should have held my peace had not the King who was forestall'd incensed you against me his Speech is a Sentence of Death which now to endeavour to make him revoke is to call him Cruel and Unjust So that considering I must condemn Alexander's Judgment I cannot resolve to ask for Absolution His absence declares that my destruction is resolv'd upon and what can I hope for if the best of my Judges be inexorable However Philotas shall not die without clearing himself of the Crime he stands charg'd with What Proof have they Am I of the number of the Conspirators Did Nicomachus name me to his Brother or Dymnus to Nicomachus Who inquiring after the Names of those that had conspir'd the Death of Alexander and the Order of the Conspiracy the other ingages in it through the consideration of their Birth and Merit How could Dymnus then forget me that am thought their Head Did he fear destroying me He that had so great a confidence in Nicomachus he I say that ventur'd with him his own Life and the Lives of his best Friends Ceballinus the only Witness against me is not of the Conspiracy can he believe that I am he that discover'd it to me Dymnus is dead he never nam'd me His Confederates surviving him may hope for Pardon if they can cast their Crime on me Yet there 's none accuses me What! cannot Tortures wrest the Truth from them to whom as 't is common to the Miserable the ingaging others in their Misfortunes would be some comfort Do they believe in the condition I am in abandon'd condemn'd I am able to deliver them from their Tortures So you see Fellow-Souldiers the truth of the first Crime I am accus'd of I come now to the second The King says I daigned not to advertise him of the imminent Peril that threatned him I was not at all troubled at it 'T is true Sir I was to blame but you have pardon'd me You invited me to Sup with you in token of a Reconciliation At least you ought not to condemn me without hearing my Defence What new Crime have I committed Whence comes my Disgrace since yesterday-evening I expected nothing less than this dismal change The Wicked are continually troubled with the Image of their Crime Their Souls agitated with a thousand different Thoughts keep them perpetually alarm'd press'd with remorse of Conscience they seek for their security The ease Attarras found in apprehending me discovers the little care I took of my preservation When he bound me with Chains I was in a deep sleep I rely'd upon the credit of your word I feared not that the malice of my Enemies should prevail with your Clemency Further Sir could I fear any thing as to your Life upon the bare report of a Youth of no Reputation who destitute of all proof could do nothing but make a vain Alarm I suspected him too because he came not to me himself and look'd on it as some private revenge not fit for me to meddle with I feared likewise that he might deny what he had told Ceballinus and that I might have nothing but regret for so lightly committing the chief Officers of the Court But for all these Precautions I am sacrific'd to those I have spar'd 'T is objected Dymnus anticipated his Punishment by a voluntary Death Knew I that he would kill himself If Ceballinus his Relation have no other ground but this what does it prove against me Again had I bin a Confederate how could I have bin so quiet two days after the Conspiracy was detected I could easily have dispatch'd Ceballinus or hasten'd the stroke I was alone with the King in his Chamber who could have hinder'd me Did I want Dymnus his presence 'T was he then that was the Head of the Conspiracy and yet 't is I as is said that would have made my self King of Macedonia Whom among you Fellow-Souldiers have I endeavour'd to corrupt On whom have I bestowed Presents What Officers are there more than ordinary sensible of my Favours I am reproached for despising the Language of Macedonians What likelihood is there of it if I intend to make my self their King You know very well that since we have left our own Country and have learnt strange Tongues 't is to all of us some trouble to speak our own Alexander himself uses it not therefore he despises the Macedonians In truth all these Reproaches are but light as well as that of being a Friend to Amyntas who conspired against Alexander If it be a Crime to be a Friend to a King's Brother I am guilty but if his Birth ingag'd me in those Sentiments for him can I not be innocent because I did not divine What justice is there that the Frieds of the Guilty should be punish'd with them I ought to have died long since had this Friendship bin a Crime and if it be not Why is it brought in for my destruction But I pitied the condition of those that were to live under the Government of a Man that equall'd himself to the Gods 'T is true I wrote thus to Alexander but told I it any else Gave he me not the liberty to discover my Sentiments to him Had I not reason to fear that his Vanity might render him odious to his People If he have such Faith in the Oracle let him consult it touching my Crime Jupiter will never conceal a Secret of such consequence to his Son's Life And if you 'l rather trust to Tortures I am ready to undergo them My misfortunes dispence with my introducing my Relations I had two Brothers they both died in Battel for Alexander's and Your Glory I have only a Father left accus'd of the same Crime with me neither the Grandeur of his Services the consideration of his Age nor his passion for the King prevailing against the cruelty of those that envy him Miserable Wretch must I then dear Father be the cause of your Death Did you give me Life to deprive you of yours Is this the Recompence of so many Battels gain'd of so much Blood spilt in your Family Is this the Comfort you expected from me in your last days Nature was ready to redemand your Life full of Glory in the next Battel the Grandeur of your Courage would have laid you bleeding in the midst of your Trophies but your Enemies not contented to deprive you of an only Son envy you the glory of a Death that would have render'd you immortal But tell me was Parmenio himself believ'd when he wrote to Alexander how that Philip his Physician corrupted by Darius his Gifts and Promises had ingag'd to poison him The King gave so little credit to his Letter that he gave it Philip to read whilst he took his Physick to mock as it were at my Father's credulity I have made my self too the Subject of Rallery for having too lightly believed things more probable than what Ceballinus inform'd me If I give Information I make my self ridiculous
