_The great pitie and continencie of Alexander the great and his
louinge entertaynment of Sisigambis the wyfe of the great monarch
Darivs after he was vanquished._
Great Monarches and Princes be the Gods, and only Rulers vpon
Earth, and as they be placed by God's only prouydence and
disposition, to conquere and rule the same, euen so in
victorious battayles and honorable Exploytes, they ought to rule
and order their conquestes like Gods: that is to saye, to vse
moderate behauiour to their Captiues and slaues, specially to
the weaker sort and feminine kynde, whom like Tyrauntes and
barbarous, they ought not to corrupt and abuse, but like
Christians and vertuous victors, to cherish and preserue their
honour. For what can bee safe to a woman (sayde Lucrece, when
she was rauished by the Romayn Tarquine) her chastity beinge
defiled? Or what can be safe to a man, that geueth himselfe to
incontinency? For when he hath despoyled the virgin, robbed the
wyfe, or abused the Wydow of their honor and good name, they
protrude themselues into many Myseries, they bee impudent,
Vnshamefaste, Aduenturous, and Carelesse howe many myschiefes
they doe. And when a Prince or Gouerner doth geue himself to
licentious life, what mischieues, what rapes, what murders doth
hee commit? No frende, no Foe, no subiect, no enemy doth he
spare or defende. Contrarywise, the mercifull and continent
captayne, by subduinge hys affections recouereth immortall fame,
which this History of kinge Alexander full well declareth. And
because before we spake of that great conqueror in the Nouell of
the Amazones, and of the repayre of Queene Thalestris for vse of
his body, at what tyme (as Curtius sayth) he fell from vertue to
vice: we purpose in thys, to declare the great contynencie and
mercy that hee vsed to Sisigambis, the wife of the Persian
prince Darius, and briefly to touch the time of his abused life,
which in this maner doth begin. Alexander the great hauing
vanquished Darius and his infinite army, and retiringe wyth hys
hoast from the pursute and slaughter of the Persians, entred
into their campe to recreate himselfe. And beinge with his
familiers in the mids of his banket, they sodaynly heard a
pitifull cry, with straung howlinge and cryinge out, which did
very mutch aston them. The Wyfe and Mother of Darius, with the
other noble women newly taken Prisoners, were the occasion of
that present noyse, by lamentinge of Darius, whom they beleeued
to be slayne, and which opinion they conceyued through one of
the Eunuches, which standinge before Their tent doore, saw a
Souldier beare a peece of Darius Diademe. For which cause
Alexander, pityinge their misery, sent a noble man called
Leonatus to signifie vnto them that they were deceyued, for that
Darius was liuing. Repayring towards the Tent where the women
were with certayne armed men, he sent word before, that he was
comminge to them with message from the kinge. But when sutche as
stoode at the tent doore saw armed men, they thought they had
bene sent to murder the Ladies: for which cause they ran in to
them, cryinge that their last houre was come, for the souldiers
were at hande to kille them. When Leonatus was entred the
Pauilion, the Mother and wife of Darius fell downe at hys feete,
intreatinge him that before they were slayne, he would suffer
them to bury Darius, accordinge to the order and maner of his
Countrey, after the performance of which obsequies, they were
content (they sayd) willingly to suffer death. Leonatus assured
them, that both Darius was aliue, and that there was no harme
ment towardes them, but should remayne in the same state they
were in before. When Sisigambis heard those wordes, she suffered
her selfe to bee lifted vp from the grounde, and to receyue some
comforte. The next day, Alexander with great diligence buried
the bodies of sutch of his owne men as coulde be founde, and
willed the same to be done to the noble men of the Persians
geuinge licence to Darius mother to Bury so many as she liste,
after the custome of her Countrey. She performed the same to a
few that were next of her kin, accordinge to the hability of
their presente fortune, for if shee should haue vsed the
Persians Pompe therein, the Macedonians might haue enuied it,
whych beinge victors, vsed no great curiosity in the matter.
