the history-第14章

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l　future　time　he　will　be　careful　in　nothing　to　offend。　If　therefore　it　be　thy　will　that　this　thing　be　done；　it　is　for　me　to　serve　thee　with　all　diligence。〃　　　　　When　Harpagus　had　thus　answered；　the　child　was　given　into　his　hands；　clothed　in　the　garb　of　death；　and　he　hastened　weeping　to　his　home。　There　on　his　arrival　he　found　his　wife；　to　whom　he　told　all　that　Astyages　had　said。　〃What　then；〃　said　she；　〃is　it　now　in　thy　heart　to　do？〃　〃Not　what　Astyages　requires；〃　he　answered；　〃no；　he　may　be　madder　and　more　frantic　still　than　he　is　now；　but　I　will　not　be　the　man　to　work　his　will；　or　lend　a　helping　hand　to　such　a　murder　as　this。　Many　things　forbid　my　slaying　him。　In　the　first　place　the　boy　is　my　own　kith　and　kin；　and　next　Astyages　is　old；　and　has　no　son。　If　then　when　he　dies　the　crown　should　go　to　his　daughter…　that　daughter　whose　child　he　now　wishes　to　slay　by　my　hand…　what　remains　for　me　but　danger　of　the　fearfullest　kind？　For　my　own　safety；　indeed；　the　child　must　die；　but　some　one　belonging　to　Astyages　must　take　his　life；　not　I　or　mine。〃　　　　　So　saying　he　sent　off　a　messenger　to　fetch　a　certain　Mitradates；　one　of　the　herdsmen　of　Astyages；　whose　pasturages　he　knew　to　be　the　fittest　for　his　purpose；　lying　as　they　did　among　mountains　infested　with　wild　beasts。　This　man　was　married　to　one　of　the　king's　female　slaves；　whose　Median　name　was　Spaco；　which　is　in　Greek　Cyno；　since　in　the　Median　tongue　the　word　〃Spaca〃　means　a　bitch。　The　mountains；　on　the　skirts　of　which　his　cattle　grazed；　lie　to　the　north　of　Agbatana；　towards　the　Euxine。　That　part　of　Media　which　borders　on　the　Saspirians　is　an　elevated　tract；　very　mountainous；　and　covered　with　forests；　while　the　rest　of　the　Median　territory　is　entirely　level　ground。　On　the　arrival　of　the　herdsman；　who　came　at　the　hasty　summons；　Harpagus　said　to　him…　〃Astyages　requires　thee　to　take　this　child　and　lay　him　in　the　wildest　part　of　the　hills；　where　he　will　be　sure　to　die　speedily。　And　he　bade　me　tell　thee；　that　if　thou　dost　not　kill　the　boy；　but　anyhow　allowest　him　to　escape；　he　will　put　thee　to　the　most　painful　of　deaths。　I　myself　am　appointed　to　see　the　child　exposed。〃　　　　　The　herdsman　on　hearing　this　took　the　child　in　his　arms；　and　went　back　the　way　he　had　come　till　he　reached　the　folds。　There；　providentially；　his　wife；　who　had　been　expecting　daily　to　be　put　to　bed；　had　just；　during　the　absence　of　her　husband；　been　delivered　of　a　child。　Both　the　herdsman　and　his　wife　were　uneasy　on　each　other's　account；　the　former　fearful　because　his　wife　was　so　near　her　time；　the　woman　alarmed　because　it　was　a　new　thing　for　her　husband　to　be　sent　for　by　Harpagus。　When　therefore　he　came　into　the　house　upon　his　return；　his　wife；　seeing　him　arrive　so　unexpectedly；　was　the　first　to　speak；　and　begged　to　know　why　Harpagus　had　sent　for　him　in　such　a　hurry。　〃Wife；〃　said　he；　〃when　I　got　to　the　town　I　saw　and　heard　such　things　as　I　would　to　heaven　I　had　never　seen　such　things　as　I　would　to　heaven　had　never　happened　to　our　masters。　Every　one　was　weeping　in　Harpagus's　house。　It　quite　frightened　me；　but　I　went　in。　