able to undergo the violence of his Tortures confess'd That he was the Head of that last Conspiracy that his Fathers Age and Authority had equally induc'd him to it that seeing him Head of a powerful Army Master of Media and the King's Treasury and fearing further that if he did not make haste Parmenio's Death might deprive him of the opportunity of making himself King he had conceived this execrable Design As for the rest that Parmenio was no ways guilty that he never had communicated his Intention to him for proof of which they might if they would put him again to the Rack His Judges fearing he might expire in his Tortures were oblig'd to let them cease to reserve him for a death more ignominious as it was publick They returned therefore to the King and acquainted him with the Criminal's Confession Alexander commanded them to bring him the next day to the Assembly desiring that he might own what he had said in the presence of the Macedonians Philotas his Deposition was then publickly read and acknowledged by him and Demetrius one of his principal Confederates was introduc'd Never did the most Innocent Man appear more concern'd for a Reproach cast upon him than Demetrius guilty as he was seem'd offended at the Examination made into his Crime which he disown'd with all the confidence of a good Conscience and proffer'd himself to be rack'd to shew his Innocence His impudence stir'd up Philotas his Choler who looking round about him spied a young Man called Calis and asked him How he could suffer Demetrius to stand so impudently in a Lye Calis whose imprudence brought him thither knew not what to answer and the Macedonians believed that Philotas accus'd as well the Innocent as Guilty But as soon as the Youth saw himself incompass'd with Guards he confess'd his Crime and charg'd Demetrius Calis his Confession shews how false it is what some Authors have written touching Philotas his Innocence For how could he know that this young Man was of the Conspiracy if he were not in it himself since neither Ceballinus nor Nicomachus nam'd him Pholotas and all his Confederates according to the custom of Macedonia were immediately slain with Stones whilst this miserable Wretch had the power to disown so detestable a Crime The Souldiers were touch'd with his Misfortune A little more constancy would have sav'd him from Death 'T is most certain Alexander ran the risk of losing his Life and of seeing all his Souldiers revolt They were inclined to Sedition they pitied the deplorable Condition of Parmenio whom they loved as their Father and his Son had never bin sacrificed to the fury of his Enemies had he but continued firm But when they saw that he confess'd Conspiracy upon Conspiracy Crime upon Crime their Pity was converted into Rage and they all massacred him as a Parricide The Macedonians had a cruel custom When any of them was convicted for conspiring the Death of their King that attempt was not only punish'd in the Person of the Criminal but his Relations receiv'd the same Punishment Almost all the Persons of Quality and brave Souldiers in Alexander's Army were either Philotas his Relations Friends or Confederates For fear of meeting with the same Entertainment some of them provided for their security by flight and others despairing of theirs kill'd themselves Without doubt the misfortune of so many brave Men would have rais'd a tumult in the Camp had not Alexander proclaim'd a Pardon to all the Conspirators Relations Amyntas and Simmias were excepted The flight of Polemon their younger Brother was the pretext of their disgrace the true cause the strict friendship they had always had with Philotas The King on his account bestowed several Favors on them and the care this unfortunate Man took to raise his Friends brought them into the same misery with himself Alexander perswading himself that they were of the Conspiracy endeavour'd to have them condemn'd as well as the rest He represented therefore to his Souldiers That he had reason long since to suspect the fidelity of Amyntas and his Brothers that his Mother Olympias had given him notice of their evil Intentions that the private Conferences between them and Philotas increased his suspicion that the flight of their Brother was the effect of a bad Conscience that they had bin all three not long since with him had dismiss'd the rest of their Company and would have executed their Design but that the Guards coming in prevented them that the day before Philotas was taken Antiphanes Commissary of the Horse having demanded Horses from Amyntas for those that wanted them he had insolently refus'd them and threatned him besides that this arrogancy could proceed from nothing else but their conspiring his Death and the hopes they had of accomplishing their Design on the Morrow That in fine after so many proofs of their perfidiousness there was no place left for Doubts Amyntas was brought forth into the presence of the Army and having obtained