murder of Clitus, an old officer who had fought under king Philip. He had once saved Alexander's life in battle, and on this account he was allowed to speak very freely to him.

2. One night, after drinking too much wine, Alexander began to speak of his own exploits; and he spoke more highly of them than old Clitus thought they deserved. Accordingly, he told Alexander that his father Philip had done much greater things than he had ever done. The monarch was so enraged, that he snatched a spear from one of his attendants, and gave Clitus a mortal wound. When he saw the old man's bloody corpse extended on the floor, he was naturally seized with horror, for he had murdered the preserver of his own life!

3. Alexander's remorse, however, did not last long. He was so elated by his successes against his enemies, that he fancied himself a god, the son of Jupiter Ammon; and because a philosopher, named Callisthenes, refused to worship him, he was put into an iron cage, and tormented, till he killed himself in despair.

4. After Alexander's return from India to Persia, he met with a great misfortune, in the loss of his dearest friend, Hephæstion, who died of a disease which he had contracted by excessive drinking. For three days afterwards, Alexander lay prostrate on the ground, and would take no food. At length he erected a funeral pile of spices and other precious materials, so that it was as costly as a palace would have been; and the lifeless body of Hephæstion was placed on the summit. Alexander then set fire to the pile, and stood mournfully looking on while the corpse of his friend was consumed to ashes.

5. It would have been well if Alexander had taken warning by the fate of Hephaestion; but he, too, was destined to owe his destruction to the wine-cup. While drinking at a banquet in Babylon, he was suddenly taken ill, and died in a few days.

6. Of a certain pirate, whom the Macedonian soldiers once took prisoner, Alexander demanded by what right he committed his robberies. "I am a robber by the same right that you are a conqueror," was the reply. "The only difference between us is, that I have but a few men, and can do but little mischief; while you have a large army, and can do a great deal!" It must be confessed that this was the chief difference between many of the barbarous conquerors of old and robbers.

7. When Alexander died, his body was deposited in a splendid coffin, at Alexandria in Egypt, and the Egyptians paid him divine honours, as if he had been the greatest possible benefactor to the world.

What ruined his dispo

QUESTIONS. 1. What of Alexander? sition? What of the actions of Alexander? Who was Clitus? 2. Give an account of the murder of Clitus.- 3. What did Alexander insist upon being called? What of Callisthenes?—4. Of Hephæstion? The cause of his death? What did Alexander do with the body of Hephaestion?- -5. What caused Alexander's death? At what place did he die? Situation of Babylon? Direction from Macedon? India ?-6. Tell the story of the pirate. -7. What was done when Alexander died?

CHAPTER LX. EUROPE continued.

-Greece invaded

by the Gauls.

1. WHEN Alexander lay on his death-bed, his attendants asked to whom he would bequeath the empire, which now extended from Greece to India, including a great many nations; his answer was, "To the most worthy." But there appears to have been no very worthy man among those whom he left behind him; and even if there had been, the unworthy ones would not have consented to yield him the whole power; Alexander's empire was therefore divided among thirty-three of his chief officers.

2. But the most powerful of these officers were determined to have more than their share; and in the year

312 before Christ, four of them had obtained possession of the whole. Alexander had then been dead eleven years, and all his children and relatives had been murdered by his ambitious officers.

3. The Greeks, when they heard of Alexander's death, had attempted to regain their liberty. But their struggles were unsuccessful; and the country was reduced to subjection by Cassander, who had been general of Alexander's cavalry. Cassander died in a few years; and thenceforward the history of Greece tells of nothing but crimes, and revolutions, and misfortunes.

4. In the year 279 before the Christian era, Greece was invaded by the Gauls, a barbarous people, who inhabited the country now called France. Their general's name was Brennus; and their numbers are said to have been a hundred and sixty-five thousand men. Brennus met with hardly any opposition; and marched to Delphos, intending to seize the treasures that were contained in the famous temple of Apollo. "A deity, like Apollo, does not want these treasures," said Brennus; "I am only a man, and have great need of them."

