. furlonges When he had takeÌ„ ordre for building of this Citie leuing such behind him as he had apointed for the performaÌ„s therof departed vnto Memphis He had a desire not vnreasoÌ„able if it had ben in time conuenieÌ„t to haue visited both the inward partes of Egipt also Ethiopia And the affeccion he had to viewe antiquities the famous pallaces of Memon and
that did breake the ice and made him selfe away whose ensample the reste did folowe At length hauing passed the woodes that were without way thei foūd here and there some appearaunce of habitacion and perceyued flockes of shepe When thinhabitours that dwelled in Cotages disparcled there aboutes sawe men cōming whome they iudged to be their enemies thinking they had bene enclosed about slew such as were not able to folowe them and fledde to the wild mountains that were ful of snowe But at length by cōmunicatiō with such as they toke prisoners their wildnes was sōwhat mitigated they yelded them selues to Alexander whō he hurted not any kind of way Whē he had destroied all that parte of Perce brought the townes vnder his obediēce he came into the coūtrey of the warlike Mardōs The Mardons whiche differed much frō the rest of the other Percians in their maner of their liuing They with their wiues and children dyd inhabite within caues in the mountaines and liued wyth the fleshe of shepe wyld beastes Nor the womē according to their kind had any more appearaūte of mekenes or mildnes thē the men either in theyr personages or dispositions But their curled heere did hang down before vpon their faces and their garmentes came but to their knee The band of theyr slinge was a fyllet for their forhead whyche they vsed both for ornament and for defence This nacion for al their vncyuill and rude maner could not escape to be subdued with the same force of fortune that others were So that the .xxx. daie after he departed from Persepoles he returned thither againe Then he gaue rewardes to his fredes to al the reste according to their deseruing distributing in a maner al his riches which he found within that cytie But al his excellēt vertues of the mind his princely qualities wherin he excelled al kinges both that constancy in al daungers perilles that celeritie in deuising perfourming his enterprises his promis keaping towards that yelden his clemēcie towardes prisoners that tēperaūce in lawful accustomable pleasures were all defaced through the intollerable desire delite he had in drinking For notwithstanding that his enemie which cōtended with him for thempire did chiefly then prepare for the warres and was gathering of his powre togethers and though the people newly cōquered had not receiued quiet subiection yet he gaue him selfe continually to feasting and banqueting wher womē were euer presēt but not such to whō mē had respect of honestie but harlotes whiche had there more libertie then was beseming in the cōpany of men of warre And amonges thē ther was one Thays Thays who vpō a daie in her dronkenes affirmed to Alexāder that he should wonderfully winne the fauor of the Greakes if he would commaund the palaice of Persepoles to be set on fire The distruction wherof she said they greatlie desired forsomuch as the same was the chief Seate of the kinges of Perce which in tymes paste had distroyed so many great Cities Whē the dronken harlot had giuen hir sentence their were other present who being likewise drōken cōfirmed hir wordes Alexander then that had in him more enclinacion of heate then of pacience said whi do we not then reuenge Greace and set this Citie on fire They were al chaffed with drinking rose immediatly vpon those wordes to burne that citie in there dronkennes which the men of warre had spared in their fury The king him self first and after his gestes his seruauntes and his concubines set fier in the palaice which being builded for the moste parte of cedre trees became sodeinly in a flame When the army that was encamped nere vnto the citie saw the fire which they thought had ben kendled by some casualty came ronning to quench the same again But when thei sawe the king ther present norishing of the fire they powred downe the water which they brought and healped likewise the matter forwardes The distrucion of Persepoles Thus the palaice that was the hedde of the whole Orient from whence so many nacions before had fetched their lawes to liue vnder The seate of so many kinges that only terror somtyme of Grece The same that hath bene the sender forth of the Nauies of .x. thousand shippes of the armies that ouerflowed all Europe that made bridges ouer the Sea and vndermined mountaines where the sea hath nowe hys course was cōsumed and had his eand and neuer rose againe in all the age that did ensue For the kinges of Macedon vsed other cities which be now in the Parthians handes The destruccion of this citie was such that the foundacion thereof at this daye coulde not be found but that the riuer of Araxes doth shew where it stode Which was distant frō persepolis .xx. furlonges as the inhabitātes rather do beleue then knowe The Macedons were ashamed that so noble a Cytie was destroyed by their king in hys drōkenes yet at length it was turned into an earneste matter and were content to thynke it expedient that the Cytie should haue bene destroyed after that maner But it is certeine that when Alexander had taken his reste and was become better aduised he repented hym of his doing and sayed That the Percians should haue doone the Greakes more harme if it had ben his chaunce to haue reigned in Xerxes sted The next daie he gaue .xxx. talentes for a rewarde to him that was his guide into Perce and from thence he toke his iourney into Media Media where a new supplie of souldiers of whom Plato of Athens had the conduccion came to him out of Cilicia being v.c fotemē and a thousand horsemen Whē he had by this meanes encreased his powre he dettermined to pursue Darius Ecathana who was come to Ecathana the hedde citie of Media was purposed from thence to haue passed into Bactria But fearing to be preuented by the spede his enemies made altered his purpose and his iourney Alexāder was not come nere hym by a. M.v.c. forlōg but he could not think any distāce sufficiēt to defend him against his celeritie therfore prepared him self rather to fight then to fle He had with him xxx M. footemen amōgs whō ther were .iiii. M. grekes whose fidilitie neuer failed in al his aduers fortūe He had also .iiii. M. archers Slingers besides .iii. thousand iii.c Bactrian horsemen which were vnder Bessus charge being gouernour both of the citie of Bactria and the contrey Darius with his band wythdrue a litell from the highe waye and commaundyng the verlets such as had charge of the caryng to passe on before Darius wordes called a counsell and spake these wordes vnto them If fortune had matched me with cowardes and with suche as estemed any kynde of lyfe before an honest death I would rather haue holden my peace then consume my wordes in vaine But I haue had greater experience then I would wyshe both of your valiaunt
them selues in their flieng And so Nabarzanes toke the waye to Hircania and Bessus to Bactria with a few horsemen that eche of them had in their company When their souldiers were forsaken of theyr Captaines they scatered here and there where hope and feare did lead thē There were only fiue hundred horsmen which assembled them self togither and stode in a māmoryng whither it were better to resiste or to flee Alexander vnderstanding the feare his enemies were in sent Nycanor before wyth parte of hys horsemen by keping of them occupied and he with the rest folowed after Where were slayn about the nombre of .iii. thousand that stode at their defence and they dyd dryue before them the reste of the army like beastes from killyng of whome the kyng gaue commaundement to abstaine Amonges all the prisoners there was none that was able to shewe which was the cart that caried Darius for euery one was so desirous to fynd him that as they sawe any carte thei sought Darius therin and yet they could perceyue by no meanes where he was become Alexander made suche haste that scarsely thre thousand horsemen folowed hym of all his nombre but the whole army of the Percians fell into their lappes that folowed behynde It is scarsely credible to be beleued that there should be more prisoners taken then there were men to take thē But fortune in that feare had so taken away their sence that they could not consyder their owne multitude nor the smale nombre of their enemies In the meane season the beastes that drewe Darius wagon hauing no man to gouerne thē were swarued out of the hyghe way and wanderyng here and there had drawen Darius four furlonges frō the place he was woūded into a valley where they fainted by reason of their heate and their hurtes There was a spring there at hand whiche certaine that knew the countrey Polistratus had shewed to Polistratus a Macedon that was ouercome for thrust And whiles he was drinking water out of his helmet he spyed the beastes that were thrust in with darres and marueilyng that they were not rather caried away then hurt after that maner He loked foūd in the foule cart the body of a mā haulf aliue and at length perceiued it was Darius that lay there sore wounded drawing of his breath Then Polistratus drought to hym a Percian whome he had taken prisone◠Whome when Darius knewe by his voyce to be of his countrey sayde he toke that for a cōfort of his present fortune that he should speake before he died to one that vnderstode hym The message that Darius sent to Alexand before his death and not vtter his last wordes in vayne He required hym to declare vnto Alexāder that though he had neuer deserued any thing at his handes yet it was his chaunce to die greatly his debtour and had great thankes to geue hym for the fauour and goodnes that he had shewed towardes his mother his wife and his children to whome he had not only graūted lyfe but also the reuerēce of their former estate dignitie where as he of his kinsmen frendes to whome he had geuen both life and landes was now by thē bereaued of al. He praied therefore that he might alwayes be victor and that the Empire of the whole worlde myght come vnto his handes requiring that he would not neglecte to take reuengaunce of so foull an act not only for his cause but for ensample and the loue of other princes which should be a thing honorable vnto hym and proffitable in tyme cōmyng When he had spoken these wordes he fainted and called for water after he had dronke said to Polystratus that presented it vnto hym Whatsoeuer thou art this is vnto me the last mysery in all my aduerse chaunce that I am not able to requite the this benefite But Alexander shal rewarde the the goddes shall requite him for his great humanite clemency shewed towardes mine Vnto whome in my behalfe thou shalt geue my hande as a pledge of a kinges promise When he had spoken these wordes and geuen Polistratus his hand he died Whē these thinges were reported to Alexander he repayred where the dead corse lay there be wayled with teares that it was his chaunce to dye a death so vnworthy for so great an estate and taking of his owne clooke to couer the dead coorse withall adorned thesame with all thinges that pertayned to a kyng and sent it to his mother Sisigambis to be buried in suche sorte as the countrey maner was to bury kynges and to be layde amonges the rest of his predecessours ☞ Here the first parte of the syxt booke doth want wherin was conteyned the cause of the warre betwixt the Lacedemonians and Macedons with the preparacion of both nacions to the battaill that was fought betwixt Antipater Alexanders lieutenaunt in Macedonia and Agis kyng of the Lacedemonians ¶ The sixte boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedonie HE preassed forwardes where the fyght was moste daungerous The batail betwyxt Agys kynge of Lacedemon and Antipater laeutenāt in Macedonia and sleyng suche as made moste resistaunce put the greater parte of his enemies to flyght Then suche as were victorers before began to flye till they had drawe◠their enemies gredely folowyng them out of the streyte into a more playne ground In the retire many of them were slayne but when they had once recouered suche a ground where as they might staye and fall in ordre the battailes ioyned equally againe on both sides Amonges them all the kyng of the Lacedemonians appeared moste notable in all mens eyes not so muche by the beawty of his armour and goodly personage as through the greatnes of his courage wherein only he could not be ouercome He was layde to on all partes both nere hande and a farre of ye◠for all that he endured long in armes against his enemies auoiding their strokes parte with his target and parte with his body til suche tyme as he was thrust through both thies with a spere when by great effusion of bloud he was not able any lōger to endure the fyght Then the esquiers for his body toke hym vp vpon his target and caried hym into their campe that with great payne endured the slurring of his woundes The Lacedemoniās for all their kynges departure gaue not ouer the fyght but assone as they could recouer any ground of aduauntage they cloosed them selues in battaylle togither and receyued stowtly ther enemies that came ful vpon them Their is not found in any memorie of a battayl more vehemētly fought then that was where the armies of two nacions that were moste excellent in the warres contended togithers the victory not yet enclyning to any part The Lacedemonians called to mynde ther aunciente manhode and prowes and the Macedons considred ther present estymacion they had in the world The Lacedemonians striued for their libertie