liberty to defend himself he desired that his Chains might be taken off and a Javelin given him which was done accordingly as a sure presage of favour for these badges of Honour give encouragement to speak whereas a Criminal groaning under the weight of his Chains commonly makes but a languishing harangue of little efficacy to stir up the compassion of his Judges Amyntas full of hopes represented That the friendship he had with Philotas could not with justice be imputed to him as a Crime that after that manner the chiefest of the Court would be found guilty that from that height of Fortune the favour of Alexander had seated him in he had attracted the respect or envy of every one that none being able to purchase the King's Favour if he were not supported by the friendship and protection of Philotas 't was no strange thing that every one should court him that they had with Alexander esteem'd his Zeal his Courage the Grandeur of his Services his Father's Merit but that they detested his Crime that they had had private Conferences with him but that this had bin all along their custom In fine That they had hated Philotas when they knew him a Parricide and disloyal as much as they had loved him whilst a happy Favorite and Arbiter of the Fortune of the Macedonians He added That if he were guilty for refusing Horses to Antiphanes the other was no less for demanding them that he had but two which Antiphanes would have taken away by force though he could not spare them without being reduced to the necessity of fighting on foot among the Cavalry For the rest that the suspicions of Olympias were to be suspected for that being sent into Macedonia he had by Alexander's Order drawn out Troops thence contrary to the Queen's pleasure that from his Obedience and Services sprang the resentment of Olympias that they should therefore punish him for having faithfully served his King and obeyed his Orders Amyntas was interrupted by
bold and insolent he thought himself King indeed when he saw that he was Arbiter of his Subjects Lives and that there was nothing more to be done to place himself beyond the reach of Envy than to shed the best Blood in Macedonia The more you commend the vanity of great Ones the more are they in love with it the more Blood a Tyrant sheds the more is he desirous of shedding it Lyncestes Alexander had bin imprison'd three Years upon an Accusation of two Witnesses for conspiring against the Life of Alexander the Reason his Punishment had bin so long defer'd was because he was the first that saluted Alexander King after the death of Philip. Antipater Lyncestes his Father-in-Law was Governor of Macedonia and it seem'd very probable that the intercession of one that was Master of so flourishing a Kingdom should have suspended his execution a far longer time But Alexander would no longer hearken to Policy an insatiable desire of revenge carried him on towards his own ruin He caused therefore the Criminal to be brought forth accused only by two Persons and had him dispatch'd according to their custom The Chief of the Macedonians perceived presently that Alexander grew more cruel from day to day and began to fear for themselves They were ready to think that the Heavens provok'd by the King's vanity who dared equal himself to the Gods had inspir'd Philotas with the desire of taking away his Life However they spread this Rumor through the Army the easier to engage the Souldiers to a revolt The remembrance of Parmenio's Merit and Philotas his Misfortune who died in the flower of his Age had already excited pity in the Macedonians In the one they thought they had lost the Protector of their Liberty the Avenger of the Gods and of their Country in the other a Captain of rare Valour without whom Alexander could do nothing that was great These seditious Discourses would have forg'd a Rebellion had not the King caused his Army to march against the Arachosians Without doubt that was the only means to dissipate all ill Designs Idleness spoils the Souldiers Spirits but all these murmurs vanish at the first sound of the Trumpet Nevertheless Alexander's Conduct might well have made such brave Men desperate For having known that several highly resented Parmenio's Death he form'd them into a Body and made Leonidas their Captain ordering them to incamp separately from the rest as it were out of ignominy It was not to be feared that their seditious Discourses should have corrupted the rest of the Macedonians for as is the custom of Souldiers Martial Liberty and the joy of new Conquests would have laid their Anger and their Malice In the mean while Alexander abandon'd himself to all sorts of Vices The irregularity of his Manners increased with his Victories and his Ambition no longer curb'd by Vertue carried him to that excess of Pride as to require from the Macedonians and Persians Divine Honours I cannot but pity the weakness and vanity of this Prince Could he think the Macedonians would worship as a God one born of Philip and Olympias subject to the same Infirmities with other Men These Heroës whom Antiquity has placed in the Heavens lived in such sort that Posterity reckon'd them in the number of the Gods after their Death and if during their Life they should have required from Men Adoration and Divine Worship without doubt they would have render'd themselves despicable and ridiculous to the whole World The Sages forbore not to scoff at those false Divinities and the more enlightned Pagans have themselves laugh'd at their own Religion Alexander presum'd too much upon the Grandeur of his Actions the Persians and other strange Nations might well admire them but the Macedonians could do no more than praise his Conduct and his Courage Those that run the same danger are