places by the Miners They within made a Counter-work as high as the old Wall but it did not reach to the height of the Towers made upon the Mount so that the inner parts of the City were subject to the shot of the Enemy But not long after a Mine the Wall by it being overthrown and a breach made through which the Macedons did enter was the utter loss of the Town where Alexander pressing on amongst the foremost adventurously had his leg hurt with a stone Notwithstanding that he mounted up by the help of his Weapon his former wound yet unclosed and fought amongst the foremost being in a great fury that in the Siege of one City he had received two wounds Betis that had fought notably and received divers hurts was forsaken of his own men and notwithstanding which he maintained still the fight and all his Armour was imbrued with his own blood and his Enemies But when he was inclosed round Alexander who was wont to wonder at the Vertue of his Enemies being puffed up with an insolent joy said unto him Betis thou shalt not die as thou wouldest thy self but whatsoever torments may be invented believe that thou shalt suffer them For all which words there appeared in Betis no token of fear but he beheld the King with an undaunted countenance and would not answer him one word Whereupon Alexander said See you not how obstinate he doth continue He will neither kneel nor so much as ask mercy but groans shall break his silence if nothing else can do it Thus his Fortune did alter his Nature and turned his Wrath into Fury For he causing Cords to be put through Betis feet whilest he was alive did draw him about the City with Horses glorying in that he did imitate Achilles of whom he was descended in the like affliction of his Enemy There were slain of the Persians and Arabians ten thousand and the Victory was not unbloody to the Macedons This Siege was not so famous through the Nobility of the City as it was by the double danger the King was in who making haste to pass into Egypt sent Amintas with ten Galleys into Macedon to levy more Souldiers For though he were always a Conquerour yet his men were diminished and he trusted not so much to the Souldiers of those Countries he had subdued as he did to his own Nation The Egyptians being a people that always were offended with the increase of the good fortune of the Persians who in their Government over them used much pride and covetousness And therefore seeking all occasions to revolt had received Amintas who came to them rather by way of treaty then by force and now especially at Alexanders coming they plucked up their spirits and assembled a great number to meet him at Pelusium where they judged he would enter The seventh day after he removed from Gaza he came to the place in Egypt which now is called Alexanders Camp from whence he sent his Army unto Pelusium by the Land-way and he himself with a choice Band of men was conveyed thither upon the River of Nile The Persians durst not abide his coming being in doubt the Egyptians would revolt And therefore when Alexander drew near unto Memphis where Astaces Darius Lieutenant was with a power of men he came over the River to meet Alexander and yeilding himself he delivered him eight hundred Talents with all the riches belonging to the King of Persia From Memphis he passed upon the same River into the inward parts of Egypt and so ordered the Government of the Country that he changed nothing of their Laws and Customs Which having effected he had a great desire to worship the Oracle of Jupiter Hammon But it was declared unto him that it was not possible for him to march with any great number the Country he had to travel through being spread all over with barren sands which being heated with the Sun would burn their feet in such sort that it should be intolerable for them to travel not only with the heat and want of water but also with the rowling sand which was so deep and would so sink under their feet that they should not easily stir All which difficulties the Egyptians set forth to be greater then they were indeed But Alexander for the vehement desire he had to exceed the condition of man was so fervently bent to visit that famous Oracle of Jupiter whom either he believed or desired that others should believe to be his Father that nothing could withhold him in performing of that Enterprize Therefore with such as he had appointed to accompany him in the journey he passed by water upon the Nile until he came to the Marish of Meotis The Embassadours of the Cyrenians came to him thither and brought him Presents whom he gently entertained assuring them of his Friendship which done he went forward in his Voyage The first and second days travel seemed tolerable not being yet come to the barren and desolate Wilderness and yet the ground they passed on was but unfruitful and barren earth but when the Plains appeared that were covered over with deep sands they then looked round about them and sought for Land as men be accustomed to do when they sail on the Main Sea for they could not judge themselves on Land where they neither saw Tree nor any appearance of habitation or haunt of men And there was no water to be found in that dry and burning place and such as they had brought with them in Bottles upon Camels backs was consumed and spent Besides the Sun was so hot that it dried and burned up all things When they were afflicted after this manner whether it were by the Will of God or by chance the Clouds suddenly overwhelmed the Sky and so shadowed them that it was a great comfort unto such as were wearied with heat though they wanted water to drink But to supply their need there fell by and by a great Shower which every man for the great desire he had to drink gaped to receive with open mouth When they had travelled four days in travelling these wilde Desarts and were come near unto the place of the Oracle there appeared a great swarm of Crows flying low before them and when the Army marched softly they sate down upon the ground and sometimes flew forwards as though they had been Guides to shew unto them the way At length they came unto the place consecrate unto Jupiter where it was a wonder to see in the midst of so wilde a Desart a ground so environed on all parts with high Trees defending the heat of the Sun and such a number of Springs running every where which caused the Woods always to look green The Air all seasons of the year there is like unto the Spring-time wholesome and temperate This Country doth border on the Ethiops towards the East and upon the Arabians whom they call Troglodites upon the South whose Country stretched to the
