who by good reason in regard of his yeeres is more experienced in the world shall both for policie and counsell menage the affaires of State and also have the commaund and conduct * Of forces in all occasions needfull and requisit I have my selfe beene so brought up according to the discipline of your countrey and mine as that I have learned to give place unto mine elders not brethren onely but other natives also in the way as I meet them in sitting also and making any speeches And even so have I trained you up my sonnes from the beginning to honour above others aged persons and likewise to be duly honoured your selves of your youngers And therefore take this advertisement which I deliver unto you as from one who pronounceth nothing else but things received of old accustomable and agreeable to the lawes As for you Cambyses enter upon the maine Empire which preeminence the Gods above and my selfe as much as lyeth in me doe here devolve unto you But unto you Tanoaxeres I bequeath the principalitie of the Medes and Armenians togither with a third * Or Seignory Satrapie over the Cadusians In bestowing these Seignories upon you I suppose that I leave a greater dominion indeed and the name of an absolute Roialtie unto your elder brother but certenly to you I bequeath a felicitie and happie estate more void of trouble and freed from all vexation For I assure you I see not what worldly pleasure you can want Certes you shall enjoy all things on earth that may bring delight and content unto man But the desire and affection to difficult enterprizes hardly to be atchieved the busie cares in many affaires a restlesse course of life whiles the minde is sollicited and pricked with the emulation of mine acts and worthy exploits to lye in wait and espiall for some to bee forelayed and live in feare of the practices of others These be the troubles and dangers that of necessitie accompany a Soveraigne Monarch more than you And these things wote you well interrupt ones joy with manifold troubles And you my sonne Cambyses I would have you to know that it is not this golden Scepter that is able to preserve your Kingdome and Royall estate But many friends and those trusty are unto Kings the truest appay and surest Scepter to rest upon And never thinke that men are naturally borne faithfull friends unto you for if that were so the same men would be true and loyall unto all like as other things in one nature are seene to bee the same unto all indifferently But every Prince must himselfe make men trusty and fast unto him and made they are such not by force but rather by beneficence and bountie If you therefore would gaine others unto you for to bee assistant in the preservation of your royaltie begin not at any other before him who is sprung from the same stocke that you are to wit your owne brother And verily you see that naturall Citizens are more neerely linked unto us than strangers such as eate drinke and daily converse with us more than those that live apart and be unacquainted with us They then that are come of one seed and the same blood nourished by the same mother brought up in the same house loved of the same parents calling one father and one mother how can these otherwise be but of all others most inward and familiar Suffer not then those good blessings to be in vaine bestowed upon you whereby the very Gods lead brethren to the entertainment of mutuall amitie but over and above this foundation already laid build forthwith other workes of love and thus your reciprocall friendship shall continue for ever invincible And to say a truth he regardeth his owne selfe who taketh care of his brother For unto what other person is a brother if he be a mightie man such an ornament as to his brother And who beside is able to honour a puissant Potentate so much as a brother And whom will a man having a great person to his brother feare to wrong so much as hee will his owne brother See therefore that no man obey him sooner nor be readier to come and assist him than your selfe For neither his prosperitie nor adversitie concernes any man more properly than you Consider moreover in gratifying whom you should hope to gaine more or winne greater thanke than if you doe your brother a pleasure In succouring shall you get a firmer Ally than him whom is it more unseemely or dishonest not to love than a brother and whom in all the world is it more decent and befitting to honour above the rest than a brother It is a brother onely and none but he ô Cambyses who if hee have the principall place of love with a brother incurreth not the envie of others thereby For the tender love therefore of our tutelar Gods my children As yee have any desire to gratifie mee your father honour yee one another For yee doe not I trow beleeve and know for certaine that when I end this humane life I shall become nothing at all and have no more being Neither did yee so much as erewhile see my soule visibly but by the operations which it had yee conceived of it as of a reall essence Or know yee not yet what terrours doe their soules who have suffred violence and wrongs strike into murderers hearts and what * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temorse and sting of conscience revengefull tormentors they send among the wicked Thinke yee that the honours done to those that are departed would have endured so long if their spirits had no power and strength remaining in them For mine owne part my sonnes I could never be perswaded to beleeve that the soule all while it is contained within this mortall body should live and afterwards die when it is departed from it For this I see that the soule quickeneth these mortall bodies and giveth life to them so long as it remaineth therein Neither could I ever be brought to thinke that after the soule is separate from this blockish and senselesse body it shall be it selfe void of sense and understanding But when the pure and sincere * or soule minde is once departed then by all likelihood and reason it is most wise After the dissolution of a man every thing is seene to returne againe unto its owne kinde save onely the soule which neither present nor absent can be seene Consider moreover quoth he that nothing in the world resembleth mans death neerer than sleepe But the soule of a man whiles he sleepeth sheweth most of all her divinitie yea and foreseeth future things being as it seemeth at such a time at greatest libertie Is it so then as I perswade my selfe it is doth the soule quit and forsake the body In all reverence and honour therefore unto my soule performe that which I request you to doe But were it nothing so but that the soule as it abideth in the body so it perisheth with the same yet feare yee the Gods who are immortall who see all things and bee omnipotent who maintaine and keepe this orderly course of the whole world so make a goodly shew for number and multitude but in the warres I assure you there is no use of them at all And that appeareth well enough