willing to participate with the General in the Glory of the Conflict and suffer with regret that any one should attribute to himself the honour of the Victory But if he were so intent to elevate himself above the condition of Men why was he not more diligent to gain respect from his People It is not for the Majesty of a Prince to make himself too publick if he will be ador'd he must separate himself from the Commerce of the World The old Macedonian Captains taking it ill that Alexander should publickly debase his Father's Glory scoffed at his Pride and pretended Divinity Which so incensed him that he kill'd Clitus his Nourses Son with a Javelin This great Warrier who had sav'd his Life at the Battel of Granicus suffered with regret his so outragiously attacking the Memory of Philip and abhor'd his Vanity and the enormity of his Crimes Neither was he without a Second Calisthenes who made profession of Wisdom declar'd himself more openly for as Cleo one day at Table with the chief of the Macedonians and Persians propounded to render Divine Honour to Alexander This Philosopher answered him with his usual freedom That it was not in the power of Men to make a God that they could hardly make a King and that the Persians would be their Conquerors if they followed them in their barbarous Customs The freedom that Polypercon took was yet greater who seeing a Persian worshipping the King began to laugh and throwing him upon his Face bad him bow lower All these Scoffs tended to the diminution of Alexander's Glory How then could he expect Divine Honour from those that so much contemn'd him For this he must have chang'd the form of Government have made himself absolute Monarch of the Empire have usurp'd the Macedonian Freedom have bin Arbiter of their Lives and Fortunes have dispatch'd his Nobles and have kept such a distance between himself and his Subjects as might have made him seem quite different from what he was But if the horror of so great an Impiety or the necessity he then had for his Captains permitted him not to arrive to that excess of Cruelty it concern'd his prudence and wisdom to moderate his Ambition and the friendship of his Nobility would have bin far more glorious than the adoration of the Persians proceeding from the base complaisance of that Nation 'T was this unreasonable Pride which made him again run the risk of losing his Life which at last precipitated him to his ruin and has render'd his Memory odious to all Ages The Death of Calisthenes is certainly deplorable and a great proof of Alexander's Wickedness who could not suffer an honest Man in his sight In fine he fell on a sudden from that moderation that had made him admir'd and lov'd of every one to so violent Extravagancies and to so great profusion of Vice that 't is no wonder that Hermolaus should have the boldness to conspire his Death The Noblemens Children of Macedonia according to custom were oblig'd to enter into the King's Service at fifteen Years of Age. After some Years the Prince promoted them to the
the noise of those that brought back his Brother Polemon bound in Chains The Multitude seeing him in the condition of a Criminal could hardly forbear stoning him But the young Man for despair of having thus exposed his Brothers proffer'd to die on condition their Lives might be preserv'd As he was extream beautiful and had committed no other Fault but flying all the Souldiers were so mov'd at his Repentance that they unanimously cried out These brave Men deserved their Pardon Alexander was prevail'd with but Amyntas was inexorable the King commanded him at last to forgive Polemon as he had done and so dismiss'd the Assembly Polydamus was Parmenio's chiefest Friend in Battel he had him always at his side to make him as it were participant of his Glory he had inrich'd him with his Favours and had more confidence in him than any Alexander causing him to be called commanded him to bring in his Brothers whom he kept as Hostages and spake to him in manner following Parmenio's attempt has wrong'd you more than any for under shadow of Justice and Zeal for my Service he has particularly oblig'd you to his Interests All his Favours all his Friendship tended to no other end than to corrupt you and to render you a Complice to his Treachery 'T is you therefore that must revenge his Infidelity and the Ingratitude he has shewn towards me See what confidence I have in you that I have chosen you to carry these Letters to my Lieutenants in Media You shall present two to Parmenio one from me and one from his Son for I have his Seal he will not doubt of any thing when he sees you In the mean time I will keep your Brothers as Pledges to assure me of your Faith and when you have executed my Orders your fidelity shall be rewarded Polydamas was so allarm'd when the King caused him to be called and commanded him to bring in his Brothers that he utterly despaired of Life because of the intimate friendship between him and Parmenio Thinking therefore on nothing more than the danger he had escaped and forgetting what he owed his Friend he promised Alexander more than he required Here you may observe the Frailty of Court-friendship Interest gives it its Original and Fortune changes it every moment If you are happy you are ador'd if you are miserable you are insulted over Polydamus imploys all diligence arrives in Media by Night and instantly delivers the King's Letters to his Lieutenants Upon which they immediately assemble in Cleander's Apartment and deliberate on means to take away Parmenio's Life They resolved therefore to go to him the next day all in Company to execute Alexander's Orders Unfortunate Parmenio was walking with them in a Park when Polydamus whom he had sent for was brought unto him He runs