＇8＇　And　Cyrus　made　answer：
  〃I　gave　you　my　promise　before　that　if　you　kept　faith　with　me　I　would
  avenge　you；　so　far　as　in　me　lay；　and　to…day　I　see　the　debt　is　due；　and
  the　promise　I　made　to　you　I　repeat　to　your　daughter；　God　helping　me；　I
  will　perform　it。　As　for　these　costly　gifts；〃　he　added；　〃I　accept　them；
  and　I　give　them　for　a　dowry　to　your　daughter；　and　to　him　who　may　win
  her　hand　in　marriage。　One　gift　only　I　will　take　with　me　when　I　go；　but
  that　is　a　thing　so　precious　that　if　I　changed　it　for　all　the　wealth　of
  Babylon　or　the　whole　world　itself　I　could　not　go　on　my　way　with　half
  so　blithe　a　heart。〃
  ＇9＇　And　Gobryas　wondered　what　this　rare　thing　could　be；　half
  suspecting　it　might　be　his　daughter。　〃What　is　it；　my　lord？〃　said　he。
  And　Cyrus　answered；　〃I　will　tell　you。　A　man　may　hate　injustice　and
  impiety　and　lies；　but　if　no　one　offers　him　vast　wealth　or　unbridled
  power　or　impregnable　fortresses　or　lovely　children；　he　dies　before　he
  can　show　what　manner　of　man　he　is。　＇10＇　But　you　have　placed　everything
  in　my　hands　to…day；　this　mighty　fortress；　treasures　of　every　kind；
  your　own　power；　and　a　daughter　most　worthy　to　be　won。　And　thus　you
  have　shown　all　men　that　I　could　not　sin　against　my　friend　and　my　host；
  nor　act　unrighteously　for　the　sake　of　wealth；　nor　break　my　plighted
  word　of　my　own　free　will。　＇11＇　This　is　your　gift；　and；　so　long　as　I　am
  a　just　man　and　known　to　be　such；　receiving　the　praise　of　my　fellow…
  men；　I　will　never　forget　it；　I　will　strive　to　repay　you　with　every
  honour　I　can　give。　＇12＇　Doubt　not；〃　he　added；　〃but　that　you　will　find
  a　husband　worthy　of　your　daughter。　I　have　many　a　good　man　and　true
  among　my　friends；　and　one　of　them　will　win　her　hand；　but　I　could　not
  say　whether　he　will　have　less　wealth；　or　more；　than　what　you　offer　me。
  Only　of　one　thing　you　may　be　certain；　there　are　those　among　them　who
  will　not　admire　you　one　whit　the　more　because　of　the　splendour　of　your
  gifts；　they　will　only　envy　me　and　supplicate　the　gods　that　one　day　it
  will　be　given　to　them　to　show　that　they　too　are　loyal　to　their
  friends；　that　they　too　will　never　yield　to　their　foes　while　life　is　in
  them；　unless　some　god　strike　them　down；　that　they　too　would　never
  sacrifice　virtue　and　fair　renown　for　all　the　wealth　you　proffer　and
  all　the　treasure　of　Syria　and　Assyria　to　boot。　Such　is　the　nature；
  believe　me；　of　some　who　are　seated　here。〃
  ＇13＇　And　Gobryas　smiled。　〃By　heaven；　I　wish　you　would　point　them　out
  to　me；　and　I　would　beg　you　to　give　me　one　of　them　to　be　my　son…in…
  law。〃　And　Cyrus　said；　〃You　will　not　need　to　learn　their　names　from　me；
  follow　us；　and　you　will　be　able　to　point　them　out　yourself。〃
  ＇14＇　With　these　words　he　rose；　clasped　the　hand　of　Gobryas；　and　went
  out；　all　his　men　behind　him。　And　though　Gobryas　pressed　him　to　stay
  and　sup　in　the　citadel；　he　would　not；　but　took　his　supper　in　the　camp
  and　constrained　Gobryas　to　take　his　meal　with　them。　＇15＇　And　there；
  lying　on　a　couch　of　leaves；　he　put　this　question　to　him；　'Tell　me；
  Gobryas；　who　has　the　largest　store　of　coverlets；　yourself；　or　each　of