by the events that ensue thereof For yee shall have enemies sooner than friends conversant in their land And verily Cyrus when he tooke his horsemen from among the light skirmishers a farre off and furnished them with compleat armour and their horses likewise giving every one of them a launce in his hand brought in the close fight at armes end But now neither doe they skirmish lightly and aloofe with the enemie any more nor yet joyne and cope together Semblably the footmen in these dayes have their light bucklers their short courtell-axes and cimiters to serve in the warres and to fight close as they did in Cyrus his time howbeit even these will not willingly so much as come to buckle at handfight Neither use they their hooked chariots in that sort as they were ordained by Cyrus For he advancing and honouring his Chariotiers made them good souldiers and had them upon all occasions prest to assaile armed enemies But the Persians in these dayes knowing not what they be that are upon the said Chariots thinke one as good as another and those that be unpractised able to equalize the trained A certaine kind of onset and charge they give I must needs say but before they come among the enemies either they willingly drop out of their chariots or else leap forth of purpose Whereupon the Chariots and teemes both being abandoned of their drivers and rulers do many times much more hurt unto their friends than to their enemies Certes they being privy to themselves and knowing well enough how slenderly they be appointed for the warres withdraw their heads out of the field neither dare any of them prepare himselfe to battaile without aide of the Greeks Nay they know well enough that they must have Greeks in their armie whensoever they meane either to make warre one with another or upon the Greeks themselves Thus have I performed as I thinke that which I purposed and undertooke For I say and avow that the Persians and their Associats are in these dayes more irreligious in the worship of the Gods more unkind and unnaturall to their kinsfolke more unjust to others and for martiall affaires more effeminate than in former times To conclude if there be any man disposed to hold up a side and maintaine the contrary to this position that I have set downe let him but consider their own deeds and actions and he shall find that they will testifie on my behalfe and verifie my words in the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 80. Febr. 1620. Recast 50. April 1629. aetatis Interpretis 77. Φ. FINIS
ΞΕÎΘ ΦΩΠCYRUS Le GRAND The Entire STORY Done into English by a PERSON OF QUALITY and Dedicated to the LATE KING Printed for William Hopé INTER PRES AEtatis suae 80 Aº 1654 CYRUS Major Persarum Rex Mundi Monarcha CAROLUS D.G. Britannaâ— Rex Magnae Britanniae Monarcha Hh invent Will. Marshall Sculpsit TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY MONARCH CHARLES by the Grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Most dread Soveraigne WHen that Maiden-Monarch the Wonder of the World in her time Queene Elizabeth of famous memory swaied the Imperiall Scepter of this Kingdome in her latter dayes my deere Father Doctor Philemon Holland presented unto her Maiesty his English Translation of the Romanes most renowmed * Historiographer Tit. Liv. Anno. 1600. And it pleased her Highnes full of Clemency to reach out the Golden Scepter of her gracious acceptance thereof Sol occubuit nox nulla sequuta est For no sooner was that glorious Sunne set to our sight on Earth in our Horizon and translated to shine in heaven but your Royall Father King Iames of blessed memory appearing even then by his radiant beames out of the North in maturitie of time came to we are the same imperiall Diademe lawfully descended upon his Head At whose very first entrance Plutarch Anno. 1603. my said Father dedicated his translation also of * Trajanus his Masters Morals unto his Majestie who was no lesse pleased to hold forth his Gracious hand and accept the same Also when my unworthy selfe offred mine owne Collections Anno. 1610. entituled Herωologia Anglica unto his Highnesse he most graciously received it And now most deare Soveraigne unto this present version of Xenophons Cyrupediam out of Greek which is as I may say the Authour his Master-Peece and my fathers worke likewise your Majestie hath the sole right in regard that he enterprized it long since and that by speciall order and direction from your Royall Father delivered unto him by one of his neere servants in Court even when your selfe were in your tender yeeres for the contemplation and use of your most Generous and Magnanimous Brother Prince Henry now in Heaven Of whose vertuous life and Princely exercises more may bee seene in the said Herωologia His death caused a demurre as it were in publishing thereof untill of late my father importuned by some friends having revised and finished his said Traduction destined it to me his sonne that in regard both of the Author and Argument it might lie no longer in obscurity but at length and as I hope in good time see the light of the Sunne The Author then of these books Xenophon a deepe Philosopher a politike Counseller of State and an expert Warriour beside how-ever hee penned them Non ad Historiae fidem Epist ad Quintum Fratrem as Cicero writeth sed ad Effigiem justi Jmperij yet in such request they were that Scipio Africanus the famous Romane Commaunder was never wont to lay them out of his hands for as the same Oratour recordeth Nullum in hijs praetermissum est officium diligentis moderati Imperij No mervaile then that L. Lucullus A noble Generall under the Romanes being at first a raw and unexpert Commaunder by serious studying upon these books on ship-boord became so worthy a warriour and compleat Generall as that he vanquished the most puissant politick and victorious Mithridates King of Pontus who had before subdued in manner all Asia And all these books wrote he so sweetly and eloquently in Greek that he was named the Muse or as Suidas writeth The Bee of Athens Insomuch as the very Muses were reported to have spoken in Xenophons voice as out of whose mouth by the testimony of that * Cicero Orator Romane Oratour alluding to Nestor in Homer melle dulcior fluebat oratio Which albeit my father in English could not Parallele yet treating as he doth of the life and atchievements of so worthy a Prince of whom may I seeme to crave Patronage in the first place but of your sacred Selfe my liege Lord For these books how ever Englished may haply hereafter if your Majesty shall thinke so good be held worthy the view and imitation of your right Roial Son our most hopeful Prince Charles whom I caÌ„not name but with this zealous and devout prayer That he may grow up in stature and in favour with God and Man Vouchsafe therefore I most humbly crave of your innate Clemency which makes you renowmed throughout the Christian world not to withhold your Golden Scepter but in like manner as your late