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mon him to perform the treaty; and in the mean time ordered his troops to advance. This threw the king into a state of great alarm and perplexity. He hurriedly collected what troops he could, and dispatched his youngest son into the mountains with his wives, his daughters, and all that he deemed most precious. He then sent out scouts to observe the movements of Cyrus; and being informed by them that he was very near, he lost heart, and resolved to yield himself up. The other Armenians immediately took to flight, hurrying homeward as fast as possible. Others fled from their houses to escape the enemy.

5. Cyrus, however, seeing the people endeavoring to escape, sent word to them that they should not be harmed if they remained in their dwellings; but that if found running away from them, they should be treated as enemies. Those who had been sent to the mountains were taken prisoners; and thus the queen, the king's son, his daughters, his eldest son's wife, and his treasures, all fell into the hands of Cyrus. The king himself soon afterward was compelled to surrender; and he, with all his family, was brought into the presence of the conqueror. Tigra'nes, the king's eldest son, who had just arrived home after a long journey, could not forbear weeping at so distressing a calamity. Cyrus said to him, "Prince, you have come very opportunely to witness the trial of your father."

6. He immediately assembled the captains of the Persians and Medes, and required also that the nobles of Armenia should be present. Even the ladies were not excluded, but attended in their chariots, so that they could see and hear all that passed. Everything being ready, he thus addressed the vanquished king:-"Armenian, I advise thee to answer all questions proposed in this trial without the least dissimulation, for nothing can be more unworthy of a king than falsehood." "Ask what you please," replied the king, "the truth shall be told, let what will happen." "Tell me, then," said Cyrus, "didst thou not some time ago carry on war with the Medes under my grandfather Astyages?" "I did,” replied the king.

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7. "Being vanquished in that war, didst thou not conclude a treaty with him, promising to pay a certain tribute, to furnish a quota of troops, and to keep no fortified places in the country?" "I cannot deny it," he replied. "For what reason, then," continued Cyrus, "have you violated this treaty, refusing to pay the tribute or to furnish the troops, and beginning the erection of fortifications?" "For the sake of freedom," replied the Armenian; "for I thought it would be glorious to shake off the yoke myself, and so leave my children the blessings of lib. erty." "It is indeed honorable," said Cyrus, "to fight for freedom; but if any one, by being vanquished in war or otherwise, were reduced to slavery, and he should attempt to run away from his master, what would you do with him?" "I must confess," said the king, "that I should punish him.”

8. "And if you had intrusted a person with the government of a province, and he should be guilty of misconduct, would you continue him in the office, or put some other in his place ?" "I would certainly displace him for another," said the king. "And if he had accumulated great riches by his unlawful practices?" "I would deprive him of them." "But what if he had gone so far as to hold treasonable communication with your enemies?" "I would put him to death,” replied the king; "for though I condemn myself, I must speak the truth." At these words Tigranes tore the tiara' from his head, and rent his garments; the women burst into lamentations and wailings, as if their father had already perished.

9. Cyrus having commanded silence, then said: "Be it so; these words of thine are just, Armenian. Now tell me what, consistently with them, thou advisest that I should do with thee?" But the king was silent, unwilling to pass sentence of death upon himself, and unable to contradict what he had already uttered. Then Tigranes, the king's son, spoke as follows:-"Since, O Cyrus, my father hesitates to speak, may I not offer a few words of counsel ?" And Cyrus having given his consent, he continued: "Is it wise to put my father to death against your own interest? For he never was so capable of serving you as he is at present." "How can that be," said

Cyrus; "do the faults we commit give us an additional title to favor and consideration ?"

10. "They certainly do," replied the prince; "if they seem to make us wiser. For wisdom is of inestimable value: are either riches, courage, or address to be compared to it? Now, it is evident, this single day's experience has infinitely improved my father's wisdom. He knows how dear the violation of his word has cost him. He has proved and felt how much you are superior to him in all respects. He has not been able to succeed in any of his designs; but you have happily accomplished all yours; and with such expedition and secrecy, that he has found himself surrounded and taken before he expected to be attacked; and the very place of his retreat has served only to ensnare him." "But your father," replied Cyrus, “has yet undergone no sufferings that can have taught him wisdom."

