he were an ensaÌ„ple to theÌ„ to shewe their valiaÌ„tnes courage For he promised that he should be sene fighting with the formost knowing that so many wounds as he should get should be so many ornameÌ„ntes to his ê‘son He said they them selues knew that he would be no ê‘taker of the pray but that euer his cusâ—ume was to bestowe the rewardes of the victory to their behoue coÌ„moditie His former words he shewed to be spoken to such as were meÌ„ of courage But if ther were any that were otherwise he had to saye vnto the that they were come to the place from wheÌ„s they could not fle hauiÌ„g lest so many couÌ„treis behiÌ„d theÌ„ which they had passed ouer so many riuers mounteyns at their backes So that now there was no way to their houses and countrey but such as they muste make open with their owne handes This was the exhortacion he gaue vnto the captaines and to such of the souldiers as stode next him Dariê° that was in his left battail accompaned with a choyse band of electe horsemeÌ„ fotemeÌ„ dispiced the smal noÌ„bre of his ennemies their battails appearing to him shinne voyde of meÌ„ when he saw ther winges stretched so fat abrode He stode therfore in his Chariot on hie turning him self both on the right hand and the left The oracioÌ„ of Daryus spake in this sort to such as were abouts him We that loÌ„g ago were lords of al the couÌ„tries lieng betwixt HellespoÌ„t the Occian Sea are coÌ„pelled now to fight not for fame and glori but for our sauegard and our libertie with chyefly is to be estemed This daie shal I either establishe or make an ende of the greatest Impire that hath bene in any age At the riuer of Granik we fought with a smal part of our powre WheÌ„ we were vaÌ„quished in Cilicia Siria was able to receiue vs and the Ryuers of Tigre and Emphrates were as bulwarkes to defende our kingdome But now we come to that pointe that we haue no place to fle to if we be put to flight All thinges behind our backes are wasted with this long warre nether cities be inhabited nor meÌ„ left to tylle the grouÌ„d Both our wiefes and chyldren do folowe thys armye a praye redie for our ennemyes except we put forth our bodyes for the defence of suche as be dere vnto vs. So much as hath coÌ„cerned me I perfourmed preparing such an army as this huge plaine is scarsly able to receiue I distributed emonges you horse armour prouided the vitels should not want for such a multitude and haue choseÌ„ out an apt place to derayn the batailes in All the reste remaineth in your handes Do but dare and the victorie is yours Despise you this fame which is but a weke wepon against men of valeur It is rashenes which hitherto ye haue feared as a vertue wherof when the furste brunt is spent it waxeth then dul as the bees when they haue ones lost their thoÌ„ges This plaine hath disclosed their final nombre which the mouÌ„taines of Cilicia did hide you se how thinne their rankes be their winges how they be extended abrode howe their battels be emptie and voyde of men And such as be hinder most haue alredy turned their backes They may be ouerthrowne wyth the horse fete though I send none against them but the hoked wagons And if we wynne the battaile we make an end of the warre for thei haue no place to flie vnto They be shut in with Tigre on the one side with Euphrates on the other and such things as before made for their purpose now be turned and make clere against them Our Armie is light and without much baggage and they be laden with prayes and with booties We shal kill them therfore as they be wrayt in our spoiles And the same one thing shal be both our gaine and the cause of our victorye If any of you be moued wyth the fame of the nacion you must thinke that the armour and outward shew not the bodies of the veraie Macedons be their pÌ„sent we haue coÌ„sumed so much of their bloud since the warre begaÌ„ And seing they be but few their losse must nedes be to them the greater For howe great so euer Alexander doth seme to suche as be fearfull and towardes he is but a maÌ„ and if you trust me both rashe and without consideracion and hetherto more fortunat through ouer feare then by his own valure Ther is nothing can coÌ„tinue that is not gouerned by reasoÌ„ for though fortune seme to fauour for a whyle yet at length she shall not supporte his rasshenes Besydes that the estate of thynges be full of chaunge and no man hath perpetuall felicitie It may be that the prouidence of the goddes haue so ordeyned it that the Empire of the Percians encreased with suche prosperous successe by the space of two hundred and thirty yeares and brought to so great an height of fortune should nowe rather be shaken then vtterly ouerthrowen Therby to admonyshe vs of mans fragility whiche vseth to forget himself ouermuch in prosperous estate It is not long agoe since of our own mocion and courage we moued warre against the Grecians and inuaded their dominions but nowe we stand at defence in our owne countrey Thus we be tossed one against an other by exchaunge of fortune For one nacion cannot â—eare the greatnes of the Empire whiche we both do â—ouet But be it so that hope were taken from vs yet necessitie ought to prick vs forwardes the matter is come to suche extremitie He keapeth nowe as prisoners both my mother my two doughters and Occhus my sonne borne to the succession of this Empire He keapeth captiue your princes the issue that is descended of the bloud royall yea your capitaines equall with kynges and if you do not now lay to your handes I my self am lyke to become captiue Deliuer you therfore my bowels out of my prison and restore to me my children for whose sake I do not refuse to die Be you all sure that both my mother and my children for my wyfe is dead in prison be holding vp their haÌ„des crieÌ„g vnto the goddes calling for your helpe your coÌ„passioÌ„ and fidelitie that you would deliuer them from seruitude from fetters from the state they are in liuing at other mens will apointment Thinke you that they can be coÌ„tent to liue vnder such as thei could scarsly vouch saue to haue for subiectes I see that our enemies battailles do approche the nere the daunger is at hand the lesse the wordes I haue spokeÌ„ do content me I make request to you by the goddes of our couÌ„trey by the eternall fier that is caried vpon the aulters by the brightnes of the sonne that riseth within the bouÌ„des of mine Empire by the euerlasting memory of Cyrus which first did take the Empire froÌ„ the Medes Lidians gaue it to the PerciaÌ„s deliuer
ronne forwardes towardes there enemies But Alexander thought it better to fortifie his campe vpon that hyll and so commaunded it to be entrenched aboute Whych worke being spedely pâ—rformed he enteres in his tent from whens he might beholde his 〈◊〉 host Then the hole fashioÌ„ and fourme of the 〈◊〉 that was at hand was presented before his eies doth horsemen and fotemen glistred in there bright armour and al thinges were prepared with great diligeÌ„ce He beheld the care of the captaines in his enemies campe howe they did ride vp downe to set thinges in ordre And diuers thinges whiche were but vaine in dede as the noyse of meÌ„ the nâ—yng of horses the glistering of their armour trouble â—he mind that was careful in thexpectacion of the matter Therefore whither it were that he was not fully resolued in his mynd or els to proue the mindes of such as were aboutes hym Permenio his opinion called hys frendes to consult what was best to do â–ª Parmenio that was the moste expert man amonges al the captaines in the feates of warre thought 〈◊〉 not to giue his ennemies plaine battell but rather to set vpoÌ„ them in the dead time of the night wherby he thought they might easely be discomfited Supposing that they amoÌ„gs whoÌ„ there was so great diuersitie of customes and alteracion of language could neuer assemble wel togither â–ª specially wheÌ„ they shuld be put sodeÌ„ly in feare in the night tyme beinge a sleape wheras in the daye tyme the harpe of the Scythians and Bactryans wyth their rough faces and longe heare besydes the hugenes of their bodies should appere terrible And argued how souldiers were more moued wyth vaine causes of feare and suche were of no Moment then with such as were iuste causes in dede he declared also howe their enemies by reason of the great multitude shoulde be hable to enclose there smal nombre rounde aboute and that they shoulde not nowe fyght in the straites and narow passages of Cilicia but in an open and large playne They all in maner agreed to Parmenios sayeng and Policarpon was of a plaine opynion that the victorie consisted in the pointe which he had deuised The king that before had taunted Parmenio more bitterly then he thought good would not check him againe but beheld Polycarpon and sayed That policie that you aduise me pertaineth to robbers and theues Aâ—exanders aunswer for it is their propertye to worke by fleâ—ht and dâ—â—ce it I will no more suffre that eyther Darius absence the streytnes of the ground or the â—â—elthe in the night shal be an hinderaunce to my glorye I am plainly determined to haue to do with hym in the open day and had rather repent me of my fortune than be ashamed of my victory Besides this it is to be consideryd that the Percians keape good watche and stand armed alwaies in a redines to receyue vs. wherof I haue aduertisement So that they cannot be deceiued that waye Therefore ther doth remayne no more but that you prepare your selues to the battayll When he had by these wordes put theÌ„ in a courage he dismisses them from counsel to refresshe there bodies Darius coniecturing that hys enemyes would haue done the same thing that Parmenio did persuade caused the horses to stand redy brideled the hole night and the more of his hoste to continue armed and keape good watche His caÌ„pe shone bright with the fiers that were made and he him self wyth his capitaynes and kinsfolkes weÌ„t about his batteâ—ls that stode in ordre and in armes making inuocation to the Sonne to Mars and to the euerlasting fier that they woulde inspire vnto them a fortitude of mynd that might aunswer to the auncient glory and actes of his predecessors And shewed if the mynde of man were noble to conceyue any tokens or signes of the goddes fauore or assistaunce it was no doubte but that they were bent on ther syde hauing alredy streken a sodeâ— feare amonges the Macedones which he saied might he sene by ther roÌ„â—ing here and there by the â—arieng and casting of ther Armour And that the gods which toke care of the Percians Impire were newe determined to punishe those towardes Whose captayne being of another sorte then the reste was like vnto these wilde beastes which through gredines of the â—ray that they do couet fal into the sâ—ares that be set fâ—â— them The like care was emonges the Macedones for as though the matter should haue ben tried that night thei passed iâ— ouer in doubte and feare Alexander himselfe that was neuer sene iâ— such scare before that tyme called for Aristander to meke vowes praiers whâ— in a white garment carieÌ„g Vâ—rberies in his hand with his hedde couered went before the king calling vpon Iupiter Mynerua Victoria When he had thus ê‘formed his sacrifice accordiÌ„g to ther religioÌ„ retorned into his 〈◊〉 him to rest the residue of the night But he â—ulde nether reste â–ª nor sleape but continually debated with him self which way he should affaile hys enemies One while he was of opinion to gyue his first vnset woÌ„ that battel of the Percians that should come on his right hande Some tyme he determined to mete his enemies in a plaine fronte and an other while was in doubte whither it were better to set first on their left batteyll atlength hys bodye became heuy with trauaill of the mynd and fell into a sound sleape WheÌ„ the daye apeared the capteines assembled about the kinges Pauilion to receyue ther charge Where they stode amased with greater silence then they were accustumed For they could not but wonder that Alexander who was euer wount â—â— cast vpon other men and to reproue suche as were slowe or neglygent not to be then storyng when the matteâ— was come to the poincte of the extreme daunger And many were of opinion that he slept not but shronke for feare yet for all that none of them that were about his persone durste attempte to wake hym In the meane season the tyme paste away and the souldiers myght neyther put on their armour nor go in ordre of battaille without commaundement of their heaâ— When they had thus taried a good whyle Parmenio gaue commaundement they shoulde fall to meate At length when the tyme came that of necessitie they muste sette their battaylles he entered into the kynges lâ—dgyng and called vpon hym diuers tymes by his name but when he could not awake hym with his voyce he stored hym with his hand Parmenio to AlexaÌ„d It is farfourth day quod he and your enemies come forewardes in ordre of battaylle and your souldiers beyng yet vnarmed 〈◊〉 no commaundement yet geuen them what they shal doâ— where is â–ª that there fulnes and courage of yours become whiche were wonte to stirre â—p other men â–ª vnto whom Alexander made aunswere Thinke you that I could slepe before I had rid myself of the rare that letteth me to take my rest and