Predecessours and Progenitours have done to welcome into your Court Greeke Xenophon his Cyrus a Persian Prince by birth but now clad in English Accoustrements speaking our Language and hither arrived to kisse your Roiall hand especially seeing he is that Cyrus the elder of whom the holy * Ezra 1.2 Scripture maketh honourable mention And why should I doubt hereof considering he being a warlike Monarch and skilfull in Armes according to the auncient discipline tendereth discourse of military Preparations Stratagems and Expeditions now in these dayes not without Gods providence of Action when as your Majesty and your subjects are so deeply engaged with your Royall Allies and Confederates in Martiall Actions who fight the Lords Battailes and that blessed be God with late good and victorious successe so as we cannot but hope still for better now that your Royall Aide is not wanting and the Britains Banners are there advanced For although your Majestie in great wisedome hath of late laid downe Armes and entertained Peace with some Christian Princes so as wee for the time may say Dulce bellum inexpertis Yet as the wisest of Kings said * Eccles 3.8 There is a time for Warre as well as for Peace Demaundeth your Majesty now what he is that dareth to approach so neere your Presence as to speake of Warre in time of Peace Give your poore vassall leave to answer in the submissive voice of a loyall subject He is no Schollar professed nor Martiall man yet a lover of learning and being one of the Trained Band to guard CAMERAM REGIS alwaies prest without your Imprest money to fight if occasion be presented in defence of your Majesties person of the Realme of that Faith and Religion whereof you under God are entituled The sole Defender yea even to lay downe his dearest life For according to my fathers Jmprese Pro Christo Patria dulce periculum Which I desire of God may be my last Cygnean song However The Lord of Hosts fight for you The God of Iacob protect you The King of Kings preserve your most excellent Majestie in health and safety of soule and body from all your enemies spirituall and temporall Foraine and Domestique The same IEHOVAH preserve you from all Warres Disasters and Diseases and in the end he give you one Coelestiall Crowne for your three
and man killing and slaying all that fell and never gave over the execution untill they came as farre as to the Assyrians Infantery And there verily for feare of some greater ambushment in covert to intercept and cut them off they stayed themselves Then Astyages retired with his forces as right joyfull for the horsemens victory But of Cyrus he wist not what to make or say For well he knew that he was the chiefe authour of this exploit but he saw withall how in all the service for his audacious adventure he fared like unto one furiously transported For even at that time I assure you when others were returning homeward he onely did nothing els but ride up and downe all about to view them that were ouerthrowne and slaine in so much as hardly could they who had commission so to doe hale him away and bring him to Astyages and even those who had the conducting of him he caused to goe a great way before for that he perceiued his Grandfathers fathers countenance at the sight of him to be sterne and terrible And thus passed these things in Media As for Cyrus as he was rife in every mans mouth whiles they ceassed not to say and sing all praises of him So Astyages who beforetime highly honoured and esteemed him had him now in exceeding great admiration CHAP. V. How Cyrus returned to his father into Persia and what honour the Medes did him at his departure THEN Cambyses the father of Cyrus hearing this report that went of him joyed thereat you may be sure not a little but for that he heard that Cyrus had atchieved manly Acts alredy hee sent for him home to the end that he might performe those parts which by the discipline of the Persians were required Whereupon Cyrus by report said that depart he would because his father should not be offended nor his countrey and the State complaine and finde fault with him Astyages therefore thought it requisite and necessary to send him away and having bestowed upon him such horses as it pleased himselfe to take and furnished him besides with all things for that purpose he honourably dismissed him which he did both because he loved him as also for that he conceived withall a great hope of him that he would prove a man another day sufficient both to pleasure and helpe his friends and also to displease and hurt his enemies Now was Cyrus at his departure accompanied on the way with all sorts and degrees as well boyes and such as were of his owne yeeres as men and Auncients all on horsebacke yea and Astyages himselfe rode onward with him Neither was there any one as it is sayd but at his returne homeward wept amaine Cyrus also is reported to have shed many a teare at his farewell Moreouer men say that among his equalls in age and companions he dealt many of those gifts which Astyages had bestowed upon him In conclusion the very Median Robe which he then ware he did put off and gave it unto one declaring thereby that he loved him especially above the rest Who when they had received these gifts at his hands presented them all as they say unto Astyages and Astyages when he had them sent them backe unto Cyrus but he returned them eft-soones into Media delivering this message withall If you would ever have mee ô Grandfather to repaire unto you againe without the blemish of shame and disgrace suffer each one to have and hold that which I have given them which words when Astyages heard he did according to the said message And if I must recount some merry speeches and amorous words also that passed among the voyce goeth that at Cyrus departure when they tooke their leave one of another Cyrus dismissed his kinsmen with a kisse of his lips after the Persian manner for it is the fashion among the Persians even at this day so to doe At which time there was one of the Medes a right good and an honest Gentleman who advised well a long while the exceeding beautie of Cyrus and wondered thereat who when he saw his other kinsmen to kisse him he himselfe stood still and stirred not No sooner were the rest gone but he came unto Cyrus and said What Cyrus Am I the only man whom you know not for your kinsman Why quoth Cyrus are you also of kinne to mee Yea surely that I am saith the other This was it quoth Cyrus that you eyed me so For mee thought I marked you oftentimes so to doe True said the other and as desirous as I was all the while to come unto you yet God so mee helpe for very bashfulnesse I ever held off But you should not have so done quoth Cyrus being a cousin of mine and with that he came unto him and kissed him The Mede when he had this kisse asked him and said Is this the manner indeed of the Persians for kinsmen thus to kisse one another Yea verily quoth Cyrus both at meeting when they have not seene one another a