o the
tent of Philotas, late at night, to arrest him. The officers found
their unhappy victim asleep. They awoke him, and made known their
errand. Philotas arose, and obeyed the summons, dejected and
distressed, aware, apparently, that his destruction was impending.

The next morning Alexander called together a large assembly,
consisting of the principal and most important portions of the army,
to the number of several thousands. They came together with an air of
impressive solemnity, expecting, from the preliminary preparations,
that business of very solemn moment was to come before them, though
they knew not what it was.

These impressions of awe and solemnity were very much increased by the
spectacle which first met the eyes of the assembly after they were
convened. This spectacle was that of the dead body of Dymnus, bloody
and ghastly, which Alexander ordered to be brought in and exposed to
view. The death of Dymnus had been kept a secret, so that the
appearance of his body was an unexpected as well as a shocking sight.
When the first feeling of surprise and wonder had a little subsided,
Alexander explained to the assembly the nature of the conspiracy, and
the circumstances connected with the self-execution of one of the
guilty participators in it. The spectacle of the body, and the
statement of the king, produced a scene of great and universal
excitement in the assembly, and this excitement was raised to the
highest pitch by the announcement which Alexander now made, that he
had reason to believe that Philotas and his father Parmenio, officers
who had enjoyed his highest favor, and in whom he had placed the most
unbounded confidence, were the authors and originators of the whole
design.

He then ordered Philotas to be brought in. He came guarded as a
criminal, with his hands tied behind him, and his head covered with a
coarse cloth. He was in a state of great dejection and despondency. It
is true that he was brought forward for trial, but he knew very well
that trial meant torture, and that there was no hope for him as to the
result. Alexander said that he would leave the accused to be dealt
with by the assembly, and withdrew.

The authorities of the army, who now had the proud and domineering
spirit which had so long excited their hatred and envy completely in
their power, listened for a time to what Philotas had to say in his
own justification. He showed that there was no evidence whatever
against him, and