XI.

certain number of gallant youths; who, when the LETTER Persian nobles, heated with wine, attempted to take certain liberties, drew their concealed daggers, and put them all to death 89.

The address of the Macedonian prince, who afterward ascended the throne, in giving a large sum of money, and his sister Gygea in marriage to Bubares, the officer that came to inquire into the cause of the death of the Persian deputies, prevented this-assassination from being publicly known9o. The recal of Megabyzus allowed him no leisure to inquire into the transaction, or to revenge the murder, had he been so disposed. And events of more importance engaged the attention of the Persian monarch.

As the preservation of the sovereignty of Asiatic Greece appears to have been Darius's chief motive for invading Europe, and retaining the conquest of

89. Id. Historiar. lib. v. cap. xix-xxi. This is one of the most valuable anecdotes preserved by the venerable father of history, and the first philosophical traveller. From it we learn, that the Persian women were usually present at public entertainments (Id. ibid.); and that the Macedonian women, who followed the Grecian customs, were confined to their own apartments, on all occasions, and only seen by their husbands and nearest relations (Herodot, ubi sup.). Before Alexander introduced the disguised youths, he desired the Macedonian ladies, who had been insulted, to withdraw, in order to bathe before they went to bed, that they might be more agreeable to their Persian paramours. And when the disguised youths entered, in female attire, he presented them to the Persian nobles, and said, "We have treated you with all kind of variety. We have given "you not only all we had, but whatever we could procure. And "what is yet more, we have not even denied you our wives and daughters, to complete our hospitality; that you may be fully per"suaded we have paid you all due honours; and may, at your return,

46

acquaint the king who sent you, that a Grecian prince of Macedo"nia gave you a good reception, and contributed to your pleasure "both at table and in bed." Herodot. Historiar. lib. v. cap. xx.

90. Id. lib. v. cap. xxi.

Thrace,

PART I. Thrace, he took the most politic measures for that end; both during his stay at Sardis, and after his return to Susa. He not only confirmed Histiæus, to whose fidelity he was indebted for his safe retreat over the Danube, in the government of Miletus, but rewarded him with the territory of Myrcinus on the river Strymon in Thrace; and gave him permission there to build a city". He subjected to his sway several of the islands in the Ægean sea, and committed the government of them to such of the natives, as he had reason to think were firmly attached to his interest 92. He became even jealous of Histiæus, the Milesian, because of his great influence in Ionia, and the power which he was likely to acquire, in consequence of his new city and territory in Thrace93. The progress of this jealousy, as related by Herodotus, claims particular notice.

When Megabyzus arrived at Sardis, in order to deliver up his command, after he had completed the conquest of Thrace, and received the submission of Macedonia, he thus addressed Darius:-" What "have you done, O king! in permitting a bold and 66 aspiring Grecian chief to found a city in Thrace? "-a country abounding in materials for shipbuild"ing; in men fit for the oar, and in mines of gold; "with both Greek and barbarian adventurers, who "want only a leader, in order to execute any ambi❝tious enterprise. Put a stop, therefore, to the "proceedings of Histiæus, if you would avoid the "troubles of intestine war 94."

Convinced of the soundness of this reasoning, and aware of the policy of using gentle means,

91. Herodot. lib. v. cap. xi.

92. Id. Historiar. lib. v. cap. xxiii-xxvii.

93. Id. ibid.

94. Herodot. lib. iv. cap. xxiii.

XI.