presently to imbrace him and being glad to hear from his King and to see his Friend he receives him with extream joy Polydamas having given him Alexander's Letter Parmenio after he had read it told them That he could not but admire that the King after so many Conquests should yet think of subduing the Arachosians That it was now time for him to return into Macedonia there in quiet to enjoy his Victories and the Glory he had acquir'd After which as he was reading Philotas his Letter with great pleasure Cleander thrust him into the Bosom with his Poniard and gave him another stab in the Throat Thus expir'd Parmenio and Philotas both of great credit in the Army both intimate Friends of Alexander the most puissant of all the Nobility of the Empire the bravest of Captains the most illustrious among the Macedonians The death of Philotas was miserable full of pain and infamy that of Parmenio more cruel unjust and ominous to Alexander's Life who afterwards could find no Captain of that valour and experience in his whole Empire nor found he afterwards the same zeal and affection from his Souldiers and the chief of his Nobility We all die alike but Death is not equally grievous to us all If it be the end of our Miseries we desire it we seek it we run to it but if it terminate a Life full of Happiness Grandeur Glory and Delights it fills us with despair Parmenio had liv'd seventy Years in all prosperity he had expos'd himself to several Dangers in his King's Service he had bin the Companion of his Victories and had done many glorious Actions worthy the envy of Kings illustrious both in Peace and War he died assassin'd by his Confidents upon Suspicions not well clear'd and by Alexander's Order who was indebted to him for his Empire There 's nothing more fit to compare the Courts of Princes to than the Sea There 's no greater pleasure than to fail on this Element during a Calm Some Voyages by Sea are as pleasant as profitable but 't is dangerous to make them a Profession since early or late one must perish in them You 'l say there 's this difference That it is not in the power of Man to lay a Storm but that the Sage can in Princes Courts moderate his Passions and not suffer himself to be carried away with too much Ambition Teach us this Lesson your self and shew us how to curb Envy Some small reflection upon Philotas his Conspiracy will easily inform us how much more difficult it is for a Courtier elevated to the highest pitch of Favour to moderate his Ambition than for another who has every thing yet to wish for Nevertheless the latter has but one step to the accomplishment of Grandeur and the former is infinitely distant from it The highest fortune of a Minister differs as far from Royalty as Supream Power from the obedience of Subjects 'T is therefore a folly to think the ascent to a Throne easy for being near it THE CONSPIRACY OF HERMOLAUS THe consideration of a Danger happily avoided renders the Sage more moderate and cautious whereas all the effect it has on a Savage Spirit is to make it more extravagant rash and arrogant The fear Alexander had of the last Conspiracy was like that of those who see the falling of a Thunder-Bolt without receiving any dammage They fear just at that moment and presently forget the Danger like those that come to themselves from Swooning incapable to make reflection on an evil they have not felt Add to this that Confidence more dangerous than the Peril it self and so common to Man whereby he fears not a Danger past though when imminent it narrowly concern'd his Life Some yet more irrational are so forestalled with their good Fortune that they imagine themselves above Fate and such are oftentimes reserv'd for a tragical and miserable Catastrophe Alexander grew so outragious after the death of Parmenio that he knew no Limits the risk he ran in the last Conspiracy render'd him less provident he thought he might for the future freely injure the Macedonians The facility wherewith he had quell'd Parmenio and Philotas made him more
highest Charges of them came Favorites and the greatest Captains According to all appearance these young Nobles were more likely than any to tolerate their Prince's Defects and Government as having bin for a long time accustom'd to his Humour and brought up in his Court as Sons But as it is impossible intirely to bereave Lions of their natural fierceness so there is in humane Nature something so fierce and indomitable that though it may for some time be kept under it can never be extinguish'd there is a self-love which is as it were the measure and first mover of all our Affections there is a Liberty which the weight of Chains cannot bow Who could have thought that these young Nobles having contriv'd a Conspiracy against Alexander so much the more dangerous as they were driven by a desire of Glory and an implacable hatred and given each other their Faith should neither by the caresses of their Prince nor the inconstancy of their Age be induc'd to violate the same for a long time all but one observing it intirely which is rare in Traitors Alexander being one day a Hunting Hermolaus one of his Pages threw his Dart at a Wild Boar and kill'd him The King who was running in to present the Beast with his Spear conceiving indignation against Hermolaus caused him to be whipp'd according to the custom of the Macedonians But this young Nobleman not brooking the Affront shew'd that those who are so far advanc'd in Years as to be able to take up Resolutions beseeming Men of courage are not to be dealt withal as Children Nothing is more capable to incite a resolute and ambitious Spirit to revenge than the receiving shameful Punishment for a bold and generous Action worthy of a Prince's Applause Virtue has its Venom 't is