certaine time and also at parting when they take their leave and goe forth any whither Then it is time now saith the Mede that you give mee another kisse Foreven now as you see am I to depart So Cyrus having kissed him the second time bade him farewell and went himselfe away They had not ridden farre asunder on their journey but the Mede returned againe with his horse under him all sweating and in a lather whom when Cyrus saw what saith he have you forgotten any thing that you would have said to mee No verily answered the other but after a time I am come as you see unto you True indeed cousin quoth Cyrus you are so and that after a very short time What short time answered the Mede is that wote you not ò Cyrus that if I doe but winke never so little I thinke the time very long for that I see you not the while being so gallant a young Gentleman as you are Hereat Cyrus began to laugh and the first time it was after his former weeping saying withall unto him Goe your wayes and be of good cheere For shortly the time will come when you may behold mee if you will with your eyes broad open and neuer winke for the matter Cyrus being in this manner returned into Persia continued by report one whole yeere more in the schoole of * Or Boyes Children And they verily at his first comming would scoffe at him as who having learned among the Medes to lead a delicate life was now come againe to them But after that they saw him to eate and drinke heartily and savourly as they did and found likewise by experience that if there were any great cheere upon some high and festivall day he could finde in his heart to give away unto others some of his owne part rather than desire any of others when they perceived besides that in all other things Cyrus farre excelled them then his companions began to have
more * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justly thē to declare unto you first all the forces that I have which when you see and know what they be you may have away with you as great a power as you list leaving as much as may serve for the defence of the land Then for mony likewise meet it is that I should shew unto you all the treasure that I have whereof you may take and leave what you thinke good Goe to then saith Cyrus Shew unto me directly what your strength is and tell mee withall what store of coine you have Hereto the Armenian King returned this answer Of horsemen the Armenians are able to make 8000 and of footmen 40000. As for mony quoth he togither with the treasures which my father left unto me being reckoned to the true rate or valew in silver it amounteth to more than 3000 talents Hereunto Cyrus as one in this behalfe nothing care-lesse said thus Of your armie then because the Chaldees your borderers make warre upon you send with me the one halfe but of your monies for those 50 talents which you paid as a tribute deliver double so much unto Cyaxares in regard of deteining the payment thereof And to my selfe you shall lend another hundred talents For the lone whereof I promise If God speed me either to doe you greater pleasures or else to repay you the mony if I be able If I doe not thought haply I may be unsufficient but judged worthily I shall never be unjust Now for Gods sake ô Cyrus said the Armenian King use not these words otherwise you shall not have me so confident and trustfull in you But make this accompt quoth he What monyes so ever you leave us they are yours no lesse than those which you carry from hence Well said Cyrus But how much mony will you part withall unto me for to have your wife againe Even as much quoth he as I am worth And what will you give me to enjoy your children also As much for them likewise as I can make By this reckoning then inferred Cyrus these be prised at twice so much as you possesse Now Tigranes to you I addresse my speech With what ransome would you redeeme your wife newly married he was and loved the woman exceeding well I assure you ô Cyrus quoth he I would lay downe my very life that she might never become thrall Take her to you then quoth Cyrus For yours she is neither doe I repute her to have beene a captive at all seeing you never fled from us You also King of Armenia have away with you both your wife and children without any ransome at all that they may know they come unto you free And now verily for this present take your suppers with us and when yee have supped Depart whither yee list So they stayed But after supper whiles they were yet in the pavilion Cyrus questioned in this manner Tell me Tigranes quoth he what is become of the Gentleman that was wont to hunt with us For you highly esteemed him Why quoth he hath not this my father here put him to death Of what offense said Cyrus was he convict Hee laid to his charge quoth he that he corrupted me And yet my deere Cyrus so good a man he was and so honest that even then when he was to die he called unto mee and said Bee not you greived Tigranes and offended with your father in that he mindeth to take away my life For he doth not this in any malice but of errour and ignorance And what trespasse men upon errour doe commit I suppose is done against their wils At these words said Cyrus Alas good man that he was But the Armenian King turning unto Cyrus spake in this wise Neither doe those good Cyrus who take other men naught with their wives pursue them therefore to death for that they make their wives more wanton and unchast but because they thinke they steale away their hearts and quench that love which they owe unto them in which regard they proceed against them as very enemies And even so Ielous was I and envied that man because me thought he was the cause that my sonne admired and esteemed him more than my selfe Then Cyrus So God me love good King of Armenia as I thinke your fault was no other than any man would have done Therefore Tigranes pardon your Father for this Gentlemans death Thus having at that time discoursed lovingly entertained and embraced one another as meet it was after this reconciliation they mounted upon their carroches togither with their wives and so with great joy departed CHAP. III. How Cyrus tooke Tigranes with him in his traine and went to assaile the Chaldees upon the mountaines WHEN they were come home some made report of Cyrus his wisedome others related his patience and sufferance one spake of his mildnesse another of his beautie and goodly tall presence Whereupon Tigranes asked his owne wife and said How now my Armenian Ladie Seemed Cyrus in your eyes also a faire and beautifull personage In good faith quoth she I never looked upon him Whom then did you behold said Tigranes Even him I assure you quoth she who said That with the price of his life he would redeeme mee from captivitie And then as meet it was after such matters as these passed they tooke their rest togither The day following the Armenian King sent unto Cyrus and the whole armie gifts and tokens of hospitalitie He gave warning also to his owne subjects such as