contention, into the name and majesty of a king. Finally, he got unto himself (having an army of six hundred thousand men) if not all India, yet as much of it as had been Alexander's. In this estate he had well confirmed himself, ere Seleucus Nicator could find leisure to call him to account. Neither did he faint, or humble himself, at the coming of Seleucus, but met him in the field, as ready to defend his own, so strongly and well-appointed, that the Macedonian was contented to make both peace and affinity with him, taking only a reward of fifty elephants. This league, made by the founders of the Indian and Syrian kingdoms, was continued by some offices of love between their children, and now renewed by Antiochus, whose number of elephants were increased thereupon by the Indian king to an hundred and fifty; as also he was promised to have some treasure sent after him, which he left one to receive. Thus parted these two great kings. Neither had the Indians, from this time forwards, in many generations, any business worthy of remembrance with the western countries. The posterity of Sandrocottus is thought to have retained that kingdom unto the days of Augustus Cæsar; to whom Porus, when reigning in India, sent embassadors with presents, and an epistle written in Greek; wherein, among other things, he said, that he had command over six hundred kings. There is also found, scattered in sundry authors, the mention of some which held that kingdom, in divers ages, even unto the time of Constantine the Great; being all, peradventure, of the same race. But Antiochus,-who, in his treaty with Sophagasenus, carried himself as the worthier person, receiving presents, and after marched home through Drangiana and Carmania, with such reputation, that all the potentates, not only in higher Asia, but on the hither side of Taurus, humbled themselves unto him, and called him the Great, -saw an end of his own greatness within a few years

ensuing, by presuming to stand upon points with the Romans, whose greatness was the same, indeed, that his was only in seeming.

SECT. III.

The lewd reign of Ptolemy Philopater in Egypt; with the tragical end of his favourites, when he was dead. Antiochus prepares to war on the young child Ptolemy Epiphanes, the son of Philopater. His irresolution in preparing for divers wars at once. His voyage toward the Hellespont. He · seeks to hold amity with the Romans, who make a friendly shew to him; intending, nevertheless, to have war with him. His doings against the Hellespont, which the Romans made the first ground of their quarrel to him.

THIS expedition being finished, Antiochus had leisure to repose himself a while, and study which way to convert the terror of his puissance, for the enlargement of his empire. Within two or three years Ptolemy Philopater died, leaving his son Ptolemy Epiphanes, a young boy, his successor in the kingdom; unlikely by him to be well defended against a neighbour so mighty and ambitious. This Ptolemy, surnamed Philopater, that is to say, a lover of his father, is thought to have had that surname given him in mere derision, as having made away both his father and mother. His young years, being newly past his childhood when he began to reign, may seem to discharge him of so horrible a crime as his father's death'; yet the beastliness of all his following life makes him not unlike to have done any mischief whereof he could be accused. Having won

1 Justin. l. xxx.

the battle at Raphia, he gave himself over to sensuality, and was wholly governed by a strumpet called Agathoclea. At her instigation he murdered his own wife and sister, which had adventured herself with him, in that only dangerous action by him undertaken, and performed with honour. The lieutenantships of his provinces, with all commands in his army, and offices whatsoever, were wholly referred unto the disposition of this Agathoclea, and her brother Agathocles, and of Oenanthe, a filthy bawd, that was mother unto them both. So these governed the realm at their pleasure, to the great grief of all the country, till Philopater died; who having reigned seventeen years, left none other son than Ptolemy Epiphanes, a child of five years old, begotten on Arsinoe, that was his sister and wife. After the king's death, Agathocles began to take upon him as protector of young Epiphanes, and governor of the land. Heassembled the Macedonians,(which were the king's ordinary forces in pay, not all born in Macedonia, but the race of those that abode in Egypt with Ptolemy the first, and would not be accounted Egyptians, as neither would the kings themselves,) and bringing forth unto them his sister Agathoclea, with the young king in her arms, began a solemn oration. He told them, that the deceased father of this their king had committed the child into the arms of his sister, but unto the faith of them on whose valiant right hands the whole state of the kingdom did now rely. He besought them, therefore, that they would be faithful, and, as great need was, defend their king against the treason of one Tlepolemus, an ambitious man, who traitorously went about to set the diadem upon his own head, being a mere stranger to the royal blood. Herewithal he produced before them a witness that should justify his accusation against Tiepolemus. Now, though it were so, that he delivered all this with a feigned passion of sorrow and counterfeiting of tears, yet the Macedonians that

heard him regarded not any word that he spake, but stood laughing and talking one to another, what a shameful dissembler he was to take so much upon him, as if he knew not how greatly he was hated. And so broke up the assembly; he that had called it being scarce aware how.-Agathocles therefore, whom the old king's favour had made mighty, but neither wise nor well qualified, thought to go to work, as had formerly been his manner, by using his authority to the suppression of those that he distrusted. He haled out of a temple the motherin-law of Tlepolemus, and cast her into prison. This filled Alexandria with rumours, and made the people (though accustomed to suffer greater things whilst they were committed in the old king's name) to meet in knots together, and utter one to another their minds; wherein they had conceived extreme hate against these three pernicious misgovernors of the old king. Besides their consideration of the present injury done to Tlepolemus, they were somewhat also moved with fear of harm; which, in way of requital, Tlepolemus was likely to do unto the city. For he was, though a man most unapt for government, as afterwards he proved, yet no bad soldier, and well beloved of the army; it was also then in his power to stop the provision of victuals which was to come into Alexandria. As these motives wrought with the people, so, by the remedy which Agathocles used, were the Macedonians more hastily and more violently stirred unto uproar. He secretly apprehended one of their number whom he suspected of conspiracy against him, and delivered him unto a follower of his own, to be examined by torture. This poor soldier was carried into an inner-room of the palace, and there stripped out of all his apparel, to be tormented. But whilst the whips were brought forth, and all things even in a readiness for that purpose, there was brought unto the minister of Agathocles, a sad report of Tlepolemus's being at hand.

Hereupon the examiner and his torturers, one after another, went out of the room, leaving Mærageanes the soldier alone by himself, and the doors open. He perceiving this, naked as he was, conveyed himself out of the palace, and got unto the Macedonians; of whom he found some in a temple thereby at dinner. The Macedonians were as fierce in maintenance of their privileges, as are the Turkish Janizaries. Being assured, therefore, that one of their fellows had thus been used, they fell to arms in great rage, and began to force the palace; crying out, That they would see the king, and not leave him in possession of such a dangerous man. The whole multitude in the city, with loud clamours, made no less ado than the soldiers, though to less effect. So the old bawd, Oenanthe, fled into a temple; her son and daughter staid in the court, until the king was taken from them; and they, by his permission, which he easily gave, and by appointment of those that now had him in their hands, delivered up to the fury of the people. Agathocles himself was stabbed to death by some, which therein did the office of friends, though in manner of enemies. His sister was dragged naked up and down the streets, as was also his mother, with all to them belonging; the enraged multitude committed upon them a barbarous execution of justice biting them, pulling out their eyes, and tearing them in pieces.

These troubles in Egypt served well to stir up king Antiochus, who had very good leisure, though he wanted all pretence to make war upon young Ptolemy. Philip of Macedon had the same de sire to get what part he could of the child's estate. But it happened well, that Ptolemy Philopater, in the Punic war, which was now newly ended, had done many good offices unto the Romans. Unto them therefore the Egyptians addressed themselves, and craved help against these two kings; who though they secretly maligned one the other, yet had