instaunt he knew of the conspiracye firste he opened it to Philotas of whom he saied he might enquere the trueth Therupō it was demaunded of him whether he hadde required Philotas to be broughte to the kynges presence or no. Whiche thynge when the kyng by his confession perceiued to be true and that he did stifly abide by his first tale he lifted vp his handes to heauen the teares fallynge from his eyes greatlye complainynge that Philotas shoulde requite him with suche vntruthe whom he moste assuredly trusted Dimnus slew him selfe Dymnus in the meane season knowynge for what cause he was sente for wounded him selfe to death but yet somewhat letted by thē that were sente to take hym was broughte before the kynge whom as sone as he behelde saied vnto him Dymnus what haue I offended the that thou shouldest thinke Philotas more worthy to be kynge of Macedon then I. At whyche wordes Dymnus became speacheles and castynge forthe a greate sighe turned his face from the kynges sight and fell downe deade The kings wordes to Philotas The kynge called Philotas before him and saied this man whom thou here seest should haue suffered death if it could haue bene proued that he hadde conceiled two dayes the treason prepensed againste me with the whiche matter he chargeth Philotas to whome as he sayth he gaue knowledge immediatly the more nere thou art about me so muche more greater is thy offence and the fault had bene more tollerable in hym then in the. Howbeit thou hast a fauorable iudge for if there be any thyng that cannot be excused yet at the lest it may be pardoned Philotas aunswere To this Philotas nothing abasshed if the hart may be iudged by the coūtenaunce made aunswere that Ciballinus brought hym a tale the reporter wherof was ouer light of credit to be beleued and that he feared lest by the presentyng of suche a matter whiche did ryse vpon brabling betwixt two persones of euill disposiciō he might haue bene laught to scorne But afterwardes when he once knewe that Dymnus had slayne hymselfe he was clerely then resolued no longer to haue prolonged the thyng And so fallyng down before the kyng be sought him that he would rather haue respect to his life paste then to his fault whiche was only a consealement and no acte done It is hard to say whether the kyng beleued hym or grounded his displeasure more deapely in his harte neuertheles in token of pardon gaue hym his hand sayeng howe it appeared that thaccusacion was rather miscredited by hym then consealed of malice Alexander called a coūsell Notwithstanding he called his counsell together amonges whom Philotas was not admitted but Nycomachus was brought in before thē where he declared all suche matters as he before had shewed to the kyng There was one Craterus in speciall fauour with Alexander whiche for thenuie he had to Philotas aduauncement bare him alwaies grudge Who knew very wel that the kyng had often bene displeased with Philotas for the ouermuche auaunting of his good seruice and valeaunt actes but yet for all that in those matters he was not suspected of treason but onelye noted of presumption and arrogancie Craterus thought that he could not haue a better occasion to oppresse his enemy by colouryng his priuate hatred with a pretence of dutie towardes his Prince Woulde God quod he ye had taken our counsaile in the beginnyng of this matter for if ye woulde nedes haue pardoned ye shoulde haue kept from his knowledge how muche he was in your daunger rather then to haue brought him in feare of his life wherby ye shal make him more mindefull of his owne perill then of your goodnesse For he maie alwayes imagine your death but you shal not be alwaies in case to pardō him Let it neuer sinke in your hart that he which purposed so haynous a treason woulde chaunge his purpose for the beneuolence of a pardon you knowe well that such as offende are often in dispayre of mercy And though he perchaunce either with repentaunce of his faulte or remembraūce of your goodnes woulde chaunge his minde yet I am sure that his father Parmenio generall capitaine of so greate an armye and of so grounded aucthoritie amongest your souldiours that is with theim in maner as your selfe would be euill content to be in your debt for his sonnes life There be certaine benefites hatefull to men and it is shame to confesse to haue deserued death Therefore I conclude that he had rather it shoulde be thought you had done him wronge thē that ye had geuen him his life I can not see therefore but you shall be enforced to destroye theim for your owne suertie There be enemies enoughe remainynge yet vnconquered against whom we be goyng make your selfe sure from your foes at home so shal ye haue lesse nede to feare your enemies abrode The opiniō of the coūsaile These were Craterus wordes and the residue of the counsail were of opinion that Philotas woulde neuer haue conseiled this conspiracie excepte he had bene either principall or priuye therunto For thei thought there was no true man or of honest hart though he had bene none of the kynges familiers but one of his meane Seruauntes hearinge so muche as Philotas hearde but woulde forthwith haue opened the marter yet he beynge the sonne of Parmenio the master of the kynges horse of his priuie coūsaile did not so much as the straūger which straight waies made relation of that his brother had told him And where as he pretended that the king was at no leasure that thei iudged to be done to thentente the accuser shoulde not seke any other to whom he might vtter it Wher as Nicomachus albeit he was bounde by his othe to the cōtrary yet woulde he neuer rest till he had discharged his conscience But Philotas when he cōsumed in maner the whole daie in sport and pastime with the Kynge coulde not finde in his harte to caste forthe a fewe wordes specially in a matter so muche concernyng the kynges safegarde But admit quod they he had geuē no credite to the matter throughe the lightnes of the reporter why shoulde he haue differred the accuser .ii. daies as thoughe he had beleued it For if he had misliked the tale he might haue dismissed the partye It was also alledged that euerye mans mynde muche misgeueth him when the matter concerneth his owne ieopardye Muche more ought men to be credulous when it touched the suretie of a kynges person in whiche ease it ought to be examined though it be of small weight Thei al therfore determined that Philotas should be enforced to disclose the parteners of the conspiracie The king cōmaundyng thē to kepe the matter secrete departed and to the entente no inglynge shoulde appeare of this newe counsaile he caused it to be proclaimed that the armye should set forwardes the next daye The same night the Kynge called Philotas to a bācquete with whom he
vouchsafed not onelye to eate but also familiarly to commen notwithstandynge he hadde before in the counsayle determined his deathe after in the seconde watche of the night Ephestion Craterus and Erigonus whiche were of the Kynges counsaile came priuelye into the courte without lyghte and of the esquiers there came Perdicas and Leonatus by whom commaundement was geuen that all suche as laye neare the Kynges lodgynge shoulde watche in harneys By this time souldiours were appoynted to all the Passages and horsemen were sente to kepe the wayes that no man shoulde passe priuelye to Parmenio whiche then was gouernoure of Media with a greate power Then Attaras came into the courte with .ccc. armed men Attaras vnto whom there were appoincted ten of those that had the charge of the kynges person euerye one of theim accoÌ„panied wyth ten Esquiers whiche were sorted into diuers coÌ„panies to take the other conspiratours But Attaras with his .ccc. was sent to Philotas lodging where wyth fiftye of the hardiest brake vp his chambre dore that was shutte againste them The residue were commaunded to beset the house least he might escape by some secrete waye Philotas whether it were through the suertye of his owne conscience or through wearinesse of suche trauayle of mynde was in so profounde and deade sleape that Attaras brake in vpon him before he wyste Philotas taken But at length when he was awaked and come to him selfe perceiuing them about to binde him he exclamed and saied O Alexandre the malice of mine enemies haue preuailed aboue thy mercye Speakyng these wordes thei couered his face and brought him into the courte The nexte daye the kynge gaue commaundement that certaine of the men of warre shoulde asseÌ„ble in harneys to the numbre of .vi. M. besides slaues and rascalles that filled full the courte whiche beyng assembled together the guarde compassed in Philotas with their bande to the entent he shoulde not be espied of the people vntill such time as the king might speake vnto them For by an olde lawe of the Macedons the kynges in their owne persons were wonte to enquire in matters of treasoÌ„ yet could not the kinges aucthoritie preuayle to condempnation except it were confirmed by the consent of the men of warre Therefore the bodye of Dymnus was first brought into the place the moste parte vnknowynge what he had done or by what chaunce he was slayne Then came the Kynge forth to speake vnto the multitude whiche in his countenaunce declared the doloure of his hart and the sadnesse of such as were nere about him caused vnto the reste great expectation of the matter â–ª He did caste his eyes towardes th earth and stode long astonied and in a muse but at length he plucked vp his spirites spake vnto them on this wise The OratioÌ„ of Alexandre againste Philotas By the treason of some men I was almoste taken from you but through the mercy and prouidence of the Gods I am yet preserued your honourable presence dothe constreine me more vehemently to be moued against those traytours Because the onely comforte and fruite of my life is that I remayne to geue thankes to so many noble men to whoÌ„ I am so muche bounden With speaking of these wordes the murmur of the multitude did interrupt his tale and the teares did fall from their eyes Then the king began againe his tale Howe much more will you be moued when I shall shewe you the authours of so horrible a treason the rehersal of whom I yet refrain as one very loth to discouer their names But I must ouercome the memory of my former fauour vtter the conspiracie of my vnnatural people for how is it possible for me to hide so great a treason Parmenio a man of that age so depely in my dette through the most ample benefites both of me and my father and whome I moste estemed of all my frendes is the captaine contriuer of all this mischief His minister Philotas hath procured Lencolaus Demetrius and this Dymnus whose body here you se with other parteners of their fury to my destructioÌ„ WheÌ„ he came to that point there rose throughout the multitude a great cherme of a murmur and complaint suche as is wont to be amonges a nombre and specially of men of warre when they are moued either with affection or displeasure With that Nichomacus MetroÌ„ Ciballinê° were brought furth euery one of theÌ„ geuing in euidence that they had spoken afore Yet appered it not by any maÌ„s tale that Philotas was priuy to that conspiracy But at the last wheÌ„ the noyse was cessed the witnesses had said all they could the king proceded in this wise Of what maner mynd thinke you was this man whiche hearing the whole report could find in his hart to coÌ„seale the matter the truth wherof is wel declared by the death of Dimnus Ceballinus that reported an vncertaine tale for the triall therof was afrayed of no tormentes neuer delaied the lest moment of time vntill he had discharged hym self insomuche that he brake into the place where I was bathing but Philotas only feared nothyng he beleued nothing O how greate a harte had this man whiche hauing knowledge of the daunger of his king did neuer chaunge couÌ„tenaunce neither take so much paine as to heare out the tale of thaccuser but in this silence and consealement there is treason hidden and the gredy desire he had to reigne did driue him hedloÌ„g to attempt extreme mischief His father is gouernour of Media and heareth suche a stroke amonges the capitaines and men of warre thorowe myne aucthoritie that he hopeth for a great deale more then he hath And because I am without children he estemeth me not But Philotas is deceiued I haue children frendes and kinsfolke amonges you So long as you be in sauegard I shal not recken my self without heires Then did he resite a letter that was taken whiche Parmenio had writteÌ„ to his sonnes Nicanour Philotas wherein there appeared no greate proufe of any great treason intended A letter Theffect was this First take good hede to your selues and then to those that long to you so shall we bring to passe that we haue purposed Whiche letter the king enforced sayeng it was writteÌ„ after suche a manner that if it came to his sonnes haÌ„des it might be perceiued of them that knewe the matter And if it were caught by the way it shuld deceyue them that knewe it not Then proceded he nowe wyll Philotas perhappes saye that when Dymnus named all that were partakers of his conspiracy he named not him as for that it is no prouf of his innocency but a token of his power and aucthoritie because he was spared of them that might best bewray hym that confessing of them selues durst not yet speake of hym But what maner maÌ„ he hath bene his lyfe doth shew He was fellowe and companion to Aniyntas my kynsman whiche conspired highe treason againste my persone
me But beit that Dimnus were aliue wold spare me what thinke you by the other would thei coÌ„fesse of theÌ„selues forbeare me aduersitie as subiecte to manye miseries An offender wheÌ„ he is punished him self vseth not to kepe silence to spare another man Comonlye he that goeth to death wil spare no man nor no maÌ„ wil spare him that is ready to dye yet so many as be giltye put to tormentes wil there none coÌ„fesse the trueth But now I must aunswere to the point that was offence if there were any Why did I coÌ„ceile treasoÌ„ why did I heare it with so small regarde this fault if it were a faulte thou hast pardoned me O Alexander whersoeuer thou aâ—t by geuing me thy hand bidding me to thy bancâ—uet in token of atonement If thou didst beleue me I am clere If thou forgauest me I am quitte Stand at the least to thine owne iudgemeÌ„t Alas what haue I done siÌ„ce this laste nyghte â–ª I wente from thy bourde What newe reporte hathe chaunged thy mynde I rested in a sound slepe when mine enemies by their bindyng waked me that was sleapyng in myne owne misfortune OffeÌ„ders wheÌ„ thei can not slepe through their vnquiet coscience are wont to be vexed with rages not onely when their mischiefe is intended but also wheÌ„ it is ended But this â—uietnes came to me first throughe mine owne innocencye and then by the kinges pardon I feared not that others cruelâ—y shoulde take more place then his mercye But least he shoulde forthinke that he beleued me ye shall vnderstande that the matter was firste shewed me by a light felow who could not bring any witnes or waraÌ„t of his tale which if I had disclosed should haue put many men to trouble O vnhappy man I thought mine eares had bene seduced with the brabblemeÌ„tes of two boggerers and I suspected the trouth of the partie because he did not vtter the matter him selfe but procured his brother to do it I was in feare that the one shoulde haue denied that euer he shewed anye suche matter to the other and then shoulde I haue seamed to procure much trouble to manye of the Kynges frendes So that where I offended none I haue found some more desirous to procure my death then to saue my lief What hatred suppose ye shuld I haue gotten if I had accused innocents But Dymnus slew him self could I therefore deuyne afore that he would so do no surely Thus his death being the thing that only tried thaccusatyon trewe could not moue me to vtter it being preueÌ„ted by an other And if I had bene coÌ„spiratour with Dymnus of so great a treason It is not like that I would haue dyssimuled by the space of two daies after it was discouered As for Ceballinus it had bene smal mastery to haue dispatched him out of the way After the thing dysclosed wherefore should I haue delayed the matter I entred into the kings chambre alone hauing weapon about me whye deferred I my purpose durst I not attempt it with out Dymnus no parchaunce ye wyll saye bicause he was the cheife conspirator howe then standeth it to gither that I should be hys vnderling which did couet to be king of Macedon which of you al hath bene corrupte of me wyth bribes what capitaine what officer haue I made of aboue other It is laide to my charge that I abhorre the speakinge of my countrey language and that I disdaine the manners of the Macedons What do I so dispise the kyngdome that I couet Ye knowe well that our naturall tounge through the conuersacion of straung nacions is gonne out of vre as wel we that be victorers as they that be subdued must learne a newe language But suerly these things make no more against me theÌ„ dyd the treason that Amintas the sonne of Pardycas intended agaynste the Kynge Wyth whom I had frendshyp I wyll not deny excepte ye wyll make it a thinge vnlawfull to loue the kynges brother But â—ythens it was our dutie to honor a maÌ„ called to the degre of fortune I besech you am I gilty bicause I coulde not gesse before that he would offend Is the lawe so that the frends of offenders must suffre being innocents If that be reason why liue I so longe if it be no reasoÌ„ why am I coÌ„dempned to die But then I wrot that I had pietie of those that should liue vnder such a one as beleued him selfe the Sonne of Iupiter O faithfull fendship and daungerous libertie of true counsel that deceiued me that compelled me not to hide that I thought I confesse that I wrote so to the kinge but not of the king I dyd it not for spite but for my duities sake Mee thought it more meter for Alexander to haue knowledged the kindred of Iupiter wyth silence then to haue made auannt therof with vaine bosting But forbicause the truth of goddes Oracle is certeine lette god be witnes in my cause Retaine me in prison till ye may know Iupiters aunswere concerning this coÌ„spirasie And in the meane season he that hath vouchsaued our kynge to be his sonne will suffre none of them that haue coÌ„spired againste his ofspring to be vnknown If you suppose tormentes more certaine then Oracles I wil not desire to be saued from them in triall of the truth There is an olde vsage that such as be put to aunswere vpon life death are wont to bring there parents and kinsfolks before you Two brothers of late haue I loste my father neither I can bringe forth nor dare cal for bicause he is accused of this treason likewise Is it a small thing for him that was the father of many children and hauing but one sonne lest him in whom to take pleasure not only to lose him but also to lease his owne life with him Therfore my most dere father shalt thou dye for me with me it is I that take thy liefe from the. It is I that ende thyne olde dayes Why diddest thou beget me vnhappy wretch in hatred of the gods to take such frute by me as is prepared for the. I am in doubt whether my youth be more vnhappy or thy age For I in the very floure of myne yeres am wedded vp â–ª there cutioner shall bereue the thy life Whiche if fortune would haue suffred to continew yet nature would haue asked or it had bene loÌ„g The remeÌ„braunce of my father doth put me in mynd how loth timerous that I ought to haue bene in reporting of tales For when my father was enfourmed that Philip the phisicioÌ„ had prepared poyson for the king he wrote a letter to warne the king that he should not receiue the medicine that his phisicion had prepared was my father beleued was his letter of any aucthoritie I my self when I haue reported such thinges as I hard how often haue I bene shaken of with a check for my light belefe so that when we tel thinges we are hated
