but as it very frequently could not be well heard, because of the great noise that is made in decamping, he gave orders that a standard should be set up over his tent which might be seen by his whole army. He also appointed fire to be the signal in the night time, and smoke in the day.

Alexander marched afterwards towards Susa, where he arrived twenty days after his leaving Babylon. As he came near it, Abutites, governor of the province, sent his son to meet him, with a promise to surrender the city into his hands. Whether he was prompted to this from his own inclination, or did it in obedience to the orders of Darius, to amuse Alexander with the hopes of plunder, the king gave this young nobleman a very gracious reception, who attended him as far as the river Choaspes, the waters of which are so famous, on account of their exqusite taste. *The kings of Persia never drank of any other; and whithersoever they went, a quantity of it, after having been put over the fire, was always carried after them in silver vases. It was here Abutites came to wait upon him, bringing presents worthy of a king; among which were dromedaries of incredible swiftness, and twelve elephants which Darius had sent for from India. Being come into the city, he took immense sums out of the treasury, with +50,000 talents of silver in ore and ingots, besides moveables, and a thousand other things of infinite value. This wealth was the produce of the exactions imposed for several centuries upon the common people, from whose sweat and poverty immense revenues were raised. The Persian monarchs fancied they had amassed them for their children and posterity; but, in one hour, they fell into the hands of a foreign king, who was able to make a right use of them; for Alexander seemed to be merely the guardian or trustee of the immense riches which he found hoarded up in Persia, and applied them to no other use than the rewarding of merit and courage.

Among other things, there were found $5000 quintals of Hermione § purple, the finest in the world, which had been treasuring up there during the space of 190 years; notwithstanding which, its beauty and lustre was no ways diminished.

Herod, lib. i. c. 188.

About 7,500,000l.

The reader will have an idea of the prodigious value of this, when he is told, that this purple was sold at the rate of 100 lives a pound. The quintal is one cwt. of Paris.

§ Hermione was a city of Argolis, where the best purple was dge),

Here likewise was found part of the rarities which Xerxes had brought from Greece; and, among others, the brazen statues of Harmodius and Aristogiton, which Alexander sent afterwards to Athens, where they were standing in *Arrian's time.

The king, being resolved to march into Persia, appointed Archelaus governor of the city of Susa, with a garrison of 3000 men; Mazarus, one of the lords of his sourt, was made governor of the citadel, with 1000 Macedonian soldiers, who could not follow him by reason of their great age. He gave the government of Susiana to Abutites.

He left Darius' mother and children in Susa, and having received from Macedonia a great quantity of purple staffs and rich habits, made after the fashion of the country, he * presented them to Sysigambis, together with the artificers who had wrought them; for he paid her every kind of hon our, and loved her as tenderly as if she had been his mother. He likewise comnianded the messengers to tell her, that in case she fancied those stuffs, she might make her grandchildren learn the art of weaving them by way of amusement; and to give them as presents to whomsoever they should think proper. At these words, the tears which fell from her eyes showed but too evidently how greatly she was displeased with these gifts; the working in wool being considered by the Persian women as the highest ignominy. Those who carried these presents, having told the king that Sysigambis was very much dissatisfied, he thought himself obliged to make an apology for what he had done, and administer some consolation to her. Accordingly he paid her a visit, when he spoke thus: "Mother, the stuff in which you see me clothed, was not only a gift of my sisters, but wrought by their fingers. Hence I beg you to believe, that "the custom of my country misled me; and do not consid"er that as an insult which was owing entirely to ignorance. "I believe I have not, as yet, done any thing which I knew interfered with your manners and customs. I was told, that among the Persians it is a sort of crime for a son to seat him himself in his mother's presence, without first obtaining her leave. You are sensible how cautious I have "always been in this particular; and that I never sat down "till you had first laid your commands upon me to do so. "And every time that you was going to fall prostrate before me, I only ask you, whether I would suffer it? As the

* What Arriau, ascribes here to Alexander in regard to the sta tues of Harmudius and Aristegicon is attributed by other historians fo other princes.

"highest testimony of the veneration I have for you, I al"ways call you by the tender name of mother, though this "belongs properly to Olympias caly, to whom I owe my birth.

What I have just now related may suggest two reflections, both which, in my opinion, are very natural, and at the same time of the utmost importance.

First, we see to how great a height the Persians, so vain and haughty in other respects, carried the veneration they showed their parents. The reader, doubtless, remembers, that Cyrus the Great, in the midst of his conquests, and the most exalted pitch to which fortune had raised him, would not accept of the advantageous offer made him by Cyaxares, his uncle, viz. of giving him his daughter in marriage, and Media for her dowry, till he had first advised with his father and mother, and obtained their consent. History informs us here, that among the Persians* a son never dared to set himself before his mother till he had first obtained her leave and that to do otherwise was considered as a crime. Alas! how widely do our manners differ from so excellent an institution!