geuen a charge to their enemies that had nere hande enuironed their kyng about and so compelled the Percians to turne their faces againe towardes them The battailles thus were sore trauailed on both sydes Alexander had his enemies bothe before and behynd â–ª and his enemies that came on his back were sore oppressed by the Agrians The Bactrians also that had spoyled the cariages were excluded from their own company and could not recouer their place agayne Thus the battaylles were deuyded in diuers partes and fought one against an other as their chaunce fell The two kynges that ioyned their battaylles hard one to an other renued agayne the fyght There were moste of the Percians slayne but the nombre of the wounded were lyke on both sydes Darius did ryde in a chariot and Alexander vpon an horse They both had a choise band about them whiche were careles of their owne lyues For if their kynges should miscary neyther they could be saufe nor yet desired to lyue Wherfore euery of them thought it a noble thyng to aduenture them selues before the face of their prince And he that coueted moste to defende his maister â–ª was in moste peryll for eche man coueted the honour to kyll the kynge on his contrary parte There whether it were an imaginacion of the eyes or a thyng done in dede suche as were about Alexander â–ª beleued that they sawe an Egle flickeryng aboue his head whiche neyther feared with classyng of the harneys nor by the cryeng of them that were dyeng honge styll in the ayet a lyttle aboue hym Then Arislander whiche ware a whyte garment and caried lawrell in hys hande shewed thys thyng vnto the souldiers as they were busye fyghtyng as a certayne token of victory whiche thyng did cause them whiche before were in some doubte cherefully and with great confidence to assayle their ennemies The fyght contynued after thys sorte vntill the tyme that he was slayne whiche gouerned the horse that drue Darius chariot Then neyther the Percians nor Macedons doubted but that Darius had bene slayne And the Percians vpon that imaginacion made a barbarous noyse and a sorowefull howlyng wherewith they sore troubled and astonied their whole hoste that were yet fyghtyng with equall victory Darius kynsmen and the Squires for his body that were on his left hand lefte hym and fled away with a mayn flyght but suche as stode in his defence dn his ryght hande conuoyed hym into the hart of the battaill It is sayd that Darius drue out his sworde and was determined diuerse tymes to kyll hymselfe rather then to susteine the shame of flyeng away But when he sawe as he sat alofte in his chariot that a great parte of his army remayned yet fighting he was ashamed to leue them in suche sorte And whyles he thus wauered in his opinioÌ„ betwixt hope and dispaire the Percians by little and lytle gaue grounde and shronck from their order Alexander that had tyred many horses did chaunge the same he did at that time ryde vpon strake at the faces of theÌ„ that stode at defence There was none then that made resistauÌ„ce any leÌ„ger â–ª but a manifest slaughter fell on the Percians Darius â—led and Darius tourned his chariot to flye awaye The Macedons pursued them hard that fled and the duste that flue vp to the skie toke away their prospect so that they wandred as it had bene in darknes and euer dreue together when they hard any voice that they knew Only the ratling and noyse of the chariot was a marcke for the Macedones to folowe after As fortune was prosperous to the Macedons on this parte and contrarious to their ennemies so on the other syde where Permenio in the lefte winge encountred with the Percians â–ª they had the better and the Macedons the worse Mazeus Mazeus wyth his whole bande gaue a great charge and put the horsemen that stoode in the winges to a sore distres And thervpon by reason he abouÌ„ded with multitude began to enclose the footemeÌ„ about Then Parmenio sent worde to Alexander in what daunger they were in whiche he signified to be such that except they had succour in tyme they coulde not resiste but he enforced to flye awaye Alexander was gone farre in the chase when this sorowfull message was brought him Wherfore he commanded the horsemen to staye and chafed wounderfullye that the victory was thus taken out of his haÌ„des that Dariê° had better fortune in fleing then he in hys folowing In the meane season the fame of Darius ouerthrowe was brought vnto Mazeus And therefore though he had the vpper hand yet he was striken with such feare of his fellowes misfortune that he made astarke pursuite vpon his enemies Parmenio was ignorant of the cause why the fight did slake so willingly of there parte Parmenio encouraged his soldiers but boldly vsing the occacion of the victorie called the Tessalien horesmen vnto hym and sayed Se you not how our enemies that euen nowe gaue vs a feirse onset be sodenly afrayed and withdrawe them selues I see the fortune of our kyng doth giue vs the victoryie All the feldes be strown with the Percians that be slaine Why do you therfore staye are you not good anoughe for men that be fleing They sawe his wordes had an apparaunce of a truthe â–ª and therfore by and by they toke courage and putting their spores to the horse made a full charge vpon their enemies who retired not by littell littill but marched away a great pace And they wanted nothing of flieng sauing that they had not yet directly turned their backes yet for al that insomuch as Permenio knewe not what was become of the king nor of hys battell stayed and woulde not pursue after them Mazeus hauing leisure geuen him to flie at his libertie passed the riuer of Tigre not the next way but by a further coÌ„passe about with more suretie and so recouered the Citie of Babilon with the remaynes of that vanqueshed Armye In the meane season Darius with a fewe that accompained him in his flieng came to the Riuer of Licus â–ª wher passinge ouer he stode in doubte whither he should breake the bridge or no for it was shewed him that his enemies were at hand But considering how many thousandes of his men by the breakinge therof should be a pray to hys enemies he left the bridge standing and at his departure said that he had rather open the waye to them that pursued him then to shut it against them that fled after him But Darius lefte not his flieng til he came to Arbilla where he arriued about midnight Who is able to conceyue in his mind or expresse in wordes the discomfirture the manifold chasises in this discoÌ„fiture the slaughter that fell both vpon captaines and souldiers the chasing of them that were put to flight the destruccion in particular and in generall Fortune heaped to gether that one daye the chaunces of a whole world
nâ—t honor the doers for then sample sake nor punishe them bicause they serued his purpose From thence by .xvi. remouinges he came to that parte of the Riuer of Indus where Ephestion had prepared al thynges in such sort as he had commission One Omphis was king of that countrey Omphis on of the kinges of Iuda which before had persuaded his father to submyt him selfe vnto AlexaÌ„der Who in meadiatly vpon his fathers death sent Embassadours vnto hym to know his pleasure whither he shoulde take vpon hym as a kynge before his comming or els liue priuately in the meane season And although it was permitted him to gouerne as a king yet he would not vse the auctoritie that was graunted him He had caused Ephestion to be receiued in the beaste sort he could deuise but notwythstandyng had not visited him by cause he would not commit his parsone to any mans fidelitie but to the kinges But when he vnder stode of Alexanders comming he wente against him wyth his holle power whose Eliphantes by small distauÌ„ce myxed in battell amonges his fotemen shewed afarre of like castelles At the fyrste Alexander did not take him as a frend but as an enemye and therefore set his men in ordre of battell and hys horsemen in winges in redynes for to fight When Omphis vnderstode the errour of the Macedons he commauÌ„ded his men to staye and puttinge his spores to his horse ridde forwardes alone AlexaÌ„der did the like making no doubt whither he were afrend or an enemie but thought him selfe sure eyther through his owne manhode or the others fidelity Theyr meâ—ing as it apered by their couÌ„tenaunces was very frendely but for want of an interpretor they could not speake togithers Therefore after they had called one vnto them the Indian king declared vnto Alexander that the cause he met him with an army was to put in mediatly his hole powre into his handes nor that he had not taried to treate for any assuraunce by messengers but vpoÌ„ trust only had committed both his parson and his kingdome to hym whom he knewe to make warre for the wynning of of glory and fame and therfore could not feare in him any parfidye Alexander reioysed to se hys simplicitie and prouffred hym his righthand as pledg of hys promise and restoring to him agayne his kyngdome he presented vnto AlexaÌ„der .lvi. Elephantes with many other beastes of exceding greatnes and .iii thousande bulles which is a cattell of great value in those countreys and much estemed of kinges Alexander enquited of hym whither he had vnder hys dominion more souldiers or tyllers of the grounde He aunswered that he was driuen of necessity to haue more souldiers bicause he was at warre with two kinges whose kingdoms lay beyond the riuer of Hidaspis There names were Abyassares and Porus but the auctoritie remayned in Porus. And sayed that he was prepared and resolued to aduenture the hasard of the battell wyth such of them as should inuade him fyrst Hereupon Alexander graunted vnto Omphis both to take vpon him the Diadeame and the name of hys father that was called Taxiles the custome of the countrey being such that the name euer folowed the kingdome whosoeuer enioyed it When he had receyued Alexander honorablye in hospitalitie thre dayes the fourth daye declaring howe much corne he had deliuered to Ephestion and to his army presented to the kyng and to all his frendes Crownes af gold and besides of coyned siluer .lxxx. talentes Alexander reioysed so much in hys good will that he bothe returned agayne to hym hys giftes and gaue him besydes a thousands talentes of the pray he brought with him with much plate of gold and siluer many garments after the Parcian maner and .xxx. of his owne horses with the same furnymentes they warre when he did ride vpon them Which lyberalytie as it bound Omphis so it greatlye offended the mynds of the Macedones For Meleager at supper when he had well dronk saied he was verie glad that Alexander had yet found one in India whome he iudged worthy to receiue the gyfte of a thousand talentes The kyng bearing in mynd howe much he had repented the sâ—eaing of Clitus for the rashenes of his tounge refrayned his anger but yet â—old him That inuious men were euer tormenters to themselfes The next day the Imbasseadours of king Abyasares came King Abyasares vnto AlexaÌ„der who according to there commission offred all thinges vnto hys wyll Whervpon promise and assuraunce being confirmed Kynge Porus they retorned againe to their Master Alexander therfore thinking that through the greatnes of hys name Porus might be brought to do the like sent Cleochares to him for to demaunde tribute and to somone him to come and make his homage when he should entre the boundes of hys kingdome Porus made aunswer that of those two requests he would parforme on which was to mete him at the entrey of his kingdome but that should be in armes with a powre Alexander therfore being determined to passe the riuer of Hidaspes Barzentes Barzentes that had bene author of the rebellion amonges the Arachosias was taken brought to him bound with .xxx. Elephantes which was an apt assistance againste the IndiaÌ„s that were wont to put more trust in those beasts then in the force of there own nacion Gamaxus Gamaxus king of a smale porcion of India which had coÌ„federat with Barzentes was brought likewise bounde vnto him Wherfore coÌ„mitting theÌ„ bothe to prison the ElephaÌ„tes to Omphs came vnto the riuer of Hidaspes But Porus lay in camp on the further side to let his passag hauing .iiii. score v. ElephaÌ„tes of huge strength of body CCC wagoÌ„s of war .xxx. M. fotemen amoÌ„ges whoÌ„ there were many archers whose shaftes as hath bene said before were more heuie then they could wel weld Porus him self did ride vpoÌ„ an ElephaÌ„t greater then all the rest who also being of a big stature apeared notable in his armour that was garnyshed wyth golde and syluer hauinge also a courage equall to the strength of his body and so great a wysedome as was possible to be found amonges such rude nacions The Macedons were not so muche afrayed wyth the sight of ther enemies The Riuer of Hydaâ—â—is as they were with the greatnes of the riuer that they had to passe which beinge .iiii. thousand furlonges in bredth and so depe that no ford could be found apeared to them lyke a great Sea And yet the largenes thereof mitigated nothing the violence of the streame but ranne wyth no lesse furye then if it had bene narowe apering by the reparcussioÌ„ of the water in many places to be ful of great stones in in the bottome This riuer being sufficient to feare them of it self the sight of the further banck ful of horse and men was an encrease of there terror Where the Elephantes that had bodies of vnreasonable greatenes stode in there sight being prouoked to
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
had directioÌ„ by Darius to take the hilles neither durste resiste suche as came against theÌ„ nor yet to coÌ„passe those about that were passed by theÌ„ but fled away at the first sight of the Slingers Which thing chaunsed wel for Alexander for it was the thing that he doubted moste that they from the higher grouÌ„d should inuade the open side of his battaille whiche lay vnflancked towardes them The Macedons marched xxxii in a raÌ„ke for the streightnes of the grouÌ„d would not suffer them to go any broder but by little and little as the playne betwene the mountaygnes began to enlarge so they had libertie both to make their battailles broder and also for the horsemen to marche vpon the sydes WheÌ„ both the battailes were come within sight togethers the Percians first gaue a terrible and rude shoute whiche was agayn doubled of the Macedons not with their nombre whiche were farre inferiour vnto the Percians but with the rebounde of the hilles and the rockes which doubled euery voice of theirs Alexander did ryde vp and downe before the frontes of his battailles makyng a sygne to his souldiours with his hand that they should not make ouermuche haste to ioyne with their enemies for bringing theÌ„selues out of breath And as he passed by The exhortacions that Alexander gaue vnto his souldiours he vsed to euery nacioÌ„ sondry exhortacions as he thought mete for their disposicions and qualitie He put the Macedons in remembraunce of their olde prowes and maÌ„hode with the noÌ„bre of battailles that they had wonne in Europe howe that they were come hether aswel by their own desires as by his conducte to subdue Asia and the vttermoste bondes of the Orient He shewed them to be the people that were ordayned to conquere the worlde to passe the boundes both of Hercules Bachus He declared that both Bactria and Inde should be theirs in respect of whiche the couÌ„treis that they had sene were but trifles yet were to be gotten all with one victory wherin he said their trauaile should not be in vain as it was in the baraine rockes of Illiria or in the mountaynes of Thrace but that in this coÌ„quest the spoyle of the hole Orient was offred vnto them For the getting wherof they should scarsely nede to occupie their wordes since the battailles of their enemies wauered so alredy for feare that with their approche only they should put theÌ„ to flight He reduced his father Philip vnto their memory how he coÌ„quered the AtheniaÌ„s with the couÌ„trey of Boetia where he rased to the ground the noble cytie of Thebes After that he made rehersall of the battail wonne at the ryuer of the Granik and of all the Cities that he had taken or that had bene youlden vnto hym with the countreis thei had passed through subdued When he came vnto the Grekes he desired them to call to mynd the greate warres that had bene made against their countrey in tymes past by the Percians First by the pride of the Xerxes and after by Darius who made destruction both by water and land in suche sorte that the riuers could not serue them of drinke nor the earth of victualles for to eate rehersyng also howe the Temples of their Goddes had bene by them poluted and put to ruen their Cyties ouerthrowen and the truces and promyses by them violated and broken that were confirmed both by deuine and humanie lawes When he was passed by the Illirians and Thracians whiche were accustomed alwayes to lyue vpon thefte and spoyle he had them behold their enemies whiche glistered with gold and bare no armour but spoyle fro them take He encouraged them to go forwardes like men