whose sumptuous furniture both for themselves and their Horses tended more to voluptuousness and delicacy then to any magnificence Alexander that was inclosed about with armed men willed that the Babylonians should come behinde his Footmen and he riding aloft in his Chariot entred into the City and afterwards into the Palace where the next day he surveyed Darius his Wardrobe and his Treasures The beauty and pleasantness of that City gave just occasion to Alexander and such as were with him to admire it much Semiramis was the Builder thereof or as some affirm Belus whose Palace is to be seen there The walls are made with Brick interlined with Fitch they are thirty two foot in bredth so that two Carts may easily go upon them on front They are in height one hundred Cubits and the Towers are ten foot higher then the Walls the compass of the whole work about is three hundred sixty eight furlongs being builded as it is left in memory in so many days The houses stand the bredth of an Acre distant from the walls they are contiguous house to house by the space of ninety furlongs in other places not joyned near to one another but for some considerations so divided asunder The rest of the ground is sowed and tilled to the intent that if any Forreign Power come against them they should be able to be relieved by the fruit thereof The River of Euphrates doth run through the midst of the City and is kept in on both sides with walls of a wonderful workmanship But the great Channels made of Brick and fastened with Pitch instead of Mortar and wrought low within the ground to receive the violence of the Stream do exceed all the rest of the works there made for except the same were of quantity and largeness to receive the water when the Stream floweth over the Banks that are made to keep it in its violence would beat down the houses of the City There is also over the River a strong Bridge which joyneth both parts of the City together counted amongst the marvellous works of the Orient For because that Euphrates is so full of Sand and Owse there can hardly ground be found to lay that Foundation upon and the Stream besides casteth up such heaps of Sand against the Bridge that it is an impediment for the water freely to pass and therefore the River beateth upon the Bridge with greater force then if it had his free course There is also a Castle that is twenty furlongs about the Towers whereof are thirty foot deep within the ground and fourscore foot in height above the ground where also the Wonders are to be seen so often mentioned in the Greek Poets for in the same are whole Groves of Trees set by wonderful Art as if hanging in the Air and so high as are the tops of the Towers which Trees are marvellously beautiful and pleasant through their height and shadow which they make The whole weight of them is sustained and borne up by huge Pillars made of Stone upon which there is a Floor of square stone that both upholdeth the Earth that lieth deep on the Pillar and also the humour wherewith it is watred The trees that grow thereupon are eight cubits about and as fruitful as if they grew on natural Earth And although that process of time by little and little doth not only destroy things made with hands but also the very works of nature yet this work for all it is oppressed with the roots of so many trees and burthened with the weight of so much earth doth yet remain unperished being sustained up with twenty broad walls distant eleven foot one from another When these trees are seen afar off they seem to be a wood growing upon a mountain It is said that the King of Syria reigning in Babylon builded this work for his wives fancy who for the love she had to Groves and shadowy places moved her Husband in doing thereof to counterfeit the pleasantness of nature Alexander tarried longer here then in any other City which corrupted more the discipline of the Macedons in their Wars then any other place For nothing was more licentious then the manners and customes of the City nor was any other place more abundantly furnished of all things wherewith men are allured and stirred to excess of pleasure The Parents and Husbands were contented that their children and wives should for gain embrace such strangers as came amongst them The Kings and Nobility of Persia delight much in plays and banquetting but the Babylonians are specially addicted unto wine and drunkenness where the women use a custome that in the beginning of the Feast their apparel seemeth civil and demure but afterwards by little and little they put off their uppermost garments and laying aside all modesty they at last discover themselves naked Which vile custome is not used by harlots only but by all women in general who esteem the making of their bodies common but civility and good manners in this voluptuousness the Conquerour of Asia wallowed by the space of thirty four days whereby he became much the weaker to have done other enterprizes if there had been an enemy to have stood against him But to the intent the damage should be the less perceived he increased his power with a new supply out of Macedonia For