hine or Bay of Biscay, a course of many
thousand miles, the barbarian emigrant might wander on, as necessity or
caprice impelled him. Darius assailed the Scythians of Europe; Cyrus,
his predecessor, the Scythians of Asia.

As to Cyrus, writers are not concordant on the subject; but the
celebrated Greek historian, Herodotus, whose accuracy of research is
generally confessed, makes the great desert, which had already been
fatal, according to some accounts, to the Assyrian Semiramis, the ruin
also of the founder of the Persian Empire. He tells us that Cyrus led an
army against the Scythian tribes (Massagetae, as they were called), who
were stationed to the east of the Caspian; and that they, on finding him
prepared to cross the river which bounded their country to the South,
sent him a message which well illustrates the hopelessness of going to
war with them. They are said to have given him his choice of fighting
them either three days' march within their own territory, or three days'
march within his; it being the same to them whether he made himself a
grave in their inhospitable deserts, or they a home in his flourishing
provinces. He had with him in his army a celebrated captive, the Lydian
King Croesus, who had once been head of a wealthy empire, till he had
succumbed to the fortunes of a more illustrious conqueror; and on this
occasion he availed himself of his advice. Croesus cautioned him
against admitting the barbarians within the Persian border, and
counselled him to accept their permission of his advancing into their
territory, and then to have recourse to stratagem. "As I hear," he says
in the simple style of the historian, which will not bear translation,
"the Massagetae have no experience of the good things of life. Spare not
then to serve up many sheep, and add thereunto stoups of neat wine, and
all sorts of viands. Set out this banquet for them in our camp, leave
the refuse of the army there, and retreat with the body of your troops
upon the river. If I am not mistaken, the Scythians will address
themselves to all this good cheer, as soon as they fall in with it, and
then we shall have the opportunity of a brilliant exploit." I need not
pursue the history further than to state the issue. In spite of the
immediate success of his _ruse de guerre_, Cyrus was eventually
defeated, and lost both his army and his life. The Scythian Queen
Tomyris, in revenge for the lives which he had sacrificed to his
ambition, is