and pluck the pray from those effeminat womeÌ„ to make exchaunge of their kraggie rockes and bare hilles alwaies full of snowe for the plentiful groundes and ryche landes of Perce The battal betwixt Darius and Alexander By the time he had made these exhortacions they were come within throwe of their dartes And Dariê° horsemeÌ„ gaue a fierce charge vpon the right hand battaille of the MacedoÌ„s For Darius desire was to trie the battaille by horsemen iudging as it was indede that the chiefest power of his enemies consisted in their square battaille of fotemeÌ„ So that the battaille where AlexaÌ„der was was brought to the point of enclosing about if he had not ê‘ceiued the same in time who coÌ„maunded two tropes of his horsemeÌ„ to kepe the top of the hill brought all the rest to the encounter of his enemies Then he coÌ„ueied the Tessalians horsmeÌ„ from the place where they stode to fight willing their captain to bring theÌ„ about behind the battailles there ioyning with Parmenio to do the thing manfully that he should appoinct theÌ„ By this the Phalanx of the MacedoÌ„s in maner enclosed about with their enemies fought notably on all partes but they stode so thick so were ioyned one to an other that there waÌ„ted scope to welde their dartes Thei were so miÌ„gled together that in castiÌ„g one letted another very few lighted vpoÌ„ the enemies with weake dintes the moste parte fel on the grouÌ„d without harme doing wherfore being enforced to ioyne haÌ„d for hand they valiauÌ„tly vsed the sworde Then there was great effusioÌ„ of bloud for both tharmies closed so nere that their harnes classhed together wepoÌ„ against wepoÌ„ foyned one at an others face with their swordes Ther was no place for the fearfull or the coward for to fle back but eche set his fote to other by fighting kept stil their place til thei could make their way bi force so always passed forwardes as they could ouerthrowe their enemies being weried and trauailed thus with fightyng they were euer receiued with freshe enemies suche as were wounded myght not parte out of the battaille as it hath bene sene els where their enemies assayled them so fierssy before and their fellowes thrust on so hard behind Alexander did that day not only suche thynges as pertained to a Captayne but aduentured himself as farre as any priuate souldier couetyng by al meanes to kill Darius whiche he estemed the greatest honour Darius did ride alofte vpon his chariot geuing great prouocation both to his enemies to assayle hym Oxatres Dariê° brother and for his own men to defend him As Oxatres his brother apeared moste notable amonges them all in his furniture and personage so in hardines and affection towardes the kyng he exceaded farre the rest specially in that case of necessitie For when he sawe Alexander aproche so nere he thruste in before Darius with the band of horsemen wherof he had the charge where as ouerthrowing diuerse he put many to flight But the Macedones swarmed so about the kyng and were in suche a courage by thexhortacioÌ„ that eche made to other that they charged againe vpon that band of horsemen Then apeared the slaughter lyke an ouerthrowe About the Chayre of Darius lay the moste
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
Tyron had nere drawn him beyond the bouÌ„des of the sonne Memnon Tyron But the warres he had in hande being of much more momeÌ„t theÌ„ any such idle peregrinacion gaue him no time to fulfill his fantasie And therfore apointed Aestylus a Rodyan Aestylus Pewcestes and Pewcestes a Macedon the gouernaÌ„s of Egipt And assigning to the .iiii. thousaÌ„d souldiers for defeÌ„ce of the Region gaue TolomaÌ„ .xxx. galles to keape the mouthe of Nile He made Posomus ruler of that parte of Afrik which ioyneth vnto Egipt and Cliomenes receyuer of the Tributes in both Contreis Clyomenes This newe Cytye was sone replenished wyth a great multitude for commandiment was giuen to all the Cyties theraboutes to send inhabiters vnto Alexandrey It is saide that when the kynge occordinge to the Macedones custume vsede the kyng according to the Macedons custome vsed the ceremony of steping barley at the making of the walles that the birdes came fed thereupon which being takeÌ„ of many for an vnlucky token it was aunswered by their deuiners that ther shuld be great resort of strauÌ„gers to that citie that it should giue norishement to many landes The Ryuer of Nyle As the king went down the riuer of Nile Hector Parmenio his soÌ„ne desirous to folowe him was drowned For the vessel sonke that caried him being pestred with ouer many meÌ„ He striued loÌ„g with the streame but his garmentes gaue impediment to his swimming so that his breath was nere gone before he could recouer the banke The death of Hector Parmenâ—os sonne wherfore want of succour he died Whose vnfortunate chauÌ„ce AlexaÌ„der toke greuously as one that did beare him speciall fauour therfore caused his body to be honorably buried The death of Andromachus lieutenaunt of Siria Andromachus burnid by the Samaritans whoÌ„ the SamaritaÌ„s had burned was encrease of AlexaÌ„ders sorow for the reuengemeÌ„t wherof he made al the halfe he might at his coÌ„ming into Samaria had the auctours of the acte deliuered into his handes whom he put to death then placed NemnoÌ„ in Andromachus rowme Methinians He deliuered into the MethiniaÌ„s handes Aristonicus Crisolaus that had vsurped amonges them whoÌ„ they after many greuous tormeÌ„tes did haÌ„g ouer their walles That done he gaue audieÌ„ce to the Embassadours of the Athenians the Rodians the Sciottis The Athenians did gratefie vnto hym his victory and required that such Grekes as were takeÌ„ prisoners might be restored to libertie The RodiaÌ„s and the Sciotes demaunded assistaunce of some guarrison he graunted to them all their requestes and restoryng to the Mytelens their pledges encreased their territorie and dominion in respecte of the fidelitie they shewed vnto hym and the money that they employed in the warres He gaue honour also according to their deseruinges vnto he kynges of Cipres whiche reuolted from Darius vnto him and had aided him with shippes at the siege of Tyre Amphoterus his admiral had coÌ„mission to driue the Percians out of the Isle Crete but specially that he shuld ridde the seas of the pirates whiche troubled and spoiled all the IlaÌ„des whiles these two princes conuerted their powers one against another When he had geuen order to all these thinges he did dedicate to Hercules at Tyre a greate standing pece and .xxx. bowles of gold Alexander Darius prepared to fight another battel That done he set his hole mynde and care vpon Darius causing it to be proclaimed that euery man should set forwardes towardes Euphrates But Darius vnderstanding that his enemy was gone through Egipt into Affrick stode in doubte whether he shuld stay about Mesopotania or withdrawe into the inward partes of his kyngdome iudging that he should be hable to worcke with those farre nacions in bringing of them forwardes to the warres that his lieftenaunt should not be able to doe yet when the fame had published and he vnderstode by assured aduertisement that Alexander was retourned out of Egipt and fully resolued to folowe him with all his power into what countrey soeuer he should go he then gaue order that the force of all the farre nations should drawe towardes BabiloÌ„ knowing the stoutnes of his enemy he had to match withal Thither resorted both Bactrians Scythians and Indians for the power of other countreys were come thether before And hauing the double nombre of men that he had before in Cilicia prepared much armour for them with diligeÌ„ce wherof many of them had want Both the horsemen and the horses were armed with plates of stele And such as before had no weapoÌ„s but dartes had swordes and bucklers geuen to them more And to encrease the power of his horsemeÌ„ deliuered many horses to be broken amoÌ„ges the footemen He had prepared also CC. wagons set with hokes whiche in those couÌ„treys were estemed thynges of great force and iudged to be a woÌ„derfull terrour to the ennemie they were made with greate loÌ„g pykes styking out before and with swordes set ouerwhart on both sydes The wheales were also full of Iron pikes ryght forth and of great hokes both vpward and downward wherewith all thyng was cutte a sondre that came in their waye When his people were thus furnysshed of armour and had prouided sufficiently for the warres he remoued from Babilon and kepyng the ryuer of Tygre on his ryght hand â–ª Tygre Euphrates and Euphrates on his lefte hand ouerspredde with his army all the playnes of Mesopotania After that he passed Tigre and vnderstandyng that his enemy was commyng at hand sent first Satrapaces before with a thousand chosen horsemen Satrapaces and afterwardes appointed syx thousand to Mascens to stop Alexander the passage of the Ryuer Masens Who had also in commission to waste burne all the couÌ„trey where he iudged that his enemies should come thynking to famyshe them with wante of victualles consyderyng that they had no other prouision but suche as they got by rauyne and by stelthe they themselues hauyng plenty brought them both by lande and by the ryuer of Tigre At length he came vnto a village called Arbella Arbella whiche was afterwardes famous by reason of his ouerthrowe There he lefte the chief furniture of his victualles and cariage Licus and made a brydge ouer the Ryuer of Licus and in fyue dayes conueyed ouer his army as he had done before ouer Euphrates passyng forewardes from thence about foure store forloÌ„ges He came vnto an other ryuer called Bowmello Bowmello and there encamped The countrey serued wonderfull well for the arrangyng of his battailles in the large playnes passable for horses euery where and without stubbes or shorte brushe to couer the ground withall but so free a prospect that the eye might decerne thynges a great waye of And if there appeared any hilles within the playne Darius caused thesame to be caste downe and the ground to be made smothe Suche as by coniecture made reporte to Alexander of Darius power coulde not be
geue If he would haue bene content to be second persone and not coueted to be equall with me I would peraduenture haue grauÌ„ted his request But as two sonnes cannot shyne on the earth at once so likewise two suche great kingdomes cannot be at one time in the world without the subuersion therof Therfore let him either this day yelde himself or els prepare himself against the morowes fight nor let him not ê‘suade himself to haue other fortune then he hath proued alredy The Embassadours replied that seing he was resolued to procede with warre he did royally in that he was plain and did not fode the furth with hope of peace their request was therefore that they might be dispatched to the kynge to warne him to prepare likewise for the warre When they returned they declared that Alexander was determined out of hand to trie the matter by battaille Wherefore Darius sent Mazeus out of hand with iii. M. horsemeÌ„ to kepe the passages whereby the Macedones should passe When AlexaÌ„der had perfourmed the funeralles of Darius wife leuyng with a small guarrison al such as were vnprofitable for the fight within the strength of his campe set forwardes towardes his enemies His footemen were deuided into two battailles empaled with horsemen on both sydes and his cariage went in the myddes Then he sent Medinas with horsemen vpon the spores to discouer where Darius was Who commyng within the viewe of Mazeus durst not passe any further but brought reporte that he could here nothing els but the noyse of men and neying of horses Mazeus likewyse discouered them and returned back to Darius declaring that his enemies were commyng Then Darius whose desire was to encounter his enemies in the playne and open fieldes The ordre of Darius battilles commaunded his men to armour and deuided them into two partes wherof the one marched on the left hand and the other on the ryght In the battaille on the left hande a M. of the Bactrian horsemen had the first place with the like noÌ„bre of Dahans and .iiii. M. Aracâ—osians and Susians after whiche band of horsemeÌ„ there folowed Bessus C. hoked wagons and behind theÌ„ Bessus with an other band of .viii. M. Bactrians horsemeÌ„ .ii. M. Massagetes The footemen of diuers nacioÌ„s came next in ordre of battaille not mixed together but eche contreymeÌ„ by themselues Ariobarzanes Ariobarâ—anes and Oribates had the gouernement of the Percians MardiaÌ„s and SogdiaÌ„s But their charge was deuided and Orsines that was come of the .vii. PerciaÌ„s of the bloud of noble king Cyrus had the rule of the whole Other nacions folowed whose names were scarsely knowen to their owne company Cradates Cradates was the next whiche hauing also fiftie hoked wagons placed a band of Caspians horsemen before them and behind them the Indians and other the inhabiters of the redde sea rather names of men then good assistauÌ„ce This square was empaled with fiftie wagons vnto the whiche the mercenary souldiers were ioyned After them folowed the men of Armeny the lesse then the Babilonians and next the Bellitans with suche as inhabite the Cossean mountaynes The Gortuans came next whiche sometyme folowed the MediaÌ„s out of Euboia but at those dayes degenerated from their countrey customes The Phrigians Cathonians and Parthians enclosed the tayle This was the battaille on the left hand In the battaille on the ryght hand were the people of the greater army the Cadusians CapadociaÌ„s SiriaÌ„s and medians who had fifty hoked wagons The some of his whole army was .xlv. M. horsemeÌ„ CC. thousand footemeÌ„ When they were placed in ordre of battaille they marched forewardes ten furloÌ„ges and they were commaunded to stay Whiles the PerciaÌ„s after that maner taried for their enemies theâ— fell a sodain feare amonges the Macedons wherof there apeared no cause yet euery maÌ„ was amased a certain bread entred into their hertes The lightening that fel out of the ayer being in the somer season semed like fier and the flames sodainly appearing were thought to come from Darius campe If Mezeus whiche was sent to obserue their comming had set vpon them whileâ— they were in this feare he might haue done theÌ„ some notable domage But he was â—lack to do his enterprice remained vpon the toppe of an hille coÌ„tentâ— that he was not assailed AlexaÌ„der perceiuing the terrour that was come amonges his men made a signe for them is stay and gaue ordre that they should warme themselues â–ª refreshe their bodies geuing them to vnderstand that there was no cause why they should so sodainly conceiue a feare seing their enemies were yet a good distaunce from them At length when he perceiued they had recouered their spirites he exhorted them both to receiue courage and to put on their armour But yet he thoughte nothing more expedient for the case present then to fortifie his campe in the same place The next daye Mazeus whiche had planted himselfe on a hygh hill from whence he might beholde his enemies campe either for feare or els because his commission was but only to discouer returned agayne vnto Darius Vpon his departure the MacedoÌ„s by and by tâ—ke the hille whiche he had forsaken the same being of more strength then the playne where they remayned before from whence he might beholde their enemies campe And though the miste whiche the moiste hilles did caste forth toke not away clerely the vse of the prospeâ— yet it letted them to deserue the deuision of their enemies barteles and ther ordre the multitude of whom ouerspreade the fyldes and the noyse of suche a nombre fylled there eares thoughe they wepe farre of Then Alexander began to reuolue in his heade and debase wyth hym selfe one while Peâ—menyos opynion and a nother tyme his owne For he was come so farforth that he could not retire excepte he were victoret with out the great destruccyon of hys Armye The multytude of hys enemyes moued hym muche in respect of hys small noumbre yet on the other parte he remembred what great actes he had don with them and howe many nacions he had vanquysshed So that hope surmountynge hys feare he thought it moste daunger of all to differ the battell any lenger leste desperacion might growe amongest hys men and therefore dissâ—mblyng the matter caused the Mercenarye horsemen and the Peones to passe on before and deuided hys Phalanx as it hath bene saied before into two battayles and empaled the same wyth horsemen on both sides By that tyme the mâ—ste auoyded and began to wax clere the ordre of ther enemies apearing manifestly The Macedones then whither it were of courage or for that they were impacient to tarie any lenger made such a shoute as men of warre vse when they ioyne in battel the like was also made by the Percians So that the woods and vaille is round about rebounded wyth the terryble sounde The MacedoÌ„es then coulde not absteine any lenger but woulde haue