wheÌ„ we hold our peace we are suspected what would you haue vs do Then one of the company that stode by cried out that none ought to be traitours to them that put them in trust Thou saiest well qd Philotas whosoeuer thou art And therfore if I haue done treason I require no respect of my paine And here will I make an end of speaking because my last wordes seme tedious to your eares And as he was speaking so his keapers led him away There was amoÌ„ges the captaines one Belon Belons euidence a hardy man but very rude of al honest maner ciuilitie who being an old souldier was promoted froÌ„ lowe estate to the rowme of a captain This Belon presuming vpon a folishe audacitie when all others had done began to tell theÌ„ that wheÌ„ diuers had taken vp their lodginges in the campe how they were thurst out by the seruauntes of Philotas which would lay their baggage where other meÌ„ were placed before And how all the streates were ful of his wagons ladeÌ„ with gold and siluer He added further that Philotas would suffre none to lodge nere him but alwayes appointed certaine to wayte whiles he stept which should voyde al men alowf to thinteÌ„t he should not be disquieted with any noyse not so much for wakening of him as for his diseasing And howe he was so hault that he dispised the plaine men of Phrigia and Paphlagonia being a MacedoÌ„ borne would not be ashamed to here men of his owne nacion by an interpreter And where as Philotas had before moued to haue the oracle of Iupiter enquired of he sayd it was ment therby to make God a lier for knowledging AlexaÌ„der to be his sonne as though any man should enuie the king for that title whiche the goddes had geuen him But why qd he did he not aske counsel of Iupiter afore he did offend For nowe he would haue vs send for an oracle that in the meane season his father which ruleth in Media might raise a power vp with the money that he hath in custody might assemble disperat persones to the felowship of his mischief Neuertheles we shal qd he send to Iupiter not to enquire of any thing towching the matter but to geue him thankes do him sacrifice for the preseruacion of so good a king Then all the coÌ„pany was moued and amonges the kinges houshold there began a crye that the traytour shoulde be rent in peaces Whiche thyng Philotas who feared more greuous punyshement was content to heare The kyng returnyng into the prease deferred the counsell till the next day to thinteÌ„t to coÌ„mit Philotas either to prison there to be racked or els in the meane season to get further knowledge of thinges And albeit it drue towardes night yet commaunded he hys counsell to be called together Some of them thought it best Philotas should be stoned to death after the MacedoÌ„s lawes EphestioÌ„ Craterus and Cenus determined to haue the trouth tried by tormentes and then they which counseled the contrary turned to their opynion Therfore when the counsel was broken vp Ephestion with craterus and Cenus arose to take Philotas thexaminacion The king called Craterus vnto him and commauding the rest to auoide had secret coÌ„muinicacion with him in the innermoste parte of his lodging theffect wherof came not to any mans knowledg And their taried tyll the night was farre passed Philotas â—acked to here th end of thexaminacioÌ„ The executyoners set forth al sortes of cruel torments in the sight of Philotas who of his own mind said vnto them Why deferre you to kill such one as hath confessed hym selfe the kings enemy and a traitour what nedeth more examinacion It was myne intent It was my wil. Craterê° mind was that whatsoeuer was confessed before should be coÌ„fessed by Philotas againe vpon the racke Whych whiles he was taken vp hys eyes bounden and spoyled of his clothes cried out vpon the lawe of nature and the gods of the countrey But al was in vaine to their death eares Fynally as a condempned man he was torne wyth moste extreame torments by his enemies that wronge him sore for the kinges pleasure And notwithstanding that at the first fire on the one side and scourges on thother were ministred vnto him more to payne him then for any examinacion sake yet he had powre of him self to refraine both from speaking and groning But after that hys body beganne to be bolne with stripes that he coulde not abide the scourges that persed vnto the bare bones Then he promised if they would torment him no more he would confesse whatsoeuer they shoulde require to know But first he would haue them swere by the life of Alexander that thei shoulde cesse their tormentes set the racke aside The which thing obteyned he saied to Craterus Tell me what wil ye haue me to coÌ„fesse Therat Craterus was displeased thinkinge by those wordes that he had mocked him The confession or Philotas caused his tormentes to be renued Then Philotas besought him to haue a time of respite whiles he might take his breath then he would vtter all that euer he knewe In the meane season the chefe of the men at armes especially such as were nere to Parmenio in any degre of kinred after that the fame had bruted that Philotas was tormeÌ„ted fearing the MacedoÌ„s law wherin it was ordeined that the kinsâ—olke of suche as had done treasoÌ„ against the king should be put to death with the traitors Some slew them selues some fled into wilde mouÌ„taines and waist wildernesses great dreade feare fell through all the host vntil such time as the king hauing knowlege of that vprore made proclamation that he would pardon the rigour of the lawe to the kinsfolke of the traitours But in coÌ„clusion Philotas made this coÌ„fession whether it were to deliuer him self out of paine by accusyng him self falsly or not it is doubted Seing it is coÌ„munely sene that both such as truely coÌ„fesse falsly denye come all to one ende You are not ignoraunt quod he how familier my father was with Egilocus I meane the same that was slaine in the feild he was the cause of all our mischiefe For when the kyng toke vpoÌ„ him the title of Iupiters sonne he disdained therat Shal we knowlege him quod he to be our kyng that taketh scorne that Phillip was his father We are al vndone if we can suffer this He doth not onelye despise men but the Gods also which wil be reputed a God We haue lost Alexander we haue lost our kyng We are fallen to presumption nether tollerable to the Gods with whom he coÌ„pareth neither to men whom he despiseth Haue we with our bloud made him a god which despiseth vs which disdayneth to be in the numbre of men Trust me that we also if we be men shall be adopted likewise of the Gods Who hath reueÌ„ged the deathes of AlexaÌ„dre his great grandfather or of Archilaus or
Perdicas But this man quod he hath forgeuen theÌ„ that slewe his father These were the wordes that Egilocus spake about supper time and on the morowe early my father sent for me who was heauy and sawe me sadde for we both had heard that which made vs out of quiet Therefore to proue whether he babled those woordes through excesse of wine or of an aduised purpose coÌ„ceiued before we thought good to send for him sekyng occasion of the same coÌ„municatioÌ„ he of his own mind said further that if we durst vndertake the aduenture he would not shrynke from vs or if our hartes serued not he would kepe our counsayle Yet so long as Darius was liuyng my father thought all the matter out of time because the death of AlexaÌ„der should be to the auaile of our enemies and not of our selues But Darius once ridde out of the waye then he that could destroy the kynge should obtaine the empire of Asia and all the orient for his reward whiche couÌ„saile beyng approued faieth and trouth was geuen therupon But concernyng Dimnus I know nothing When he had confessed all thys matter I perceyue quod he that it dothe not auayle me that I am vtterlye gilties of this treason Then thei renued his tormentes againe and so beate his face and his eyes with the troncheons of their speares vntil they enforced him not onely to coÌ„fesse of him selfe but also to shewe the circumstaunces of the whole treason prepeÌ„ced The secoÌ„de coÌ„fession of Philotas Because quod he it semed that the king would soiourne long among the BactriaÌ„s I was afrayed least my father that had so greate a power in his handes and the keping of so much treasure beyng .lxx. yere of age should happe to die in the meane season theÌ„ being disarmed of so great a streÌ„gth should not get oportunitie to slea the kyng Wherfore I hasted the matter while the praye was in hand Thus discouered he the conspiracye wherof if thei beleued his father to be aucthour he saied for his trial he refused not to be tormented againe though it were to greuous for him to endure The officers then whisperyng together thought the examination to be sufficient returned therwithall to the Kynge whiche on the morow caused al the coÌ„fession there to be opeÌ„ly recited before Philotas whoÌ„ he caused to be led into the place because he was not able to go where he coÌ„fessed all the matter againe Then Demetrius was brought forth Demetrius whiche was counted the greatest doer in this conspiracye next to Philotas But he with great protestatioÌ„ and incredible sloutenes both of harte couÌ„tenaunce denyed that he euer intended any euill against the king and for his triall desiered to be tormented Then Philotas castyng his eyes about Calis spied one Calis standing by and made a sygne to him to draw nere Who being abashed refusing to come forwards Wilt thou quod he suffer Demetrius to lye me to be strayned again With those words Calis became speachles chauÌ„ged color TheÌ„ the MacedoÌ„s begaÌ„ to suspect that he wold accuse innoceÌ„t bicause the same Calis was nether named by Nichomacus nor by Philotas him selfe in his tormentes But finallye Philotas before the kinges officers standing therabout coÌ„fessed that all the treason was conspired by him self Demetrius Wherfore as many as were appeached by Nichomacus vpon a tokeÌ„ geuen Philotas put to death were stoned to death according to the Macedons lawe Thus was Alexander deliuered froÌ„ great peril not only of his life but also of his surety For Parmenio and Philotas beyng of suche power â–ª if thei had not openly bene found culpable coulde not haue bene condempned without the great grudge of the armye So long therfore as Philotas as denied the thing the matter semed doubtfull and many men thought him cruellye handled But after he hadde confessed the circumstaunces no man not so muche as his neare frendes toke any pitye of him The seuenth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedon LIke as the men of warre thought Philotas iustly put to death his offence beyng fresh in memorie euen so after he was gone whoÌ„ thei before hated their enuye was turned to pitie The noblenes of the yong man moued theim muche so did the remeÌ„braunce of the olde yeres and desolatioÌ„ of his father He was the firste that made the waye open for Alexander into Asia alwaies partaker of his perils as he whiche in the warres was euer captayne of his vowarde chiefe a counsaile with the kynge his father and so trusty to Alexander him selfe that in oppressing of Attalus his enemye he would vse no other mans seruice The remembraunce of these thinges was ripe among al the souldiours sedicious wordes came to the kinges eares who being litle moued therwith did wisely with trauaile auoide the euel occasioÌ„s coÌ„ming of idlenes Wherfore he made it so be proclaimed that all men should be in redines before the court gate where thei being once assembled he came forâ—h to speake vnto theÌ„ And as it was before deuised required the bande of the Agrians to bring forth one Alexander Lincestes whiche long before Philotas Alexander Lincestes had coÌ„spired the kinges death This maÌ„ being accused of two witnesses as afore is said had remained in prison .iii. yeres together It was also proued that he was of counsell with PaÌ„sanias in the killing of king Phillip But because he saluted first AlexaÌ„der by the name of king his punishement was deferred rather then his offeÌ„ce forgeueÌ„ For at the intercessioÌ„ of Antipater his father in law the king had respected his iust indignation for the time But the old festred sore brake out againe and the coÌ„sideration of his perill present renued the remeÌ„braunce of that that was passed Therefore when he was brought forth of pryson commaunded to saye for him selfe albeit he had .iii. yeres leasure to deuise his aunswere yet stammeryng and tremblinge coulde bringe forth but little of that whiche he purposed to saie finally both his memory and his harte failed him Wherfore there was none that doubted but that his fearfulnes was a token of a gilty conscience and no default of memory so that whiles he was staggering and hacking in his tale they that stode next thrust him through with their pikes whose bodye conueied out of the place the kinge commaunded Amintas and Simmannas to be brought forth Amintas Simmannas brought to iudgement for Palemon their yongest brother after he had knowledge of Philotas torment fledde away Of al Philotas freÌ„des these .ii. were most deare vnto him through his commendation aduaunced to high honorable offices The kinge remeÌ„bryng wyth what earnestnes and labour Philotas had brought theÌ„ into his fauour doubted not but they wer priuy to this last coÌ„spiracy And therupon he declared to the multitude AlexaÌ„ders accusatioÌ„ against them that he had occasioÌ„ of suspectioÌ„ against those meÌ„
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