dangerous to provoke it we see daily Pity converted into Fury Hermolaus in dispair seeks out Calisthenes that wise Philosopher and enemy to Flattery famous for his Learning and the austerity of his Manners Presently he complains to him with tears of the out-rage he has receiv'd and 't is reported that Calisthenes whether it were to incite him to revenge or to comfort him said to him Consider Hermolaus that thou art now no Child These words gave him such courage that from that very instant he conspir'd the death of Alexander The Counsel of great Men is held in a Common-Wealth as an Oracle and a Law whence it comes that a Man esteem'd wise by the Vulgar can easily raise a Multitude and cause a great disorder in a State The more powerful therefore a Man is in Counsel the more moderate should he be in giving it Calisthenes whom every one heard with pleasure ought to have taken heed to his words more than any under the reign of a Prince who punish'd the intemperance of the Tongue with the severest Punishment He had done like a Man of great Wisdom if he had only comforted Hermolaus in his disgrace and not set him on revenge a young Man apparently incapable of such kind of Enterprizes One must be certain of the Event destroy ones Enemy or not attack him Hermolaus inflam'd with a desire of Revenge and not being able to accomplish it himself assembles his Companions and speaks to them in this manner If the Affront I received only concern'd me I would only lament my disgrace and impute it to my bad Fortune But all the Macedonians have part in my Infamy and it concerns their Glory to take a memorable Revenge Doubtless the Gods jealous of their own Grandeur have suffer'd Alexander who dares equal himself to them to deal with us so unworthily that they might inspire us with a just resentment and courage to free our selves from this Monster of Pride Be not deceived my Companions I have not bin punish'd according to Law Alexander could not suffer that I should rob him of the Glory of killing a Wild Boar he has exercised his private Indignation Envy is the only cause of this outrage I have done a bold Exploit for my Age fit to be admir'd and he has treated me like a Slave What recompence can you now expect for your great Services if Ingratitude and Ignominy be the Reward of Courage What avails it you Macedonians that you have gain'd by the price of your Blood the Empire of the Universe Were it not better to be in bondage to the Persians A generous Action gives a Slave his Liberty which we lose in the midst of Victories Happier the Vanquish'd than the Vanquishers under the Government of a Tyrant He cannot suffer the Glory of the latter they are incessantly the Object of his Fury whereas the former come not within the reach of Envy I scruple not to say that Alexander is a Tyrant What fitter name can be given to one that is so greedy of his own Citizens Blood How shall I find words to express his Impiety his Cruelty his Arrogance Is he not a Monster to make himself Arbiter of Mens Lives and the Glory of the Gods who would be Master of our Bodies and Tyrant o're our Hearts who not content to reign on Earth would have command in Heaven He is not asham'd to require Honours that another would refuse and because we free Macedonians laugh at the base complaisance of the Persians he hates us he lays Snares for us he oppresses us See how he recompences those to whom he is indebted for the Empire of the East his Glory and his Life His insolence ascends to that degree of impiety as to make us own for the Son of Jupiter a wicked perfidious Desertor who forsakes the Laws of his Country to follow the Customs of Barbarians whom we have known born of Olympias who is jealous of his Father's Glory and assassinates his best Friends What do you expect O generous Souls a Death as cruel as that of Parmenio and Clitus Shall we yet sprinkle Alexander's Laurels with our Blood to be at last like those great Men sacrific'd to his fury Consider that there is nothing dearer to miserable Mortals than their Lives shall we suffer them freely to be taken from us Why should we not rather secure them by Alexander's Death So memorable an Action will eternize our glorious Memory to posterity This Tyrant's Life is in our Hands the Heavens have given him over to our Vengeance in us whom he has cruelly injur'd he reposes all his confidence would you have a more convincing proof of the Will and Anger of the Gods Without doubt 't is their pleasure to make use of our tender Youth in so bold an Enterprize to make it known to the World that they are the Authors we only their Instruments Is there any of you so ill advis'd as to oppose the Gods Incited by the Heavens Alexander's insupportable Pride and Cruelty aâ—m'd greedy of Glory and full of firm Resolution shall we not dare attack a Man without Guards unarm'd oppress'd with Crimes in a deep sleep I have chosen you my Companions