11. "The fear of evils," answered Tigranes, "when it is so well founded as this is, has a much sharper sting, and is more capable of piercing the soul, than evil itself. Besides, permit me to say that gratitude is a stronger and more prevailing motive than any whatever; and there can be no obligations in the world of a higher nature, than those you will lay upon my father. His fortune, liberty, sceptre, life, wives, and children, all, restored to him with such a generosity: where can you find, illustrious prince, in one single person, so many powerful ties to attach him to your service ?"

12. "Well, then," replied Cyrus, turning to the king, "if I should yield to your son's entreaties, with what number of men, and with what amount of money, will you assist us in the war against the Babylonians?" "My troops and treasures," said the Armenian king, "are no longer mine; they are entirely yours: I can raise forty thousand foot, and eight thousand horse; and as to money, I reckon, including the treasure which my father left me, there are three thousand talents in ready money. All these are wholly at your disposal." Cyrus accepted half the number of the troops, and left the king the other half for defense of the country against the Chaldeans, with whom he was at war.

13. The annual tribute which was due to the Medes he doubled, and instead of fifty talents, he exacted a hundred, and borrowed the like sum over and above in his own name. "But what would you give me," added Cyrus, "for the ransom of your wives ?" "All that I have in the world,” replied the king. "And for the ransom of your children ?" "The same thing." "From this time, then, you are indebted to me. the double of all your possessions. And you, Tigranes. at what price would you redeem the liberty of your lady?" Now he had but lately married her, and was passionately fond of her. "At the price," says he, "of a thousand lives, if I had them." Cyrus then conducted them all to his tent, and entertained them at supper. It is easy to imagine what transports of joy there must have been upon this occasion.

14. After supper, as they were discoursing upon various subjects, Cyrus asked Tigranes what was become of a governor he had often seen hunting with him, and for whom he had a particular esteem. "Alas!" said Tigranes, "he is no more; and I dare not tell you by what accident I lost him." Cyrus pressing him to tell him, "My father," continued Tigranes, "seeing I had a very tender affection for this governor, and that I was extremely attached to him, suspected it might be of some ill consequence, and put him to death. But he was so honest 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 occasion any disaffection in you toward the king, your father. What he has done to me did not proceed from malice, but only from prejudice, and a false notion wherewith he was unhappily blinded.'" "O the excellent man!" cried Cyrus, never forget the last advice he gave you."

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"I should never myself have found out what the story of the governor's being put to death by the father of Tigranes signified, though I was very sensible it was a kind of enigma, and figurative of something else. A person of quality, one of the greatest wits and finest speakers of the last age, who was perfectly well acquainted with the Greek authors, explained it to me many years ago, which I have not forgotten, and which I take to be the true meaning of that enigma. He supposed Xenophon intended it as a picture of the death of his master, Socrates, of whom the state of Athens be came jealous on account of the extraordinary attachment all the youth of the city had to him; which at last gave occasion to that philosopher's condemnation and death, which he suffered without murmur or complaint."-Rollin.

15. When the conversation was ended, Cyrus, before they parted, 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; some extolling his wisdom, others his valor; some admiring the sweetness of his temper, others praising the beauty of his person and the majesty of his mien. "And you," says Tigranes, addressing himself to his lady, "what do you think of Cyrus's aspect and deportment?" "I do not know," replied the lady; "I did not observe him." "Upon what object, then, did you fix your eyes?" "Upon him that said he would give a thousand lives to ransom my liberty."

Death of Cyrus.-Rollin.

[The account given by Rollin is chiefly a translation from Xenophon's "History of Cyrus."]

1. EQUALLY beloved by his own natural subjects and by those of the conquered nations, he peaceably enjoyed the fruits of his labors and victories. His empire was bounded on the east by the river Indus, on the north by the Euxine and Caspian Seas, on the west by the Egean Sea, and on the south by Ethiopia and the Sea of Arabia. He established his residence in the midst of all these countries, spending, generally, seven months of the year at Babylon in the winter season, because of the warmth of that climate; three months at Susa, in the spring; and two months at Ecbat'ana during the heat of the summer.

2. Seven years being spent in this tranquillity, Cyrus returned into Persia, which was the seventh time from his accession to the whole monarchy, which shows that he used to go regularly into Persia once a year. Cambyses had now been dead for some time, and Cyrus was grown pretty old, being at this time about seventy years of age, thirty of which had passed since his being first made general of the Persian forces, nine from the taking of Babylon, and seven from his beginning to

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