sea the baÌ„kes therof resembling the hornes of the mone before it coÌ„meth to the full the sea lieng betwyxt them like a great bay vpon the lefte hand the people inhabite that be called Cercetes Cercetes whyche lye open towardes the north and vpon the other parte the Leucosyrians LeucosiriaÌ„s Mossynes Mossynes Chalybes and Chalibes and the plaines of the Amazones lye towardes the weste This sea whiche some call the Caspion and some the Hyrcanian sea The caspyoÌ„ sea being more sweater then anie other bringeth forth Serpentes of a wonderfull bignes and fyshes differinge in colour much from all the reste Theyr be dyuers of opynion that the lake of Meotis shoulde ronne into thys sea whiche they coniecture of the water thinkyng the same to receyue hys sweatnes of the lake Towardes the north the sea groweth into a fleat shore and putteth furth his waters farre vpoÌ„ the laÌ„d which rising high make many meares and plashes And as by certaine course of the planets they flowe out so at certaine time by an ebbe they returne in againe restoring the grouÌ„d to his former estate Some beleue those waters to be no parcel of the Caspian sea but that they come out of Inde and roÌ„ne into Hyrcania which lieth low in the forsaid vailey The king being remoued froÌ„ that place marched forwardes .xx. furlonge in a wylde desert way Where great woodes honge continually ner their heades and brokes of water and myer gaue great impediment to ther iourney But at length with out any impedimeÌ„t of his enemies he passed those difficulties and came vnto a more faire countrei wherin besides other vittells whereof it dyd habound grewe great plenty of appulles and the ground was veray apt for vynes There were also plenty of a certayne kynd of trees much like vnto okes whose leaues were couered with hony which the inhabitors gather before the sonne rising for els the moister would be drie vp with the heate When Alexander had passed .xxx. furlonges more forwardes Phrataphernes mette him yeldinge both him selfe such other as fled away after Darius death whom he receyued gentely and came to a towne called Aruas Aruas Phradates Thether came Craterus and Erigonus bringing with theÌ„ Phradates that had the rule of the Tapurians Tapurians whose frendly receyuing and gentle entertainment was the cause that many folowed his ensample in committing themselues to Alexanders mercy Menape was made their prince of Hitcania Menape who being a banished man in the tyme of Occhus came to king Philipp for refuge Phradates also was restored to the office he had before When Alexander was come to the vttermost bouÌ„des of Hiâ—cania Artabasus Artabayus yelded to Aâ—exander whom we declared to shewe hym selfe faithfull alway to hys Master met AlexaÌ„der with Darius kinsmen and children and with a smalle bande of Greake souldiers The kyng at his comming proffered him his hand bicause he had byn entertayned before by king Philippe when he was banished by Occhus but the chief cause that he accepted him so well was for the coÌ„tinual fidelitie that he obserued towardes his prince He beinge thus gentlye receyued by Alexander sayd vnto him Sir long may you florishe and reigne in perpetuall felicitie I that reioyce in all other thinges with one ani chiefly greuid that by reason of myne olde age I shall not be hable long to reioyse your goodnes He was iiii score .v. yeares of age brought with him .ix. sonnes borne of one mother whoÌ„ he presented before the king prayeng god to continewe their liues so long as their seruice might be acceptable vnto him Alexander was accustomed much to walk on fote but then left he the olde man might be ashamed to ride he goinge on fote called for horses for them bothe When he was encaÌ„ped he sent for the Grekes that Artabasus brought But they made requeste firste that he woulde giue assurance to the LacedemoniaÌ„s that were amoÌ„ges theÌ„ or els they would take aduise amonges them selues what were beste to do The same were the Embasseadours that the LacedemoniaÌ„s had sent vnto Darius After whose ouerthrowe they ioyned them selues to the Greakes that were in his wages The king willed theÌ„ to leue al assurauÌ„ces coÌ„posicioÌ„s come to receiue such apointment as he would gyue them They stode long in a staye vareing in openions but at length they agreed so to do Sauing Democrates of AtheÌ„ce which chefly had euer oppugned the successe of the Mace dons dispairing of pardon flewe him self But thother as they had determyned submitted them selues to AlexaÌ„ders wil being .x. M. vc in nuÌ„bre besides .iiii score .x of such as were seÌ„t Embassadores vnto Darius The more parte of the souldiers were distrubuted amongs the bandes to fyll vp the nombres that waÌ„ted and the rest were sent home except the Lacedemonians which he commaunded to be put in prison Ther was a nacion called Mardons bounding next to Hircania The Mardons rude in their manners and vsagies accustumed to lyue by theft They neither sent Embassadores nor gaue anye significacion that they woulde be at Alexanders commauÌ„diment he toke therat great indingnacioÌ„ that any one people should giue impediment to his victory And therfore leuing a guard for his cariages went against them with a strong powre He merched forwardes in the night and by the tyme that the day appeared his enemies were in sight But the matter came rather to a larom then to any fyght For thennemies were sone driuen from the hilles Who flieng away left their villagies to be sacked by the Macedons But the armye could not passe into the inward partes of the countrey without great trouble veracion the same being compassed about with high montains great woodes desert rockes â–ª the partes which were plaine were defended with a straung kind of fortificacion that is to say with tres set thick of purpose the bowes whereof wheÌ„ they were yong were wreathed one wythin an other The toppes bowed downe were put into the grouÌ„d againe from whence as out of an other rote ther sprong new bâ—aunches Which they would not suffre to growe as nature brought furth but did knit them so one with an other that when they were full of leaues they couered clene the earth The trees thus wreathed one with an other enclosed in the countrey as it were with a continuall hedge and were as snares to entangle suche as would go about to entre ther was no way could be deuised to passe through the same but onliby cutting down of the wood And therin they found a great difficultie and much trauail by reason that the wreathing wrappinge togither of the bowes kept them of from the bodies of the tres And the weaknes of the bowes so yelded to the strokes that they could not wel be cut a sonder The inhabiters of the countrey were accusâ—umed to creape amonges the brush like wilde bestes and by pryuie salies
