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
sea the baÌ„kes therof resembling the hornes of the mone before it coÌ„meth to the full the sea lieng betwyxt them like a great bay vpon the lefte hand the people inhabite that be called Cercetes Cercetes whyche lye open towardes the north and vpon the other parte the Leucosyrians LeucosiriaÌ„s Mossynes Mossynes Chalybes and Chalibes and the plaines of the Amazones lye towardes the weste This sea whiche some call the Caspion and some the Hyrcanian sea The caspyoÌ„ sea being more sweater then anie other bringeth forth Serpentes of a wonderfull bignes and fyshes differinge in colour much from all the reste Theyr be dyuers of opynion that the lake of Meotis shoulde ronne into thys sea whiche they coniecture of the water thinkyng the same to receyue hys sweatnes of the lake Towardes the north the sea groweth into a fleat shore and putteth furth his waters farre vpoÌ„ the laÌ„d which rising high make many meares and plashes And as by certaine course of the planets they flowe out so at certaine time by an ebbe they returne in againe restoring the grouÌ„d to his former estate Some beleue those waters to be no parcel of the Caspian sea but that they come out of Inde and roÌ„ne into Hyrcania which lieth low in the forsaid vailey The king being remoued froÌ„ that place marched forwardes .xx. furlonge in a wylde desert way Where great woodes honge continually ner their heades and brokes of water and myer gaue great impediment to ther iourney But at length with out any impedimeÌ„t of his enemies he passed those difficulties and came vnto a more faire countrei wherin besides other vittells whereof it dyd habound grewe great plenty of appulles and the ground was veray apt for vynes There were also plenty of a certayne kynd of trees much like vnto okes whose leaues were couered with hony which the inhabitors gather before the sonne rising for els the moister would be drie vp with the heate When Alexander had passed .xxx. furlonges more forwardes Phrataphernes mette him yeldinge both him selfe such other as fled away after Darius death whom he receyued gentely and came to a towne called Aruas Aruas Phradates Thether came Craterus and Erigonus bringing with theÌ„ Phradates that had the rule of the Tapurians Tapurians whose frendly receyuing and gentle entertainment was the cause that many folowed his ensample in committing themselues to Alexanders mercy Menape was made their prince of Hitcania Menape who being a banished man in the tyme of Occhus came to king Philipp for refuge Phradates also was restored to the office he had before When Alexander was come to the vttermost bouÌ„des of Hiâ—cania Artabasus Artabayus yelded to Aâ—exander whom we declared to shewe hym selfe faithfull alway to hys Master met AlexaÌ„der with Darius kinsmen and children and with a smalle bande of Greake souldiers The kyng at his comming proffered him his hand bicause he had byn entertayned before by king Philippe when he was banished by Occhus but the chief cause that he accepted him so well was for the coÌ„tinual fidelitie that he obserued towardes his prince He beinge thus gentlye receyued by Alexander sayd vnto him Sir long may you florishe and reigne in perpetuall felicitie I that reioyce in all other thinges with one ani chiefly greuid that by reason of myne olde age I shall not be hable long to reioyse your goodnes He was iiii score .v. yeares of age brought with him .ix. sonnes borne of one mother whoÌ„ he presented before the king prayeng god to continewe their liues so long as their seruice might be acceptable vnto him Alexander was accustomed much to walk on fote but then left he the olde man might be ashamed to ride he goinge on fote called for horses for them bothe When he was encaÌ„ped he sent for the Grekes that Artabasus brought But they made requeste firste that he woulde giue assurance to the LacedemoniaÌ„s that were amoÌ„ges theÌ„ or els they would take aduise amonges them selues what were beste to do The same were the Embasseadours that the LacedemoniaÌ„s had sent vnto Darius After whose ouerthrowe they ioyned them selues to the Greakes that were in his wages The king willed theÌ„ to leue al assurauÌ„ces coÌ„posicioÌ„s come to receiue such apointment as he would gyue them They stode long in a staye vareing in openions but at length they agreed so to do Sauing Democrates of AtheÌ„ce which chefly had euer oppugned the successe of the Mace dons dispairing of pardon flewe him self But thother as they had determyned submitted them selues to AlexaÌ„ders wil being .x. M. vc in nuÌ„bre besides .iiii score .x of such as were seÌ„t Embassadores vnto Darius The more parte of the souldiers were distrubuted amongs the bandes to fyll vp the nombres that waÌ„ted and the rest were sent home except the Lacedemonians which he commaunded to be put in prison Ther was a nacion called Mardons bounding next to Hircania The Mardons rude in their manners and vsagies accustumed to lyue by theft They neither sent Embassadores nor gaue anye significacion that they woulde be at Alexanders commauÌ„diment he toke therat great indingnacioÌ„ that any one people should giue impediment to his victory And therfore leuing a guard for his cariages went against them with a strong powre He merched forwardes in the night and by the tyme that the day appeared his enemies were in sight But the matter came rather to a larom then to any fyght For thennemies were sone driuen from the hilles Who flieng away left their villagies to be sacked by the Macedons But the armye could not passe into the inward partes of the countrey without great trouble veracion the same being compassed about with high montains great woodes desert rockes â–ª the partes which were plaine were defended with a straung kind of fortificacion that is to say with tres set thick of purpose the bowes whereof wheÌ„ they were yong were wreathed one wythin an other The toppes bowed downe were put into the grouÌ„d againe from whence as out of an other rote ther sprong new bâ—aunches Which they would not suffre to growe as nature brought furth but did knit them so one with an other that when they were full of leaues they couered clene the earth The trees thus wreathed one with an other enclosed in the countrey as it were with a continuall hedge and were as snares to entangle suche as would go about to entre ther was no way could be deuised to passe through the same but onliby cutting down of the wood And therin they found a great difficultie and much trauail by reason that the wreathing wrappinge togither of the bowes kept them of from the bodies of the tres And the weaknes of the bowes so yelded to the strokes that they could not wel be cut a sonder The inhabiters of the countrey were accusâ—umed to creape amonges the brush like wilde bestes and by pryuie salies
they were Then vpon the pointes of two speares they set vp the signe that was appointed them and founde that in their coming vp they had lost of their nombre two and thirty The kyng being carefull not so muche for the desire he had to winne the rocke as for to saue those whom he had sent to so manifest a daūger stode all daye beholding the toppe of the mountayne And when darckenes of the night toke away the prospecte of the eyes he departed to refreshe his body The next day before it was ful light he perceiued the white cloth set vp in the toppe of the rocke but the varietie of the ayer and the sonne beginning to apeare and yet hiddē caused him to doubte a while whether his sighte had fayled him or no. But when it was full and open daye it appeared manifestly and all doubte was takē away Then he called Cophes by whome he had attempted their myndes before willing him ones agayne to exhorte them to be better aduised And if so be that in trust of their strength they would not submit them selues that then he should shewe to thē the men that had taken the rocke ouer their heades Whē Cophes came thether he beganne to persuade Arimazes to geue vp his strength therby to winne the kinges fauour and not enforce him to stay in the siege of a rock hauing so many weighty affaires in hād But he foūd him more obstinat and proude then he did before and willed Cophes to depart and moue him no more in the matter Then he toke Arimazes by the hād and required him to go with him out of the caue When they were come where as they might loke about he shewed him those that were gotten to the top of the cragge and skorning thē his pride axed of him whether Alexāders souldiers had gottē winges or no but that time the trōpettes were blowen in the Macedons campe thei might here the alarome that was made in the armye Whiche matter as many and vaine and trifling thinges are wont in the warres to growe to greate effect so that was the cause why they yelded them selues For feare so troubled them that they could not consider the smalle nombre that were ouer their heades but called Cophen againe in great hast who was departed away and sent with him Alexander .xxx. of the chief men authorised to yelde vp the rocke with composition for to depart in sauegard But Alexander not withstanding that he doubted lest his enemies discouering the fewnes of his men might put them to distresse yet trusting in the felicitie of his owne fortune and offended with the pride of Arimazes would agre to no cōdicion but that they should yelde simply Arimazes therupon dispayring more of his estate then he had cause Descended downe to the campe with the chiefest of the nacion that were of kinne to him All the whiche Alexander caused to be scourged with roddes and be crucified at the foote of the rocke The multitude that yelded with the money that there was taken were geuen in gifte to thinhabiters of the newe cities And the rule of the sayd rocke was committed to Artabasus with the charge of the countrey there about The eigth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedon ALexander hauing wonne this rock with greater fame then glory because his enemies remained in no place certaine it was necessary for him to seperate his power so deuided his army in thre partes He gaue the charge of the one part to Ephestion to Cenon the other toke the third part vnto him self His enemies were not all of one opinion for some of them seing their defence could not auaill yelded them selues before the fight to whome he gaue the cyties and the landes of those that continued still his enemies Messagetes Atynas But the outlawes of Bactria with .viii. C. horsemen wasted the villages of the Messagetes For the redresse wherof Attynas gouernour of that countrey went against them with .iii. C. horsemen not knowing that his enemies lay in wayte for him whiche had layd their imbushement in a wood ioyning to a great playne wheras they had appointed a certaine to driue cattel therby to drawe their enemies with the gredines of the praye within daunger of the bushemen When Attinas men sawe the driuers of the cattell they pursued them without ordre and whē they were passed the wood where thimbushement lay their enemies brake out vpon them casting no suche perils and slewe them euery one The fame of this ouerthrowe came immediatly vnto Craterus whiche drue thether with the horsemē But the Massagetes being fled before his comming he slewe M. Dahans of the Dahans that toke their parte wherby the whole rebellion of the whole countrey cessed Thus Alexander hauing subdued the Sogdians returned to Maracanda Whether Berdes whom he had sent to the Scythians inhabiting about Bosphrous came to him with Embassadours of that coūtrey Phrataphernes Phrataphernes also that had the chief rule of the Masagetes and Dahans whiche nacions were ioyned by affinitie togethers sent certaine messengers to Alexander offring to be at his cōmaundemēt The Scythian Embassadours made request that Alexander would mary their kinges doughter if the affinitie pleased him that he would suffre the princes of the Macedons to enter in mariage likewise with the noble mens doughters of their coūtrey promising that the king should come in person to visite him He hard gently both the Embassades and styll continued in that place till Ephestion and Artabasus came vnto him and then ioyning his power againe together came into the countrey that is called Basaria Basaria There is nothing more estemed in that nacion then to haue great herdes of wild beastes enclosed in parkes whiche be very plesaunt and full of springes Those parkes be enclosed with walles and towers builded within them to be lodges for the hunters There was one parke in that countrey that had remained vnhunted during the tyme of foure mens ages Wherinto Alexander entred with his whole army chasing the wilde beastes in euery quarter Amōges the rest there was a liō of a rare bignes that came rōning towardes Alexander Lysimachus Whiche thing when Lysimachus that afterwardes was king perceiued standing by chaunce then next to Alexāder perceiued he stepped before him to receiue the lyon with his hūting speare But Alexāder plucked him back and willed him to auoyde sayēg that he was able to kyll a lyon so well as Lysimachus This Lysimacus on a time hūting in Siria killed by himself alone an huge lyon But he was torne to the bones vnder his left shoulder put in great daunger of his life Which being the matter that Alexāder ment he performed with that worde no lesse then he promised for he did not only receiue the lyon but killed hym with one stroke Wherupon the fable rise howe Alexander shuld haue cast Lysimachus to a lyon But
called Ora Ora. where he ouerthrewe in battel thinhabiters that encountred with him whereby he got the Citye into hys possession Ther were many other Cities obscure of fame that came into Alexanders handes by thabaÌ„doning of thinhabiters which assembled them selfes togither in armes and kept a rock called Aorun The rocke called Aorun The fame was that Hercules had besieged the same before tyme in vaine and by reason of an earthquake enforced to departe When Alexander viewed thys rocke and sawe howe stepe it was and vnpassable became voyde of counsell tyl such tyme as an old man that knewe wel the place came to hym with hys two sonnes offring for a reward to guyde hys men awaye vp to toppe Alexander promised them .iiii. score talentes and keapinge one of his sonnes as pledge sente him to parfourme that he had promysed Mulinus the kynges Secretary was apoynted with certayne souldiers lighte armed to folowe the guyde whose purpose was to receiue the Indians by fetching a compasse about the rock But the same rock was not as the more parte be whiche lieng aslope hath wayes vp vnto the toppe by degrees For it stode bolte vpright after the fashion of a but brode benethe and euer as it groweth vpward lesse and lesse tyll it becometh sharpe in the â—oppe And it is enclosed on that on syde with the Riuer of Indus that hath highe stepe banckes vpon the otheirwith depe dikes holowe places ful of water and mudde Wherefore there could be deuised no way to wynne it except those dikes were firste fylled There was a woode at hand which the king commaunded to be cut downe and causyng the bowes to be shred of for the cariage filled the holowes with the bare stockes Alexander bare the fyrst tree and all the souldiers folowed after with a couragious showt for there was no man that would refuce to do that they sawe the kynge begynne So that within .vii. dayes the dikes and hollowe places were fylled vp Then the king apoynted the Agrians and the archers to go to the assaulte of the rocke and did chose .xxx. yonge men of such as he iudged most apt for the purpose out of hys owne bande Charus and Alexander to leading of whoÌ„ he apointed Charus and Alexander whom he put in remembraunce of his name that was in comen to them bothe At the fyrst bicause the hasard was so manifest the kyng was not determyned to aduenture his own parson But when the trompet blewe to thassault he was of such a redy courag that he could not obstaine but making a signe to his guard that thei shoulde folowe him was the fyrste that set fote vpon the rock Then there were fewe of the Macedons that would gladly haue taried behind but many lefte their array where as they stode in ordre of battell and folowed the king The cause of many was miserable whom the riuer that ran by swalowed in when they fell downe from the rocke Which sight was sorowfull to such as were out of daungeir being admonished by the perel of other what they ought to feare them selfs So that their cumpassion being turned into feare lamented aswell them selues as those whome they sawe slayne after that maner At length they went so farre â—urth that without the getting of the rocke they coulde not returne back againe without there greate destruccion For there enemies rowled downe great stones vpon them wherwith they were easely beaten downe the rocke hauing so slippar and vnstable standing Yet for all that Charus and Alexander whiche were apointed the leading of the .xxx. chosen souldiers had gotten to the toppe and beganne to fight hand to hand But there were so many dartes cast at them from afarre that they receiued mo wouÌ„des then they could gyue Wherefore Alexander bothe myndfull of his name and of his promise whiles he fought more egerly then warely was enclosed aboute and slayne Whom when Charus sawe deade he ranne vpon his enemies and vnmyndefull of all thynges sauing of reueng slewe many wyth hys pike and dyuers wyth hys sworde But beinge layed at by so manye at onse he fell downe deade vpon the bodye of hys frende The death of thes two so hardy yonge men â–ª and of the reste moued Alexander greatly yet parceyuing no remedy in the matter caused the retracte to be sowned It was gretly for their salfgard â–ª that they retired by lettle and little without aperaunce of anye feare and the Indians contented to haue repulsed their enemies pursued not after them Alexander herupon was determined to leaue of his purpoce seing he sawe no hope howe to wynne the rock yet he made a countenaunce as though he ment to coÌ„tinewe the sieg styll For both he caused the wayes to be closed vp And made an approche with towers of woode alwayes putting freshe men in place of them that were weried When the Indians parceiued Alexanders abstinacy two dayes and two night they banketed contiunially and played vpon timbrels after there maner to cause there enemies thinke that they had no doubte in the siege but trusted suerly to preuaill The thirde nighte the noyse of there â—imbreles ceased and many torches were sene burning which the Indians had lighted to se which way they might escape downe the rocke in the darke night Alexander sent Balacrus to descouer the matter Balacrus who found that the Indians were fledde and that the rock was habandoned Then asigne was geuen that the holle Armye should giue a showte at once wherbye they dyd strycke suche feare amongys their enemyes that fledde wythout ordre That many of them thynkynge their enemies had bene at there backes leaped downe the rockes and slewe them selues and some mayned in there falling were left behind by there felowes that fled awaie Thus the kynge being victorer of the place rathere then of the man testyfied natwithstaÌ„ding with solempne sacrifyces vnto the gods a greatnes of victory and set vp aulters vpon the rock to Minarua and Victoria And though the guides that he apoynted to his light armed men parfourmed not so much as they promised yet there reward was truely giuen them And the rule of the rock with the countrey thereaboutes was coÌ„mitted to Sysocostus Sâ—socostus And he him self went forwardes wyth his army from thence to Echolyma Echolyma But vnderstanding that certayne streightes through the whych he should passe were kept by one Erix with Erix xx thousand armed men He committed that parte of hys army that were heuie armed to Cenon to be brought on by soft iorneyes and going before in parson with the slyngers and Archers put his enemies to flight making the way clere for hys army to passe that folowed after The Indians whither it were for the hatred they bare vnto their capteine or els for to get the fauour of the victorer kylled Eryx as he fled awaye and brought hys head and hys armour vnto Alexander Who considering the fowlenes of the act woulde
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
