ordered his confidents and phyficians to come into his tent," You fee (faid he) my friends, the fad extremity "to which fortune reduces me. Methinks I already "hear the found of the enemy's arms, and fee Darius "advancing. He undoubtedly held intelligence with

my evil* genius, when he wrote letters to his lieute"nants in fo lofty and contemptuous a ftrain; however, "he shall not obtain his defire, provided fuch a cure as "I want is attempted. The present condition of my "affairs will not admit either of flow remedies or fearful "phyficians. A fpeedy death is more eligible to me "than a flow cure. In cafe the phyficians think it is "in their power to do me any good, they are to know, "that I do not fo much wifh to live as to fight."

This fudden impatience of the king fpread an univerfal alarm. The phyficians, who were fenfible they fhould be anfwerable for the event, did not dare to hazard violent and extraordinary remedies; efpecially as Darius had publifhed, that he would reward with a thousand talents the man who fhould kill Alexander. However Philip, an Acarnanian, one of his phyficians, who had always attended upon him from his youth, loved him with the utmost tenderness, not only as his fovereign, but his child; raifing himfelf (merely out of affection to Alexander) above all prudential confiderations, offered to give him a dofe; which, though not very violent, would nevertheless be fpeedy in its effects; and defired three days to prepare it. At this propofal every one trembled, but him only whom it moft concerned; Alexander being afflicted upon no other account, than because it would keep him three days from appearing at the head of his army.

While these things were doing, Alexander received a letter from Parmenio, who was left behind in Cappadocia, in whom Alexander put greater confidence than in

any

Darius, who imagined himself sure of overcoming Alexander, had writ to his lieutenants, that they thould chaftife this young fool; and after clothing him in purple out of derifion, fhould fend him bound hand and foot to the court. FREINSHEIM IN QUINT. CURT.

+ About 145,000l. fterling.

any other of his courtiers; the purport of which was, to bid him beware of Philip, for that Darius had bribed him, by the promise of a thousand talents, and his fifter in marriage. This letter gave him great uneafinefs, for he was now at full leisure to weigh all the reafons he might have to hope or to fear. But the confidence in a physician, whofe fincere attachment and fidelity he had proved from his infancy, foon prevailed, and removed all his doubts. Upon this, he folded up the letter, and put it under his bolfter, without acquainting any one with the contents of it.

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The day being come, Philip enters the tent with his medicine, when Alexander taking the letter from under the bolfter, gives it Philip to read. At the fame time he takes the cup, and fixing his eyes on the phyfician, fwallows the draught without the least hefitation, or without discovering the leaft fufpicion or uneafinefs. Philip, as he perufed the letter, had fhewed greater figns of indignation than of fear or furprife; and throwing himfelf upon the king's bed-" Royal Sir," fays he, with a refolute tone of voice, your recovery will foon clear me of the guilt of parricide with which I am charged. The only favour I beg is, that you would be eafy in your own mind; and fuffer the draught to operate, and not regard the intelligence you have received from fervants, who indeed have fhewn their zeal for your welfare; which zeal, however, is very indifcreet and unseasonable." Thefe words did not only revive the king, but filled him with hope and joy; fo taking Philip by the hand, "Be you yourself eafy," fays he to him," for I believe you are difquieted upon a double account; first for my recovery, and secondly for your own juftification."

In the mean time, the phyfic worked fo violently, that the accidents which attended it, ftrengthened Parmenio's accufation; for the king loft his fpeech, and was feifed with fuch ftrong fainting fits, that he had hardly

*Ingentem animo felicitudinem literæ incufferant; & quicquid in utramque partem aut metus aut fpes jubjecerat, fecreta æftimatione penjabat. Q. CURT.

hardly any pulfe left, or the leaft fymptoms of life. Philip employed all the powers of phyfic to recover him, and in every lucid interval, diverted him with agreeable fubjects; difcourfing one moment about his mother and fifters, and another, about the mighty victory which was advancing, with hafty fteps, to crown his paft triumphs. At laft the phyfician's art having gained the afcendant, and diffused through every vein a falutary and vivific virtue; his mind firft began to refume its former vigour, and afterwards his body, much fooner than had been expected. Three days after he fhowed himself to the army, who were never fatisfied with gazing upon him, and could fcarce believe their eyes; fo much the greatnefs of the danger had surprised and dejected them. No careffes were enough for the phyfician; every one embracing him with the utmost tenderness, and returning him thanks as to a god who had faved the life of their fovereign.