of Alexander the great Kyng of Macedon ABout the same time Cleandre Scytalces Agathon Eracion which by the kinges apoyntment had put Parmenio to deathe returned to hym brynging wyth them .v. thousand fotemen and a thousand horsemen There were many accusers that folowed them out of the prouince whereof they had the gouernaunce Whose behauor there was such that the acceptable seruice they had done to Alexander in killing of Parmento coulde be no satisfaccion for the multitude of the offence they had committed They vsed such an vniuersall spoyle not abstayning from the Temples nor from sacred thinges The virgins also and great Ladies of the countrey whom they had rauished complained of theÌ„ lamentyng the shame they had susteined They vsed so ther couetousnes and inordinat lust in there authoritye that it caused the name of the Macedons to be hated amonges those nacions And yet amonges al the reste Cleanders offence was moste horrible which rauishing a virgyn of noble bloode gaue hyr to hys slaue to vse as his Concubine The more part of Alexanders frendes were not so much offended with ther crueltye and fowle actes whereof they were accused as wyth the remembraunce of Parmenios deathe whiche they kept in silence leste the rehersall thereof myght haue procured them fauour with the Kynge reioysing that the kinges wrath was fallen vpon the minysters of hys Ire that no powre nor auctorytye gotten by euell meanes could haue any longe contynuans Alexander hearing the cause sayd that thatcusers ouerslipt the geatest offence which was the dispaire of hys saueguard For if they had eyther hoped or beleaued that he should euer haue returned out of India A notable Iustice they durste neuer haue committed any suche offences He commaunded therefore them to pryson and put .vi.. C. souldiers to death that had bene the mynisters of there crueltye and they also were executed the same daye which Craterus had brought for auctors of the rebellion out of Perci Within a while after Nearchus and Onesiccitus which had bene commaunded by the king to serche the Occean Sea returned vnto him declaring some thinges by reporte They shewed of an Ilande not farre from the mouth of Indus whyche habounded with golde and had no breed of horses amonges them wherefore the inhabytors would giue a taleÌ„t of gold for euery horse brought from the mayne land They also told of great monsterous fysshes wherof those Seas were full whyche caried downe with the tide would shewe there bodies aboue the water as bigge as a great ship and folowe ther nauye wyth a terrible noise And when they diued vnderneth the water they troubled the Seas as it had bene in a shypwâ—ack Thes were thinges they had sene the rest they had receyued by reporte of thinhabiters as howe that the redde Sea toke hys name of kinge Erithrus and not of the couler of the water They shewed also of an other Iland not fare from the mayne lande growing full of palme trees Wher was a great wood in the middes whereof stode a piller where as king Erithrus was buried with inscripcioÌ„ of such lettres as be vsed in the countrey They added besids that such mariners as caried the marchantes the durdges of th armie through couetousnes of the gold which had ben reported vnto them laÌ„ded in that Iland and were neuer sene after There wordes moued Alexander much and put in hym a great desire to get more certayne knowlege of those partyes therefore he coÌ„mauÌ„ded them againe to tha Sea willing that they should cost the land tyll they come wtin the riuer of Euphrates froÌ„ thence to come vp to BabiloÌ„ against the streame The thinges were infinite that he compassed in his head The enterprises that Alexander determined For he determined after he had brought the Sea coost of the Orient vnder his subieccion to go out of Siria into Affrick for the euytie he bare to the Carthagens His purpose was froÌ„ thence to passe ouer the desertes of Numidia towardes Gades wher he vnderstode by the fame that Hercules had plaÌ„ted his pillers so directing his iourney through Spaine the which the Greakes of the riuer Iberus call Iberia to go ouer the Alpes so into Italie tyll he should come to that part therof were the next passage was into Epyrus For thys intent he gaue commaundement to hys officers in Mesopotamia that they should cut downe tymber in the mount Lybanus Tapsagas and conuey the same to Tapsagas a Cytye in Syria And ther to make galeis of such greatnes that euerye one of them myght be hable to carye .vi. Ores vpon abanke and from thence he wylled them to be conuayed vnto Babylone He sent commaundement to the kynges of Cipres to furnishe them of Iren hempe and sayles Whyles thes thinges were in doing he receyued letteres from Porus and Taxiles signifieng that Abyasares was deade of a disease and that Phelix hys lieutenaunt in those parties was slayne and they put to death that were the doers therof Alexandr therefore in the place of Phelix apointed Endemon that was captaine of the Thracians Eudemon and gaue Abyasares kingdome vnto hys sonne Pasargadas