When the due was performed to the dead, Alexander signified to
the women prisoners, that hee himselfe would come to visite
them, and causinge sutch as came with him to tary without, he
onely with Ephestion entred in amongs them. The same Ephestion
of all men was best beloued of Alexander, brought vp in his
company from his youth, and most priuy with him in all thinges.
There was none that had sutch liberty to speke his mynde playnly
to the kinge as hee had, whych hee vsed after sutch sorte, that
he seemed to doe it by no authority, but by sufferaunce. And as
he was of like yeres vnto him, so in shape and personage he did
somwhat excell him. Wherefore the Women thinkinge Ephestion to
be the kinge, did fall down and worship him (as their Countrey
maner was to do to kinges) till sutch time as one of the
Eunuches that was taken prisoner, shewed which of them was
Alexander. Then Sisigambis fell down at his feete, requiringe
pardon of her Ignorance, forsomutch as she did neuer see him
before. The kinge tooke her vp by the hande, and sayd: "Mother
you be not deceiued: for this is Alexander also." Then he
behaued himselfe after sutch a maner, that hee exceeded in
continency and compassion, all the kinges that had bin before
his time. He entertayned the two Queenes with those virgins that
were of excellent beauty, so reuerently, as if they had bin his
sisters. He not onely absteyned from al violation of Darius
wyfe, which in beauty excelled all the women of hir time, but
also tooke great care and diligence, that none other should
procure her any dishonour. And to all the women he commaunded
their ornaments, and apparell to be restored: so that they
wanted nothinge of the magnificence of their former estate,
sauinge only the assured trust that creatures want in misery:
which thinges considered by Sisigambis, she said vnto the kinge:
"Sir, your goodnes towards vs, doth deserue that we should make
the same prayer for you, that whilome we did for Darius: and we
perceive you worthy to passe so great a king as he was, in
felicity and good fortune, that abound so in iustice and
clemency. It pleaseth you to terme me by the name Mother and
Queene: but I confesse my selfe to bee your handmayde. For both
I conceiue the greatnesse of my state past, and feele that I can
bear this present seruitude. It lieth only in your hands how we
shal be delt withall, and whether you will make vs notable to
the worlde through your clemency or cruelty." The king comforted
them al that he might, and willinge them to be of good cheere
tooke Darius sonne in his armes. Thereat the childe was nothing
afraid, hauing neuer seene him before, but toke and imbraced him
about the necke. He was so moued with the constancy of the
childe, as he beheld Ephestion, and sayde, "Oh, I would that
Darius had had some part of this childe's gentlenesse." Which
mercy, continency, humility and constancy of minde in Alexander,
if hee had still kept to his latter daies, might haue bin
accoumpted mutch more fortunate than he was, when hauinge
subdued all Asia from Hellespont to the ocean Sea, he did
counterfayte the Triumphes of Bacchus. Or if amonges the residue
of his conquests, hee would haue trauayled to ouercome his pride
and wrath, beinge vices inuincible. Or in his dronkennes
abstayned from the slaughter of his Nobility, and not to haue
put to death those excellent men of warre without iudgement,
which helped him to conquer so many Nations: but at this time
the greatnes of his fortune had not yet altered his nature,
although afterwards he could not beare his victories with that
Vertue, wherewith he wan them: for when he gaue himself to
feasting and banquettinge, he vsed the company of Harlots:
amonges whom there was one Thais, who vpon a day in hir
dronkennesse, affirmed to Alexander, that he should wonderfully
win the fauour of the Greeks, if hee commaunded the Palace of
Persepolis to be set on fire. The destruction whereof (she sayd)
they greatly desired, for so mutch as the same was the chiefe
seat of the kings of Persia, which in times past had destroyed
so many great Citties. When the dronken harlot had giuen her
sentence, there were other present, who being likewise dronken,
confirmed hir wordes. Alexander then that had in him more
inclination of heat than of pacience, sayd: "Why do we not then
recouer the fauour of the Greekes by settinge this Citty on
fier?" They were all chafed with drinkinge, and rose immediately
vpon those words to burne that city in their dronkennesse, which
the men of warre had spared in their fury. The kinge himselfe