Amintas the son of Andrâ—menes brought him from Antipater six thousand footmen and five hundred horsemen and with them five hundred of the Thracian horsemen and thirty five hundred footmen of the same Nation He had also out of Peloponnesus four thousand footmen and four hundred eighty horsemen being all mercenary Souldiers Amintas also brought him fifty of the young men of the Nobility of Macedonia to attend upon Alexanders person whose office it was to serve the King at Table and to bring him his horse when he went to Battel They accustomed to be about him when he hunted and kept watch by course at his chamber-door These were they who afterwards proved great Captains and out of whose lions the Rulers of the men of War did come Alexander appointed Agathon Captain of the Castle of Babylon with seven hundred Macedons and three hundred mercenary Souldiers and left 〈◊〉 and Apolidorus Governours of the City and Countrey to whom he assigned two thousand footmen and one thousand Talents giving them Commission to levy more Souldiers He made Mazeus that gave the City into his hands Lieutenant of the whole and caused Bagistines that yielded up the Castle to follow him in his Wars Armenia was given to Mithrenes that betrayed the City of Sardis and to encourage his men to enterprize new atchievements he gave out of the treasure of Babylon to every Macedon Horseman five hundred Dâ—niers to every Horseman of the strangers five hundred and to every Footman two hundred When he had set all these things in order he came into the Countrey called Atrapene which being plentiful of all things and abounding in Victuals
assigned to encounter with those that Darius had sent to take the top of the Mountain He willed Parmenio that as much as might be he should stretch out his Forces towards the Sea and withdraw as far as he could from the Hills which the Enemies had taken but such as had direction by Darius to take the Hills neither durst resist such as came against them nor yet compass about such as were passed by them but fled away at the first fight of the Slingers which thing chanced well for Alexander for it was the thing that he doubted most that they from the higher ground should invade the open side of his Battel which lay unslanked towards them The Macedons marched 32 in a rank for the streightness of the ground would not suffer them to move in a broader body but by little and little as the plain between the Mountains began to enlarge so they had liberty to make their Battels broader and also for the horsemen to march upon the sides When both the Battels were come within fight of each other the Persians first gave a terrible and rude shout which was again doubled by the Macedons not with their number which was far inferiour unto the Persians but with the râ—bound of the Hills and the Rocks which doubled every voice of theirs Alexander did ride up and down before the fronts of his Battels making a signe to his Souldiers with his hand that they should not make too much haste to joyn with their Enemies for bringing themselves out of breath and as he went by he used to every Nation sundry exhortations as he thought convenient for their dispositions and qualities He put the Macedons in remembrance of their ancient courage and the number of Battels that they had won in Europe that they were come thither by his conduct not only to subdue Asia but the uttermost bounds of the Orient He shewed them to be the people that were ordained to conquer the world and to pass the bounds of Hercules and Bacchus he declared that both Bactria and India should be theirs in respect of which the countries that they had yet seen were but trifles and these were to be gotten all with one Victory Their Travel he said should not now be in vain as it was in the barren Rocks of Illyria or in the Mountains of Thrace but in this Conquest the Spoil of the whole Orient was offered unto them for the getting whereof they should scarcely need to handle their Swords since the Battels of their Enemies wavered so already for fear that with their approach only they had almost put them to flight He recalled his Father Philip unto their memory how he conquered the Athenians with the Country of Boetia how he rased to the ground the noble City of Thebes he made rehearsal to them of the Battel won at the River of Granike and of all the Cities that he had taken or that had been yielded unto him with the Countries they had passed through and subdued When he came unto the Greeks he desired them to call to miâ—d the great Wars that had been made against their Country in times past by the Persians first by the pride of Xerxes and after by Darius who made destruction both by Sea and Land in such 〈◊〉 that the Rivers could not serve them for Drink 〈◊〉 the Earth furnish them with Victuals for Food He rehearsed also how the Temples of their gods had been by them polluted and consumed their Cities overthrown and all Truces broken which ought to be confirmed both by divine and humane Law when he passed by the Illyrians and Thracians which were accustomed always to theft and spoil he invited them to behold their enemies which glistered with gold and bare no armour but spoil for them to take he incouraged them to go forwards like men and pluck the prcy from those effeminate women and to make exchange of their craggy Rocks and Mountains full of snow for the plentiful grounds and lands of Persia By this time both Armies were advanced within the throw of their Darts and Darius Horsemen gave a fierce charge upon the right-hand-Battel of the Macedons For Darius desire was to try the Battel by Horsemen rightly judging that the chiefest power of his Enemies consisted in their square Battel of Footmen So that the Battel where Alexander remained was brought to the point of being inclosed round if he had not perceived the same in time and commanding two