of his men whom after sufficient vowe taken he lette go to shewe Alexander what they had sene Darius remoued and passed the riuer of Piramê° of purpose to pursue after the Macedons whiche he thought had bene fleing away They whiche had their handes cut of came runnyng in amonges the Macedons declaryng that Darius was commyng in greate haste There was scarsely any credens geuen to their wordes but to be sure Alexander sent spyes towardes the Sea coaste to knowe whether Darius were there in persone or els had sent some other to make a shewe of a powre The Spies retournyng dyd reporte that his hole army was at hand and strayght wayes the fierce myght be sene whiche gaue suche a shewe by reason they lay straglyng so farre abrode to get forage as though the hole Countrey had bene on fyre When Alexander was assertayned of the truthe he encamped in the same place where the tydynges came vnto hym beyng marueylous glad that he knewe he should fyght specially in the streyghtes whiche was the thing that he had alwayes desyred But as it is commonly sene when daunger and extremitie is at hand confidens is conuerted into feare Alexanders ImaginacioÌ„ before the battaille So he doubted not without greate cause that fortune myght charge vpon hym by whose fauour he had done so great actes considered her mutabilitie by such thinges as she had takeÌ„ from other and geuen to hym he sawe there was no prorogracioÌ„ of the time but that after one night passed the victory should be determined But on the other side he called vnto remeÌ„braunce howe the reward ensuing of the victory farre exceded the aduenture For as the same was dowbtfull so beyng disconfited he was certayne to dye with honour and perpetuall praise When he had waied these thinges he gaue ordre that the souldiours should refresshe them selues and at the third watche to be armed and in a redines to set forwardes He himselfe went vp into the toppe of a mouÌ„tayn with many torches and lightes about hym where he made sacrifice vnto the goddes after his Countrey maner And when the houre was come apoincted vnto the souldiers at the third sound of the trompet they ware in a redines both to marche and fight Then exhortacion was geuen vnto them to passe on with bould courage and so by the spryng of the day they were come to the streightes wherein their purpose was to preuent Dariê° By that time such as were sent before to scowre the contrey came in and reported that the Percians were within .30 furlonges Then the battayles were stayed and set in suche ordre as they should fight Lyke as Alexander was enfourmed of Darius so he was aduertised of Alexander by the pesauntes of the couÌ„trey whiche came fearfully runnyng vnto hym declaryng that Alexander was at hande These wordes were not beleued for they could not thinck them to be comming whom they thought before to be fledde But when thei perceiued that it was so in dede because they were in better ordre to pursue their enemies then to encouÌ„tre with them in battaile they were striken with a marueilous sodeine feare Euery man toke him to his armour in haste whiche haste and the callyng that one made vpon an other did put a greater feare amonges them Some ran vp to the toppes of the hilles to view the Macedons other fell to brydling their horses So that the hoste full of diuersite and not ruled by any certayn gouernement with their hurley burley put all thinges out of ordre The ordre that Dariê° gaue for the battaille Darius at the first had apoincted one part of his power to take the mountayne Whiche settyng vpon his enemies backes might enclose them both behynde and before and assigned an other company to passe along the sea syde whiche was on the right hand to kepe his enemies doing on euery parte He gaue ordre also that .xx. thousand fotemen with a band of Archers should passe the ryuer of Pyramus and geue an vnset that way But if they found any impedimeÌ„t why they might do so then he willed them to retire amoÌ„ges the mountaines and to inuade their enemies on their backes But fortune whiche was of greater force then any policie determined those thinges that were wel deuised according as she thought good For some durste not for feare execute the thing that was commaunded them and then the rest worked in vayne for where the membres faile the hole body is confounded The order of the Perecians The ordre of Darius army stode thus araÌ„gid to fight his power being deuided into two battailles one marchiÌ„g on the left hand and the other on the right Nabarzanes enpaled the battaille on the right haÌ„d with a great power of horsmeÌ„ and .xxx. thousand Slingers and Archers Thymones was also in the battaille with .xxx. thousand mercenary Grekes being in very deade Dariê° chiefest force a power equall vnto Phalanx of the Macedons In the battaille on the left hand Aristomenes was in the fore front with .xxx. M. fotemen hauing plaÌ„ted for his succour relief such nacioÌ„s as were couÌ„ted moste valiaunt There were about the kynge beyng also in that battayle thre thousand choyse horsemen that were of the ordinary guard of his persone and .xl. thousand footemen with the horsemen of Hircany and Medya and the horsemen of other nacions were wynges on both sydes And besydes these nombres there went before this battaille in a forlorne heape .vi. thousand Slingers and casters of Dartes All the plaine grouÌ„d betwene the streightes was filled with men of warre â–ª and Darius battaille stode araunged from the mountayne downe to the Sea syde The mother and wyfe of Darius with all the flockes of women were receyued into the myddes of the battaille The order of the Macedons Alexander on the other syde set his square battaille of fote men called Phalanx beyng the Macedons chiefest force in the fore fronte Mycanor the sonne Parmenio was capitayne of the battaylle on the ryght hande and with him Cenos and Perdicas Meleager Tolomeus and Amintas were ioyned euery one with his owne bande Parmenio Caterus had the rule of the battaille on the left hand whiche stretched towardes the Sea but Parmenio had the chief charge Horsemen were set in wynges to both those battailles The MacedoÌ„ Tessalien horsemen beyng apoyncted to the rygth hande battaille and the horsemeÌ„ of Peleponese to the battaile on the other side before whiche battaylle there were also set Slingers with Archers amonges them and the Cretences that were lyghtely armed went before the mayne battaille The band of Agrians that were lately come out of Grece were assigned to encouÌ„tre with those that Darius had sent to take the toppe of the mouÌ„taine He willed Parmenio that as much as he might he should stretch out his baÌ„d towardes the sea to wtdrawe as farre as he could from the hilles whiche the enemies had taken But such as
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
credited for he could not thinke after so many slayne there coulde be a greater power gathered together that he had before But he that neuer doubted any perill and muche lesse the multitude of men after the eleuēth encāping came to the riuer of Euphrates ouer the whiche he made brudges and passed ouer his horsemen and afterwardes his footemen For Mazeus that was sent against him with six thousand horsemen to let his passage durst not encoūter with him When he had continued there a fewe dayes not only to reste his souldiers but also to confirme their myndes and encourage them he sette forewardes stoutly against his enemy fearyng that he would haue retired back into the inwarde partes of his coūtrey whether he should haue bene enforced to folowe by waste places and desertes Therefore the fourth daye he passed by Arbella and came vnto the ryuer of Tigre All the countrey beyond the Ryuer was on a smoke newely sette on fier by Mazeus who burned all thynges where he came euen as he had bene an enemy Alexander at the fyrste by reason of the darcknes of the smoke stayed for feare of embushementes But when they which were sent to scoure the contrey reported that all thing was clere he apoynted a fewe horsemen to proue the passage of the Riuer who founde the deapnes at the fyrst entre to come to the horse breaste and in the middes of the streame to the horse neckes There is no Riuer in all the east partes of the worlde that ronneth so violētly which besides the waters of other riuers that do rōne into it driueth downe stones with the streame so that of his swiftnes it is called Tigre whiche in the percian tonge is so much to say as an arrowe The footemē therfore deuided into two bādes holdīg there armour ouer ther heades were enclosed on both sydes with the horsemen and so passed till they came in the deape of the chanell without anye great difficultye The kinge was the firste amonge the fotemen that passed ouer to the furtherside who with his hande seinge his voyre could not be harde shewed the shallowe places vnto the souldiers But they had muche paine to kepe their footing by reason of stones whervpon they stumbled and of the violence of the water that toke their feete away Suche as caried burthens on their backes had the greatest trauaill whyche not beinge able to staye them selues by reason of the troble of their carriage were borne downe by violence of the streame And whiles euery man went about to recouer agayne his owne ther fel greater strife amōges themselues then they had with the streame And the heapes of fardelles that fleted euery where vpon the water bare downe many The king cried to them that it was sufficyent to keape their armour and lette the rest go promysing to recompence euery man But they nether folowed his counsell nor did as he commaunded them besides the noyse that was emonges them feare so fissed their eares in ther swimming and wading through the water Atlēgth where the streame was most shallow thei came furth there being nothing mys caried or wantinge emonges them all sauinge afew fardelles If their enemies had made but a proffer againste them they might easely haue put them to distresse But Alexanders continuall good fortune turned then his enemyes away from hym Wyth whiche fortune he passed the Ryuer of Granyk when so many thousandes both of horsemen and footemen kept the passage against him After that sort he ouercame the multitude of hys enemies in the streyghtes of Cilicia Though his bouldnes were suche that is some tyme wanted praise yet his felicitie euer deliuered hym out of all extreme perill If Mazeus had done his parte and set vpon them as they were passynge the Ryuer he myght easely haue put them to distresse being vnarmed and out of ordre But after the Macedones had Armed them selfes being then to late he began to shewe himselfe wyth a thousande horsemen When Alexander perceyued the small nombre that came against him he caused Ariston captayne of Peonians to giue a full charge vpon them The horsemen that daye notably behaued them selfes but in especiall Ariston Ariston which with his spece ran Satropaces the chief captayn through the throte pursuyng him into the middest of hys campe threw him from his horse and cut of his heade which to his great commendacion he brought and threw downe before the kynge Alexander taried there two dayes and against the morning caused warning to be giuen by proclamacion for his setting forwardes But in the first watche of the the mone suffred Ecclips whiche losing her brightnes afterwardes became as redde as bloud and therewith waxed dimme backe An Ecclips of the Moone The straūgenes of this matter did strike a religious feare amōges the Macedōs wherof proceded such a doubte feare that they fell into a murmur grudging that they shuld be brought forwardes after such a maner against the will of the goddes into the vttermost boundes of the earth wher as they were not hable to passe the Riuers nor could enioye the accustomed vse of the elementes finding nothing but waste groundes and wild desertes al which was done they sayed for the ambicion of one man for whose vainglory the bloude of so many thousandes should be shedde He despiseth qd they his countrey he hathe forsaken Philip for his father and affected heauen in his folish imaginacion When Alexander perceiued the matter to come to a mutterīg he that in al thinges was without feare cōmaunded the chief rulers capteins of his men of warre to assemble at his pauilion and there commaunded the Astronomers of the Egiptiane whom he iudged to haue moste vnderstandyng of the planettes to declare their opinions They vnderstanding very well the reuolucyons of the tyme their apointed courses knewe that the moone did euer eclipse when that either she went vnderneth the earth or elles when her light was blemished by opposiciō of the sōne which reason conceiued amōges them selfes they accustomed not to teache the people They affirmed also that the greakes were vnder the Regyon of the Sonne and the Percyans vnder the moone therfore so oftē as the moone fel of her light it signified great destruction to the naciōs vnder that cōstellaciō And to confirme that opyniō of theirs they brought in olde presidentes of the kynges of Perce to whō the eclips of the moone had signified that the goddes were agaīst thē in fighting of their battailles The force of supersticion to gouerne a multitude There is nothing more effectuall then supersticion to gouerne a multitude whiche otherwise is without rule fierse mutable But when they haue once cōceiued a religiō though it be but vaine they be more obedient to their deuynes then to their captaines whiche thing might be well perceiued when these aunsweres of the Egipcians were spread abrode amonges the people for they streight wayes were remoued from
not remoue hym away At length Tauron apered aboue the castle of the cytie at whose sight the enemies hartes faynted and the Macedons the more fierslye did assayll them When they sawe themself with this extremitie and perceiued they were not of powre to withstand the Macedons they became of diuers disposicioÌ„s For some were determined to dye and many to flye awaye But the greater parte retired them selues into the castle from whence they sent vnto Alexander .xxx. Embassadours to aske mercy But he gaue vnto them a sorowfull aunswere that there was no pardoÌ„ to be obtained at his handes wherupoÌ„ being in doubt of death and excluded from al other remedies sent vnto Sisigambes by a priuy way vnknowne to their enemies makyng their requeste that she would vouchsaufe to be a meane to AlexaÌ„der for the pacefieng of his rigour wrath towardes theÌ„ In her only they put theyr hope knowing howe much AlexaÌ„der loued her that he estemed her as if she had ben his mother And they thought she would the rather encline to their desire because Madates that was captaine there had maried her sisters daughter wherby he became a kyn to Darius Sisigambis stode longe in deniall of their requeste sheweng that it agreed not with her fortune to become an intercessor for others addyng therunto that she feared lest she might misuse the victorers fauor and make him we by of her for she said she had more remeÌ„brauÌ„ce that she was a prisoner then that she was a Quene But at lengthe she was ouercome with there suite and by hir letters made intercession vnto Alexander after that sorte that she fyrste excused hir self of her suite making and after required him that he would pardon them or at the leste waies that he would forgiue her that was peticioner but for the life only of such one as was hir frend and hyr kinsmaÌ„ and now no lenger any enemy to his maiestie but in redines to submit him self This one matter is sufficieÌ„t to declare the Moderacion and clemeÌ„cy that was then in Alexander For he dyd not only pardon Madates but also left the Citie vntouched graunting to all that were within it both libertie and fredom with enioyment of their landes and goods without paieng of any tribute more then the which she could not haue obtayned of Darius being hir sonne When he had thus subdued the Vxions he annexed them to the prouince of Susa and purposing to passe forwards deuided his army into two partes wherof he coÌ„mitted the one to Permenio to be conuaied by theÌ„ plaine contrey and reseruing such a parte as was pestered leste wyth bagage toke the way of the mounteins whych wyth a contiunall ridge ronne out in length from thence into Perce In his passage he destroyed al the mouÌ„teine couÌ„trey arriuing the thirdday in the bouÌ„des of Percia The fifte day he entred into the streightes called Piloe Susidoe Ariobazzanes keapt the streight betwixt Susys and Percia which were defended by Ariobazzanes with xv M. fotemeÌ„ who keping the toppes of the highe and steepe rockes that hange ouer on both sides of the way at the firste keapt them selues quyet of purpose preteÌ„ding a feare vntyll such time as the army was entered into the narowest of the streight But when they sawe the Macedons passe onforwards in their contempte then they threw downe great stones vpon them which falling vpon the tiethermoste rockes and these breaking in peaces rebounded amonge the Macedons fel with greater violence and distressed hole bands at ones And besides that did theÌ„ great damage with shot of arrowes and stones that they did caste out of slinges Suche as were men of courage were not so muche greued with the death destrucioÌ„ that they sawe their presently as that they shuld be slain after such a maner like beastes caught in a pitte wher as thei could not be reuenged vpon their enemies Their wrath hereupon was turned into such a rage and woodnes that they ran vp against the rokes ther enforced them selues by taking holde and by hauing vp one of an other to mount vp vnto their enemies But when they hade caught hold vpon some outward parte and therby labored to ascend by force of so many handes that fastened to it at ones they pulled a sondre the thing they held by and so fell downe all togithers In this case they could neither stand passe forwards nor yet defend themselues by any deuise thei could make with their targetes seing the stones were of such weight that were throwen down vpoÌ„ theÌ„ AlexaÌ„der was in great trouble of minde not only for the greif he receiued by the destrucion of his meÌ„ but much more for the shame that he had so rasheli brought his armi into such a dauÌ„gerus streight He had bene inuincible before that daie neuer atteÌ„pted thing in vaine He had passed that streightes of Cilicia with out damage opened to himself a new way by sea into PaÌ„philia Which felicity of his semed theÌ„ to be staied plucked back for he could ê‘ceiue no other remedy theÌ„ to returne by the way he cam he caused the retreit therfore to be blown gaue ordre to his soldiers to go close together by castiÌ„g their targets ouer their heads returne back again after thei had merched .xxx. forloÌ„ges wtin the streyte â–ª When he was retourned and had planted his campe in an open ground he coÌ„sulted what was best to doe and therewith suche a supersticion entred into his minde that he called for the priestes and deuiners to healpe herein by their inuocation But Aristander to whome he gaue moste confidence could do nothing in the case so that Alexander condempning their sacrifices which he thought then done out of tyme called for suche as knewe the couÌ„tray They shewed him of an other way that was playne and open enough but he lyked it not he was so ashamed to leue his souldiers vnburied that were slayne For amonges al other ceremonies obserued in the discipline of their warres there was none more religiously kept then the burieng of the dead He caused therefore suche prisoners as were lately taken to be called before him amonges whom there was one experte both of the Greke and Percian tongue whiche shewed to the kyng that he laboured in vayne if he thought to conuoy his army ouer the toppes of those mouÌ„taines whiche he sayd beginne at mount Caufasus The description of the streyte the couÌ„trey therunto adioyning and closed in the one syde of Perce by the space of M.vi C. furlonges in length and Clx. in bredth till suche tyme as they come vnto the sea which also enclosed the couÌ„trey from the place where the mouÌ„taines ceased The countrey lyeng at the foote of the mountaynes he dedescribed to be playne frutefull and replenysshed with many faire cyties and villages and that the ryuer of Arares ronning through thesame Arates falleth into another ryuer called Medus Medus bringing with
it the waâ—eds of many smale streames Whiche ryuer of Medus beyng muche lesse then thesame whiche it doth receyue runneth from thence towardes the south Sea No place could be more aboundant of grasse for euerery where nere vnto the water the grounde was couered ouer wyth flowres The riuer was shadowed ouer wyth plantyne and pople trees which by reason they stande somwhat highe and the water ronne lowe in a depe chanell seme to such as be a farre to be woodes adioynning to the Mountains He counted no contrey in al Asia to be more holsome or to haue more temperat ayer then thys both by reason of shadowing mouÌ„tein that euermore defendeth the heate and also of the sea which on the parte being at hand with a certeine temperature doth norishe the ground When the prisoner had made a descriptioÌ„ of the contrey after this maner the kinge enquired of hym whither he knewe those thinges by hearing say or els had sene them with hys eyes He sayde that he had bene an herdman knewe the contrey veraie well and al the wayes thither And that he had bene twise taken prisoner ones by PercaÌ„s in Licia and now the second time by hym Vpon those wordes Alexander called an oracle to memorye wherby it was signified to him that a Lician shouâ—d be hys guide into Perce Wherfore promising to him suche rewardes as the present necessitie required as hys estate was mete to receiue willed him to be armed after the Macedons maner and wyth good spede to go shewe on the waye Which though he had declared to be but streight and difficult yet AlexaÌ„der put no doubt to passe it wyth a fewe meÌ„ except any thought he said that Alexander would not attempte that thyng for to wynne glorye and perpetuall commendacion that the herdman had done often tymes in feading of his beastes TheÌ„ the prisoner left not to alledge the difficulties of the waye specially for such as ware armour Then the kinge said Take me for suertie that neuer one of them that be appoynted to the shall refuce to go where thou shalt passe Craterus That done he left Craterus with the charge of his campe and he hym self passed forwardes with suche fotemen as were accustomed to his person with those haÌ„des of whom Meleager had charge Meleager and a thousaÌ„d Archers on horsback taking first ordre with Crateus that he should kepe his caÌ„pe in such forme as it had bene vsed before cause many fiers to be made of purpose that the enemies might that rather think hym to be there stil present aduising him further that if Ariobarzanes shuld get knowlege of his enterprise send part of his powre to stop his passage that theÌ„ Craterus should shew al the terror they could to cause him coÌ„uert theÌ„ self to the defence of the daunger that was next at hand But if he should deceiue his enemye recouer the hil vpon hym that then vpon the hearing of the alarome in the Percians campe preparing theÌ„ selues to his resistauÌ„ce he should not doubt to passe that way from which they wer repulced the day before wher he iudged thei should find no resistaunce the enemies being conuerted towards him In the third watch he set forwardes in great sileÌ„ce without blowyng of trompet passed on by such way as was shewed him by the guide Euery souldier that was lyght armed carieng thre dayes vitaile But when he was on his way besides the wild rockes and sharpe stones that caused them oft fayle their foting the snowe also driuen wyth the wynd was a great impediment to them in their iourney For they fell diuers tymes downe into pittes and suche as coueted to pull them out were oft times drawen after The night also wyth the countrey vnknowne and the guide of whose fidelitye they doubted encreased muche their feare considering â—hat if they should not deceiue their enemies watch they should be taken like beastes they wayed also that both the sauegard of them and of the king lay in the handes of one that was a prisoner At length they came to a mounteyne wher as the way towards Ariobarzanes lay on the right haÌ„d TheÌ„ he sent before by the guiding of such as they had taken prisoners Philotas Cenon Amintas Policarpon wyth a band of the lighteste Armed whom he aduised that forasmuch as they had both horsemeÌ„ and fotemen and the couÌ„trey fertell and habound of fodder that they should make no haste but passe forwardes faire easely And he with the esquiers of his body the band of horsemeÌ„ that they called Agema was guided by another bipath farre of froÌ„ that place wher his enemies kept their watch But the way was so streight and so depe that thei suffred great trouble vexacioÌ„ in passing therof It was middaie they were so weried that of necessitie they must take reste for they had so farre to go as they had trauailed all redy sauing that the waye was not so difficult nor so roughe He refreshed therefore his men with meat with sleape in the secoÌ„d watche did rise vp passed the reste of hys iourney without any great difficultie Sauing in the part where the mouÌ„tayne begaÌ„ne to fall aslope towards the plaine their passage was sodeinly stopped by a great gull made with the violence of the streames that ranne downe the mouÌ„tains by wearing away of the earth And besids the trees staÌ„ding so thick the bowes that grewe one within another appeared before theÌ„ as a coÌ„tinual hedge WheÌ„ they saw theÌ„selues staied after this maner such desperacioÌ„ fel amoÌ„ges theÌ„ that thei could sâ—arsly abstain froÌ„ teares The darknes being a great encrease of their terror seing thei could not enioy any benefit of the statres For if any gaue light the same was takeÌ„ away by the shadow of the trees And the vse of the eares could not serue for one to receiue counsel and comforte at an other the wynd whyrlid so amoÌ„ges the leaues and the shakyng of the bowes made such a noyse But at length the daie which they so much desired demynished wyth his lighte the terrors that the darknes of the night did make For by fetching of a little compasse about they passed the holow gylle and euery man began to be aguide Finally they got vp in the toppe of the hille from whence they might beholde their enemies lieng in campe TheÌ„ the macedons shewed them selues stoutly in their Armour appering sodeinly on their backes when they mistrusted no suche thyng and there slewe suche as came fyrste to encountre wyth them So that on the one parte the greuous noyse of them that were slayne and the miserable showt of suche as ran in for succour amonges their owne companye put the rest to flyght without making any resistaunce When the alarome was once hard in the camp wher Craterus lay the Army by and by passed forwards to go through the streightes in the which they were repulsed the day