were to goe to warfare for to be ready against the third day following As for the money whereof Cyrus spake he payed it downe double But Cyrus when he had taken of it so much as he required sent backe the rest and demaunded withall whether of them twaine would lead the armie The sonne or himselfe Whereunto both of them made answere the father in this wise Even hee whom you shall commaund but the sonne after this sort As for mee ô Cyrus I will not leave you no though I should follow you hard at heeles as a Campe drudge Hereat Cyrus laughed heartily and said And how much would you be content to give for to have your wife heare you are become a Campe slave and to carry fardels Shee shall never need quoth he to heare that For I will bring her along with me that shee may see what ever I doe But now said Cyrus it were time for you to trusse up and be furnished every way for this journey I make full accompt quoth Tigranes that we shall shew our selves in readinesse with whatsoever my father hath allow'd And so for that time the soldiers after gifts of friendly entertainment bestowed upon them went to rest The next day Cyrus taking to him Tigranes with the best and most select horsemen of the Medes as many also of his owne friends as he thought convenient rode abroad to view the country of Armenia devising where he might build a fortresse
so terrible was the spectacle thereof and so smitten were they with feare Perceiving then soone after that certaine Persians had broken through the gates and entries of their fortifications they turned backe and fled from the said toppe of the rampier The wives as well of the Assyrians as of their auxiliary Associats seeing this rout within the campe skriked out and ran up and downe all amazed Some of them being mothers of children others but younglings tearing their side garments and scratching themselves with their owne nailes lamentably beseeching all those whom they met not to flye and forsake them but to defend their children and themselves And herewith the KK themselves with their trustiest guard about them stood at the very gates and climbing up to the top of the rampiers partly in proper person fought and in part exhorted others to doe the same Cyrus after he understood what was done fearing least by making an irruption and forcible entry his men so few in number might be hurt of so many sounded the retrait commaunding them to retire out of the arrow shot and to obey Then and there a man might have seene the noble Peeres how excellently they had beene brought up in martiall discipline For streightwaies themselves obeied and gave charge to the rest for to doe the like as quickely and no sooner were they without the danger of shot but they stood raunged in their places more orderly than in any daunce or quire of Musicians whiles every man knew perfitly where hee should be THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. I. How the King of Assyria died in fight King Croesus and the Assyrians fled and Cyrus purposed to follow in chace CYRVS having staied there long enough with his armie and made open shew that ready they were to fight if any would issue forth seeing none to come abroad withdrew his power so farre as he thought good and there encamped Now when he had set his Corps du guard and sent out his espialls before himselfe having assembled his soldiers in this manner spake unto them My friends yee that are Persians First the Gods above I laud and praise to my full power like as I suppose yee all doe For atchieved we have this day both victorie and safetie In regard whereof bound we are to retribute gifts unto their Majesties in token of thankes even out of all that ever we have And as for you I cannot choose but commend you every one For looke what service there is exploited the same hath beene performed to the honour of you all But as concerning due recompense in particular when I am certified by those of whom meet it is I should enquire of what desert every one is I shall endevour both in word and deed to conferre rewards upon each one respectively And verily as touching this Centurion here Chrysantas who was next unto mee I need not to learne of others as knowing my selfe very well how hee hath borne himselfe For as in every point else hee hath done his devoyr like as of you all I suppose no lesse so when I had caused the retreat to bee sounded and called unto him by name albeit hee had his sword up ready to smite his enemie hee presently obeyed and leaving that undone which hee went about did as he was commanded For not onely retired he in person but readily charged the rest to doe the same in so much as he brought his owne company without daunger of the voley ere our enemies wist that we gave ground at all even before they could draw their bowes or launce their javelins against us and so he is both safe himselfe and by his obedience hath saved his owne men also As for others quoth he I see some in deed wounded of whom when I have better considred what time they were hurt I shall then deliver my doome But Chrysantas being so brave a man of action so wise withall and sufficient as well to rule as to be ruled him I say at this present I ordeine a Colonel over a thousand And whensoever God shall give me a good hand againe I will not then be forgerfull of him And I would have you all quoth he to remember thus much and make use of this journey For whatsoever erewhile ye have seene in this fight never ceasse to thinke upon that ye may alwaies judge within your selves whether it is running away or preesse rather that saveth your lives Also whether they that fight willingly be sooner freed from warre or those who are unwilling Likewise what pleasure it is that victory bringeth For none of these points may ye best determine as having made proofe and seene the experience considering the service is so lately performed And verily by continuall meditation hereof yee shall prove the better Now therefore as religious valiant and temperate men take your suppers Offer sacred libations to the Gods beginning with a triumphant * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 song and withall have an eye and due regard to that which is commaunded Thus said he got up to horsebacke and rode away untill he was come to Cyaxares Where after rejoycing with him as requisite it was upon mutuall congratulation for their common victory when he had seene how things went there and asked of him what need he had of his service he rode backe from thence to his own armie As for Cyrus and his souldiers after they had supped and appointed a sufficient watch they betooke themselves to rest But the Assyrians whose Soveraine Commaunder was slaine and with him the very flowre and best of his souldiers were all in great heavinesse yea and many of them by night slipt away and fled out of the Camp Which when Croesus and the rest of their Allies perceived they sorrowed all very much for every thing was dolorous but this troubled them most in