Bodies of his Horse to keep the top of the Hill he brought all the rest of them to the incounter of his Enemies Having then drawn the Thessalian Horsemen where they stood to fight he commanded their Capt. to bring them about behinde the Battels and there to joyn with Parmenio to perform with courage what he should appoint them By this time the Phalanx of the Macedons in manner inclosed about with their Enemies fought notably on all parts but they stood so thick and were so joyned one to another that they wanted 〈◊〉 to wield their weapons They were so mingled that in casting their darts they one letted another few lighting on their enemies and the most part falling on the ground without harm and being forced to joyn hand to hand they valiantly used the sword Then there was great effusion of blood for both the Armies closed so near that their Harness clashed together weapon against weapon and foined at one anothers faces with their Swords There was no place for the fearful or the coward to fly back but each set his foot to other and by fighting kept still their place till they could make their way by force and so always passed forwards as they had overthrown their Enemies As they were wearied and travelled thus with fighting they were ever received with fresh Enemies and such as were wounded might not depart out of the Battel as it had been seen elsewhere their Enemies assailed them so fiercely before and their fellows thrust on so hard behind Alexander that day did not only such things as pertained to a Captain but adventured himself as far as any private Souldier coveting by all means to kill Darius which he esteemed the greatest honour Darius rode aloft upon his Chariot giving great provocations both for his Enemies to assail him and for his own Men to defend him As Oxatres his brother appeared most notable amongst them all in his furniture and personage so in affection towards the King he exceeded far the rest especially in that case of necessity for when Alexander approached near he thrust in before Darius with the band of Horsemen whereof he had the charge and overthrowing divers he put many more to flight But the Macedons swarmed so about the King and were in such a courage by the Exhortation that each made to other that they charged again upon the Band of Horsemen Then the slaughter was great and the overthrow manifest about the Chariot of Darius the noblest of his Captains lay
of the Spearmen that were nam'd Saâ—ssopherii against the Scythians By this time the Hooked Waggons which had before troubled the fore-front were come within the square which the Macedons call Phalanx yet the Souldiers never shrunk at the matter but received them into the midst of their Battel whereas joyning themselves close together they stood like a wall on both sides thrusting their Pikes into the Bowels of the Horses and ran about the Waggons throwing down such as stood in them at defence The whole Battel was intangled and troubled with the ruine and killing of the Horses with such as governed them They could not rule their Horses when they were once galled or hurt who with much leaping and strugling not only brake out of their Traces but also overthrew the Waggons drawing at their Tails the men that were slain neither being able to stand still for the fear they were in nor yet go forwards being so faint of their wounds Yet a few of them passed through the Battel whereby such as the Waggons did light upon were miserably slain lying upon the ground with their Members cut in sunder Yet because that through the greenness of their wounds they felt little pain they kept their Weapons still notwithstanding they were maimed and without strength till such time as by continual bleeding they sunk down dead Aretes in the mean time had slain the Captain of the Scythians that were spoiling of the Carriages and repulsed them back But straightway came the Bactrians by Darius sending and turned the fortune of the Field again Many Macedons were slain at the first encounter but more fled unto Alexander Then the Persians made such a shout as men are wont to do that win the Victory and fiercely assailed their Enemies thinking they had in evey place been put to flight When Alexander perceived his men shrink and begin to faint and give ground he rebuked such as he saw afraid and encouraged many that withdrew from the fight so that he alone restored the Battel again When he had put them in heart he required them to press forwards and go freely against their Enemies Alexander perceiving that the Bactrians were departed to the defeating of the Carriages and by their going had left the right-hand Battel of Darius thin and naked he bent his force wholly that way and there made a wonderful slaughter and destruction of his Enemies who by reason of their loose Array were not able to withstand him which the Persians in the left wing observing were in hope to have inclosed Alexander round and came forwards to set upon his Rear whereby great danger had ensued to him being invironed both before and behinde if the Agrians had not put their Spurs to their Horses and given a gallant Charge to their Enemies that were invironing the King about and so compelled the Persians to turn their faces again towards them The Battels thus were sore travelled on both sides Alexander had his Foes both before and behinde and his Enemies that come on his back were sore oppressed by the Agrians The Bactrians also that had spoiled the Carriages were excluded from their own company and could not recover their place again Thus the Battels were divided in divers parts and fought one against another as their chance fell out The two Kings that joyned their Battel hard to one another renewed again the fight There were most of the Persians slain but the number of the wounded were liâ—â—e on both sides Darius did ride in a Chariot and Alexander