bee your handmayde. For both
I conceiue the greatnesse of my state past, and feele that I can
bear this present seruitude. It lieth only in your hands how we
shal be delt withall, and whether you will make vs notable to
the worlde through your clemency or cruelty." The king comforted
them al that he might, and willinge them to be of good cheere
tooke Darius sonne in his armes. Thereat the childe was nothing
afraid, hauing neuer seene him before, but toke and imbraced him
about the necke. He was so moued with the constancy of the
childe, as he beheld Ephestion, and sayde, "Oh, I would that
Darius had had some part of this childe's gentlenesse." Which
mercy, continency, humility and constancy of minde in Alexander,
if hee had still kept to his latter daies, might haue bin
accoumpted mutch more fortunate than he was, when hauinge
subdued all Asia from Hellespont to the ocean Sea, he did
counterfayte the Triumphes of Bacchus. Or if amonges the residue
of his conquests, hee would haue trauayled to ouercome his pride
and wrath, beinge vices inuincible. Or in his dronkennes
abstayned from the slaughter of his Nobility, and not to haue
put to death those excellent men of warre without iudgement,
which helped him to conquer so many Nations: but at this time
the greatnes of his fortune had not yet altered his nature,
although afterwards he could not beare his victories with that
Vertue, wherewith he wan them: for when he gaue himself to
feasting and banquettinge, he vsed the company of Harlots:
amonges whom there was one Thais, who vpon a day in hir
dronkennesse, affirmed to Alexander, that he should wonderfully
win the fauour of the Greeks, if hee commaunded the Palace of
Persepolis to be set on fire. The destruction whereof (she sayd)
they greatly desired, for so mutch as the same was the chiefe
seat of the kings of Persia, which in times past had destroyed
so many great Citties. When the dronken harlot had giuen her
sentence, there were other present, who being likewise dronken,
confirmed hir wordes. Alexander then that had in him more
inclination of heat than of pacience, sayd: "Why do we not then
recouer the fauour of the Greekes by settinge this Citty on
fier?" They were all chafed with drinkinge, and rose immediately
vpon those words to burne that city in their dronkennesse, which
the men of warre had spared in their fury. The kinge himselfe
first, and after his guestes, his seruauntes and his Concubines,
set fier in th