"wrote letters to his lieutenants in so lofty and contemptu. "ous a strain; however, he shall not obtain his desires, "provided such a cure as I want is attempted. The pres "ent condition of my affairs will not admit either of slow "remedies or fearful physicians. A speedy death is more "eligible to me than a slow cure. In case the physicians "think it is in their power to do me any good they are to 'know that I do not so much wish to live as to fight."

This sudden impatience of the king spread an universal alarm. The physicians, who were sensible they should be answerable for the event, did not dare to hazard violent and extraordinary remedies; especially as Darius had published, that he would reward with 1000 talents * the ‍man who should kill Alexander. However, Philip, an Acarnanian, one of his physicians, who had always attended upon him from his youth, loved him with the utmost tenderness, not only as his sovereign, but his child, raising himself, merely out of affection to Alexander, above all prudential considerations, offered to give him a dose, which, though not very violent, would nevertheless be speedy in its effects; and he desired three days to prepare it. At this proposal every one trembled, but him only whom it most concerned; Alexander being afflicted upon no other account than because it would keep him three days from appearing at the head of his army.

Whilst these things were doing, Alexander received a let. ter from Parmenio, who was left behind in Cappadocia, in whom Alexander put greater confidence than in any other of his courtiers, the purport of which was, to bid him beware of Philip, for that Darius had bribed him, by the promise of 1000 talents, and his sister in marriage. This f letter gave him great uneasiness, for he was now at full leisure to weigh all the reasons he might have to hope or to fear. But the confidence in a physician, whose sincere attachment and fidelity he had proved from his infancy, soon prevailed, and removed all his doubts. Upon this he folded up the letter, and put it under his bolster, without acquainting any one with the contents of it.

The day being come, Philip enters the tent with his medicine, when Alexander taking the letter from under the bol ster, gives it to Philip to read. At the same time he takes

• About 245,000l.sterling,

Ingentum animo solicitudinem literæ incufferant; et quicquid in utramque partem aut metus aut fpes fubjecerat, fecreta æftimatione penfabat. Q Curt

the cup, and, fixing his eyes on the physician, swallows the draught without the least hesitation, or without discovering the least suspicion or uneasiness. Philip, as he perused the letter, had showed greater signs of indignation than of fear or surprise; and throwing himself upon the king's bed— "royal Sir," said he, with a resolute tone of voice, "your 66 recovery will soon clear me of the guilt of parricide with "which I am charged. The only favour I beg is, that you "would be easy in your own mind, and suffer the draught "to operate, and not regard the intelligence you have re"ceived from servants, who indeed have shewn their zeal "for your welfare; which zeal, however, is very indiscreet "and unseasonable.' These words did not only revive the king, but filled him with hope and joy; so taking Philip by the hand, "be you yourself easy," says he to him, "for I be"lieve you are disquieted upon a double account: first for "my recovery, and secondly for your own justification."

In the mean time the physie worked so violently, that the accidents which attended it strengthened Parmenio's accu sation; for the king lost his speech, and was seized with such strong fainting fits, that he had hardly any pulse left, or the least symptoms of life. Philip employed all the pow ers of physic to recover him, and in every lucid interval diverted him with agreeable subjects; discoursing one moment about his mother and his sisters, and another, about the mighty victory which was advancing, with hasty steps, to crown his past triumphs. At last the physician's art having gained the ascendant, and diffused through every vein a salutary and vivific virtue, his mind first began to resume its former vigour, and afterwards his body, much sooner than had been expected. Three days after, he showed himself to the army, who were never satisfied with gazing on him, and could scarce believe their eyes; so much the greatness of the danger had surprised and dejected them. No caresses were enough for the physician; every one embracing him with the utmost tenderness, and returning him thanks as to a god who had saved the life of their sovereign,

Besides the respect which these people had naturally for their kings, words can never express how greatly they admired this monarch more than any other, and the strong affection they bore him. They were persuaded, that he did not undertake any thing but by the immediate assistance of the gods; and as success always attended his designs, his rasliness became glorious in him, and seemed to have something inexpressibly divine in it. His youth, which one would have concluded incapable of such mighty enterprises, and which however overcame all difficulties, gave a fresh merit

1

and a brighter lustre to his actions. Besides, certain advantages that generally are little regarded, and which yet engage in a wonderful manner the hearts of the soldiery, greatly augmented the merit of Alexander; such as his taking delight in bodily exercises; his discovering a skill and excellency in them; his going clothed like the common soldiers, and knowing how to familiarize himself with inferiors, without lessening his dignity; his sharing in toils and dangers with the most laborious and intrepid; qualities which, whether Alexander owed them to nature, or had acquired them by reflection, made him equally beloved and respected by his soldiers.