upon a Horse They both had a choice Band about them which were careless of their own lives for if their Kings should miscarry they neither could be safe nor yet desire to live Wherefore every one of them thought it a Noble thing to adventure themselves before the face of their Prince and he that coveted most to defend his Master was in most peril for each man desired the honour to kill the King of the contrary part There whether it were an imagination of the eyes or visible indeed such as were about Alexander believed that they saw an Eagle fluttering above his head which neither feared with the clashing of their Harness nor by the crying of them that were dying hovered still in the Air a little above him Then Aristander who did wear a white garment and carried Lawrel in his hand shewed this sight unto the Soaldiers being busie in the fight as a certain token of Victory This sight caused them which before were in some doubt chearfully and with great confidence to assail their Enemies The fight continued after this sort until the time that he was slain who governed the Horse that drew Darius Chariot Then neither the Persians nor Macedons doubted but thaâ— Darius had been slain And the Persians upon that imagination made a bâ—rbarous noise and a sorrowful howling wherewith they sore troubled and astonied their whole Hoast that were yet fighting with equal Victory Darius Kinsmen and the Squires of his Body that were on his left hand left him and fled away with a main flight but such as stood in his defence on his right hand conveyed him into the heart of the Battel It was said that Darius drew out his Sword and was determined divers times to kill himself rather then to sustain the shame of flying away But when he saw as he sate aloft on his Chariot that a great part of his Army remained yet fighting he was ashamed to leave them in such sort And while he thus wavered in his own minde the Persians by little and little gave ground and shrunk from their order Alexander that had tyred many Horses did at that instant change his Horse anew and strake at the faces of them that did oppose there was none then that made resistance any longer but a manifest slaughter fell on the Persians and Darius turned his Chariot to fly away The Macedans pursued hard after them that fled and the dust that flew up to the Sky took away their prospect so that they wandred as in darkness and ever drew together when they heard any voice they knew only the ratling and noise of the Chariots was a taken for the Macedons to follow in the pursuit As Fortune was prosperous to the Macedons on this part and contrary unto their 〈◊〉 so on the other side where Parmenio in the left wing incountred with the Persians they had the better and the Macedons the worse Mazeus with his whole Band gave a violent charge and put the Horsemen that stood in the wings to a sore distress and thereupon by reason he abounded with multitude he began to inclose the Footmen round Then Parmenio sent word to Alexander in what danger they were which he signified to be such that except they had succour in time they could not resist but be inforced to fly away Alexander was gone far in the Chase when this sorrowful message was brought him wherefore he commanded his Horsemen to stand and chafed
man would have judged that the whole Wood had been on a flame for there was scarcely space â—eft betwixt the fires for men to stand Then their nummed joynts began to be moved with the heat and their spirits which were oppressed by the force of the cold began to have their free recourse some recovered the Cottages which necessity caused them to seek out in the uttermost part of the Wood and the rest recovered the Camp which was planted in a moist ground but by that time the Shower was ceased the Tempest had consumed one thousand Souldiers with Varlets and Slaves It is said that divers were frozen to death leaning against Trees and yet seemed as though they had been living and speaking together It chanced that a common Souldier of the Macedons who had much pain to go and carry his Armour came at last into the Camp where the King was who notwithstanding that he was chaâ—ing of his own body against the fire yet he did rise out of his Chair and pulling off the nummed Souldiers Armour who was almost past his remembrance he set him down in his Seat He a great while knew not where he sate or who had received him but at length when his natural heat came to him and he perceived it to be his Kings Seat and the King to be there present he was afraid and did start up again But Alexander beheld him in the face and said Perceivest thou not now my Souldier with how much better condition thou livest then the Persians do under their Kings for it is death to them to sit in the Kings Seat and the same hath been the safeguard of thy life The next day he called his friends and the Captains of his Army together promising to restore to them whatsoever they had lost wherein he performed his promise for Sisimethres bringing unto him many Beasts of burthen with 2000 〈◊〉 and a great number of Sheep and Oxen he distributed all amongst the Souldiers wher in he both restored to them their loss and also delivered them from their hunger The King gave great thanks unto Sisimethres and commanding his Souldiers to carry six days Victuals ready dressed he marched against the Sacans where he destroyed all their Country and of the Booty there taken he gave thirty thousand sheep in gift to Sisimethres From thence he came unto a Country belonging to a Noble Prince called Cohortanus who subjected himself unto the King and he again restored his Country to him exacting nothing of his but that of his three Sons he should send two of them to serve him in his Wars But Cohortanus offerâ—d to him all three and made a feast unto Alexander with such sumptuousness as belongâ—d to the manner of