therupon caused the â—â—ompettes to blowe to the battaille But when Parmenio continued â—â—ll in admiracion that he in suche a tyme could slepe so quietly It is no marueile quod Alexander when Darius burned the countrey â—â—sted the vyllages and destroyed the victualles I could then in no wyse be quiet But now what cause haue I of feare seyng he prepareth hymself to fyght He hath nowe fulfilled my desire resâ—â—te now where your charge lye and I wyll streyght â—lyes come to geâ—â—e ordre amonges you and reason this matter afterwardes He vse â— seldome to take his frendes aâ—uâ—e when my 〈◊〉 â—â— daunger was at hande when Parmenio was gone he armed himself and came forwardes amonges the souldiers Who seing him loke so thereful as they had not done before 〈◊〉 yued by the boldnes of his couÌ„tenaunce a certayne hope of the victory Then he caused the trenches of heâ— campe 〈◊〉 caste downe that the souldiers myght haue free passage forth and so did set his battailles in ordre The horsemen whiche they call Ageâ—a of whome Cliâ—us was Capitaine were set in the wynge of his ryght hand battaylle to whome he ioyned Philotas and other Capitaines The order that AlexaÌ„der vsed at the battaill of Arbella The laste hande of horsemen was Meâ—eâ—gers whiche went next vnto the square battaylle of footemen that the Macedons name Phalanx After the Phalanx those footemen went that he called Argyraspides Argiraspidâ— of whome Nycanour the sonne of Parmenio was Capitaine Cenâ—s with his hand was appoincted to be a relief â–ª Horestes and Lâ—ta 〈◊〉 next â—n ordre and after them Polyâ—arpâ—n that had the rule of the straungers Phâ—lagâ—â— had the rule of the Balacrâ—us And this was the ordre of Alexanders battaylle in the right hand wherof Amiâ—tas was chief In the left battaille Crâ—terus had the charge of the Peloperension horsemen and had with hâ—m also the bandes of the AtheiaÌ„s Locrensians and Moleâ—â—â—sians and the last trops were the horsemen of Lassalia vnder Philip their Capitaine Thus the horsemen couering the foote men made the front of the left battaylle And lefte thennemies through their multitude should enclose the battell about he planted a great force behinde for the relief of that matter and set a relief also vpon the winges not to front with the rest but vpon the sides to th entent that if the enemies atempted to compasse about the battailles that there should be redy to kepe them doing Those that occupied the places of relief were the Agrians of whome Attalus was capitayne and the archers of Crete ioyned vnto them suche as stode in the hinder partes of the battailles were ordred to turne their faces froÌ„ the frontwardes because that being in a redines euery waye the battailles in euery place should be of like force They whiche stode with their faces coÌ„trariwyse were the Illicians the mercinary souldiers with the ThraciaÌ„s that were lightly armed These his battailles were set so aptly to be turned euery way that such as stode in the hinder partes could not be enclosed about but myghte towardes eche parte make their front So the front the flankes and the hinder partes were also of like force When he had set his men in ordre after this maner he gaue commauÌ„dement that if the PerciaÌ„s should put forwardes vpoÌ„ them their hoked wagons with a crie or noyse that theÌ„ they should open their battailles and receyue theÌ„ with silence not doubting but that they should passe through without harme doing if no man did resiste them But if they should come without any shout or 〈◊〉 that then they themselues should make a crye 〈◊〉 fearâ— the horse withal and so with pâ—kes thrust them in on euery syde They which had the charge of the battailles were commaunded to extende them so muche in breadth as they myght leste by standing ouer close the myght be enuironed and yet not to stretche them so farre out to leue the places voyde or thinne in the middes The cariage and the prisoners amonges whom Darius mother was were set in the toppe of an hill wyth a small guarde about them The charge of the left battel was coÌ„mitted to Parmenio as was accustomed before time and Alexander him self was in thother When they were come nere together one Bion came flieng from the Percian campe in all the haste he could make and declared vnto the king that Darius had planted IroÌ„ galtroppes Where as he thought hys horsemen shoulde passe and by a certaine signe shewed him the place bicause it might be auoyded Alexander wylled the fugitiue to be keapt sauffe and assembled all hys captains together declaring the matter and exorting them to make their souldiers priuie to the daunger for eschewyng the place poynted out to them But all that were in so great an army could not hear the warning giuen the noyse of both armies takyng away the vse of the eares Alexanders exortacion to hys men But AlexaÌ„der riding betwixt the battels gaue exortacion to the Capitains and to all other that were within hearing He declared that ther was but one hasarde remayninge to them that had passed through so many couÌ„treis in hope of the vitorie which they were now ready to fight for TherupoÌ„ he reduced to their memorie the battelles they had fought at the Ryuer of Granike in the mountaynes of Cilicia and with what spede they had passed ouer both Siria and Egipt the rehersal wherof put them in great hope and pricked them forwardes to the desire of glory He shewed that the Percians being withdrawen again from their former flieng were now coÌ„pelled to fight of nesessitie bicause they could fle no further and how that thre days together amased for feare thei had remained still in one place wyth their armor on their backes Of whose dispaire he sayd there coulde be no greater argument then that they had set on fire their owne contrey confessing all to be their ennemies that they distroyed not He exhorted them not to feare the vaine names of vnknown nacioÌ„s as a thing nothing pertinent to the warre whych were called Scythians or Cadusians For that they were vnknown nacioÌ„s was the greatest tokeÌ„ that they were meÌ„ of no valour For that such as be valiaÌ„t meÌ„ could neuer be vnknown in the world And contrariwise dastards when they come forth of ther deÌ„nes bring nothing with them but names of men wher as you that be Macedons haue obtained by your vertue manhod that ther is no Contrey in the world ignoraÌ„t of your artes He willed theÌ„ to behold the euil order that was in their enemies host of whom some had no weapoÌ„ but a darte other a slinge to cast stones very few had such armour as thei ought to haue So that though there were a great nombre on the other parte yet he said thei had more on their side that should coÌ„e to hand strippes And that for his ê‘te he would not require any maÌ„ to adueÌ„ture hym self except
their name this nacion froÌ„ shame reproche Go fourth cherefully haue you good hope and se that you restore to your posteritie the glory you haue receiued of your elders Lo you cary now in your haÌ„des your libertie your help your hope in time to come Whosoeuer conteÌ„pneth death escaped death death ouertaketh suche as do flie froÌ„ death â–ª I ride here in a chariot not only for that it is my couÌ„trey custome â–ª but also that I may be sene of you al. And I desire nothing so muche as the ye will folowe me whether I shew you an ensample of proues or of cowardnes In the meane season whiles Alexander did couet to escue the place of parill that he was warned of enforced himselfe to encounter with Darius lefte battaill where he was in person The battail â—ught or â—rbella bewixt Alexaâ—der Darius was compelled to fetche a compasse about Whom wheÌ„ Darius perceiued he turned likewise his own battail towardes him willing bessus to apoint the Massagites horsemen to geu a charge on Alexanders left battaill He set before him his hoked wagoÌ„s which by a signe geuen brake out sodenly vpon their enemies with a full course to thintent that by their coÌ„ming vnbewares they might do the greater destruction The pikes that were set before in the wagons destroyed diuers many were torne a soÌ„dre by the houkes that were on both sides The Macedons gaue not place to theÌ„ by a little little but troubled their array with a mayn fute When Mazeus sawe their disordre he put theÌ„ in more feare and apointed out a thousand horsemeÌ„ to fetche a compasse about the MacedoÌ„s battailles to spoyle their cariage supposing that the prisoners which were there kept would breake their baÌ„des wheÌ„ they shuld see their own nacioÌ„ approche Parmenio which was in the left winge perceiued this matter well therfore sent by by Polidamas vnto Alexander to shewe him the daunger and know his pleasure what he would haue done When he vnderstode the case by Polidamas Go thy way qd he and shewe Parmenio if we wynne the battaill we shall not only recouer again our own but shal haue also the spoyle of our enemies Therfore I would not that any parte of our force should be remoued from the maine battell but let him fight it out manfully and not regarde the losse of baggage wherin he shal obserue the honour of me my father Philip whose custome was to do the like In the meane season the Percians were entred amonges the cariages had slam diuers that were left in their defence wherupon the prisoners began to lose themselues and taking vp whatsoeuer came to hande toke parte with the horsemen sharply assailed the MacedoÌ„s Diuers were so ioyful that they ranne to beare tidinges to Sisigambis howe Darius had wonne the victory and had ouerthrowen his enemies to their great slaughter and also that all their cariage was wonne thynkyng the lyke fortune had bene euery where seyng they sawe the Percians fall to spoyle And although they exhorted Sisigambis that she should leue her heuynes and reioyse yet she continued in thesame estate she was in before not speaking one worde nor chauÌ„ging collour nor couÌ„tenaunce but sat stil immouable She was so ouercoÌ„e as it was thought with sodain ioye that she durst not sturre nor atteÌ„pte fortune for suche as did behold her could not perceiue whiche way she was enclined In the meane season Amyntas Amyntas that was maister of the horse to Alexand came with a fewe bandes of horsemen to sucrour the carriages but vncertain it was whither he did it of his own head or by the kinges apointmeÌ„t He was not able to endure the force of the Cadusians Scithians for scarsly attempting the skirmishe he was driuen back fled again vnto AlexaÌ„der being rather a witnes of the losse of the cariage theÌ„ a rescuer of thesame The grief that Alexander conceiued of this matter ouercame the purpose he toke before feared not without cause lest the souldiers through the carfulnes to recouer their own might leaue the fight resort toward their bagage he sent therfore Aretes captein of the spearemeÌ„ that were named Sarissopheros against the Scythes Aretes By this time the hoked wagons whiche had somwhat troubled the forefront were come within the square whiche the Macedons cal Phalanx yet the souldiers neuer shroÌ„k at the matter but receiued theÌ„ into the middes of their battail where as ioyning theÌ„selues close together they stode like a wal on both sides â–ª thrusting their pikes into the bowels of the horses ran about the wagoÌ„s throwing downe such as stode in theÌ„ at defence The whole battaill was entaÌ„gled troubled with the ruyne killing of the horses suche as gouerned theÌ„ They could not rule their horses when they were once gualled hurt whiche with muche leaping strugling not only brake out of their trace but also ouerthrewe the wagons drawing at their tailes the meÌ„ that were slayn neither being able to stande still for the feare they were in nor yet go forwardes beyng so fainte of their woundes yet a fewe of them passed through the battaille wherby such as the wagons did lite vpon were myserably stayne lyeng vpon the ground with their members cut in sondre yet because that through the grenesse of their wouÌ„des they felt litle payne they kept their weapons still notwithstaÌ„ding they were maimed without strength till suche tyme as by continuall bleadyng they soncke downe dead Aretes in the meane tyme had slayne the capitaine of the Scythians that were spoyling of the cariages and repulsed them back But streight way came the Bactrians by Darius sendyng and turned the fortune of the field agayne Many MacedoÌ„s were slayne at the first encountrey but more fled vnto Alexander Then the Percians made suche a showte as men are wont to do that wynne the victory and fiersely assayled their enemies thinkyng that they had in euery place bene put to flyght When Alexander perceyued his men shrinke he rebuked suche as he sawe afrayed and encouragyng very many that he sawe alone restored the battaille that began to faynt geue ground When he had put them in harte he required them to presse forwardes and go on frely against their enemies When Alexander perceyuing that the Bactrians were departed to the defeating of the cariages and by their going had left the right hande battaille of Darius thinne naked he bent his force wholy that way and there made a wonderfull slaughter and destructioÌ„ of his enemies whiche by reason of their lose array were not able to withstand him The Percians in the left wynge seing this thing were in hope to haue enclosed Alexender about and came forwardes to set vpon his backe parte wherby greate daunger had ensued to him beyng enuironed both before and behind If the Agrians had not put their spurres to their horses and
