"I have in the world," (anfwered the king.) "And for "the ransom of your children ?" "The fame thing." "From this time then you are indebted to me the double of "all your poffeffions." "And you, Tigranes, at what price "would you redeem the liberty of your lady" Now he had but lately married her, and was paflionately fond of her. "At "the price (fays he) of a thoufand lives, if I had them " Cyrus then conducted them all to his tent, and entertained them at fupper. It is easy to imagine what tranfports of joy there must have been upon this occafion.

After fupper, as they were difcourfing upon various fubjects, Cyrus afked Tigranes, what was become of a governor he had often feen hunting with him, and for whom he had a particular efteem. "Alas, (fays Tigranes) he is no more; and I "dare not tell you by what accident I loft him." Cyrus preffing him to tell him; "My father, (continued Tigranes) fee

ing I had a very tender affection for this governor, and that "I was extremely attached to him, was jealous it might be of "fome ill confequence, and put him to death. But he was fo "honeft a man, that, as he was ready to expire, he sent for me, and spoke to me in these words: Tigranes, let not my "death occafion any difaffection in you towards the king your father. What he has done to me did not proceed from malice, but "only from prejudice, and a falfe notion wherewith he was unhap"pily blinded." "O the excellent man! (cried Cyrus) never "forget the laft advice he gave you."

When the converfation was ended, Cyrus, before they part· ed, embraced them all, as in token of a perfect reconciliation. This done, they got into their chariots, with their wives, and went home full of gratitude and admiration. Nothing but Cyrus was mentioned the whole way; fome extolling his wisdom, others his valour; fome admiring the fweetness of his temper, others praifing the beauty of his perfon, and the majefty of his mein. "And you (fays Tigranes, addreffing himfelf to his lady) what do you think of Cyrus's afpect "and deportment? I do not know (replied the lady) I "I "did not observe him." 66 Upon what object then did you your eyes?" "Upon him that faid he would give a thousand lives to ranfom my liberty."

"fix

The next day, the king of Armenia fent prefents to Cyrus, and refreshments for his whole army, and brought him double the fum of money he was required to furnish. But Cyrus took only what had been ftipulated, and restored him the reft. The Armenian troops were ordered to be ready in three days time, and T granes defired to command them.

G4

I have

I have thought proper, for feveral reafons, to give fo circumftantial an account of this affair; though I have fo far abridged it, that it is not above a quarter of what we find of it in Xenophon.

In the first place, it may ferve to give the reader a notion of the ftile of that excellent historian, and excite his curiofity to confult the original, whofe natural and unaffected beauties are fufficient to justify the fingular efteem, which perfons of good tafte have ever had for the noble fimplicity of that author. To mention but one inftance; what an idea of chastity and modefty, and at the fame time, what a wonderful fimplicity, and delicacy of thought are there, in the anfwer of Tigranes's wife, who has no eyes but for her husband!

In the fecond place, thofe fhort, clofe and preffing interrogations, each of which demand a direct, precife answer from the king of Armenia, difcover the difciple and fcholar of Socrates, and fhew in what manner he retained the taste of his mafter.

Befides this relation will give us fome idea of the judgment that ought to be formed of Xenophon's. Cyropedia; the fubflance of which is true, though it is embellished with several circumftances, added by the author, and introduced exprefsly to grace his inftructive leffons, and the excellent rule he lays down upon government. Thus much therefore in the event we are treating of is real. The king of Armenia having refufed to pay the Medes the tribute he owed them, Cyrus attacked him fuddenly, and before he fufpected any defigns against him, made himself mafter of the only fortress he had, and took his family prifoners; obliged him to pay the usual tribute, and to furnish his quota of troops; and after all fo won upon him by his humanity, and courteous behaviour, that he rendered him one of the faithfulleft and most affectionate allies the Medes ever had. The reft is inferted only by way of embellishment, and is rather to be afcribed to the hiftorian, than to the history itself.

I should never have found out myself, what the ftory of the governor's being put to death by Tigranes's father fignified, though I am very fenfible it was a kind of enigma, and figurative of fomething elfe. A perfon of quality, one of the greatest wits and fineft fpeakers of the laft age, who was perfectly well acquainted with the Greek authors, explained it to me many years ago, which I have not forgot, and which I take to be the true meaning of that enigma. He fuppofed Xenophon intended it as a picture of the death of his mater Socrates,

* M. de Comte de Trefvilles.

Socrates, whom the state of Athens became jealous of, on account of the extraordinary attachment all the youth of the city had to him; which at laft gave occafion to that philofopher's condemnation and death, that he fuffered without murmur or complaint.

In the last place, I thought it proper not to miss this oppor tunity of manifefting fuch qualities in my hero, as are not always to be met with in perfons of his rank; fuch as, by rendering them infinitely more valuable than all their military virtues, would moft contribute to the fuccefs of their defigns. In most conquerors we find courage, refolution, intrepidity, a capacity for martial exploits, and all fuch talents as make a noife in the world, and are apt to dazzle people by their glaring outfide: But an inward stock of goodness, compaffion and gentleness towards the unhappy, an air of moderation and referve even in profperity and victory, an infinuating and perfuafive behaviour, the art of gaining people's hearts, and attaching them to him more by affection than intereft; a confant, unalterable care always to have right on his fide, and to imprint fuch a character of justice, and equity upon all his conduct, as his very enemies are forced to revere; and lastly, fuch a clemency, as to diftinguish thofe that offend through imprudence rather than malice, and to leave room for their repentance, by giving them opportunity to return to their duty: These are qualities rarely found in the most celebrated conquerors of antiquity, but thone cut moft confpicuously in Cyrus.

