Of all the rivers of the east, this is the most rapid; and not only a great number of rivulets mix in its waves, but those also drag along great stones; so that it is named Tigris, by reason of its prodigious rapidity, an arrow being so called in the Persian tongue. Alexander sounded those parts of the river which were fordable, and there the water, at the entrance, came up to the horses' bellies, and in the middle to their breasts. Having drawn up his infantry in the form of a half moon, and posted his cavalry on the two wings, they advanced to the current of the water with no great difficul ty, carrying their arms over their heads. The king walked on foot among the infantry, and was the first who appeared on the opposite shore, where he pointed out with his hand the ford to the soldiers, it not being possible for him to make them hear him. But it was with the greatest difficulty they kept themselves above water, because of the slipperiness of the stones, and the impetuosity of the stream. Such soldiers as not only carried their arms, but their clothes also, were much more fatigued; for these being unable to go forward, were carried into whirlpools, unless they threw away their burdens. At the same time, the great number of clothes floating up and down beat away the burdens of several; and, as every man endeavoured to catch at his own things, they annoyed one another more than the river did. It was to no purpose that the king commanded them, with a loud voice, to save nothing but their arms; and assured them, that he himself would compensate their other losses; for not one of them would listen to his admonitions or orders, so great was the noise and tumult. At last, they all passed over that part of the ford where the water was shallowest, and the stream less impetuous, recovering however but a small part of their baggage.

It is certain, that this army might easily have been cut to pieces, had they been opposed by a general who dared to conquer: that is, who made ever so little opposition to their passage. But Mazaus, who might easily have defeated them, had he come up when they were crossing the river in disorder and confusion, did not arrive till they were drawn up in battle array. A like good fortune had always attended this prince hitherto, both when he passed the Granicus in sight of so prodigious a multitude of horse and foot, who waited his coming on the shore; and also on the rocks of Cilicia, when he found the passes and straits quite open and defenceless, where a small number of troops might have checked his progress. This circumstance may lessen our

*

• Audaciæ quoque, qua maxime viguit, ratio minui potest; quia nunquam in discrimen venit, an temere fecisset. Cure

surprise at that excess of boldness, which was his peculiar characteristic, and which perpetually prompted him to at tempt blindly the greatest dangers; since, as he was always fortunate, he never had once room to suspect himself guilty of rashness.

The king, having encamped two days near the river, commanded his soldiers to be ready for marching on the mor row; but about nine or ten in the evening, the moon first lost its light, and appeared afterwards quite sullied, and, as it were, tinctured with blood. Now as this happened just before a great battle was going to be fought, the doubtful success of which filled the army with sufficient disquietude, they were first struck with a religious awe, and, being afterwards seized with fear, they cried out, "that heaven displayed the "marks of its anger; and that they were dragged, against "the will of it, to the extremities of the earth; that rivers $6 opposed their passage; that the stars refused to give their "usual light; and that they could now see nothing but des“erts and solitudes; that, merely to satisfy the ambition of one man, so many thousands shed their blood; and that "for a man who contemned his own country, disowned his "father, and pretended to pass for a god."

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These murmurs were rising to an open insurrection, when Alexander, whom nothing could intimidate, summoned the officers of the army into his tent, and commanded such of the Egyptian soothsayers as were best skilled in the knowledge of the stars, to declare what they thought of this phænomehon. These knew very well the natural causes of eclipses of the moon; but, without entering into physical enquiries, they contented themselves with saying, that the sun was on the side of the Greeks, and the moon on that of the Persians; and that, whenever it suffered an eclipse, it always threatened the latter with some grievous calamity, whereof they mentioned several examples, all wliich they gave as true and indisputable. Superstition has a surprizing ascendant over the minds of the vulgar. How headstrong and inconstant soever they may be, yet if they are once struck with a vain image of religion, they will sooner obey soothsayers than their leaders. The answer made by the Egyptians being dispersed among the soldiers, it revived their hopes and courage.

The king, purposely to take advantage of this ardour, began his march after midnight. On his right hand lay the Tigris, and on his left the mountains called Gordyæi. At day-break the scouts, whom he had sent to view the enemy, brought word that Darius was marching towards him; upon which, he immediately drew up his forces in battle array,

"and set himself at their head. However, it was afterwards found, that they were only a detachment of 1000 horse that was going upon discoveries, and which soon retired to the main army. Nevertheless, news was brought the king that Darius was now but 150 stadia* from the place where they then were.

Not long before this, some letters had been intercepted, by which Darius solicited the Grecian soldiers either to kill or betray Alexander. Nothing can reflect so great an odium on the memory of this prince as an attempt of that kind; an attempt so abject and black, and more than once repeat-ed. Alexander was in doubt with himself whether it would be proper for him to read these letters in full assembly, relying as much on the affection and fidelity of the Greeks as on that of the Macedonians. But Parmenio dissuaded him from it; declaring that it would be dangerous even to awake such thoughts in the minds of soldiers; that one only was sufficient to strike the blow; and that avarice was capable of attempting the most enormous crimes. The king follow. ed this prudent council, and ordered his army to march for-ward.