From thence he came to Pasargadas beyng a countrey of the Percians the Prynce wherof was called Orsines which both in nobilytie and ryches Orsynes exceded all other men in those parties and conueyed hys pedigre froÌ„ Cirus that sometime was king of Perce The riches his predecessours left him was greate and he by a long continuauÌ„ce in his enheritaunce and auctorytie had much encreased the same He mett AlexaÌ„der comming thitherwardes and presented bothe hym and his freendes with gyftes of sondery fortes which were a multitude of horses redye to be ridden vpon Charyotes wrought with golde and siluer precious stuf excellent pearles and precious stones weighti vessel of gold robes of purple and foure thousand talents of coyned siluer But that his liberalitie was occasion of hys death For when he had presented al the kinges frendes with giftes aboue there desire he honoured not with anye giftes at all Bagoas the Enuke Bagone ther Enuke whom AlexaÌ„der specially fauoured of the vsage he had of him There were therefore that gaue him admonition how much Alexander estemed Bagoas But he aunsewred them that hys custume was to honour the kynges freendes and no harlottes Nor that it was not the Percians maner to haue any in estimacion which did effeminate them selfes with so shamefull an abuse When hys wordes were reported to the Enuke he vsed the powre whiche he had gotten with dishoneste meanes to the distruction of that noble and innocent man For he did subornat certayne leud parsones of Orcynes countrey to brynge in false accusacons againste him whiche he willed them to present at suche tyme as he should apoynt vnto them In the meane season whensoeuer Bagoas got the kyng alone he would fil his credulous eares wyth tales agaynst Orcynes euer dessimulinge the cause of
thē and receiue likewise some again One thing is to be laught at that I should refuse Iupiter for my father being so acknowledged by his oracle as who saith the answere of the gods were in my power he proffered the name of his sōne vnto me which was not vnmete for the thinges we purposed I woulde wishe that the Indians beleued me to be a god for the successe in warre stand much by fame and that which is faulsely beleued somtyme worketh theffect of thinges true Do you me geue too excesse and prodigalyte bicause I garnished your armor with gold and siluer my purpose was to shewe to men accustumed with it nothing to be more vile then such kynd of mettell and to declare that the Macedōs inuincible in other thinges could not be ouercome with gold it self After this maner I shall blynd the eyes of the barbarous which are wont at the first sight to wonder at things be they neuer so base and wile And in that we shewe to make no estimacion of it We shal declare to euery one that we are not com for desire of gold nor siluer but to subdue the hole world From which glory thou traitour woldest haue bereued me and betraied the Macedons I being slaine to the barbarous nacions Thou doest exhorte me to spare your Parentes It is nedefull I should make him priuie what I haue determyned vpon them no and to that intent he might die wyth the greater dolour if he hath any care or memory of them It is long ago sins I did fordo the custume of putting thinnocent parentes and kinsfolkes of traytours to death with them And I now professe to pardon and haue them al in the same estymacion I had before I knowe whie thou wouldest haue thy Maister Calistenes brought furth whiche only estemeth the being of his sorte bicause thou desirest to he re pronoūced of his mouth those rayling wordes which euen nowe thou diddest spyt out agaynst me If he had bene a Macedon borne I had brought hym in wyth the a worthye mayster for such a desiple But being borne in another countrey he is subiect to an other lawe When he had spoken these wordes he dismissed the counsail commaunded all suche as were condempned to be deliuered to the souldioures of their owne bandes who bicause they woulde declare by some crueltye the loue they bare towardes their prince flew theim all by tormentes Calistenes also died vpon the racke innocent of the conspiracye against the kinges person but a mā not pliable to the custome of the courte and abhorring from the disposition of flatterers There was neuer thynge that brought the Grekes in greater indignation againste Alexander then that he not onelye kylled but caused to be tormented to death and that wythout iudgement a man endued with Godly maners good sciences by whom he was perswaded to liue when he purposed to haue died for sorowe that he hadde slayne Clitus with his cruelty repentaūce folowed that came to late But least he myght nourishe idlenes apte for sowynge of sedicious rumours he marched towarde India alwayes more glorious in warre then after his victorye The discriptiō of India The whole countrey of India lieth chiefely towardes the East conteyning more in length then it doth in breadth The North partes be full of mountaines and hilles but all the rest of the lande is plaine hauynge manye faire riuers whiche runninge out of mounte Caucasus do passe pleasauntlye throughe the countrey Indus Indus is more colde thē any of the other riuers whose water is not vnlike the coler of the sea But of al the riuers in the orient Ganges is most excellent Ganges which running frō the south passeth directly throughe many great moūtaines vntil that by the encountring of rockes his course is turned towarde the east where it is receiued into the red sea the violence of the streame breaketh downe his bakes swalowing in trees much of the grounde In many places the streme is kept in with rockes wherupō it beateth But where the groūd is more softe there the riuer becommeth more larger maketh many Ilandes The greatnes of Ganges is much encreased by Acesines Acesynes wherunto Acesines doth enter into the sea where these two riuers mete the water is violētly troubled whiles