alexander-第17章

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ay；　that　he　missed　but　little　of　making　himself　master　of　those　countries；　their　king；　who　then　reigned；　was　so　hated　and　despised　for　the　viciousness　of　his　life　and　the　meanness　of　his　extraction。　　　Alexander　was　now　eager　to　see　the　ocean。　To　which　purpose　he　caused　a　great　many　tow…boats　and　rafts　to　be　built；　in　which　he　fell　gently　down　the　rivers　at　his　leisure；　yet　so　that　his　navigation　was　neither　unprofitable　nor　inactive。　For　by　several　descents　upon　the　bank；　he　made　himself　master　of　the　fortified　towns；　and　consequently　of　the　country　on　both　sides。　But　at　a　siege　of　a　town　of　the　Mallians；　who　have　the　repute　of　being　the　bravest　people　of　India；　he　ran　in　great　danger　of　his　life。　For　having　beaten　off　the　defendants　with　showers　of　arrows；　he　was　the　first　man　that　mounted　the　wall　by　a　scaling…ladder；　which；　as　soon　as　he　was　up；　broke　and　left　him　almost　alone；　exposed　to　the　darts　which　the　barbarians　threw　at　him　in　great　numbers　from　below。　In　this　distress；　turning　himself　as　well　as　he　could；　he　leaped　down　in　the　midst　of　his　enemies；　and　had　the　good　fortune　to　light　upon　his　feet。　The　brightness　and　clattering　of　his　armour　when　he　came　to　the　ground　made　the　barbarians　think　they　saw　rays　of　light；　or　some　bright　phantom　playing　before　his　body；　which　frightened　them　so　at　first　that　they　ran　away　and　dispersed。　Till　seeing　him　seconded　but　by　two　of　his　guards；　they　fell　upon　him　hand…to…hand；　and　some；　while　he　bravely　defended　himself；　tried　to　wound　him　through　his　armour　with　their　swords　and　spears。　And　one　who　stood　further　off　drew　a　bow　with　such　strength　that　the　arrow；　finding　its　way　through　his　cuirass；　stuck　in　his　ribs　under　the　breast。　This　stroke　was　so　violent　that　it　made　him　give　back；　and　set　one　knee　to　the　ground；　upon　which　the　man　ran　up　with　his　drawn　scimitar；　thinking　to　despatch　him；　and　had　done　it；　if　Peucestes　and　Limnaeus　had　not　interposed；　who　were　both　wounded；　Limnaeus　mortally；　but　Peucestes　stood　his　ground；　while　Alexander　killed　the　barbarians。　But　this　did　not　free　him　from　danger；　for；　besides　many　other　wounds；　at　last　he　received　so　weighty　a　stroke　of　a　club　upon　his　neck　that　he　was　forced　to　lean　his　body　against　the　wall；　still；　however；　facing　the　enemy。　At　this　extremity；　the　Macedonians　made　their　way　in　and　gathered　round　him。　They　took　him　up；　just　as　he　was　fainting　away；　having　lost　all　sense　of　what　was　done　near　him；　and　conveyed　him　to　his　tent；　upon　which　it　was　presently　reported　all　over　the　camp　that　he　was　dead。　But　when　they　had　with　great　difficulty　and　pains　sawed　off　the　shaft　of　the　arrow；　which　was　of　wood；　and　so　with　much　trouble　got　off　his　cuirass；　they　came　to　cut　the　head　of　it；　which　was　three　fingers　broad　and　four　long；　and　stuck　fast　in　the　bone。　During　the　operation　he　was　taken　with　almost　mortal　swoonings；　but　when　it　was　out　he　came　to　himself　again。　Yet　though　all　danger　was　past；　he　continued　very　weak；　and　confined　himself　a　great　while　to　a　regular　diet　and　the　method　of　his　cure；　till　one　day　hearing　the　Macedonians　clamouring　outside　in　their　eagerness　to　see　him；　he　took　his　cloak　and　went　out。　