generall that throughout the armie all the prime company of those that should have beene their Leaders were out of heart void of counsell and at their wits end Whereupon in the night season they abandoned their tents and departed When day appeared and discovered how naked of fighting men their Camp was Cyrus presently advanced thither first with the Persians Now the enemies had left behind them many Sheepe many Kine and Oxen and besides many waggons full of much treasure and goods Then repaired thither all the Medes likewise who were with Cyaxares where they dined Dinner being done Cyrus called unto him his owne Centiniers and unto them made this Oration My souldiers what benefits and how great presented here unto us by the goodnesse of God seeme we to let slip out of our hands For now your owne selves see that the enemies for feare of us be fled And if they being fortified strongly within their hold have quit the same and are runne away how may any man imagine that they will stand to it if they see us on even ground in the plaine field Also they that durst not hold out when they
mortall parents Therefore you also shall neither will nor chuse but see her Not so quoth Cyrus If she be so goodly a creature as you report so much the lesse will I behold her And why so Sir said the young Gentleman Because quoth he if now upon your report that shee is faire and beautifull I should be perswaded to goe and eye her having no great leisure and time to spare I feare mee least shee might eftsoones allure me sooner to come eftsoones for to view and review her againe and so perhaps neglecting my serious and weighty affaires which I ought to manage I should set by it avising and looking upon her Why quoth the said young Gentleman and laughed withall Thinke you Cyrus that the beautie of man or woman is so powerfull as to enforce any one against his will to doe otherwise than for the best For if said hee it were so by the course of nature it would force all indifferently Behold the fire here quoth he burneth all men alike and why because such is the nature of it And of beautifull women men love some and others they doe not One is enamoured of this thing and another of that For why love quoth he is a passion meere voluntary and every man liketh what and whom he listeth Now you see that the brother is not in love with his sister but a stranger is Neither falleth the father in fancie with his owne daughter another doth For feare and law are sufficient to restraine love But if a law were made that who eate not should not be hungry who drinke not should not be dry Also that no man should be a cold in Winter nor hote in Summer how strictly soever it were devised and penned it could not bring to passe that men in those points would obey the same For by nature they are framed to yeeld thereto But to love is meere voluntary Every man to say a truth affecteth the things that be his owne as his raiment his shooes c. Then replyed Cyrus If love be voluntary how is it that a man cannot ceasse to love when he will For I my selfe have seene men to weepe for very sorrow occasioned by love yea and to become bond and thrall to those whom they loved how-ever before they were in love they reputed servitude and bondage to be very evill Yea I have observed them to give away many things which without their losse and hinderance they might not misse who also wished of God for to be delivered from love no lesse than from some other grievous maladie yet could not be released therefrom but were bound with a stronger duresse of necessitie than if they had beene tyed with chaines of yron Hence it is that they yeeld themselves thrall unto their Paramours ready even to performe many idle and foolish services unto them yea and being once thus encumbred and distressed with these miseries they never so much as give the attempt to get away but rather become Gaolers themselves unto their beloved observing them narrowly that they make no escape They doe indeed thus as you say quoth the young Knight poore wretches as they be And therefore I suppose being * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this miserable case they alwaies wish indeed to die but notwithstanding there bee ten thousand meanes to make themselves away yet they doe it not And even these selfe-same men also to mainteine their lives fall to stealing and forbeare not other mens goods yet when any have either robbed or filched ought see you not how your selfe with the first as if there were no necessitie of such theeving accuse the theefe and robber neither doe you pardon but punish him Semblably they that be faire and beautifull neither compell men to love them nor to covet such things as are not to be desired but silly and foolish folke be I suppose in all manner of lusts and desires incontinent and when they cannot rule their owne affections lay all the blame afterwards upon love Whereas honest and wise men although they desire gold faire steedes and beautifull women yet can they easily absteine from all these so as that they will not so much as touch them wrongfully And for mine owne part I assure you albeit I beheld this faire Dame and that shee seemed in mine eye right lovely and amiable yet you see how I am now with you I ride my horse and performe other parts of my devoir in your service And so you doe quoth Cyrus as God me love Yet peradventure you came sooner away from her than is the time that love useth to ensnare a man For it may well be that if one touch fire he is not presently burnt therewith and wood streight-wayes catcheth not a light fire and flameth out Yet neither willingly doe I touch fire nor with my good will looke on beautifull persons ne yet doe I advise you ô Araspas to keepe your eyes fixed long upon those that bee faire For that the fire indeed burneth those onely that touch it but the beautifull inflame even those also that eye them afarre off so as they burne againe in love Be content I pray you quoth he ô Cyrus For I warrant you looke I never so long upon her yet shall I not be so farre overcome as to commit any lewd and undecent part That 's very well said of you quoth Cyrus and therefore keepe you her as I bid you For perhaps this woman may one day stead us very much Thus having communed togither they departed asunder But this young Gallant partly seeing her to be of incomparable beautie and in part perceiving her vertuous deportment as also for that hee having the charge of her was perswaded that he did content her humour Finding withall her selfe not unthankefull as who for her part againe was very carefull that by the meanes and ministery of her servants whensoever he came into his pavilion he should have all things convenient and if at any time he were ill at ease or sickish want nothing requisite by occasion of all these things I say caught he was in the snares of love and perhaps this was no strange and wonderous thing that befell unto him And thus passed these matters CHAP. II. How Cyrus being assured of the Medes and other Allies rode to the Castle of Gobryas And of his Magnificence BVT Cyrus being desirous that both Medes and other Associates also should bee willing to continue with him called unto him all his men of Action unto whom when they were come togither he made a speech to this effect I know for certeine that yee Medes and all here present have gone forth with me neither for want of money nor because yee thought in this behalfe to doe Cyaxares service but upon a desire to doe me pleasure and honour yee have beene willing even by night to travaile and adventure with mee In which respects I take my selfe obliged unto you unlesse I would bee unjust But to
