III. CYRUS THE YOUNGER.

WHEN Lysander the Lacedæmonian had come to to Cyrus" the Younger, at Sardis,1 and had brought him presents from the allies, Cyrus treated' him with great courtesy and kindness in other matters,' and in particular showed him a2 piece of ground fenced in and carefully planted. Whilst Lysander was admiring the tallness" of the trees, the straightness of their rows, and the fragrance of the perfumes which were wafted from the flowers, he remarked that he admired the ingenuity no less than the industry of the man who had measured out and designed all these things. And Cyrus answered him, "Well now, I made all the measurements you speak of; they are my rows, my designing; many even of these trees have been planted by my own hand." Then Lysander, beholding his kingly robe, the comeliness of his person, and his attire resplendent with much Persian gold and many jewels, said, "They rightly call you happy, Cyrus, since in you good fortune is combined with moral excellence."

1 Lesson 17, h. Rem. 2 Lesson 9, 2. a. 4 Lesson 7, 5.

IV.

5 tua.

3 See Grammar, § 66, 1. c. 6 Lesson 20, 4.

XENOPHON'S SACRIFICE.

WHILST Xenophon' was performing the customary sacrifice, he received the intelligence that the elder of his two sons, named Gryllus, had fallen in the battle at Mantinea. He did not, however, consider this a sufficient reasonce for omitting1 the appointeddd worship of the gods, but deemed it sufficient to lay aside his sacrificial crown. He then inquired how he had meti

1 Lit. "should be omitted on that account."

his death, and was told' that he had fallen while fighting with the utmost bravery. He therefore replaced the crown upon his head, calling the gods, to whom he was sacrificing, to witness that the pleasure he received at the valor of his son exceeded the grief occasioned by his death.

1 Lesson 22, 2.

V. THE SIBYLLINE Books.

1. An old woman, who was quite unknown to him, came to Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last king of Rome, bringing with her nine books, which she declared to be the oracles of the gods: she said she was willing to sell them. Tarquinius inquired3 the price; the womanTM asked an extravagant and enormous sum. The king laughed, thinking1 the old woman in her dotage." Then she placed a brazier with fire in it before him, and burnt up three books out of the nine; and then inquired of the king whether he were ready to buy the remaining six at the same price. Tarquinius laughed still more, and said that beyond a doubt2 the old woman was out of her senses.

2. The woman immediately, on the spot, consumed three more books, and once more quietly made the very same request of the king, namely, to purchase the remaining three at the same price. Tarquinius, struck by the strangeness of the affair, concluded that such persistency and boldness were not to be trifled1 with; and purchased the three remaining books at just the same price that had been asked for all the nine. The woman then left the presence of Tarquinius, but3 report says was never seen afterwards. The three 3 Lesson 22, 3. c.

1 quasi.

2 plane.

4

books were deposited in the receptacledd for sacred things, and were called the Sibylline Books. Certain priests consulted them as they would an oracle, whenever the Romans considered that the gods should be consulted on behalf of the state.5

.

WHEN Hannibal on his expulsions from Carthage went to stay with Antiochus,* king of Syria, the king passed before him in review immense bodies of troops, which he had equipped with the view of making war2 against the Roman people. He showed him an army decorated with gold and silver ornaments; he also brought on the field" scythed chariots and elephants with towers, and cavalry glittering with their bits, housings, collars, and breast-trappings. And then the king, elated at the sight of an army so great in numbers and so splendidly equipped, turned to Hannibal and remarked, "Do you think this army can be matched with that of the Romans? and do you think all this will be enough for the Romans?" To this Hannibal, jeering at the cowardice and weakness of his soldiers, though so splendidly equipped, replied,' "It is my belief" all this will be enough, quite enough, for the Romans, however greedy they may be."

Nothing, certainly, could have been said more smart or cutting: the king had put the question with respect to the number of the army, whether it would be a match for that" of the Romans; Hannibal's answers had reference to the booty the Romans" would acquire."

1 Lit. "showed to him in the field."

2 Participle in rus.

VII. THE TALKING CROW.

AFTER the victory of Actium, amongst those1 who came to congratulate Augustus there approached himtt a certain man, having with him a crow, which he had taught to say, Hail, Cæsar, conqueror, emperor! Cæsar, struck with the cleverness" of the bird, bought it for twenty thousand sesterces. Being greeted in a like manner by a parrot, he ordered it to be purchased. He was amused in the same way with a magpie, and it also he bought. These instances1 induced a poor shoemaker to teach a crow a similar salutation. Often, when1 wearied with his task, he would say to the bird, when1 it did not give the required" answer, "I have lost my time and my trouble." At length, however, the crow learned to speak the address. Then he brought the bird to Augustus. He, however, upon hearing the crow's greeting, remarked, "I have plenty of such saluters at home." Whereupon the crow added, very opportunely, “I have lost my time and my trouble." At this Augustus laughed, and ordered the bird to be bought at a still higher price than he had hitherto given for the others. 1 Participle.

VIII.

Χ

a

HANNIBAL IN THE ALPS.-Arnold.

DAY dawned; the main" army broke up1 from its camp, and began to enter the defile; while the natives, finding their positions occupied by the enemy, at first looked on quietly, and offered' no disturbance to the march.f But when they saw the long narrow line of the Carthaginian army" winding" along the steep mountain side, and the cavalry' and 1 With moveo (i, y). 2 arx (i).

baggage-cattle struggling at every step, with the difficulties of the road, the temptation' to plunder1 was too strong1 to be resisted;5 and from many points of the mountain, above the road, they rushed down' upon the Carthaginians. The confusion was terrible ;1 for the road or track was so narrowk that the least crowd or disorder pushed the heavily loaded' baggage-cattle down the steep below;" and the horses, wounded by the barbarians' missiles, and plungingi about wildly10 in their pain and terror, increased the mischief.11

3 Relative with insistere (i). 4 Lesson 15, a (ƒ). 5 Impersonal. 8 7 Imperfect. quippe. 9 With siquid.

6 imminens.

10 furo.

11 strages (a, i).

FORTUNE in another quarter served the Romans no less effectually. The Macedonian ambassadors, after having concluded their treaty with Hannibal at Tifata, made their way back into Bruttium in safety, and embarked to return" to Greece. But their ship was taken, off the Calabrian coast, by the Roman squadron on1 that" station; and the ambassadors, with all their papers, were sent prisoners to Rome. A2 vessel which had been, of this company" escaped the Romans, and informed1 the king what had happened. He was obliged, therefore, to send a second embassy to Hannibal, as the former treaty had never reached him; and although this second mission1 went and returned" safely, yet the loss of time was irreparable,1 and nothing could be done till the following year.

3

1 Rel. clause (cf. Lesson 8, 3).

2 unus (as opposed to the rest). 4 defero (dd).

8 Lit. "out of the hands of," &c. (i).
5 Participle.

6 Lit. "done this year."