And　having　sacrificed　to　the　gods；　without　more　delay　he　went　on　board　again；　and　as　he　coasted　along　subdued　a　great　deal　of　the　country　on　both　sides；　and　several　considerable　cities。　　　In　this　voyage　he　took　ten　of　the　Indian　philosophers　prisoners　who　had　been　most　active　in　persuading　Sabbas　to　revolt；　and　had　caused　the　Macedonians　a　great　deal　of　trouble。　These　men；　called　Gymnosophists；　were　reputed　to　be　extremely　ready　and　succinct　in　their　answers；　which　he　made　trial　of；　by　putting　difficult　questions　to　them；　letting　them　know　that　those　whose　answers　were　not　pertinent　should　be　put　to　death；　on　which　he　made　the　eldest　of　them　judge。　The　first　being　asked　which　he　thought　the　most　numerous；　the　dead　or　the　living；　answered；　〃The　living　because　those　who　are　dead　are　not　at　all。〃　Of　the　second；　he　desired　to　know　whether　the　earth　or　the　sea　produced　the　largest　beasts；　who　told　him；　〃The　earth；　for　the　sea　is　but　a　part　of　it。〃　His　question　to　the　third　was；　Which　is　the　cunningest　of　beasts？　〃That；〃　said　he；　〃which　men　have　not　yet　found　out。〃　He　bade　the　fourth　tell　him　what　argument　he　used　to　Sabbas　to　persuade　him　to　revolt。　〃No　other；〃　said　he；　〃than　that　he　should　either　live　or　die　nobly。〃　Of　the　fifth　he　asked；　Which　was　the　eldest；　night　or　day？　The　philosopher　replied；　〃Day　was　eldest；　by　one　day　at　least。〃　But　perceiving　Alexander　not　well　satisfied　with　that　account；　he　added；　that　he　ought　not　to　wonder　if　strange　questions　had　as　strange　answers　made　to　them。　Then　he　went　on　and　inquired　of　the　next；　what　a　man　should　do　to　be　exceedingly　beloved。　〃He　must　be　very　powerful；〃　said　he；　〃without　making　himself　too　much　feared。〃　The　answer　of　the　seventh　to　his　question；　how　a　man　might　become　a　god；　was；　〃By　doing　that　which　was　impossible　for　men　to　do。〃　The　eighth　told　him；　〃Life　is　stronger　than　death；　because　it　supports　so　many　miseries。〃　And　the　last　being　asked；　how　long　he　thought　it　decent　for　a　man　to　live；　said；　〃Till　death　appeared　more　desirable　than　life。〃　Then　Alexander　turned　to　him　whom　he　had　made　judge；　and　commanded　him　to　give　sentence。　〃All　that　I　can　determine；〃　said　he；　〃is；　that　they　have　every　one　answered　worse　than　another。〃　〃Nay；〃　said　the　king；　〃then　you　shall　die　first；　for　giving　such　a　sentence。〃　〃Not　so；　O　king；〃　replied　the　gymnosophist；　〃unless　you　said　falsely　that　he　should　die　first　who　made　the　worst　answer。〃　In　conclusion　he　gave　them　presents　and　dismissed　them。　　　But　to　those　who　were　in　greatest　reputation　among　them；　and　lived　a　private　quiet　life；　he　sent　Onesicritus；　one　of　Diogenes　the　Cynic's　disciples；　desiring　them　to　come　to　him。　Calanus；　it　is　said；　very　arrogantly　and　roughly　commanded　him　to　strip　himself　and　hear　what　he　said　naked；　otherwise　he　would　not　speak　a　word　to　him；　though　he　came　from　Jupiter　himself。　But　Dandamis　received　him　with　more　civility；　and　hearing　him　discourse　of　Socrates；　Pythagoras；　and　Diogenes；　told　him　he　thought　them　men　of　great　parts　and　to　have　erred　in　nothing　so　much　as　in　having　too　great　respect　for　the　laws　and　customs　of　their　country。　