Darius sent a messenger to invite Histiæus to LETTER Sardis. On his arrival, the Persian monarch insidiously said, "Histiæus! ever since my return from "Scythia, and thy departure from my presence, my "most ardent wish has been to see and converse "with thee again; persuaded, that a wise and affec"tionate friend is the most valuable of all acqui"sitions. And that those qualities are combined " in thee, experience has given me sufficient proof. "Now, since thy company is so acceptable to me, I "will make thee a proposal:-Think no more of "Miletus, or of the city which thou art building in "Thrace, but go with me to Susa, and take part in "all I possess. Be my companion and counsel. "lor 95,"

Histiæus accepted this offer, because he knew his refusal would avail him nothing; appointing Aristagoras, his nephew and son-in-law, governor of Miletus during his absence. And Darius departed for Susa, accompanied with the object of his jealousy; leaving his brother Artaphernes, satrap of Sardis, and chief governor of Asia Minor97. Otanes, the son of Sysamnes, one of the royal judges, and who had himself acted in a judicial capacity, succeeded Megabyzus in the command of the Persian forces in Europe, and reduced Byzantium, with several other places, on both sides of the Propontis 99, which either had not before submitted to the Persian arms, or which had withdrawn their allegiance from the great king.

Meanwhile the ambition of Darius had taken a new direction. It pointed him toward the rich countries, in the extremity of the east, which have in all ages excited the avidity of mankind. In order to make a discovery of those countries, as well as

PART I.

Ant. Chr.

509. Olympiad Ixvii. 4.

Ant. Chr. 506.

lxviii. 3.

to acquire a knowledge of the sea-coast of his extensive dominions in the south, he caused a fleet to be built at Cospatyrus; a city on the river Indus, as high as the frontiers of Asiatic Scythia".

That fleet was built under the direction of Scylax, a Grecian navigator, who was also intrusted with the command of it. Scylax fell down the Indus to the ocean; then, steering westward, passed the Persian gulf; sailed round the Arabian peninsula; entered the Arabian gulf; and arrived, after a voyage of two years and six months, at the harbours, whence the Phœnicians, in the service of the king of Egypt, had set out, as formerly related, to circumnavigate the African continent 100

C

Furnished with the information he desired, in con Olympiad sequence of this successful voyage, Darius passed the Indus at the head of a great army, and made himself master of the rich and populous country between that river and the Ganges o. It formed the twentieth, and last acquired province of his vast empire, and paid an annual tribute of three hundred and sixty talents of gold, or about a million sterling annually 10

Thus, my lord, are we naturally led to consider the government and police of the Persian empire, now at its height; and when its administration was fully established, by the wise policy of Darius Hystaspes.

The sway of the Persian monarch, like that of all great masters of empire, was in some measure absolute; and the reverence, with which he was approached, fell in nothing short of that paid to the

99. Herodot. lib. iii. cap. cii. lib. iv. cap. xliv.

100. Id. ibid.

101. Herodot. lib. iv. cap. xliv.

102. Id. lib. iii. cap. xciv.

XI.

Deity, his courtiers prostrating themselves before LETTER him103. But the great king, as he was usually called by the Greeks, and the king of kings, as he was styled by his Asiatic subjects, could take no resolution concerning public affairs, but in conjunction with his council of state; consisting of seven Persian princes or noblemen (as we have had occasion to observe), conformable to the number of compatriots that slew the magian usurper.

Justice, in the Persian empire, was administered by able judges, whose decisions were regulated by fixed laws, not dictated by arbitrary will, as in other despotic governments. Nor could any sentence be pronounced upon a criminal, before the accused person had been confronted with his accusers105. And this privilege seems to have been indulged to slaves as well as to free subjects106.

The same liberal policy was extended to the general government of the Persian empire, and also to the administration of the finances. Not only the satraps, or governors of provinces, who were intrusted with the collection of the royal revenue, but the governors of inferior districts, were appointed by the great king; accountable ultimately to him for their conduct, in their particular jurisdictions, not to the satrap under whom they acted; and remova

103. Plut. Vit. Themist. Plato, in Alcibiad. We must not, how. ewer, assert with Mr: Gibbon, that the absolute and fluctuating will of the Persian monarch was the only rule of moral obligation (Hist. of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chap. xlii.); though that will was flatteringly allowed by the pliant and intimidated judges of Cambyses to be the sole rule of his own moral conduct, in regard to what concerned himself only, marrying within the legal degrees of kindred. Herodot. lib. iii. cap. xxxi.