on
of certain herbs, thickened with a coarse kind of flour, were then
brought in and placed upon the ground. I had learned, during my travels
in different countries, to discard the false antipathies which so many
nations entertain against the diet as well as manners of each other.
Whatever is adapted to support life is proper for the food of man; habit
will reconcile us to any kind of food; and he that can accustom himself
to be the most easily contented, is happiest and best prepared for
performing the duties of life. I therefore placed myself by the side of
Arsaces, and fed without any visible repugnance upon the diet, which
would have excited abhorrence in the minds of all my countrymen. With
them it was a work of the greatest importance to settle the formalities
of a meal; to contrive a new and poignant sauce, to combine contrary
flavours in a pickle, to stimulate the jaded appetite to new exertions,
till reason and everything human sank under the undigested mass of food,
were reckoned the highest efforts of genius; even the magistrate did not
blush to display a greater knowledge of cookery than of the laws; the
debates of the senate itself were often suspended by the fear of losing
a repast; and many of our generals prided themselves more on the
arrangement of their tables, than the martial evolutions of their
troops.

"'After we had eaten some time, Arsaces asked me what I thought of the
Scythian method of living? 'To speak my sentiments,' said I, 'it is more
formidable to your enemies than agreeable to your friends.' He smiled at
my sincerity, and I departed; but from this hour he distinguished me
with marks of peculiar favour, and admitted me to all his councils.

"'This envied mark of distinction gave me no other pleasure than as it
sometimes enabled me to be useful to my unhappy countrymen, and mitigate
the rigour of their conquerors. Indeed, while the great Arsaces lived,
his love of justice and order was so great, that even the conquered were
safe from all oppression; the peasant pursued his useful labours
unterrified by the march of armies, or, unsolicited, brought the produce
of his fields to a voluntary market; merchants from all the neighbouring
nations crowded to our ports, attracted by the order and justice which
were enforced in every part of Arsaces' dominions; and even the
vanquished themselves, defended from oppression and protected in their
possessions, considered the success of the Scythians rat