the history-第17章

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died。〃　　　　　Thus　Harpagus　related　the　whole　story　in　a　plain；　straightforward　way；　upon　which　Astyages；　letting　no　sign　escape　him　of　the　anger　that　he　felt；　began　by　repeating　to　him　all　that　he　had　just　heard　from　the　cowherd；　and　then　concluded　with　saying；　〃So　the　boy　is　alive；　and　it　is　best　as　it　is。　For　the　child's　fate　was　a　great　sorrow　to　me；　and　the　reproaches　of　my　daughter　went　to　my　heart。　Truly　fortune　has　played　us　a　good　turn　in　this。　Go　thou　home　then；　and　send　thy　son　to　be　with　the　new　comer；　and　to…night；　as　I　mean　to　sacrifice　thank…offerings　for　the　child's　safety　to　the　gods　to　whom　such　honour　is　due；　I　look　to　have　thee　a　guest　at　the　banquet。〃　　　　　Harpagus；　on　hearing　this；　made　obeisance；　and　went　home　rejoicing　to　find　that　his　disobedience　had　turned　out　so　fortunately；　and　that；　instead　of　being　punished；　he　was　invited　to　a　banquet　given　in　honour　of　the　happy　occasion。　The　moment　he　reached　home　he　called　for　his　son；　a　youth　of　about　thirteen；　the　only　child　of　his　parents；　and　bade　him　go　to　the　palace；　and　do　whatever　Astyages　should　direct。　Then；　in　the　gladness　of　his　heart；　he　went　to　his　wife　and　told　her　all　that　had　happened。　Astyages；　meanwhile；　took　the　son　of　Harpagus；　and　slew　him；　after　which　he　cut　him　in　pieces；　and　roasted　some　portions　before　the　fire；　and　boiled　others；　and　when　all　were　duly　prepared；　he　kept　them　ready　for　use。　The　hour　for　the　banquet　came；　and　Harpagus　appeared；　and　with　him　the　other　guests；　and　all　sat　down　to　the　feast。　Astyages　and　the　rest　of　the　guests　had　joints　of　meat　served　up　to　them；　but　on　the　table　of　Harpagus；　nothing　was　placed　except　the　flesh　of　his　own　son。　This　was　all　put　before　him；　except　the　hands　and　feet　and　head；　which　were　laid　by　themselves　in　a　covered　basket。　When　Harpagus　seemed　to　have　eaten　his　fill；　Astyages　called　out　to　him　to　know　how　he　had　enjoyed　the　repast。　On　his　reply　that　he　had　enjoyed　it　excessively；　they　whose　business　it　was　brought　him　the　basket；　in　which　were　the　hands　and　feet　and　head　of　his　son；　and　bade　him　open　it；　and　take　out　what　he　pleased。　Harpagus　accordingly　uncovered　the　basket；　and　saw　within　it　the　remains　of　his　son。　The　sight；　however；　did　not　scare　him；　or　rob　him　of　his　self…possession。　Being　asked　by　Astyages　if　he　knew　what　beast's　flesh　it　was　that　he　had　been　eating；　he　answered　that　he　knew　very　well；　and　that　whatever　the　king　did　was　agreeable。　After　this　reply；　he　took　with　him　such　morsels　of　the　flesh　as　were　uneaten；　and　went　home；　intending；　as　I　conceive；　to　collect　the　remains　and　bury　them。　　　　　Such　was　the　mode　in　which　Astyages　punished　Harpagus：　afterwards；　proceeding　to　consider　what　he　should　do　with　Cyrus；　his　grandchild；　he　sent　for　the　Magi；　who　formerly　interpreted　his　dream　in　the　way　which　alarmed　him　so　much；　and　asked　them　how　they　had　expounded　it。　They　answered；　without　varying　from　what　they　had　said　before；　that　〃the　boy　must　needs　be　a　king　if　he　grew　up；　and　did　not　die　too　soon。〃　Then　Astyages　addressed　them　thus：　〃The　boy　has　escaped；　and　lives；　he　has　been　brought　up　in　the　country；　and　the　lads　of　the　village　where　he　lives　have　made　him　their　king。　All　that　kings　commonly　do　he　has　done。　He　has　had　his　guards；　and　his　doorkeepers；　and　his　messengers；　and　all　the　other　usual　officers。　Tell　me；　then；　to　what；　think　you；　does　all　this　tend？〃　The　Magi　answered；　〃If　the　boy　survives；　and　has　ruled　as　a　king　without　any　craft　or　contrivance；　in　that　case　we　bid　thee　cheer　up；　and　feel　no　more　alarm　on　his　account。　He　will　not　reign　a　second　time。　For　we　have　found　even　oracles　sometimes　fulfilled　in　an　unimportant　way；　and　dreams；　still　oftener；　have　wondrously　mean　accomplishments。〃　〃It　is　what　I　myself　most　incline　to　think；〃　Astyages　rejoined；　〃the　boy　having　been　already　king；　the　dream　is　out；　and　I　have　nothing　more　to　fear　from　him。　Nevertheless；　take　good　heed　and　counsel　me　the　best　you　can　for　the　safety　of　my　house　and　your　own　interests。