(f) To return to my fubject. Cyrus; before he quitted the king of Armenia, was willing to do him fome fignal fervice. This king was then at war with the Chaldeans, a neighbouring warlike people, who continually haraffed his country by their inroads, and by that means hindered a great part of his lands from being cultivated. Cyrus, after having exactly informed himself of their character, ftrength, and the fituation of their Arong holds, marched against them. On the firft intelligence of his approach, the Chaldeans poffeffed themfelves of the eminences to which they were accustomed to retreat. Cyrus left them no time to affemble all their forces there, but marched to attack them directly. The Armenians, whom he had made his advanced guard, were immediately put to flight. Cyrus expected no other from them, and had only placed them there, to bring the enemy the fooner to an engagement. And indeed, when the Chaldeans came to blows with the Perfians, they were not able to stand their ground, but were entirely defeated.

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(f) Cyrop. 1, ili, p. 70-76..

A

A great number were taken prifoners, and the reft were feattered and difperfed. Cyrus himfelf fpoke to the prisoners, affuring them he was not come to injure them, or ravage their country, but to grant them peace upon reafonable terms, and to fet them at liberty. Deputies were immediately fent to him, and a pence was concluded. For the better fecurity of both nations, and with their common confent, Cyrus caufed a fortrefs to be built upon an eminence, which commanded the whole country; and left a good garrifon in it, which was to declare against either of the two nations that should violate the treaty.

Cyrus, understanding that there was frequent commerce and communication between the Indians and Chaldeans, defired that the latter would fend perfons to accompany and conduct his ambaffador, whom he was preparing to fend to the king of India. The purport of this embaffy was, to defire foine fuccours in money, from that prince, in behalf of Cyrus, who wanted it for the levying of troops in Perfia, and promifed that, if the gods crowned his defigns with fuccefs, that potentate fhould have no reafon to repent of having affifted him. He was glad to find the Chaldeans ready to fecond his request, which they could do the more advantageously, by enlarging upon the character and exploits of Cyrus. The anibaffador fet out the next day, accompanied with fome of the most confiderable perfons of Chaldea, who were directed by their master to act with all poffible dexterity, and to do Cyrus's merit all poffible justice.

The expedition against the Armenians being happily ended, Cyrus left that country, to rejoin Cyaxares. Four thoufand Chaldeans, the braveft of the nation, attended him; and the king of Armenia, who was now delivered from his enemies, augmented the number of troops he had promifed him: So that he arrived in Media, with a great deal of money, and a much more numerous army, than he had when he left it.

SECT. IV. The expedition of CYAXARES and CYRUS against the Babylonians. The first battle.

(8) BOTH Parties had been employed three years toge ther in forming their alliances, and making preparations for war. Cyrus, finding their troops full of ardor, and ready for action, propofed to Cyaxares his leading them against Affyria. His reafons for it were, that he thought it his dury

(g).. 3448. Ant. J. C. 556. Cyrop, 1, iii, p. 78-87,

to eafe him, as foon as poffible, of the care and expence of maintaining two armies; that it were better they should eat up the enemy's country, than Media; that fo bold a step, as that of going to meet the Affyrians, might be capable of spreading a terror in their army, and at the fame time infpire their own with the greater confidence; that, laftly, it was a maxim with him, as it had always been with Cambyfes, his father, that victory did not fo much depend upon the number, as the valour of troops. Cyaxares agreed to his propofal.

As foon therefore as the customary facrifices were offered, they began their march. Cyrus, in the name of the whole army, invoked the tutelary gods of the empire; befeeching them to be favourable to them in the expedition they had undertaken, to accompany them, conduct them, fight for them. inspire them with fuch a measure of courage and prudence as was neceffary, and, in fhort, to blefs their arms with profperity and fuccefs. In acting thus, Cyrus put in practice that excellent advice his father had given him, of beginning and ending all his actions, and all his enterprifes, with prayer: And indeed he never failed, either before or after an engagement, to acquit himfelf, in the prefence of the whole army. of this religious duty. When they were arrived on the frontiers of Affyria, it was fill their firft care to pay their homage to the gods of the country, and to implore their protection and fuccour: After which, they began to make incurfions into the country, and carried off a great deal of spoil.

Cyrus, understanding that the enemy's army was about ten days journey from them, prevailed upon Cyaxares to advance forwards, and march up to them. When the armies came within fight, both fides prepared for battle. The Affyrians were encamped in the open country; and, according to their cuftom, which the Romans imitated afterwards, had encom paffed and fortified their camp with a large ditch. Cyrus on the contrary, who was glad to deprive the enemy, as much as poffible, of the fight and knowledge of the fmallncfs of their army, covered his troops with feveral little hills and villages. Several days nothing was done on either fide, but looking at and obferving one another. At length a numerous body of the Affyrians moving firft out of their camp, Cyrus advanced with his troops to meet them. But before they came within reach of the enemy, he gave the word for rallying the men, which was, Jupiter protector and conductor. He then caufed the ordinary bymn to be founded, in honour of Caftor and G 6 Pollux,

I do not know whaber Xenophon, is this glace, does not call the Perfian cods by the name of the gods of bis ow

country.