office By reason wher of the Macedons could not haue scoope to caste their dartes with any force taking more care howe to place them selues out of perill then for to auoyde their enemies Their ingyns stode them in great steade which seldome did shote in vaine against their enemies that stoode thicke before them proffering to resiste their laÌ„ding When the Scithians sawe them nere the shore they did shote an infinite nombre of arrowes into the boates so that there was not in maner any target that had not many heades sticking in it At length the boates arriued at the land then the target men did ryse vpon their feete and hauing more scope and sure footing threw their dartes more certainly with greater force wherby when they perceiued their enemies to shrinke and reane backe their horses they then leaped cherefully vnto the land one exhorting and encourging an other and frely pursued the Scythians whoÌ„ they sawe falle out of aray By that tyme Alexanders horsemen which had assembled them selues in tropes brake vpon their ennemies and put them to great dysordre In the meane season the rest being defended by them that were fighting landed and prepared them selues to the battell Nor Alexander letted not wyth stowtnes of courage to supplye the impotency of hys bodye Hys voyce could not be hard when he spake exhorted his men the scarre of his wound not yet closed but all men might se him fighting Wherefore euery one vsed the office of a captaine in giuing exhortacion vnto hys fellowes and ran vpon their ennemies wythout respect of their owne liues Then the Scythians could not endure any lenger the countenance the force nor the crye of ther enemies but being all on horsback fled away vpon the spoores Whom the king pursued .iiii. score furlonges notwithstaÌ„ding that with great payne he endured hys informitye When his hart faynted he coÌ„maunded hys men that they should folowe still in the chace so long as the day lasted and not hauing strength to sustaine any further trauaile returned into hys camp to rest hym selfe The Macedons in their pursuite passed the boundes of Bacchus In mounment of whom their were great stones set vp by equal distaunce and highe trees whose stocks were couered ouer with I vye But no bouÌ„des could be a stay to the MacedoÌ„s â–ª being caried forwards in there fury for it was midde night before they returned againe to their campe who hauing killed many and taken great nombre of prisoners dyd driue before them M. viii.c horses Ther were slayne of the Macedons .lx. horsemen of the fotemen to the poynt of one hundred a thousand of them were hurte This enterprise with the fame of the victory falling in so good a seasoÌ„ kept the more part of Asia in obedience which was of the point to haue rebelled For they beleued that the Scythians were inuincible Who being veinqueshed they iudged no nacioÌ„ hable to withstand the powre of the Macedons Sacans The Sacans therefore after thys victory sent ther Embassadours vnto Alexander offring them selues to come vnder his obedience To the doing whereof they were not so greatly moued with feare of his force as they were with report of the clemency he vsed towardes the Scythans after he had discoÌ„fited them For he deliuered home all their prisoners wtout raunsome to witnes to the world that he made warre with those firste nacions to shew his powre his vertue not for any malice nor to shewe his wrath vpon them That was the cause that he so geÌ„tly receiued the Embassadours of the SacaÌ„s causing Excipinus to accompany them Excipinus who being a beutiful yong man in the first flowre of his youth was in that respect in great fauour and familarity with Alexander In parsonage he was like to Ephestion but inferior to him in pleasauÌ„tnes of speach After this Alexander giuing ordre to Craterus to folowe him by small iorneys with the greater parte of hys armie he him selfe came to the city of MaracaÌ„da from whence Spitamenes that hard of his coÌ„myng was fled into Bactria The king therfore making great iourneyes foure dayes continuially came into the place where as vnder the conduct of Megedemus he had lost two M. fotemen .iii. C. horsemeÌ„ Whose boÌ„es he caused to be gathered togithers buried celebrating their funeralls after his contrey maner By that time Craterus with the phalaux was come vnto the king to thinteÌ„t he might puÌ„ishe with the sword al suche as had rebelled he deuided his powre into diuerse partes coÌ„manÌ„ding them to burne in euery place where they went and to kyl al the children The contrey of the SogdiaÌ„s is for the more parte wast by reason of the great desertes that be there wherof some be iiii score furlonges in bredth The riuer called Bolytimetum passeth in maner throught the length of the countrey which ronneth violently in a narowe chanel and then is receyued into an hole of the earth from whence it goeth vnderneth the ground whose course is manifest by the noise of the water that may be hard And yet in all grounde vnder the which suche a riuer doth ronne ther do not apeare any moisture put forth Of the captiues that were taken amoÌ„gs the Sagdians there were .xxx. of the most noblest brought vnto Alexander Which vnderstanding by an interpreter that by the kinges commaundement they shoulde be put to execution They beganne as men in myrth to sing and daunce and by a certaine lasiuious mocion of ther bodies expressed a great ioyfulnes of the mind Alexander merueling that they toke their death wyth such sâ—owtnes and magnanmitye of harte called them vnto him enquering why they shewed so great a gladnes when they had death before therface They aunswerrd that if they had bene put to death by any savinge by such one as he was that they should haue takeÌ„ their death sorofully But now seing they should be restored to their predecessors by a kyng that was a conqerour of all nacions they reioysed in their honest death as the thing that all men should wyshe desyre The king then meruayling at there magnauymitye I enquere of you qd he if you can be content to liue become frendes to him by whose benifite you shal receiue your life They said that as they neuer were his enemies but as they were prouoked by occasion to the warres euen so if he would make an experiment of them rather by a benefite then an iniury They would labour not to be ouercome in good will nor in doyng the thing that pertained to their dutie Thei were axed what pledge they would laye of their promyse They said their liues they had receiued shuld be their pledge redy to be yelded againe when it were required wherin they brake no promise for suche of them as were returned home into their couÌ„trey kept the people in good obedience foure of them that were appointed to be of the kinges guard gaue place to
assēble vnto the court Then Perdicas and Ptolomeus fell downe vpon their knees requiring him that he would not perseuer in his wrath whiche he so sodaynely had conceyued but rather respite his displeasure seynge that he might the next day much more better order the matter But his wrath preuayled so much that his eares were shutte vp and he ranne in a fury amonges the watchmen pluckyng a speare from one of them which once gotten he stode in the entrye throughe the whiche they that supped with him must nedes passe When all the the rest were come forth Clitus came last without light And because Alexander could not discerne him he asked what he was but that was done so terribly that the cruelty of the acte he went about apeared in his voice But Clitus which seyng the king in a fury had no respect howe much he had offended him before aunswered that he was Clitus whiche was commynge from the kinges banquet With the worde he strake him throughe the body so that he fel downe starke dead was al besprinckeled with his bloud Go now quod he to Philip Parmenio Attalus Herein it may be sene that nature prouided euill in the disposition of man which for the more part can not consider so well thinges to come as those that be past For after that Alexanders ire was asswaged and his dronkennes past weying aduisedlye the foulenes of the acte he had done considered then that thoughe Clitus hadde vsed ouermuch libertie in his talke that yet he ought not to haue slayne so noble a manne of warre yea and the sauer of his owne life though he were ashamed to confesse it He sawe that he beyng a kyng hadde vsed the detestable office of an hangman in reuengyng with wicked slaughter the libertye of wordes whiche might haue bene imputed to wyne When he behelde the bloude of hym whiche a litle before he had bydden to his banquet runne ouer all the entrey and that the watchemen were so astonied and amased that they stode a farre of and durste not come nere his solitarines caused hys repentaunce to be the greater Then he plucked the speare out of the dead corse and would haue thruste it through his owne bodye if the watchemen had not come runnynge and with great striuynge wronge the same out of his handes That done they toke hym vp and caried him into hys lodgynge Wheras he fell downe flatte vpon the grounde fillyng full all the courte wyth the miserable noyse of hys howlynge and lamentation He tare hys face wyth his nayles required suche as stode aboute hym that they woulde not suffer hym to lyue in suche a shame and dishonoure In these requestes he consumed the whole nyght and caused diligente searche to be made whether it were the ire of the Goddes or no that had caused him to commit so haynous an acte At length it was founde that the yerelye sacrifice due vnto Bacchus was not done in due tyme. And therfore it appeared manifestlye that it shoulde be the wrathe of the Goddes that hadde moued him to committe murther vpon eatynge and drynckyng But the greateste thyng that encreased his sorowe was the amasement of hys frendes when he sawe thē shrinke from hym that none of them after that dede done woulde gladly vse suche familiar communication as they dyd before Then he parceyued that he should liue as a wild beast in a desart both fearing others and also afrayed hym selfe The next morning he commaunded the body blody as it was to be brought into his chambre which when he saw lyeng before him fell in weping and sayd Shal I after this sort requit my norse whose .ii. Alexanders lamentacyō for the deal of Clitus sōnes slaine for my glory at milatun I haue nowe killed her brother that was her only Ioy at myne owne bourd What refuge shal that wretched woman haue I was al the cōfort that did remaine to her and now she shal neuer be gladde to be hold me Shall I the wicked killer of my preseruers returne into my coūtrey whē I shal not be able to presente my hand vnto my nurse wythout the remembraunce of her misery When he could put no end to these kind of bewailinges complayntes the body was taken awaye by the apoyntmēt of his frēdes After he had laien thre daies shut vp in his chambre sorowing after this manner the squiers such as had the keaping of his persone seing him geuen obstinatly to death brake all into his lodging and with great payne brought hym though he long withstode their prayers at lenght to take some reliefe and sustenaunce And to the intent he should be the lesse ashamed of Clitus death the Macedones decreed that he was lawfully killed and would not suffre him to be buried but that the king commaunded it Hauinge consumed ten dayes at Maracanda specially to confyrme the shame he had cōceyued of Clitus death sent Ephestion with parte of his army into bactria to prouide vitells againste wynter And commytted the same prouience vnto Amintas which before he had giuen to Clytus zenippa From thence he went into a countrey called zenyppa that confyneth with the Scythians which being well inhabited and full of villages doth with the plentyfulnes thereof not only detayne theinhabiters to dwell their still but also inuite straungers to come amonges them The same was a refuge to the outlaws of Bactria that styll rebelled but after Alexanders comming was knowne they were driuen furth by the countreye men and two M. and two hondred of them assembled to gither which were horsemen accustumed to lyue by theft and spoyle in tyme of peace And then not onely the warre but also dyspayre of forgeuenes had made ther cruel and wild disposicions worse They gaue an onset sodeynly vpon Amyntas Amyntas that was Darius lieutenant The battel was long doubtful betwixt them But fynally they lost .vii. C. of there nombre whereof iii. c were taken presoners and turned ther backes to the victorers not without a reueng for they slewe of them .iiii. score besides .iii. C.L. that they wounded And yet notwithstanding after this second rebellion they obteyned pardon When Alexander had brought them to obedience He came with his hole Army into a coūtrey called Naura the lord wherof was called Sysymithers Naura Sysymythres who had gotten two sonnes by hys owne mother it being lawfull there for the parentes to vse ther children The same Sysimythres with two thousande armed men fortefyed and kepte the streight at the entreye of the countreye where as it was moste narawe The passage was defended bothe with a riuer and with a rock through that which rock the way was made by force of hand The light is receyued in at the entrey but further inward ther is non but such as mē bryng wyth them Frō thys rock there goeth a vawte From this rocke there goeth a vaure vnderneth the grounde that hath issues into
him Spitamenes ouercome with her counterfait affection made a great feast and after much eatyng and drinkyng became drowsie and was caried into his chambre WheÌ„ his wife perceiued him to be in a depe slepe she pulled out a swerde which she had kept secretely for that purpose and cut of hys head deliueryng the same being sprinkeled with bloud vnto her seruaunte that was priuye to the facte and with hym onely as she was enbrued with bloude came vnto the Macedons campe willynge it to be signified to Alexander that there was one come that hadde to speake with hym He by and by gaue commaundemeÌ„t that she shoulde enter but when he perceyued her defiled wyth bloude thinkynge that she had come to lament some iniurie done vnto her willed her to declare what she woulde haue She desiered that her seruauÌ„t myght come in from vnderneth whose garmente she toke Spitamenes heade and presented it vnto Alexander The palenes of the face wantynge bloude had taken awaye the knowledge whose it was But when the kynge perceiued it to be a mans heade he departed forth of the tente and by enquery vnderstode the matter The case brought him in greate perplexitie and was dryuen by diuers imaginations into sundrye opinions He iudged the kyllynge of suche one beynge a fugityue and a rebell to be greate benefite vnto him which liuynge myght haue bene a greate let and impediment to his proceadynges But one the other syde considerynge the horriblenes of the dede that she shoulde kyll hym by treason dede that she should kyll him by treason which loued her so entirely and by whom she had had children the violences of the actes ouercame the thank of her benefite she was commaunded to departe the Campe lest the ensample of such lycencyousnes might corrupt the manners and ciuill dysposion of the Greakes When the Dahans vnderstod of Spitamenes death they brought Dataphernes bound that was partener with him in his conspiracy Dahans yelded them selues vnto Alexander Who being delyuered from the greateste part of his precent care determined to reuenge the iniuries of them whiche had bene mysused by the pride and couetousnes of his deputyes officers Therfore he committed Hircania with the Mardons and Tapirious to Phrataphernes to whom he gaue in commission to send Phradates his predeeessour to him as a prisoner Stasamer Stasamer was substituted ruler of Caria in the place of Arsamus Arsaces was sent into Media to thinteÌ„t that Oxidates should remoue froÌ„ thence Arsaces Babylon vpon the death of Maseus was committed to diditamenes Dydytmens When he had ordeyned these thinges the third moneth he drue hys Armye out of ther winter lodgines to go vnto a Countrey that was called Gabasa Gabasa The firste dayes iourney was quiet and the next not very tempestuous but yet darker then had bene accustumed and not wythout some signyfycatyon of ther calamites that were coÌ„ming The third daie the element was ful of lightning wheÌ„ the lightning cessed A tempaste it was very darke The beholding wherof amased the souldiers put them in great feare It thuÌ„dred in maner coÌ„tinually the lightning fel in strauÌ„g symileâ—udes So that the Army stode astonyed and durst neither go forwardes nor remaine styll in a place Then there came sodaynely a shower of hayle dryuynge lyke a streame whyche at the firste they defended by couerture of their harneys But shortelye after their handes were so colde and wette that they could not holde their weapons nor yet deuise whiche waye to turne them selues findynge alwayes where they turned their faces more violence of the tempeste then before Euerye manne