Although Darius had twice sued in vain for peace, and imagined that he had nothing to trust to but his arms; nevertheless, being overcome by the advantageous circumstances which had been told him concerning Alexander's tenderness and humanity towards his family, he dispatched ten of his chief relations, who were to offer him fresh conditions of peace more advantageous than the former, and to thank him. for the kind treatment he had given his family. Darius had, in the former proposals, given him up all the provinces as far as the river Halys; but now he added the several territories situated between the Hellespont and the Euphrates, that is, all he already possessed. Alexander made the fol lowing answer: "Tell your sovereign that thanks between “persons who make war against one another are superfluous; and that, in case I have behaved with clemency to"wards his family, it was for my own sake, and not for his ; in consequence of my own inclination, and not to please "him. To insult the unhappy, is a thing to me unknown. "I do not attack either prisoners or women, and turn my rage against such only as are armed for the fight. Did “Darius sue for peace in a sincere view, I then would de"bate on what is to be done; but since he still continues, by "letters and by money, to spirit up my soldiers to betray "me, and my friends to murder me, I therefore am deter

46

• Seven or eight leagues.

"mined to pursue him with the utmost vigour; and that "not as an enemy, but a poisoner and an assasin. It indeed "Becomes him to offer to yield up to me what I am already "possessed of! Would he be satisfied with ranking himself "as second to me, without pretending to be my equal, I "might possibly then hear him. Tell him, that the worl

will not permit two suns, nor two sovereigns. Let him "therefore choose either to surrender to-day or fight me "to-morrow, and not flatter himself with the hopes of ob"taining better success than he has hitherto had." Darius's proposals are certainly not reasonable; but then, is Alexander's answer much more so? In the former we behold a prince who is not yet sensible of his own weakness, or, at least, who cannot prevail with himself to own it; and in the latter, we see a monarch quite intoxicated with his good fortune, and carry his pride to such an excess of folly as is not to be paralleled: "The world will not permit two "suns, nor two sovereigns." If this be greatness, and not pride, I do not know what can ever deserve the latter name. The ambassadors having leave to depart, returned back, and told Darius that he must now prepare for battle. The latter pitched his camp near a village called Gaugamela and the river Bumela, in a plain at a considerable distance from Arbela He had before levelled the spot which he had pitched upon for the field of battle, in order that his chariots and cavalry might have full room to move in; recollecting, that his fighting in the straits of Cilicia had lost him the battle fought there. At the same time, he had pre- pared crows feet to annoy the enemy's horse.

Alexander, upon hearing this news, continued four days in the place he then was, to rest his army, and surround his camp with trenches and palisades; for he was determined to leave all his baggage, and the useless soldiers in it, and march the remainder against the enemy, with no other equipage than the arms they carried. Accordingly, he set out about nine in the evening, in order to fight Darius at day break; who upon this advice, had drawn up his army in or-der of battle. Alexander also marched in battle array; for both armies were within two or three leagues of each other. When he was arrived at the moutains, where he could discover the enemy's whole army, he halted; and having assembled his general officers, as well Macedonians as foreigners, he debated whether they should engage immediately, or pitch their camp in that place. The latter opinion being

*Crows feet is an inftrument compofed of iron fpikes. Several of thefe are laid in the fields through which the cavalry is to march in order that they may run into the horses' feet,

followed, because it was judged proper for them to view the field of battle, and the manner in which the enemy was drawn up, the army encamped in the same order in which it had marched; during which, Alexander, at the head of his infantry, lightly armed, and his royal règiments, marched round the plain in which the battle was to be fought.

Being returned he assembled his general officers a second time, and told them, that there was no occasion for his making a speech, because their courage and great actions were alone sufficient to excite them to glory; that he desired them only to represent to the soldiers, that they were not to fight on this occasion, for Phoenicia or Egypt, but for all Asia, which would be possessed by him who should conquer; and that, after having gone through so many provinces, and left behind them so great a number of rivers and mountains, they could secure their retreat no otherwise than by gaining a complete victory. After this speech, he ordered them to take some repose.

It is said that Parmenio advised him to attack the enemy in the night time, alledging that they might easily be defeated, if fallen upon by surprise, and in the dark; but the king answered so loud that all present might hear him, that it did not become Alexander to steal a victory, and therefore he was resolved to fight and conquer on broad-day-light. This was a haughty, but at the same time, a prudent answer; for it was running great hazard to fall upon so numerous an army in the night time, and in an unknown country. Darius fearing he should be attacked at unawares, because he had not intrenched himself, obliged his soldiers to continue the whole night under arms, which proved of the highest prejudice to him in the engagement.

Alexander, who in the crisis of affairs used always to consult soothsayers, observing very exactly whatever they enjoined, in order to obtain the favour of the gods, finding himself upon the point of fighting a battle, the success of which was to give empire to the conqueror, sent for Aristander, in whom he reposed the greatest confidence. He then shut himself up with the soothsayer, to make some secret sacrifices; and afterwards offered up victims to Fear*, which he doubtless did to prevent his army from being seized with dread at the sight of the formidable army of Darius. The soothsayer, dressed in his vestments, holding vervain, with This head veiled, first repeated the prayers the king was to address to Jupiter, to Minerva, and to Victory. The whole being ended, Alexander went to bed, to repose himself the

We muR read in Plutarch Phobo, instead of Phoibo.