their Country therein all the pleasures being shewed that could be devised Thirty Virgins of the Noble-mens children were brought in 〈◊〉 Alexander amongst whom there was Cohortanus Daughter called Roxane who in beauty and excellency of personage and comelinâ—ss of apparel 〈◊〉 amongst those Nations excelled all the rest And notwithstanding that they were all of excellent Beauty with whom she was accompanied yet she drew all mens eyes towards her and especially the Kings who could not well now govern his affections in such prosperity of fortune it being an infirmity which the frailty of man seldome can avoid Thus he who beheld the Wife of Darius and her two Daughters to whom Roxane was not comparable with no other desires then he might have beheld his Mother was so overcome with the love of a young Virgin being but of mean Parentage if she should be compared to the Bloud of Kings that he affirmed it to be a thing necessary for the Establishment of the Empire for the Persians and Macedons to marry together by which only means shame might be taken from the vanquished and pride from the Conquerours He also shewed a president how Achilles from whom he was descended joyned himself with a Captive And lest his doings should be counted lasciviousness he resolved to take her to him by the way of marriage The Father joyful of this which he looked not for gladly confirmed the Kings words who in the heat of his desire caused Bread to be brought forth according to the custom of his Country the same being the most Religious Ceremony of Marriage amongst the Macedons This Bread was cut asunder with a Sword and each of them made of it a Sacrifice It is to be thought that such as established the Customs of that Nation coveted by a moderate Diet to shew to them that were the gatherers of great Riches with how small a thing they ought to content themselves Thus he who was both King of Asia and Europe joyned himself in Marriage with a Maid brought in at a Masque to beget upon a Captive one that should Reign over the Victorious Macedons His friends were ashamed that he should chuse upon drink a Father-in-law among them whom he had lately subdued But after Clitus death all the liberty and freedom of speech being taken away they seemed to agree with their countenances as with the most apt instrument to declare the consent of their mindes After this was done he prepared his journey towards India purposing to visit the Ocean Sea And because he would leave nothing behinde him that might be an impediment to his expedition he took order for thirty thousand young men to be levied out of all the Provinces and to be brought to him armed minding to use them both as Pledges and as Souldiers He sent Craterus to pursue Haustanes and Gateues of whom the one was taken and the other slain Polipercon also subdued the Country that was called Bubacen and having set all things in order he set his whole imagination upon the War of India which was counted to be a very rich Country and to abound both with Gold Pearls and Precious Stones things appertaining as much to Voluptuousness as Magnificence and it was said that the Souldiers there had their Targets made of Ivory and of Gold And therefore lest he who thought himself to excel the rest should be surpassed in any point he caused his Souldiers to garnish their Targets with Plates of Silver and the Horsemen to beautifie their Bridles with Gold and Silver There were one hundred and twenty thousand armed men that followed Alexander in the War When all things were ripe for what he long before conceived in his evil-disposed minde he thought it time to compass how he might usurp the name and honour of a god and so willed himself not only to be called but also to be believed to be the Son of Jupiter as though his power had been as well to restrain mens thoughts as their tongues His intent was that the Macedons should fall prostrate on the ground and worship him after the same manner that the Persians did their Kings and to such his desire there wanted not pernicious flattery the perpetual poyson of Princes whose Estates have more
of the Sun and the plenty of Springs keeping the ground moist there were also many Serpents seen whose Scales glistered like gold There was nothing more dangerous then the poyson proceeding from them for immediately upon the stinging death followed until such time as the Inhabitants of the Country shewed a remedy From thence through Desarts they came unto the great River Hidraores whereunto there joyned a great Wood which having such Trees as are not wont to be seen in other places was also full of wilde Peacocks Alexander removing his Camp from thence took a Town by assault and taking Hostages appointed them to pay Tribute After that he came to a great City builded after the manner of that Country which was both well walled and also invironed about with a deep Moat The Inhabitants came forth against Alexander and joyning their Chariots together in a front wherein their Custom was to fight they proffered him Battel Some used Darts some Spears and other Pole-axes and with great agility leaped to and from their Chariots when either they found an advantage to invade their Enemies or else would rescue their Fellows that were in distress This unwonted kinde of fighting put the Macedons at the first in a fear especially being hurt afar off by their Enemies and not able to come to fight with them hand to hand But after they had considered their disordered manner they esteemed not their force but inclosed their Enemies about and thrust their horses in with pikes and the sooner to defeat them they cut the Traces wherewith the Chariots were tyed to separate them asunder When they had after that manner lost eight hundred of their men they fled again into the City which the next day the Macedons did win by assault Some there were that saved themselves by