The　moment　I　stepped　inside；　what　should　I　see　but　a　baby　lying　on　the　floor；　panting　and　whimpering；　and　all　covered　with　gold；　and　wrapped　in　clothes　of　such　beautiful　colours。　Harpagus　saw　me；　and　directly　ordered　me　to　take　the　child　my　arms　and　carry　him　off；　and　what　was　I　to　do　with　him；　think　you？　Why；　to　lay　him　in　the　mountains；　where　the　wild　beasts　are　most　plentiful。　And　he　told　me　it　was　the　king　himself　that　ordered　it　to　be　done；　and　he　threatened　me　with　such　dreadful　things　if　I　failed。　So　I　took　the　child　up　in　my　arms；　and　carried　him　along。　I　thought　it　might　be　the　son　of　one　of　the　household　slaves。　I　did　wonder　certainly　to　see　the　gold　and　the　beautiful　baby…clothes；　and　I　could　not　think　why　there　was　such　a　weeping　in　Harpagus's　house。　Well；　very　soon；　as　I　came　along；　I　got　at　the　truth。　They　sent　a　servant　with　me　to　show　me　the　way　out　of　the　town；　and　to　leave　the　baby　in　my　hands；　and　he　told　me　that　the　child's　mother　is　the　king's　daughter　Mandane；　and　his　father　Cambyses；　the　son　of　Cyrus；　and　that　the　king　orders　him　to　be　killed；　and　look；　here　the　child　is。〃　　　　　With　this　the　herdsman　uncovered　the　infant；　and　showed　him　to　his　wife；　who；　when　she　saw　him；　and　observed　how　fine　a　child　and　how　beautiful　he　was；　burst　into　tears；　and　clinging　to　the　knees　of　her　husband；　besought　him　on　no　account　to　expose　the　babe；　to　which　he　answered；　that　it　was　not　possible　for　him　to　do　otherwise；　as　Harpagus　would　be　sure　to　send　persons　to　see　and　report　to　him；　and　he　was　to　suffer　a　most　cruel　death　if　he　disobeyed。　Failing　thus　in　her　first　attempt　to　persuade　her　husband；　the　woman　spoke　a　second　time；　saying；　〃If　then　there　is　no　persuading　thee；　and　a　child　must　needs　be　seen　exposed　upon　the　mountains；　at　least　do　thus。　The　child　of　which　I　have　just　been　delivered　is　stillborn；　take　it　and　lay　it　on　the　hills；　and　let　us　bring　up　as　our　own　the　child　of　the　daughter　of　Astyages。　So　shalt　thou　not　be　charged　with　unfaithfulness　to　thy　lord；　nor　shall　we　have　managed　badly　for　ourselves。　Our　dead　babe　will　have　a　royal　funeral；　and　this　living　child　will　not　be　deprived　of　life。〃　　　　　It　seemed　to　the　herdsman　that　this　advice　was　the　best　under　the　circumstances。　He　therefore　followed　it　without　loss　of　time。　The　child　which　he　had　intended　to　put　to　death　he　gave　over　to　his　wife；　and　his　own　dead　child　he　put　in　the　cradle　wherein　he　had　carried　the　other；　clothing　it　first　in　all　the　other's　costly　attire；　and　taking　it　in　his　arms　he　laid　it　in　the　wildest　place　of　all　the　mountain…range。　When　the　child　had　been　three　days　exposed；　leaving　one　of　his　helpers　to　watch　the　body；　he　started　off　for　the　city；　and　going　straight　to　Harpagus's　house；　declared　himself　ready　to　show　the　corpse　of　the　boy。　Harpagus　sent　certain　of　his　bodyguard；　on　whom　he　had　the　firmest　reliance；　to　view　the　body　for　him；　and；　satisfied　with　their　seeing　it；　gave　orders　for　the　funeral。　Thus　was　the　herdsman's　child　buried；　and　the　other　child；　who　was　afterwards　known　by　the　name　of　Cyrus；　was　taken　by　the　herdsman's　wife；　and　brought　up　under　a　different　name。　　　　　