bodies will leaue no humour that maye hurt so lykewyse we must cut away whatsoeuer shall be impediment vnto our Empire Haue you not sene great fiers risen of small sparkes not regarded We may not neglect any thiÌ„g in our enemies whom the more we dispise the more stroÌ„g we make them And because you shal not thinke it such an impossibilitie for Bessus to make him self kyng where as a kyng wanteth you shall vnderstande that Darius came not to his Empire by enheritaunce but got into the seate of Cirus by the benefite of Bagoas his Enuche We commit an heinous offence my souldiers if we made warre to Darius and put him downe for the entent to geue his kyngdome vnto his seruaunt yea and to suche one as attempted so vyle an acte against his maister at suche a tyme as he had moste neade of helpe and whoÌ„ we being his enemies would haue spared he being his subiect put him in chaynes as a captiue and finally slewe him because he should not be preserued by vs. Shall you suffre this kynd of man to reigne no let vs make all the spede we may to see him crucified and so to shewe vnto all kynges and nacions a iustice done vpon one that so vilely falsefied his fayth If the reporte should come vnto you beyng in your own countreis that thesame man were distroyeng of the Greke cities about Helespont O God howe sorye would you be then and howe muche would you lamente that Bessus should enioye that you haue gotten and vsurpe the rewardes of your victory Then would you make haste to recouer your own theÌ„ would you bend your selues to the warres But how muche better is it nowe to oppresse him whiles he remaineth in suche feare and is vncertayne what way to take Shal we spare to speÌ„d .iiii. score daies iourney to come to hym that haue ouertroden suche snowes that haue passed so many ryuers that haue clymed so many mouÌ„taines to whose iourney the flowyng sea could be no impediment nor the streyte of Cilicia could shut vp our way Nowe all thinges are made playne and open and we stande in the entrey of our victory There be but a fewe fugitiues and killers of their maisters that do remaine What more notable worcke can you leaue vnto your posteritie to be regesâ—red by fame vnto your glory then in reuenging such as were traitours to Darius you shal therby shewe that wheÌ„ you were enemies vnto him yet your hatred ended with his death that no wicked person could escape your handes Which thing if you bring to passe howe muche more obedient do you thinke the PerciaÌ„s shal be vnto you wheÌ„ they perceiue that you take iust warres in hand and it was not Bessus name wherewith ye were offended but with his faultes and euill doinges His oracion was receiued of the souldiers with such gladnes that thei streightwaies desired him to cary them whether he would And he that could vse the occasion of their good mode passed through Parthenia and came to the boundes of Hircania Hircania leuyng Craterus with the band wherof he had the rule and six thousand horsemen of whome Amyntas had the charge with the like nombre of archers to defend Parthenia from the incursion of the barberous nacioÌ„s He appointed Erigonus a smal power to atteÌ„d vpoÌ„ his cariages willing him to passe with theÌ„ through the plaine countrey And he himself with his fotemen and with the reste of his horsemen marched forwardes C. fyfty furlonges and encamped in a valley at the entrey of Hircania In thesame place be greate woodes full of hyghe and thyck trees and the botome of the valey is very frutefull by reason of the sprynges that come forth of the rockes Out of the foote of the mountaynes there ryseth a ryuer called zioberis zioberis which with in thre furlonges of the head is deuided by a rocke staÌ„dyng in the middes of the streame causyng the water to go two sondrie wayes Whiche afterwardes comming again into one chanell ronneth more violently then before by reason of the fall of the rockes And sodenly it sinketh into the ground and so roÌ„neth hidden by the space of .ccc. furlonges and then coÌ„meth furthe againe as it were out of a newe spring the same being then in bredth .xiii. furlonges and as it ronneth forewardes drawith more narow and falleth into an other streame named Rhydago Rhydago The inhabiters of the countrey affirmed that al thinges caste in where the streme sunk into the ground would apeare come out again at the next issue For the prouing of which conclusion AlexaÌ„der caused two bulles to be cast in where the water entered whose bodies were found by such as were apoynted for the purpose where the streame brake out againe In this place he refreshed his army .iiii. daies during which time Nabarzanes which was confederat with Bessus in killing of the king did write lâ—es to him in effect The effecte of Nabarzanes letters to AlexaÌ„der howe that he was no enemie vnto Darius but counseiled hym euer to doe suche thynges as he iudged moste proffitable and for his faithfull counsell was put in daunger of his life by him who went about against al reason to commit the custodie of his person to straungers condemning therby the fidelitie of hys owne nacion which they had kept vnspotted towards theyr kinges by the space of .ccxxx. yeares Wherefore seing himself in that perill and daunger toke counsel of his present necessite And alledged that it was allwaies admitted lauful for a man to kil such one whom he knewe to imagyn his death which was an excuse he said wherwith Darius satisfied the people when he had slain Bagoas He alledged that nothing was more deare to mortal creatures then life for the loue wherof he was driuen to this extremytie in committing an act which necessity rather coÌ„pelled him to do then his own disposion For in a generall calamitie eueri man hath his fortune If he would commaund hym to come to his presence he said he woulde not refuse to doe it for he coulde not feare that so great a kyng would violat his promis seing one God is not wont to deceiue an other But if he shoulde seame vnworthy to whom he would giue his assuraunce ther were many countries for him to fle vnto For al men hauing vertue in them counte alwaies that for their couÌ„trey where they make their dwelling place Alexander made no stay in giuing him his faith after such sorte as the Parcians vsed to receiue it which was to do him no harme if he came to him Notwithstanding he marched in ordre of battell sending euer scourers before to discouer the ground The light armed were apointed to the voward the phalanx folowed after the baggage behind For by reasoÌ„ the same was a warlik nacion the countrey harde to entre vpon caused the kinge to loke ernestly vpon the matter The same valley stretcheth out to the Caspian
For feare is impediment to some desire vnto other and to many the self loue of the thyng that they haue deuised I will not speake of pryde nor impute it vnto you Ye haue sene experience howe euery man doth exteme that thyng only to be best whiche he him self hath inuented The diademe of a kyng that you were vpon your head is a great burden whiche if it be not borne moderatly the weight therof will oppresse the berer It is not furye can auayle in this case but wyse and prudent counsel When he had spoken those wordes he rehersed a prouerbe commonly vsed amonges the Bactrians which is that the fearfull dogge dothe barcke more then he doth byte and that the depest ryuers doth runne with lest noyse Whiche thinges I haue rehersed because suche prudence may appeare as remayned amonges the Barbarous As he talked after this maner suche as haâ—de him wondred to what ende his tale woulde come to Then he began to shewe his aduise whiche was more proffitable to bessus then gratefull Alexanders celerity qd he is suche that he is come in maner to the entrey of your court He can remoue his armye before you can remoue this table You say that you will drawe your assistaunce from the ryuer of Tanais and that you will put ryuers betwixt you your enemies I would know if he be not able to folowe whersoeuer you shall flee If the way be indifferent it must nedes be moste easy and assured to the victorer And though you thinke feare wil make much spede yet hope is more swifter It were therfore me thinkes expedieÌ„t to procure the fauour of hym that is the mightiest and yelde your self vnto the stronger Howe soeuer he shal accept it your fortune is more lyke to be better that way then to remayne still an enemy Consider that you possesse another mans kyngdome and therfore ye may the better departe therwithall For ye cannot be a iust kyng till you receiue the kyngdome of hym that is able to gyue it and toke it away This is a faythfull counsell wherfore it is not necessary to delay the execution therof The horse that of noble courage is gouerned with the shadowe of a rodde But the dulle beast is not pricked forward with the spoores Bessus that was fierse of nature and well set forwardes with drynking became in suche a fury with his wordes that he could scarsely be holden by his frendes from the sleing of Cobares for he pulled out his sworde to haue done the dede and departed out of the feast in a greate rage But Cobares in this store escaped away came vnto Alexander Bessus had .viii. M BactriaÌ„s armed attending vpon him Which so loÌ„g as they iudged the by reasoÌ„ of the inteÌ„peratnes of the ayre in those partes that Macedons woulde rather haue gone into Inde then into Bactria were verye obediente at his commaundemente But when they vnderstode that Alexander was commynge towardes theim euerye one shronke away and forsoke Bessus Then he with a band of his familie whiche were yet faiethfull vnto him passed the riuer of Oxus Oxus burnynge suche boâ—â—es as caried him ouer because that the same shoulde not serue his enemie in folowynge him and assembled a newe power amonges the Sogdians Alexander as it hath ben said before passed the mounte Caucasus but for lacke of corne his army was brought in maner to the extremitie of hoÌ„ger In stede of oyle they were faine to noint them selues with iuse whiche they wringe out of Sesema but euerie measure therof called Amphora was solde for .ccxl. deners euery like measure of honye for cccxc and of wyne for .ccc. and yet of the same was verye little to be gotten They haue in that countrey certaine vessels called Syri which thinhabitauÌ„tes vse to hide so priuely that they can not be fouÌ„d except they be digged for within the earth The couÌ„trey men bury their corne after that maner for want wherof the souldiours were fayne to lyue with herbes and suche fishe as thei caught in the Riuers But that kynde of fode wantinge also they were enforced to slea their beastes that caried their baggage and with the fleshe of theim liued till thei came into Bactria The description of Bactria The nature of the soyle of whiche countrey is diuers and of sundrye kindes Some place is plentifull of woode and vines and aboundaunte of pleasaunte fâ—uite the grounde fatte well watered and full of springes Those partes which be most temperate are sowed with corne and the rest be reserued for fedyng of beastes But the greater part of that countrey is couered ouer with baraine sandes withered vp for want of moisture nourishing niether man nor bringinge forth fruite But with certaine windes that come from the sea of Ponte the saÌ„d in the plaines is blowen together in heapes whiche seme a farre of like great hilles wherby the accustomed wayes be damned so that no signe of them can appere Therfore such as do passe those plaines vse to obserue the starres in the night as thei do that sayle the seas by the course of theÌ„ direct their iourney The nightes for the more parte be brighter then the dayes wherfore in the daye time the countrey is wild and vnpassable when they can nether finde any tracte nor waye to go in nor marke or signe whereby to passe the starres beyng hidden by the miste If the same wind chaunce to come duryng the time that meÌ„ be passyng it ouerwhelmeth them with sande Where the countrey is temperate it bringeth forth great plenty both of men horse So that the Bactrians may make .xxx. M. horsemen Bactria whiche is the heade citie of that region standeth vnder a mountaine called Parapanisus Parapanysus Bactras the riuer called Bactras runneth by the walles wherof both the citye and the countrey take their names Alexander liyng there in campe receiued aduertisemeÌ„t out of Grece how the Lacedemonians and the whole countrey of Peliponese had rebelled againste him For thei had not lost the battail at such time as the messeÌ„gers were dispatched that brought the newes of their reuolt In the necke of this euil tidinges there came another presente terroure whiche was that the Scythians inhabitynge beyonde the riuer of Tanays were comming to ayde Bessus And at the same tyme tidynges was brought him of the battayle that Caranus and Erigius hadde fought amonges the Arians Caranus Erigius where Satybarzanes that was newlye reuolted beynge chiefe of the countrey seynge the battayle to stande equall on bothe sides ridde into the fore fronte and plucked of his helmet forbiddyng anye of his syde eyther to caste darte or strike anye stroke and there make a chalenge to fight hande to hande if any man durste come forthe and proue his strength Erigius capitayne to the Macedons was a man striken in yeres But yet not inferiour to any yong man either in stowtnes of stomake or strength of bodye who could not beare the
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
Triballes and Thillicians because he vnderstode they were conspityng togethers And for that they bordred vppon hys Countrey and were woute to inuade thesame vpon euery occasion thought to set stay amonges them before he would remoue hys power so farre of Amphipolis From the Cytie of Amphipolis therefore he set forewardes agaynste the Tracians whiche at that tyme were not vnder the rule or lawe of any man And in ten daies came to the mount Hemus Mount Hemus in the toppe wherof he found theÌ„ encamped with a great power to resist his passage In steade of treÌ„ches they had impaled theÌ„ selfes with their cariages crosse the streightes purposyng ther to let his iourney And if they should be inuaded by any other waye then by the strayghtes â–ª they dyd determyne to roulle the Cariages downe the hyll vpon the Macedones to breake the array of their battailes whiche deuise in dede they put in execution But the Souldiers had receyued before instruccions by AlexaÌ„der that as occasioÌ„ should serue parte should open their arraye to lette the Cartes and Wheales passe through them and that other should fall flat vpoÌ„ the grounde and by coueryng their bodies with their Targattes auoyde the daunger They vsed the matter accordyng to their instruccions and when the Cartes were passed by they with a courage and crye mounted vp agaynst their enemies and in a moment put them to flyght When Alexander was passed the Mountayne he entred into the Contrey of the Triballes as farre as the ryuer of Ligens Syrmus kyng of the Trybals When Syrmus Kynge of that lande vnderstode of his comyng he sent his wyfe and hys chyldren with suche of hys people as were not mere for the warres into an Iland called Pencascytuate within the Riuer of Danubye Penca Into whiche lande the Thracians that bordered with the Triballes were fledde also It was not long after that Syrmus hym selfe fledde thither lykewyse The rest of the Tryballes that were not with the Kynge withdrewe into an other Ilande where they kepte them selfes agaynste Alexander But he by polecye founde the meanes to drawe them out of theree strength whereby he slewe of them the nombre of thre thousande and the reste fledde awaye for of prysoners there were fewe taken After this battayles he marched towardes the Ryuer of Danubye to that Ilande where the Tracians and the other Tryballes were fledde They made notable resistans againste him which they might the better do by reason that Alexander wanted boates the bankes of the Iland were so highe stepe that they could not be mounted vpon but with great difficulty the streame besides ronnyng meruelously swifte because that the Ilande made yt narowe â–ª when Alexander perceyued the impossibility to assaile them he withdrewe to another place where gettyng a fewe boates passed the ryuer in the night to the noÌ„ber of M. ccccc horsemen 4000 fotemen wyth whiche company he set vpon a people called Getes Getes that stode redye in bataile on the further side of purpose to stoppe the Macedones their passage with .4000 horsemen .x. M. fotemeÌ„ By which sodeyne comyng ouer the Getes beiÌ„g afraid did not abyde the furste onset it seamed to theÌ„ a matter of wonderful aduenture for Alexander in one nyght wythout a bridge Danuby to passe his power ouer the brodest and depest ryuer of al Europe this matter stroke such fear in theÌ„ that they fledde into the woddes and deserte places leuing their cytie desolate which was taken by Alexander and ouerthrone Syrmus Kyng of the Triballes the Germains and the other Inhabiters of Danubie sent Embassadours thether vnto Alexander to enter with him in frendshyppe and amitie And he condiscending to their requestes enquired of the Germaines what thing it was in the world that they doubted most thinkinge in deade that the terrour of his name had bene the most feareful thing vnto theÌ„ But when they vnderstode his meanynge they aunswered that they doubted greatly the falling of the skye with whose presumptious auÌ„swer Alexander was nothing moued nor further replied sauing only that he said the Germains were alwaies a proud people and thereupon dismissed theÌ„ Agrians As he was going froÌ„ thence against the Agrians the PeaÌ„s Agryans clitê° Bardeleius Glancias Kynge of ThalaÌ„ts Lagarus he was aduertised that Clitus Bardeleius had rebelled and was confederate with Glancias the kynge of the Thaulantes he had also intelligeÌ„ce that the people of Anteria wold giue him bataile in his passage wherefore he coÌ„mytted to Lagarus the Kynge of Agryans wich was welbeloued of King Philip no les fauored of Alexander the charge to go againste the Anterians Anterians and promysed him vpon his retorne to giue him his suster Cyna in mariage Cina And AlexaÌ„der him self with great celeritie weÌ„t against Clytus Glaucias whoÌ„ in sondrey bataylles he ouercame put to flight Whiles Alexander was about thes thinges The Greks rebellyd he receiued aduertisemeÌ„t the diuers Cities in Greace specially the Thebans had rebelled which thinge moued him muche was the cause that he retorned with spede to oppresse the coÌ„mocion The Thebanes in this meane season besieged the Castle of Thebes wher in was a guarrison of Macedones and weÌ„t about by al meanes to win it To whose rescue Alexander came by greate iourneys encamped with his host nere to the Citie The siege of Thebes Such as bare rule amoÌ„ges the Thebanes wheÌ„ thei sawe AlexaÌ„der coÌ„e contrary to that they loked for doubted whether such ayde shuld coÌ„e to theÌ„ froÌ„ other Cities as was promysed began to consulte how to procede At leÌ„gth by a general consent they determyned to abide thaduenture of the warre The King in the meane seasoÌ„ stode at a staye geuyng theÌ„ spare to be better aduised chauÌ„ge purpose for he was of opinioÌ„ that not one Citye wold euer haue made resistance against so great a power as he had beinge aboue .xxx. thousand fotmen and thre thousand horsemen al olde Souldyers and experte in the traueiles of warre The truste of whose manhode and valyantenes had caused hym to vndertake the warres agaynst the Percians Trulye yf the Thebans had gyuen place too fortune to the tyme and wold haue required peace they mighte easelie haue obtained it his disire was so greate to passe into Asia against the Percians but the Thebans that were determined to trye their force and vse no praiers fought agaynst the MacedoÌ„es that far exceded their noÌ„bre obstynatly with greate manhode But whiles the batailes were ioyning the guarrison of the castle issued out vpon the Thebanes backe wherby being enclosed they were vanquyshed their Cytie taken spoiled The distraccion of Thebes and vtterly rased Which thynge Alexander did of purpose because he thought the reste the Grecians afraied by their eÌ„sample wold be the more quiet whiles he shoulde be in the warres of Asia to gratifie the Phocians and