Others　say　Dandamis　only　asked　him　the　reason　why　Alexander　undertook　so　long　a　journey　to　come　into　those　parts。　Taxiles；　however；　persuaded　Calanus　to　wait　upon　Alexander。　His　proper　name　was　Sphines；　but　because　he　was　wont　to　say　Cale；　which　in　the　Indian　tongue　is　a　form　of　salutation　to　those　he　met　with　anywhere；　the　Greeks　called　him　Calanus。　He　is　said　to　have　shown　Alexander　an　instructive　emblem　of　government；　which　was　this。　He　threw　a　dry　shrivelled　bide　upon　the　ground；　and　trod　upon　the　edges　of　it。　The　skin　when　it　was　pressed　in　one　place　still　rose　up　in　another；　wheresoever　he　trod　round　about　it；　till　he　set　his　foot　in　the　middle；　which　made　all　the　parts　lie　even　and　quiet。　The　meaning　of　this　similitude　being　that　he　ought　to　reside　most　in　the　middle　of　his　empire；　and　not　spend　too　much　time　on　the　borders　of　it。　　　His　voyage　down　the　rivers　took　up　seven　months'　time；　and　when　he　came　to　the　sea；　he　sailed　to　an　island　which　he　himself　called　Scillustis；　others　Psiltucis；　where　going　ashore；　he　sacrificed；　and　made　what　observations　he　could　as　to　the　nature　of　the　sea　and　the　sea…coast。　Then　having　besought　the　gods　that　no　other　man　might　ever　go　beyond　the　bounds　of　this　expedition；　he　ordered　his　fleet；　of　which　he　made　Nearchus　admiral　and　Onesicritus　pilot；　to　sail　round　about；　keeping　the　Indian　shore　on　the　right　hand；　and　returned　himself　by　land　through　the　country　of　the　Orites；　where　he　was　reduced　to　great　straits　for　want　of　provisions；　and　lost　a　vast　number　of　his　men；　so　that　of　an　army　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　foot　and　fifteen　thousand　horse；　he　scarcely　brought　back　above　a　fourth　part　out　of　India；　they　were　so　diminished　by　disease；　ill　diet；　and　the　scorching　heats；　but　most　by　famine。　For　their　march　was　through　an　uncultivated　country　whose　inhabitants　fared　hardly；　possessing　only　a　few　sheep；　and　those　of　a　wretched　kind；　whose　flesh　was　rank　and　unsavoury；　by　their　continual　feeding　upon　sea…fish。　　　After　sixty　days'　march　he　came　into　Gedrosia；　where　he　found　great　plenty　of　all　things；　which　the　neighbouring　kings　and　governors　of　provinces；　hearing　of　his　approach；　had　taken　care　to　provide。　When　he　had　here　refreshed　his　army；　he　continued　his　march　through　Carmania；　feasting　all　the　way　for　seven　days　together。　He　with　his　most　intimate　friends　banqueted　and　revelled　night　and　day　upon　a　platform　erected　on　a　lofty；　conspicuous　scaffold；　which　was　slowly　drawn　by　eight　horses。　This　was　followed　by　a　great　many　chariots；　some　covered　with　purple　and　embroidered　canopies；　and　some　with　green　boughs；　which　were　continually　supplied　afresh；　and　in　them　the　rest　of　his　friends　and　commanders　drinking；　and　crowned　with　garlands　of　flowers。　Here　was　now　no　target　or　helmet　or　spear　to　be　seen；　instead　of　armour；　the　soldiers　handled　nothing　but　cups　and　goblets　and　Thericlean　drinking　vessels；　which；　along　the　whole　way；　they　dipped　into　large　bowls　and　jars；　and　drank　healths　to　one　another；　some　seating　themselves　to　i