1 Fere vinolentiam crudelitas sequitur; "Cruelty doth com"monly follow drunkenness :" for so it fell out soon after, and often in Alexander.

SECT. XIII.

The treason of Bessus against Darius. Darius's death. ABOUT this time he received a new supply of soldiers out of Cilicia, and goes on to find Darius in Media. Darius had there compounded his fourth and last army, which he meant to have increased in Bactria, had he not heard of Alexander's coming on, with whom (trusting to such companies as he had, which was numbered at thirty or forty thousand) he determined once again to try his fortune. He therefore calls together his captains and commanders, and propounds unto them his resolution, who being desperate of good success used silence for a while. Artabazus, one of his eldest men of war, who had sometime lived with Philip of Macedon, brake the ice, and protesting that he could never be beaten by any adversity of the king's, from the faith which he had ever owed him, with firm confidence that all the rest were of the same disposition, (whereof they likewise assured Darius by the like protestation,) he approved the king's resolution. Two only, and those the greatest, to wit, Naburzanes and Bessus, whereof the latter was governor of Bactria, had conspired against their master, and therefore advised the king to lay a new foundation for the war, and to pursue it by some such person for the present, against whom neither the gods nor fortune had in all things declared themselves to be an enemy: this preamble Naburzanes used, and in conclusion advised the election of his fellow traitor Bessus, with promise that, the wars ended, the empire should again be restored to Darius. The king swollen with disdain pressed towards Naburzanes to have slain him, but Bessus and the Bactrians whom he commanded being more in number than the rest, withheld him. In the mean while Naburzanes withdrew himself, and Bessus followed him, making their quarter apart from the 1 Sen. Epist. 84.

rest of the army. Artabazus, the king's faithful servant, persuaded him to be advised, and serve the time, seeing Alexander was at hand, and that he would at least make show of forgetting the offence made, which the king, being of a gentle disposition, willingly yielded unto. Bessus makes his submission, and attends the king, who removes his army. Patron, who commanded a regiment of four thousand Greeks, which had in all the former battles served Darius with great fidelity, and always made the retreat in spite of the Macedonians, offered himself to guard his person, protesting against the treason of Bessus; but it was not in his destiny to follow their advice who from the beginning of the war gave him faithful counsel, but he inclined still to Bessus, who told him, that the Greeks with Patron their captain were corrupted by Alexander, and practised the division of his faithful servants. Bessus had drawn unto him thirty thousand of the army, promising them all those things by which the lovers of the world and themselves are wont to be allured, to wit, riches, safety, and honour.

Now the day following Darius plainly discovered the purposes of Bessus, and being overcome with passion, as thinking himself unable to make head against these ungrateful and unnatural traitors, he prayed Artabazus his faithful servant to depart from him, and to provide for himself. In like sort he discharged the rest of his attendants, all save a few of his eunuchs; for his guards had voluntarily abandoned him; his Persians being most base cowards, durst not undertake his defence against the Bactrians, notwithstanding that they had four thousand Greeks to join with them, who had been able to have beaten both nations. But it is true, that him which forsakes himself no man follows. It had been far more manlike and kinglike, to have died in the head of those four thousand Greeks, which offered him the disposition of their lives, (to which Artabazus persuaded him,) than to have lain bewailing himself on the ground, and suffering himself to be bound like a slave by those ambitious monsters that laid hand on him,

whom neither the consideration of his former great estate, nor the honours he had given them, nor the trust reposed in them, nor the world of benefits bestowed on them, could move to pity; no, nor his present adversity, which above all things should have moved them, could pierce their viperous and ungrateful hearts. Vain it was indeed to hope it, for infidelity hath no compassion.

Now Darius, thus forsaken, was bound and laid in a cart, covered with hides of beasts, to the end that by any other ornament he might not be discovered; and to add despite and derision to his adversity, they fastened him with chains of gold, and so drew him on among their ordinary carriages and carts. For Bessus and Nabarzanes persuaded themselves to redeem their lives and the provinces they held, either by delivering him a prisoner to Alexander, or if that hope failed, to make themselves kings by his slaughter, and then to defend themselves by force of arms. But they failed in both for it was against the nature of God, who is most just, to pardon so strange villainy, yea though against a prince purely heathenish and an idolater.

