pile 123, with *fourteen Lydian youths around him. He did this, either desirous of offering to some deity the first fruits of his victory, in compliance with a vow which he had made; or, perhaps, anxious to know whether any deity would liberate Croesus, of whose piety he had heard much, from the danger of being consumed by fire. When Croesus stood erect upon the pile, although in this extremity of misery, he did not forget the saying of Solon, which now appeared of divine inspiration, that no living mortal could be accounted happy. When the remembrance of this saying occurred to Croesus, it is said, that rousing himself from the profoundest silence of affliction, he thrice pronounced aloud the name of Solon 24. Cyrus hearing this, desired by his interpreters to know 123 An huge wooden pile.]—The cruelty of this conduct of Cyrus is aggravated from the consideration that Croesus was his relation. See chap. 73.-T. * Fourteen Lydian youths.]—Achilles, in the Iliad, sacrifices twelve Trojan youths at the funeral pile of Patroclus. And twelve sad victims of the Trojan line Sacred to vengeance, instant shall expire, Their lives effus'd around thy funeral pyre. Again, Then last of all, and horrible to tell, Sad sacrifice, twelve Trojan captives fell. The reader will, doubtless, agree with me, that the word sad is in both these places very ill and feebly applied by Pope in his version. The expression of Homer is, ayλaa TEXva, Illustrious youths or sons. 124 The name of Solon.]—It seems in this place not improper to introduce from Plutarch the following particulars, with respect to Croesus and Solon. That Solon, says Plu 3 tarch, know who it was that he invoked. They approached, and asked him, but he continued silent. At length, being compelled to explain himself, he said, "I named a man with whom I had rather that all kings should converse, than be master of the greatest riches." Not being sufficiently understood, he was solicited to be more explicit; to their repeated and importunate enquiries, he replied to this effect: That Solon, an Athenian, had formerly visited him, a man who, when he had seen all his immense riches, treated them with disdain; whose sayings were at that moment verified in his fate; sayings which he had applied not to him in particular, but to all mankind, and especially to those who were in their own esti mation tarch, should converse with Croesus, seems to some not consistent with chronology; but I cannot for this reason reject a relation so credible in itself, and so well attested. Plutarch, after this remark, proceeds to give an account of the conversation betwixt Croesus and Solon, nearly in the same words with Herodotus: "The felicity of that man," concludes the philosopher, to the king," who still lives, is like the glory of a wrestler still within the ring, precarious and uncertain." He was then dismissed, having vexed, but not instructed Cræsus. But when Croesus was conquered by Cyrus, his city taken, and himself a prisoner, he was bound, and about to be burned on a pile; then he remembered the words of Solon, and three times pronounced his name. The explanation given at the request of Cyrus, preserved the life of Croesus, and obtained him respect and honour with his conqueror. Thus Solon had the glory, by the same saying, to instruct one prince and preserve another.-Plutarch's Life of Solon. mation happy. While Croesus was thus speaking the pile was lighted, and the flame began to ascend. Cyrus being informed of what had passed, felt compunction for what he had done*. His heart reproached him, that being himself a mortal, he had condemned to a cruel death by fire, a man formerly not inferior to himself. He feared the anger of the gods, and reflecting that all human affairs are precarious and uncertain, he commanded the fire to be instantly extinguished, and Croesus to be saved with his companions. They could not, however, with all their efforts, extinguish the flames. * Dryden has made an admirable use of this pathetic emotion, in his Ode on Cecilia's Day: The master saw the madness rise; Soft pity to infuse; He sung Darius great and good, Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen, And weltering in his blood; The various turns of fate below, And now and then a sigh he stole, And tears began to flow. LXXXVII. In this extremity, the Lydians affirm, that Crœsus, informed of the change of the king's sentiments in his favour, by seeing the officious but seemingly useless efforts of the multitude to extinguish the flames, implored the assistance of Apollo, entreating, that if he had ever made him any acceptable offering 125, he would now interpose, and deliver him from the impending danger. When Croesus, with tears, had thus invoked the god, the sky, which before was serene and tranquil, suddenly became dark and gloomy, a violent storm of rain succeeded, and the fire of the pile was extinguished. This event satisfied Cyrus, that Croesus was both a good man in himself, and a favourite of Heaven: causing him to be taken down from the pile, " Croesus," said he, addressing him, “what could induce you to invade my territories, and become my enemy rather than my friend?" "O king," replied Croesus, "it was the prevalence of your good and of my evil fortune, which prompted my attempt. I attacked your dominions, impelled and deluded by the 125 Ever made him any acceptable offering.]-Larcher is of opinion, that in this passage Herodotus must have had in his eye the following lines of Homer: Thou source of light, whom Tenedos adores, And whose bright presence gilds thy Chrysa's shores; Or fed the flames with fat of oxen slain, God of the silver bow, &c.-Iliad, Book i. v. 55*. * The fate of Cræsus contradicts the old Greek proverb, that even the gods might be won by gifts--πειθειν δωρα καὶ θεός, λογος.—Εurip, the deity of the Greeks. No one can be so infatuated as not to prefer tranquillity to war. In peace, children inter their parents; war violates the order of nature, and causes parents to inter their children *. It must have pleased the gods that these things should so happen.' LXXXVIII. Cyrus immediately ordered him to be unbound, placed him near his person, and treated *See the pathetic scene in Shakspeare's King Henry VI. the 3d part, where the son is represented as killing his father, and the father his son, in the broils between the houses of York and Lancaster. O God! it is my father's face, Whom in this conflict I unwares have killed; O heavy times begetting such events! I who at his hands received my life, Have by my hands of life bereaved him.— Again, Is this our feeman's face? Ah! no, no, no, it is mine only son! * In the dungeon among the captives of Pride, Spenser introduces Croesus: There was that great proud King of Babylon That would compel all nations to adore, And him as onely god to call upon, Till through celestial doome throwne out of doore, There also was King Croesus, that enhaunst His heart too high, through his great riches store, And proud Antiochus, the which advanc'd His cursed hand 'gainst God, and on his altars daunc'd. |