of the greatest wisdom and experience were chosen, for forming the public council, and presiding in the courts of judicature.

By this means every citizen might aspire to the chief posts in the government; but no one could arrive at them, till he had passed through all these several classes, and qualified himself for them by all these exercises. The classes were open to all; but generally such only as were rich enough to maintain their children without working, sent them thither.

Cyrus himself was educated in this manner, and surpassed all of his age,* not only in aptness to learn, but in courage and address in executing whatever he undertook.

SECT. II.-Cyrus's journey to his grandfather Astyages, and his return into Persia.

When Cyrus was twelve years old, his mother Mandane took him with her into Media, to his grandfather Astyages, who, from the many things he had heard said in favour of that young prince, had a great desire to see him. In this court young Cyrus found very different manners from those of his own country. Pride, luxury, and magnificence reigned here universally. Astyages himself was richly clothed, had his eyes coloured,† his face painted, and his hair embellished with artificial locks. For the Medes affected an effeminate life, to be dressed in scarlet, and to wear necklaces and bracelets; whereas the habits of the Persians were very plain and coarse. All this finery did not dazzle Cyrus, who, without criticising or condemning what he saw, was contented to live as he had been brought up, and adhered to the principles he had imbibed from his infancy. He charmed his grandfather with his sprightliness and wit, and gained every body's favour by his noble and engaging behaviour. shall only mention one instance, whereby we may judge of the

rest.

Astyages, to make his grandson unwilling to return home, made & sumptuous entertainment, in which there was the utmost plenty and profusion of every thing that was nice and delicate. All this exquisite cheer and magnificent preparation Cyrus looked upon with great indifference; and observing Astyages to be surprised at his behaviour: The Persians, says he to the king, instead of going such a round-about way to appease their hunger, have a much shorter to the same end; a little bread and cresses with them answer the pur

Cyrop. I. i. p. 8-22.

The ancients, in order to set off the beauty of the face, and to give more life to their complexions, used to form their eye-brows into perfect arches, and to colour them with black. To give the greater lustre to their eyes, they made their eye-lashes of the same blackness. This artifice was much in use among the Hebrews. It is said of Jezebel, Depinxit oculos suos stibio, 2 Kings, ix. 30. This drug had an astringent quality, which shrunk up the eye-lids, and made the eyes appear the larger, which at that time was reckoned a beauty. Plin. l. xxxiii. c. 6. From hence comes that epithet, which Homer so often gives to his goddesses: Bownis "Hg", great-eyed Juno.

pose. Astyages having allowed Cyrus to dispose of all the meats as he thought fit, the latter immediately distributed them to the king's officers in waiting; to one, because he taught him to ride; to another, because he waited well upon his grandfather; and to a third, because he took great care of his mother. Sacas, the king's cup-bearer, was the only person to whom he gave nothing. This officer, besides the post of cup-bearer, had that likewise of introducing those who were to have audience of the king; and as he could not possibly grant that favour to Cyrus as often as he desired it, he had the misfortune to displease the prince, who took this occasion to show his resentment. Astyages testifying some concern at the neglect shown to this officer, for whom he had a particular regard, and who deserved it, as he said, on account of the wonderful dexterity with which he served him: Is that all, papa? replied Cyrus: if that be sufficient to merit your favour, you shall see I will quickly obtain it; for I will take upon me to serve you better than he. Immediately Cyrus is equipped as a cup-bearer, and advancing gravely with a serious countenance, a napkin upon his shoulder, and holding the cup nicely with three of his fingers, he presented it to the king with a dexterity and a grace that charmed both Astyages and Mandane. When he had done, he flung himself upon his grandfather's neck, and kissing him, cried out with great joy: O Sacas! poor Sacas! thou art undone; I shall have thy place.* Astyages embraced him with great fondness, and said, I am mighty well pleased, my dear child; nobody can serve me with a better grace: but you have forgotten one essential ceremony, which is that of tasting. And indeed the cup-bearer was used to pour some of the liquor into his left hand, and to taste it before he presented it to the king: No, replied Cyrus, it is not through forgetfulness that I omitted that ceremony.— Why, then, says Astyages, for what reason did you do it ?-Because I apprehended there was poison in the liquor.-Poison, child! How could you think so?-Yes; poison, papa; for not long ago, at an entertainment you gave to the lords of your court, after the guests had drunk a little of that liquor, I perceived all their heads were turned; they sung, made a noise, and talked they did not know what; you yourself seemed to have forgotten that you were king, and they that they were subjects; and when you would have danced, you could not stand upon your legs.-Why, says Astyages, have you never seen the same thing happen to your father?—No, never, says Cyrus. How is it with him when he drinks?—Why, when he has drunk, his thirst is quenched, and that's all.