When　the　boy　was　in　his　tenth　year；　an　accident　which　I　will　now　relate；　caused　it　to　be　discovered　who　he　was。　He　was　at　play　one　day　in　the　village　where　the　folds　of　the　cattle　were；　along　with　the　boys　of　his　own　age；　in　the　street。　The　other　boys　who　were　playing　with　him　chose　the　cowherd's　son；　as　he　was　called；　to　be　their　king。　He　then　proceeded　to　order　them　about　some　he　set　to　build　him　houses；　others　he　made　his　guards；　one　of　them　was　to　be　the　king's　eye；　another　had　the　office　of　carrying　his　messages；　all　had　some　task　or　other。　Among　the　boys　there　was　one；　the　son　of　Artembares；　a　Mede　of　distinction；　who　refused　to　do　what　Cyrus　had　set　him。　Cyrus　told　the　other　boys　to　take　him　into　custody；　and　when　his　orders　were　obeyed；　he　chastised　him　most　severely　with　the　whip。　The　son　of　Artembares；　as　soon　as　he　was　let　go；　full　of　rage　at　treatment　so　little　befitting　his　rank；　hastened　to　the　city　and　complained　bitterly　to　his　father　of　what　had　been　done　to　him　by　Cyrus。　He　did　not；　of　course；　say　〃Cyrus；〃　by　which　name　the　boy　was　not　yet　known；　but　called　him　the　son　of　the　king's　cowherd。　Artembares；　in　the　heat　of　his　passion；　went　to　Astyages；　accompanied　by　his　son；　and　made　complaint　of　the　gross　injury　which　had　been　done　him。　Pointing　to　the　boy's　shoulders；　he　exclaimed；　〃Thus；　oh！　king；　has　thy　slave；　the　son　of　a　cowherd；　heaped　insult　upon　us。〃　　　　　At　this　sight　and　these　words　Astyages；　wishing　to　avenge　the　son　of　Artembares　for　his　father's　sake；　sent　for　the　cowherd　and　his　boy。　When　they　came　together　into　his　presence；　fixing　his　eyes　on　Cyrus；　Astyages　said；　〃Hast　thou　then；　the　son　of　so　mean　a　fellow　as　that；　dared　to　behave　thus　rudely　to　the　son　of　yonder　noble；　one　of　the　first　in　my　court？〃　〃My　lord；〃　replied　the　boy；　〃I　only　treated　him　as　he　deserved。　I　was　chosen　king　in　play　by　the　boys　of　our　village；　because　they　thought　me　the　best　for　it。　He　himself　was　one　of　the　boys　who　chose　me。　All　the　others　did　according　to　my　orders；　but　he　refused；　and　made　light　of　them；　until　at　last　he　got　his　due　reward。　If　for　this　I　deserve　to　suffer　punishment；　here　I　am　ready　to　submit　to　it。〃　　　　　While　the　boy　was　yet　speaking　Astyages　was　struck　with　a　suspicion　who　he　was。　He　thought　he　saw　something　in　the　character　of　his　face　like　his　own；　and　there　was　a　nobleness　about　the　answer　he　had　made；　besides　which　his　age　seemed　to　tally　with　the　time　when　his　grandchild　was　exposed。　Astonished　at　all　this；　Astyages　could　not　speak　for　a　while。　At　last；　recovering　himself　with　difficulty；　and　wishing　to　be　quit　of　Artembares；　that　he　might　examine　the　herdsman　alone；　he　said　to　the　former；　〃I　promise　thee；　Artembares；　so　to　settle　this　business　that　neither　thou　nor　thy　son　shall　have　any　cause　to　complain。〃　Artembares　retired　from　his　presence；　and　the　attendants；　at　the　bidding　of　the　king；　led　Cyrus　into　an　inner　apartment。　Astyages　then　being　left　alone　with　the　herdsman；　inquired　of　him　where　he　had　got　the　boy；　and　who　had　given　him　to　him；　to　which　he　made　answer　that　the　lad　was　his　own　child；　begotten　b