the one resisteth the others enter neither of them seme to geue place Diardenes is a riuer of the lesse fame Diardenes bicause it runneth in the vttermost bondes of India but yet it bryngeth forth Crocadiles as Nylus dothe also Dolphines with other monsters vnknowen to other nations Erimāthus Croked Erymanthus with his many turnynges and reflexiōs is consumed by the inhabitours with wateryng their grounde which is the cause that when it draweth nere the sea it becommeth very little and beareth no nāme There be many other riuers that do deuide the countrey but none of theim be so famous as these because they do not runne so farre The northe wynde dothe blast and harme most those partes that be nexte vnto the sea But those wyndes be so broken wyth the toppes of the mountaynes that they can not endomage the inwarde partes of the countrey wherfore fruites be very plentifull there and perfite But that region doth differ so much for thordinary course of time in other partes of the world that when other coūtries be burned most with the sunne India is couered ouer with snow And when other places be frosē the heat is there most intollerable yet there appeare not any natural cause why it should be so The couler of the Indian sea not differing much frō the water of other seas did take his name of king Erithrus wherof the ignoraunte toke opinion that the water of those Seas was redde The land is very haboūdant of flaxe whereof the more part of their garments be made The twygges of the trees be so tender that they receyue the prynt of letrs lyke waxe The byrdes by teaching counterfeit mens voyce There be manye beastes that are not bred amonges other nacions Rinocerities be there brought furth but not bredde The Elyphantes of that countrey be stronger then those that be made tame in Affrike and thre bignes do aunswer vnto there strenght The water of the Riuers do cary downe gold and ronne mildly without any great fall The Sea doth cast vpon the Shore both parles and precious stones Wherof proceded the cause of there great riches after ther Marchandise was once knowē to other nacions the purgings of the seas being then estemed as mans fansy would make the price The dissposysiōs of the men as in all other places be according to the scytuacion of the countreys they dwell in They make there garmentes of lynnyn cloth whych couer their bodyes downe to there fete They bynde soules vnder there fete of beastes skynnes wrappe roules of linnine aboute there heades Such as be in any degre either of nobilitie or riches haue precious stones hanging at
The multitude of whom though the Indians purposely do encrease yet of their lieng we maye perceyue the nombre to be greate But if ye be vtterly determined to passe yet further into Inde the couÌ„trey that lyeth southward is not so desert whiche beyng subdued you may passe to that Sea whiche nature hath appointed to bound in the worlde Why doe you seke that glory afarre of whiche remayneth to you redy at your hande Here the Occean sea doth mete vs and except your mynde be to wonder we are come to a place whether your fortune hath brought vs. I had rather speake these thynges before you then behynde your backe for I seke not to wynne fauour amonges the men of warre that stande here about me but desire you should rather heare their mindes expressed in playne woordes then to heare their grief and their grudge vttered in muttering in murmour When Cenus had made an ende of his tale theÌ„ rose a crie and a lamentacion whiche with confused voyces euery where called Alexandre their king their father and their lord Then the other captaines specially thelders whiche by reason of their age had the more honest excuse and greater aucthoritie made the like request So that the king was not able to chastise them being in that obstinacie nor mitigate them being so moued Therfore vncertayne what to do he lept froÌ„ the iudgement place and commaunding his lodging to be shut in admitted no man but suche as were accustomed about his persone Two dayes he consumed in his anger and the third he came furth amonges his men causing .xii. aulters of square stone there to be set vp as a monument of his expedicion willed the trenches of his campe to be made greater and the places of mens lieng to be enlarged bigger then serued for their bodies For he thought by the encreasyng of the fourme and shape of thynges to leaue a disceitful woÌ„dre vnto his posteritie From thence he returned again by the way he had passed before encamped vpon the riuer of Acesines Cenus chaunsed there to die whose death the king lamented but yet he said that for a few daies he had made a long oracion as though he alone shuld haue returned into Macedon By that time the nauy of shippes which he had apoiÌ„ted to be made stode in redines aflote MemnoÌ„ in the meane season brought him out of Thrace a supply of .vi. M. horsemen Wemnon besides from Harpalas .vii. M. fotemen with .xxv. M. armours that were wrought with siluer gold which he distributed amonges his men coÌ„maunded the olde to be burned purposing to passe vnto the OcceaÌ„ sea with M. ships But before his departure he recoÌ„ciled together by affinitie Porus Taxiles betwixt whoÌ„ there was a new discord risen vpoÌ„ the old hatreds that had bene betwixt theÌ„ He had of theÌ„ great aide both in the making and furnishing of his nauy During the tyme he was about that busines he builded there two cyties wherof he called th one Nycea Nycea BucephaloÌ„ the other Buchephalon dedicating the latter by the name of his horse that was dead He gaue order that his Elephantes and cariage shuld passe by lande and he sayled downe the ryuer procedyng euery daye about .xl. furlonges so that he might euer land his power in suche places as he thought conuenieÌ„t At length he came into a couÌ„trey where as the ryuer of Hidaspis and Acesynes do ioyne togethers ronne from thence into the boundes of a nacion