Touched with this news, to Persiä he makes;
But in the way his sword just vengeance takes,
Unsheathes, as he his horse mounted on high,
And with a mortal thrust wounds him in the thigh,
Which ends before begun his home-bred war,
So yields to death, that dreadful conqueror.
Grief for his brother's death he did express,
And more because he diéd issueless.

The male line of great Cyrus now had end;
The female to many ages did extend.
A Babylon in Egypt did he make,

And Meroë built for his fair sister's sake.
Eight years he reigned, a short, yet too long, time,
Cut off in wickedness, in strength, and prime.

THE INTERREGNUM BETWEEN CAMBYSES AND DARIUS HYST ASPES.

Childless Cambyses on the sudden dead,

The princes meet to choose one in his stead,
Of which the chief were seven, called satraps,

Who, like to kings, ruled kingdoms as they please;
Descended all of Achæmenes' blood,

And kinsmen in account to the king they stood.
And first these noble Magi agree upon

To thrust the impostor Smerdis out of throne.
Then forces instantly they raise, and rout
The king with his conspirators so stout;

But yet 'fore this was done much blood was shed,
And two of these great peers in field lay dead.
Some write that, sorely hurt, they escaped away;
But so or no, sure 't is they won the day.
All things in peace, and rebels throughly quelled,
A consultation by those states was held
What form of government now to erect,
The old or new, which best, in what respect.
The greater part declined a monarchy,
So late crushed by their prince's tyranny,
And thought the people would more happy be
If governed by an aristocracy.

But others thought—none of the dullest brain
That better one than many tyrants reign.
What arguments they used I know not well,—
Too politic, it's like, for me to tell,-
But in conclusiön they all agree

Out of the seven a monarch chosen be.

All envy to avoid, this was thought on:
Upon a green to meet by rising sun,

And he whose horse before the rest should neigh
Of all the peers should have precedency.
They all attend on the appointed hour,
Praying to fortune for a kingly power;

Then mounting on their snorting coursers proud,
Darius' lusty stallion neighed full loud.
The nobles all alight, bow to their king,
And joyful acclamations shrill they ring.

A thousand times "Long live the king!" they cry; "Let tyranny with dead Cambyses die!"

Then all attend him to his royal room.

Thanks for all this to his crafty stable-groom.

DARIUS HYST ASPES.

Darius by election made a king,

His title to make strong omits no thing:
He two of Cyrus' daughters then doth wed,
Two of his nieces takes to nuptial bed,
By which he cuts their hopes for future time
That by such steps to kingdoms often climb.
And now a king by marriage, choice, and blood,
Three strings to his bow, the least of which is good,
Yet firmly more the people's hearts to bind

Made wholesome, gentle laws which pleased each mind.
His courtesy and affability

Much gained the hearts of his nobility.

Yet, notwithstanding all he did so well,
The Babylonians against their prince rebel.
An host he raised the city to reduce;
But men against those walls were of no use.
Then brave Zopyrus, for his master's good,
His manly face disfigures, spares no blood,
With his own hands cuts off his ears and nose,
And with a faithful fraud to the town he goes,
Tells them how harshly the proud king hath dealt,
That for their sakes his cruelty he felt-

Desiring of the prince to raise the siege,
This violence was done him by his liege.

This told, for entrance there he stood not long,
For they believed his nose more than his tongue.
With all the city's strength they him betrust;
If he command, obey the greatest must.
When opportunity he saw was fit,

Delivers up the town, and all in it.

To lose a nose to win a town 's no shame;

But who dares venture such a stake for the game?
Than thy disgrace thine honor's manifold,
Who doth deserve a statue made of gold;
Nor can Darius in his monarchy
Scarce find enough to thank thy loyalty.
Yet o'er thy glory we must cast this veil —
Thy craft more than thy valor did prevail.
Darius, in the second of his reign,
An edit for the Jews published again
The temple to rebuild, for that did rest
Since Cyrus' time; Cambyses did molest.
He, like a king, now grants a charter large,
Out of his own revenues bears the charge,
Gives sacrifices, wheat, wine, oil, and salt,
Threats punishment to him that through default
Shall let the work, or keep back anything
Of what is freely granted by the king;
And on all kings he pours out execrations

That shall once dare to raze those firm foundations.

They, thus backed by the king, in spite of foes
Built on and prospered till their house they close,
And in the sixth year of his friendly reign
Set up a temple (though a less) again.
Darius on the Scythians made a war.

Entering that large and barren country far,

A bridge he made, which served for boat and barge
O'er Ister fair, with labor and with charge.
But in that desert, 'mongst his barbarous foes,
Sharp wants, not swords, his valor did oppose:
His army fought with hunger and with cold,
Which to assail his royal camp were bold.
By these alone his host was pinched so sore
He warred defensive, not offensive more.
The savages did laugh at his distress.
Their minds by hieroglyphics they express:
A frog, a mouse, a bird, an arrow, sent.
The king will needs interpret their intent
Possession of water, earth, and air;
But wise Gobryas reads not half so fair.
Quoth he, "Like frogs in water we must dive,
Or like to mice under the earth must live,
Or fly like birds in unknown ways full quick,
Or Scythian arrows in our sides must stick."
The king, seeing his men and victuals spent,
This fruitless war began late to repent,
Returned with little honor, and less gain,
His enemies scarce seen, then much less slain.