therefore brake his araye wanderynge aboute the woodes and manye that were weried by feare rather then by trauayle laye downe vpon the ground notwithstandyng that the force of the cold hadde conuerted the shower into a froste The trees agaynst whiche they leaned was a great refuge helpe to manye And yet they were not ignoraunte when they rested that thei chose them selues a place of death for when they lefte to moue their bodyes the naturall heate left theim But ease was so pleasaunt to such as were weried that they refused not to dye in resting of them selues Their affliction was not onely vehemeÌ„t for the tyme but also continued verye longe to the encrease wherof the lyghte whyche is a naturall dilectation vnto menne through the darknes of the shower and the shadowe of the woode was so taken awaye that it appeared as it hadde bene nyght The Kynge onelye was able to endure this mischiefe whiche ceassed not to go aboute the armye drawynge the souldioures together when they were disperkled liftynge theim vp that laye on the grounde and to encourage theim he shewed theim the smoke that rose afarre of from the Cotages whether he exhorted them to drawe for succour There was not any thinge more effectual to their saufeguarde then that whiles they were ashamed to leaue their Prynce whome they sawe â–ª endure this mischiefe they chafed theim selues with their labour and trauaile But necessity which in aduers fortune is of more force then any reason founde out a remedye for this colde They fell to cuttynge downe the woode making euery where heapes and stackes therof and set them on fyre Then a man would haue iudged that the whole woode had bene on a flambe For there was scarcely space left betwixt the fires for men to stande Then their nummed members began to be moued with the heate and their sprites which were oppressed by force of the colde began to haue their free recours Some recouered the cotagies whyche necessitie caused them to seke out in the furthermost part of the woode the cest recouered the campe whiche was plonted in a moyste ground But by that time the shower was ceassed The same tempest consumed a thousand souldiours veriets and slaues It is saide that diuers were found frosen to death leaning against trees and yet semed as thoughe they had bene liuynge and speakyng together It chaunsed that a common souldiour of the Macedons which had much payne to go and carye his armour came at the last into the campe where the kyng was who notwithstandyng that he was chafyng of hys owne bodye agaynst he fyre yet he did rise out of hys chyre and pullyng of the nummed souldiers armoure that was paste his remembraunce sette him downe therin He a greate whyle knewe not where he sate or who had receiued him But at length when his naturall heate came to hym and perceiued it to be his kynges seate and the kynge to be there presente was afrayed and starte vp agayne But Alexander behelde hym in the face and sayed Perceiuest thou not now my souldier with how much better condicion thou liuest then the Percians do vnder their king For it is death for theÌ„ to sit in the kinges seate and the same hath bene the saueguarde of thy lyfe The next day he called his frendes and
there eares and couer all there armes wyth braslettes and ornamentes of gould They vse greate curiositye in kymminge of there heades which they rounde very sildome They shaue without anye forme of grauitie all partes of there face sauinge their chinne The voluptuousnes and excesse in the kings of India But thexcesse in voluptuousnes which they cal magnificence vsed by the kynges ther do excede the vices of all nacions When there will is to be sene abrode there seruamite cary about them parfuming pannes of siluer fyll al the wayes where they goâ—â— fine are sauoures and they theim selues be borne in litters of golds hangynge full of pearles and the garmentes they were be of golde and purple enpaled together The armed men folow their litter such as be of their garde emong whoÌ„ there be birdes borne vpon boughes whyche they haue taught alwayes to synge when they be occupied in earnest matters In the kynges palayce there be pillers of golde carued aboute wyth Vynes of golde wherin the images of those byrdes they delight moste in be artificiallye wrought The court is open to all commers when the Kynges do kembe and dresse their heades then they vse to gaue aunswere to the imbassadoures and to do iustice vnto their people When their soles be taken of their fete be anoynted wyth swete odours The greatest trauayle they take is when they hunt wilde beastê enclosed in Parkes whyche they stryke whiles their concubynes be syngynge and daliynge wyth them The arrowes that they shote be of two cubites long whyche doo not the effecte of the force they be shotte wythall by reason of ther weyght which is an impedimente to their swiftenes wherin the propertye of the arowe chiefely consisteth In small iourneys they vse to ryde on horsebacke but when they haue to trauayle further they be caried vpon Elephantes the huge bodies be couered all ouer with golde And because no vice shoulde wante amonges their corrupte maners great rowtes of concubines do folowe them in golden litters The Quenes haue their bandes seperate by theÌ„ selues which in all excesse of voluptuousnes be nothing inferior vnto the kinges It belongeth to the womeÌ„ there to dresse meat they also serue men of wine wherof there is great plentye amonges the Indians When the kyng hath largelye dronke and is fallen in a sleape hys concubynnes vse to carye hym into hys chamber callyng vpon their Goddes with a songe after their countrey maner Who woulde thinke that amonges all these vices there were any regarde had of uertue The wise men of India There is amonges them a rude and an vnciuill kynde of people whom they call wise men whyche count it the most glorious thyng to preuent their owne deathes and they vse to burne them selfes whiles thei be a liue It is imputed for a great shanie to such as ether can not wel stere for age or haue not their perfite health if they prolong their life till their natural death approche Nor there is no honoure geuen to those bodies that dye for age They thinke the Fiers be defiled if the bodyes be not alyue that be burned in them Suche as liue in cityes after a ciuill maner attayne to the most apt knowledge of the starres moâ—yng and to the propheciyng of thynges to come Nor they can not thinke that anye man dothe shorten his life that loketh for death without feare They esteme those for Goddes that they begynne once to worshippe and specially trees the violatyng of the whiche they forbidde vnder paine of death They count after fiftye dayes to the moneth notwithstandynge limitte their yeres as they do in other places They note not their tymes by such course of the moune as is coÌ„munely vsed that is from the ful mouÌ„e but froÌ„ the first quarter wheÌ„ she beginneth firste horned by couÌ„tynge of theÌ„ after the same maner make theÌ„ the shorter There be many other thinges reported of theÌ„ with the which I thought not necessary to interrupt the order of this story As Alexander entred into India the Princes of the countrey came vnto him submitting theÌ„ selues declaring that he was the thirde man that euer came amonges them beynge begotten of Iupiter They said that Hercules Bacchus was not knowen to them but onely by fame but they reioysed that they mighte beholde him presentlye with their eyes Alexander receiued theÌ„ wyth all gentlenes he coulde deuise willed them to accoÌ„pany him because he woulde vse them as guides in his iourney But when he sawe that the whole numbre came not he sent Ephestion Perdicas with part of his armye before to subdue suche as would not submit them seluee and willed them to go forwardes tyll they came to the riuer of Indus and there to make boates wherby he myght transport his armye And bycause they had to passe many riuers the boates were so deuised that thei myght be taken a sunder to be caried in cartes and afterwardes ioyned agayne together He appointed Craterus to folow him with the phalanx and he wyth such horsemen and fotemen that were lightarmed went before and beynge encountred in his waye foughte a small battayle and did driue his enemies into the next â—itye When Craterus was come to thintent he might strike terrour amonges those people that had not yet proued the Macedons force commaunded that when they wanne the citye they shoulde kyll both man woman and child and burne the same to the hard grouÌ„d But whiles he ridde about the walles he was striken with an arowe Notwithstanding the city was wonne and al put to the swerd the verye houses not escaping the victorers cruelty After this he subdued an obscure nacion and came to a citye called Nysa The citye of Nisa It chaunsed the whiles ther encamped in a woode before the citye there fell a cold in the nyght that more afflicted the Macedons then euer it had done before in any other place Against the whiche thei prepared the remedy that was next at hande and cutte doune the woode to make theÌ„ great fires The flame wherof caught the sepulchres belonging to the citye which by reasoÌ„ they were made of Cedre were sone set on fire and neuer left burning till they were all consumed That fire made both aâ—arum to the Citye and to the campe for therby the citizens iudged that their enemies woulde make some attempt against them and the MacedoÌ„s perceiued by the barkyng of the dogges and noyse of men that the Indians would salye out vpon them Wherfore Alexander issuyng out of his campe in order of battel slew such of them as attempted the fight Wherupon they within the Citie became of diuers opinions some were minded to yelde and other thought good to aduenture the extremitie When Alexander vnderstode of their diuison he caused his men to abstayne from slaughter only to maintaine the siege At length they were so weried wyth the discommodities of the warre that they yelded them selues They
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
Agramenes and Pharrasians whose kyng was called Agramenes whiche vsed to come to the field with .xx. thousand horsemeÌ„ CC. thousand footemen two thousand armed wagons and thre M. Elephantes whiche were couÌ„ted the greatest terrour Those thinges semed incredible vnto Alexander and therfore enquired of Porus if the thinges were true that had bene told him He coÌ„firmed Phegelas reporte concernyng the force of the nacion â–ª But he sayde their king was come of no noble bloud but of the basest sorte of men whose father being a Barbour and with great payne getting his daily liuyng came in fauour with the quene by reason of his personage who brought him to haue al the doinges about the king her husband which was afterwardes sâ—ayn by their treason and vnder colour to be come tutor vnto the chyldren vsurped the kyngdome to him selfe and puttyng the childreÌ„ to death did beget him that was now king whiche was in hatred and disgrace of the people folowyng more the maners of his fathers former estate theÌ„ such as did beseme the dignitie he was come to wheÌ„ Alexander harde Porus affirme this matter he became in great trouble of minde not that he regarded the multitude of his enemies nor the force of their Elephantes But he feared the greatnes of the riuers and the scituacion of the couÌ„trey so difficult to entre vpoÌ„ He thought it a hard enterprise to seke out nacions so farre inhabityng in the vttermoste boundes of the worlde Yet on the other syde the gredines of glory the vnsaciable desire of fame made no place to sâ—me to far nor no aduenture to be ouerharde He doubted also that the Macedons whiche had passed so many countreys and were waxed daged with warres would not be content to folow hym ouer so many ryuers and against so many difficulties of nature lyeng in their way For he iudged that since they habounded were so laden with spoyle they would rather seke to enioye suche thynges as they had gotten then to trauaill any further in getting of more He could not thinke the same appetite to be in his souldiers that was in himselfe For he coÌ„passed in his mynd how to get the Empire of the hole worlde into which matter he had but made his entre where as they weried with trauail and thinking to haue past all perill loked now to enioy with spede the frute of all their labour yet for all that his assertion ouercame reason For he assembled his army together spake vnto them after this maner Alexanders Oracion to his souldiers I am not ignorant my souldiers howe that there be now many rumores sowed amonges you by the Indians of purpose to put you in feare But the vanitie of their lieng is not so newe a thing that it is able nowe to deceiâ—e you The PerciaÌ„s after that maner would haue made both the streytes of Ciliâ—ia and the plaines of Mesopotamy terrible vnto you yea put you in feare of the ryuers of Tigre Euphrates yet we wadyd ouer th one of theÌ„ and passed the other by a brydge The fame neuer reporte thinges truly but maketh al thinges greater theÌ„ thei be in dede Euen our glory though it be growen to certain perfectioÌ„ yet it is more in fame then in effect Whiche of you of late did thinke that you should haue bene able to endure the ElephaÌ„tes shewing afarre of like castels Who thought I could haue passed the ryuer of Hydaspis when I hard it reported to be muche greather then it was We should long ago my souldiers haue fled out of Asia if tales could haue caused vs to turne our backes Thinke you that the noÌ„bre of the Elephantes be greater then you haue sene herdes of beastes in other places seing thei be so rare in the world and being hard to be taken are muche harder to be tamed Thesame vanitie that hath reported them to you to be of suche nombre haue nombred also their horsemen and their footemen Concernyng the ryuers the more broder they be the more gently they must runne For suche as be narowe and of smalle brede runne alwayes with moste vehement streme Where as contrariwise the brode ryuer passe their course more mildly But you will peraduenture saye that all the perill is at the shore where youre enemies shall wayte for your arriuall Whatsoeuer the ryuer be the hasard is all one at the landing But ymagen that al those thinges were true Whether is it the greatnes of the beastes or the multitude of the men that put you in feare As concerning the Elephantes we haue had experieÌ„ce of them of late howe muche more vigorously the rage against their owne party then against vs. What should we esteme theÌ„ but only abate the greatnes of their bodies with suche weapons as we haue prepared for the purpose What matter is it whether they be of the like noÌ„bre that Porus had or whether thei be .iii. M. seing that we perceiue that when two or thre be once wounded the rest bende them selues to â—le away And forasmuche as thei cannot well be gouerned when they be but fewe when there be so many thousandes together they must then nedes be an impedimeÌ„t one to another and brede a confusion amonges them selues they be so vnweldy by reason of their huge bodies that they be neither apt to passe forwardes nor yet to fle I haue alwayes so litle estemed theÌ„ that when I haue had pleÌ„ty of that kynd I wold neuer vse theÌ„ knowing very well that they be more dauÌ„gerous to such as occupie theÌ„ theÌ„ thei be to their enemies But peraduenture it is the multitude of their horsemeÌ„ fotemeÌ„ that do moue you haue you bene accustomed to fight against smalle nombres or is it the first tyme that you haue encountred with disordred multitudes The ryuers of Granick is a witnes howe inuincible the power of the Macedons is against any multitude And so is Cilicia the flowed with the Percians bloud and Arbella whose playnes be strewed with their bones It is ouer late to counte the nombre of your enemies after that with your victory ye haue made Asia desert When ye passed ouer Hellespont you should then haue considered your smalle nombre Nowe the Scythians do folowe vs we haue ayde at hande from the Bactrians we supply our power with the Sogdians Yet for all that it is not in them I put my confidence I haue a regarde vnto your force I reserue your manhode about me as a pledge and assuraunce of my actes and doinges So long as I may stande in the field amonges you I wil neither way my self nor myne enemies Doe you but shewe an apparaunce that there is hope in you cherefulnes We are not nowe newly entred into our trauailes but haue passed all our labours being come to the rising of the sonne and to the Occean sea except our owne slougthe be our impediment From thence hauing subdued the worlde we shall returne as