Some toke the way that came next to hand a nother sort fled vnto the woods and sought out by pathes to escape such as folowed after them Ther was a confusion of horsmē footemē mixed togither without any head the armed with the vnarmed and the whole wyth the hurte At length the compassion that one had of an other was turned into feare and they that could not folow were lefte bewailing themselues one to another But thirest chieflie afflicted the wounded and weried which laye alōg euerie where in the waies where any water was gasping after it with open mouth And when for gredines they had gulled in the troubled water they began to swell when the mudde ones entred into their entrayles And bienge thus not in case to moue the enemie came and sturred them vp with new wounds Some when the brookes nere hand were taken vp by other sought out for springes in euery secret place Nor their was no puddle so drie nor so farre out of the way that could be hidden from the thirest of them that serched them out The olde men and women were hard howling and crieng in all the villages nere the waies side how Darius was yet their kinge Alexander as it hath bene saied before staieng the chase was come to the Riuer of Licus where as the multitude of the fliers was greater then could passe the bridge So that many when their enemyes pursued them lept into the water and their laden wyth their armour and weried wyth fightyng and flienge were consumed wyth the streame But within a while neither the bridge nor the riuer were hable to receyue the companies that continually encreased by their vndiscret flieng For when feare was once entred into their hartes they doubted only that which put them first in feare The Macedōs were eger in the pursute of their enemies ▪ and required Alexāder that he would not suffre their enemies to escape fre away But he to stay them alledgid that their weapons were dull their hādes weried their bodies faint with long pursute and that the daye drue towards night But in veraie dede the care of his other battail which he thought to be yet fighting caused him to returne to their socour He had not so sone turned his ensignes but the certaine horsmē brought him worde from Permenio that the victory was wōne also on their part He was not in so great a daūger al that day as whē he was cōming towards his cāpe The daungier Alexander was in at his returne from the chase For there were but fewe that folowed him and those out of ordre as men that reioising of the victorye iudged all their enemies either to be fled or slaine in the field then sodēly ther appered a band of horsemē of the contrary parte coming against thē which at the first staied but afterwardes perceiuing the small nombre of the Macedōs gaue a charge vpō thē The king rode formoste rather disimuling ▪ then despising the perill he was in but his perpetual felicitie neuer failed him in extremities For at the first encountre he stracke thorough with a speare the captaine of the Percians who in egernes of the fight vnaduisedly came agaynst hym Whē he through his stroke was fallen to the ground ▪ Alexāder slewe the next to him with the same weapō ▪ and after diuers other wherewith his company seing the Percians amased bracke vpon them and threwe many to the earthe yet they for their partes were not vnreuenged ▪ for the whole battaill did not so ernestly fyght as that small bande assembled so by chaunce But at lengthe when they sawe that flyenge in the darke should be more suretie to thē then fighting shocked away in diuers companies Alexander hauing escaped thys extraordinarie perill brought hys men in saufegarde vnto his campe There were slayne of the Percians The nobre of the dead whiche came to the knowledge of them that had the victory .xl. M. and of the Macedons lesse then iii. C. whiche victory Alexander wan more by his own vertue then by any fortune and with hardines courage more then through any aduantage of the ground For he both ordred his battailles politikely and fought manfully With greate wysdome he contemned the losse of the bagage cōsideryng the weight of the whole matter to consist in the battaille it self Whiles the fortune of the field was yet doubtfull he vsed hymself as assured of the victory And when he had put his enemies in feare he cessed not till he had set them flyeng and that whiche scarsely can be beleued in that fiersenes of spirite he pursued in the chase more wisely then gredely For if he should haue folowed on still parte of his powre yet fighting in the field he shuld either haue lost the battaylle through his owne fault or els haue wonne the victory through the prowes of other men Or if after he had gottē the victory he had shewed him selfe afrayed of the horsemen that he met he must either haue shamefully fled or haue bene miserably slain Nor his capitains were not to be defrauded of their cōmendacion For the woundes that they did receyue were tokens of their manhode Ephestions arme was wounded with a spere Perdicas Cenos and Menidas with shot of arrowes were nere slayne And if we will geue a true iudgement of the Macedons that were there we muste confesse that he was a kyng worthy such ministers and they men worthy of suche a maister ¶ The fifte boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedonie IF I shall make mencion of the matters that chaunsed in the meane season both in Grece Iliria and Thracia by the appointment and commission of Alexander in order as they fell the matters of Asia shuld therby be interrupted which I thought most cōuenient to put wholy together vntil the death of Darius and then to ioyne them in thys worke as they agre with the tyme. Darius wordes to them that were fledde from the felde I will firste speake of those thinges that ensued after the battayll at Arbella where Darius arriued about midnight And as it chaunsed the more parte of his fryndes and of all other that were escaped from the felde were come thither he called them all togither and made an oracion to this effect That he doubted not but Alexander and his men gaping with gredy desire for the haboūdance of spoyle that was in redines for them would visite suche cities and cōtries of his as were moste notable plentiful of riches which thing he said considering his estate ▪ could not but turne at length to his auaill Hys purpose was nowe with a small band to repayre into the desertes And seing the vttermoste partes of his kingdōe were yet vntouched he should from thēce easely repayre hys powre agayne to renue the warre Let therefore that gredy nacion qd he take my treasure and satisfie their great hunger with gold which shortly
before Philotas also who with Policarpō Cenos and Amyntas were gone the other waye arriued at the same tyme and gaue a further terror vnto their enemies Whē the Perciēs sawe ther enemies agreing in al partes at on s though they were so opprest wyth their sodaine inuasion that at the fyrst they were in doubt what to do yet at length they assembled to githers and fought notably Necessitie styring vp the faintnes of theyr hartes For oftentymes dispaire is cause of mennes good hope They being vnarmed closed with them that were armed and wyth the weyght of their bodies drewe their enemies to the earth and killed diuers with their owne weapōs Arriobarzanes with fourty horsemen fiue thousand footemē that kept about his persone brake through the battaill of the Macedons to the great slaughter both of his owne men and of his enemies by makyng of haste recouered Persepolis the chief citie of the countrey But when he was excluded from thence by them that were within he renued againe the fight with such as were with him so was slayne by the time Craterus that made all the spede he could deuise was come vnto them Alexander fortefied his campe in thesame place where he did disconfite his enemies For though they were all fled and he certaine of the victory yet because he found his way stopped in many places with great and deape diches he thought good to vse circumspection and not to make ouer great haste not so muche for feare of his enemies force as of the nature of the ground whiche he sawe apt for them to worke policie against hym As he was passing forwardes he receyued letters from Tyrydates the keaper of Darius treasure Tyrydates sygnifieng that the inhabiters of Percepolis hearyng of his cōmyng were about to spoyle the treasure and therfore he should make haste to preuent the matter for the way was ready enough notwithstāding that the ryuer of Araxes was in his way There was no vertue in Alexander more commendable then his celeritie whiche he shewed in this matter for leuyng his footemen behynd trauayled all nyght with his horsemen and by the daylyght came to the ryuer of Arapos There he found villages at hande wherof the tymber they brake downe of the houses a brydge was made in a moment by the helpe of stones whiche were layde in the foundacion When Alexander was passed the riuer and came nere vnto the cytie a company met him so miserable as seldome haue bene found in any memory the same were Grekes to the nombre of .iiii. thousande whome the Percians before time had taken prisoners afflicted with diuers kyndes of tormētes For of them some had their feete cut of some their handes other their eares but all were marked in the flesh with hote yrons Whō the Percians mayming deforming after this maner had kept reserued amōges them as a memory of the despite towardes the nacion But when thei sawe that they should become vnder the obediēce of another prince they suffred the Grekes to mete Alexāder Thei appeared rather to be the Images of some straunge mōsters then of mē For nothing could be decerned or knowen in them but their voice The compassion of their wretched estate caused the beholders to let fall no fewer teares then they did thēselues For it could not appeare whiche of thē were moste miserable though their afflictions were diuers But whē they cried out before Alexāder that Iupiter the reuēger of Grece had opened their eies in beholding him that shuld deliuer thē they iudged then all their grefes as one Alexander wiped the teares from his eyes and willed them to be of good chere for that they shuld both see their countrey and their frendes he encamped in thesame place where he mette thē being two forlōges from Persepolis Persepolis The Grekes drue themselues together to consult what was beste for them to demaūde of Alexander and when some were of opiniō to aske dwelling places within Asia others had more minde to retourne vnto their coūtreis Entemeons oracion Entemeon Cimeus spake thus vnto them We that were euen nowe ashamed to shew our heades out of the prison darkenes we were in to make suite for our own aide and relief or become of such simplicitie that we presently desire to shew vnto Grece as a pleasant spectacle our infirmities maimes wherof we haue as much cause to be ashamed as to be sorowfull you must thinke that suche beare their miseries best which can finde the meanes to hide them moste that there is none so familier a countrey to mē that be vnfortunate as solitarines and forgetfulnes of their former estate For they whiche make an accōpt of their frendes pitie compassion know not howe sone their teares wil drie vp no creature can loue faythfully whome they abhorre For as calamitie of his nature is querelous so felicitie is always proude euery one doth vse to cōsider his own fortune when he determineth of an other mans For except we had all bene in mysery one of vs long ago had bene wery of an other What meruayle is it then though men infelicitie seke always their equalies My opinion is therfore that we as mē whiche long ago were as dead in this lyfe seke vs a place wherein we may hyde our maymed members and where exyle may hyde our horryble scarres For if we shall retourne vnto our countrey beyng in this case we cannot be but vngrateful to our wyues whom we maried young shall our chyldren shall our brethren acknowledge vs beyng prison slaues and though all thynges should there succede as we would wyshe yet there be but a small nombre of vs able to trauayll through so many countreys Howe is it possible for vs that be here banysshed into the vttermoste bondes of the Orient aged impotent and maymed to suffre those thynges whiche haue tyred men then were in force and victorious It is to be axed what shal become of our wyues whome chaunce and necessitie hathe gotten vnto vs here for the only comforte of our prisonement what shall we do with our children we haue begotten here take them with vs or leue them behinde vs If we returne with suche as we haue here none of those in Grece will acknowledge vs and shall we then be so madde to leue those comfortes we haue already being vncertayne whether we shall come to those that we seke or no Verely muche better it were for vs to hyde our selues amonges them whiche haue bene acquainted with vs in our mysery These were Eutemon wordes Theatus wordes But Theatus of Athens reasoned to the contrary There is no creature qd he in whome remaineth any sparke of goodnes that will esteme vs by our outward shape seyng that our calamitie is not come of nature or by our own deseruyng but through misfortune and our enemies crueltie and suche as be ashamed of fortunes chaunses are well