called Sobyons The Sobians They declared that their predecessours came of Hercules army whiche beyng left there sicke did inhabite the countrey They were clothed in beastes skinnes vsyng clubbes for their weapons and though they had left the customes of the Grekes yet there appeared many thinges amonges them that declared from whence they were descended Here the kyng landed and merched CCx. furlonges within the countrey whiche he wasted and toke the chiefest cytie in the same There were .xl. M. men that stode in defence against hym vpon a ryuer syde but he passed the water puttyng them to flyght and after they fledde into the cytie he wanne it by force The chyldren were slayne and the rest solde as slaues He assaulted an other cytie where he was repulced with the great force of the defendauntes and lost many of his men But when the inhabitauntes sawe that he continued still the siege dispayring of their saulfeguarde they set fire on their houses burned them selues their wifes and their children Which fire when the Macedons quenched they kyndled agayne it seamed a straunge contencion The Cytesins destroyed their owne cytie their enemies laboured to saue it the warres so contrariously chaunged the lawes wrought in man by nature The castle was saued wherin a guarrison was left Alexander went about this castle by water which was inuironed with thre of the greatest ryuers in all India Ganges except Indus passing vpon the north syde and Acesynes ronnyng into Hidaspis vpon the south Where these ryuers met the waues rose lyke as they do in the sea They be full of mudde and â—oes whiche by the course of the water dryuen vnto the sydes for all that the ryuers he broade yet the chanelles be but narowe the shyppes must passe in The waues dyd ryse so hygh and thicke breaking somtyme vpon the puppes of the shippes and somtime vpoÌ„ the sydes that the shipmen beganne to vale their sayles But they were so troubled through feare and the violent swiftnes of the streame that they could not ordre their tackling so that two of their greatest shyppes were drowned within syght And the smaller vessels which they were as vnable to gouerne were driuen vpon the shore without any harme The kyng chaunsed vpon the place where the waues went hyghest wherwith his shyppe was so tossed and trauersed that the helme could not direct his course Wherfore the kyng doubtyng of drownyng pulled of his garment redy to caste hym selfe into the water and his frendes dyd swymme nere there about redy to receyue hym It appeariÌ„g to him doubtful which peril was greatest either to swimme or to coÌ„tinew still aborde But the mariners laboured woÌ„derfully with their â—ers adding all the force that lay in mans power to cut through the waues By whose importunate trauaill the water semed to deuide a sondre and to geue place So that at length they haled out of the surges and yet not able to bring the ship to the shore dashed vpon the next flat it appearyng that the shyppes and the streame had fought a battaill togethers Alexander hauing escaped this perill sette vp to euery ryuer an aultar whereupon he offred due sacrifice and that done past forwardes thirty furlonges From thence he came into the countrey of the Sudrychans and Mallians â—â—drichaÌ„e â—allians whiche accustomed to be at warre amonges them selues then for their owne defence ioyned in societie They assembled in armes to the nombre of .ix.
vnder the earth Clitarâ—us doth write that there were foure score thousand Indians slayne in that countrey besydes many prisoners solde as slaues The Musicanes in the meane tyme rebelled Saba for the oppression of whome Python was sent thether who toke the prince of the nacion prisoner and brought hym to Alexander whom he caused to be hanged on a crosse as the aucthour of the reuolt and that done returned agayne to the ryuer where as he had willed his nauy to tary for hym The fourth daye after passing downe the streme he came to a towne at the entrey of the kyngdome of Samus Samus The kynge whereof had newely yelded hymselfe but the cytezens dyd shutte their gates and woulde not be at commaundement Whose smalle nombre Alexander regarded so little that he sent fyue hundred Agrians vnto their gates to proffer them the skirmyshe to the intent by retiryng little and little they myght drawe them out of their strength whiche were thought would folowe in the chase when they should see their enemies flyeng The Agrians did as it was appoynted them for when they had once prouoked their enemies they turned their backes and the Indians folowed them till they came to the embushement where the kyng lay Then the Agrians turned and the fight was renued agayne so that of thre thousand Indians there were fyue hundred slaine and a thousand taken the rest recouered agayne the cytie But the ende of the victory was not so pleasaunt as it appeared in the begynnyng for the Indians had so inuenemed their swordes that suche as were hurte dyed of their woundes And the Phisicioâ—s could not deuyse the cause of so straunge a death for euen the very lyght hurtes were vncurable The Indians trusted that Alexander through his rashenes myght haue come within that daunger whiche by chaunse fyghting amonges the thyckest escaped vnhurte Ptolomeus Ptolomeus was fyghtly wounded vpon his lefte shoulder who beyng in greater daunger then the greatnes of his wounde shewed caused the kynge to be carefull of hym For he was nere of his kynne and as some thought Philippe was his father But it is certayne that his mother was Philippes concubyne he was one that had the charge of the kynges persone a valiaunt man of warre and yet more famous in the faculties of peace He was moderate both in his apparell and lyuing lyberall easye to be spoken to and without any suche height of mynde as is wont to be in men discended of bloud royall by reason of whiche qualities it is vncertaine whether he was better beloued