:

Alexander having knowledge that Darius was retired towards Bactria, and durst not abide his coming, hasted after him with a violent speed; and because he would not force his footmen beyond their powers, he mounted on horseback certain selected companies of them, and best armed, and with six thousand other horse, rather ran than marched after Darius. Such as hated the treason of Bessus, and secretly forsook him, gave knowledge to Alexander of all that had happened, informing him of the way that Bessus took, and how near he was at hand; for many men of worth daily ran from him. Hereupon Alexander again doubled his pace, and his van-guard being discovered by Bessus's rear, Bessus brought a horse to the cart, where Darius lay bound, persuading him to mount thereon, and to save himself. But the unfortunate king refusing to follow those that had betrayed him, they cast darts at him, wounded him to death, and wounded the beasts that drew him, and slew two poor servants that attended his person. This done, they all fled

that could, leaving the rest to the mercy of the Macedonian swords.

Polystratus, a Macedonian, being by pursuit of the vanquished pressed with thirst, as he was refreshing himself with some water that he had discovered, espying a cart with a team of wounded beasts breathing for life, and not able to move, searched the same, and therein found Darius bathing in his own blood. And by a Persian captive which followed this Polystratus, he understood that it was Darius, and was informed of this barbarous tragedy; Darius also seemed greatly comforted, (if dying men ignorant of the living God can be comforted,) that he cast not out his last sorrows unheard, but that by this Macedonian, Alexander might know and take vengeance on those traitors which had dealt no less unworthily than cruelly with him, recommending their revenge to Alexander by this messenger, which he besought him to pursue, not because Darius had desired it, but for his own honour, and for the safety of all that did or should after wear crowns. He also, having nothing else to present, rendered thanks to Alexander for the kingly grace used towards his wife, mother, and children,` desiring the immortal gods to submit unto him the empire of the whole world. As he was thus speaking, impatient death pressing out his few remaining spirits, he desired water, which Polystratus presented him; after which he lived but to tell him, that of all the best things that the world had, which were lately in his power, he had nothing remaining but his last breath wherewith to desire the gods to reward his compassion.

SECT. XIV.

How Alexander pursued Bessus, and took into his grace Darius's captains.

IT was now hoped by the Macedonians that their travels were near an end, every man preparing for his return. Hereof when Alexander had knowledge, he was greatly grieved; for the bounded earth sufficed not his boundless ambition. Many arguments he therefore used to draw on

his army further into the east; but that which had most strength was, that Bessus, a most cruel traitor to his master Darius, having at his devotion the Hyrcanians and Bactrians, would in short time (if the Macedonians should return) make himself lord of the Persian empire, and enjoy the fruits of all their former travails. In conclusion, he wan their consents to go on; which done, leaving Craterus with certain regiments of foot, and Amyntas with six thousand horse in Parthenia, he enters, not without some opposition, into Hyrcania; for the Mardons, and other barbarous nations, defended certain passage for a while. He passeth the river of Zioberis, which taking beginning in Parthia dissolves itself in the Caspian sea; it runneth under the ledge of mountains which bound Parthia and Hyrcania, where hiding itself under ground for three hundred furlongs, it then riseth again, and followeth its former course. In Zadracarta, or Zeudracarta, the same city which Ptolomy writes Hyrcania, the metropolis of that region, he rested fifteen days, banqueting and feasting therein.

Phataphernes, one of Darius's greatest commanders, with other of his best followers, submit themselves to Alexander, and were restored to their places and governments. But of all other he graced Artabazus most highly, for his approved and constant faith to his master Darius. Artabazus brought with him ten thousand and five hundred Greeks, the remainder of all those that had served Darius; he treats with Alexander for their pardon before they were yet arrived, but in the end they render themselves simply without promise or composition; he pardons all but the Lacedæmonians, whom he imprisoned, their leader having slain himself. He was also wrought (though to his great dishonour) to receive Nabarzanes, that had joined with Bessus to murder Darius.

SECT. XV.

Of Thalestris, queen of the Amazons, where by way of digression it is shewed that such Amazons have been and are.

HERE it is said that Thalestris, or Minothea, a queen