We cannot too much admire the skill of the historian in giving such an excellent lesson of sobriety in this story: he might have done it in a serious grave way, and have spoken with the air of a philosopher; for Xenophon, warrior as he was, was no less excellent a philosopher than his master Socrates. But instead of that, he puts

* Ω Σάκα, ἀπόλωλας ἐκβαλῶ σε τῆς τιμῆς.

the instruction into the mouth of a child, and conceals it under the veil of a story, which, in the original, is told with all the wit and agreeableness imaginable.

Mandane being upon the point of returning to Persia, Cyrus joyfully complied with the repeated requests his grandfather had made to him to stay in Media; being desirous, as he said, to perfect himself in the art of riding, which he was not yet master of, and which was not known in Persia, where the barrenness of his country, and its craggy mountainous situation, rendered it unfit for the breeding of horses.

During the time of his residence at this court, his behaviour procured him infinite love and esteem. He was gentle, affable, anxious to oblige, beneficent, and generous. Whenever the young lords had any favour to ask of the king, Cyrus was their solicitor. If the king had any subject of complaint against them, Cyrus was their mediator; their affairs became his; and he always managed them so well, that he obtained whatever he desired.

When Cyrus was about sixteen years of age, the son of the king of the Babylonians* (this was Evil-Merodach, son of Nabuchodonosor,) at a hunting-match a little before his marriage, thought fit, in order to show his bravery, to make an irruption into the territories of the Medes; which obliged Astyages to take the field, to oppose the invader. Here it was that Cyrus, having followed his grandfather, served his apprenticeship in war. He behaved himself so well on this occasion, that the victory which the Medes gained over the Babylonians was chiefly owing to his valour.

A. M. 3421. The year after, his father recalling him, that he Ant. J. C. 583. might complete his course in the Persian exercises, he departed immediately from the court of Media, that neither his father nor his country might have any room to complain of his delay. This occasion showed how much he was beloved. At his departure he was accompanied by all sorts of people, young and old. Astyages himself conducted him a good part of his journey on horseback; and when the sad moment came that they must part, the whole company were bathed in tears.

Thus Cyrus returned into his own country, and re-entered the class of children, where he continued a year longer. His companions, after his long residence in so voluptuous and luxurious a court as that of the Medes, expected to find a great change in his manners: but when they found that he was content with their ordinary table, and that, when he was present at any entertainment, he was more sober and temperate than any of the company, they looked upon him with new admiration.

From this first class he passed into the second, which is the class

*In Xenophon this people are always called Assyrians; and in truth they are Assyrians, but Assyrians of Babylon, whom we must not confound with those of Nineveh, whose empire, as we have seen already, was utterly destroyed by the ruin of Nineveh, the capital thereof.

of youths; and there it quickly appeared that he had not his equal in dexterity, address, patience, and obedience.

Ten years after, he was admitted into the men's class, wherein he remained thirteen years, till he set out at the head of the Persian army, to go to the aid of his uncle Cyaxares.

SECT. III. The first campaign of Cyrus, who goes to aid his uncle Cyaxares against the Babylonians.

