dogs; in which, it is supposed that the wolves one day told the sheep, that, in case they desired to be at peace with them, they must deliver up to them the dogs, who were their guard.

The application was easy and natural; especially with respect to the orators, who were justly compared to dogs, whose duty it was to watch, to bark, and to fight, in order to save the lives of the flock. In this afflicting dilemma of the Athenians, who could not prevail with themselves to deliver up their orators to certain death, though they had no other way to save their city, Demades, whom Alexander had honoured with his friendship, offered to undertake the embassy alone, and intercede for them.

The king, whether he had satiated his revenge, or endeavoured to blot out, if possible, by some act of clemency, the barbarous action he had just before committed; or rather, to remove the several obstacles which might retard the execution of his grand design, and, by that means, not leave, during his absence, the least pretence for murmurs, waved his demand with regard to the delivery of the orators, and was pacified by their sending Caridemus into banishment; who, being a native of Oræa, a small country of Peloponnesus, had been presented, by the Athenians, with his freedom, for the services he had done the republic.

He was son-in-law to Chersobleptus, king of Thrace; had learned the art of war under Iphicrates; and had himself frequently commanded the Athenian armies. To avoid the pursuit of Alexander, he took refuge with the king of Persia. As for the Athenians, he not only forgave them the several injuries he pre tended to have received, but expressed a particular regard fos them, exhorting them to apply themselves vigorously to public affairs; and to keep a watchful eye over the several transaction which might happen; because, in case of his death, their city was to give laws to the rest of Greece.

Historians relate, that, many years after this expedition, he was seized with deep remorse for the calamity he had brought upon the Thebans, and that this made him behave with much greater humanity towards many other nations. So dreadful an example of severity, towards so powerful a city as Thebes, spread the terror of his arms through all Greece, and made all things give way before him. He summoned, at Corinth, the assembly of the several states and free cities of Greece, to obtain from them the same supreme command against the Persians, which had been granted his father, a little before his death.

No assembly ever debated upon a more important subject. It was the western world deliberating upon the ruin of the east, and the method for executing a revenge, which had been suspended more than an age. The assembly held at this time, gave rise to events, the relation of which appears astonishing, and almost

incredible; and to revolutions, which contributed to change the disposition of most things in the political world.

To form such a design, required a prince, bold, enterprising, and experienced in war; one of great views, who, having acquired a great name by his exploits, was not to be intimidated by danger, nor checked by obstacles; but, above all, a monarch, who had the supreme authority over all the states of Greece, none of which, singly, was powerful enough to make so arduous an attempt; and which required, in order for their acting in concert, to be subject to one chief, who might give motion to the several parts of that great body, by making them all concur to the same end.

Such a prince, was Alexander: it was not difficult for him to rekindle, in the minds of the people, their ancient hatred of the Persians, their perpetual and irreconcilable enemies; whose destruction they had more than once sworn, and whom they had determined to extirpate, in case an opportunity should present itself; a hatred, which the intestine feuds of the Greeks, might indeed have suspended, but could never extinguish.

The immortal retreat of the ten thousand Greeks, notwithstanding the vigorous opposition of the prodigious army of the Persians, showed plainly what might be expected from an army composed of the flower of the forces of all the cities of Greece, and those of Macedon, commanded by generals formed under Philip; and to say all in a word, led on by Alexander. The deliberations of the assembly were therefore very short; and that prince was unanimously appointed generalissimo against the Persians.

Immediately, a great number of officers and governors of cities, with many philosophers, waited upon Alexander, to congratulate him upon his election. He flattered himself that Diogenes of Synope, who was then at Corinth, would also come, like the rest and pay his compliments. This philosopher, who entertained a very mean opinion of grandeur, thought it improper to congratulate men just upon their exaltation, but that mankind ought to wait, till those persons should perform actions worthy of their high stations.

Diogenes, therefore, still continued at home; upon which, Alexander, attended by all his courtiers, made him a visit. The philosopher was, at that time, lying down in the sun; but, seeing so great a crowd of people advancing towards him, he sat up, and fixed his eyes on Alexander. This prince, surprised to behold so famous a philosopher reduced to such extreme poverty, after saluting him, in the kindest manner, asked, "whether he wanted any thing?" Diogenes replied, "Yes, that you would stand a little out of my sunshine."

This answer raised the contempt and indignation of all the cour tiers; but the monarch, struck with the philosopher's greatness of

soul-"Were 1 not Alexander," says he, "I would be Diogenes.' This presents us with the true image of Alexander and Diogenes. How great and powerful soever that prince might think himself, he could not deny himself, on this occasion, inferior to a man to whom he could give, and from whom he could take, nothing.

Alexander, before he set out for Asia, was determined to consult the oracle of Apollo. He therefore went to Delphos, where he happened to arrive in those days which are called unlucky; a season, in which people are forbidden to consult the oracle; and, accordingly, the priestess refused to go to the temple. But Alexander, who could not bear any contradiction to his will, took her torcibly by the arm, and, as he was leading her to the tem ple, she cried out, "My son, thou art irresistible." This was all he desired; and, catching hold of these words, which he considered as spoken by the oracle, he set out for Macedonia, in order to make preparations for his great expedition.

Alexander, having arrived in his kingdom, held a council with the chief officers of his ariny, and the nobles of his court, on the expedition he meditated against Persia, and the measures he should take, in order to succeed in it. The whole assembly were unani mous, except in one article. Antipater and Parmenio were of opinion, that the king, before he engaged in an enterprise which would necessarily be a long one, ought to make choice of a con sort, in order to secure himself a successor to his throne.

