OCR Text |
Show 26 L be third. Booke ofthe firSt part Cuar.3.§04.. of the Hiftory of the World, fafpesting Cyrus approach, or any other warve forthat Winter, he difmiffed the Souldiers, and fent the troupesofhis fundry Nationsto theit owne Prouinces , appointing them to re-affemble attheend of fiue moneths, acquainting his Commanders with his intents for the renewing of the warre at thetime appointed. But Cre/us fo farre enlarged his dominionsafterhis fathers death, as he was nothing inferiorin territory to any King orMonarch ofthat age: Of which,aboutthattime there - were fourein eftect ofequall ftrength;to wit,the Median,the Babylonian, the Egyptian and the Lydian : only Nabuchedonofor,after he had ioyned Phoenicia, Paleftina,and E- gyptto his Empire,had thence-forward no Competitorduring his owne life, But Cre/s,notwithftanding the men & treafure fpent in the quarrel] of the Babylonians,he yet maftred Aolis,Doris,& Ionia, Prouinces pofleft by the Greekes in Afiathe leffe, adioyning to Lydia ; gaue law to the Phrygians, Bithynians, Carians, Myfians, Paphlagonians,& otherNations.Andthat he alfoinfore't theEphefiansto acknowledge him,notwithftanding they compafledtheircity with Diana's girdle, Herodotus witnef.10 Her.l.s- feth.Moreouer, Atheneus out ofBerofus(which alfo Strabo contirmeth) makes report ofa ADEEEGSI7- Signall vidory which Cre/ws obtained againft the Saceans, 2 Nation of the Scythian, in memory whereofthe Babylonianshisallies did yearly celebrate a Feaft, whichthey called sacea: Allwhich he performedin fourteenyears. And being now confident inthe continuance of his good fortune,and enuiousof‘Cy. rus fame,doubtingalfo, that his profperous vndertakings mightin the end\growperillous to himfelfe,he.confulred with the Oracle of Apolo, whom he prefented with maruellous rich gifts, what fucceffe he might hope for againft Cyrm,ifhe vndertooke him: from whomhe receiued thisriddle ; Croefus pafsing oner the Ritter Halys , falldiffolues great Dominion.For the diuell being doubtfulofthe fucceffe,payed hirn with merchan- 20 dize ofboth fides like,and mightbe inuerted either way to the ruine ofPerfiayorofhis ownceLydia. §. BY. The Gonqueft of Lydia by Cyrus. Trus inthefollowing morningfinding the Lydians departed, put his Armytit To ( * orderto purfue them, yet not fovhaftily, and at their heeles, asto be difcouered. But hauing goodintelligence ofCra/ws his proceeding, he fo meafured his mar: ches,as he prefented not himfelf before Sardis,till fuchtime as Cra/us had difpofed his Army to their Wintring garrifons': whichbeing altogethervnlookedfor, & vnfeared, hee firrounded Sardis-with his Army: Wherein Cre/w hauing no other Companies than his Citizens && ordinary Guards,after fourteen dayesfiege the fame was entred by affault, andall executed that refifted. Crafts hauing now neither armesto fight, nor wingstoflye, Sardis being onalparts ftrongly encompaffed, thruft himfelfe into the' communi heapeand miferable multitudeofhis vaflals,and hadvadergone the commonfortune ofamitaelix commonperfons vanquihed, had nota fonne of his, who had bectie dumbeall his life ber/ oe (by extremity of paifion and feare enabled) cried outtothefouldiers to {pate Crafus. 7 3° Whothereupon being taken andiimprifoned, :def{poiled.of'all things but the expeati- reine al on ofdeath,he was forthwith tied.in fetters,and fet on the top ofa great and high heape mor vocis ef ofwood,to be confumedtoafhes thereon. To which whenthe fire wasfet and kindled, 7*"™"™""s remembring the difcourfe which hee had with the Athenian Law-giuer, He thrice cried solime.7.} §, ITI. Croefls his Expedition against Cyrus. Ereupon Gre(w being refolued to ftop the courfe ofCyras fortunes,ifhe could, Hise all the arguments vfed bySandawes to the contrary,whodéfired himto fore-thinke,That he vrged a Nationinhabiting a barren & mountainous Region,a people not coucred withthe foft filke of wormes,but withthe hard skins ofbealts;30 notfed with firch meat as they fancied, but content with what they found ; drinkers of water, not of wine : and ina word,a Nation warlike,enduring,valiant and profperous; ouer whomifhe becamevictorious, hee could thereby enrich himfelfe in nothing but fame,in which he already excelled : and ifby them beaten, & fabiected,fo great would his lofleappeare of all things whichthe world hath in account 5 as thefame couldnet- ther haftily