the history-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　heart　to　Persia；　I　will　provide　thy　escort。　Go；　and　when　thou　gettest　to　thy　journey's　end；　thou　wilt　behold　thy　father　and　thy　mother；　quite　other　people　from　Mitradates　the　cowherd　and　his　wife。〃　　　　　With　these　words　Astyages　dismissed　his　grandchild。　On　his　arrival　at　the　house　of　Cambyses；　he　was　received　by　his　parents；　who；　when　they　learnt　who　he　was；　embraced　him　heartily；　having　always　been　convinced　that　he　died　almost　as　soon　as　he　was　born。　So　they　asked　him　by　what　means　he　had　chanced　to　escape；　and　he　told　them　how　that　till　lately　he　had　known　nothing　at　all　about　the　matter；　but　had　been　mistaken…　oh！　so　widely！…　and　how　that　he　had　learnt　his　history　by　the　way；　as　he　came　from　Media。　He　had　been　quite　sure　that　he　was　the　son　of　the　king's　cowherd；　but　on　the　road　the　king's　escort　had　told　him　all　the　truth；　and　then　he　spoke　of　the　cowherd's　wife　who　had　brought　him　up；　and　filled　his　whole　talk　with　her　praises；　in　all　that　he　had　to　tell　them　about　himself；　it　was　always　Cyno…　Cyno　was　everything。　So　it　happened　that　his　parents；　catching　the　name　at　his　mouth；　and　wishing　to　persuade　the　Persians　that　there　was　a　special　providence　in　his　preservation；　spread　the　report　that　Cyrus；　when　he　was　exposed；　was　suckled　by　a　bitch。　This　was　the　sole　origin　of　the　rumour。　　　　　Afterwards；　when　Cyrus　grew　to　manhood；　and　became　known　as　the　bravest　and　most　popular　of　all　his　compeers；　Harpagus；　who　was　bent　on　revenging　himself　upon　Astyages；　began　to　pay　him　court　by　gifts　and　messages。　His　own　rank　was　too　humble　for　him　to　hope　to　obtain　vengeance　without　some　foreign　help。　When　therefore　he　saw　Cyrus；　whose　wrongs　were　so　similar　to　his　own；　growing　up　expressly　（as　it　were）　to　be　the　avenger　whom　he　needed；　he　set　to　work　to　procure　his　support　and　aid　in　the　matter。　He　had　already　paved　the　way　for　his　designs；　by　persuading；　severally；　the　great　Median　nobles；　whom　the　harsh　rule　of　their　monarch　had　offended；　that　the　best　plan　would　be　to　put　Cyrus　at　their　head；　and　dethrone　Astyages。　These　preparations　made；　Harpagus；　being　now　ready　for　revolt；　was　anxious　to　make　known　his　wishes　to　Cyrus；　who　still　lived　in　Persia；　but　as　the　roads　between　Media　and　Persia　were　guarded；　he　had　to　contrive　a　means　of　sending　word　secretly；　which　he　did　in　the　following　way。　He　took　a　hare；　and　cutting　open　its　belly　without　hurting　the　fur；　he　slipped　in　a　letter　containing　what　he　wanted　to　say；　and　then　carefully　sewing　up　the　paunch；　he　gave　the　hare　to　one　of　his　most　faithful　slaves；　disguising　him　as　a　hunter　with　nets；　and　sent　him　off　to　Persia　to　take　the　game　as　a　present　to　Cyrus；　bidding　him　tell　Cyrus；　by　word　of　mouth；　to　paunch　the　animal　himself；　and　let　no　one　be　present　at　the　time。　　　　　All　was　done　as　he　wished；　and　Cyrus；　on　cutting　the　hare　open；　found　the　letter　inside；　and　read　as　follows：…　〃Son　of　Cambyses；　the　gods　assuredly　watch　over　thee；　or　never　wouldst　thou　have　passed　through　thy　many　wonderful　adventures…　now　is　the　time　when　thou　mayst　avenge　thyself　upon　Astyages；　thy　murderer。　He　willed　thy　death；　remember；　to　the　gods　and　to　me　thou　owest　that　thou　art　still　alive。　I　think　thou　art　not　ignorant　of　what　he　did　to　thee；　nor　of　what　I　suffered　at　his　hands　because　I　committed　thee　to　the　cowherd；　and　did　not　put　thee　to　death。　Listen　now　to　me；　and　obey　my　words；　and　all　the　empire　of　Astyages　shall　be　thine。　Raise　the　standard　of　revolt　in　Persia；　and　then　march　straight　on　Media。　Whether　Astyages　appoint　me　to　command　his　forces　against　thee；　or　whether　he　appoint　any　other　of　the　princes　of　the　Medes；　all　will　go　as　thou　couldst　wish。　