with the kyng or with the rest of men That was the first occasion he had to proue how the mindes of men were affectionat towardes him for euen in that daunger he was in the Macedons beganne to deuyne of his fortune wherunto afterwardes he ascended They had no lesse care of Ptolomeus then of the kyng him selfe who vsed hym so familierly that when he was weried either with trauayll or care of mynde woulde sit for his solace with Ptolomeus and at that time caused his bedd to be brought into his owne chambre When Ptolomeus was layde there he fell sodeinly into a profounde sleape in the whiche it appeared vnto hym that a dragonne offred to hym a herbe out of his mouthe of the healing of his wounde and takyng away of the venyme When he awaked he declared his dreame and shewed both the colour and fashion of the herbe affirmyng that he coulde knowe it if any man could fynde it out The same was sought by so many that at length it was founde and being put vpon the wounde the paine streight wayes cessed and the skarre within short space was closed When the Indians were disappointed of the hope they had conceyued that waye they yelded them selues and their Cytie From thence Alexander went into the next countrey called Pathalia Meres king of Pathalia the kyng wherof called Meres lefte the Cytie and fledde into the Mountaynes so that Alexander toke the same and destroyed all the countrey fyndyng bothe a wonderfull praye of Sheape of Cattell and of Corne. There he toke Pilotes that knewe that Ryuer and came vnto an Iland whiche stode in the middes of the streame he was compelled to remayne there the lenger because the Pilotes beyng negligentlye keapt were escaped awaye â–ª â—e sent therfore to seke out other but when he coulde fynde none there entred a vehement desyre into his head to visite the Occean Sea and the ende of the worlde without any guyde and so committed his owne lyfe and the lyues of so many thousandes to a ryuer that none of them dyd knowe They sayled as men ignoraunt of all the places they came vnto either howe farre the Sea was distaunt froÌ„ what nacions did inhabite the countreys there aboutes whether the mouthe of the ryuer were nauigable for Galeis or no. In all these thynges they were ledde by a blynde and doubtfull imaginacion hauyng no comfort in their rasshe enterprise but only their continuall felicitie When they had gone forwardes foure hundred furlonges the shyppemaisters tolde the kynge that they felt the ayre of the Sea wherby they knewe that the Occean was at hande Thereat he reioysed greatly and exhorted the mariners that they woulde in all that they myght make waye with the â—ers to bryng hym to the syght of the ende of the worlde which he had so long desired Nowe quod he our glory is perfite when our manhode is suche that nothyng can geue impediment vnto vs nowe the worlde is come into our haÌ„des without any further hasard of warre or sheding of bloud Nowe since the bâ—undes that nature hath wrought be so nere at hande we shall shortly se thinges vnknoweÌ„ sauing to the immortal gods Yet notwithstanding he set certain a land to take foure of the countrey men by whome he trusted to haue knowen more certaintie of the truthe When they serched out their cotagies at length founde out some that were hydden Whiche beyng demaunded howe farre the sea was from them they made aunswere that they neuer harde it named but they sayde that within thre dayes saylyng they shoulde come vnto a place where as a brakishe water did corrupt the freshe By whiche wordes the mariners vnderstode that they ment the Sea of the nature whereof the people were ignoraunt Then the mariners rowed cherefully their desire growing euer the greater as they approched nere vnto the place whiche they hoped to be the ende of their trauaill The third daye they came where the sea and the ryuer ioyned together mixing with a smale floud their waters that were of a contrary nature Then because the tyde was somwhat againste them they haled towardes an other Iland standing in the myddes of the ryuer whiche beyng an easy place to lande at the Macedons ran about to seke vitâ—lles in suretie as they thought being ignoraunt of the chaunce that came vpon them The thirde houre accordyng to the ordinary course the
floud came from the Sea and with his force did dryue the streame backeward whiche at the first beyng but stayed was afterwardes so vehemently repulced that it caused the water to returne backwarde with greater fury then any swifte streame is wont to ronne The commen sort that knewe not the nature of the OcceaÌ„ The nature of the occeaÌ„ was vnknowen to the Macedons thought the sâ—â—me to be a woÌ„derfull matter and that it had bene a token sent to them of the goddes wrath and whiles they were in that imaginacion the Sea swellyng more and more ouerflowed the lande whiche they sawe before drye and as the water rosse the shipps mounted and al the nauy was disperkled here and there Such as were vpoÌ„ land were amased with the sodeinnes of the thing and ran froÌ„ al partes in great feare vnto their ships But in a tumulte haste doth hurte gyue the impediment Some there were that went about to set ther shipes forwardes other forbad rowyng and remoued not at all Other whiles they made haste awaye and would not tary to take in ther companye moued vnaptly and could make no waie Some when they sawe them presse a shipbord in such thronges for feare of takyng into many woulde receyue none at all So that both multitude and smal numbre was a let vnto the hast they made The crye that some made in bidding men tary and the noise that other made willing them to go forwardes and there voyses that differed and agred not in one effect toke away the vse both of their sight and hearing The mariners could not help the matter whose wordes in the tumult coulde not be harde nor their commaundementes obserued amonges men in feare and out of order The