During this interval, Darius was on his march, full of a vain security in the infinite number of his troops, and forming a judgment of the two armies merely from their disparity in that point. The plains of Assyria, in which he was encamped, gave him an opportunity of extending his horse as he pleased, and of taking the advantage which the great difference between the number of soldiers in each army gave him; but instead of this, he resolves to march to narrow passes, where his cavalry and the multitude of his troops, so far from doing him any service, would only encumber one another; and accordingly he advances towards the enemy, for whom he should have waited, and runs visibly to his own destruction. Nevertheless, the grandees of his court, whose custom it was to flatter and applaud his every action, congratulated him beforehand on the victory he would soon obtain, as if it had been certain and inevitable. There was at that time, in the army of Darius, one Caridemus an Athenian, a man of great experience in war, who personally hated Alexander, for having caused him to be banished from Athens. Darius, turning to this Athenian, asked whether he believed him powerful enough to defeat his enemy. Caridemus, who had been brought up in the bosom of liberty, and forgetting that he was in a country of slavery, where to oppose the inclination of a prince is of the most dangerous consequence, replied as follows: "Possibly, Sir, you may "not be pleased with my telling you the truth; but in case I "do not do it now, it will be too late hereafter. This mighty "parade of war, this prodigious number of men which has drained all the cast, might indeed be formidable to your "neighbours. Gold and purple shine in every part of your “army, which is so prodigiously splendid, that those who "have not seen it, could never form an idea of its magnififolent, plerumque în re militari, gratiota

*Que leviora haberi vulgo funt. & Curt.

cence. But the soldiers who compose the Macedonian "army, terrible to behold, and bristling in every part with "arms, do not amuse themselves with such idle show. Their "only care is to discipline, in a regular manner, their bat"talions, and to cover themselves close with their bucklers "and pikes. This phalanx is a body of infantry, which en"gages without flinching, and keeps so close in their ranks, "that the soldiers and their arms form a kind of impenetra"ble work. In a word, every single man among them, the "officers as well as soldiers, are so well trained up, so at "tentive to the command of their leaders, that, whether they "are to assemble under their standards, to turn to the right "or left, to double their ranks, and face about to the enemy "on all sides, at the least signal they make every motion "and evolution of the art of war. But that you may be per "suaded these Macedonians are not invited hither from the "hopes of gaining gold and silver, know, that this excellent “discipline has subsisted hitherto by the sole aid and precepts "of poverty. Are they hungry? they satisfy their appetite "with any kind of food. Are they weary? they repose "themselves on the bare, ground, and in the day time are "always upon their feet. Do you fancy that the Thessalian "cavalry, and that of Acarnania and Ætolia, who are all "armed cap-a-pee, are to be repulsed by stones hurled "from slings, and with sticks burned at the end? Such "troops as are like themselves will be able to check their << carcer; and succours must be procured from their coun try, to oppose their bravery and experience. Send there"fore thither all the useless gold and silver which I see here, "and purchase formidable soldiers." †Darius was natur"ally of a mild tractable disposition; but good fortune will corrupt the most happy temper. Few monarchs are resoJute and courageous enough to withstand their own power, to repulse the flattery of the many people who are perpe tually fomenting their passions, and to esteem a man who loves them so well as to contradict and displease them, in telling them the genuine truth. But Darius, not having strength of mind sufficient for this, gives orders for dragging to execution a man who had fled to him for protection, that time his guest, and gave him at that time the best counsel that could have been proposed to him. However, as this cruel treatment could not silence Caridemus, he cried *Et, ne auri argentique ftudio teneri putes, adhuc illa discipliní paupertate magiflra &tetit.—Q. Curt.

was at

+Etat Dario mite ac tractabile ingeniɑm nifi etiam fuam naturam plerumque fortuna corrumperet, Curt. I fufpect the particle

aloud, with his usual freedom: "My avenger is at hand, the 66 very man in opposition to whom I gave you counsel; and "he will soon punish you for despising it. As for you, Da"rius, in whom sovereign power has wrought so sudden a "change, you will teach posterity, that when once men a"bandon themselves to the delusion of fortune, she erases "from their minds all the seeds of goodness implanted in "them by nature*." Darius soon repented his having put to death so valuable a person; and experienced, but too late, the truth of all he had told him.

The king advanced with his troops towards the Euphrates. It was a custom long used by the Persians, never to set out upon a march till after sun-rise, at which time the trumpet was sounded for that purpose from the king's tent. Over this tent was exhibited to the view of the whole army, the image of the sun set in crystal. The order they observed in their march was this:

First, they carried silver altars, on which there lay fire, called by them sacred and eternal; and these were followed by the Magi, singing hymns after the manner of their country. They were accompanied by 365 youths, agreeable to the number of days in a year, clothed in purple robes. Afterwards came a chariot consecrated to † Jupiter, drawn by white horses, and followed by a courser of a prodigious size, to whom they gave the name of the sun's horse; and the equerries were dressed in white, each having a golden rod in his hand.

Ten chariots, adorned with sculptures in gold and silver, followed after. Then marched a body of horse, composed of 12 nations, whose manners and customs were various, and all armed in a different manner. Next advanced those whom the Persians called the immortals, amounting to 10,000, who surpassed the rest of the barbarians in the sumptuousness of their apparel. They all wore golden collars, were clothed in robes of gold tissue with surtouts, having sleeves to them, quite covered with precious stones.

Thirty paces from them, followed those called the king's cousins or relations, to the number of 15,000, in habits very

* Tu quidem, licentia regni fubito mutatus documentum eris pofteris, homines, cum fe permifere fortunæ, etiam naturam dedifcere. 2. Curt.

Jupiter was a god unknown to the Perfians. Quintus Curtius therefore, in all probability, calls the first and greatest of their gods by that name.

This was a title of dignity. Poffibly a great number of the king's relations were in this body,