from comming on his backe and vpon the fore front he receiued the dartes that were cast against him with his target For though there were neuer so many that contented with him a farre of yet durst there no man come neare vnto him and the boughes kept of the arrowes and the dartes so well as his target did In this extremitie the greatnes of Alexanders fame chiefly fought for him and next desperatioÌ„ a great encouragement for a man to dye honestlye At length through the multitude of his enemies that continually flocked about him both his target was laden with shotte his helmet was broken wyth stones and his legges fainted and fayled vnder him by reason of his continuall trauaile Whiche thing when his enemies perceiued they toke lesse regarde to them selues and drue more neare him of whome he receiued two with his swerde in such sort that thei fell downe dead at his fete And from that time forwardes none was so bolde to approche againe so neare him but threwe dartes and shotte arowes at him a farre of He laye open to euery mans blowe and yet though it were with great payne defended him selfe vpon his knees vntil suche time as an Indian shotte an arowe at hym that was two cubites long whyche a little aboue his right thighe passed throughe his corselet By reason of that wounde he shedde so muche bloude that he lette his swerde fall as one at the pointe of death and therwith so faynte that he hadde not strengthe to plucke oute the arrowe Then the Indian whiche hadde hurte him came with great ioye to spoyle hys bodye But when Alexander felte his enemies hande vpon hym moued as it is to be thought with despite to receyue an infamie to that extremitie called againe his sprites that were passynge awaye and with his swerde thrust his enemye beynge vnarmed throughe the bodye When he had thus slayne two of his enemies whyche laye dead before him all the reste stode amased a farre of Then Alexander desieryng before his last breathe shoulde fayle hym to be kylled fightyng began to raise vp his bodye vpon his target but his strength woulde not serue him therunto therfore reiched at a bough that honge ouer his heade couetynge therby to haue raysed vp hym selfe but his strength not suffisynge therunto he fell downe agayne vpon his knees and by a signe made with his hande chalenged his enemies if any of them durste come and matche with him At the last Pencestes repulcinge his enemies vpon an other parte of the citye gotte into the towne Pencestes and coastyng along the walles came vnto the place where the kynge was When Alexander espied hym thoughe he had no hope to liue yet he toke his comming for a comforte to hys deathe and for all his feablenes beganne to reare vp him selfe Timeus Leonatus Aristonus Then came Timeus and within a while Leonatus â–ª and after them Aristanus When it was once published amonges the Indians that Alexander was entred within the walles they left their defence in other places and came flockynge thither where as they fiercely assailed such as stode in defence of the Kynges person Tymeus after that he hadde fought notablye and receiued manye woundes was there slayne Pencestes also notwithstandynge that he was stricken and wounded wyth their Dartes yet with his Target he defended the kynges person without anie reguarde of him selfe And Leonatus whiles he resisted the Indians that egerlye pressed vpon Alexander receyued so sore a stripe vpon the necke that he fell downe in a swowne at the kinges fete By that time Pencestes became so feable of his woundes that he was not able to defende him anye more The laste hope and refuge remayned in Aristonus who also was so greuouslye wounded that he coulde not endure anye lenger the force of the Indians In the meane season the fame was spredde amonges the Macedons that their kynge was slayne whiche beinge a matter that shoulde haue putte others in feare sturred vp their haâ—res and made theim the hardier For from that time forwardes there was none that hadde respect of his owne peryll but aduentured to the wall and breakynge downe the same with pikeaxes entred at the breache makinge slaughter of their enemies of whom fewe stode at defence but fledde awaye There was neuer man nor woman spared olde nor yonge For they mette none but they iudged him to be the person that hadde hurte their kynge and so at length with the murder of the multitude their iuste ire was satisfied Clitarchus Timagenes Clitarchus and Tymagenes do write that Ptolomeus whiche afterwardes became king of Egipte was presente in this encountre But he him selfe that vsed not to denye any thynge that stode with his owne glorye did put in memorie howe that he was then absent and sent about an other enterprice Such a negligence was in theim that did write the antiquities of thinges or elles an ouermuche credulitie whiche is a faulte no lesse then the other When Alexander was brought into his lodgyng the Surgians cut of the stale of that shaft in suche wise that they moued not the heade that was wythin the fleshe And when they sawe the wounde bare they perceaued hokes to be within the arrowe heade so that wythoute the destruction of his bodye it could not be pulled out except by incision they made the wounde greater And yet in that poynte they feared least aboundaunce of bloud shoulde be impediment vnto them For the heade was verye great and it seamed to be entered farre wythin his bodye There was one Critobolus that was verye cunnynge and moste excellente amonges all the Phisitions and surgions Crytobolâ— and yet in so daungerous a matter as this he was fearful and in doubte to set to his handes least if any thing shoulde chaunce to the kynge otherwise then well whiles he remayned in hys cure the blame myght lyght vpon his heade Therfore wheÌ„ Alexander perceiued by his weping the feaâ— he was in and that through trouble of mynd he loked pale in the face sayde vnto hym What is it that thou lokest for or whye doest thou staye in riddyng me quickelye out of this payne at the leaste wayes by death if thou canst not otherwise bringe it to passe For seinge my wounde is vncurable why doest thou feare that anye thing shoulde be laied vnto thy charge When Critobolus hearde his wordes he either ceassed or dissimuled his feare and exhorted Alexander that he woulde suffer him selfe to be holden whiles they pulled out the arrowes heade that was within his fleshe for the least mocion he saied might be hurtefull vnto him The kynge woulde not be holden but helde his bodye at a staye without mouyng in such sorte as they appoynted him When they had cut the wounde wider and pulled out the heade there issued suche aboundaunce of bloude that the kinge fell in a sownde dimnes came ouer his sight he stretching out him selfe as one in the
betwyxte earnest and pastyme dyd reproue that he was geuen to farre hys bodye as an vnprofitable beaste And when other went to the battaile he would anoynt his body with oyle and prepare him selfe to eate Emonges other that vsed wordes of despyte agaynste hym there was at the same feast â—â—rratus one Horratus a Macedon who in his dronkennes chalenged Dioâ—ippus that if he were a man he shoulde fight the campe with him the nexte daye vpon llife and death A combate where as the kynge shoulde iudge either him to be to rashe or the other to much a dastarâ— Dioxippus then laughyng to scorne the pride and arrogancie of the souldiour accepted his profer The next day they were more earnest to go to the combate then they were before in makynge of the chalenge therfore when the kyng sawe them so bente and that they would not leaue their purpose he coÌ„sented to their will There were greate nombre of men assembled at the combate amonges whom there were many Grecians whiche fauoured Dioxippus parte The Macedon came into the Lystes armed at all peaces holdyng in his left hande an yron buckler and a speare and in his right hande a casting launce hauing his sworde besydes girte to his syde was furnysshed as though he should haue fought with many men at once Dioxippus came furth anoynted with oyle with a garlande vpon his head and hauing a read cloke wrapt about his left arme held in his right hande a great knottiye cudgell The diuersitie of their furnishement brought euery man in a wonderfull expectacioÌ„ For they could not thinke it only a rashenes but a madnes for Dioxippus that was naked to matche with the other that was armed The Macedon thinking to kil his aduersary before they should come to hand strippes threwe at him his launce whiche Dioxippus auoided with beÌ„ding of his body before that he could charge his pike he leaped to him and with his cudgell brake thesame asondre When the Macedon had lost both his weapoÌ„s he beganne to drawe his sworde but Dioxippus preuented him wit a close and taking both his feete from vnder him â–ª threwe him to the earth and there plucking his sworde from him set his foote vpon his necke and held vp his cudgell to haue striken out his braynes if the kyng had not caused him to staye his hand This triumphe ended with displeasure both vnto the Macedons and vnto vnto AlexaÌ„der himselfe specially because this thing was done in the Indians presence he feared lest the valiauntnes of the MacedoÌ„s famed so muche in the worlde might therby come into conteÌ„pt Hereupon AlexaÌ„der grudging at Dioxippus bare his eares open to the accusacion of the enuyous They within a fewe dayes after had caused a golden cuppe to be purposely conueyed out of the waye whiche the ministers hauing imbesealed them selues made complaynt vnto Alexander of the losse thereof Oftymes men shewe lesse constauncy then in the offence it selfe For in their complaynt Dioxippus perceyued by their lokes that they noted hym as the thefe whiche he coulde not endure but partyng out of the feaste after he had wrytten a letter to the kyng he kylled hymselfe Alexander was very sory for his death whiche he tooke for no token of repentaunce but rather of indignacion For afterwardes it appeared through the ouermuche reioysing of hys enemies that he had bene falsely accused The Embassadours of the Indians that were dismissed home within a fewe dayes after returned agayne presenting vnto Alexander thre C. horses M. and .xxx. wagons euery one drawen with foure horses certain vestures of linnen cloth M. Indian targetes an hundred talentes of white Iren both lyons of a rare bygnes and Tigres that were made â—ame the skinnes of great Lyzardes and the shelles of certain fisshes The kyng then commaunded Craterus to conduct his army along the ryuer wherupon he sayled and he enbarking suche as were wont to accompany him with the streame passed into the boundes of the Mallians and from thence came vnto the Sabracans Sabracans whiche was a nacion of great power not ruled by kynges but by a gouernement of the people They had gathered together .vi. M. footemen and .vi. M. horsemen and .v. C. armed wagons and had chosen thre capitaines that were approued men of warre But when suche as inhabited next vnto the ryuer the bankes being full of villages sawe all the ryuer so farre as they coulde view strowed with shippes and the armour glistering of so many men of warre they were amased with the straungenes of the sight and thought that some army of the Goddes or els Bacchus whose name was famous amonges those nacions had become amonges them The crye of the men of warre with the classing of the oers and the straunge noyse of the mariners exhortyng one another fylled full their fearefull eares They ranne therfore amonges their countrey men whiche had assembled their force declaring their madnes if they woulde contende with Goddes For they sayde the shippes coulde not be nombred that caried those inuicible people With whiche wordes they put suche feare amonges the men of warre of their owne nacion that they sent immediatly Embassadours to yelde them selues When he had receyued assuraunce of them he came the fourth day into an other nacion whiche durste no more withstande then the reste dyd and there he buylded a cytie whiche he named Alexandria and from thence entred into a couÌ„trey the inhabiters whereof be called Musycans Musycans Caracanusidans There he vnderstode by the accusacion of the Caramisidans that Destirioldes whom Alexander had appointed lieutenant amoÌ„ges them had ruled in excessiue pride and couetousnes therfore coÌ„maunded him to be put to death And Oxarres lieutenauÌ„t of the Bactrians being also accused was not only acquited but also had a greater rule coÌ„mitted vnto him WheÌ„ he had subdued the vtter partes of the MusicaÌ„s he put a guarrison in their cytie Porticanus kyng of the Prestyans and went from thence to another nacion of the Indians called Prestians of whome Porticanus was kyng whiche with a great powre got him selfe into a strong citie whiche Alexander wanne the thirde daye after he beganne his siege Vpon the taking of the towne Porticanus fled into the castle and sent Embassadours to treate of peace But before they were come to Alexanders presence twoo towres of the Castle fell with a greate crashe by the ruynes wherof the Macedons got into the castle where Porticanus whiche with a fewe standing at defence was slayne The castle being rased and all that were with in sould as slaues Alexander came into the boundes of Saba Python where besydes many cyties that yelded vnto hym he toke the strongest cytie of that countrey by force of a myne It semed a monstrous thyng vnto the Indians being ignoraunt of suche policies of warre for armed men to come furthe of the grounde in the myddes of their cytie there appearyng before no signe of any way