shyppes therfore dashed one agaynst an other the Ores crasshed a sonder and euery shippe either thurst forwards or put backe an other No man would haue iudged it to be one nauye but rather two sondrey fighting a battell togither vpon the Sea The poores did strycke agaynst the puppes such as went before troubled them that came after and the wordes of men in their wrath came vnto strypes By that tyme the fludde had ouer flowne al the playnes there about so that nothyng appeared aboue the water sauinge the hilles whyche seamed lyke lyttle Ilands wherunto many did swyme and left ther shippes for feare Whyles the nauye thus disperkled abrode partlye stode a flote when they hapned in anye valey and pacte stycked vpon the grounde if they dyd hit vpon the flattes according as the ground was that the water couered sodeinly there came an other terror greatter then the first For when then the Sea began to ebbe the water fell backe agayne into hys wonted course with so greate violence as it came forwardes and restored and sight of the lande whiche before was drowned as in a depe Sea The shippes then forsaken of the water fel vpon their sides and the feldes were strowen with broken bordes and wyth peares of Ores The souldiers durst not go furth to land and yet were in feare to tarye a shipbord lokynge euer for some greater mischiefe to come then that they sawe present or paste They could scarsly beleue that they sawe and suffred which was shipwarck vpon the land and the Sea within a riuer And they thought no eand could come of hys myschiefe For they knewe not that the fludde should shortly returne agayne and set their shippes aflote And therefore they Imagyned to them selfes famyne and all extremities The monsters also of the Sea that after the water was paste were left on drye land put them in great feare The nyght approached and despayre brought the kynge into a great agonye Yet no care could ouercome his hart that was inuincible but that he watched all night and sent horsemen to the mouth of the riuer to bryng him word when the tyde came He caused the shippes that were broken to be amended and suche as were ouerwhelmed to be hoised vp agayne warning al men to laye awayte and be in redines agaynst the water should rise When he had consumed all that night in watchinge and gyuing exhortacion to his men streightwaies the horsemen returned amayne gallop and the fludde folowed them which mildly encreasing begane to raise againe their shyppes and when it had ones ouerflowne the bankes the holle nauye beganne to moue Then al the coost rebounded with the vnmeasurable reioâ—sing that the souldiers and mariners made for there saulfgarde whereof they were before in despaire When they sawe the daungier pasâ—e they enquered with wonder one of an other by what reason the sea could so sone after that maner go and come and debated the nature of that element whych one while disagred and an otherwhile was obedient and subiect to the time The kyng coniecturing by the signes he had sene before that after the sonne risyng the tyde would serue hys purpose to preuent the matier at midnight wyth a fewe shippes he fleted downe the streame and passing out at the mouth of the riuer entred foure huÌ„dred furlongs into the sea where attayning the thing that he desired made sacrifice to the goddes of the Sea which were worshipped in those countreyes and returned agayne into hys nauye From thence the next day he returned backwardes agaynst the streame and arriued at a salt lake the nature wherof beynge vnknowne disceyued many that rashely entered into the water for ther bodies by and by became ful of scabbes which discease takeÌ„ by some the contagyon therof infected many other But they founde that oyle was a remedye for the same Alexander lyeng still wyth hys armye waiting for the spring time of the yeare sent Leonatus before by the land which waie he thought to passe for to digge welles bicause the countrey was verye drye and destitute of water In the meane season he builded many Cytyes and commaunded Nearchus and Onesicritus Nearchus Onesicritus that were most expert of naual thinges with his strongest shippes to passe into the Occeane and to go so farre forwards as they myght with suretye for to vnderstand the nature of the sea and willed them at theyr returne to land either with that riuer or ells within Euphrates When the winter was well passed he burned those shyppes whych he occupied not and conueyed hys armye by land After ix encampinges he came into the couÌ„trey of the Arabitans Arabytans Gedrosians and from thence in nine dayes came amonges the Gedrosians which being a fre nacion by a general counseill had amonges them yealded them selfes of whom their was not any thynge demaunded sauinge only vittelles Arabon The fift day he came vnto a riuer whych the couÌ„trey men cal Arabon beyond the which there laye a barein countrey greatly destitute of water through the which he passed and entred amonges the Horitans Horitans There he betoke the greater parte of hys armye to Emphestion and parted hys souldiers that were light armed wyth Ptolomeus and
