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nderstand that men may be free and liberal without the help of gold." [4] "Come then," said Cyrus, "let us pay the priests our debt to heaven, select what the army requires, and then summon Gobryas and give the rest to him." So they took what they needed and gave all the rest to Gobryas. [5] Forthwith Cyrus pressed on towards Babylon, his troops in battle order. But as the Assyrians did not come out to meet them, he bade Gobryas ride forward and deliver this message: "If the king will come out to fight for his land, I, Gobryas, will fight for him, but, if he will not defend his own country, we must yield to the conquerors." [6] So Gobryas rode forward, just far enough to deliver the message in safety. And the king sent a messenger to answer him: "Thy master says to thee: 'It repents me, Gobryas, not that I slew thy son, but that I stayed my hand from slaying thee. And now if ye will do battle, come again on the thirtieth day from hence. We have no leisure now, our preparations are still on foot.'" [7] And Gobryas made answer: "It repents thee: may that repentance never cease! I have begun to make thee suffer, since the day repentance took hold on thee." [8] Then Gobryas brought back the words of the king to Cyrus, and Cyrus led his army off, and then he summoned Gobryas and said to him: "Surely you told me that you thought the man who was made an eunuch by the king would be upon our side?" "And I am sure he will," answered Gobryas, "for we have spoken freely to each other many a time, he and I." [9] "Then," said Cyrus, "you must go to him when you think the right moment has come: and you must so act at first that only he and you may know what he intends, and when you are closeted with him, if you find he really wishes to be a friend, you must contrive that his friendship remain a secret: for in war a man can scarcely do his friends more good than by a semblance of hostility, or his enemies more harm than under the guise of friendship." [10] "Aye," answered Gobryas, "and I know that Gadatas would pay a great price to punish the king of Assyria. But it is for us to consider what he can best do." [11] "Tell me now," rejoined Cyrus, "you spoke of an outpost, built against the Hyrcanians and the Sakians, which was to protect Assyria in time of war,--could the eunuch be admitted there by the commandant if he came with a force at his back?" "Certainly he could," said Gobryas, "if he were as free from su
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