vnder the earth Clitarâ—us doth write that there were foure score thousand Indians slayne in that countrey besydes many prisoners solde as slaues The Musicanes in the meane tyme rebelled Saba for the oppression of whome Python was sent thether who toke the prince of the nacion prisoner and brought hym to Alexander whom he caused to be hanged on a crosse as the aucthour of the reuolt and that done returned agayne to the ryuer where as he had willed his nauy to tary for hym The fourth daye after passing downe the streme he came to a towne at the entrey of the kyngdome of Samus Samus The kynge whereof had newely yelded hymselfe but the cytezens dyd shutte their gates and woulde not be at commaundement Whose smalle nombre Alexander regarded so little that he sent fyue hundred Agrians vnto their gates to proffer them the skirmyshe to the intent by retiryng little and little they myght drawe them out of their strength whiche were thought would folowe in the chase when they should see their enemies flyeng The Agrians did as it was appoynted them for when they had once prouoked their enemies they turned their backes and the Indians folowed them till they came to the embushement where the kyng lay Then the Agrians turned and the fight was renued agayne so that of thre thousand Indians there were fyue hundred slaine and a thousand taken the rest recouered agayne the cytie But the ende of the victory was not so pleasaunt as it appeared in the begynnyng for the Indians had so inuenemed their swordes that suche as were hurte dyed of their woundes And the Phisicioâ—s could not deuyse the cause of so straunge a death for euen the very lyght hurtes were vncurable The Indians trusted that Alexander through his rashenes myght haue come within that daunger whiche by chaunse fyghting amonges the thyckest escaped vnhurte Ptolomeus Ptolomeus was fyghtly wounded vpon his lefte shoulder who beyng in greater daunger then the greatnes of his wounde shewed caused the kynge to be carefull of hym For he was nere of his kynne and as some thought Philippe was his father But it is certayne that his mother was Philippes concubyne he was one that had the charge of the kynges persone a valiaunt man of warre and yet more famous in the faculties of peace He was moderate both in his apparell and lyuing lyberall easye to be spoken to and without any suche height of mynde as is wont to be in men discended of bloud royall by reason of whiche qualities it is vncertaine whether he was better beloued with the kyng or with the rest of men That was the first occasion he had to proue how the mindes of men were affectionat towardes him for euen in that daunger he was in the Macedons beganne to deuyne of his fortune wherunto afterwardes he ascended They had no lesse care of Ptolomeus then of the kyng him selfe who vsed hym so familierly that when he was weried either with trauayll or care of mynde woulde sit for his solace with Ptolomeus and at that time caused his bedd to be brought into his owne chambre When Ptolomeus was layde there he fell sodeinly into a profounde sleape in the whiche it appeared vnto hym that a dragonne offred to hym a herbe out of his mouthe of the healing of his wounde and takyng away of the venyme When he awaked he declared his dreame and shewed both the colour and fashion of the herbe affirmyng that he coulde knowe it if any man could fynde it out The same was sought by so many that at length it was founde and being put vpon the wounde the paine streight wayes cessed and the skarre within short space was closed When the Indians were disappointed of the hope they had conceyued that waye they yelded them selues and their Cytie From thence Alexander went into the next countrey called Pathalia Meres king of Pathalia the kyng wherof called Meres lefte the Cytie and fledde into the Mountaynes so that Alexander toke the same and destroyed all the countrey fyndyng bothe a wonderfull praye of Sheape of Cattell and of Corne. There he toke Pilotes that knewe that Ryuer and came vnto an Iland whiche stode in the middes of the streame he was compelled to remayne there the lenger because the Pilotes beyng negligentlye keapt were escaped awaye â–ª â—e sent therfore to seke out other but when he coulde fynde none there entred a vehement desyre into his head to visite the Occean Sea and the ende of the worlde without any guyde and so committed his owne lyfe and the lyues of so many thousandes to a ryuer that none of them dyd knowe They sayled as men ignoraunt of all the places they came vnto either howe farre the Sea was distaunt froÌ„ what nacions did inhabite the countreys there aboutes whether the mouthe of the ryuer were nauigable for Galeis or no. In all these thynges they were ledde by a blynde and doubtfull imaginacion hauyng no comfort in their rasshe enterprise but only their continuall felicitie When they had gone forwardes foure hundred furlonges the shyppemaisters tolde the kynge that they felt the ayre of the Sea wherby they knewe that the Occean was at hande Thereat he reioysed greatly and exhorted the mariners that they woulde in all that they myght make waye with the â—ers to bryng hym to the syght of the ende of the worlde which he had so long desired Nowe quod he our glory is perfite when our manhode is suche that nothyng can geue impediment vnto vs nowe the worlde is come into our haÌ„des without any further hasard of warre or sheding of bloud Nowe since the bâ—undes that nature hath wrought be so nere at hande we shall shortly se thinges vnknoweÌ„ sauing to the immortal gods Yet notwithstanding he set certain a land to take foure of the countrey men by whome he trusted to haue knowen more certaintie of the truthe When they serched out their cotagies at length founde out some that were hydden Whiche beyng demaunded howe farre the sea was from them they made aunswere that they neuer harde it named but they sayde that within thre dayes saylyng they shoulde come vnto a place where as a brakishe water did corrupt the freshe By whiche wordes the mariners vnderstode that they ment the Sea of the nature whereof the people were ignoraunt Then the mariners rowed cherefully their desire growing euer the greater as they approched nere vnto the place whiche they hoped to be the ende of their trauaill The third daye they came where the sea and the ryuer ioyned together mixing with a smale floud their waters that were of a contrary nature Then because the tyde was somwhat againste them they haled towardes an other Iland standing in the myddes of the ryuer whiche beyng an easy place to lande at the Macedons ran about to seke vitâ—lles in suretie as they thought being ignoraunt of the chaunce that came vpon them The thirde houre accordyng to the ordinary course the
hys displeasure lest therby he might lose the credite of his false report The king had not Orcynes yet in suspect of such mater as afterwardes was laid against him but began to growe wyth him out of estimacion Hys accusacion was euer so secret that he could neuer get knowledge of the peril that was preuily wrought against him That importunat harlot in hys vile conuersacion had with the king was myndfull euer of the malice he bare to Oreynes whom he would not cease to bring in suspicion of couetousnes or of rebellion so ofte as he sawe Alexander bent to vse him familierly By that time the false accusacions were in redynes which he had prepared to the distruccion of the innocent whose fatall destynie that did approch could not be auoyded Cyrus Tombe was opened by Alexander It chauÌ„sed that AlexaÌ„der caused Cyrus tombe wherin his body was buried to be opened preteÌ„ding to vse certaine â—eremonies for the dead But thinking in very dede that his tombe had bene full of golde and siluer wherof ther was a constant fame amonges the Percians But when it was vyewed there was not thyngâ— found but a â—otten target two Scythian bowes and asword Alexander therefore caused the Coffyn wherein Cyrus body was laid to be couered wyth the garment he was accustomed to weare and set therupon a crowne of golde meruailinge that ther was no more sumptuousnes vsed in buryall of such a kyng endued wyth so great riches that laie there What an occacion Bagoas toke to accuse Orsynes but after the commen sort of men When this thing was done Bagoas stode next vnto Alexander who behyld him in the face and sayed what maruail is it though the sepulchres of kinges be emptie when lordes houses be not hable to receyue the goulde they haue taken out from thence For my parte I neuer sawe this tombe before but I haue hard Darius reporte that there were .iii. M. talentes buried with Eirus Therof qd he proceded Orcynes liberalitie in wynning your fauour by the gift of the thinges which he knewe he could not keape When he had thus sturred vp Alexanders wrathe against Orcynes he presented them whoÌ„ he had suborned to accuse him By whose reporte and by Bagoas surmised tales Alexander was so encensed againste Orcynes that he was put in pryson before he coulde suspect that he was accused The Enuke was not contented with the destruccion of this Innocent man but at his death laied violent hands vpon him Vnto whoÌ„ Orcines saide I haue hard that women in times past haue reigned borne great rule in Asia but it is nowe a more straung thing the agelding should haue thimpire in hys handes This was the ende of the moste noble man amonges the Percians who was not onely an innocent in the matter but such one as bare singuler affectioÌ„ vnto Alexander and had shewed great liberalitie to him his At the same time Phradrates whiche was suspected to haue gone about to make hym selfe king Alexander began to be enclined to the shedyng of blood was put to death Alexander beganne then to be much enclyned to the sheding of bloode and to be credulous in hearing of euil report Prosperitie is of such a force to chaunge a mans nature Wherein fewe men haue consederacion of vertue Thus he which a lyttle before would not condempne Lincestes Alexander when he was accused by two witnesses that suffred dyuers of more meane estate to be acquited though it grudged hys mynde bycause they seamed not gilty to other men And he whiche bestowed kingdomes vpon his ennemies whome he had subdued was in the ende soo muche altered from his former enclinacion that agaynste his owne appetite at the wyll of an harlot he would gyue kyngedomes to some and take awaye the lyues from other About the same time he receiued letters of thynges done in Europe whereby he vnderstode that whiles he was in India zophirus hys Lieutenaunte in Thrace had made iourney againste the Getes The Getes where by stormes and tempestes that sodeinly risse vpon hym he was destroyed and all hys armye Senthes When Senthes vnderstode the defeate of that armye he procured the Odrisians that were hys countrey meÌ„ to reuolt So that al Thrace was in maner loste therby and Greace stode in no great sureâ—ye The writers of the actes of great Alexander make mencioÌ„ in this place of Calanus an Indian that was verie famour in philosophye Calanus which by the persuasion of kyng Taxiles folowed Alexander and ended hys life after a straunge sort When he had liued .lxxiii. yeares without any disease at hys comming into Percia he felt a payne in hys bely wherefore coâ—iecturynge that the ende of hys life was come leste suche a perpeâ—uall felicitie as he had liued in â–ª should be spotted wyth anie longe disease or tormented wyth the multitude of medicines that phisicions vse to minister requyred Alexander that he myghte cause a fyer to be made and to burne hym selfe in the same The kyng began to dissuade him froÌ„ his purpose thinkyng to haue brought him froÌ„ the doinge of so horryble an act but when he perceiued with what stedfastnes and coÌ„stancy he stode in his intent and that there was no way to keape hym any lenger in lyfe He suffred a fyre to be made accordyng to his will where into Calanus did ryde on horsback makyng first his prayer to the goddes of his couÌ„trey and takyng the Macedons by the handes required them that they would spende that daye pleasantly in banketting with their kyng whom within a while he should see at Babylon When he had spoken those wordes he went merely into the fyre where as plieng his body comly kept still thesame gesture couÌ„tenauÌ„ce at his death which he was wont to vse When the fire flamed the trumpettes blewe the men of warre making such a shout as they accustomed going to the battaill whiche rebounded vp to the skye the ElephaÌ„tes also made a terrible noyse These be the thinges that sage writers do testifie of Calanus whiche was a notable ensample of an inuincible mynde coÌ„stantly bent to suffer any aduersitie From thence Alexander went vnto Susa Alexander maried Satyra Darius doughter wheras he toke to wife laufully maried Satyra Darius eldest doughter Whose yonger suster called Dripetis he gaue to wife vnto Ephestion And bestowed to the noÌ„bre of ixxx virgins of the noblest of all the nacions he had conquered Drypetis to the principal Macedons to the chiefest of his freÌ„des because he wold not seme alone to begin so strauÌ„ge a custome These mariages were celebrate after the Percian maner a princely feast prepared at the espowsels Wherat there were .ix. M. gestes to euery one of whome Alexander gaue a cuppe of gold to sacrifice with al. At the same time the rulers of cities which Alexander had subdued and builded sent vnto him .xxx. M. yong souldiers that were all of one age
furnisshed with faire armour apt to do any enterprise of the warre which he called Epigoni that is to saie his successours The MacedoÌ„s at theyr comming semed to be somwhat apalled whych weried with long warre vsed often in assembles to murmur speake mutinous wordes against the king For the cause he had prepared these souldiers to restraine the arrogaÌ„cy of other gaue to them great benefites Harpalus Harpalus to whome the king had coÌ„mitted the charge of the treasure and reuenewes at Babilon hearing of the actes that AlexaÌ„der had done in subduing the more part of the kynges of India his successe to be so prosperous that nothing could withstand him Knowing the insaciable desire that was in Alexander to visite farre couÌ„treis to encrease his glory though it shold be a hard matter for him to returned to BabiloÌ„ again wherfore he gaue him self to delight to lust misusing many that were noble fâ—e women wallowing in al kind of voluptuousnes Insomuch that he sent vnto AtheÌ„s for a famous harlot called Patonice Patonice to whom he both gaue many great and princely giftes while she was aliue and also after her death spent .xxx. talentes vpon her tombe Hauing in these suche other like voluptuous vanities consumed a great part of the treasure When he vnderstode AlexaÌ„der to be come out of India to vse extreme iustice vpon his officers that misused them of whoÌ„ they had rule by reason he was priuy to his own fowle conscience feared the like might tome to himself And therfore gathering together .v. M. talentes .vi. M. mercenary souldiers toke the way towardes Athens no maÌ„ willing to receiue him by the way Tenaron When he came to Tenaâ—on where as a great nombre of the mercenary Grekes which had bene discharged out of Asia were assembled he left his souldiers there went to Athens with his money when he was come thether noÌ„bre of the citezens flocked about him more for loue of his money then for his own sake but specially the oratours suche as vsed to make their gaine by oracioÌ„s and persuading of the people whoÌ„ by small rewardes he easely corrupted to defeÌ„d his cause with the people But afterwardes at a generall assemble vpoÌ„ the matter he was commaunded to depart the cytie and so returned againe amonges the Greke souldiers by whoÌ„ he was slayne Sunium Therfore with .xxx. shippes thei passed ouer to SuniuÌ„ whiche is a pointe of the land in the territory of AtheÌ„s from whence they determined to haue entred into Athens hauen These thinges being knowen AlexaÌ„der that was sore moued aswell againste the Athenians as against Harpalus prepared a nauy to make warre in persone immediatly against theÌ„ And as he was busied about the matter he vnderstode by secret letters both the Harpalus had bene in Athens corrupted with money the chief of the cytie And also that afterwardes by a counsel of the people he was coÌ„maunded to depart froÌ„ thence as he returned amoÌ„ges the Greke souldiers he was slayne by one of theÌ„ by treason The death of Harpalê° These newes greatly reioysed Alexander wherby he had occasion to leaue of his iourney into Europe but he sent coÌ„mauÌ„dement to all the cities of Grece that they shuld receyue againe all their banisshed men except such only as had committed any murther vpon their owne countrey men Although the Grekes knewe the same to be the breache of their liberties their lawes the beginniÌ„g of their bondage yet as men that durst not disobey his will they called home their banished men restored to theÌ„ such of their goodes as did remaine Only the Athenians which euer defended obstinatly the liberties of their comeÌ„ wealth which had not bene accustomed to liue vnder the obedieÌ„ce of any king but vnder the lawes customes of their couÌ„trey wold not agre that such dredge of men shuld liue amonges them but did driue theÌ„ out of their bouÌ„des redy to suffre any thing rather theÌ„ to receiue such againe as sometime were the rascall of al their citie then the refuse of al the outlawes The time was come that Alexander minded to dismisse his olde souldiers sende them into their countrey but he willed first .xiii. M. fotemeÌ„ .ii. M. horsemeÌ„ to be chosen out to remaine still in Asia which he iudged might be kept with a small army because he thought the guarrisons he had plaÌ„ted in many places the cities which he had newly builded filled with inhabiters shuld be able to stay such as wold atteÌ„pt any rebellion Alexander paide al his souldiers debtes But before he would make any deuision of such as should depart remaine He caused a proclamacioÌ„ to be made that all souldiers should declare their debtes wherwith he perceiued many of them sore burdened though their debte did rise through their own disordre excesse yet he was determined to discharge euery man But the souldiers thinking it had bene but a deuise to find out the prodigall froÌ„ the rest delaied the time brought not in their declaracions The king perceiued shame to be the let therof no disobedieÌ„ce or self wil. And therfore caused tables to be set vp throughout his caÌ„pe .x. M talentes to be brought fuâ—th Of all whiche treasure when their debtes were payd accordyng to the iust declaracion there remayned no more but Cxxx. taleÌ„tes Wherby it appeared that thei whiche were the conquerours of so many riche nacions A mutine amonges the souldiers brought out of Asia more glory then spoyle But after it was once knowen that some should be dispached and some remayne still they thought the kynge would haue establyshed his kingdome perpetually in Asia Wherfore like madde men and vnmyndfull of all disciplyne of warre fylled the campe full of sedicious wordes and came to the kyng more arrogantly and with greater rygour then euer they did before al with one voyce requiring to be discharged shewyng furth the hortnes of their heete and their faces disformed with scarres and herein thei could not be staied eithâ—â— by chastisement of their officers or by any râ—uerence of their kynge but when he would haue spoken vnto them they would not suffre hym to be heard but disturbed his tale with their tumultuous crye violent thronge protesting opeÌ„ly that they would neuer moue one foote forwardes to any place except it were towardes their owne countrey After a great space because they thought that Alexander would enclyne to their purpose they kept silence stode in expectacion what he would do Alexanders wordes vnto his souldiers Then Alexander spake vnto them what meaneth this sodain trouble of mynde this so malypart and vnlaufull libertie I am afraied to speake vnto you you haue so manifestly broken your obedience towardes me I am now become a kyng at the appointmeÌ„t of my people you haue neither lefte me the libertie to knowe you to