valiant Captains thou hast through a cruel Ingratitude inflicted Death on those that have preserv'd thy Life Was there ever such a Tyranny heard of Was ever the Virtue Valour and Love of Subjects thus rewarded If I consider the many Provinces we have conquer'd this great Empire of the Persians worthy of a better Prince I must own that we our selves are vanquish'd Strangers are our Masters thou thy self yieldest to their Laws their Customs their Habits their Manners their Alliances their Friendship and Religion which thou preferrest before our Laws sufficiently discover that they are Victors and thou their Slave O wretched O deplorable condition of the Macedonians Dost thou see now what is the Subject of our Animosity The only Obligation we have from thee is That thou wilt this day free us from a Servitude a thousand times more ignominious and cruel than Death to generous Spirits Happy those whom thou hast caused barbarously to be massacred Attalus Lyncestes Clitus Parmenio and Philotas Had they liv'd they would yet have groan'd under thy Tyranny the God's were pleased to withdraw them from a dismal train of miseries that thou inflictest on thy best Friends It may be thy Affection is seated in the Souldiers and the common People O Heavens thirty thousand Mules loaden with Gold and the riches spoils of the Enemy follow in the rear of thy Army when thy wretched Souldiers of all their Conquests retain nothing but Scars illustrious Marks of their Courage and thy Ingratitude In fine thou art no longer King of Macedonia thou art a Slave to the Persians Their delicacy pleases thee more than the Macedonian temperance We justly therefore pursue thee as a Desertor and at most it was not the King of Macedonia but the King of Persia that we would have kill'd And you Macedonians base Souls unworthy the Glory of your Ancestors miserable Slaves to a Tyrant's Pride Have you not the Hearts to shake off so infamous a Yoke And you my Father that hold your Sword at my Brest deserve not to have given Life to such a Son This day will you acquire by my death a glorious and eternal reputation suffer me then to speak and oppose not the liberty granted me from your God 'T is because he fears not the words of a Child Why hearest thou not Calisthenes To arrive to the highest pitch of Tyranny I see thou intendest to suppress in him all the freedom of the Greeks Think not that he is of the Conspiracy he never knew any thing of it and for proof of this we all proffer our selves to be rack'd Seek some other Pretext to satisfy thy revenge cut off the only true Macedonian in whom resides all the virtue of our Ancestors For thou hatest the looks of an honest Man For the rest pardon the miserable old Age of our Fathers and confound not the Innocent with the Guilty As for us we die with regret only for leaving thee alive These Invectives so incens'd the Assembly that the Souldiers would a hundred times have torn Hermolaus in pieces His own Father called Sopolis sometimes stopp'd his Mouth sometimes presented his Sword to his Brest to make him hold his peace but Alexander commanded him to retire Sopolis his Indignation could not be too great Men are born Subjects before they are Fathers The tender affection of a Father towards a Son is natural and cannot be stifled without doing himself extream violence however the safety of his Prince is to be preferred before that of his Children and the Voice of God to be obey'd rather than the Voice of Nature Alexander with admirable patience bore all that Hermolaus had said against him and having seated himself where he might be heard he answer'd in this manner Had what this Impostor has said bin true I could let you have torn him in pieces and not have heard his Invectives and were I guilty of those Cruelties he charges me with I own it I were unworthy to be King of the Macedonians But what occasion have I given Hermolaus to speak thus of me Some time since he committed an insolence and I caus'd him to be chastised according to our ancient Custom to hear him speak you would say I had cruelly tormented him What would not his Revenge have done since for being beaten with a Whip he could resolve upon a Parricide 'T is no wonder he should have an horrour for the Punishment of Parmenio of Philotas of Aitalus and Lyncestes in defending them he defends himself he would not be guilty if those who have committed the same Crime were declared Innocent And as for Clitus I wish I had not bin constrain'd to punish the Intemperance of his Tongue It is not always in our power to use Moderation the clemency of Kings is often times surmounted by the audacity of Subjects there are certain Injuries that cannot be pardon'd When Kings are injur'd they must be appeas'd by Submission and not provok'd through Obstinacy and Pride I wonder not at all that Hermolaus accuses me of Cruelty since he has the impudence to accuse me of Avarice I know Princes ought not to bear in mind the Favours they have bestowed on their Subjects but only the Services they have received from them I shall not therefore represent unto you that there are none of you but what are sensible of my Donatives that would diminish the price of my Liberality and the Acknowledgment you owe me But pray consider whence you had your Beds of Gold and Silver your Troops of Slaves your sumptuous Spoils and rich Booty As for the Persians I confess that coming into Asia to conquer not to lay desolate I cannot resolve to handle as Slaves a People whose Affection secures my Empire and your Glory and in this I think I give sufficient proof of my Moderation that I govern them in that manner that they can have no regret at my Victories Would you be continually employ'd to subdue Provinces already conquer'd which under an Imperious Dominion would be always revolting Would you be stopp'd in the mid'st of your Victories by Insurrections better restrain'd by kind usage than by force of Arms We should then extirpate whole Nations and make our selves feared more for our Cruelty than our Courage What glory would it be to the Macedonians to change the Name of Conquerors for that of Thieves and Murtherers And after all what have you to say against those that sight for you In sine is not Hermolaus wicked to scoff at the Oracle for owning me a God Should I refuse a Name so glorious and oppose the Will of Jupiter as if the grandeur of my Actions did not elevate me above Men. Further in War Reputation is worth an Army and I could wish for your Glory that the Indians would believe me a God But I see very well this insolent Youth hath said nothing but what he has learnt from his Master Calisthenes and he would have bin glad to have heard him vent the same Injuries