flying who seeing the City lost swam over the water and filled all the Towns thereabout with fear They declared of what invincible force their Enemies were judging them in respect of their power rather to be gods then mortal men When Alexander had gotten that City he sent Perdicas with a part of his Army to destroy the Country and committing another part to Eumenes for the subduing of such as would not submit he with the rest of his power came unto a strong City to which many of the Inhabitants of the Country fled Notwithstanding that they sent to Alexander for peace yet they prepared nevertheless for the war by reason of a Sedition which rose amongst them which made them to be of divers Opinions some would rather have indured any extremity then yield and others thought they were not able to make resistance and whilest they differed so in Opinions and had no common consultation amongst themselves such as held Opinion to yield up the City opened the Gates and received in their Enemies And notwithstanding that Alexander had just cause of displeasure against the contrary Faction yet he pardoned them all and receiving their Hostages removed towards the next City When the Indians that stood upon the walls beheld the Hostages that were brought before the Army and perceived them to be of the same Nation they desired communication with them who declaring both the Kings Clemency and his Force it did move them to deliver up their City whose example the rest of the Cities did follow From thence he came into the Kingdom of the Sophites who are a Nation as the Indians think most excelling in wisdom best governed and who have the most civil Conversations amongst them The Children that are there begotten are not nourished and brought up according to the will of their Parents but by the order of such who have the charge committed unto them to view the state of the Infants If they perceive any not apt to become active or else wanting any of their limbs they cause them straightways to be killed They use to Marry without respect of Kindred they come of or greatness of Parentage making no choice but in the shape of the body which is the thing only esteemed amongst them The King himself was in the Chief City of that Country against which Alexander brought his power The Gates were shut and no man appeared in Arms upon the walls to make any defence wherefore he stood in doubt a great while whether the City was abandoned or whether the Inhabitants had kept themselves secret for some policy While he remained in that expectation suddenly the Gate was opened and the King who in goodliness of person excelled all the rest came forth with his two Sons He did wear a garment of gold and Purple impaled that covered the Calf of his leg the Sandals he did wear on his feet were set with precious stones All his arms were garnished with Pearls and he had hanging at his ears two precious stones which were excellent both for bigness and brightness he had in his hand a Scepter of gold set with precious stones called Berilli which after his salutation made with humble submission he delivered unto Alexander yielding both himself his Children and his Kingdom into his hands There were in that Country notable Dogs for the hunting of wilde Beasts but above all most eager on the Lyon the King therefore to shew their force and quality unto Alexander put four of them to a great Lyon who straightway took hold of him Then one who was accustomed to that Office took one of those Dogs by the Leg to pluck him off from the Lyon and because he would not lose his hold he cut off his Leg with a Sword but when the Dog hung nevertheless upon the Lyon he was cut in sunder by pieces till such time as he died having his teeth still fastened in the Lyons flesh such an eagerness had Nature wrought in those Creatures as it is committed unto memory In the compiling of this History sometimes I am inforced to write things that I can scarcely believe for I neither dare affirm the things whereof I doubt nor conceal such things as I have received for truth Alexander leaving this King within his own Kingdom came unto the River of Hydaspis and there joyned with Ephestion who had subdued the Country thereabouts One Phegelas was King of the next Nation who commanding his Subjects to continue the tilling of the ground as they were wont to do met Alexander with rich Presents refusing nothing that was commanded him When he had tarried with him two days and was determined the third day to have passed the River he found therein great difficulty by reason that the stream was so large and full of great stones He stayed therefore a while to be more fully advertised of the state of those Countries and of all such things as were necessary for him to know He understood by Phegelas how beyond that River there lay a Desart of ten days journey and next to that Desart the River of Ganges which was the greatest River in all the Orient He declared to him that beyond Ganges
in his hand a great knotty Cudgel The diversity of their Weapons brought every man into a wonderful expectation for they thought it not only a rashness but a madness for Dioxippus who was naked to encounter the other who was armed The Macedon thinking to kill his adversary before they should come to fight hand to hand threw at him his Lance which Dioxippus avoided by bending of his body and before that he could charge his Pike he leaped to him and with his Cudgel brake the same asunder when the Macedon had lost both his Weapons he began to draw his Sword but Dioxippus prevented him with a close and taking both his feet from under him threw him upon the earth and there plucking his Sword from his side set his foot upon his neck and held up his Cudgel to have struck out his brains if the King had not caused him to stay his hand This Triumph ended with displeasure both unto the Macedons and unto