Secondly, I discover, in the same relation, several valuable footsteps of that happy simplicity which prevailed in ancient times, when it was the custom for ladies, though of the greatest distinction, to employ themselves in useful, and Sometimes laborious works. Every one knows what is told us in scripture to this purpose concerning Rebecca, Rachel, and several others. We read in Homer, of princesses drawing themselves water from springs; and washing, with their own hands, the linen of their respective families. Here the sisters of Alexander, that is, the daughters of a powerful prince, are employed in making clothes for their brother. The celebrated Lucretia used to spin in the midst of her fe male attendants. Augustus, who was sovereign of the world, wore, for several years together, no other clothes but what his wife and sisters made him. It was a custom in the northern parts of the world, not many years since, for the princess who then sat upon the throne, to prepare several of the dishes at every meal. In a word, needle-work, the care of domestic affairs, a serious and retired life, is the proper function of women, and for this they were designed by providence. The depravity of the age has indeed affixed

Scio apud vos, filium in conspectu matris nefas esse considere, pisi cum illa permisit. Q. Curt.

Mater, hanc vestem, quam indutus sum, sororum non solum dong um, sed etiam opus vides. Q. Curt,

to these customs, which are very near as old as the creation, an idea of meanness and contempt: but then what has it substituted in the room of the harsh and vigorous exercises which a just education enabled the sex to undertake, to that laborious and useful life which was spent at home? A soft indolence, a stupid idleness, frivolous conversations, vain amusements, a strong passion for public shows, and a frantic love of gaming. Let us compare these two characters, and then pronounce which of them may justly boast its being founded on goood sense, solid judgment, and a taste for truth and nature. It must, nevertheless, be confessed, in honour of the fair sex of our nation, that several ladies among us, and those of the highest quality, make it not only a duty, but a pleasure, to employ themselves in needle-works, not of a trifling, but of the most useful kind; and to make part of their fur niture with their own hands. I also might add, that great numbers of these adorn their minds with agreeable, and at the same time, serious and useful studies.

Alexander, having taken his leave of Sysigambis, who now was extremely well satisfied, arrived on the banks of a river, called by the inhabitants Pasi-Tigris.* Having crossed it with 9000 foot and 3000 horse, consisting of Agri ans, as well as of Grecian mercenaries, and a reinforce ment of 3000 Thracians, he entered the country of the Uxii. This region lies near Susa, and extends to the fron tiers of Persia, a narrow pass only lying between it and Susiana. Madathes commanded this province. This man was not a time-server, nor a follower of fortune, but faithful to his sovereign: he resolved to hold out to the last extremity; and for this purpose, had withdrawn into his own city, which stood in the midst of craggy rocks, and was surrounded with precipices. Having been forced from thence, he retired into the citadel, whence the besieged sent 30 deputies to Alexander to sue for quarter; which they obtained at last, by the intercession of Sysigambis. The king not only pardoned Madathes, who was a near relation of that princess, but likewise set all the captives, and those who had surrendered themselves, at liberty; permitted them to enjoy their several rights and privileges; would not suffer their city to be plundered, but let them plough their lands without paying any tax or tribute. Could Sisygambis have possibly obtained more

*This river differs from the Tigris.

Haud save temporum homo; quippe ultima pro decreverat, Q Curt.

fide experiri

52 from her own son on this occasion, had he been the vic tor?

The Uxii being subdued, Alexander gave part of his army to Parmenio, and commanded him to march it through the plain; whilst himself, at the head of his light-armed troops, crossed the mountains, which extend as far as Persia. The fifth day he arrived at the pass of Susa. Ariobarzanes, with 4000 foot and 700 horse, had taken possession of those rocks, which are craggy on all sides, and posted the barbarians at the summit out of the reach of arrows. He also had built a wall in those passes, and encamped his forces under it. As soon as Alexander advanced, in order to attack him, the barbarians rolled, from the top of the mountains, stones of a prodigious size, which falling from rock to rock, rushed forward with the greater violence, and at once crushed to pieces whole bands of soldiers. The king, being very much terrified at this sight, commanded a retreat to be sounded; and it was with the utmost grief he saw himself not only stopped at this pass, but deprived of all hopes of ever being able to force it.

Whilst he was revolving these gloomy thoughts, a Grecian prisoner surrendered himself to Alexander, with a promise to conduct him to the top of the mountain by another way. The king accepted of the offer, when, leaving the superintendence of the camp and of the army to Craterus, he commanded him to cause a great number of fires to be lighted, in order that the barbarians might thereby be more strongly induced to believe that Alexander was there in person. After this, taking some chosen troops with him, he set out, going through all the by-ways, as his guide directed. But, besides that these paths were very craggy, and the rocks so slippery that their feet could scarce stand upon them, the soldiers were also very much distressed by the snows which the winds had brought together, and which were so high that the men fell into them, as into so many ditches; and, when their comrades endeavoured to draw them out, they themselves would likewise sink into them; not to mention that their fears were greatly increased by the horrors of the night, by their being in an unknown country, and conducted by a guide whose fidelity was doubtful. After having gone through a great number of difficulties and dangers, they at last got to the top of the mountain. Then going down, they discovered the enemy's corps-de-garde, and appeared behind them sword in hand, at a time when they least expected it. Such as made the least defence (who were but few) were cut to pieces; by which means, the cries of the dying on one side,and on the other