They　will　be　the　first　to　fall　away　from　him；　and　joining　thy　side；　exert　themselves　to　overturn　his　power。　Be　sure　that　on　our　part　all　is　ready；　wherefore　do　thou　thy　part；　and　that　speedily。〃　　　　　Cyrus；　on　receiving　the　tidings　contained　in　this　letter；　set　himself　to　consider　how　he　might　best　persuade　the　Persians　to　revolt。　After　much　thought；　he　hit　on　the　following　as　the　most　expedient　course：　he　wrote　what　he　thought　proper　upon　a　roll；　and　then　calling　an　assembly　of　the　Persians；　he　unfolded　the　roll；　and　read　out　of　it　that　Astyages　appointed　him　their　general。　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃since　it　is　so；　I　command　you　to　go　and　bring　each　man　his　reaping…hook。〃　With　these　words　he　dismissed　the　assembly。　　　　　Now　the　Persian　nation　is　made　up　of　many　tribes。　Those　which　Cyrus　assembled　and　persuaded　to　revolt　from　the　Medes　were　the　principal　ones　on　which　all　the　others　are　dependent。　These　are　the　Pasargadae；　the　Maraphians；　and　the　Maspians；　of　whom　the　Pasargadae　are　the　noblest。　The　Achaemenidae；　from　which　spring　all　the　Perseid　kings；　is　one　of　their　clans。　The　rest　of　the　Persian　tribes　are　the　following：　the　Panthialaeans；　the　Derusiaeans；　the　Germanians；　who　are　engaged　in　husbandry；　the　Daans；　the　Mardians；　the　Dropicans；　and　the　Sagartians；　who　are　nomads。　　　　　When；　in　obedience　to　the　orders　which　they　had　received；　the　Persians　came　with　their　reaping…hooks；　Cyrus　led　them　to　a　tract　of　ground；　about　eighteen　or　twenty　furlongs　each　way；　covered　with　thorns；　and　ordered　them　to　clear　it　before　the　day　was　out。　They　accomplished　their　task；　upon　which　he　issued　a　second　order　to　them；　to　take　the　bath　the　day　following；　and　again　come　to　him。　Meanwhile　he　collected　together　all　his　father's　flocks；　both　sheep　and　goats；　and　all　his　oxen；　and　slaughtered　them；　and　made　ready　to　give　an　entertainment　to　the　entire　Persian　army。　Wine；　too；　and　bread　of　the　choicest　kinds　were　prepared　for　the　occasion。　When　the　morrow　came；　and　the　Persians　appeared；　he　bade　them　recline　upon　the　grass；　and　enjoy　themselves。　After　the　feast　was　over；　he　requested　them　to　tell　him　〃which　they　liked　best；　to…day's　work；　or　yesterday's？〃　They　answered　that　〃the　contrast　was　indeed　strong：　yesterday　brought　them　nothing　but　what　was　bad；　to…day　everything　that　was　good。〃　Cyrus　instantly　seized　on　their　reply；　and　laid　bare　his　purpose　in　these　words：　〃Ye　men　of　Persia；　thus　do　matters　stand　with　you。　If　you　choose　to　hearken　to　my　words；　you　may　enjoy　these　and　ten　thousand　similar　delights；　and　never　condescend　to　any　slavish　toil；　but　if　you　will　not　hearken；　prepare　yourselves　for　unnumbered　toils　as　hard　as　yesterday's。　Now　therefore　follow　my　bidding；　and　be　free。　For　myself　I　feel　that　I　am　destined　by　Providence　to　undertake　your　liberation；　and　you；　I　am　sure；　are　no　whit　inferior　to　the　Medes　in　anything；　least　of　all　in　bravery。　Revolt；　therefore；　from　Astyages；　without　a　moment's　delay。〃　　　　　The　Persians；　who　had　long　been　impatient　of　the　Median　dominion；　now　that　they　had　found　a　leader；　were　delighted　to　shake　off　the　yoke。　Meanwhile　Astyages；　informed　of　the　doings　of　Cyrus；　sent　a　messenger　to　summon　him　to　his　presence。　Cyrus　replied；　〃Tell　Astyages　that　I　shall　appear　in　his　presence　sooner　than　he　will　like。〃　Astyages；　when　he　received　this　message；　instantly　armed　all　his　subjects；　and；　as　if　God　had　deprived　him　of　his　senses；　appointed　Harpagus　to　be　their　general；　forgetting　how　greatly　he　had　injured　him。　So　when　the　two　armies　met　and　engaged；　only　a　few　of　the　Medes；　who　were　not　in　the　secret；　fought；　others　deserted　openly　to　th