〃　〃Truly；〃　said　the　Magi　in　reply；　〃it　very　much　concerns　our　interests　that　thy　kingdom　be　firmly　established；　for　if　it　went　to　this　boy　it　would　pass　into　foreign　hands；　since　he　is　a　Persian：　and　then　we　Medes　should　lose　our　freedom；　and　be　quite　despised　by　the　Persians；　as　being　foreigners。　But　so　long　as　thou；　our　fellow…countryman；　art　on　the　throne；　all　manner　of　honours　are　ours；　and　we　are　even　not　without　some　share　in　the　government。　Much　reason　therefore　have　we　to　forecast　well　for　thee　and　for　thy　sovereignty。　If　then　we　saw　any　cause　for　present　fear；　be　sure　we　would　not　keep　it　back　from　thee。　But　truly　we　are　persuaded　that　the　dream　has　had　its　accomplishment　in　this　harmless　way；　and　so　our　own　fears　being　at　rest；　we　recommend　thee　to　banish　thine。　As　for　the　boy；　our　advice　is　that　thou　send　him　away　to　Persia；　to　his　father　and　mother。〃　　　　　Astyages　heard　their　answer　with　pleasure；　and　calling　Cyrus　into　his　presence；　said　to　him；　〃My　child；　I　was　led　to　do　thee　a　wrong　by　a　dream　which　has　come　to　nothing：　from　that　wrong　thou　wert　saved　by　thy　own　good　fortune。　Go　now　with　a　light　heart　to　Persia；　I　will　provide　thy　escort。　Go；　and　when　thou　gettest　to　thy　journey's　end；　thou　wilt　behold　thy　father　and　thy　mother；　quite　other　people　from　Mitradates　the　cowherd　and　his　wife。〃　　　　　With　these　words　Astyages　dismissed　his　grandchild。　On　his　arrival　at　the　house　of　Cambyses；　he　was　received　by　his　parents；　who；　when　they　learnt　who　he　was；　embraced　him　heartily；　having　always　been　convinced　that　he　died　almost　as　soon　as　he　was　born。　So　they　asked　him　by　what　means　he　had　chanced　to　escape；　and　he　told　them　how　that　till　lately　he　had　known　nothing　at　all　about　the　matter；　but　had　been　mistaken…　oh！　so　widely！…　and　how　that　he　had　learnt　his　history　by　the　way；　as　he　came　from　Media。　He　had　been　quite　sure　that　he　was　the　son　of　the　king's　cowherd；　but　on　the　road　the　king's　escort　had　told　him　all　the　truth；　and　then　he　spoke　of　the　cowherd's　wife　who　had　brought　him　up；　and　filled　his　whole　talk　with　her　praises；　in　all　that　he　had　to　tell　them　about　himself；　it　was　always　Cyno…　Cyno　was　everything。　So　it　happened　that　his　parents；　catching　the　name　at　his　mouth；　and　wishing　to　persuade　the　Persians　that　there　was　a　special　providence　in　his　preservation；　spread　the　report　that　Cyrus；　when　he　was　exposed；　was　suckled　by　a　bitch。　This　was　the　sole　origin　of　the　rumour。　　　　　Afterwards；　when　Cyrus　grew　to　manhood；　and　became　known　as　the　bravest　and　most　popular　of　all　his　compeers；　Harpagus；　who　was　bent　on　revenging　himself　upon　Astyages；　began　to　pay　him　court　by　gifts　and　messages。　His　own　rank　was　too　humble　for　him　to　hope　to　obtain　vengeance　without　some　foreign　help。　When　therefore　he　saw　Cyrus；　whose　wrongs　were　so　similar　to　his　own；　growing　up　expressly　（as　it　were）　to　be　the　avenger　whom　he　needed；　he　set　to　work　to　procure　his　support　and　aid　in　the　matter。　He　had　already　paved　the　way　for　his　designs；　by　persuading；　severally；　the　great　Median　nobles；　whom　the　harsh　rule　of　their　monarch　had　offended；　that　the　best　plan　would　be　to　put　Cyrus　at　their　head；　and　dethrone　Astyages。　These　preparations　made；　Harpagus；　being　now　ready　for　revolt；　was　anxious　to　make　known　his　wishes　to　Cyrus；　who　still　lived　in　Persia；　but　as　the　roads　between　Media　and　Persia　were　guarded；　he　had　to　contrive　a　means　of　sending　word　secretly；　which　he　did　in　the　following　way。　He　took　a　hare；　and　cutting　open　its　belly　without　hurting　the　fur；　he　slipped　in　a　letter　containing　what　he　wanted　to　say；　and　then　carefully　sewing　up　the　paunch；　he　gave　the　hare　to　one　of　his　most　faithful　slaves；　disguising　him　as　a　hunter　with　nets；　and　sent　him　off　to　Persia　to　take　the　game　as　a　present　to　Cyrus；　bidding　him　tell　Cyrus；　by　word　of　mouth；　to　paunch　the　animal　himself；　and　let　no　one　be　present　at　the　time。　　　　　All　was　done　as　he　wished；　and　Cyrus；　on　cutting　the　hare　open；　found　the　letter　inside；　and　read　as　follows：…　〃Son　of　Cambyses；　the　gods　assuredly　watch　over　thee；　or　never　wouldst　thou　have　passed　through　thy　many　wonderful　adventures…　now　is　the　time　when　thou　mayst　avenge　thyself　upon　Astyages；　thy　murderer。　He　willed　thy　death；　remember；　to　the　gods　and　to　me　thou　owest　that　thou　art　still　alive。