their treacherous lying in wait for him And as he approached neere unto Cyrus he spake in this wise Here Sir quoth he I bring now unto you these things that you may for the present use them as you need But thinke this withall that whatsoever beside is mine the same is also yours For neither have I nor ever shall a child of mine owne body begotten unto whom I may leave my house and inheritance but when I die my whole line and name must of necessitie be extinct with me And the Gods ô Cyrus I take to witnesse who both see all and heare all that I have not committed either in word or deed any unjust or dishonest act whereby I should deserve these calamities And as he uttered these words he bewailed his owne fortune and for very teares could speake no more Cyrus hearing his pittious mone tooke commiseration of the mans hard hap and calamitie saying withall As for the horses quoth he I accept of them For hereby shall I doe you a pleasure all the while I bestow them upon those men who are better affected unto you as it appeareth than those whose ere-while they were And the Persian Cavallery I shall shortly make up to the number of 10000 horsemen the thing that I have so long desired Your other treasure quoth he take away and keepe it to your selfe untill you see me have so much as that in requitall I be not inferiour to you For if at your departure you give me more than you receive at my hands I know not so helpe me God how to doe but to be grieved and ashamed To this Gadatas said Truly I beleeve you herein For I see your gentle nature and franke disposition But see I pray you whether I be able to keepe the same For so long as we and the Assyrian King were friends my Patrimony was thought to be a very faire livelode and estate For lying as it did neere unto that great and populous Citie Babylon looke what commoditie might grow from a noble and ample Citie wee got and enjoyed the same and what trouble or encombrance might arise from thence we could retire hither home and be farre remote therefro But now standing as we doe in termes of enmitie evident it is that after you be once departed both we ourselves shall be forelayed with our whole family and so farre as I can see a pensive and sorrowfull life wee shall lead having our enemies so neere and seeing them to bee more puissant than our selves But peradventure you will say And why thought you not so much before you revolted Certes Cyrus because my minde fixed upon such a wrong done and blinded with very anger considered not what was best and safest for me but conceived and ever was with child of these fansies Will it never be that I shall be revenged of him an enemy both to God and man him I say who mortally and continually hateth not one if he doe him any wrong but if he doe but suspect another better than himselfe And therefore I thinke verily that being so bad as he is all the confederates that he employeth in his service he shall finde worse than himselfe And say there bee any one that seemeth better than another Bee assured Cyrus you shall never need to fight against any good and valiant man but he will be sufficient so to worke and contrive as to kill him to your hand that is his better And as for molesting mee verily he will I suppose with the helpe of those wicked ones overmatch me When Cyrus heard him say thus he thought that he spake to the point and what was worthy to be considered Whereupon he inferred presently and said How say you then Gadatas have you not fortified your holds and castles with garrisons for your owne defense and safetie whensoever you shall enter into them And doe you not your selfe in person goe with us in this expedition that if God be still on our side as now he is this wicked Prince may stand in feare of you and not you of him Goe along therefore with me and what ever of yours you take pleasure to see or delight to companie with have with you Certes you may as I suppose stand me in very good stead and I will endevour likewise to my power for to pleasure you Which offer when Gadatas heard he tooke heart againe and said Is it possible for me to trusse up bag and baggage and to gather togither all that I have before you depart For desirous I am quoth he to have away my mother with me You may very well quoth Cyrus For I will stay for your sake untill you say that all is well So Gadatas for the present tooke his leave and by the advise of Cyrus did put garrisons into those Castles which he had fortified and gat togither all such stuffe and furniture as might beseeme an ample and stately house for to be inhabited Moreover of those about him he tooke such trusty friends as in whom hee had delight yea and many likewise whom he distrusted and of those hee compelled some to bring away with them their wives others their sisters to the end that being yoked to them hee might hold them in their alleageance Thus Cyrus having Gadatas in his retinew departed Who served his turne very well to direct him in the waies to shew him where water where forage provander and corne was to be had to the end he might alwaies encampe in places of most plentie CHAP. VIII How Cyrus as he returned into Media passed before Babylon and surprised certaine Forts upon the Frontiers NOw when he marched on and discovering in his journey the city of Babylon perceived besides that the way which he went led directly to the very wals he called Gobryas and Gadatas unto him Of whom hee demaunded if there were not another passage that they might not approach the wall so neere Then Gobryas There are my Lord quoth he very many avenues but I thought you were now minded to lead your army as nigh as you could unto the City for to shew unto them within your armie how brave and puissant it is For when you had a lesse power you came close to the very wall and they beheld us to be but few in number And now although the King be in readinesse as hee said himselfe he was preparing to fight yet I know very well that when he vieweth your forces he will thinke his owne to be yet unready To this Cyrus made answer thus You seeme to mervaile my Gobryas that when I came with a lesse armie by farre I advanced hard to the City wall and now having a greater power am unwilling to march under the same But mervaile not thereat quoth he For it is not all one to advance * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lead by or aside close forward and to * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passe by aloofe For all men advance forward so arraunged