courage and fidelitie towardes me So that I for my parte ought rather labour to seme worthy to haue suche frendes as you are then to doubte whether ye yet remaine thesame men towardes me that ye were before For of so many thousandes that were vnder myne empire you are those that haue folowed and sticked by me When I haue bene twyse ouerthrowen in the field twyse enforced to flye away your fidelitie your constancy maketh me thinke that I remayne still a kyng Traitours and fugitiues reigne in my cyties not for that they be thought worthy of suche honour but that you myght be prouoked by their rewardes to reuolte against me Notwithstanding you haue chosen rather to folowe me in my misfortune then be partakers of the victorers felicitie you are worthy whome the Goddes shall reward if I may not as vndoubtedly they wyll There can no posteritie be so silent nor no fame so vngrateful which shal not with due coÌ„mendacioÌ„s extolle you to the sterres Though I was determined still to haue fled whereuÌ„to my harte neuer agreed yet now I haue conceyued suche a truste of your vertue and man hode that I purpose to passe against myne enemies Howe long shall I be banisshed within myne own dominion from a straunge and a forein prince and flye within the boundes of myne owne kingdome when I may by hasarding of the battaill either recouer that I haue loste or els dye an honest death Except peraduenture it semeth better to some meÌ„ that I should submit myself to enemies will and by thensample of Mazens and Mithrenes to receiue by peticion the dominion of some one nacion Wherin I iuge that Alexander had rather folowe thinclinacyon of his glorie then of hys wrath No let the gods neuer graunte that it may lye in any mans powre eyther to take awaye or gyue vnto me thys Deadeame vpon my hede nor that I lose this Impire so longe as I remaine on liue For in this I am determined that my breath and my kingdome shall end both togither If this mynd remayne in you and if thys lawe be graffed in your hartes their is none of you that can want libertie their is non that shal be coÌ„pelled to endure the vrkesomnes of your enemies neither their proud porte nor their stately lokes For euery mans ryght hand shall giue vnto hym self either a reuenge or an end of all thes euils Nothing can stand long in one stay I my selfe am ensample of the alteracion of fortune nor it is not without cause that I loke for a better change And if the worst fall that the gods wyll neds be againste vs in our warres that be lauful and honeste yet it cannot be taken from vs but that we may alway manfully and honestly dye I require and make intercession to you by the honor of our predecessors that with suche fame and glory possessed the kingdomes of the hole Orient by those meÌ„ to whoÌ„ Macedon sometyme was tributarie by so many nauies of ships sent into Grece and by so many victories wonne that ye wyll take suche courage and hart vnto you as may seme worthy your nobilitie and your nacion So that with the same constancie of minde wherwith ye haue endured thinges paste ye wyll proue and attempte what soeuer chaunge send to you hereafter For I am resolued for my part to get my self perpetual fame either by the victorie or by the notable aduenture I will giue for the wynning therof When Darius had spoken theis wordes the representacion of the present perill so amasyd them all that they were not able either to shew there aduise or to speake a worde to the matter Artabazus til such tyme as Artabazus the moste auncient of his frendes which before tyme had bene wyth king Philip began to say hys fancie We are come into the felde qd he with you that is our king in our moste precious apparell and richest armoure â–ª with the entent to win the victorie and if nessessitie require not to refuse death To whose wordes the reste with ther voice seamed to agre Sauing Nabarzanes who being present in that counsell wyth Bessus and of hys opynion conspired a treasoÌ„ so wonderful that the like hath seldome ben hard of before Their determinacion was by force of the souldiers they had vnder their charg to put ther kinge in hold Wyth this purpose that if Alexander pursued them to deliuer him then aliue into his haÌ„des for to wynne therby his fauor as a thing which they thought he would esteame greatly But if they coulde escape conueniently then they were in mynde to kyll Darius and deuiding the kyngdome betwixt them renue againe the warre againste the Macedons They hauing imagened this treasoÌ„ long before in their mind Nabarzanes thoughte this an occasion to make a preparatiue to his wicked intent by a persuasion which he their vttered Nabarzanes wordes I knowe qd he that I shall speake the thing which in the firste apparaunce shall not be grateful vnto your eares but phesicions vse to cure deseases that be greate with sharpe bitter medycines and the shipmaisters wheÌ„ they fear a shipwrack accustume to redeame such thinges as may be saued with the distruction and losse of the reste But thys matter that I meane is no parsuasion to losse but a deuice by what meanes ye may preserue your self your kingdome We make a warre wherin the gods seme manifestly to be against vs and fortune ceaseth not obstinatly to pursue vs. It is nedefull therfore that we lay new fouÌ„dacions seke out men which haue other fortune My opinion is therefore that you deliuer vp your kingdom vnto some maÌ„nes haÌ„des which shal haue the name of king so longe as your enemies remaine within Asya And when they be once departed which my minde geueth me to be shortly he shal restore the same vnto you againe The countrey of Bactria is yet vntouched the Indians Saeans be at your apointement so many people so many armes so many thousandes of horsemen fotemeÌ„ haue their force in redines to renue this warre again So that a muche greater force remaineth then that which is coÌ„sumed Why do we then like beastes wilfully runne to a distruction that is not necessary It is the ê“pertie of such as be men of courage rather to dispise death then hate the life and oftentymes by werines of trauayll towardes are driuen to take little regarde of them selues But vertue leaueth nothing vnprouided So that death beynge the ende of all thynges it is sufficient if we god not to yt lyke sluggardes Therefore if we shal go vnto Bactria which is now our next refuge let vs for the times sake make Bessus king who is alredy ruler of the countrey wheÌ„ the matters be once brought to some staie he shal restore to you thempire againe as to the righteouse king Although Darius ê‘ceiued not the greatnes of the mischief that laye hidden vnder hys wicked wordes yet
accustomed honour of his nobilitie TheÌ„ thei came to the countrey of Parthenia Parthenia then being but obscure vnknowen but now the head of all those countreis which lie vpon Tigre Euphrates be bouÌ„ded with the read seas This countrey being frutefull haboundaunt of al thinges was taken by the Scithians whiche possessing part both of Asia Europe be troubleous neyghbours to them both They which inhabite vpoÌ„ the Bospheron sea Baspheron are ascribed to be in Asia And such as be in Europe possesse the couÌ„treis lieng on the lefte side of Thracia so far as Boristhenes Boristenes froÌ„ thence right furth so farre as the ryuer of Tanais that parteth Europe Asia It is certain that the Sythes of whom the Percians be descended came not from Bospheron but out of Europe There was a noble cytie in those daies called Atomphilos builded by the Grekes Atoâ—philos where Alexander remained with his army conuoieng vittels thether from all partes A tumulte that rose vpon a rumour Amonges the souldiers lieng there in idlenes there did rise sodainly a rumour that enterid into their heades without any certain auctour or beginniÌ„g The rumor was how that Alexander satisfied with the actes he had done purposed immediatly to returne into Macedon This fame was not so sone sowen abrode but that they ran like madde men to their lodginges and trussed vp their baggage and their stufa making such preparacion to depart that euery man iudged warning had bene geuen to remoue and that the thing had bene done by appointmeÌ„t The tumult that rysse in the caÌ„pe by lading of cariages the calling that one made vnto another came vnto the kynges eares This rumour obtained the soner credite by the dispatche of certain Greke souldiers whom AlexaÌ„der had dismissed into their couÌ„trey with the gift of .vi. thousand deneres to euery horseman wherupon they toke occasion to thinke that the warre had bene at an ende Alexander whose purpose was to passe into India and the vttermoste bandes of the orient was no lesse afraied of this matter then the case required And therefore called before him the capteins of his army And with the teares in his eies made a great complaint vnto them that in the middle course of his glorie should thus be pulled back and compelled to returne into his countrey rather as a man vainquished then as a victor Whiche misfortune he saide he could not impute to his souldiers nor iudge in theÌ„ any cowardnes to giue impedimeÌ„t to his procedinges but that it was only the enuie of the goddes which put so sodeine a desire of their countrey into the mindes of valiaunt men that within a while should haue returned with great glory and fame Therupon they al promised him to trauaill in reformation of the matter offeringe them selues in al thinges were they neuer so difficult to do as he would haue them And they promised also the obedience of the souldiers if so be that he would make some gentle apt oracion to pacefie them which were neuer yet sene departe from him in any desperacion or disturbaÌ„ce of mind if they once beheld the cherfulnes of his couÌ„tenauÌ„ce and the courage that proceded from his harte He promised that he would so do required at their handes to prepare in the multitude an aptnes to gyue eare vnto hym When all thinges were prepared which were thought expedient for the purpose he assembled all his armye togither and made this oracion vnto them Alexanders oracion vnto the souldiers When ye consider my souldiers the greatnes of the actes which ye haue done the manifolde conquestes that ye haue made it is no merueill at all though ye be enclined to the desyer of quietnes and fully satisfied with fame and glorye For leuing to speake of the Illirians Triballes of Boetia Thracia Sparta of the Acheians Peloponesians whom I haue subdued part in persone the rest by my apointmeÌ„t I will not make rehersal of the warre we began at Hellespont and how we deliuered froÌ„ the intollerable seruitude of the Barbarians nations Ionas and Aeolides and got vnto our possessioÌ„ both Caria Lydia Cappadocia Phrigia Paphlagonia Pamphilia Pisides Cilicia Siria Phenices Armenia Perce Mede and Parthenia We haue gotten more couÌ„treis then other haue taken cities yet I am sure the multitude of them haue caused me to leue some of theÌ„ vnrehersed If I could thinke that the possession of these landes that we haue coÌ„quered in so short time could remain sure vnto vs theÌ„ my souldiers I would though it were against your willes breake from you to visite my house and my home to see my mother my sisters my countreymen to enioy there the laude glory that I haue gotten with you Where as the ioyfull conuersacion of our wifes our children pareÌ„tes peace quietnes a sure possession of thinges gotten through our valiauntnes do tary for vs as large rewardes of our victory But if we wil coÌ„fesse the truth this new empire whiche we haue not yet at coÌ„maundement but is kept as it were by way of entreaty doth require a time that this stiffe necked people may learne to beare our yoke framing their disposicioÌ„s to a more humanitie bring their cruell nature to a more ciuill coÌ„uersacion Do we not see that the corne in the field axeth a time for his riping and though the same be without sence yet hath it his course to be brought to perfection Do you beleue that so many nacions not agreing with vs in religion in customes nor in vse of tongue accustomed to thempire and name of an other man will be conquered and brought to subiectioÌ„ with the wynning of one battail No trust me they be kept vnder with the feare of our powre and do not obey vs of their owne good willes And they whiche shewe you obedience when ye be here amonges them when you be absent wil be your enemies â–ª you must thinke that ye haue to doe with wilde beastes whiche being fierse of nature wheÌ„ they be first taken must be shut vp and tamed with tyme. Hetherto I haue reasoned with you as though we had conquered the hole dominion that perteyned to Darius which is nothyng so For Nabarzanes possesseth Hircania and the traitour Bessus not only enioyeth Bactria but also threateneth vs. The Sogdians Dahans Massagetes Sagans and the Indians remayne yet in their owne libertie and iurisdiction whiche shall not see our backes so sone turned but they will followe vs in the tayles They all haue a certayne frendshyp and amitie one with an other but we be all straungers and foryners vnto them There is no creature but that will more gladly be obedient to rulers of his own nacion then to foryners be their gouernement neuer so terryble We are dryuen of necessitie therefore to wynne that we haue not or els to lose that we haue all redy gotten As phisicions in sick
in Macedon He gaue his suster in mariage to Attalus then whome I had neuer greater enemye When by reason of olde frendship and familiaritie I wrote to hym of the title geuen to me by the oracle of Iupiter Hammon he did not stick to aunswere that he was very glad that I was admitted into the nombre of Goddes howbeit very sory for those that should liue vnder suche oâ—eâ— as woulde oxâ—â—de the state of a man These were playne tokens that his harte was turned from me and that he â—pitedony glory Whiche I kept close in my hart so long as I myght For I thought my bowels pulled from me if I should make a litle store of them for whome I had done so muche But now it is not their wordes that must be punished for the rashenes of their toÌ„gues is turned to swordes whiche if ye beleue me Philotas hath whâ—tted to my destruction Whome if I should suffer to escape alas my souldiers whether should I go to whom should I commit my person He was the man that I made generall of my horsemen of the greatest part of myne army of all the noble yong gentlemen To his trouth fidelitie haue I committed my saueguarde my truste victory His father did I preserue vnto the same estate wherunto you aduaunced me Media then whiche there is not a richer countrey with many thousandes of your frendes and fellowes I haue put vnder his gouernaunce and aucthoritie Where I trusted of moste surty there found I moste perill Howe muche more happy had I bene to haue died in battell and rather slayne of myne enemies then thus betrayed of my subiectes For now being saued froÌ„ the daungers that I moste feared I haue fallen into those that I ought to haue doubted lest You haue bene wont often times to warne me that I should regard my surtie It is you that may make me sure of that that you couÌ„seil me To your handes to your succour I fle I would not liue though I might agaiÌ„st your willes though you wold yet can I not except I be deliuered from these my enemies Hereupon Philotas was brought furth in an old garment his haÌ„des bound behind his back It wel appeared how much this miserable sight moued theÌ„ whiche late before enuied him The daye before they sawe him generall of the horsemeÌ„ they knew that he was at supper with the king sodainly they sawe him both prisoner bound like a thefe also coÌ„dempned to dye So did it pity their hartes to coÌ„sider how Parmenio so noble a maÌ„ so great a captain which late hauing lost two of his sonnes Hector Nicanor shuld be put to answer absent with the third sonne whoÌ„ euell fortune had left him The multitude being thus enclined to pitye Amintas one of the kinges officers Amyntas tale with a cruel tale set them all against the prisoner we be all qd he betrayed to the barbarous nacioÌ„s none of vs shal returne home to his couÌ„trey wife nor freÌ„des but as a maymed body without an head without honour without fame in a straunge countrey shal be a mocking stock to our enemies His tale was nothing pleasauÌ„t to the king because he put the souldiers in remeÌ„braunce of their wifes couÌ„trey wherby he thought they would be the lesse willing to go forwardes in his warres There was one Cenus which though he had maried the suster of Philotas Cenus yet did he more extremely â—â—uay againste hym then any other calling hym traitour against his kyng to his countrey to the whole army And therupoÌ„ toke vp a stone that by chaunce laye at his feete to haue cast at Philotas which he dyd as some thought to th ende he might rid him from racking But the king kepte backe his hand said that the prisoner should haue libertie to speake for him