But Alexander, who was of a violent, fiery temper, did not approve of this advice; and believed, that, after he had been nomi. nated generalissimo of the Greeks, and that his father had left him an invincible army, it would be a shame for him to lose his time in solemnising his nuptials, and waiting for its fruits: for which reason, he determined to set out immediately.

Accordingly, he offered up very splendid sacrifices to the gods, and caused to be celebrated at Dia, a city of Macedon, scenical games, which had been instituted by one of his ancestors, in honour of Jupiter and the Muses. This festival continued nine days, agreeably to the number of those goddesses. He had a tent raised, large enough to hold a hundred tables, on which, nine hundred covers might be laid. To this feast, the several princes of his family, all the ambassadors, generals, and officers, were invited.

Before he set out upon his great expedition, he settled the affairs of Macedon, over which he appointed Antipater, as viceroy, with twelve thousand foot, and nearly the same number of horse. He also inquired into the domestic affairs of his friends, giving to one an estate in land, to another a village, to a third the revenues of a town, to a fourth the toll of a harbour. As all the revenues of his demesnes, were already employed and exhausted, by his donations, Perdiccas said to him, “My lord, what is it vou

reserve for yourself?" Alexander replied, "Hope;" upon which, Perdiccas said, "the same hope ought therefore to satisfy us;" and so refused, very generously, to accept of what the king had appointed him.

After having completely settled his affairs in Macedonia, and used all the precautions imaginable, to prevent any troubles from arising during his absence, he set out for Asia, in the beginning of the spring. His army consisted of little more than thirty thousand foot, and four or five thousand horse; but they were all brave men, well disciplined, and inured to fatigues. They had made several campaigns under Philip, and were, each of them, in case of necessity, capable of commanding; most of the officers were nearly sixty years of age, and the common men fifty; and, when they were either assembled, or drawn up at the head of a camp, they had the air of a venerable senate.

Parmenio commanded the infantry; Philotas, his son, had eigh teen hundred horse under him; and Callas, the son of Harpalus the same number of Thessalian cavalry. The rest of the horse. men were composed of natives of the several states of Greece, and, amounting to six hundred, had their particular commander. The Thracians and Pæonians, who were always in front, were neaded by Cassander. Alexander began his march along the lake Cercinum, towards Amphipolis, crossed the river Strymon, near its mouth, afterwards the Hebrus, and, in twenty days, arrived at Sestos.

He then commanded Parmenio to cross over from Sestos to Abydos, with all the horse, and part of the foot; which he ac cordingly did, with the assistance of a hundred and sixty galleys, and several flat-bottomed vessels; while he himself crossed over the Hellespont, steering his galley with his own hands: and, when he arrived near the shore, as if to take possession of the continent, he leaped from his ship, in complete armour, and testified many transports of joy.

This confidence soon began to diffuse itself over all the rest of the army: it inspired his soldiers with so much courage and se curity, that they fancied themselves marching, not to a precarious war, but a certain victory. Having arrived at the city of Lamp. sacus, which he was determined to destroy, in order to punish the rebellion of its inhabitants, Anaximenes, a native of that place came to him. This man, who was a famous historian, had beer very intimate with Philip, his father; and Alexander himself had a great esteem for him, having been his pupil. The king, suspecting the business he came upon, to be beforehand with him swore, in express terms, that he would never grant his request "The favour I have to desire of you," says Anaximenes, "is that you would destroy Lampsacus." By this witty evasion, the

historian, saved his country. From thence, Alexander went to Troy, where he paid great honours to the shade of Achilles, and caused games to be celebrated around his tomb. He admired and envied the felicity of the Grecian hero, in having found, during life, a faithful friend in Patroclus, and, after death, a noble panegyrist in Homer.

When the news of Alexander's landing in Asia, was brought to Darius, he testified the utmost contempt for the Macedonian army, and indignation at the presumption of their generals. In a letter which he wrote, he reprehended his audacious insolence, and gave orders, to his various governors, in the different parts of his dominions, that, if they took Alexander alive, they should whip him with rods, make prisoners of the whole army, and send them, as slaves, to one of the most deserted parts of his dominions.

Thus, confiding in the glittering, but barbarous multitude, which he commanded, he disposed of the enemy as already vanquished. But confidence goes only a short part of the road to success. The great numbers which he had gathered, brought only unwieldy splendour into the field; and, instead of procuring him security, increased his embarrassments.

Alexander having, at length, arrived on the banks of the Grani. cus, a river of Phrygia, there first found the Persians disposed to dispute his passage. The Persian Satraps, taking possession of the higher banks, at the head of an army of one hundred thousand foot, and upwards of ten thousand horse, seemed to promise themselves victory. Memnon, who was a Rhodian, and commanded, under Darius, all the coast of Asia, had advised the generals not to venture a battle, but lay waste the plains and even the cities. thereby to starve Alexander's army, and oblige him to return back into Europe. Memnon was the best of all Darius' generals, and had been the principal agent in his victories. It is not easy to determine what in Memnon we ought to admire most; whether his great wisdom in council, his courage and capacity in the field, or his zeal and attachment to his sovereign. The counsel given by him, on this occasion, was excellent, when we consider that his enemy was fiery and impetuous, had neither town, nor magazine, nor place of retreat; that he was entering a country to which he was absolutely a stranger, and inhabited by enemies; that delays alone would weaken and ruin him; and that his only hopes lay in immediately giving battle.

But Arsites, a Phrygian Satrap, opposed the opinion of Memnon; and protested he would never suffer the Grecians to make such havoc in the territories which he governed. This ill counsel prevailed over that of the Rhodian; whom the Persians, unhappily for them, suspected of a design to protract the war, and, by that means, make himself necessary to Darius