LXIX. This reply more and more juftified the fufpicions of Otanes; he fent, therefore, a third time to his daughter: "My daughter," he obferved, "it becomes you, who are nobly born, to

engage in a dangerous enterprize, when your "father commands you. If this Smerdis 76 be not "the fon of Cyrus, but the man whom I fufpect, he

ought not, poffeffing your perfon, and the fove"reignty of Perfia, to escape with impunity. Do "this, therefore-when next you fhall be admitted "to his bed, and fhall obferve that he is asleep, « examine whether he has any ears; if he has, you

extremely at a lofs," fays he, "how to behave to the great men of the Eaft, when I was called in, and visited, as a physician, the apartments of their wives. These apartments are just like the dormitories of our religious, and at every door I found an arm covered with gauze, thruft out through a small loop-hole, made on purpose: at first I fancied they were arms of wood or brass, to ferve for sconces to light up candles in at night; but it furprized me when I was told I muft cure the persons to whom these arms belonged." The Eafterns liften with much astonishment to the familiarity prevailing betwixt the fexes in Europe. When told that no evil results from this, they answer with a proverb, Bring butter too near the fire, and you will hardly keep it from melting."-T.

76. If this Smerdis.]-That Cambyfes was the Ahafuerus, and Smerdis the Artaxerxes, that obftructed the work of the temple, is plain from hence, that they are said in Scripture to be the kings of Perfia that reigned between the time of Cyrus and the time of that Darius by whofe decree the temple was finished; but that Darius being Darius Hyftafpes, and none reigning between Cyrus and that Darius in Perfia, but Cambyfes and Smerdis, it muft follow from hence, that none but Cambyfes and Smerdis could be the Ahafuerus and Artaxerxes, who are faid in Ezra to have put a stop to this work.-Prideaux.

"may

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may be fecure you are with Smerdis, the fon of Cyrus; but if he has not, it can be no other than "Smerdis, one of the magi." To this Phædyma replied, "That he would obey him, notwithstanding the danger fhe incurred; being well affured, "that if he had no ears, and should discover her in "endeavouring to know this, she should be inftantly

put to death." Cyrus had in his life-time deprived this Smerdis of his ears 77 for fome atrocious crime.

Phædyma complied in all refpects with the injunctions of her father. The wives of the Perfians fleep with their husbands by turns 78. When this

lady

77 This Smerdis of his ears.]—The discovery of this imposture was long celebrated in Perfia as an annual festival. By reafon of the great flaughter of the magians then made, it was called magophonia. It was alfo from this time that they first had the name of magians, which fignified the cropt-eared, which was then given them on account of this impoftor, who was thus cropt. Mige-gufh fignified, in the language of the country then in use, one that had his ears cropt; and from a ringleader of that fect who was thus cropt, the author of the famous Arabic lexicon called Camus, tells us they had all this name given them; and what Herodotus and Juftin, and other authors, write of this Smerdis, plainly fhews that he was the man.—Prideaux.

78 The wives of the Perfians fleep with their husbands by turns.] -By the Mahometan law, the Perfians, Turks, and indeed all true believers, are permitted to have wives of three different descriptions; those whom they espouse, thofe whom they hire, and those whom they purchase. Of the first kind they are limited to four, of the two laft they may have as many as they please or can afford. Amongst the fingularities fanctified by the Alcoran, the following is not the leaft: a woman legally efpoufed may infift on a divorce from her husband, if he is impotent, if he is given to unnatural enjoyment, or, to use Tournefort's ex

lady next flept with the magus, as foon as she saw him in a profound fleep, fhe tried to touch his ears, and being perfectly fatisfied that he had none, as foon as it was day the communicated the intelligence to her father.