taleÌ„ts And sent to Antipater such as had the gouernans of the Cities of Greac threscore taleÌ„ts He gaue order the suchas wer his coÌ„federats shuld with ther own powre of ships defed the seas of HellespoÌ„t according to the leage betwixt theÌ„ It was not yet come to his knowledg how MenoÌ„ was deade vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ he set his hole regard Menon knowing if that he moued not against hiÌ„ nomaÌ„ shuld enterrupt his passage before he cam to Darius The Cytye of Ancire Alexander came to the cytye Ancyre where he made hys musteres and so entred into Paphlagomya wherunto the Grecians be borderers of whome it is said the venetians be discended Rhaphlagomya Al this Contrey yealdid vnto him gaue him pledgs obteining to be free of tribute seing they neuer paid any â—â— the percians Calas was captayne there who taking with him the band of Souldirs that were lately come out of Macedon went vnto Capadocea Calas But Darius hearing of the deathe of Menon Capadocia was noles moued therwyth then the case required for then allother hope set apert he determyned to trye the matter in person coÌ„dempnyng all thynges that had ben don by hys deputies hauing opinion that good gouerment wanted in many of them and that fortune had fayled in them all He came therefore to Babylon wher he encamped Assembling al his force togithers in sight bicause he wold shewe the greater courage And vsing the ensample of Xrexes in takiÌ„g of his musters entrenched so much ground abut as was able to receiue .x. thousand men within the whych he lodged in the night suche as had bene mustred in the daye And from thens they were bestowed abrode in the plaine contrey of Mesepotanya the numbre of his horsmen fotemeÌ„ were innumerable and yet seamed to the syght to be more then they were There were of the Percyans an C. thousand of whom .xxx. thousand were horsemen Of the Medeans .x. thousand horsemeÌ„ .xxx. thousand fotemen Of the Barcanyts two thousand horsemen Themnubre of Darius men of warre with brode swordes light bucklers and .x. M. fotmeÌ„ with like weapoÌ„s Ther were of the ArmeÌ„ians .xl. thousand fotemen .vii. thousand horsemen The hircanyans of great estymacioÌ„ emongeste those nacioÌ„s had .vi. thousand horsemeÌ„ The deruicens were .xl. thousand fotemeÌ„ armed with pikes wherof parte had no hedes of IroÌ„ but dried the poiÌ„ts of theÌ„ in the fiere therwer also of the same nacioÌ„ .ii. M. horsmeÌ„ Ther caÌ„e froÌ„ the CaspiaÌ„ sea viii M. fotmeÌ„ .cc. horsmeÌ„ And with theÌ„ of the rude nacions of Asia .ii. M. fotemen and .iiii. M. hosemen To the increase af thes numbres there were .xxx. M Mercenary sauldiers that were Greaks Hast wold not suffer to cal for the BactriaÌ„s Sogdians Indians with other thinhabiters of the red sea nacioÌ„s which had naÌ„es scarsely knowen to ther owne kynge Thus Darius wanting nothing lesse theÌ„ the mullitud of meÌ„ greatly reiossed to behold them And puffed vp with the vanitye flattery of the greate men that were aboute hym turned to Charidemus of AtheÌ„s an experte maÌ„ of warre which for the displeasure that AlexaÌ„der did bere him was baÌ„ished his coÌ„trey asked him if he thought not this coÌ„pany sufficient to ouerthrowe the Macedons WheriuÌ„to Charidemus without resptte of the kinges pride or of hys owne estate aunswered Charidemus words â—nto Drius Peraduenture six qd he ye will not be content to heare the truth excepte I tell yt nowe it shal be to late hereafter This great preparatoÌ„ hiughe army of yours gathered of the multitud of somany nacioÌ„s that you haue raised vp froÌ„ al pies of Thorient is more fearfull to theinhabiturs hereabouts then terrible to your enemies your meÌ„ shine in colors and glister in armure of gold exceding so much in ryches that they which haue not sene theÌ„ which ther eies caÌ„not coÌ„ceiue any such thiÌ„g in their minds But coÌ„trariwise the MacedoÌ„es being rough souldiers wtout any such excesse be terrible to behold the froÌ„ts of ther batailes staÌ„d close togethers alwais in streÌ„gth furnished with pikes targets for defeÌ„ce The Phalant of the Macedons that which thei call ther Phallant is an immouable square of fotemen wherin euery one staÌ„d close to other ioyning weapoÌ„ to weapon euery souldier obedieÌ„t toy t whych is commauÌ„ded him redy at his captaines beck whyther it be tofolowe his ensigne to kepe hys armye to stand stil to ruÌ„ne to fetche a coÌ„pas to chang thorder of the battell to fight on this side or that side euery souldier can do thes thinges aswel as the captaines And because you shal not thinke gold siluer to be effectuall to thys matier they began and obserued this discipline pouerty beiÌ„g Maystres WheÌ„ they be werye the ground is there bed they are sattsfiedfied with suche meate as thei find by chaunce and thei measure not their sleape by the lengthe of the nyght Thinke you the horsmen of Thessaly the Alcharnans and Etolians whych be inuincible men of warre wil be repulsed with â—lynges or staues hardned in the fire It behoueth you to haue a like force to repulce theÌ„ and to be serued of the same kind of men Mi counsel is therfore that you seÌ„d this gold and siluer to wage souldiers out of those countreis from whence thei come Darius was a man of a meke and tractable dysposicion if the heighte of his estate had not altered the goodnes of hys nature which made hym so vnpatyent to here the truthe that he commaunded Charydemus to bee put streight wayes to death being a man that was fled to his proteccion and that gaue hym right profitable couÌ„sel When he was going towards his death he left not his libertye to speake but saide there is one at hande that shal reuenge my deathe For he againste whome I haue geuen the counsell shall punyshe the for not folowinge of the same And thou being thus altered with the libertye thou haste being a King shalt be an ensample to suche as shal come after that when they commit their doinges to fortune they clerely forget theÌ„ selues whiles Charidemus was speaking these wordes they which had the charge committed vnto them put him to death whereof afterwardes the Kynge toke ouer late repeÌ„tance for he confessed that he had spokeÌ„ the truth caused him to be buried Thymones Ther was one Thymones the soÌ„ne of Menter a yoÌ„g maÌ„ of great actiuite to whoÌ„ Darius gaue the charge of al the souldiers straungers in whom he had great coÌ„fidence and willed hym to receyue theÌ„ at Pharnabasus handes And gaue to Pharnabasus that rule the MenoÌ„ had before Thus Dariê° beiÌ„g careful of the busines he had in hand whither it were through pensiuenes of mind or that his fancie did deuine thiÌ„ges to coÌ„e was coÌ„tinually troubled with visioÌ„s in his sleape Dâ—riue dreame He dreamed that the MacedoÌ„s caÌ„pe was al on fire And shortly after yt
semed to hym that Alexander was brought to his preseÌ„ce in such kid of appariel as he him self did were when he was first chosen Kyng and that Alexander should ther be caried on horsebacke through BabiloÌ„ and so to vanishe out of sight Hereupon thinterpretors of dreames with the diuersitie of theyr deuininge did driue Darius into diuers ymaginacions Some said his dreame betokened good fortune to him selfe bicause of the fire that semed to be in his enemyes campe for that Alexander wyth out any vesture of a King aperid in the vulgare apariel of the Parcians Other did enterprete it otherwise that the lighteniÌ„g in that Macedons campe signified glory victorie to Alexander also then ioyment of the empire of Asia which they made a clere matter for as muche as Alexander apered in the same vestures that Darius ware when he was chosen King Care besydes and trouble of mynd as it often chaunseth brought thinges by paste again to remembrance It was rehersed howe Darius in the beginning of his raigne chauÌ„ged the scabard of hys sword from the Percian manner into the faschion that the Grekes vsed Whereupon that Caldees did prenosticat that the Kyngdome of Perce shuld be translated to those whose faschion he had counterfaited NotwithstaÌ„ding through the confidence of such prophecies as were commonly sene abrode and of of the vision that he seamed to haue sene in his sleape became very mery and commaunded his Army to marche forwards to the riuer of Euphrates It was the auncient custome amongeste the PerciaÌ„s at the sonne risinge to raise their campe and warnyng of their setting forewardes to be geuen by the blaste of a Trompet sowned at the kinges paullion vpoÌ„ the which there stode an Image of the sonne enclosed in christall shininge so bright that it might be sene throught out the campe The order of the percians in their merchins The order of their marche was in this maner The fire which thei cal holie and eternall was caried before vpon siluer aultars and the priestes of their lawe went next synginge after theyr contrey maner There folowed .ccc.lxv. yong men in scarlet robes like in nombre vnto the daies of the yeare Then came the chariots that was coÌ„secrate to Iupiter drawen with whyte palfreis a great horse folowinge which thei cal that horse of that sonne Such as did ride vpon the palfreys dyd weare white garmentes and had roddes of gold in theyr handes next in order came ten chariots garnished and wrought with siluer and gold The horsemen of twelue nacions folowed next in sondry sorte of Armoure TheÌ„ came a coÌ„pany that the Percians call immortall the ryches of whose apparell exceded farre the reste thei had al cheines of gold coates embrodered with gold and sleues set with Perle there folowed with in a smale distans a band of xv thousand called Doriphere reputed for the King kinsmen which were disguised in maner like women more notable for their gallentnes and varietie of apariel theÌ„ for the armour they did weare Such as were wont to receyue the kynges robes at his haÌ„des did ryde next before the chariot vpoÌ„ that which Darius did sit on high with great pompe and magnificens his chariot was set on bothe sides with carued Images of their gods both of siluer and gold al the former parte was adorned with perles and precious stones hauing two Images of golde their standynge of a cubyte lengthe combattant on against the other and ouer their heades an Egle of gold displayed But amongeste all the reste the Kynges apparell shewed maruelous sumptuouse whych was of purple empaled whit with a border embroidred of gold faucons fighting togithers He was gird effemynately with a gerdle of golde and the sword that hung therupon had the scabard made of a perle The diadeame the Kyng were vpon his head called by the Percyans Cydarys had a â—oule about yt of white and grene Next behind the Kyng came .x. thousande horsemen which had all their speares plated with siluer their speares heades gilded He was enclosed on both sides with .cc of the bloud royal at whose backes there folowed .xxx. M fotemen Sisigambis darius mother and after them cccc of the Kynges coursers wythin the distance of one furlonge Sisigambis the mother of Darius was caried in a Wagone and hys wief in an other that trayne of their women ridinge on horsback Next them weÌ„t .xv. wagons wherin the kinges children were caried their nurces and Enuches which are greatly estemed in the nacion And after them folowed .ccc. .lx. of the Kinges concubines al aparelled like Quenes Then came vi.c mules and .ccc. Camels that caried the Kynges treasure whych were garded with a band of Archers the wiues of the Kinges kinsmen and the other that were about the Kyng came ridinge next after them a great companye of slaues and verlets Last came their reward lightly armed of whom euery captaine seueraly with his own company closed in the army Such was the order of Darius host on the other side beholding Alexanders Armye Alexanders Armye there was to be sene agreat dyfference niether the men nor the horse were set forthe with such gold nor precious furnymentes glistering only with the brightnes of their harnes but they were obedieÌ„t at their captaines beck alwaies in redines to stay or to passe forwardes nether combred with ouer greate multitude nor pestered with to muche bagage Thei wanted not in any place either grouÌ„d for their encaÌ„ping or victualles for their feding wherby theire smalle nombre was alwayes sufficient when they came to fyght Where as Darius the lorde of so huge a multitude through the streightnes of the ground wherein he was driuen to geue battaille could worke theffect but of a small nombre whiche he before had dispised in his enemy Alexander appointed Abistamines the rule of Capadocia and marching with his army towardes Calicia came to the place that was called Cyrus Campe because he lodged there when he passed into Licia against kyng Creasus This place was distant aboutes .50 forlonges from the streight wherby he must entre Cilicia The enhabyters vse to cal those streightes Pyloe where as the natural scituacion of the place had made a fortification as it were made with mans handes Arsanes When Arsanes gouernour of Cilicia vnderstode of Alexanders comyng remembryng what opinion Menon was of in the beginnyng of the warres put in executioÌ„ his wise couÌ„sell thought it were ouer late wastyng and destroyeng through out Cilicia all suche thinges as he thought might stande his enemy in stede leuyng the countrey waste whiche he thought he was not able to defend where as it had bene muche better to haue preuented his enemy in the streightes where from the hilles lyeng ouer the way he might without hasard either haue letted his entrey or els haue distressed hym in his passing But he leuieng a small nombre for the defence of the streyght retired him selfe back to waste
of his sodein rashnes therfore euery one required him apart that he would not encrease his perill through any haste but suffre himself to be ordred by thaduise of his Phisiciōs For thei alledged that vnproued remedies were not suspected of them without cause seing his enemy had gone about to corrupt suche as were about him by promising a M. talentes to his killer Which cause alleged they thought no mā would be so bold to make any experiment of phisicke vpō him which for the want of triall therof myght in any wyse geue cause of suspection There was amongest the excellent phisicions that came with Alexāder out of Macedon one Philip of Acaxnon whiche was preferred to him for preseruacion of his health Philip Alexanders phisicion and had faithfully serued him from his childhode and therfore loued him with entire affection He promised to prouide for the Kynge an approued remedy but suche one as would worke sore vpon him by the drinkyng wherof he doubted not he sayd but to expulse the force of his disease That promise pleased no mā but only him which in the proufe therof should abide the perill For he could abide all thinges better then delay Darius and his power was alwayes in his eye and he had assured confidence that the victory should fall on his side if he myght be able but to stand in the sight of his mē The thing that only greued him was that the Phisiciō would not minister vnto him before the third day In the meane season Parmenio whome of all his nobilitie he trusted moste had exhorted him by his letter that he should not cōmit himself to the cure of Philip for that he was corrupted by Darius with a thousand talentes and the promis of his syster in mariage Those letters brought the kyng in great care and doubt and moued hym to way and pondre secretly with himself all those thinges that fear or hope could put in his hedde of th one syde or thother Shall I aduenture thought he to drynke this medicine Alexanders Imaginaciō what if it be poyson shal I not then be accoūpted the cause of myne owne death shall I suspecte the fidelitie of my Physicion or shall I suffre myne enemy to kyll me in my bedde yet were it better to peryshe by other mens treason then thus to dye through myne owne faynt herte His mynde beyng thus diuersely wrought he would shewe the contentes of the letter to no man but sealed it with his owne ring and layde it vnderneth his pillowe Two dayes nere passed on in these Imaginacions and the third daye the Phisicion came to his beddes syde with the medicine redy made When the kyng sawe hym he raysed vp hymselfe vpon his elbowe and takyng the letter in his lefte hande with the other hande toke the cuppe and streyght supped it of When he had so done he delyuered the letter to Philip to reade and whyles he was readyng he beheld hym continually in the face supposing that if he had bene faulty some token would haue apeared in his countenaunce When Philip had redde the letter he shewed more tokens of displesauntnes then of feare and there withall fell downe vpon his knees and said Sir I se my lyfe doth depende vpon your health But your recouery shall declare that I am falsely charged with this treason But when that by my meanes you shall get your health I truste ye will not deny me then my lyfe In the meane season laye feare asyde and suffre the medicine to worke and to haue his operacion Kepe your self quiet and suffer not your self to be troubled with the supersticious carefulnes of your frēdes which though it procedeth of good wil is yet much impediment vnto your health His wordes not only satisfied the kyng but made him to conceiue perfite hope to be hole and said vnto Philip If the goddes would haue graūted that to deuise a meane to proue the cōfidēce I haue in the the good wil towardes the thou couldest not haue chosen any so good as this is for notwithstāding the lfe I drāke of the medicine beleuing that to be no lesse careful for declaraciō of thine own truth thē for my heth therwith gaue him his hād yet afterwardes whē the medicine begā to worke it was such in operaciō that it semed to verefie Parmenios accusemēt for he faited oft and had muche labour to drawe his breath Then Philip left nothing vnproued or vndonne that might serue for his purpose He laid warme clothes to his body and alwaies as he fainted reuiued him againe with the sauour of one thing other And when he perceiued him once to come to him self he ceased not to fede him with talke and one while put him in remembraunce of his mother and his susters and an other while of the great victory that was at hand Alexanders recoueryng When the powre of medicine was once entred into his vaines ther apeared streight in all partes of his body manifest tokens of healt First quicknes came to the spirites and after the body recouered his strength a great deale soner then any mā loked for he should For the third day after he had bene in this case he walked in the sight of his souldiours which wonderfully reioysed to see him And they shewed no lesse affeccion vnto Philip whom euery one seuerally embraced gaue him thankes as vnto God It cannot be expressed besides the naturall veneraciō the Macedons vse to beare vnto their prince in what reuerence they especially had Alexander and how feruently they loued him They had conceiued of him an opinion that he could enterprise nothing but that it was furthered by God fortune was so fauorable vnto him that his rashenes was always encrease of his glory His age besydes scarcely rype and yet sufficient for so greate thynges dyd marueylously set forth all his doynges And thinges whiche out of the warres should be coūted lightnes are wōt to be moste acceptable to the souldiers as thexercising of his body amonges thē his apparell not differing from the cōmon sort with his courage forwardnes in the fielde whiche giftes geuen him of nature thīges done of policy did get him both loue and reuerence of his people When Darius harde of Alexanders sicknes he marched towardes the riuer of Euphrates with all the haste he could make in conueying of so cōbrouse an army He made there a brydge and in .v. daies passed ouer his people hauing great desire to get Cilicia before his enemy By that time Alexander had recouered his strength and was come to a Cytie called Solos Solos whiche the inhabitauntes yelded vnto him and for two hundred talentes obtayned assuraunce Notwithstāding he put a garison in the Castle and there celebrated playes and triumphes whiche he had vowed to Aesculapius and Minerua for the recouery of his health Where being geuē so quietly to his pastime shewed howe litle he estemed the