betold,nor readily conceiued. Notwithftandingthis folid counfaile, cre/ms hauing prepareda powerfull armyshe led the fame towardsMedia, butin his paffage he was arrefted at Pterium,acity of gee ftrengthin Cappadocia ; which while he fought byall meansto farprife ortoforce, - |, rus came on,& found the Lydians encamped beforeit. That each wasinferiorto other in ftrength or opinion,I do not find : for out ofdoubt, Cre/as,as he excelled any Prince ofthat age in riches and ability; fo was he not vnder anyin territory and famethat then lined. ; outon his name,Solon, Solon, Solon :and being demanded what he meantbythat intiocation, he firft vfed filence : but vrged againe,. hetoldthem, That he had nowfound it ttuewhichSe/en hadtong fince told him, That many men in the raceand courfes oftheir condnéed him to iguade his territory, &-to make him ofafriend an enemy? To whom hethus anfwered; It was thy ptofperous,and my vnprofperous deftiny(the Grecian god flattering therewithall my ambition) that werethe inuenters and conductors of Crafas Warteagainft Cyrus. . Grusbeing pierc't with Cre/us anfwer,& bewailing his eftate, thoughvictorious ouer it,did not only {pare his life,but entertained hinveuer afteras a king and his companion, 40 wing therein atrue effet ofmercy indeed,Que non canfam,fea fortunam[pectat. nd herein is the reall difference difcerned between that behauiour which wecall Be- seficinm letronis, ¢ gratiam Principis : Atheefefometime {paring thelife of him which iin his power,butvniuftly : A King that giueth breath, and a continuance ofbeing, to m that was the caufe and authorofhis owneeuill. But as Cratippus of Mitylene anfivered Pompey when he complained againft the gods, becaufe they fauoured a difturber and vfurper of the Common-weale againft him W 0 Creportmade by Yemophon,is, That Cyrus didfriendly entertaine Cra/fas at the fought for the Romane liberty,That Kingdomes & Commonweales had their encreale firlt fight, not mentioning that which Heredotus delivers, and is herealready fet down, that hee thould haue beene burntaliue. It may very wellbe, that Xesophon pourtray- at hand, the leaues ofhis flourifhiag fortune ready tofall, and that of Cyras but us Ing(iN Cyrus) an heroycall Prince, thoughtanintent fo cruell, fitter to bee forgotten than rehearfed, as toomuch mif-befeeming a gencrous nature. And it is very likely, so "at neereneffe ofalliance might with-hold Cyrus (had hee beene otherwife vicious) and periodfromdiuine Ordinance: fo atthis time was the Winter of Crafus profper! flower and firft (pring.The God ofall power,and not Admeris Herdman, pelle, haa g . uen adateto the one,and a beginning ofglory to theother. one When thefetwo Armies were in view ofeach otherafter the entertainment of divers tom fo cruel] a purpofe againft his erandmothers brother. Howfoeuer it was, the Mo= skirmithes,the Perfians & Lydians beganto ioyne in groffe troupes: fupplies from poe tall part of the Story hath giuen muehcredit and reputation tothe report of Heredotus fians had fomewhatthebetterof the day, fo when: the darke vaile ofnight had hicden each Army fromthe others yiew , Crefws: doubting what fuccefle the rifing Sunne would bring withit, quitted the field to Cyrus,and withall {peede poflible rety" = aoe afterwards may feemeto argue, that Cyrus didnot vfe him inhumanely Kings thruft onvponthefalling off, and adwancement ofeither Nations : ScastheP - red,and takingthe nextway into Lydiarecoucred Sardis his firft City and Regal S Withontany purfuit made by Cyras tolretard him. Wherebeing arriued, - oo ulp : lines might well be accounted fortunate,but Homancould difcerne himfelfe for happy #4" auin bo: indeed,till his end. pipkaier 30 Ofwhich anfwer Cyrus beirig {peedily informed,remembring the changes.offortune meminit/ui, and his owne mortality , he commanded his minifters of Iuftice to withdraw the fire "" withall diligence,to faue Crefus,and to conduct himtohis prefénce : Which done, cyras demanded of him,Whoit was that ‘had perfwaded him'? or whatfelfe reafon had "stomanythe likeit often doth) and madeitpafle forcurrant;though the truft repoCi efirft, ; 4 3 nailer ty Foras Herodotus himfelfe telleth vs,when Cyras paft with his Armyouer Araxes into Rath Crafas to accompanyandaduife fonne Camby/és, the Pite inhehisleft abfence,with whomheliuedall thehis time of Cyrus,& didGouernourof afterward i:a Cam -"y es |