reconciling them, but by giving orders that they should carry it in their turns.

From hence he got, the fourth day to Maracanda, a very considerable city, and capital of Sogdiana, which he took; and after leaving a considerable garrison there, he burned and laid waste all the plains.

There came an embassy to him from the * Abian Scythians, who from the death of Cyrus had lived free and independent these submitted to Alexander. They were con sidered as the most equitable of all the barbarians, never making war but to defend themselves; and the liberty established among them, and which they no ways abused, removed all distinction, and equalled the meanest among them with the greatest. A love of poverty and justice was their peculiar characteristic, and enabled them to live happy to gether without wanting either kings or laws. Alexander received them kindly, and sent one of his chief courtiers to take a view of their country, and even of the Scythians who inhabit beyond the Cimmerian Bosphorus.

He had marked out a spot of ground proper for building a city on the river laxarthes, in order to curb the nations he had already conquered, and those he intended to subdue. But this design was retarded by the rebellion of the Sogdians, which was soon after followed by that of the Bactrians. Alexander dispatched Spitamenes, who had delivered up Bessus into his hands, believing him a very fit person to bring them back to their allegiance; but he himself had been chiefly instrumental in this insurrection. The king, greatly surprised at this treachery, was determined to take vengeance of him in the most signal mamer. He then marched to Cyropolis, and besieged it. This was the last city of the Persian empire, and had been built by Cyrus, after whose name it was called. At the same time he sent Craterus, with two more of his general officers, to besiege the city of the Memaceni, to whom 50 troopers were sent, to desire them to sue for Alexander's clemency. These met with a very kind recep tion at first, but in the night time were all cut to pieces. Alexander had resolved to spare Cyropolis, purely for the sake of Cyrus; for, of all the monarchs who had reigned over these nations, there were none he admired more than this king and Semiramis, because they had surpassed all the rest in courage and glorious actions. He therefore offered very advantageous conditions to the besieged, but they were so blindly obstinate as to reject them, and that even with pride and insolence; upon which he stormed their city,

* Abii Scythæ,

abandoning the plunder of it to his soldiers, and razed it to the very foundations. From hence he went to the other city which Craterus was besieging. No place ever made a more vigorous defence; for Alexander lost his best soldiers before it, and was himself exposed to very great danger, a stone striking him with so much violence on the head, that it deprived him of his senses. The whole army indeed thought him dead, which threw them into tears; but this prince, whom no danger or disappointment could depress, pushed on the siege with greater vigour than before, the instant he recovered, without staying till his wound was healed, anger adding fresh fuel to his natural ardour. Having therefore caused the wall to be sapped, he made a large breach in it, and entered the city, which he burned to the ground, and put all the inhabitants to the sword. Several other cities niet with the same fate. This was a third rebellion of the Sogdians, who would not be quiet, though Alexander had pardoned them twice before. They lost above 120,000 men in these different sieges. The king afterwards sent Menedemus with 3000 foot and 800 horse to Maracanda, whence Spitamenes had drove the Macedonian garrison, and shut himself up there.

With regard to himself, he returned back and encamped on the laxarthes, where he surrounded with walls the whole spot of ground which his army had covered, and built a city on it, containing 60 furlongs in circumference, which he also called Alexandria; having before built several of that name. He caused the workmen to make such dispatch, that in less than twenty days the ramparts were raised, and the houses built; and indeed there was a great emulation among the soldiers who should get his work done soonest, every one of them having had his portion allotted him: and, to people his new city, he ransomed all the prisoners he could meet with, settled several Macedonians there who were worn out in the service, and permitted many natives of the country, at their own request, to inhabit it.

But the kings of those Scythians who live on the other side of the laxarthes, seeing that this city, built on the river, was a kind of yoke to them, they sent a great body of soldiers to demolish it, and to drive the Macedonians to a great dis tance. Alexander, who had no design of attacking the Sey, thians, finding them make several incursions, even in his sight, in a very insolent manner, was very much perplexed; especially when advice was brought him at the same time, that a body of troops he had ordered to Maracanda, had

Three leagues.

been all, a very few excepted, cut to pieces. Such a num ber of obstacles would have discouraged any one but Alex, ander; for the Sogdians had taken up arms, and the Bac trians also; his army was harrassed by the Scythians; he himself was brought so low, that he was not able to stand upright, to mount on horseback, to speak to his forces, or give a single order, To increase his affliction, he found his army no ways inclined to attempt the passage of the river in sight of the enemy, who were drawn up in battle-array, The king continued in the utmost perplexity all night long; however, his courage surmounted all things. Being told that the auspices were not propitious, he forced the soothsayers to substitute favourable ones in their stead. The day begin ning to break, he put on his coat of mail, and showed himself to the soldiers, who had not seen him since the last wound he had received. These held their king in such high veneration, that only his presence immediately removed all their fears, so that they shed tears of joy, and went unani mously and paid him their respects; entreating him to lead them against the enemy, against whom they before had refused to march. They worked so hard at the rafts or floats, that in three days time they had made 12,000; and also prepared a great number of skins for that purpose.