commyng of his enemies Whiles AlexaÌ„der was busied about these thinges he receiued plesaunt newes how his men had wonne a battaille of the Percians at Halicarnassus and that the Myndians and Cawnians Myndians Cawnians with diuers other nacions in those partes were brought vnder his obedieÌ„ce This triumphe ones ended he remoued and by a brydge made ouer the ryuer of Piramus he came to the Cytie of Malon Malon Castabulon and from thence with an other remoue came to a towne called Castabulon There Parmenio returned to the kyng whiche had bene sent to searche the strayte that lay betwene them and the Cytie of Isson He had preuented the Percians at the passage and so leuyng men for the defence therof toke the Citie of Isson that was lefte desolate Isson he departed from thence and did driue the PerciaÌ„s out of the mouÌ„taynes serched all the waies So that hauing made all thinges clere for tharmy to passe he returned again both the aucthour of the acte the reporter of the thing done Alexander encamped within the Citie debated there in couÌ„sail whether it were better to passe on further or els to tary there for a more power whiche was coÌ„ming to him out of Macedon Parmenios opinion Parmenio was of opinion that this place was moste metest to abide Dariê° in and geue him battaille where both tharmies should be of like force by reasoÌ„ of the straytes wherein no great multitude could fight at once He shewed reasons why thei ought to eschue the plaines wherein their enemies shoud haue great auantage through their great noÌ„bre that might enclose theÌ„ about Wherin he said he doubted not his enemies stoutnes but only feared that their own men might be ouercoÌ„me with werenes where a multitude should fight with a fewe freshe men succede in the place of them that fainted This counsaill was receiued for good and Alexander determined in that place to abide his enemies There was in the host of the Macedons one Sysenes a persone sent before tyme from the gouernour of Egipt vnto kyng Philip Sysenes who being aduaunced with rewarde and promocioÌ„s choyse to lyue out of his own conÌ„trey so folowing AlexaÌ„der into Asia was estemed among those that the kyng trusted well A souldier of Create deliuered hym a letter from Nabazzanes Darius Lieutenaunt wherin he exhorted him to do some notable enterprise wherby he might wynne fauour reputacioÌ„ with Darius Sysenes innoceÌ„t of this matter was about diuers times to present the letter to the king but seing him occupied with weyghty affaires of prouision for the battaille prolonged the matter And whiles he wayted for a more conuenient time he brought himself in suspicioÌ„ of treason for the letter was brought to the kinges handes before it was deliuered vnto him who readyng it did seale the same with a strong seale and caused it to be deliuered to Sysenes to proue therby his fidelite but because he counsealed the thyng many dayes and opened not the matter to the kyng it semed that he consented thereunto And therefore by the kynges commaundement he was put to death by the band of the CreteÌ„sians The Greke souldiers whiche Tymodes had receyued of Pharnabasus beyng those that Darius trusted moste were come vnto him The grekes adâ—ise They perswaded muche Darius to retire backe into the playnes of Mesopotania and if he would not do so that at the leste he should deuide his power and not commyt the hole force of his estate to one stroke of fortune This counsaill was not so displesaunt vnto the Kyng as it was to suche that were about hym For they sayd mercinary souldiours were alwayes full of treason and were to be doubted the more for that they counsayled the Army to be deuided whiche was for no other purpose but only that they myght haue commoditie to flee vnto Alexander when they should haue any charge committed vnto them There is nothyng therefore more sure for vs quod they then to enclose them round about with our army and to cut them in peces to be an ensample to the worlde that treason should neuer be vnreuenged But Darius whiche was of a meke and good disposicion Darius clemency refused to commit so cruell an acte in sleyng suche as had betaken themselues to his truste Darmes answere vnto his counsail For if we should fyle oure handes quod he with their bloude what straunge nacion would euer then committe them selues into our handes alledgyng that there ought no man to lose his lyfe for geuyng folyshe counsayll For who would be bolde to geue Counsaylle yf in counsayllyng there should be any peryll For I call you quod he to counsaill daily and heare the diuersitie of your opinions yet mistruste not theÌ„ that geue me not always the best counsaill He caused the Grekes to be aunswered that he gaue them thaÌ„kes for their good will But in retourning backe he saied he should geue vp him his countrey into his enemies haÌ„des whiche were not conuenient And considering the force that fame is of in the warre in going backe he shuld appeare to flee But to deferre the fight he thought it worste of al seing so great an army as he had the winter theÌ„ approching could not be victailed in a desolate couÌ„trey that had bene wasted both by them selues by their ennemies And for the deuiding of his power he shewed that he could not do it obseruing the customes of his predecessours which were not wont to hasard the battaille but with their hole power He declared that AlexaÌ„der before his coÌ„ming semed terrible to the worlde and through his absence was brought in a vaine presumption But after he sawe him come became ware wel aduised hiding him in the straytes of the mountaines like those coward beastes that hearing the noyse of coÌ„mers by do hide them selues in the deÌ„s of the woddes He hath blynded his souldiers qd he with his couÌ„terfeit sicknes but nowe I will not suffer him to proloÌ„ge the fyght any longer whiche if he will refuse I wyll oppresse hym in his lurkyng hole These wordes he spake with greater auaunte then truthe And sent his treasure and Iuelles with a smalle conuoye to Damasco in Syria and entred with his Army into Cilicia bryngyng with hym accordyng to hys Countrey maner both his mother his wyfe his little sonne and his doughters It chaunsed thesame night that AlexaÌ„der was come to the strayte entryng into Siria Darius came vnto the place which thei cal Pylae AmaÌ„icae Pylae Amanicae The PerciaÌ„s not doubtiÌ„g at al but that the MacedoÌ„s would haue forsaken the Citie of Isson and fled away for feare for certayne of theÌ„ that were weke and could not folowe were taken the whiche Darius through instigacion of the great men about him raging in barbarouse crueltie caused their handes to be cut of and to be lead about his campe to the enteÌ„t they might behold the multitude
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
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
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
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
Therefore he caused an hyghe pole to be alwayes set before his pauilion wherupon remayned a sygne apparaunt to all men The token that they obserued was fire in the nyght smoke in the daye tyme. As he was marchyng towardes Susa Abulites that was ruler of that region Abulites either by Darius commaundement thynkyng by meanes of the spoyle to deteyne Alexander the lenger there or els of his owne fre wyll sent his sonne agaynst hym profferyng the deliuery of the cytie The young man was entreated very gently and by his conduccion Alexander passed forwardes till he came to the ryuer of Hydaspis Hydaspis whiche is counted to be a very delicat water Abulites there mette AlexaÌ„der with princely and riche giftes and presented him amonges the reste of other thinges Dromedary camels that were wounderfull swift with .xii. elephantes that Darius had sent for out of India to be a terrour to the Macedons which now were become an encrease of their streÌ„gth when the riches of the vanquisshed Susa whei Alexander found incredible treasours was come into the victorers handes He fouÌ„d in the citie an incredible treasure .l. M talentes of massy siluer that was vncoyned which riches gathered together in the space of many yeares by diuers kinges for their successioÌ„ posteritie thus in a momeÌ„t came into the haÌ„des of a forein prince AlexaÌ„der being lodged within the palaice did sit down in Darius seate whiche being higher then serued for his stature by reason his fete could not reche to the grouÌ„d one of the kinges pages put a bord vnderneth for him to treade vpoÌ„ At the doing wherof one of the Enukes that belonged to Darius loked heuely fetched great sythe whose sadnes when Alexander perceiued he enquired of him the cause He answered that when he beheld the bord wherupon Darius was wont to eate employed to so base an vse he could not behold it without great grief Alexander being therfore ashamed so muche to misuse the thing that before was had in suche a reuerence caused the same to be taken away Wherupon Philotas required hym not so to do but rather take it as a diuinacioÌ„ of his good lucke and fortune that the table wherupoÌ„ his enemy did eate should now become subiect vnder his fete Alexander purposing from thence to passe into Percia committed the cytie of Susa to Archilaus with .iii. M meÌ„ of warre Archilaus zenophilus and to zenophilus the charge of the castle leuing suche Macedons as were aged there in guarison But he did betake the keping of the treasure vnto Callicrates restored to Abulites the gouernement principalitie of the couÌ„trey of Susa Callicrates leuing within the cytie Darius mother his children And forasmuch as Alexander had at thesame tyme pleÌ„ty of cloth of purple sent hym out of his couÌ„trey with garmeÌ„tes redy made after the Macedon maner for the honour he bare to Sisigambis whome he had in reuerence as if she had bene his mother thought good to present parte of those to her with the persones that vsed to make them and willed it should be told her if she liked them that she should accustome her neces to make the lyke and geue them for presentes At the declaring of whiche message the teares ran out of her eyes whiche declared the gift not to be acceptable to her For the Percian womeÌ„ take nothyng in more despite the men to put their handes to wolle When reporte was made to Alexander in what sorte she had receiued his preseÌ„t thought both the matter meete to be excused and her to be comforted Alexanders excuse to Sisigambis of the present he sent her Therfore he came to visite her sayd This garment which I were was both of the gifte makyng of my susters our customes brought me into errour Therfore I require you that ye wil not take myne ignoraunce in euel parte I trust that otherwise I haue obserued sufficieÌ„tly all thynges whiche I knewe to be your customes When I vnderstode that it was not laufull amonges you for the sonne to sit in the mothers presence except she doth geue hym leue whensoeuer I came vnto your presence I would neuer sitte til you willed me so to do you would oftentimes haue fallen down worship me but I would not suffer you but haue euer honored you and geuen you the name due to my swete mother Olimpiades WheÌ„ the king with these wordes had wel pacified her he departed by four encaÌ„pinges came vnto a ryuer that the couÌ„treimeÌ„ cal Pasatigras Pasatigras which springing the mouÌ„taines of the VxioÌ„s roÌ„neth stepe down amoÌ„ges the rockes with woody baÌ„kes by the space of .30 forloÌ„ges but then desceÌ„ding into a plain it becometh nauigable so roÌ„neth with a more quiet streame in a softer grouÌ„d by the space of vi.c forloÌ„gs til such time as it doth eÌ„ter into the Percian sea Alexander passing this riuer wyth nyne thousand footemeÌ„ of the Macedons with the Agrians the Mecenary Grekes and with .iiii. thousand ThraciaÌ„s The vxione came amoÌ„ges the Vxions Whose couÌ„trey is nere vnto Susis and stretcheth out into Percia leuing betwixt it and Susis a narowe streight Madates had the rule of that contrey Madates who was such a man as was rare at that time for he determed to abide thextremitie for his duties sake Such as knewe the contrey did enforme Alexander that their was a priuie waye through the hilles wherby men might get to the farre side of the chief citie that partayned to them and if he would send a few that were light armed thei might be brought to a place where thei shuld appere aboue their enemies heades This counsell liked him so well that he made the councellers guydes and committed them to Tauron Tauron whome he apointed cheif of that enterprise He assigned to him a thousaÌ„d v.c mercenary soldiers and a thousand Agrians wyth whom after the sonne was gone downe he entred into his iourney Alexander in the third watche remoued hys campe and by the springe of the daye had passed the streightes There he set his meÌ„ in hand to cut downe timbre for the making of Towres and al other such thinges as pretayned to the assault of a cytie and so beganne his seige It was a difficult matter to make the approche the cytie stode so highe and the rockes gaue such impediment wherby the souldiers were repulced receyued many hâ—rtes contending both with thenemyes and the Scytuacion of the place Notwithstanding they gaue it not ouer by reason the kinge was euer amonges the foremoste asking of them if they were not ashamed being the Conquerours of so many cyties to be so longe in the winning of a smal castle that was so obscure vnknowen in the world As he was traueling amonges the rest they did shote and caste stones at him from the walles whom the souldiers defended wyth their tergettes because they could
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
worthy to suffer misaduenture They geue a greuous sentence vpon the estate of mans mortalitie dispaire muche of mercy that deny their cōpassion to mē in misery Now therfore since the goddes haue offered to you the thing whiche ye durste neuer haue wisshed for that is your countrey your wiues your childrē being the thinges whiche men esteme more then lyfe redeame oftentymes with death why do you doubt for the enioymēt of thē to breake out of this imprisonemēt I iudge that a yet of our own countrey moste naturall to vs where me thīkes is an other maner of beholding the light other customes other religiō another maner of tonge whiche for the pleasaūtnes is coueted of the barbarous naciōs what great thinges therfore be those that ye would willingly leaue the wāte of which only is the cause of your misery My opiniō is plain that we visite our countrey our home and not refuse so great a benefite as Alexander hath proffered vs and if any be so deteined with the loue of suche wifes children as they haue gotten here in seruitude let suche be no impedement to others that of al thinges esteme moste their naturall countrey There were but few of his opiniō for custome that is of greater force then nature preuailed in that matter They agreed to demaunde of Alexander that he would geue vnto them some place to inhabite in and there chosed out an hundred to be suters vnto hym in that behalfe Whome when Alexander perceiued coming towardes hym thynking that they would haue required the thing that he conceiued in his minde I haue apointed to you qd he beastes to cary you and to euery one a M. denires and when you shal come to Grece I wil so do for you that excepting your misfortune no other shall thinke themselues in better case then you But when he sawe them loke still towardes the ground and that they neither lifted vp their countenaūces nor did speake he enquired the cause of their heuines Then Eutemon rehearsed again those thinges in effect which he had spoken before in coūsel The king therfore pitieng no lesse their demaunde then he did their misfortune cōmaunded .iii. M. deneres to be geuen to euery one of them garmentes besides with shepe cattell and corne wherby they might till and sowe the lande that should be appointed vnto them The next day he assembled all the captaines of his army togethers and shewed thē that there was no citie more enemy to the Grekes then the same that was the chief seage of the aunciēt kinges of Perce from whence all the great armies had bene sent into Grece and howe Darius first after Xerxes had come out of that place to moue their vniust warre against Europe with the destruction of whiche cytie he thought good to reuenge their predecessours Thinhabiters had abandoned the citie The taking of Persepolis fled where feare dyd driue thē Wherupon the king streight wayes brought in all his footemen to the spoyle therof He had before that time wonne many cities some by force some by composicion that were full of substaūce princes treasure But the ryches of that citie did excide all the rest as in the place where the Perciās had layd their whole substaunce Gold and siluer was there foūd in heapes and great plenty of ryche vestures and furnimentes of houses not only for necessitie and necessary vse but for excesse and ostentacion whiche was so great that it gaue the victourers occasion to fight amonges them selues eche takyng other for enemies that had gotten the rychest spoyle The plenty there was suche that they could not employe to their vse the ryches they found but when they sawe thynges of value estemed them rather then toke them away Till suche time that euery one couetyng to haue a parte of euery thyng tare and brake a sonder the princely robes and the precious vessels of curious workemanship and the Images of gold and syluer were either beaton in gobetes or plucked in peces as euery one caught holde nothing was left vntouched nor nothing caried away whole Crueltie bare no lesse rule there then couetousnes euery one was so laden with gold and siluer that they esteamed not the keping of prisoners but kylled suche as they first spared in hope of gayne There were many therefore that preuented their enemies handes with voluntary death and diuerse that clothyng them selues in their moste precious apparell leaped downe from the walles with their wyfes and chyldren Certayne there were that set their owne houses on fyer whiche they iudged their enemies woulde els haue done shortely after because they would burne themselues amunges their owne family At length the kyng dyd forbyd any violence to be done to women and that no man should medle with any thyng pertayning to them The some of money taken within this Cytie was greater then any man can well credite but eyther we muste doubte of the reste or els beleue that hath bene lefte in memory howe that the treasure there found The treasure taken at Persepolis amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand talentes whiche treasure because that Alexander purposed to employ in his warres caused horse and camels to be brought from Susis and Babilon to cary thesame The takyng of the Cytie of Persagadis Persagadis wherein was founde syx thousand talentes was an encrease to this some whiche Cytie beyng buylded by Cyrus was yeldid vp by Gobares that had the kepyng therof Gobares Alexander lefte in the castle of Persepolis thre thousand Macedons in guarrison vnder Nycarides Nicarydes capitaine of the same and reserued to Tiridates that deliuered hym the treasure thesame honour that he enioyed with Darius Leuing in this cytie the greater parte of his army with his cariages vnder the rule of Permenio and Craterus He with a thousand horsemen and a band of footemen without any bagage went to visite in the winter season the inward partes of Perce There he was vexed troubled with shoures tēpestes that were in maner intollerable but yet he letted not to go forwardes in his enterprise to the place that he appointed In his iourney he came vnto a coūtrey that was couered all with snowe thesame also frosen by force of the could The wildnes and desert maner therof put the souldiers that were weried of trauail insuch a feare and terror that they imagened to haue sene the vttermoste boūdes of the world For when they beheld all thinges wast and no signe appearing of habitaciō of man they were amased and made requeste to returne againe before that the light and the elementes should fail them The king would not chastice them being in this terror but leped frō his horse and went one fote in the snow and ice Which thing whē his frēdes sawe they could not for shame but folow then the captaines did the like and finally the souldiers The kyng was the first
feare that they durst neither put on their armour lest they might geue occasiō to the Bactriās to set vpō thē nor they could not remaine quiet lest thei might seme so wickedly to leue their kynge There were clamours through out the campe of diuers sortes and tunes wythout any head and without any apointment Such as partayned to Nabarzanes and Bessus deceiued by such lamētacion as they harde brought them worde that the kyng had killed him self Whereupon the prepaired thither so fast as thei could gallop Darius taken prisoner by Bessus and Nabarzanes and such folowed after as thei had chosen to be mynisters of their mischeife When they were entred into the kings pauilion bicause the Enuches declared that he was on liue they cōmaunded him to be bound Thus he whych before was caried in a chariot and honoured of his men like a god was made prisoner by hys owne seruauntes without any foreine powre and put into a vile cart couered ouer with beastes skynnes and spoyle was made of the kinges stufe in such sort as if it had bene taken in the warres And when they had laden them selues with the pray gotten after so foule a maner they conuaied them selues into their countries But Artabazus with those of whom he had the charge and with the Greake souldiers toke the way towardes Parthina thinking to be more sure any where then in the felowship of those traitors The Percians whom Bessus had burdened with so many faire promises specially bicause thei had no other mā to folowe ioyned them selues to the Bactrians and the third daye ouertoke them But to thintent Darius should not want such honor as was due vnto his estate Bessus caused him to be bound wyth golden fetters such were the despightes that his fortune made him subiect vnto And for that he should not be knowen by his apparell ▪ they couered the carte with foull hides of beastes and caused vnknowē mē to driue it forwards And lest by enquiring the Armye he might be discouered such as had the charge of hym folowed afarre of Whan Alexander hard that Darius was remoued to Echatane he lefte the way that he was in and with all the spede he could make folowed after Darius that was said to be gone into Media But when Alexander was come to Taba which is the cheife Citie of Paratacene Taba Paratacene it was there shewed him by fugitiues that came out of Darius camp that he was fled with al spede into Bactria And afterwardes vnderstod the matter more certeinly by Bagistenes of Babilō who could not affirme directly that Darius was vsed as a prisoner but declared that either he was in daūger of death or of captiuitie Alexander vpon those newes called his capteines togither and shewed them that he had a greate enterprise but such one as the trauail was verie short Darius he sayd was not far of forsaken of his own men and either takē as a presoner or slaine In whose parson he shewed their whole victorye to consiste and the greatnes of the matter to be reward sufficient of their haste making They all cried with one voice that they were redy to folowe him where he would go and that he should neither spare there labor nor their perill Wherupon he cōueied his army forwardes with merueilous spede rather in post then after the cōmon ordre of marching neither resting daie nor night til they had passed v.c furlōges come to the village where Darius was taken There Melun Melun Darius Interpreter who by reason of his sicknes could not folowe the army was taken through Alexanders celeritie who fayning that he fledde awaye from his maister declared the whole matter but how great so euer his desire was to ouertake his enemies it was necessary for hym to giue his men rest of their trauayle So that determining to leue the teste of his army behinde did chose out six thousand horsemen and added to them iii.c whiche they cal Dimichas that were fotemen heuy harnised but yet did ride on horseback and when the matter and place required lighted fought on foote When Alexander was taking ordre about these thinges Orsellos and Mythracenes which for the hatred they bare to Bessus for his treason fled from him declared to the kynge that the Percians were but v.c furlonges of and proffered to guide hym by a nearer way Their cōmyng was gratefull to the king for by their conduccion in the begynning of the nigh the toke his iourney wyth suche horsemen as he had appointed willing his fote battell to folowe after wyth all spede possible He marched forwardes in a square battell and kept such an ordre that the firste might ioyne with the laste and such as came behind releue them the went before When they had passed .ccc. furlonges of their way Broculus Broculus the sonne of Mazeus that sometime had bene gouernour of Siria met Alexander and declared that Bessus was within two hūdred furlonges marching with his men out of all ordre as one that did caste no doubtes seming to him that they went towardes Hircania wherfore yf haste were made he said they myght sone be ouertaken found disparckled here ther out of al aray He affirmed also that Darius was yet aliue Alexander that was hote before in his pursuite was with his wordes muche more pricked forwardes so that he caused them put spores to their horses and passed forwardes a gallop and went so farre forth that they might heare the noise of their enemies made as thei marched But the duste that dyd ryse toke awaye their fight and therefore he stayed a while tyl the duste was vanished away And then both Bessus parceyued the Macedons and they sawe the Percians as they fled Notwithstanding they had not ben hable to haue matched with them if Bessus had had as great courage to fight as he had to betraye hys master For besides that they excedid the Macedons in nombre and powre who being forweried and sore trauayled should haue had to do with them that were iustie freshe But the name of Alexander and his fame which is of great moment euer in the warres put thē in such feare that thei could not staye them selues Then Bessus and other that were parteners of the cōspiracy came to the carte where Darius was parsuaded him to leape on horsebacke and fle from hys enemies that were at hand But he affirming that the gods were come to his reueng and calling for the assistaunce of Alexander Darius wounded to death said that in no wyse he woulde go wyth traitors wherewith they were so sturred to wrath that they threw dartes at him and left him woūded in many places of his body They thucst in the beastes also that driew the cart to thintent they should not be hable to passe forwardes slew his two seruaūtes that did waite vpon him Whē they had cōmitted this acte they thought it expedient to disperse