the rest forsoke their armour and throwe themselues into the sea Then the TalaÌ„s that were more desirous to take them on liue then to kyll them with staues and stones did so beate them on the handes as they were swymming that for werenes they were glad to be taken vp into their boates The hole worcke was not consumed with this fire only for it chaunsed also thesame daye a terrible wynde to ryse whiche blowing out of the Sea brought the waues with suche violence vpon the Mole that with often beating of the Seas the ioyntes that knitte the worck together began to lose and leue their hold Then the water that wasshed through brake downe the Mole in the myddes so that the heapes of stones whiche were before susteyned by the tymbre and earth caste betwixt them once broken asonder the hole worcke fell to ruyn and was caried away into the deape sea By that time Alexander was returned out of Arabie and scarsely found any remayne or token that any suche worck had bene In that case as it is euer vsed in thynges that chaunceâ—ll one laide the faulte vpon an other â–ª when in dede the violence of the sea was the cause of al. AlexaÌ„der begaÌ„ to make the Pere againe after a newe sorte A newe Pere made aâ—ter amoyer force so that it ran with the fore front into the wind and not with the open side as before The fore front alwaies defending the reste of the worcke lieng behind which he made of suche bredth because the Toweres might be builded in the middes to be the further of from the shott Hole trees were put into the Sea with all ther braunches and after great stones thrown vpon them And ouer those a newe course of trees and stones againe by which deuice this hole worke was ioyned knit all in one As the Macedons were busie to bring ther worcke forwardes so the Tyrians were as diligent to inuent all such thinges as might giue impediment to their proceding Their cheife practise was for a nombre of them to go vnder water a farre of out of the macedones sight and so come diuing vnder the water till they came vnto the Pere wher with hokes they would pull vnto them the bramuches of the trees that apered out of the stones wherby the stones and thother substaunce folowed after into the depe For the trees being discharged of ther burden were esely drawen awaie and then the foundacion failing the hole worcke that staied vpon the trees fell to ruyne Amongs thes impedimentes Alexander stode in great perplexitie of mynde doutinge whither he should continewe the siege still or els deperte his waye When he was in this imaginacion sodenly his nauie arriued from Cipres and Cleander also with such souldiers as he had brought out of Greace and hauing to the nombre of .c.lxxx. shippes deuided theim into two batailes wherof he committed th one vnto Pitagoras the kinge of Cipres and to Craterus Pytagorâ—s king of Cipris and toke charge of the other him selfe taking for his owne persone a Galey called Cinque reme which had fiue oers in a bancke The TiriaÌ„s durst not adueÌ„ture the sea figh although they had a great nauy but set al there galies in a frouÌ„t before the walles of ther Citie which the king assailed and put to distresse The next daye the Macedons with ther shippes enuironed the Citie round about and did beate downe the walles specially with such engynes as they call Arietes Arietes But the Tirians strayght waye renforced and made vp ther walles againe with stoÌ„es that laie at hande and raised vp an inward wale rouÌ„d aboute within the Citie which might be there defence if the other failed But their destruction approched on euerie side the Mole was wrought with in caste of darte and the shippes gaue the approche round about the walles so that they were ouer laide both by Sea and by land The Macedones had deuised to ioyne ther gallayes two and two togither in such sorte that the forepartes met close before and the hinderpartes lay farre of one from the other And ouer the spaces that remayne betwixt ruppe and puppe they made brydges with mastes and many yardes laied betwixt Galey and galey and faste bounde together to carie souldiers vpon when they had put ther galeis in this ordre they set forwardes towardes the Cytie And hauinge rampared the prores for defence of the souldiers that were behind They stode in the Galies and did shoote and cast dartes against ther enemies without any perill or daunger to themselues It was midnight wheÌ„ they had commaundement to set forwards after this maner A Tempest As the shippes were approching on all partes and the Tyrians stode astonied for feare desperacion SodeÌ„ly the skie was ouerwhelmed with dimeine clowdes a sodeine darkenes toke away the light Then the sea by litell litell waxed terrible and roughe the wyend blewe and raysed vp the waues beate the shippes one againste an other the violences wherof brust a sonder the bandes and graspers wherwith the galaies were fastened togethers Which doun the bridges crashed and flewe asonder and with the souldiers that stoode vpon them fell into the Sea Ther was great confusion for the shippes entangled thus togither could by no means be gouerned in such a tempest the souldiers disturbing the feate of the mariners and the mariners giuinge impediment to the office of the Souldiers Thus as it doth often happeÌ„ in such a case the expert were obedient to the ignorant for the shippe masters that were wont to commaunde then for feare of death were derected by other But at length by force of rowing the galeis recouered the shore the more parte of them being broken and torne It chaunsed at the same time .xxx. Embasseadores to come from Cartage to Tyre who gaue more comfort then assistance to them that were besieged For they shewed howe the Carthaginens were so assailed with warre at ther owne dores that they could by no meanes send them succore SaracusaÌ„s In somuche as the Saracusans were burning in Afrike and had encaÌ„ped them selues vnder the verie walles of Cartage The Tirians yet were not discomfite for al that they were disapointed of ther speciall truste but deliuered vnto those Embassadours their wyues and their childrien to carie vnto Cartage thinking to endure more stowtly the siege if the thinges which were moste deare vnto them were remoued out of Daunger Ther was a Tirian which in an open assemble declared that Apollo whom the Tyrians gretlly do worshyppe had appered to him in his slepe semyng to him that he had forsaken the Cytie and trausformed the mole that the Macedons had made into a grate woode Hereupon though the autter were of small credite yet forasmuch as men in feare be apte to beleue the worste they tied faste Apolloes Image with a golden cherie and they bound faste also the aulter of Hercules to whom the Cytie was