self would not suffre him to be coÌ„dempned otherwise Then Philotas being admitted to speak were it through the coÌ„science of his offence or through the greatnes of his perill as a maÌ„ astonied and besides him self durste neither loke vp nor speake but burste out into teares Wherupon his hart fainted and he swowned downe vpon those that ledde him But afterwardes when he had wiped his eyes and by little and little recouered his hart and tonge he made countenaunce to speake What tyme the kinge beheld hym and said The Macedons shal be thy iudges I woulde knowe therefore whither thou wilt speake vnto them in thy countrey language or not to whom Philotas aunswered There be diuers nacions here besides the Macedons which as I trust shall perceiue my wordes the better If I vse the same language that you did bicause the moe myght vnderstand your tale Then said the kinge marke howe this man hath his owne Countrey tonge in hatred for ther is none but he that will dysdaine to speake it but let him say what he will so long as you remembre that he not onely disdayneth our custumes but also our language And with that word the king departed from thassemble Then saied Philotas The aunswere of Philotas It is easy for an innosent to finde words to speake but it is very hard for a maÌ„ in misery to keape a temperaunce in his tale Thus standyng betwixt a cleare coÌ„science most vnhappie fortune I know not in what wise I shal satisfie my self the time both togither For he that might beste haue iudged my cause is gone what the cause is he would not here me I cannot well imagen sith vpon the matter heard it lieth onely in his haÌ„des both to discharge coÌ„demne me For the matter not heard he can not acquite me beyng absent since he coÌ„deÌ„pned me wheÌ„ he was here preseÌ„t But not withstanding that the defence of a prisoner is not only superfluous but also hatefull which semeth not to enforme but to reproue the iudge Yet wil I not forsake my self nor so do that I shal seme coÌ„dempned by mine owne defaulte I se not of what treason I shoulde be gilty emong the coÌ„spiratours no man named me Nichomacus saied nothing of me Ceballinus could not tel more of me then he heard And yet doth the king beleue that I should be head of this conspiracye Was it possible that Dymnus should forget to name him that was chefe or is it likely that he wold haue ouerslipped me wheÌ„ the names of the conspirators were demaunded of him he would rather haue named me falsely to alure the yong man the soner to his opinion yet when he tolde the matter priuely to Nichomacas which he beleued verilye would haue kept it secrede namyng hym selfe and all the rest of me only he made no mencion wherin it can not be gathered that he omitted me for bicause he woulde haue spared me I â—raye you my felowes if no man had come to me noâ—geâ—â—en me knowledge of the matter should I this day haue bene put to answere wheÌ„ no man could haue accused
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
affirmed their original to come of Bacchê° who in dede builded their city at the fote of a mouÌ„taine called Meroe The mouÌ„te Meroe The qualitie of whiche mountaine being reported to Alexander by thinhabiters he sent vittels before passed thether with his whole armye ascendyng vp to the toppe The mountayne grew ful of vynes Iuie aboundyng with sprynges that flowed out in euery place The same was also pleÌ„tiful of many kindes of Apples of most pleasaunt taste the ground also brought forthe corne without any cultiuation There grew also pleÌ„ty of Laurell trees with many kind of wild frute I caÌ„ not impute it to any mâ—cion of religioÌ„ but rather to pleÌ„ty and wantonnes that caused theÌ„ to repaire thither wherof the Iuye and the vyne leaues they made them selfes garlandes and ran vp and downe after a dissolute maner all the holowes and valeyes there about rebounding with the voice of so many thousandes calling vpoÌ„ Bacchus to whom that place was dedicate Which licence and libertie begonne a fewe was spredde sosodeinly through out the hole armye that the souldiers scatered abrode wythout ordre lay heare and there reposing them selues vpon the grasse and leaues they had gathered togither as it had bene in a time of quiet and moste assured peace Whiche lycensiousnes of the souldiers rising by chaunce Alexander dyd not withstand but ten daies togither made feastes to Bacchus during which tyme he plentyfully banketed hys hole armye Who can therefore denye but that greatnes of fame and glory is oftentymes a benefite rather of fortune then of vertue for ther enemies had no harte to set vpon them whiles they were drowned in thys excesse of banketting dronkenship and drowsenes but were as much afrayed of there dronken noyse as if they had hard there cry encountring with them in battell whiche felicitie preseruing them here did afterwardes defend them after the same maner in the middes of their enemies retorning as it were in triumphe from the Ocean Sea when they were giuen all to festing and to dronkenes When Alexander descended from the mountaine he went to a countrey called Dedala which thinhabiters forsoke fledde to the woods and the wyld mountaines Dedala and therfore passed from thence into Achadera Achadera which he found both burned and habandoned likewise of thinhabiters wherby of necessitye he was compelled to vse the warre after an other maner For he deuided hys armye into diuers partes shewed his powre in many places at ones By which meanes he oppressed them before they coulde prouide and subdued them to their vtter ruyne Ptolomeus toke most Cities but Alexander wanne the greateste and afterwardes ioyned agayne his armye togither which he had thus deuided Coaspe That done he went forwards and passed a riuer called Coaspe where he left Cenon to besiege a riche Cytie called Bezira Bezira Amazaga and he him selfe went to Amazaga where Assacanns beinge deade had lefte the dominion both of the countrey and the Citie to his mother Cleophes Quene Cleophes There were .xxx. thousand fotemen to defend that Cytie whiche bothe was well fortified and stronge of scituacion â–ª being enclosed vpon the este with a swift riuer that hath sâ—epe bankes defendyng the cytie â–ª that it caÌ„not be approched on that side vpon the South and the weste partes nature as it were for the nonce had planted high rockes betwyxt the which there laye depe holowes and pittes made of old antyquitie wheras the rockes cessed ther began a dike of a wouÌ„derfull depth and widenes The wall wherwith the citie was enclosed was .xxxv. furlonges in compasse whereof the nether partes were builded of stonne and the vpper partes of Claye Yet stones were mixed with the clay to the intent that the fraille substance clinging to the hardre the one should bynd the other And left the earth wasshed vpon with the raine might fal altogether there were stanchinges of Tymbre put betwixt to stay the holle worck Which couered ouer wyth bordes was a waye for men to go vpon Alexander beholding this kynde of fortificacion was vncertayne what to do For he sawe he could not approche to the walles but by fylling of those dikes and holowe places And that he could not otherwise fil theÌ„ then by making of a mounte which was the only way he had to bryng his engines to the walles But whiles he was viewing the towne after that maner he was striken from the wall with an arrowe in the thieghe Which he pulled out and without wrappinge of his wound called for his horse and letted not for hys hurt to giue order for such thinges as he though expedient But at length when by hanging of hys legge the blod drue from the wounde and waxed colde wherby hys hurte beganne to payne hym he then sayde That he was called the Sonne of Iuppiter but he felt in hym self the passions of a deseased bodye Yet notwithstandyng he would not returne into the campe before he had viewed all thinges that were necessary and apoynted all thinges he would haue done After that the souldiers had receyued there apointment by pluâ—kyng downe of houses without the towne they gotte great plenty of stuf to make the mount withal And by casting stockes of trees on heapes into the dykes and holowe places the mount within nyne dayes was raised vp to the top of the wales and the towres were planted vpon the same such was the labour and dilygence the souldiers vsed in the matier The kynge before hys wounde was closed vp went to see howe the workes went forwarde and when he parceyued them in such case commended the souldiers for there dilygence caused thyngynes to be brought to the walles out of the whych they that defended the walles were sore afflicted wyth shotte And by reason they had not sene any such kynd of worke were wonderfully amased spesially when they beheld the towres of suche bignes come forwardes and yet coulde not perceiue bâ— what meanes they were moued iudged those things to be done by the powre of the Gods And besides they could not think it a mateir of mans inuencion that so great dartes and speares as came amonges them should be shot by engynes disperyng therefore of the defence of there Citye they retired into the Castle And bicause they could not be satisfied any maner of waie til they had yealded theÌ„ selfes â–ª they sent Embasseadors to the king to ask pardon Which thing obtained at his hands the Quene with a great trayne of noble women came furth bearing in there handes cuppes of gold ful of wyne Who presenting her little sonne before the kinges feete not onely obtayned pardonne but also restorement of her former dignytie Wherefore some thought that her beuty procured hir more fauore then his mercie But this is certaine that the child which afterwardes she brought furth who soeuer did beget it was called AlexaÌ„der FroÌ„ this place Polycarpon was sent with a powre vnto a City
thrown by them and when the wagons came in any roughe or myrye places the Indians were thrown out of them For when the horses that drewe were ones galled and put in feare they caried the wagons without gouernment and tombled parte in the myre and parte in the riuer A fewe trauarsed the felds fled for succour vnto Porus who seinge hys wagons scatered ouer all the feldes and waÌ„der aboute wtout there rulers distributed the charge of hys Elephantes amonges hys frendes and placed hys fotemen and archers behind them He had many the soundyd vpon Timbrells beinge instrumentes that the Indians vse in stede of troÌ„pettes wherwith there eares were so filled that the noyse of there enemies little moued them They bare also the Image of Hercules in the frunt of there fote battell whiche was done for an encouragement for them to fight wel and for a note of a reprouf offence to them that should flee from that there standard For it was losse of lyfe to them that left it in the feld So that So that the feare whiche they conceiued of Hercules that sometyme had bene their enemye was then turned into a veneration and a religion The sight bothe of the Elephantes and Porus him selfe astonied the Macedons and caused them a while to staye For the beastes beyng set in order amonges armed men shewed a farre of lyke highe towers and Porus him selfe exceadynge in maner the stature of manne the Elephant wherupon he did ryde was a settyng forth vnto hys bygnes whiche excelled so muche all the other Elephantes as he him selfe excelled the rest of menne So that Alexander beholdynge both Porus and hys power saied that at lengthe he had founde a perell equall vnto hys harte For we haue to do 〈◊〉 he both with terrible beastes and wyth notable men of warre And therupon loked towardes CenoÌ„ said vnto him When I with Ptolomeus Perditas and Ephestion shal set vpon the left battaile of our enemies and shalt see vs in the heate of the fyghte doo you then set forwardes my ryght battayle and freshlye assayle theim when you see them begynne to fall out of order Antigonus Leonatus and Tauron do you bende agaynst their maine battayle and set vpon their fronte Our pikes be longe and stronge and can not serue to anye better vse then againste the Elephantes and suche as they cary ouerthrow them thrust the beastes through The Elephantes be but an vncertayne force whyche vse to do moste harme to their owne parte For as they vse to goo agaynste their Enemies so longe as they be at commaundemente so when they be once putte in feare they tourne agaynste theyr owne syde and shewe mooste rage towardes theim He hadde not so sone spoken those wordes but he put spores to his horse passyng against his enemies and when accordynge to hys appoyntment he hadde geuen the charge Cenus with a great force brake vpoÌ„ the left battell And the Phalanx at the same instant brake in amonges the middes of their enemies When Porus saw the horsemeÌ„ geue the charge he put forwardê his Elephantes to encouÌ„ter theÌ„ But they beyng slow beastes not apt sodaynly to moue were preuented by the swiftnes of the horses and their bowes were not to them of any great effect For by reason their arowes were so long and heauy that they could not nock theÌ„ within their bowes except they staied first their bowes vpon the ground and the grouÌ„d being so slippery that thei could haue no perfite foting The confusion that â—ell amoÌ„ges Porus men whiles thei were preparing theÌ„ selues to shote their enemies were come amonges them Then euery man fell from thorder that Porus had geueÌ„ as it chauÌ„seth ofteÌ„times amonges troubled mindes where fear beareth more rule theÌ„ the capitaines appointment For in so many partes as their army was deuided so many generals there became amonges theÌ„ Some would ioyne all their battels in one other would haue them deuided Some willed to staie other to go forwardes and enclose their enemies about There was no generall consultation amonges them Porus notwithstandinge accompanied with a fewe with whom shame preuailed more theÌ„ feare assembled such together as were disperkled abroade and went forwardes against his enemies settinge his Elephantes in the fronte of the battaile They put the MacedoÌ„s in terrour troublyng with their vnwonted crye not onely the horse that naturally do feare them but also amased the men and disturbed their order In so muche that thei whiche a little before thought them selues victorers loked aboute whiche waye to flee and saue theim selues Whiche thinge when Alexander perceiued he sente against the Elephantes â—he Agrians and Tharians that were men light armed and apter to skyrmish a farre of then to fight hande to hand They gaue the Elephantes and their gouernours muche a doo and sore afflicted them wyth the multitude of their dartes and arrowes that they bestowed amonges them And the Phalanx came constantly forwardes againste them that were in feare But suche as pressed ouer forwarde in fyghtynge wyth the Elephantes procured their manifest destruction who beynge trampeled to death wyth their fete were an example to other not to be ouer hastye in aduenturynge them selues The moste terrible sight was when the Elephantes wyth their longe trunkes whiche they called probostides toke menne in their armoure from the grounde and deliuered them vp to their gouernours The battaile was prolonged doubtfully tyll the daye was farre spente The Souldiours sometime fliyng from the Elephantes and sometime pursuing after them vntil that with a certaine kynde of weapons called Copida whyche croked lyke sithes and prepared for the purpose they cut the Elephantes vpon the legges Those the Macedons had right aptly deuised for not onely the feare of death but also the feare of a newe kinde of torment in death caused them to leaue nothynge vnproued Finally the Elephantes weried with Woundes with their violente struglynge did raste their gouernoures to the Earth and tare them in pieces for they were put in such fear that they were no more hurtfull to their enemies but driueÌ„ out of the battayle like shepe Porus beynge forsaken of the more parte of hys men ceassed not to caste Dartes wherof he had plentye prepared vpon hys Elephant amonges them that flocked aboute hym wherby he woundyng manye by reason he laye open to euerye mannes blowe was layed at on all partes tyll he hadde receiued nine woundes behynde and before throughe the whiche he bledde so muche that he had no power to cast any more but for feblenes they fell out of hys handes The Elephante also whyche he didde ryde vpon pricked forwardes wyth furye made a great disturbaunce amonges the Macedons vntyll that hys gouernoure seynge the Kynge so faynte that he let fall hys Dartes and to be almost past hys remembraunce sturred the beast to flee awaye whom Alexander folowed in all that he myght but his horse that was thrust in wyth manye woundes fel downe
