and wife of Darius, and the reft of the captive ladies, who, fuppofing that prince dead, bewailed his loss, according to the cuftom of the Barbarians, with dreadful cries and howlings. An eunuch, who had feen. Darius's cloak in the hands of a foldier, imagining he had killed him, and afterwards ftripped him of that garment, had carried them that false account.

Weare told that Alexander, upon being told the reafon of this falfe alarm, could not refrain from tears, when: he confidered the fad calamity of Darius, and the tender difpofition of thofe princeffes, whom his misfortunes. only affected. He thereupon fent Leonatus, one of his chief courtiers, to affure them, that the man whofe death they bewailed was alive. Leonatus, taking some foldiers. with him, came to the tent of the princeffes, and fent word, that he was come to pay them a vifit in the king's name. The perfons, who were at the entrance of the tent, feeing a band of armed men, imagined that their miftreffes were undone; and accordingly ran into the tent, crying aloud, that their last hour was come, and that foldiers were difpatched to murder them; fo that these princeffes being feifed with the utmoft diftraction, did not make the least answer, but waited in deep filence for the orders of the conqueror. At laft, Leonatus having ftaid a long time, and feeing no one appear, left his foldiers at the door, and came into the tent: But their terror increafed, when they faw a man enter among them without being introduced. They thereupon threw themfelves at his feet, and intreated, that" before he put "them to death, they might be allowed to bury Darius "after the manner of their country; and that when they “had paid this last duty to their king, they fhould die "contented." Leonatus answered," That Darius was "living; and that fo far from giving them any offence,

they fhould be treated as queens, and live in their "former fplendour." Syfigambis hearing this, began to recover her fpirits, and permitted Leonatus to give her his hand, to raise her from the ground.

The

The next day Alexander, after vifiting the wounded, caufed the laft honours to be paid to the dead, in prefence of the whole army, drawn up in the moft fplendid order of battle. He treated the Perfians of diftinction in the fame manner, and permitted Darius's mother to bury whatever perfons fhe pleafed, according to the customs and ceremonies practifed in her country. However, this prudent princef's used that permiffion in regard only to a few who were her near relations; and that with fuch a modefty and referve as fhe thought fuited her present condition. The king teftified his joy and gratitude to the whole army, especially to the chief officers, whofe actions he applauded in the strongest terms, as well thofe of which he himself had been an eye-witness, as fuch as had been only related to him; and he made prefents to all, according to their merit and fiation.

After Alexander had performed thefe feveral duties, truly worthy a great monarch, he fent a meffage to the queens, to inform them that he was coming to pay them a vifit; and accordingly commanding all his train to withdraw, he entered the tent, accompanied only by Hephæftion. He was his favourite, and as they had been brought up together, the king revealed his fecrets to him, and nobody elfe dared to speak fo freely to him; but even Hephæftion made fo cautious and difcreet an use of that liberty, that he feemed to take it, not so much out of inclination, as from a defire to obey the king, who would have it fo. They were of the fame age, but Hephæftion was taller, fo that the queens took him at firft for the king, and paid him their refpects as fuch: But fome captive eunuchs fhowing them Alexander, Syfigambis fell proftrate before him, and begged his pardon; declaring, that as fhe had never feen him, the hoped that confideration would plead her apology. The king, raifing her from the ground," Dear mother," fays he, "you are

not

* Libertatis quoque in eo admonendo non alius jus habebat; quod tamen ita ufurpabat, ut magis à rege permissum quàm vindicatum ab eo videretur.` QUINT. CURTIUS.

not mistaken, for he alfo is an Alexander:"* A fine expreffion, which does honour to both! Had Alexander always thought and acted in this manner, he would have juftly merited the title of Great; but † fortune had not. yet corrupted his foul. He bore her at first with moderation and wifdom; but at laft fhe overpowered him, and he became unable to refift her.

64

Syfigambis, ftrongly affected with these teftimonies of goodness and humanity, could not forbear testifying her gratitude upon that account. "Great prince (faid fhe "to him) what words fhall I find to exprefs my thanks, in fuch a manner as may anfwer your generofity! You "call me your mother, and honour me fill with the title "of queen, whereas I confefs myfelf your captive.. I know what I have been, and what I now am.. "I know the whole extent of my paft grandeur, and. find I can fupport all the weight of my prefent ill fortune. But it will be glorious for you, as you now “have an abfolute power over us, to make us feel it by your clemency only, and not by ill treatment."