Leonatus and so wasted the countrey with thre armies at once toke great praies Ptolomeus burned towardes the Sea Leonatus vpon the other hand and Alexander him self in the mides In that countrey he builded also a cytie and brought men out of Arrachosia to enhabite the same From thence he came amonges the Indians which lieng vpoÌ„ the Sea coost do inhabite a great countrey that is wast and desert They vse no traffick enter course â–ª nor coÌ„uersacioÌ„ with any of their neighboures but the desertnes of their countrey haue made them sauage being wild of there owne nature They ware long nailes that be neuer cut and longe here that is neuer clipped They make there howses of the Shelles of fisshes and of other thinges that the Sea caste vp And being clad wyth the skynnes of wilde beastes eate fishe dryed with the Sonne and feade vpon such monsters as the Sea cast vp on the lande The famine that fell amonges the Macedons Heare the Macedons consumed ther vitelles first endured scarscitie and afterwards extreame honger serching out in euery place the rootes of palmes whiche is the only tree that groweth in that countrey But when that kind of norishemente sayled them they killed there cariage beastes and abstained not from there horses whereby lacked beastes to beare there bagage they were enforced to consume with fire the spoyles of there enemyes whyche had caused them to trauayll into the vttermoste boundes of the Orient After their famine folowed a pestilence for the vnaccustumed norishmente of the vnholsome meates they did eate with the trauayle of ther Iorney and the care of mynd spreade diseases amoÌ„ges them in such sort that they could neither continue in a place nor yet go forwardes without great distruction Honger oppressed them when they taried and the pestilence was more vehement euer as they went forwardes The fildes therefore were strowen ful of meÌ„ that were half dead and half aliue And such as were but smally sick where not hable to folowe tharmye it marched wyth such speade For euery man thought to further so much his owne saufguard as by makynge hast he could get before his felowes Such as fainted and could not folowe desired both such as they knewe and knewe not to helpe them forwardes But they had no beastes wherupoÌ„ to set them and the souldiers could scarsly bare their owne armour which had the imminent myschiefe that fell vpon other men represented before there own eies Wherfore wheÌ„ they were often called vpon they would not vouchsaue ones to loke backe feare had so taken awaye all compassion from them Then they which were lefte behind cryed vpon the goddes and their king for helpe alledgyng their relygion that was in comen to them with such as had forsaken them But when they had cried long in vayne vnto their deaf eares through desperation they began to rage and wisshed the like eand to ther frendes and companions that they theÌ„ selfes had The king troubled bothe with sorowe with shame did write to Phratap hernes ruler of the Parthinyans to send to hym vpon Camelles vittelles in redines to be eaten and certifyed the prynces of the countres therabout of hys necessitye whych did not slack the tyme but made prouision according to hys wyll Thus hys army deliuered only from famyne was brought wythin the boundes of the Godrosyans Godorsyans And forasmuch as the same was a countrey fertyl of all thynges he thought good to stay there awhyle wyth rest to recouer agayne hys feble souldiers Ther he receyued letteres froÌ„ Leonatus howe he had wonne the victorye of the Horitans which encountred him with .viii. thousand fotemen and .v.. C. horsemen Ozynes Zariaspes and was aduertised also from Craterus howe he had taken and put in hold Ozynes and zariaspes noble men of Perâ—e that went about to rebell Alexander also vnderstandynge that Memnon was deade gaue the charge of the countrey wherof he had the rule vnto Siburâ—ius and afterwardes went into Carmania Syburcius Carmania Astaspes Astaspes was gouernour of that nacion who being suspected of innouacion whiles Alexander was in India metâ— hym on hys waye who dissimulynge his Ire enterteined him gentlie and did to him his accustumed honor tyll such tyme as he had better proufe of the matter that was layed agaynst him When the princes of India had according to hys apointment sent out of al countreis vnder his Impire great plentye of horse and other beastes bothe of cariage and of draught he gaue cariage againe to all men that wanted and restored there armour to the former beutyfulnes and excellency For they were come into a countrey ioyning vpon Perce whych bothe was haboundant of all thynges and also brought quietly vnder hys subieccion He thought it then a tyme to counterfeit Bacchus in hys glorye and fame whych the gotte amonges those nacions Whither it were a trumphe that Bacchus first instituted or a pastyme of him vsed in dronkennes Alexander was determyned to counterfeit it hauynge hys mynde puffed vp aboue mans estate He commaunded therefore all the villagies The Tryumphe that Alexander made in hys retorâ—e oâ—t of Inde throughe the which he should passe to be strowne with flowres and garlandes and cuppes wyth other great vesselles to be set full of wyne at the entreye of euerye house He caused Wagons also to be made of suche laâ—genes that they might be hable to cary manisouldiers atons and decking the same with precious furnimâ—ees The kynge went fyrste in order wyth hys frendes and next to them the kings guard wearyng vpon ther heddes garlaÌ„des of flowers some plaing vpon flutes and some vpon harpes Euery one generally throughe tharmy decked his Chariot according to hys habilitye and substaunce where as they geuen to bankettynge did hang ther riche armour about them Alexander with such as he called to hys companye was caried in a Chariot laden wyth Cuppes of gold and other goldeÌ„ vessell He wyth his dronken armye marched after this maner .vii. daies togither in ostentacion of the praye they had gotten Wherein they shewed such dissolutenes that if one thousand of the subdued people durst duringe the space of those .vii. daies haue geuen them the onset they might haue taken them prisoners and led them away in triumphe But fortune whiche hath apoynted both fame and estymacion to thinges turned all this disordre of warre vnto his glorye For both the age that was then and the posterity that came after meruailed and toke it for a wonder â–ª that he durst go so dissolutely amonges those nacions not yet establisshed vnder hys Impire the harberous people reputing hys rashenes for an assured confidnce But sheding of blood ensued after this tryumphe For prince Aspastes that hath bene spoken of before was commaunded to be put to death so that his excesse in voluptuousnes was no let vnto his crueltye nor oâ—ueltye impediment to his voluptuousnes The tenth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes
of Alexander the great Kyng of Macedon ABout the same time Cleandre Scytalces Agathon Eracion which by the kinges apoyntment had put Parmenio to deathe returned to hym brynging wyth them .v. thousand fotemen and a thousand horsemen There were many accusers that folowed them out of the prouince whereof they had the gouernaunce Whose behauor there was such that the acceptable seruice they had done to Alexander in killing of Parmento coulde be no satisfaccion for the multitude of the offence they had committed They vsed such an vniuersall spoyle not abstayning from the Temples nor from sacred thinges The virgins also and great Ladies of the countrey whom they had rauished complained of theÌ„ lamentyng the shame they had susteined They vsed so ther couetousnes and inordinat lust in there authoritye that it caused the name of the Macedons to be hated amonges those nacions And yet amonges al the reste Cleanders offence was moste horrible which rauishing a virgyn of noble bloode gaue hyr to hys slaue to vse as his Concubine The more part of Alexanders frendes were not so much offended with ther crueltye and fowle actes whereof they were accused as wyth the remembraunce of Parmenios deathe whiche they kept in silence leste the rehersall thereof myght haue procured them fauour with the Kynge reioysing that the kinges wrath was fallen vpon the minysters of hys Ire that no powre nor auctorytye gotten by euell meanes could haue any longe contynuans Alexander hearing the cause sayd that thatcusers ouerslipt the geatest offence which was the dispaire of hys saueguard For if they had eyther hoped or beleaued that he should euer haue returned out of India A notable Iustice they durste neuer haue committed any suche offences He commaunded therefore them to pryson and put .vi.. C. souldiers to death that had bene the mynisters of there crueltye and they also were executed the same daye which Craterus had brought for auctors of the rebellion out of Perci Within a while after Nearchus and Onesiccitus which had bene commaunded by the king to serche the Occean Sea returned vnto him declaring some thinges by reporte They shewed of an Ilande not farre from the mouth of Indus whyche habounded with golde and had no breed of horses amonges them wherefore the inhabytors would giue a taleÌ„t of gold for euery horse brought from the mayne land They also told of great monsterous fysshes wherof those Seas were full whyche caried downe with the tide would shewe there bodies aboue the water as bigge as a great ship and folowe ther nauye wyth a terrible noise And when they diued vnderneth the water they troubled the Seas as it had bene in a shypwâ—ack Thes were thinges they had sene the rest they had receyued by reporte of thinhabiters as howe that the redde Sea toke hys name of kinge Erithrus and not of the couler of the water They shewed also of an other Iland not fare from the mayne lande growing full of palme trees Wher was a great wood in the middes whereof stode a piller where as king Erithrus was buried with inscripcioÌ„ of such lettres as be vsed in the countrey They added besids that such mariners as caried the marchantes the durdges of th armie through couetousnes of the gold which had ben reported vnto them laÌ„ded in that Iland and were neuer sene after There wordes moued Alexander much and put in hym a great desire to get more certayne knowlege of those partyes therefore he coÌ„mauÌ„ded them againe to tha Sea willing that they should cost the land tyll they come wtin the riuer of Euphrates froÌ„ thence to come vp to BabiloÌ„ against the streame The thinges were infinite that he compassed in his head The enterprises that Alexander determined For he determined after he had brought the Sea coost of the Orient vnder his subieccion to go out of Siria into Affrick for the euytie he bare to the Carthagens His purpose was froÌ„ thence to passe ouer the desertes of Numidia towardes Gades wher he vnderstode by the fame that Hercules had plaÌ„ted his pillers so directing his iourney through Spaine the which the Greakes of the riuer Iberus call Iberia to go ouer the Alpes so into Italie tyll he should come to that part therof were the next passage was into Epyrus For thys intent he gaue commaundement to hys officers in Mesopotamia that they should cut downe tymber in the mount Lybanus Tapsagas and conuey the same to Tapsagas a Cytye in Syria And ther to make galeis of such greatnes that euerye one of them myght be hable to carye .vi. Ores vpon abanke and from thence he wylled them to be conuayed vnto Babylone He sent commaundement to the kynges of Cipres to furnishe them of Iren hempe and sayles Whyles thes thinges were in doing he receyued letteres from Porus and Taxiles signifieng that Abyasares was deade of a disease and that Phelix hys lieutenaunt in those parties was slayne and they put to death that were the doers therof Alexandr therefore in the place of Phelix apointed Endemon that was captaine of the Thracians Eudemon and gaue Abyasares kingdome vnto hys sonne Pasargadas From thence he came to Pasargadas beyng a countrey of the Percians the Prynce wherof was called Orsines which both in nobilytie and ryches Orsynes exceded all other men in those parties and conueyed hys pedigre froÌ„ Cirus that sometime was king of Perce The riches his predecessours left him was greate and he by a long continuauÌ„ce in his enheritaunce and auctorytie had much encreased the same He mett AlexaÌ„der comming thitherwardes and presented bothe hym and his freendes with gyftes of sondery fortes which were a multitude of horses redye to be ridden vpon Charyotes wrought with golde and siluer precious stuf excellent pearles and precious stones weighti vessel of gold robes of purple and foure thousand talents of coyned siluer But that his liberalitie was occasion of hys death For when he had presented al the kinges frendes with giftes aboue there desire he honoured not with anye giftes at all Bagoas the Enuke Bagone ther Enuke whom AlexaÌ„der specially fauoured of the vsage he had of him There were therefore that gaue him admonition how much Alexander estemed Bagoas But he aunsewred them that hys custume was to honour the kynges freendes and no harlottes Nor that it was not the Percians maner to haue any in estimacion which did effeminate them selfes with so shamefull an abuse When hys wordes were reported to the Enuke he vsed the powre whiche he had gotten with dishoneste meanes to the distruction of that noble and innocent man For he did subornat certayne leud parsones of Orcynes countrey to brynge in false accusacons againste him whiche he willed them to present at suche tyme as he should apoynt vnto them In the meane season whensoeuer Bagoas got the kyng alone he would fil his credulous eares wyth tales agaynst Orcynes euer dessimulinge the cause of