As every thing was ready for the march, several Scythi an ambassador's arrived, to the number of 20, according to the custom of their country, who all rode through the camp, desiring to speak with the king. Alexander having sent for them into his tent, desired them to sit down. They gazed attentively upon him a long time, without speaking a single word, being very probably surprised (as they formed a judg ment of men from their air and stature) to find that his did not answer the high idea they entertained of him from his fame. The eldest of the ambassadors made this speech, which, as Quintus Curtius relates it, is pretty long; however, as it is very curious, I shall present my readers with the greatest part of it.

"Had the gods given thee a body proportionable to thy "ambition, the whole universe would have been too little "for thee. With one hand thou wouldst touch the east, "and with the other the west; and not satisfied with this, "thou wouldest follow the sun, and know where he hides "himself. Such as thou art, thou yet aspirest after what "it will be impossible for thee to attain. Thou crossest "over from Europe into Asia; and when thou shalt have “subdued all the race of men, thou then wilt make war "against rivers, forests, and wild beasts. "know, that tall trees are many years a-growing, but

Dost thou not

14

"may be tore up in an hour's time; that the lion serves "sometimes for food to the smallest birds; that fron, though so very hard, is consumed by rust; in a word, that there " is nothing so strong which may not be destroyed by the "weakest thing?

"What have we to do with thee? We never set foot "in thy country. May not those who inhabited woods, be "allowed to live without knowing who thou art, and whence "thou camest? We will neither command over, nor sub"mit to any man. And that thou mayest be sensible what "kind of people the Scythians are, know, that we receiv "ed from heaven, as a rich present, a yoke of oxen, a "ploughshare, a dart, a javelin, and a cup. These we "make use of, both with our friends, and against our en"emies. To our friends we give corn, which we procure by the labour of our oxen: with them we offer wine to "the gods in our cup and with regard to our enemies, 46 we combat them at a distance with our arrows, and near at hand with our javelins. It was with these we "formerly conquered the most warlike nations, subdued most powerful kings, laid waste all Asia, and opened "ourselves a way into the heart of Egypt.*

"But thou, who boastest thy coming to extirpate rob "bers, thou thyself art the greatest robber upon earth, "Thou hast plundered all nations thou overcamest. Thou "hast possessed thyself of Lydia, invaded Syria, Persia, " and Bactriana; thou art forming a design to march as "far as India, and now thou comest hither to seize upon our herds of cattle. The great possessions thou hast, "only make thee covet more eagerly what thou hast not. "Dost thou not see how long the Bactrians have checked thy progress? Whilst thou art subduing these, the Sog"dians revolt, and victory is to thee only the occasion of

Kwar.

"Pass but the laxarthes, and thou wilt behold the great "extent of our plains. It will be in vain for thee to pursue the Scythians, and I defy thee ever to overtake them. *Our poverty will be more active than thy army, laden "with the spoils of so many nations; and, when thou shalt "fancy us at a great distance, thou wilt see us rush suddenly upon thy camp; for we pursue and fly from our

This is to be understood of the famous irruption of the Scythi ats who advanced as far as Egypt, and poffeffed themselves of Upper Afia for 28 years. See the fecond volume of this work, in the hiftory of the Allyrians. I have not follower! Q Cartins literally in this place, his fenfe being pretty much embarrafsed,

"enemies with equal speed. I am informed that the Greeks "speak jestingly of the Scythian solitudes, and that they "are even become a proverb; but we are fonder of our "deserts than of thy great cities and fruitful plains. Let "me observe to thee, that fortune is slippery; hold her "fast therefore, for fear she should escape thee, Put a curb to thy felicity, if thou desirest to continue in pos session of it.

If thou art a god, thou oughtest to do good to mor tals, and not deprive them of their possessions; if thou art a mere man, reflect always on what thou art. They "whom thou shalt not molest will be thy true friends; the strongest friendships, being contracted between equals; and they are esteemed equals, who have not tried their "strength against each other; but do not imagine that those whom thou conquerest can love thee; for there is no such thing as, friendship between a master and his "slave, and a forced peace is soon followed by a war. "To conclude, do not fancy that the Scythians will "take an oath in their concluding an alliance. The only oath, among them, is to keep their word without swear "ing. Such cautions as these do indeed become Greeks, "who sign their treaties, and call upon the gods to wit"ness them; but, with regard to us, our religion consists 20 in being sincere; and in keeping the promises we have "made. That man who is not ashamed to break his word "with men, is not ashamed of deceiving the gods; and

of what use could friends be to thee whom thou could "est not trust? Consider that we will guard both Europe ❝and Asia for thee. We extend as far as Thrace, and we are told that this country is contiguous to Macedo "nia. The river laxarthes only divides us from Bactri હૃદ ana. Thus we are thy neighbours on both sides. Con sider, therefore, whether thou wilt have us for friends or enemies."

The barbarian spoke thus: To whom the king made a very short answer, "that he would take advantage both "of his own good fortune, and of their counsel; of his ઠંડ good fortune, by still continuing to rely upon it; and of "their counsel, by not attempting any thing rashly." Hav ing dismissed the ambassadors, his army embarked on the rafts, which by this time were got ready. In the front,

Jurando gratiam Scythas fapcire ne credideris; colendo fidem jurant. Græcorum ista cautio est, qui acta consignant, et deos invo cant nos religionem in ipsa fide novimus. Qui non reverentur homincs, fallunt deos. Q. Curt,