and the Macedons for the souereyntye The one partie lacked a capteine and the other rowme to fight in The manifolde aduentures and causes that fel that daie encreased both the hope and feare of both parties fortune as it were of purpose bringing suche valiant men to fight togithers neither of them preuailing vpon other But the streytnes of the place wherin they fought did not suffre them to ioyne with there whole force at ones for more were beholders the fighters and such as stode without daunger encouraged the other with their crie Atlength the LacedemoniaÌ„s began to faint and scarsly able for sweating to sustain their armour began to drawe backe to haue the more libertie to fle from their enemies that preased sore vpon them WheÌ„ they were ones brokeÌ„ and scatered abrode the victor pursued after And passing the place wherupon the Lacedemonians batteyll was first araynged with all haste made a sore pursuyt vpon Agym who seing his men flieng and his enemies approch at haÌ„de wylled his men to set him downe Where stretching out him selfe to fele if the force of his body could aunswere vnto his hart When he found him selfe vnable to stand remaining vpon his knees put on his helmet and couering his body with his target shaked his spere and prouoked his enemies to drawe nere if any were desirous of his spoile but there was not one that preassed nere hym but did cast dartes afarre of which he alwayes toke and threwe at his enemies againe till such tyme as he was thrust into the bare breast with a speare Agiâ— was slayne which pulled out of the wound he fainted and bowing downe himself vpon his target shortly after fel downe dead bloud and lyfe failing both together There were slayne of the LacedemoniaÌ„s .v. M.iii. C.lx. and of the Macedons not passing .iii. C. but there was scarsely any of theÌ„ that escaped vnwouÌ„ded This victory brake the hartes not only of the LacedemoniaÌ„s and of their confederates but also of all other whiche lay in wayte loking for the successe of that warre Antiparer was not ignorant howe the couÌ„tenauÌ„ces of such as did gratefie his victory differed muche from the ententes of their hartes but desirous to finishe the warre that was begonne perceiued it necessary for him to disseÌ„ble suffre hiÌ„self to be deceiued And though he reioysed much in the fortune of the thing yet he feared the enuy that might ensue therof being a greater matter then the estate of a lieutenaunt did beare For AlexaÌ„der was of the nature that he desired that his enemies had wonne the victory shewyng manifestly that he was not contented with Antiparers good successe thinking that what honour soeuer chaunsed to any other man was a derogacion to his owne glory Antipater therefore which knew full wel his stomake durst not vse the victory according to his owne will But assembled a counsel of Grekes to aduise what thei thought expedieÌ„t The LacedemoniaÌ„s made no other request but that they might send Embassadours vnto Alexander whiche vpon their repaire to him and their suite made obtained pardon to all men sauing to suche as were the authores of the rebellion The Megapolitans whose citie did abide the sieg Megapolitane were coÌ„pelled to pay as a fine for ther rebellion .xx. talentes to the Aheians and the catolians This was the ende of the warre Howe Alexander in prosprytie â—ell to vice which being sodeinly begone was ended before that Alexander had ouerthrowne Darius at Arbella Assone as his minde was deliuered of those present cares as one that coulde beare better the warres then quietnes or rest gaue him selfe al to pleasures By the vices wherof ensewing he was ouercome whom no powre of the Percians or any other was able to subdue He was geuen to banquetting out of season to a fonde delight of drinking watching in plaies and amonges flocks of Concubines that drwe him into strauÌ„g manners custumes Which he folowing as thinges better then the vsagies of his countrey offended therby greatly both the eyes the hartes of his owne nacion caused many that loued hym before entierly to hate him then as an enemy For the MacedoÌ„s that were obstinate in keaping their own discipline accustumed not to be curius but so scarse in their diet as might suffise nature WheÌ„ they sawe he went about to bring in amonges them the vices of those nacions whych they had subdued coÌ„spiracies then began to be made againste hym mutyne risse amonges the souldiers euery one complaynning to an other frely vttred ther griefes therby he was prouoked to wrath to suspicion sodeine feare diuers other inconuenience ensuing therupon which shal be declared herafter Alexander being giuen as it hath bene saied before to vnreasonable banquetinge wherin he consumed both daie night When he was satisfied of eating drinking passed ouer the tyme with plaies pastimes And not coÌ„tented with such musiciaÌ„s as he brought out of Greace caused the womeÌ„ that were taken captiue tosing before him such songs as abhored the eares of the Macedons not accustumed to suche thinges Emonges those women Alexander spyed one more sadder then the rest which with a certaine shamfastnes did striue with them that brought hir fourth She was excellent of bewty throughe hir shamfastnes hir bewty was augmentyd Bicause she did caste hir eies towardes the earth couered hir face so much as she might caused him to suspect hir to come of greater nobilitie then that she ought to be shewed furth amoÌ„such banquetting plaies And therfore being demaunded what she was she shewed hir self to be the doughter of the sonne of Occhus that lately reigned in Perce the wief of Histaspis which was Darius kinsmaÌ„ Histaspis and had ben his lieutennant ouer great armies Their yet remaynned in the kinges hart some smalle sparkes of his former vertue For in respect of her estate beinge come of kinges blood the reuerence he bare to such a name as the nese of Occhus commaunded hir not only to be set free but also to be restored to hir goods and hir husband whoÌ„ he willed to be sought out The next daie he apointed EphestioÌ„ to bring al the prisoners vnto the court where enquering of the nobilitie of euery one commaunded them which were descended of noble blood to be seuered from the reste amonges whom they found Oxatres brother to Darius that was no lesse noble of mind then of blood There was made of the laste spoile .xxvi. M. talentes whereof .xii. M. were consumed in rewardes amonges the men of warre the smoe amoÌ„ted to no lesse value that was coÌ„uaied away by them that had the keapinge thereof There was one Oxydates a noble man of Perce that was put in prison by Darius and apointed to suffre death Oxydates whom Alexander delyuered and gaue vnto hym the signorie of Medya and receyued Darius brother amonges the nombre of his frendes reseruing to him all the
long agoe by his mothers letters wherby he had warning to beware of thē and that now fearing the sequel of worser incōueniences had made thē sure wherunto he was enforced by apparaūt presūptions First he saied that day before Philotas treason came to light it was well knowen that they had much cōference with him in secrete also their brother which fled away whē Philotas was on that racke had declared by the absēting of him self the cause of his fliyng He shewed also that of late cōtrary to their accustomed maner of waiting without any cause mouing thē therunto but only by pretence of diligence preased next about the king of all other wherat marueilyng that they would furnish a roume wherunto thei were not appointed became so in doubt of their clustering together that he returned into the traine of the gētlemen that folowed him He declared besides that when Antiphanes clarke of the stable Antiphanes the daye before Philotas treasō came to light according to his accustomable maner gaue knowlege to Amintas that he should deliuer of his horse to such as had loste their owne He proudly aunswered again that except he would cōtent him selfe he should know shortly what maner of man he was Which violence of tonge rashnes of wordes bulked out quod he was nothing els but a declaratiō token of his traiterous hart These thinges beyng true he saied thei had no lesse deserued thē Philotas and if they were otherwise he desired thei might aunswere vnto the pointes Therupon Antiphanes was brought in to geue euidence of the horse not deliuered and of his proud aunswere geuē with threatening Whē Amintas had gottē libertie to speake he desired of the king that whiles they answered for thē selues their bādes might be losed which thing obtayned he made suite to haue his garment cast vpō him Thanswer of Amintas Which Alexander not only graūted but willed also such a spere to be deliuerd to his handes as other esquires vsed When he had receiued the same he eschued a little the place where the corps of Lincestes laye saied in this wise Whatsoeuer shall become of vs sir kyng we muste thinke if our chaunce be good the same to procede of your fauour if it be yil we must iudge the fault to be in our fortune seinge you suffer vs to pleade our cause without preiudice setting our mindes free our bodies at large with the same apparel restored vs wherin we were wōte to folow you Our cause is suche that we cā not doubt of it and we are passed the feare of fortune Therfore with your fauoure I wil aunswere first those poyntes wherwith you charged vs laste We knowe most assuredly that we be innocent of any kind of wordes spokē to the derogation of your maiestie And durst affirme that you had ouercome all enuy of men but that peraduenture you would thinke that I wente aboute wyth faire wordes to excuse thinges that haue bene maliciously spoken Though it were so that wordes sometime did escape vs either when we were fainte or weried in marchyng hasardyng our selues in fightynge or elles when we were sicke or dressyng of our woūdes our honest doynges otherwise do deserue that ye shoulde rather impute the same to the time then to any euil dispositiō in vs. For it is commenly sene where any thing chaūceth amisse al mē in maner become gilty of this fault We do violence sometime to our owne bodies whiche we hate not Yea the comming of the fathers vnto the children sometime is bothe vngratefull and also hateful But on the other side whē we receiue rewardes or giftes or whē we come ladē home with spoyle who can the stay vs who cā restraine our chearefulnes or who cā resist our courage in fighting The nature of mā is nether to kepe measure in displeasure nor in gladnes Thus are we driuē by the violēce of affectiō sometime with pitie sometime with fury as our presēt desire doth gouern vs. One while we are in mind to passe through India as far as the Occeā sea by by the memory of our wiues children and countrey call vs backe agayne dothe alter our purpose But as sone as the trumpet bloweth straight al these imaginations do passe away and euerye man then runneth into his araye and reuenge vpon their enemies the displeasures thei haue conceiued within their lodgynges I woulde Philotas had offended but onelye in wordes but passynge ouer that I will returne to the other poynte wherof we be accused The frendship that was betwixt Philotas vs. I will not onely not denye but also confesse that we did couet the same receiued therby great cōmoditye Do you maruaile that we did honoure and esteme the Sonne of Parmenio whom you did chose to be next about your persone and did auaunce aboue all other your frēdes you your self if it please you to heare the trueth are the cause of this our peryl What other thing moued vs to couet Philotas frendshyppe then that wee desired to please you By his preferment we were aduaūced to that degree of your fauour He stode in such case wyth you that it behoued vs as well to sue for his beneuolence as to feare to get his displeasure Haue not we sworne that we shoulde repute your enemies our enemies and honoure your frendes as our owne Should we haue bene found disobediēt in thys bonde of our dutie and specially towardes him whom ye did preferre aboue al mē If this be a fault ye haue fewe innocentes or surely none at all All men desired to be Philotas frendes but all that did couet coulde not be accepted So if ye will make no difference betwene the parteners of his treason and suche as were his frendes then so many be offenders as would haue bene his frendes What presūption haue you now that we shoulde offende I thinke because yesterday Philotas talked with vs familiarly alone Therof I cā not excuse my selfe if yesterday I chaūged any thing of mine accustomed maner liuyng but if so be we vsed euery day to do the like then custome must nedes make it to be none offēce But it may be said the horses were not deliuered to Antiphanes and the day before Philotas was detected this matter was betwene Antiphanes me for which cause if he wold make me to be suspected because I deliuered him not my horses that day There shal rise a doubtfull plee betwene the denier the demaūder sauing that his cause is better that kepeth stil his owne thē his that requireth another mans I had ten horses of the which Antiphanes had distributed .viii to suche as had loste their owne so there remained behind onely two which whē he would proudly wrongfully haue taken away I was enforced to kepe thē stil except I would haue serued on fote I can not denye but this cōmunicatiō was had betwene a man of a fre stomake a person of a
his wordes was wonderfully troubled both with anger and shame when he sawe the secretes of the religion brought to light which he thought to haue kept secrete to him self and therfore caused Erigius to go aside and Aristander to be called in vnto him Whō he beheld in the face said I seme to the rather a priuate man then a king Seing I commaunded the to make sacrifice and thou hast declared the significatiō therof to other not to me For Erigius by thy report knoweth the priuities pertaining to me But sure I iudge that through his own feare he deuised an interpretacion of himselfe Therfore let me heare of thyne own mouth what thou hast found in the intrailes to thintent thou shalt not deny that thou hast spoken Aristāder therupō was amased loked pale not able to answere one word for feare But at length the same feare that made him holde his peace pricked him forwardes to speake lest the prolonging of the kinges expectacion might prouoke him to further wrath answered I said qd he there was in the enterprise great daunger and difficultie but yet that your attēpt shuld not be in vaine There is nothing that I haue perceiued by my sciēce trouble me so much as the loue I beare towardes you for I both cōsider your infirmitie what a momēt cōsisteth in your owne persone fearing you shuld not be able to endure the thinges that fortune is disposed to geue vnto you When Alexander hard him speake after that maner he willed him to haue confidence in his felicitie to whom fortune had graunted glory in greater thinges therupō dismissed him Afterwardes as the king was debating with suche as he cōsulted with before by what meanes he shuld passe the riuer Aristāder came amonges them affirming that he had found the intrailes contrary to that he did before with as likely signes of good successe as any that euer he sawe shewīg thē as great causes to reioyse as he did before to feare But immediatly hereupon he receiued newes that muche appaired the continuall felicitie he was wont to haue in all his procedinges Menedemus being sent as it hath bene said before to besiege Spitamenes the auctour of the Bactrians rebellion When he vnderstode of his enemies cōming both in auoidīg to be enclosed within walles trusting besides to take some aduaūtage of the Macedōs laid an imbushemēt to entrappe them There was a wood through the which thei shuld passe very apt for the purpose where he laid the Dahās whose custome was to cary two armed men vpon one horse from whence they vsed to leape down by course And by reason the swiftnes of the footemen was little inferior vnto the horsemē they troubled greatly the ordre of the horsemans fight Spitamenes gaue ordre to thē that whē their enemies shuld enter into the wood they should enuirone them about on all sides whiche when they perfourmed according to their appointmēt Menedemus seing him self enclosed on al parts not equall in nombre vnto his enemies resisted a greate while crieng out to the souldiers that there remayned no hope to them being intrapt after that maner but by making slaughter vpon their enemies receiue the cōfort of an honest death Menedemus rid vpon a strōg horse charging oft times vpon his enemies wherby he brake their ordre and made great slaughter till such tyme that he being laid at on all partes Hispydes receiued many woundes and fainted for want of bloud Then he exhorted Hispides that was one of his frendes to leape vpon his horse and escape away and with that worde he swounded fel to the ground from his horse Hispides might haue got away but after he had lost his frēd determined there to die taking no other care but how to spend his life with the losse of his enemies Wherfore he put his spoores to the horse and ranne in amonges them where he fought notably and at lengthe was slayne When the reste sawe thys ouerthrowe and losse of their capitaine they recouered an hill where Spitamenes did besiege them thinking to subdue them for want of vitaill There were slaine in that battaill two M. footemen and .iii. hundred horsemen Whiche misaduēture Alexander with great policy kept secret commaunding them that parted from the field vnder payne of death not publyshe this matter abrode But when he could not beare out any lenger a countenaunce contrary to his harte he went alone vnto his pauilion whiche he had set of purpose vpō the riuers side There he waked all the night deuising with him selfe what was best to doe And diuers times he lifted vp his tent to behold the fires in his enemies campe therby to coniecture their nombre when the daye apeared he put on a corselet and came forth amonges the souldiers beyng the first tyme they had sene him since he receiued his hurt They bare suche a veneracion vnto their kyng that with his presence only they put away the remēbraunce of the feare whiche caused them before to shrinke and reioysed so hartely that when they saluted him the teares distilled from their eyes and earnestly required the fight which before they had refused He toke ordre there amonges them that the horsemē and such as were of the square battaill of footemen should be caried ouer in boates that the light armed shuld swimme vpon bottels Neither the matter required any more to be spoken nor the king could not say any more by reason of his infirmitie For the souldiers went about the matter with suche good will cherefulnes of mind that within thre daies thei had finished .xii. M. boates Whē al thinges were prepared in redines for their passage there came xx embassadours of the Scithiās ridīg by the cāpe which required that it might be declared vnto the kinge that they hadde matter in commission to declare vnto him When they were receiued into his pauilion and commaunded to sit downe thei fixed their loke cōtinually vpon the kinges countenaunce whereby it was thought that waiynge the greatenes of his courage by his personage that they sawe presente it appeared to theim but small in respecte of the same they hearde of him The wittes of the Scythians be not rude and wtout knowledge as other barbarous people be For it is said that many of thē atteine to such learnyng as is possible for a nacion being alwayes in exercise of the warres Whose wordes spoken vnto Alexāder be left in memorie whiche thoughe thei differ from the maner of vs that haue happened in more ciuil times and framed our selues to a more humanitie Yet the fidelitie of the matter is not to be despised thoughe the phrase of their speach be not alowed And therfore I shall declare vncorruptlye the saiynges whiche the eldeste of those Embassadours did speake after this maner If the Goddes had geuen the a bodye accordyng to the vnsaciable desire of thi mind The oracion of the Scithians vnto Alexander the world