A. M. 3444.

*

Astyges, king of the Medes, dying, was succeeded Ant. J. C. 560. by his son Cyaxares, brother to Cyrus's mother. Cyaxares was no sooner on the throne, than he was engaged in a terrible war. He was informed that the king of the Babylonians (Neriglissor) was preparing a powerful army against him, and that he had already engaged several princes on his side, and amongst others, Cræsus, king of Lydia; that he had likewise sent ambassa dors to the king of India, to give him bad impressions of the Medes and Persians, by representing to him how dangerous a closer alliance and union between two nations already so powerful, might be, since they could in the end subdue all the nations around them, if a vigorous opposition was not made to the progress of their power. Cyaxares therefore despatched ambassadors to Cambyses, to desire succours from him; and ordered them to bring it about, that Cyrus should have the command of the troops his father was to send. This was readily granted. As soon as it was known that Cyrus was to march at the head of the army, the joy was universal. The army consisted of 30,000 men, all infantry, (for the Persians as yet had no cavalry;) but they were all chosen men, and such as had been raised after a particular manner. First of all Cyrus chose out of the nobility 200 of the bravest officers, each of whom was ordered to choose out four more of the same sort, which made 1000 in all; and these were the officers that were called 'Outriμot and who signalized themselves afterwards so gloriously upon all occasions. Every one of this thousand was appointed to raise among the people ten light-armed pike-men, ten slingers, and ten bowmen; which amounted in the whole to 31,000 men.

Before they proceeded to the choice, Cyrus thought fit to make a speech to the 200 officers, whom, after having highly praised them for their courage, he inspired with the strongest assurance of victory and success. Do you know, says he to them, the nature of the enemy you have to deal with? They are soft, effeminate, enervated men, already half conquered by their own luxury and voluptuousness; men not able to bear either hunger or thirst; equally incapable of supporting either the toil of war or the sight of danger: whereas you, that are inured from your infancy to a sober and hard way of living; to you, I say, hunger and thirst are but the sauce, and the only sauce,

* Cyrop. 1. i. p. 22-37. VOL. II. I

† Men of the same dignity.

to your meals: fatigues are your pleasure, dangers your delight, and the love of your country and of glory your only passion. Besides, the justice of your cause is another considerable advantage. They are the aggressors. It is the enemy that attacks us, and it is our friends and allies that require our aid. Can any thing be more just than to repel the injury they offer us? Is there any thing more honourable than to fly to the assistance of our friends? But what ought to be the principal motive of your confidence is, that I do not engage in this expedition without having first consulted the gods, and implored their protection; for you know it is my custom to begin all my actions, and all my undertakings, in that manner.

A. M. 3445.

Cyrus soon after set out without loss of time; but Ant. J. C. 559. before his departure he invoked the gods of the country a second time. For his great maxim was, and he had it from his father, that a man ought not to form any enterprise, great or small, without consulting the divinity, and imploring his protection. Cambyses had often taught him to consider, that the prudence of men is very short, and their views very limited; that they cannot penetrate into futurity; and that many times what they think must needs turn to their advantage, proves their ruin; whereas the gods, being eternal, know all things, future as well as past, and inspire those they love, to undertake what is most expedient for them; which is a favour and a protection they owe to no man, and grant only to those that invoke and consult them.

Čambyses accompanied his son as far as the frontiers of Persia ; and in the way gave him excellent instructions concerning the duties of the general of an army. Cyrus thought himself ignorant of nothing that related to the business of war, after the many lessons he had received from the most able masters of that time. Have your masters, says Cambyses to him, given you any instructions concerning economy; that is to say, concerning the manner of supplying an army with all necessary provisions, of preventing sickness, and preserving the health of the soldiers, of fortifying their bodies by frequent exercises, of exciting a generous emulation among them, of making yourself obeyed, esteemed, and beloved, by your soldiers? —Upon each of these points, and upon several others mentioned by the king, Cyrus owned he had never heard one word spoken, and that it was all entirely new to him. What is it then your masters have taught you? They have taught me to fence, replied the prince, to draw the bow, to fling the javelin, to mark out a camp, to draw the plan of a fortification, to range troops in order of battle, to review them, to see them march, file off, and encamp. Cambyses, smiling, gave his son to understand, that they had taught him nothing of what was most material and essential for a good officer and expert commander to know: and in one single conversation, which certainly deserves to be well studied by all young gentlemen designed for the army, he taught him infinitely more than all the celebrated masters had done, in the course of several years. One