first, and after his guestes, his seruauntes and his Concubines,
set fier in the Pallace, which beinge builded for the most part
of Ceder trees, became sodenly in a flame. When the army that
was encamped neere vnto the City, sawe the fire, which they
thought had ben kindled by some casualty, they came runninge to
quenche the same againe. But when they sawe the kynge there
presente increasynge the fyre, they poured downe the water whych
they broughte, and helped lykewyse the matter forwardes. Thus
the Pallace that was the heade of the whole Orient, from whence
so many nations before had fetched their lawes to liue vnder,
the Seat of so many kynges, the onely Terror sometime of Greece,
the same that had bin the sender forth of 9000 Ships, and of the
armes that ouerflowed all Europa, that made Brydges ouer the
Sea, and vndermined mountaynes where the Sea hath now his
course, was consumed and had his ende, and neuer rose againe in
all the age that did ensue: for the kynges of Macedon vsed other
Citties which be now in the Persians handes. The destruction of
this citty was sutch, that the foundation thereof at thys day
could not be found, but that riuer of Araxes doth shew where it
stoode, which was distant from Persepolis XX. furlonges, as the
Inhabitants rather doe beleue than know. The Macedonians were
ashamed that so noble a Citty was destroyed by their kinge in
his dronkennes: yet at length it was turned into an earnest
matter, and were content to thincke it expedient that the Citty
should haue ben destroyed after that maner. But it is certayne,
that when Alexander had taken his rest, and was become better
aduised, hee repented him of his doinge: and after he had kept
company with Thalestris aforesayde, which was Queene of the
Amazones, hee tourned his continency and moderation (beinge the
most excellent vertues appearinge in any kind of estate) into
pride and voluptuousnes, not esteeminge his countrey customes,
nor the holsome temperance that was in the vsages, and
discipline of kynges of Macedon. For he iudged their ciuill
vsage and maner, to be ouer base for his greatnesse, but did
counterfaite the height and pompe of the kings of Persia,
representinge the greatnesse of the Gods. Hee was content to
suffre men there to fall downe flat vppon the grounde and
worship him, and accustomed the victors of so many nacions, by
litle and litle to seruile offices, couetinge to make them like
vnto his Captiues. He ware vpon his head a Diademe of Purple
interpaled with white, like as Darius was accustomed: and
fashioned his aparell after the maner of the Persians, without
scrupulosity of any euil token that is signified, for the
victorer to change his habite into the fashion of him whom he
had vanquished: and although he vaunted, that he ware the
spoyles of his enemies, yet with those spoiles he put vpon him
their euil maners, and the insolency of the mynde followed the
pride of the apparell. Besides he sealed sutch Letters as he
sent into Europa, with his accustomed seale, but all the Letters
he sent abroade into Asia, were sealed with Darius Ringe. So it
appeared that one minde could not beare the greatnesse that
appertayned to two. He apparelled also his frends, his Captayns,
and his horsemen in Persian apparell, whereat though they
grudged in their mindes, yet they durst not refuse it, for feare
of his displeasure. His courte was replenished with Concubins,
for he still mainteined three hundred, and threescore that
belonged to Darius, and amonge them were flocks of Eunuches
accustomed to performe the vse of women. The olde Souldiours of
Philip naturally abhorringe sutch thinges, manyfestly withstoode
to be infected with sutch voluptuousnes, and strange customes:
wherevpon there rose a general talke and opinion throughout the
campe, that they had lost more by the victory, than they won by
the wars. For when they sawe themselues ouercome in sutch
excesse, and forayne customes so to preuayle, they iudged it a
simple guerdon of their longe beeinge abroade, to returne home
in prisoners maner. They began to be ashamed of their kinge,
that was more like to sutch as were subdued, than to them that
were victorious: and that of a kinge of Macedon, was become a
Prince of Persia, and one of Darius Courtiers. Thus this noble
Prince from continency and mercy fell into all kynde of
disorder, the originall whereof, hee tooke by delite in Women,
which beinge vsed in sort lawfull, be great comfortes and
delightes, otherwise, the very springe of all cruelty and
mischife.