  us？〃　And　the　Assyrian　answered；　〃You；　I　know；　have　more　than　I；　more
  coverlets；　more　couches；　and　a　far　larger　dwelling…place；　for　your
  home　is　earth　and　heaven；　and　every　nook　may　be　a　couch；　and　for　your
  coverlets　you　need　not　count　the　fleeces　of　your　flocks；　but　the
  brushwood；　and　the　herbage　of　hill　and　plain。〃
  ＇16＇　Nevertheless；　when　the　meal　began；　it　must　be　said　that　Gobryas；
  seeing　the　poverty　of　what　was　set　before　him；　thought　at　first　that
  his　own　men　were　far　more　open…handed　than　the　Persians。　＇17＇　But　his
  mood　changed　as　he　watched　the　grace　and　decorum　of　the　company；　and
  saw　that　not　a　single　Persian　who　had　been　schooled　would　ever　gape；
  or　snatch　at　the　viands；　or　let　himself　be　so　absorbed　in　eating　that
  he　could　attend　to　nothing　else；　these　men　prided　themselves　on
  showing　their　good　sense　and　their　intelligence　while　they　took　their
  food；　just　as　a　perfect　rider　sits　his　horse　with　absolute　composure；
  and　can　look　and　listen　and　talk　to　some　purpose　while　he　puts　him
  through　his　paces。　To　be　excited　or　flustered　by　meat　and　drink　was　in
  their　eyes　something　altogether　swinish　and　bestial。　＇18＇　Nor　did
  Gobryas　fail　to　notice　that　they　only　asked　questions　which　were
  pleasant　to　answer；　and　only　jested　in　a　manner　to　please；　all　their
  mirth　was　as　far　from　impertinence　and　malice　as　it　was　from　vulgarity
  and　unseemliness。　＇19＇　And　what　struck　him　most　was　their　evident
  feeling　that　on　a　campaign；　since　the　danger　was　the　same　for　all；　no
  one　was　entitled　to　a　larger　share　than　any　of　his　comrades；　on　the
  contrary；　it　was　thought　the　perfection　of　the　feast　to　perfect　the
  condition　of　those　who　were　to　share　the　fighting。　＇20＇　And　thus　when
  he　rose　to　return　home；　the　story　runs　that　he　said：
  〃I　begin　to　understand；　Cyrus；　how　it　is　that　while　we　have　more
  goblets　and　more　gold；　more　apparel　and　more　wealth　than　you；　yet　we
  ourselves　are　not　worth　as　much。　We　are　always　trying　to　increase　what
  we　possess；　but　you　seem　to　set　your　hearts　on　perfecting　your　own
  souls。〃
  ＇21＇　But　Cyrus　only　answered：
  〃My　friend；　be　here　without　fail　to…morrow；　and　bring　all　your　cavalry
  in　full　armour；　so　that　we　may　see　your　power；　and　then　lead　us
  through　your　country　and　show　us　who　are　hostile　and　who　are
  friendly。〃
  ＇22＇　Thus　they　parted　for　the　time　and　each　saw　to　his　own　concerns。
  But　when　the　day　dawned　Gobryas　appeared　with　his　cavalry　and　led　the
  way。　And　Cyrus；　as　a　born　general　would；　not　only　supervised　the
  march；　but　watched　for　any　chance　to　weaken　the　enemy　and　add　to　his
  own　strength。　＇23＇　With　this　in　view；　he　summoned　the　Hyrcanian　chief
  and　Gobryas　himself；　for　they　were　the　two　he　thought　most　likely　to
  give　him　the　information　that　he　needed。
  〃My　friends；〃　said　he；　〃I　think　I　shall　not　err　if　I　trust　to　your
  fidelity　and　consult　you　about　the　campaign。　You；　even　more　than　I；
  are　bound　to　see　that　the　Assyrians　do　not　overpower　us。　For　myself；
  if　I　fail；　there　may　well　be　some　loophole　of　escape。　But　for　you；　if
  the　king　conquers；　I　see　nothing　but　enmity　on　every　side。　＇24＇　For；