Alexander himself especially because this thing was done in the presence of the Indians fearing lest the valour of the Macedons famed so much in the world might thereby grow into contempt Hereupon Alexander grudging at Dioxippus had his ears open to the Accusation of those who did envy him They within a few days after had caused a golden Cup purposely to be conveyed out of the way which the Ministers having imbezelled they made complaint to Alexander of the loss thereof Oftentimes men shew less constancy in their countenance than in the offence it self for in their complaint Dioxippus perceiv'd by their looks that they noted him as the Thief which he could not endure but parting out of the Feast after he had written a Letter to the King he killed himself Alexander was very sorry for his death which he took for no token of repentance but rather of indignation For it afterwards appeared through the overmuch rejoycing of his Enemies that he had been falsly accused The Embassadours of the Indians that were dismissed home within a few days after returned again presenting unto Alexander three hundred Horses one thousand and thirty Waggons every one drawn with four Horses certain Vestures of Linnen-cloth a thousand Indian Targets and one hundred Talents of Iron Lions of a rare bigness and Tygers that were tame the Skins of great Lizards and the Shells of certain Fishes The King then commanded Craterus to conduct his Army along the River whereupon he sailed and embarquing such as were accustomed to accompany him he with the stream passed into the Bounds of the Mallians and from thence came unto the Sabracans who were a Nation of great power not ruled by Kings but by a Government of the People They had gathered together six thousand Footmen and six thousand Horsemen and five hundred armed Waggons and had chosen three Captains that were approved men of War But when such as inhabited next unto the River the Banks being full of Villages saw all the River as far as they could view over-spread with Ships and the Armour glistering of so many men of War they were amazed at the strangeness of the fight and thought that some Army of the gods or else Bacchus whose name was famous amongst those Nations had been come amongst them The cry of the men of War with the clashing of the Oars and the strange noise of the Mariners exhorting one another filled their fearful ears They ran therefore amongst their Country-men who had assembled their Forces declaring their madness if they would contend with the gods for they said the Ships could not be numbred that carried those invincible people with which words they put such fear amongst the men of their own Nation that they sent immediately Embassadours to yield themselves When he had received their submission he came the fourth day into another Country the people whereof durst no more withstand him than the other did and there he builded a City which he named Alexandria and from thence he entred into a Country the inhabiters whereof they call Musicans there he understood by the accusation of the Paromisidans that Desteriores whom Alexander had appointed Lieutenant amongst them had ruled in excessive pride and covetousness and therefore he commanded him to be put to death And Oxiartes Lieutenant of the Bactrians being also accused was not only acquitted but had a greater Rule committed unto him When he had subdued the uttermost part of the Musicans he put a Garison into their City and advanced from thence into another Nation of the Indians called Prestians of whom Oxicanus was King who with a great Power retired himself into a strong City which Alexander won the third day after he began his Siege Upon the taking of the Town Oxicanus fled into the Cstle and sent Embassadours to treat for peace but before they were come to Alexanders presence two Towers of the Castle fell with a great noise by the ruines whereof the Macedons got into the Castle where Oxicanus with a few standing at defence was slain The Castle being razed and all that were within sold as slaves Alexander came into the bounds of Saba where beside many Holds that yielded to him he took the strongest City of that Country by force of a Myne It seemed a wonderful thing to the Indians being ignorant of such Policies of War for armed men to come forth of the ground in the midst of their City where there appeared no signe of any way under the Earth Clitarchus doth write that there were eighty thousand Indians slain in that Country besides many prisoners sold as slaves The Musicans in the mean time rebelled for the suppressing of whom Python was sent thither who took the Prince of the Nation prisoner and brought him to Alexander whom he caused to be hanged upon a Cross as the Author of the Revolt which done he returned again to the River where he had commanded his Navy to tarry for him The fourth day after he came to a Town at the entrance into the Kingdom of Samus the King whereof had newly yielded himself but the Citizens had shut their Gates and would not be at his Commandment whose small number Alexander regarded so little that he sent five hundred Agrians unto their Gates to proffer them Skirmish to the intent that by retiring they might draw them by little and little out of their strength thinking they would follow the Chase when they should see their Enemies flying The Agrians did as they were appointed and when they had once provoked their Enemies they immediately turned their backs and the Indians pursued them until they came to the Ambuscado where the King lay in person then the Agrians turned and the Fight was renewed so fiercely that of three thousand Indians there were five hundred slain and a thousand taken the rest recovered the City but the end of the Victory was not so pleasant as the beginning for the Indians had so envenomed their Arrows that such as were hurt died of the