the playnes whyche be not knowen but to suche as be of the same countrey Though this straight was naturally strong and defeÌ„ded besides by a strong power that letted not Alexander to attempt it but brought engynes which they call Arietes to beate downe such fortificatioÌ„ as was made with hande and with slinges and shote of arrowes did beate his enemyes from the places of their defence When he had driuen them awaye he passed throughe the fortificatioÌ„s he had wonne and made approche vnto the rocke But the streame that grewe of the assemble of waters falling from the mountayne was an impedimente to him therin And it semed a wonderfull worke to fil the chanel of the riuer yet he caused trees and stones to be brought to the place and set the thing in hande When his enemyes that neuer had sene any suche worke before sawe the worke rise sodaynlye lyke a mountayne were put in a marueylous feare wherby the kynge supposyng they might haue bene brought to render it vp sent one Oxatres of the same nacion to persuade Sisymythres to render vp the rocke And in the meane season to put them in the more terrour he caused towers of woode to be brought forwardes and did shote wyth engynes so oute of the same that the enemies forsakynge all other strengthes retired into the toppe of the rocke Oxatres finding Sisymythres in this feare perswaded hym rather to proue Alexanders beneuolence then his force seynge that all creatures submitted theim selues vnto him that he onely should not be his let goynge with his victorious army into India wherby he should turne other mens plage vpon his owne necke Sisymythres would haue bene contented to folowe his aduise but that she whiche was both his mother and his wyfe affyrmed howe she woulde rather dye then commit hir selfe into anye mans handes And therfore beynge ashamed that the loue of libertye shoulde remayne more in a womanne then in him altered his purpose takinge that way whiche was more honest then sure and dismissed him that was the meane for peace determinyng vtterly to abide the extremitye of the siege Yet when he had weyghed well his enemies power and hys owne togethers began againe to repent him of his wiues counsail which was more rashe then necessarie made sute that Oxatres woulde returne proferinge then to commit hym selfe to the kinges will onely requirynge of Oxatres that he would not vtter hys wyues mynde and opinion for feare least she should not obteyne hir Pardon He sente therfore Oxatres before and he came after wyth his wyfe his children all his kynsfolke wythout tariynge for any assuraunce promised to hym by Oxatres Alexander hearynge of their commyng sent hys horsemen before to cause theim to staye and tarye for hys coÌ„myng And when he was come to the place wher they were he offered Sacrifice to Minerua and Victoria restorynge to Sysymythres his former rule and aucthoritie and put him in hope of a greater countrey if he would faythfully coÌ„tinue his frendship and toke his two sonnes presented to him by the father to serue in his warres Alexander lefte his fotemenne to subdue suche as were yet vnyelden and wente forwardes with hys horsemen into other partes The way was craggye and difficulte whyche at the firste they endured indifferentlye but afterwardes when their horse houes were torne asunder and they vtterly forweried manye were not able to folowe but rydde disperkled and out of order the werines of their trauaile so much ouercame shame The kyng notwithstandyng chaunged often horse and pursued wythout ceassyng his enemies that fledde before hym By reason wherof all the noble young men that were wonte to accompanye him were lefte behynde sauynge onelye Philippe Lysimachus brother Philip who then beynge in the floure of his youthe and of great likelihode to become an excellent manne folowed on fote the kynge that did ride on horsebacke by the space of fifty furloÌ„ges Lisymachus diuers times profring to him his horse But in no wise he would depart from the kyng notwithstandyng that he had on his corselet and all his armoure When the kinge passed through a woode where his enemies laye in embushement he fought notablye and rescued the kynge fightynge wyth hys enemyes But after they were â—ite to flyght and driuen out of the woodes the greatnes of his courage which hadde susteyned him in the heate of the fight faynted wyth his bodye and beyng all on a swette leaned him selfe to a tree whyche did not so staye him but that he fel to the earth and beynge taken vp againe by the Kinges handes shronke downe from hym and dyed The kynge beyng sorowfull for his deathe receiued an other tidynges no lesse to be lamented For before he came to his campe he was aduertised of the deathe of Erigius one of hys moste notable Capitaynes whose funerals were bothe celebrated wyth greate pompe and ceremonies of honoure From thence he determined to goo vnto the Dahans where he vnderstode that Spitamenes was But Fortune that neuer ceased to fauoure hym finished the iourney of his spitamenes as she did many other Spytamenes was enflamed wyth the ouermuche loue of his wife whom he caried wyth hym in al his hasardes and aduentures But she that coulde not well endure fliynge nor to chaunge places like an outlawe became so wery of trauayl that by flattery and fayre meanes she entised her husbande to leaue his fliyng and go about seyng he sawe no waye to escape to procure Alexanders fauoure of whose clemencye she saied he had sene so great experience And to moue him the more in the matter she brought before him their childreÌ„ begotteÌ„ betwixt them makyng request that at the least wayes he would take pity on theÌ„ wherin she thought her praier would be the more effectual bicause Alexander was so nere at hand But Spitamenes iudging her not to do this by way of couÌ„sail but of purpose to betray him and that she desiered to submit her selfe vnto Alexander in confidence of hir beuty drew out his swerde to haue strikeÌ„ her if he had not bene letted by his brethreÌ„ WheÌ„ they would not suffer him otherwise to hurt her he coÌ„maunded hir to auoyde hys syght threatenynge to kyll hir if she profered to come agayne to his presence And to mitigate his loue towardes hir he spente the nyght amonges hys concubynes But his loue that was so deapelye grounded thereby ceassed not but rather kyndeled the more towardes his wyfe Wherfore he reconciled him selfe agayne vnto hir makyng his continuall request that she would not counsayl nor moue hym anye more in the matter but be content wyth suche chaunces as Fortune woulde sende hym for he estemed death lyghter then to yeld him selfe She purged her selfe of her former perswasion which appered to her she saied to haue bene good and though it were after a womans maner yet it proceaded of a faithfull meanynge But from thence forth she was contented to do as it shoulde please
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
bray of purpose to thintent that with their terrible noyse they should fill their eares ful of feare Though the Macedons were couragious and had there hartes full of good hope as they which often tymes had had expeyience of there owne actes Yet there enemies and the Riuer bothe togither made them wonderfully amased For they could not think how to keape a stedfast course to the further shore in so weake and tottring boates nor when they were there coulde see howe to arriue wyth surety There were many Ilands in the middes of the Riuer into the which both the Indians and the Macedons did swyme holding there weapons aboue there heddes And there skyrmished together in the syght of both the kinges which by experymente of such smale thinges made triall of the successe of the holle Symachus Nycanor But amonges al the Macedones ther were two noble yong meÌ„ called Symachus and Nycanor excelling in bouldnes in desperat attemptes and through there continuall good fortune had goten a courage to despice all perill Other yong men of the moste hardiest toke them for there captaynes and without any other armour sauing there pikes swome ouer into an Iland that was full of their enemies where through bouldnes only they slewe many of them and so myght haue returned with glory if rashnes where it findeth prosperous successe could euer be content with measure But whiles with skorne and pride they taried for ther enemies they were sodeinly enclosed of such as pryuely swome ouer the riuer and were killed with dartes which they caste at them from afarre Such as in thys case escaped there enemies were either drowned with the violence or the Eddyes of the streame Thys fight put Porus in great courage that sawe all theyr doinges from the further shore And though Alexander was longe vncertayne what waye to take yet at length he deceyued his enemye by thys policy The policie Alexander vsed in passing of Hydaspys There was an Iland in the riuer greater then the rest apte to hide his deuise by reason it was full of woode and had a great rampire cast vpoÌ„ that banck that was towards hys enemies Where both his fotemen and horsemen might stand couered from the sight of the Indians And the rather to turne there eies a nother way from the spying out of the oportunitye he caused Ptolomeus with a great nombre of hys horsemen to shewe them selues against there enemies farre of from the Iland and to put the Indians in feare of there crye making euer a shewe as though they would swyme ouer the riuer Which thing Ptolomens dyd many dayes continially together to the intent that Porus should be enforced to remoue hys powre to that part to withstaÌ„d him and by that meanes brought them out of the sight of the Ilande Alexander also caused hys owne Pauilyon to be set vpon the riuers side ouer agaynste hys enemies and all the pompe that partayned to the state of a kyng to be set furth within there viewe with the same band standing in sight whych was wonte to remayne about hys parson Furthermore Attalus that was equall wyth Alexander in yeares and lyke to him of face and parsonage stode there openly aparayled lyke a kynge that it might appere to Porus that Alexander was styll remayning there and went not about to passe the riuer Thexecucion of this deuise was first letted by a tempeste whereby afterwardes it was furthered brought to good effect fortune euer vsed to turne her dyscommodities into good successe towardes hym For when the enemies were thus attent to obserue Ptolomeus that lay beneth vpon the riuer agaynst them and Alexander with the rest of tharmye busie about the passing of his men into the Iland before mencioned There fell sodeinly a great storme scarsely tollerable to such as lay within there cabbens which so much afflicted the souldiers abrode that they forsoke the boates and fled agayne to land And yet for all this ther clamor and there noise was not harde of theyr enemies through the vehemency of the showre As this tempast begaÌ„ne sodeynly so it sodeinly cessed But the clowdes remayned darke that there appered not so much light as the souldiers myght knowe one an other by the face when they spake togethers Whyche darknes myght haue feared some other man considerynge they had to rowe in a Ryuer that they knewe not their enemies paraduenture wayting for them at ther landynge whither they went as blind men that for glory sought for parill But Alexander vsed that thing that put other men in teror to serue for his purpose and willed that euery maÌ„ vpoÌ„ a signe giuen should enter into there boates wiâ—h silence His boat was the first that launched from the shore towardes the further syde that was voyd of hys enemies Porus only keping hys wache agaynst Ptolomeus There was but one boate that sticked by the way vpon a rocke and all the other recouered the lande Alexander then commaunded the souldiers to prepare there armour The batteil betwixt Porus and Alexander and fal into aray and whiles he was deuidyng hys men to put them in ordre of battayll â–ª and marching towardes hys enemies it was reported to Porus that a great nombre of men of warre were come ouer the riuer and landed whych would streyght wayes giue him the battell But he at the fyrste according to the fault that is in mans nature through the ouermuch confidence he had in hym self beleued not the matter but thought that Abyasares whych was confederat with him had come in his assistaunce But when the daye appeared and the matter was manyfest Porus then put furth C. armed wagons and foure thousand horsemen vnder the leading of Hages his brother to keape Alexander doyng Hages Poras brother They counted those wagons there pryncypall force for euerye one of them caryed .vi. men two archers two wyth targets and two that ruled the horses which were not vnarmed but when it came to the fyght they let there reaynes loose and bestowed there dartes amonges there enemies But the use of those wagons serued that daye to smal purpose for the shoure that had fallen more violently then was accustumed had made the feldes so wete slabbye that the wagons coulde not sturre but sticked in the mire becaÌ„e immouable Wheras Alexander being without baggage or anye other thing that might be impediment vnto him firesely inuaded his enemies The Scythians and the Dahans were the first that gaue the onset and Pardicas was apoynted with the horsemen to charge vpon the right hand battell of the Indians Then the battells beginning to ioyne in al partes they that had the charge of the wagons counting them the laste refuge slacked there raynes and rushed forwardes into the middes of the fight The comming of thes wagons apeared to be a matter daungerous and doubtfull to both parties For at the fyrst brunt both the MacedoÌ„s were borne ouer and ouer
Agramenes and Pharrasians whose kyng was called Agramenes whiche vsed to come to the field with .xx. thousand horsemeÌ„ CC. thousand footemen two thousand armed wagons and thre M. Elephantes whiche were couÌ„ted the greatest terrour Those thinges semed incredible vnto Alexander and therfore enquired of Porus if the thinges were true that had bene told him He coÌ„firmed Phegelas reporte concernyng the force of the nacion â–ª But he sayde their king was come of no noble bloud but of the basest sorte of men whose father being a Barbour and with great payne getting his daily liuyng came in fauour with the quene by reason of his personage who brought him to haue al the doinges about the king her husband which was afterwardes sâ—ayn by their treason and vnder colour to be come tutor vnto the chyldren vsurped the kyngdome to him selfe and puttyng the childreÌ„ to death did beget him that was now king whiche was in hatred and disgrace of the people folowyng more the maners of his fathers former estate theÌ„ such as did beseme the dignitie he was come to wheÌ„ Alexander harde Porus affirme this matter he became in great trouble of minde not that he regarded the multitude of his enemies nor the force of their Elephantes But he feared the greatnes of the riuers and the scituacion of the couÌ„trey so difficult to entre vpoÌ„ He thought it a hard enterprise to seke out nacions so farre inhabityng in the vttermoste boundes of the worlde Yet on the other syde the gredines of glory the vnsaciable desire of fame made no place to sâ—me to far nor no aduenture to be ouerharde He doubted also that the Macedons whiche had passed so many countreys and were waxed daged with warres would not be content to folow hym ouer so many ryuers and against so many difficulties of nature lyeng in their way For he iudged that since they habounded were so laden with spoyle they would rather seke to enioye suche thynges as they had gotten then to trauaill any further in getting of more He could not thinke the same appetite to be in his souldiers that was in himselfe For he coÌ„passed in his mynd how to get the Empire of the hole worlde into which matter he had but made his entre where as they weried with trauail and thinking to haue past all perill loked now to enioy with spede the frute of all their labour yet for all that his assertion ouercame reason For he assembled his army together spake vnto them after this maner Alexanders Oracion to his souldiers I am not ignorant my souldiers howe that there be now many rumores sowed amonges you by the Indians of purpose to put you in feare But the vanitie of their lieng is not so newe a thing that it is able nowe to deceiâ—e you The PerciaÌ„s after that maner would haue made both the streytes of Ciliâ—ia and the plaines of Mesopotamy terrible vnto you yea put you in feare of the ryuers of Tigre Euphrates yet we wadyd ouer th one of theÌ„ and passed the other by a brydge The fame neuer reporte thinges truly but maketh al thinges greater theÌ„ thei be in dede Euen our glory though it be growen to certain perfectioÌ„ yet it is more in fame then in effect Whiche of you of late did thinke that you should haue bene able to endure the ElephaÌ„tes shewing afarre of like castels Who thought I could haue passed the ryuer of Hydaspis when I hard it reported to be muche greather then it was We should long ago my souldiers haue fled out of Asia if tales could haue caused vs to turne our backes Thinke you that the noÌ„bre of the Elephantes be greater then you haue sene herdes of beastes in other places seing thei be so rare in the world and being hard to be taken are muche harder to be tamed Thesame vanitie that hath reported them to you to be of suche nombre haue nombred also their horsemen and their footemen Concernyng the ryuers the more broder they be the more gently they must runne For suche as be narowe and of smalle brede runne alwayes with moste vehement streme Where as contrariwise the brode ryuer passe their course more mildly But you will peraduenture saye that all the perill is at the shore where youre enemies shall wayte for your arriuall Whatsoeuer the ryuer be the hasard is all one at the landing But ymagen that al those thinges were true Whether is it the greatnes of the beastes or the multitude of the men that put you in feare As concerning the Elephantes we haue had experieÌ„ce of them of late howe muche more vigorously the rage against their owne party then against vs. What should we esteme theÌ„ but only abate the greatnes of their bodies with suche weapons as we haue prepared for the purpose What matter is it whether they be of the like noÌ„bre that Porus had or whether thei be .iii. M. seing that we perceiue that when two or thre be once wounded the rest bende them selues to â—le away And forasmuche as thei cannot well be gouerned when they be but fewe when there be so many thousandes together they must then nedes be an impedimeÌ„t one to another and brede a confusion amonges them selues they be so vnweldy by reason of their huge bodies that they be neither apt to passe forwardes nor yet to fle I haue alwayes so litle estemed theÌ„ that when I haue had pleÌ„ty of that kynd I wold neuer vse theÌ„ knowing very well that they be more dauÌ„gerous to such as occupie theÌ„ theÌ„ thei be to their enemies But peraduenture it is the multitude of their horsemeÌ„ fotemeÌ„ that do moue you haue you bene accustomed to fight against smalle nombres or is it the first tyme that you haue encountred with disordred multitudes The ryuers of Granick is a witnes howe inuincible the power of the Macedons is against any multitude And so is Cilicia the flowed with the Percians bloud and Arbella whose playnes be strewed with their bones It is ouer late to counte the nombre of your enemies after that with your victory ye haue made Asia desert When ye passed ouer Hellespont you should then haue considered your smalle nombre Nowe the Scythians do folowe vs we haue ayde at hande from the Bactrians we supply our power with the Sogdians Yet for all that it is not in them I put my confidence I haue a regarde vnto your force I reserue your manhode about me as a pledge and assuraunce of my actes and doinges So long as I may stande in the field amonges you I wil neither way my self nor myne enemies Doe you but shewe an apparaunce that there is hope in you cherefulnes We are not nowe newly entred into our trauailes but haue passed all our labours being come to the rising of the sonne and to the Occean sea except our owne slougthe be our impediment From thence hauing subdued the worlde we shall returne as
victorers into our countrey Doe not you as these negligeÌ„t husbandmen that lose their frute after it is once rype The rewardes of our iourney be greater then our perill The countrey that we go vnto is ryche and of no force thether I purpose to bryng you bothe to wynne glory to get you spoile for worthy you are to cary such riches in to your couÌ„trey whiche be so plentifull there that the sea doth cast them vp against the shore You be men of that vertue that ye ought to leaue not â—yng vnproued nor nothing vndone for feare I desire and praye you by the glory ye haue gotten in whiche ye excede the state of men and by all that I haue deserued of you and you of me wherewith ye remaine as inuincible that ye wil not forsake me purposing to visite the end of the worlde me I say that haue bene brought vp as a chyld amonges you I will make no mencioÌ„ howe I am your kyng In the rest of thinges I haue commaunded you let me nowe entreate you in this one point It is I that make this request vnto you whiche neuer commaunded you any thing but I put my selfe formost in thaduenture daunger and the which ofteÌ„ times in mine own persone haue bene the formoste in defence of the battaill take not the victory out of my handes with the whiche if enuy be not the let I shall become equal in glory both to Hercules and Bacchus Geue your assent to myne intercession and at length breake your obstinate silence Where is your showting become that was wont to be a declaratioÌ„ of your cherefulnes Where be the countenaunces of my couÌ„trey men I know you not my souldiers and it semeth that I am not knowen of you Me thinkes I crye to your defe eares in vayne and go about in waste to sturre vp your vnwilling and vnmoueable myndes Notwithstanding all these wordes they hong downe their heades towardes the earth and perseuered stil in silence Then he proceded I know not quod he wherin I haue vnwitting offended you that you will not once vouchesaue to loke me in the face I seme to be solitary and in a desert Is there none of you that I speake vnto will aunswere me Is there none at the lest wayes will deny my requeste What is the thyng that I require euen your owne glory and your owne greatnes Where be they nowe whome I sawe not long ago contending who should first take their kyng when he was wounded and nowe ye leaue me alone â–ª ye forsake me ye betraye me to myne enemies But I will not leaue mine enterprise though I go alone Put me forwardes to those ryuers to those beastes to those nacions the very names of whome ye feare so muche The Scythians and Bactrians shall go with me whiche of late were myne enemies and now be my souldiers I had rather dye then be a king to be ruled and at other mens appointment Departe you home go I say and triumphe of the habandoninge of your kyng For I will either obteine here the victory wherof you haue dispayred or els dye a death that shal be honorable Notwithstanding all that he had sayde there was not one souldier that would open his mouth to speake but stode wayting that some of the princes and great capitaynes shoulde declare vnto the kynge their estates and howe that there remayned not in them any obstinat refusall of the warres but that they were so exhausted with woundes and weried with continuall trauaill that they were not able to endure any lenger As they stode thus astonied and afrayed keping silence and lookyng vpon the grounde there beganne firste a whisperyng and a rumor and afterwardes a lamentacion amonges them and by lyttle and little thei beganne more manifestly to shewe their dolour the teares fallyng froÌ„ their eyes The kynges anger was then so turned into compassion that he was not able to keape hym selfe from weapyng At length the whole assemble brast out into an excessiue wepyng And when all the rest were at a stay to speake Cenus toke vpon hym to presse forwarde towardes the iudgement seate where Alexander stoode signifieng that he had somewhat to saye When the souldiers sawe he pulled his helmet from his head for so it was the custome to speake vnto the kyng they began to require hym that he woulde vtter the cause of the whole army Then Cenus beganne in this wyse â–ª Cenus wordes in the name of the whole army â–ª The Goddes defende our myndes from all wicked thoughtes as I doubt not but they wyll there is none of your souldiers but be of the same mynde towardes you that they haue bene in tymes past Whether it be your pleasure to commaunde them to go forwardes to fyght to hasarde them selues or with their bloud commend your name vnto the posteritie And if you will nedes perseuer in your opinion though we be vnarmed naked and without bloud we will either come after you or go before as you shall thynke expedient But if you wyll be content to heare the griefes and complayntes of your souldiers that be not fayned but expressed by force of very necessitie I humblie beseche you then that ye woulde vouchesaue fauourably to heare them that constantly haue folowed your authoritie and fortune and are yet redy to folow wheresoeuer you wil appoynte O Alexander with the greatnes of your actes ye haue not ouercome only your enemies but also your owne souldiers Whatsoeuer mans mortalitie is able to fulfyll that is perfourmed by vs hauing passed ouer so manye Seas and countreys better knowen to vs then to the very inhabiters nowe remayning in maner in the vttermoste ende of the worlde And yet for all this your purpose is to passe into an other worlde and seke out an Inde vnknowen to the Indians Ye couet to plucke out the wilde beastes and serpentes out of their dennes lurking places minding to serche further with your victory then the sonne hath visited with her beames which truly is an imaginacioÌ„ mete for your harte but farre exceding our capacitie and power Your manhode and courage is alwayes an encrease but our force groweth in declinacion Behold our bodies destitute of bloud perced with so many woundes and rotted with so many scarres Our weapons nowe be dulled and our armour is wasted consumed we weare our apparell after the PerciaÌ„s maner because our countrey garmentes do faill vs. We are degenerate out of our own fasshion growen into a strauÌ„ge habite What is he that hath his corselet or horse particuler to himselfe Cause it to be enquired how many seruauÌ„tes do folowe their maisters and what remaineth to euery maÌ„ of the spoyle Being the victorers of al meÌ„ of all men we are the poorest It is not hadoundaunce or excesse that trouble vs but the very warre it selfe Our municion is consumed and yet your will put furth this goodly army of yours naked vnto those beastes