  although　he　is　my　enemy；　he　bears　me　no　malice；　he　only　feels　that　it
  is　against　his　interest　for　me　to　be　powerful　and　therefore　he　attacks
  me。　But　you　he　hates　with　a　bitter　hatred；　believing　he　is　wronged　by
  you。〃
  To　this　his　companions　answered　that　he　must　finish　what　he　had　to
  say；　they　were　well　aware　of　the　facts；　and　had　the　deepest　interest
  in　the　turn　events　might　take。
  ＇25＇　Thereupon　Cyrus　put　his　questions：　〃Does　the　king　suppose　that
  you　alone　are　his　enemies；　or　do　you　know　of　others　who　hate　him　too？〃
  〃Certainly　we　do；〃　replied　the　Hyrcanian；　〃the　Cadousians　are　his
  bitterest　foes；　and　they　are　both　numerous　and　warlike。　Then　there　are
  the　Sakians；　our　neighbours；　who　have　suffered　severely　at　his　hands；
  for　he　tried　to　subdue　them　as　he　subdued　us。〃
  ＇26＇　〃Then　you　think；〃　said　Cyrus；　〃that　they　would　be　glad　to　attack
  him　in　our　company？〃　〃Much　more　than　glad；〃　answered　they；　〃if　they
  could　manage　to　join　us。〃　〃And　what　stands　in　their　way？〃　asked　he。
  〃The　Assyrians　themselves；〃　said　they；　〃the　very　people　among　whom　you
  are　marching　now。〃　＇27＇　At　that　Cyrus　turned　to　Gobryas：
  〃And　what　of　this　lad　who　is　now　on　the　throne？　Did　you　not　charge　him
  with　unbridled　insolence？〃
  〃Even　so；〃　replied　Gobryas；　〃and　I　think　he　gave　me　cause。〃　〃Tell　me；〃
  said　Cyrus；　〃were　you　the　only　man　he　treated　thus；　or　did　others
  suffer　too？〃
  ＇28＇　〃Many　others；〃　said　Gobryas；　〃but　some　of　them　were　weak；　and　why
  should　I　weary　you　with　the　insults　they　endured？　I　will　tell　you　of　a
  young　man　whose　father　was　a　much　greater　personage　than　I；　and　who
  was　himself；　like　my　own　son；　a　friend　and　comrade　of　the　prince。　One
  day　at　a　drinking…bout　this　monster　had　the　youth　seized　and
  mutilated；　and　why？　Some　say　simply　because　a　paramour　of　his　own　had
  praised　the　boy's　beauty　and　said　his　bride　was　a　woman　to　be　envied。
  The　king　himself　now　asserts　it　was　because　he　had　tried　to　seduce　his
  paramour。　That　young　man；　eunuch　as　he　is；　is　now　at　the　head　of　his
  province；　for　his　father　is　dead。〃
  ＇29＇　〃Well；〃　rejoined　Cyrus；　〃I　take　it；　you　believe　he　would　welcome
  us；　if　he　thought　we　came　to　help　him？〃　〃I　am　more　than　sure　of　that；〃
  said　Gobryas；　〃but　it　is　not　so　easy　to　set　eyes　on　him。〃　〃And　why？〃
  asked　Cyrus。　〃Because　if　we　are　to　join　him　at　all；　we　must　march
  right　past　Babylon　itself。〃　＇30＇　〃And　where　is　the　difficulty　in
  that？〃　said　Cyrus。　〃Heaven　help　us！〃　cried　Gobryas。　〃The　city　has　only
  to　open　her　gates；　and　she　can　send　out　an　army　ten　thousand　times　as
  large　as　yours。　That　is　why；〃　he　added；　〃the　Assyrians　are　less　prompt
  than　they　were　at　bringing　in　their　weapons　and　their　horses；　because
  those　who　have　seen　your　army　think　it　so　very　small；　and　their　report
  has　got　about。　So　that　in　my　opinion　it　would　be　better　to　advance
  with　the　utmost　care。〃
  ＇31＇　Cyrus　listened　and　replied。
  〃You　do　well；　Gobryas；　my　friend；　in　urging　as　much　care　as　possible。
  But　I　cannot　myself　see　a　safer　route　for　us　than　the　direct　advance
  on　Babylon；　if　Babylon　is　the　centre　of　the　enemy's　strength。　They