his Disobedience that his Reasons were no other than Aristotle ' s Fallacies and that he would not suffer Antipater vain and treacherous as he was to go unpunish'd Not long after this Antipater arriv'd He saw the Storm hovering over his Head and thought how he might prevent the Danger Wherefore he call'd his Sons Cassander Jollas and Philip and with all the authority and tenderness of a Father represents unto them That in vain he had given them Being if he did not endeavour to procure them a Life full of Happiness and Pleasure and that he should be himself very unhappy if he did not live after his Death in his Children succeeding him in his Revenues and Imploiments Those said he have no reason to applaud Nature that are born of an Illustrious Race and live unfortunately the more splendid their Birth the more heavy and insupportable is their Misery As Man is a part of the Universe through the qualities of his Temperaments and his Spirits so he is no part of the World Politick without Riches and Promotions To be without these is not to live but to die nay to die every day as long as ones Life lasts These Thoughts my dear Children disturb me only upon your account You know what great Glory I have acquir'd in the Armies which gain'd me a large share in Philip's Affection You have seen me rais'd to the highest degree of Grandeur Arbiter of a flourishing Kingdom caressed by Alexander till such time as his mind of late as much corrupted by the effeminacy of the Persians as it was formerly well instructed by the Precepts of Divine Aristotle induc'd him to depose me from governing Macedonia and upon the Report of my Enemies to suspect my Fidelity always incorruptible So that 't is impossible to support our Grandeur unless we take off the Head of this Monster Can you be of so base a Spirit as to resolve to live unhappy without Wealth without Honour Can you be so unnatural as to survive my Misfortune What say I Can you think to escape Death after they have taken away my Life Cassander thou hast had experience of this Tyrant's Cruelty thou hast heard his Threats Canst thou doubt of suddenly seeing the Effects Olympias infamous as she is has prevail'd against our Merit shall we wait like Clitus and Parmenio to be sacrific'd to Alexander's Fury No I can never think that the Off-spring of Antipater will degenerate from his Glory and that of his Ancestors Be not daunted at the Death of Philotas and Hermolaus like a good Pilot I have learnt to avoid those Rocks where others have bin Shipwrack'd Those were forc'd to have several Associates to intrust a Secret to many Persons we our selves can execute the Design I meditate They would have kill'd Alexander in the midst of his Guards in the sight of the the Army We will take him off by Poison at Table in the midst of good Cheer His Sickness and his Death will be imputed to his debauching Jollas is his chief Cup-bearer what is there more easy than to convey the Poison into his Wine or into his Water My dear Children 't is now no longer time to deliberate we must speedily kill Alexander or he will kill us Cassander Jollas and Philip presently resolv'd upon that great Villany and expected only the conveniency of some Feast that they might execute their Design In the mean while Alexander hastens towards Babylon where Embassadors from all parts of the World attended his coming to congratulate with him for his Conquests Nearchus one of his chief Officers advertised him of a Prediction of the Chaldeans threatning him with inevitable peril if he enter'd the City Babylon Though he was as much given to Superstition as any one yet nothing could stop his Journey In appearance he went thither as to the Diet of the Universe to impose Laws on all the Earth but in reality his Destiny drew him thither he went to his own destruction As he drew near the Walls of Babylon several Presages troubled him and he remember'd the counsel of Nearchus Nevertheless he would not return back but entred the City foreseeing as it were his Misfortune Not long after a Thessalian Physician made a Feast and invited Alexander and the chief of his Courtiers thither He failed not to be there and having drank of Hercules his Cup he felt such violent pain that he desir'd them to kill him with his Sword It was presently given out that drinking too much Wine had occasion'd his Distemper and thus Antipater's Authority stifled the Infamy of his Treason Plutarch writes that Alexander died of a violent Feaver and reports for proof of what he alleages that his Body continued for several days as fresh and sound as at the moment of his expiring I wonder that so Learned a Man should be ignorant of the nature of some Poisons that preserve from corrupting and leave no marks of their effect Whatsoever may be said 't is certain that perfidious Jollas poison'd the King's Water and then mix'd it with his Wine Thus expir'd great Alexander quell'd by Domestick Treason after he had conquer'd all the East The eminent Qualities appearing in him at the beginning of his Reign made every one admire him the enormity of his Vices proceeding from his Fortune render'd him odious to all the World He continu'd a long time magnificent liberal of a sweet and gentle disposition inclin'd to Justice and Clemency he became at once unjust cruel extravagant mistrustful superstitious and so addicted to all sorts of Vice that there was no hopes of his returning So Illustious an Example as this may serve to instruct all Princes that there is no Power stronger than a resolute Heart that there is no Prudence but may be o're-reach'd by Malice and that the Dispair of one Man is more to be fear'd than an Army FINIS