in that
neighbourhood, and from wild beasts of the most formidable class, which
are so little disturbed in their awful lairs, that they bask at noon-day
amongst the huge hills of half-vitrified bricks. Finally, of the third
kingdom, which still retained the name of Assyria, the metropolis was
_Nineveh_, on the Tigris, revealed by Layard.

These three kingdoms had some internal wars and revolutions during the
two centuries which elapsed from the great period 777 (the period of
Sardanapalus), until the days of Cyrus, the Persian. By that time the
three had become two, the kingdom of Nineveh had been swallowed up, and
Cyrus, who was destined to form the Persian empire upon their ruins,
found one change less to be effected than might have been looked for. Of
the two which remained, he conquered one, and the other came to him by
maternal descent. Thus he gained all three, and moulded them into one,
called Persia.

VI. _Five and Five and Five._--The crowning action in which Cyrus
figures is, therefore, that of conqueror of Babylon, and all the details
of his career point forward, like markings on the dial, towards that
great event, as full of interest for the imagination as any of the
events of pre-Christian history. I would fain for once by the aid of
metre, fix more firmly in the mind of the reader the grandeur and
imposing significance of this event:

Thus in Five and Five and Five did Cyrus the Great of Elam,[40]
On a festal night break in with roar of the fierce alalagmos.[41]
Over Babylonian walls, over tower and turret of entrance,
Over helmed heads, and over the carnage of armies.
Idle the spearsman's spear, Assyrian scymitar idle;
Broken the bow-string lay of the Mesopotamian archer;
'Ride to the halls of Belshazzar, ride through the murderous uproar;
Ride to the halls of Belshazzar!' commanded Cyrus of Elam.
They rode to the halls of Belshazzar. Oh, merciful, merciful angels!
That prompt sweet tears to men, hang veils, hang drapery darkest,--
If any may hide or may pall this night's tempestuous horror.
Like a deluge the army poured in on their snorting Bactrian horses,
Rattled the Parthian quivers, rang the Parthian harness of iron,
High upon spears rode the torches, and from them in showery blazes
Rained splendour lurid and fierce on the dreamlike ruinous uproar,
Such as delusions often from fever's fierce vertical ardour
Show through the long-