66

66

The king, after comforting the princeffes, took Da rius's fon in his arms. This little child, without difcovering the leaft terror, embraced Alexander, who being affected with his confidence, and turning about to Hephæftion, faid to him; "O that Darius had had fome portion of this tender difpofition!"

It is certain that Darius, in the beginning of his reign, behaved in fuch a manner, that he furpaffed, in clemency and goodness, all the kings his predeceffors; and was fuperior to a paffion which conquers and enflaves the ftrongeft. Darius's confort was the moft lovely princefs in the world, as he himself was the most beautiful of princes, and of a very tall and moft majeftic fhape; and

the

O donum inclitæ vocis, danti pariter atque “accipienti fpeciofum! VAL. MAX. 1. iv. c. 7.

+ Sed nondum fortuna se animo ejus infuderat. Itaque orientem eam moderatè & prudenter tulit: ad ultimum magnitudinem ejus non cepit. QUINT, CURT.

Et præterite fortunæ faftigium capio, & præfentis jugum pati possum, QUINT, CURT.

the princeffes their daughters resembled them. They were, fays Plutarch, in Alexander's camp, not as in that of an enemy, but as in a facred temple, and a fanctuary defigned for the afylum of chastity, in which all the princeffes lived fo retired, that they were not feen by any perfon, nor did any one dare to approach their apartments.

We even find, that after the first visit above mentioned, which was a respectful and ceremonious one, Alexander, to avoid exposing himself to the dangers of human frailty, took a folemn refolution never to vifit Darius's queen any more. " He himself informs us of this memorable circumftance, in a letter written by him. to Parmenio, in which he commanded him to put to death certain Macedonians who had forced the wives of fome foreign foldiers. In this letter the following words were read: "For, as to myself, it will be found that I neither faw, nor would fee, the wife of Darius; and did not fuffer any person to speak of her beauty before me." We are to remember that Alexander was young, victorious, and free, that is, not engaged in marriage, as has been obferved of the first Scipio on a like occafion. Et juvenis, & calebs, & victor.

h

To conclude, he treated these princeffes with fuch humanity, that nothing but the remembrance that they were captives, could have made them fenfible of their calamity; and of all the advantages they poffeffed before, nothing was wanting with regard to Alexander, but that truit and confidence, which no one can repofe in an enemy, how kindly foever he behaves.

Plut. in Alex. h Val. Max. 1. iv. c. 3.

SECT.

i

SECT. VI. Alexander marches victorious into Syria. The treafures depofited in Damafcus are delivered to him. Darius writes a letter to Alexander in the most haughty terms, which he anfwers in the fame file. The gates of the city of Sidon are opened to him. Abdolonymus is placed upon the throne against his will. Alexander lays fege to Tyre, which at last, after having made a vigorous defence, is taken by form. The fulfilling of the different prophecies relating to Tyre.

ALEXANDER fet out towards Syria, after

having confecrated three altars on the river Pinarius, the firft to Jupiter, the fecond to Hercules, and the third to Minerva, as fo many monuments of his victory. He had fent Parmenio to Damafcus, in which Darius's treasure was depofited. The governor of the city, betraying his fovereign from whom he had now no further expectations, wrote to Alexander to acquaint him, that he was ready to deliver up into his hands all the treasure and other rich flores of Darius. But being defirous of covering his treafon with a fpecious pretext, he pretended that he was not fecure in the city, fo caufed, by day-break, all the money and the richeft things in it to be put on men's backs, and fled away with the whole, feemingly with intention to fecure them, but in reality tɔ deliver them up to the enemy, as he had agreed with Parmenio, who had opened the letter addreffed to the king. At the first fight of the forces which this general headed, those who carried the burthens being frighted, threw; them down, and fled away, as did the foldiers who convoyed them, and the governor himself, who was most terrified. On this occafion immenfe riches were seen fcattered up and down the fields; all the gold and filver defigned to pay fo great an army; the fplendid equipages of fo many great lords and ladies; the golden vafes and bridles, magnificent tents, and carriages abandoned by

their

i A. M. 3672. Ant. J. C. 332. Diod. 1. xvii. p. 517, 518. Arrian. 1. ii. p. 83-86. Plut. in Alex. p. 678. Quint. Curt. 1. iv. c. I. Juftin. 1. xi. c. 10.