The multitude of whom though the Indians purposely do encrease yet of their lieng we maye perceyue the nombre to be greate But if ye be vtterly determined to passe yet further into Inde the couÌ„trey that lyeth southward is not so desert whiche beyng subdued you may passe to that Sea whiche nature hath appointed to bound in the worlde Why doe you seke that glory afarre of whiche remayneth to you redy at your hande Here the Occean sea doth mete vs and except your mynde be to wonder we are come to a place whether your fortune hath brought vs. I had rather speake these thynges before you then behynde your backe for I seke not to wynne fauour amonges the men of warre that stande here about me but desire you should rather heare their mindes expressed in playne woordes then to heare their grief and their grudge vttered in muttering in murmour When Cenus had made an ende of his tale theÌ„ rose a crie and a lamentacion whiche with confused voyces euery where called Alexandre their king their father and their lord Then the other captaines specially thelders whiche by reason of their age had the more honest excuse and greater aucthoritie made the like request So that the king was not able to chastise them being in that obstinacie nor mitigate them being so moued Therfore vncertayne what to do he lept froÌ„ the iudgement place and commaunding his lodging to be shut in admitted no man but suche as were accustomed about his persone Two dayes he consumed in his anger and the third he came furth amonges his men causing .xii. aulters of square stone there to be set vp as a monument of his expedicion willed the trenches of his campe to be made greater and the places of mens lieng to be enlarged bigger then serued for their bodies For he thought by the encreasyng of the fourme and shape of thynges to leaue a disceitful woÌ„dre vnto his posteritie From thence he returned again by the way he had passed before encamped vpon the riuer of Acesines Cenus chaunsed there to die whose death the king lamented but yet he said that for a few daies he had made a long oracion as though he alone shuld haue returned into Macedon By that time the nauy of shippes which he had apoiÌ„ted to be made stode in redines aflote MemnoÌ„ in the meane season brought him out of Thrace a supply of .vi. M. horsemen Wemnon besides from Harpalas .vii. M. fotemen with .xxv. M. armours that were wrought with siluer gold which he distributed amonges his men coÌ„maunded the olde to be burned purposing to passe vnto the OcceaÌ„ sea with M. ships But before his departure he recoÌ„ciled together by affinitie Porus Taxiles betwixt whoÌ„ there was a new discord risen vpoÌ„ the old hatreds that had bene betwixt theÌ„ He had of theÌ„ great aide both in the making and furnishing of his nauy During the tyme he was about that busines he builded there two cyties wherof he called th one Nycea Nycea BucephaloÌ„ the other Buchephalon dedicating the latter by the name of his horse that was dead He gaue order that his Elephantes and cariage shuld passe by lande and he sayled downe the ryuer procedyng euery daye about .xl. furlonges so that he might euer land his power in suche places as he thought conuenieÌ„t At length he came into a couÌ„trey where as the ryuer of Hidaspis and Acesynes do ioyne togethers ronne from thence into the boundes of a nacion called Sobyons The Sobians They declared that their predecessours came of Hercules army whiche beyng left there sicke did inhabite the countrey They were clothed in beastes skinnes vsyng clubbes for their weapons and though they had left the customes of the Grekes yet there appeared many thinges amonges them that declared from whence they were descended Here the kyng landed and merched CCx. furlonges within the countrey whiche he wasted and toke the chiefest cytie in the same There were .xl. M. men that stode in defence against hym vpon a ryuer syde but he passed the water puttyng them to flyght and after they fledde into the cytie he wanne it by force The chyldren were slayne and the rest solde as slaues He assaulted an other cytie where he was repulced with the great force of the defendauntes and lost many of his men But when the inhabitauntes sawe that he continued still the siege dispayring of their saulfeguarde they set fire on their houses burned them selues their wifes and their children Which fire when the Macedons quenched they kyndled agayne it seamed a straunge contencion The Cytesins destroyed their owne cytie their enemies laboured to saue it the warres so contrariously chaunged the lawes wrought in man by nature The castle was saued wherin a guarrison was left Alexander went about this castle by water which was inuironed with thre of the greatest ryuers in all India Ganges except Indus passing vpon the north syde and Acesynes ronnyng into Hidaspis vpon the south Where these ryuers met the waues rose lyke as they do in the sea They be full of mudde and â—oes whiche by the course of the water dryuen vnto the sydes for all that the ryuers he broade yet the chanelles be but narowe the shyppes must passe in The waues dyd ryse so hygh and thicke breaking somtyme vpon the puppes of the shippes and somtime vpoÌ„ the sydes that the shipmen beganne to vale their sayles But they were so troubled through feare and the violent swiftnes of the streame that they could not ordre their tackling so that two of their greatest shyppes were drowned within syght And the smaller vessels which they were as vnable to gouerne were driuen vpon the shore without any harme The kyng chaunsed vpon the place where the waues went hyghest wherwith his shyppe was so tossed and trauersed that the helme could not direct his course Wherfore the kyng doubtyng of drownyng pulled of his garment redy to caste hym selfe into the water and his frendes dyd swymme nere there about redy to receyue hym It appeariÌ„g to him doubtful which peril was greatest either to swimme or to coÌ„tinew still aborde But the mariners laboured woÌ„derfully with their â—ers adding all the force that lay in mans power to cut through the waues By whose importunate trauaill the water semed to deuide a sondre and to geue place So that at length they haled out of the surges and yet not able to bring the ship to the shore dashed vpon the next flat it appearyng that the shyppes and the streame had fought a battaill togethers Alexander hauing escaped this perill sette vp to euery ryuer an aultar whereupon he offred due sacrifice and that done past forwardes thirty furlonges From thence he came into the countrey of the Sudrychans and Mallians â—â—drichaÌ„e â—allians whiche accustomed to be at warre amonges them selues then for their owne defence ioyned in societie They assembled in armes to the nombre of .ix.
thousand footemeÌ„ .x. M. horsemeÌ„ and .ix. C. armed wagons Wherof when the Macedons were aduertised whiche beleued that they had passed all perils seing a freshe warre arise with a new fierse nacion were amased with a sodayne feare and began agayne with sedicious wordes to reproue their kyng The â—uty â—â—s words of the souldiers They alledged that he would lately haue compelled them to passe the ryuer of Ganges for to make warre vpon those nacions lyeng beyonde the same Which enterpryse though it were left they had not for all that ended the warre neuer the more but rather made an exchaunge of a newe labour beyng put furthe amonges these wylde nacions to make the Occean sea open to hym with their bloud and to be drawen beyonde the sonne and sterres They were compelled they sayde to vysite those places whiche nature coueted to remoue from mans knowledge They grudged that to their newe armour thâ—â— were nowe enemies raysed vp whom if they should vanâ—â—ishe and put to flyght they coulde not see what benefite they shoulde receiue therby but onely darkenes and obscuritie of the ayre whiche alwayes couered the depe sea whyche sea was replenished wyth multitude of monsters wallowynge in those immoueable waters where as Nature decayinge fayled of her force The kynge little moued in his owne respecte was greatly troubled with those passions of his souldiours Alexander perswaded his souldiours Wherfore he assembled theim altogether declaring of howe feable a force those nacions were whom they feared so muche which only remayned and were impediment vnto them hauyng passed ouer so manye countreys to atteine both to the ende of their trauayle to the ende of the world He shewed howe that in respect of their former feare he had lefte his enterprice ouer Ganges with the conquest of the Nacions inhabitynge beyonde the same and had directed his iourney this waye where as their glorye should be as great and their peryll muche lesse and wherin they had not farre to trauayle seynge the Occean was in maner within sighte the ayre wherof he felt blowyng in his face He required them therfore that they woulde not enuye the glorye that he sought by passyng the boundes of Hercules and Bacchus seyng that with so little payne they myght geue vnto their kynge perpetuall fame and immortalitye In doynge wherof they shoulde departe out of India as victorers where as otherwise they shoulde seme to flye from thence It is the propertye of euerye multitude and specially of men of warre to be drawen with euery lyttle mocion amonges whom as sedition dothe sone rise so it is sone pacefied There was neuer a more cherefull crye made of any armye before theÌ„ the Souldiours then made vnto Alexander whiche willed him to leade them whether soeuer he would and make him selfe equall in glorye to them whose actes he dyd counterfeite Alexander reioysinge in the willyngnes that appeared in them remoued straightwayes towardes hys enemyes that were the stowtest people of all the Indians They prepared theim selues boldely for the warres and chose for their capitayne one of the Oxidracans that was of an approued manhode who encamped at the fote of a mountayne made fiers all abroade to cause his numbre appeare the greater and wente aboute in vayne to feare the Macedons when they were at reste by makynge of alaâ—oms with their cryes and maner of howlynge When the daye appeared Alexander hauynge an assured truste to winne the victorye commaunded the Souldiours to put on their armoure cherefully to fall in order of battayle But the Indians whether it were for feare or by reason of some sedition risen amonges them sodainelye fledde into the deserte mountaynes whom Alexander folowed in vaine and not able to ouertake them toke their cariage After this he came vnto a citye of the Oxidracans wherunto great numbre were fled The Oxidracans aswell in trust of the strength of the place as of their owne power As Alexander was about to make the approch Demophon his deuiner admonished him Demophon that he should eiher deferre the matter or els not meddle with it at all for that there appered signes that his life should be in perill When Alexander had hearde his wordes he behelde him and saide If any man should interrupt the when thou art busie about thy science or consideryng of the intrailes shoulde not he seme vnto the troublous and his coÌ„myng vngratefull Yes truely quod he So art thou nowe vnto me quod Alexander For hauynge so greate matters in hande whiche passe the intrailes of Beastes I fynde no greater impedimente then a supersticious diuiner And as sone as he hadde spoken the worde he caused them to rere vp ladders and whiles other menne sticked and stayed at the matter he mounted vp the walle The same was verye narrowe in the toppe not deuided wyth lopes as is communely vsed but enclosed with one whole and continuall battilment rounde aboute which caused it to be the more hard to scale Alexander therfore hauyng no conuenient rowme to stande at his defence stayed vpon the walle receyuyng vpon his target the dartes whyche were caste at him from all partes His souldiours could not get vnto him they were so beaten from the walles by castyng of Dartes and multitude of shotte that came from aboue Yet at length when by their stayinge thei sawe their kyng geuen vp into their enemies hands shame ouercame their immaculate daunger But their ouermuche haste was ouer great a lette and the cause why they coulde not come to the rescue of their king For whyles euery manne coueted vp the ladders they were so sore laden that they brake asunder and suche as were mounted vpon theim fell downe agayne deceyuynge Alexander of hys onelye hope So that in the syght of all the armye he stode destitute as in a deserte wythout anye ayde or succoure and hadde weried hys lefte arme wyth the whyche he helde his Target in receiuynge the blowes His frendes cried vnto hym that he shoulde leape downe vnto theim who stode in readines to receyue hym But he geuynge no eare vnto theim vndertoke an incredible enterprice and such one as hath not bene hearde of before deseruynge rather fame of rashenes then of any commendation that might sounde to his glorye For with a ful leape he did caste him selfe into the citye that was full of his enemies wheras he coulde sâ—arselye haue anye hope to fyght for his life or in diynge to be reuenged vpon his enemyes For before he coulde recouer hys fete agayne it was likelye either he shoulde haue bene slayne or taken aliue But he by chaunce so conueied his bodye that he fell vpon his fete and standinge encountred with such as came againste him Fortune so prouidyng that he coulde not be enclosed about by reasoÌ„ of an olde tree which as it had bene of purpose stode neare vnto the wall whose broade boughes full of leaues couered him from aboue and the greatnes of the stocke kept his enemies
from comming on his backe and vpon the fore front he receiued the dartes that were cast against him with his target For though there were neuer so many that contented with him a farre of yet durst there no man come neare vnto him and the boughes kept of the arrowes and the dartes so well as his target did In this extremitie the greatnes of Alexanders fame chiefly fought for him and next desperatioÌ„ a great encouragement for a man to dye honestlye At length through the multitude of his enemies that continually flocked about him both his target was laden with shotte his helmet was broken wyth stones and his legges fainted and fayled vnder him by reason of his continuall trauaile Whiche thing when his enemies perceiued they toke lesse regarde to them selues and drue more neare him of whome he receiued two with his swerde in such sort that thei fell downe dead at his fete And from that time forwardes none was so bolde to approche againe so neare him but threwe dartes and shotte arowes at him a farre of He laye open to euery mans blowe and yet though it were with great payne defended him selfe vpon his knees vntil suche time as an Indian shotte an arowe at hym that was two cubites long whyche a little aboue his right thighe passed throughe his corselet By reason of that wounde he shedde so muche bloude that he lette his swerde fall as one at the pointe of death and therwith so faynte that he hadde not strengthe to plucke oute the arrowe Then the Indian whiche hadde hurte him came with great ioye to spoyle hys bodye But when Alexander felte his enemies hande vpon hym moued as it is to be thought with despite to receyue an infamie to that extremitie called againe his sprites that were passynge awaye and with his swerde thrust his enemye beynge vnarmed throughe the bodye When he had thus slayne two of his enemies whyche laye dead before him all the reste stode amased a farre of Then Alexander desieryng before his last breathe shoulde fayle hym to be kylled fightyng began to raise vp his bodye vpon his target but his strength woulde not serue him therunto therfore reiched at a bough that honge ouer his heade couetynge therby to haue raysed vp hym selfe but his strength not suffisynge therunto he fell downe agayne vpon his knees and by a signe made with his hande chalenged his enemies if any of them durste come and matche with him At the last Pencestes repulcinge his enemies vpon an other parte of the citye gotte into the towne Pencestes and coastyng along the walles came vnto the place where the kynge was When Alexander espied hym thoughe he had no hope to liue yet he toke his comming for a comforte to hys deathe and for all his feablenes beganne to reare vp him selfe Timeus Leonatus Aristonus Then came Timeus and within a while Leonatus â–ª and after them Aristanus When it was once published amonges the Indians that Alexander was entred within the walles they left their defence in other places and came flockynge thither where as they fiercely assailed such as stode in defence of the Kynges person Tymeus after that he hadde fought notablye and receiued manye woundes was there slayne Pencestes also notwithstandynge that he was stricken and wounded wyth their Dartes yet with his Target he defended the kynges person without anie reguarde of him selfe And Leonatus whiles he resisted the Indians that egerlye pressed vpon Alexander receyued so sore a stripe vpon the necke that he fell downe in a swowne at the kinges fete By that time Pencestes became so feable of his woundes that he was not able to defende him anye more The laste hope and refuge remayned in Aristonus who also was so greuouslye wounded that he coulde not endure anye lenger the force of the Indians In the meane season the fame was spredde amonges the Macedons that their kynge was slayne whiche beinge a matter that shoulde haue putte others in feare sturred vp their haâ—res and made theim the hardier For from that time forwardes there was none that hadde respect of his owne peryll but aduentured to the wall and breakynge downe the same with pikeaxes entred at the breache makinge slaughter of their enemies of whom fewe stode at defence but fledde awaye There was neuer man nor woman spared olde nor yonge For they mette none but they iudged him to be the person that hadde hurte their kynge and so at length with the murder of the multitude their iuste ire was satisfied Clitarchus Timagenes Clitarchus and Tymagenes do write that Ptolomeus whiche afterwardes became king of Egipte was presente in this encountre But he him selfe that vsed not to denye any thynge that stode with his owne glorye did put in memorie howe that he was then absent and sent about an other enterprice Such a negligence was in theim that did write the antiquities of thinges or elles an ouermuche credulitie whiche is a faulte no lesse then the other When Alexander was brought into his lodgyng the Surgians cut of the stale of that shaft in suche wise that they moued not the heade that was wythin the fleshe And when they sawe the wounde bare they perceaued hokes to be within the arrowe heade so that wythoute the destruction of his bodye it could not be pulled out except by incision they made the wounde greater And yet in that poynte they feared least aboundaunce of bloud shoulde be impediment vnto them For the heade was verye great and it seamed to be entered farre wythin his bodye There was one Critobolus that was verye cunnynge and moste excellente amonges all the Phisitions and surgions Crytobolâ— and yet in so daungerous a matter as this he was fearful and in doubte to set to his handes least if any thing shoulde chaunce to the kynge otherwise then well whiles he remayned in hys cure the blame myght lyght vpon his heade Therfore wheÌ„ Alexander perceiued by his weping the feaâ— he was in and that through trouble of mynd he loked pale in the face sayde vnto hym What is it that thou lokest for or whye doest thou staye in riddyng me quickelye out of this payne at the leaste wayes by death if thou canst not otherwise bringe it to passe For seinge my wounde is vncurable why doest thou feare that anye thing shoulde be laied vnto thy charge When Critobolus hearde his wordes he either ceassed or dissimuled his feare and exhorted Alexander that he woulde suffer him selfe to be holden whiles they pulled out the arrowes heade that was within his fleshe for the least mocion he saied might be hurtefull vnto him The kynge woulde not be holden but helde his bodye at a staye without mouyng in such sorte as they appoynted him When they had cut the wounde wider and pulled out the heade there issued suche aboundaunce of bloude that the kinge fell in a sownde dimnes came ouer his sight he stretching out him selfe as one in the