LXX. Otanes inftantly revealed the fecret to Afpathines and Gobryas, two of the nobleft of the Persians, upon whofe fidelity he could depend, and who had themselves fufpected the impofture. It was agreed that each fhould difclofe the bufinefs to the friend in whom he most confided. Otanes therefore chofe Intaphernes, Gobryas Megabyzus, and Afpathines, Hydarnes. The confpirators be-/ ing thus fix in number, Darius, fon of Hyftafpes, arrived at Sufa, from Perfia, where his father was governor, when they inftantly agreed to make him alfo an affociate.

LXXI. These feven met 79, and after mutual vows of fidelity confulted together. As foon as Darius was to speak, he thus addreffed his confederates: "I was of opinion that the death of Smerdis, "fon of Cyrus, and the ufurpation of the magus, "were circumstances known only to myfelf; and my "immediate purpose in coming here, was to accom

preffion, if he does not pay his tribute upon Thursday and Friday night, which are the times confecrated to the conjugal duties. T.

79 Thefe feven met.]-Mithridates, king of Pontus, who afterwards gave fo much trouble to the Romans, was defcended from one of these confpirators: fee book vii. chap. ii.-Larcher.

'plifh

plish the ufurper's death. But fince you are also acquainted with the matter, I think that all delay "will be dangerous, and that we fhould inftantly CC execute our intentions." "Son of Hyftafpes," replied Otanes, "born of a noble parent, you feem "the inheritor of your father's virtue; nevertheless, "be not precipitate, but let us enter on this bufinefs "with caution: for my own part, I am averfe to

undertake any thing, till we shall have strengthen"ed our party." "My friends," refumed Darius, " if you follow the advice of Otanes, your ruin is " inevitable. The hope of reward will induce fome "one to betray your defigns to the magus. An "enterprize like this fhould be accomplished by yourselves, difdaining all affiftance. But fince you have diffufed the fecret, and added me to your party, let us this very day put our designs "in execution; for I declare, if this day pafs with"out our fulfilling our intentions, no one fhall tomorrow betray me; I will myself disclose the confpiracy to the magus."

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LXXII. When Otanes obferved the ardour of Darius; "Since," he replied, "you will not fuffer

us to defer, but precipitate us to the termination “of our purpose, explain how we shall obtain en"trance into the palace, and attack the ufurpers. "That there are guards regularly ftationed, if you "have not feen them yourself, you must have known " from others; how fhall we elude these?" "There "are many circumstances, Otanes," returned Darius, "which we cannot fo well explain by our G 3 "words

"words as by our actions. There are others which "may be made very plaufible by words, but are capable of no fplendour in the execution. You can

es

not suppose that it will be difficult for us to pass "the guards; who amongst them will not be impelled by reverence of our perfons, or fear of our authority, to admit us? Befides this, I am fur"nifhed with an undeniable excufe; I can fay that "I am just arrived from Perfia, and have business " from my father with the king. If a falfhood must « be spoken, let it be fo. They who are sincere, "and they who are not, have the fame object in « view. Falfhood is prompted by views of intereft,

If a falfhood must be spoken.]-This morality, fays Larcher, is not very rigid; but it ought, he continues, to be remembered, that Herodotus is here speaking of falfhood which operates to no one's injury. Bryant, on the contrary, remarks, that we may reft affured these are the author's own fentiments, though attributed to another perfon; hence, he adds, we must not wonder if his veracity be fometimes called in queftion. But when we remember that one of the first rudiments of Perfian education was to speak the truth, the little fcruple with which Darius here adopts a falfhood, muft appear very remarkable. Upon this fubject of fincerity, Lord Shaftesbury has fome very curious remarks. "The chief of ancient critics," fays he, "extols Homer above all things for understanding how to lye in perfection. His lyes, according to that mafier's opinion, and the judgment of the gravest and most venerable writers, were in themfelves the juftest moral truths, and exhibitive of the best doctrine and inftruction in life and manners," It is well remarked by one of the ancients, though I do not remember which, that a violation of truth implies a contempt of God, and fear of man. Yet the gravest of our moralists and divines have allowed that there may be occafions in which a deviation from flrict truth is venial.-T.

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