but by pricking his Steeds drew blood of them good store And with him the rest of the Chariotiers made a violent impression upon them Then immediatly the enemies Chariots fled from them some taking their riders with them others leaving them behind But Abradatas passed directly through them and violently assayled the Phalang of the Aegyptians and togither with him they also who stood embatteled next did set upon them And as many waies else it is cleere that there is no battaile more strongly arraunged than that which consisteth of friends assembled to fight togither so at this time that companie of his about him shewed no lesse For they were his familiar friends and companions at his table that stucke close to him and joyntly charged the enemie The rest of the Chariotiers when they saw how the Aegyptians with a strong troupe stiffely abid the shocke withdrew themselves toward the Chariots as they fled and followed after them But Abradatas his companie where they had once broken in because the Aegyptians could not give backe by reason of those their fellowes who stood thicke about them on every side look how many they encountred directly in their way with violence of horses they slew and overthrew and as they fell trampled and crushed in pieces themselves their armour their horses and wheeles whatsoever the yron * Or hookes sythes of the chariots tooke hold of they violently cut in twaine as well harnois and weapons as men In this tumultuous medley that cannot be expressed in word it fortuned that Abradatas for that his chariot wheeles were flowne off by reason of so many confused heaps of all sorts fell out of it with others besides that accompanied him in this exploit who having borne themselves with him in fight right manfully were there slaine and left dead in the place The Persians following hard after rushing thither where Abradatas his companie had made the overture disranked the enemies and killed them outright But the Aegyptians where they stood still in good order not disarrayed and these were many in number advanced directly forward all a-brest against the Persians where there was a hote and fierce conflict pell-mell with launces chasing staves and swords And to say a truth the Aegyptians had the ods as well in number as in weapon For they bare stiffe and long Launces which even at this day they use shields also which convered their bodies much more than the * Curaces brest plates and bucklers of the Persians and helped them somewhat else to punch and shoove from them fitted as they were to their shoulders And therefore locking their targuets togither they went on and thrust from them But the Persians were not able to sustaine their force considering they carried their light bucklers of wicker at armes end but softly retired * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot by foot giving and taking blowes untill such time as they gate close under their * or engins fabricks aforesaid When they were thither come the Aegyptians began to have the worse and to be wounded afresh from the Turrets They then who stood behind in the rere would suffer neither Archers nor Darters to flye but lifting up and bending their swords at them forced them both to shoot arrowes and also to fling darts Hereupon grew a great carnage of men and a mightie noise and clattering as well of armours as of * or missive casting weapons of all sorts togither with a wonderfull cry whiles some called to their fellowes others encouraged them to fight and a third sort cryed unto the Gods for their helpe Meane-while Cyrus who had pursued in chace those that stood against him came and seeing the Persians put backe and lose ground he grieved at it perceiving also that by no other meanes he could sooner stay the enemies from preassing still forward than by wheeling about and riding at their very taile he commaunded his men to follow him and so rode hard upon their rereward Thus they assaile and wound them behind yea and kill many of them looking another way Which when the Aegyptians perceived they cryed That the enemies were hard at their backs and withall amid their wounds were faine to turne head upon them and make resistance Then fought horsemen and footmen one with another And there it fortuned that one being falne under Cyrus his horse as he lay trampled under foot with his sword stabbed the horse in the bellie wherupon the beast winsing and flinging out with his heeles for paine of the wound never rested untill he had cast and overthrowne Cyrus But here a man might have seene what a worthy matter it is for a Prince to be loved of his subjects For presently they all did set up an outcry and with exceeding violence fought togither right manfully Here was thrusting to and fro here were blowes given and taken reciprocally But one at length of Cyrus his guard alighting from his owne horse mounted him thereupon Now when Cyrus was gotten up he might by that time see the Aegyptians beaten downe on every side For both Hystaspas was come already with the Persian Cavallery and Chrysantas also Howbeit he would not suffer them any longer to run upon the Aegyptians battalion but commaunded from without to discharge arrowes and darts at them Now after he had ridden all about untill he was come unto the fabricks he thought good to get up into one of the turrets to espy whether any other companie of the enemies stood to it and fought in any place When he was once aloft he saw the whole field and plaine before him full of horses men and chariots some flying others chacing some winners others losers to wit the enemies running away and his owne men having the upper hand And verily of those that were discomfited he could see none any more but onely the Aegyptians Who being driven to a streight cast themselves round into a ring so as their armour was onely seene and they set close covered under their shields And now verily nought did they else but abide many and grievous extremities Cyrus then wondring at them and pitying their distresse to see so hardy and valiant men to die caused all those to retyre that charged them on every side not permitting one of them to fight any longer He sent withall an Herault at Armes unto them demaunding whether they would all of them perish for their sakes who had betrayed them or rather save their owne lives with the reputation of brave and valourous soldiers Vnto whom they answered And how can we be saved and yet reputed valiant souldiers Then Cyrus said againe For that yee are the men alone whom wee see to abide by it and willing to fight it out But from henceforth replyed the Aegyptians By what good and notable Action of ours may wee possibly be saved In case quoth he yee deliver up your armes into our hands and joyne with them in amitie who when it lies in their power