pointe of death Then they wrought all the meanes they coulde to staunche the bloulde but when they perceiued it would not auaile his frendes beganne to cry out and lamente thinkyng verely that there had bene no waye but death Notwithstanding at length he ceased his bleadynge and recouering againe his spirites began to knowe theim that stode about him All that daye and the nyght ensuynge the men of warre stode in armes aboute the kinges lodgynge confessing that al their liues depended vpon his breath and would not remoue from thence before they vnderstode that he toke some rest But when they knewe that he was fallen a sleape they returned into the campe bringynge vnto the rest more certayne hope of his recouerye Alexander about the curynge of his wounde remayned there seuen dayes and vnderstandynge that a constante fame of his death was spreade abroade amonges the Indians he caused two Shyppes to be fastened togither and a lodgynge to be made for him in the middes So that remayninge vpon the water he myght be sene from bothe sides of the lande of theim that thought he hadde bene deade When the countrey menne by the viewe of hym perceiued he was on liue they toke awaye the hope that some hadde conceiued vpon the false reporte FroÌ„ thence he passed downe the streame leauynge a distaunce betwene his shippe and the reste of the nauye to the entente that wyth the beatynge of the oores they shoulde not disturbe hym of his reste whiche was necessarye for his weake bodye The fourth daye after his enbarkynge he came into a countrey habandoned of the inhabitours but yet plentifull bothe of corne and cattell in which place he thought expediente bothe to reste him selfe and hys souldiours It was a custome amonges the Macedons that when their Kynge was diseased the chiefe Princes and the greate men watched aboute his lodgynge Whiche maner beynge then obserued they entred all together into the chamber where Alexander laye at whose sodoine comminge he was some what amased speciallye bicause they came all together He thought thei had brought him some straunge tidinges and enquered of them if they vnderstode of any new assemble of his enemies Then Craterus which was appoynted to speake in the behalfe of them all sayed to him after this maner Do you thynke that the commynge of any enemies coulde make vs so carefull Craterus wordes to Alexander thoughe they were entered within your campe as we be of your health and saufeguarde for all that it is a thinge whiche you reguarde least Though all nacions conspire againste vs wyth their power thoughe the whole worlde were filled full of men of warre the Seas ouerspreade with shippes and neuer so manye straunge beastes brought against vs it confisteth in the moment of your person to make vs victorers But howe can anye God promise that you whiche be lyght and starre of Macedon can be of anye continuaunce â–ª seynge that you be so desierous to put your persone in suche manifest peryls not remembrynge that with your death you drawe wyth you into ruine the liues of so many of your countreymen What is he that either can or dothe desire to lyue after you We are come so farre forthe folowynge your fortune and aucthoritye that without you none of vs is able toreturne home againe If ye were yet contendynge with Darius for the kingdome of Perce thoughe we all woulde wishe that you woulde not aduenture your person so perâ—louslye yet in that case we coulde not maruayle so muche of your prompt audaritie For where the daunger and the benefite that ensueth therof is equall then the fruite is the greater when the matter succeadeth wel and the comforte is the more when the thinge chaunseth euill There is no man not onelye of vs that be your souldiours but euen of suche as were your enemyes hauynge anye vnderstandinge of your greatnes that can suffer so base a towne and of so little fame be bought with the price of your life my harte shrinkes at the remembraunce of the thinge whiche we but late did see wyth our eyes I am amased to rehearse howe those vile handes were in readines to haue caried the spoyles of your inuincible person if Fortune of her mercye hadde not preserued and deliuered you from their crueltye So manye of vs as were notable to folowe you were all traytours and forsakers of our Prince and though it were a matter that laye not in our power yet if it please you to note vs all with reproche there is none that will refuse anye punishment in the purgation of the matter Notwithstandyng we woulde require that you woulde space vs for some other purpose â–ª We will gladly go whether soeuer ye will haue vs we require warre be it neuer so obscure and couet the battaile thoughe our fightynge shall wante fame So that you will reserue your selfe to those hasardes whiche be mete for the greatnes of your estate Howe sone doth glorye vanishe awaye and become of no prayse amonges suche enemies as be of no reputation And what thing is there more vnworthye then to consume the glorie ye haue gotten els where amonges them where as your glorye can not appeare WheÌ„ Craterus hadde tolde his tale Ptolome and the other spake to hym in like effecte And required him all at once with weapynge eyes that he woulde not frome thence forth be any more so thirsty to winne prayse but seynge he hadde gotte sufficient all readye he shoulde content him selfe therwithall and regarde his health and safegarde wherupon their vniuersall estate did depende The kynge toke so gratefullye their louynge affection that he familiarlye embraced euerye one of them and after he had wylled them to sitte repetynge more depelye their former communicasion he saied thus vnto them My faiethfull louinge frendes and countreymen Alexander vnto his frendes I geue and render to you my hartye thankes not onely for that ye prefer my safegard before your owne but also for that sence the beginnyng of the warres ye haue not pretermitted any thinge wherin your loue beneuolence might be shewed towardes me So that I must confesse that my lyfe was neuer so â—eare as it is now because I desire longe to enioye you You be desierous to offer your selues to death in my quarell because you iudge that I haue deserued that beneuoleÌ„ce at your handes But your imagination and myne is not after one sorte You peraduenture do â—oueâ— continuallye to enioye me to take of me continuall fruite And I measure not my selfe by the coÌ„tinuauÌ„ce of my time but by the greatnes of my glorye I myght haue bene contente wyth the riches my father lefte me and with rest of my bodye haue loked for with the boundes of Macedon an age obscure and without any fame And yet I can not see that they whiche liue in slougth and idlenes can assure them selfe of their owne destenye For euen suche as esteme felicitie in long life be oftentimes preuented with
bitter death But I whiche number not my yeres but my victories haue liued longe if I will weye the giftes of Fortune For beginnynge mine Empire in Macedonia I haue Greace in mine owne handes I haue subdued Thrace and the Illirians I raigne ouer the Triballes and the Medeans possessynge an Asia that lye betwixt Hellespont and the redde Sea and nowe am not farre from the ende of the worlde the whiche I determined to visite and to make open to men a newe nature and a newe worlde I passed out of Asia into Europe in the moment of an houre and beynge but .xxviii. yeres olde hauyng raigned but nine am become victorer of both regions Do you thinke it then mete that I should nowe ceasse from winning of that glorye wherunto I haue onelye addict my selfe No I wil neuer ceasse but whersoeuer I shall haue occasion to fyght I shall thinke my selfe to be in the Theatre where the whole worlde dothe beholde me I will geue nobilitye and fame to places that be obscure And will laye open to all Nacions those countreys that nature hath remoued furdest froÌ„ them In doynge wherof it shall be gratefull for me to ende my lyfe if Fortune will haue it so I am come of that stocke that I ought to desire many thinges before longe lyfe I praye you to remembre that we be come into those countreys where the name of a woman is muche celebrated for hir vertues What cityes did Semiramis builde what nacions did she subdue and what great workes did she accomplishe We are not yet become equal to a woman in glory and yet you woulde haue me to be satisfied of laude The Gods be fauourable vnto our purpose for there remaine for vs yet greater thinges to do And it is the next way to make those countreys we haue not yet touched to become ours if we esteme nothing to be of small valure where as there is anye occasion to winne glorye Let it be your care onelye to preserue me from ciuill conspiracie and treason of mine owne people then there be no aduentures of the warre shall put me in feare Philippe was more sure in the front of the battaile abroade then in quiet tarians at home He oftentimes auoyded the force of his enemies but he coulde not eschue the violeÌ„ce of his owne subiectes And if you coÌ„sider the ende of other Kynges you shall count more that haue bene slayne by their owne menne then by anye forayne power But bicause there is an occasion nowe offered me to vtter the thing I haue longe conceaued in my minde It shall be the greatest fruite I can receyue of my actes and of my trauayles if my trauailes if my Mother Olympiades when she departeth this lyfe might be consecrated to immortalitie If she departe in my tyme I wil do the thing my selfe But if I shall be preuented by Death remember you to perfourme that I haue determined And therupon he dismissed his frendes from him and continued manye dayes in the same place Whiles these thinges were a doynge in India the Greake souldiours that hadde lande and habitacion appoynted them at Catabactra throughe a sedicion that chaunsed amonges them A rebellion of the Grekes whiche Alexander had planted at Catabactâ—s rebelled againste Alexander Notsomuche for anye hatred they bare hym as for feare of punishemente For they kylled diuers of their chiefe rulers and assemblynge in force togethers toke the castle of Bactria that was negligentlye kepte and procured the Bactrians to rebell with them Athenodâ—rus Athenodorus was the chiefe amonges theim who toke vpon hym the name of a kynge not so muche for the desire of the kyngdome as by aucthoritye to make him selfe of power to conueye hym selfe and others home into his countrey Bycon But one Bycon of his owne nacion became his enemye and conspirynge agaynste him did bidde hym to a banquet where he was slayne by one Boxus Macerianus The nexte daye folowynge Bicon assembled the Greakes together perswadinge theim that he slewe Athenodorus but in hys owne defence whose purpose was to haue destroyed him But there were some that perceiued his policye and suspicion was spreade amonges the rest So that the Greakes fell to armes of purpose to slea Bycon But suche as were chiefe mitigated the wrathe of the multitude and contrary to his expectation was deliuered from that presente peryll Yet he coulde not be so contented but wythin a while after conspired againste them that saued his lyfe whose falsehode knowen they toke bothe hym and Boxus determinynge that Boxus shoulde be put to death out of hande and that Bycon shoulde ende hys lyfe by tormentes As they were tormentinge of him the Greake souldiours sodainelye in a furye for what cause it is vncertayne ranne to Armes the noyse of whom beynge hearde wyth them that had the charge of Bycon did let him at libertye fearynge that the rumoure hadde bene made for his deliuerye He as he was naked came runninge amonges the Grekes where as they were assembled whose miserable estate so sodainelye chaunged their minds that thei willed him immediatly to be set at liberty By thys meanes Bicon beynge twise deliuered from death returned into his countrey with the Grekes leauynge the Colonye wherunto he was appointed by Alexander These thinges were done in the coÌ„fynes of Bactria and Scythia In the meane season the kynge of the two nacions whyche we spake of before sent an hundred Embassadours vnto Alexander whiche beynge men of goodly personages ridde in wagons semely appaireled hauing garmentes of linnen clothe embroydred with golde and empaled with purple They declared that the cause of their commynge was to yeld them selues their citye their countrey and their libertye whiche thei had kepte inuiolatelye by so many ages to his wil appointmeÌ„t Of which their submission the Gods thei said were aucthours not any fear for thei were coÌ„teÌ„ted to yeld theÌ„ selues before thei had proued their power with him The kynge called a counsayle receiued theÌ„ vnder his protection appointing to theÌ„ to pay such tribute as they before paied to the ArachosiaÌ„s And besides to seÌ„d two thousand fiue hundred horsemen to serue hym in his warres all whiche thinges they perfourmed obedientlye This done he made a great feast wherunto he inuited those Embassadours and his Lordes He vsed therin sumptuous preparation ordeinynge C. beddes of golde to eate vpon which beyng set a small distaunce one from another were drawen about with curteynes garnished with golde and purple In that feast there was shewed and sette forthe all the excesse and voluptuousnes which either by long custome was vsed among the PerciaÌ„s or by corruption of their old vsages taken vp amonges the Macedons the vyces of both those nacions beynge there mingled myxed togethers Dioxippus There was at that feast one Dioxippus of Athens a notable champion by reason of his excellent force well knowen vnto the Kynge whome certayne enuiousse and malicious Persones