Befides the refpect which thefe people had naturally for their kings, words can never exprefs how greatly they admired this monarch more than any other, and the ftrong affection they bore him. They were perfuaded, that he did not undertake any thing but by the immediate affiftance of the gods; and as fuccefs always attended his defigns, his rafhnefs became glorious in him, and feemed to have fomething inexpreffibly divine in it. His youth, which one would have concluded incapable of fuch mighty enterprifes, and which however overcame all difficulties, gave a fresh merit and a brighter luftre to his actions. Befides, certain advantages that generally are little regarded, and which yet engage in a wonderful manner the hearts of the foldiery, greatly augmented the merit of Alexander; fuch as his taking delight in bodily exercifes; his difcovering a fkill and excellency in them; his going clothed like the common foldiers, and knowing how to familiarize himself with inferiors, without leffening his dignity; his fharing in toils

Qua leviora haberi folent, plerumque in re militari gratiora vulgo funt. CURT

toils and dangers with the moft laborious and intrepid; qualities which, whether Alexander owed them to nature, or had acquired them by reflection, made him equally beloved and refpected by his foldiers.

During this interval, Darius was on his march, full of a vain security in the infinite number of his troops, and forming a judgment of the two armies merely from their disparity in that point. The plains of Affyria, in which he was encamped, gave him an opportunity of extending his horse as he pleased, and of taking the advantage which the great difference between the number of foldiers in each army gave him; but inftead of this, he refolves to march to narrow paffes, where his cavalry and the multitude of his troops, fo far from doing him any fervice, would only incumber one another; and accordingly he advances towards the enemy, for whom he fhould have waited, and runs vifibly to his own destruction. Neverthelefs, the grandees of his court, whofe custom it was to flatter and applaud his every action, congratulated him beforehand on the victory he would soon obtain, as if it had been certain and inevitable. There was at that time, in the army of Darius, one Caridemus, an Athenian, a man of great experience in war, who perfonally hated Alexander, for having caufed him to be banished from Athens. Darius, turning to this Athenian, asked, whether he believed him powerful enough to defeat his enemy. Caridemus, who had been brought up in the bofom of liberty, and forgetting that he was in a country of flavery, where to oppofe the inclination of a prince is of the most dangerous confeas follows: "Poffibly, Sir, you may quence, replied as follows: "not be pleased with my telling you the truth; but in “ cafe I do not do it now, it will be too late hereafter. "This mighty parade of war, this prodigious number of "men which has drained all the Eaft, might indeed be "formidable to your neighbours. Gold and purple fhine "in every part of your army, which is fo prodigioufly fplendid, that those who have not seen it, could never "form an idea of its magnificence. But the foldiers

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"who

46

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"who compofe the Macedonian army, terrible to behold, and briftling in every part with arms, do not "amufe themselves with fuch idle fhow. Their only 46 care is to difcipline, in a regular manner, their battalions, and to cover themfelves close with their buck"lers and pikes. Their phalanx is a body of infantry, "which engages without flinching; and keeps foclofe in "their ranks, that the foldiers and their arms form a "kind of impenetrable work: In a word, every single 66 man among them, the officers as well as foldiers, are "fo well trained up, fo attentive to the command of "their leaders, that, whether they are to affemble under "their standards, to turn to the right or left, to double "their ranks, and face about to the enemy on all fides,

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at the leaft fignal they make every motion and evolu"tion of the art of war. But that you may be per"fuaded, thefe Macedonians are not invited hither,* "from the hopes of gaining gold and filver; know, "that this excellent difcipline has fubfifted hitherto by "the fole aid and precepts of poverty. Are they hun"gry? they fatisfy their appetite with any kind of food. "Are they weary? they repofe themfelves on the bare ground, and in the day-time are always upon their "feet. Do you fancy that the Theffalian cavalry, and "that of Acarnania and Ætolia, who all are armed cap-a-pee, are to be repulfed by ftones hurled from flings, and with flicks burnt at the end? Such troops as are like themfelves, will be able to check their ca"reer; and fuccours must be procured from their "country, to oppofe their bravery and experience. "Send therefore thither all the ufelefs gold and filver "which I fee here, and purchase formidable foldiers." + Dárius was naturally of a mild, tractable difpofition; but good fortune will corrupt the moft happy difpofition. Few monarchs are refolute and courageous enough to withstand

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* Et, ne auri argentique ftudio teneri putes, adbuc illa difciplina paupertate magiftra ftetit. Q. CURT.

Erat Dario mite ac tractabile ingenium, nifi etiam fuam naturam plerumque fortuna corrumpere. Q. CURT. I fufpect the particle fuam.