5. Accordingly, he led his barbarians towards the temple, the stately marble front of which was seen at a short distance before them. It was considered the holiest spot in Greece; and here was the mysterious oracle, from which so many wonderful prophecies were pretended to have issued. A wild shout burst from the army of the Gauls, and they were on the point of rushing forward to the temple, when suddenly a violent storm arose; the thunder roared, the wind blew furiously, and at the same moment a terrible earthquake shook the ground beneath their feet. A band of Greeks had assembled to defend the temple, and when they saw the disorder of the barbarians, they attacked them, sword in hand. It had grown so dark, too, that the Gauls could not distinguish friends from foes, so they killed one another, and their whole army was destroyed.

6. Such is the story which the Greek historians tell about this battle, but it is doubtless much exaggerated. This was the last great victory that the Greeks ever achieved over their enemies.

QUESTIONS. 1. What was asked Alexander on his death-bed? His reply? How was the empire divided ?2. What took place in the year 312 before Christ? What of Alexander's children and relatives?- -3. By whom was Greece subdued? Who was Cassander? What of the history of Greece after his death ?4. In what year did the Gauls invade Greece? Name of their general? What of their army? Situation of Delphos ? Direction from Athens ? Sparta ? Thebes? What famous temple was at Delphos ?Describe the march towards the temple. By what were the Gauls affrighted? What of the Greeks? How were the Gauls destroyed? 6. What may be said of this victory over the Gauls?

-5.

CHAPTER LXI. EUROPE continued.

Independence.

-End of Grecian

1. THE Greeks had now almost entirely lost their love of liberty, as well as the other virtues which had formerly distinguished them. In proof of this, I will relate the story of Agis, the young king of Sparta.

2. King Agis was anxious for the welfare of Sparta, and he greatly desired to restore the ancient laws which Lycurgus had enacted. But the Spartans were now vicious and cowardly; they hated the very name of Lycurgus, and resolved not to be governed by his severe laws. They therefore seized the virtuous young king, dragged him to prison, and he was condemned to death. The executioner shed tears at the moment when he was going to kill him; "Do not weep for me," said Agis, "I am happier than my murderers." A little while after Agis was killed, his mother and grandmother came to the prison to see him, for they had not heard of his death. They were led into his dungeon, and the murderers of Agis immediately strangled them both, and threw their dead bodies upon his.

3. Some time after this horrible event, the Spartans had a king called Nabis. He was such a cruel monster, that Heaven seemed to have placed him in authority only for the punishment of the people's wickedness. Nabis had an image in his palace, which resembled his own wife, and was very beautiful; it was likewise clothed with magnificent garments, such as were proper for a queen to wear, but the breast and arms of the image were stuck full of sharp iron spikes; these, however, were hidden by the rich clothes.

4. When king Nabis wished to extort money from any person, he invited him to his palace, and led him up to the image, but no sooner was the stranger within reach, than the image put out its arms and squeezed him close to its breast. This was done by means of machinery, and the poor man might struggle as hard as he pleased, but he could not possibly get away from the cruel embrace of the statue. There he remained, with the iron spikes sticking into his flesh, until his agony compelled him to give Nabis as much money as he asked for.

5. When such enormities were committed by the kings of Greece, it was time that the country should be governed by other masters, and my readers will not be sorry to hear that this soon happened. One hundred and forty-six years before the Christian era, Greece submitted to the authority of Rome.

6. Thus I have given you a very brief account of ancient Greece; its history is full of interest, and instruction, and I hope you will hereafter read the whole story in some larger work than mine.

QUESTIONS. 1. What of the Greeks? -2. Who was Agis? What did he desire? What of the Spartans? What did they do to Agis? Describe his death. What of the mother and grandmother of Agis?- -3. What of Nabis? Describe the image.

-4. What did Nabis do when he wanted to extort money from any one ?5. At what period was Greece conquered by the Romans? Situation of Rome ? Direction from Greece? Persia ? India?