Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/192

 156 ALEXANDER. to pafs the Hydafpes, forced him to cry out, " O, Athenians, 14 could you believe to what dangers I cxpofe myfelf for the ct fake of being celebrated by you ?" But Bayle affirms, that this was quite confident with the vali unbounded extent of his ambition, as he wanted to make all future time his own, and be an oi.jecl of admiration to the lateft poflerity ; yet did not expct this from the conqueft of worlds, but from books. He was perfectly in the right, fays Bayle ; "for if Greece 41 had not furnifned him with good writers, he would long " ago have been as much forgotten as the kings who reigned " in Macedon before Amphitryon." Alexander has been praifcd upon the fcore of contincncy, yet his life could not furely be quite regular in that refpecft. Indeed, the fire of his early youth appeared fo cold towards women, that his mother fufpeed him to be impotent ; and, to fatisfy herfelf in this point, did, with the confent of Philip, procure a very handfome courtezan to lie with him, whofe careiTes, however, were all to no purpofe. His behaviour af- terwards to the Perfian captives {hews him to have had a great command over himfelf in this particular. The wife of Da- rius was a finished beauty ; her daughters likewife were all beauties ; yet this young prince, who had them in his power, not only beftowed on them all the honours due to their high rank, but managed their reputation with the ut- moft delicacy. They were kept as in a cloyfler concealed from the world, and fecured from the reach of every diflio- rourable (not only attack, but) imputation. He did not give the lead handle to fcandal, either by his vifits, his looks, Tlutatch. or his words : and for other Perfian dames his prifoners, equally beautiful in face and (hape, he contented himfelf with faying gaily, that they gave indeed much pain to his eyes. In the mean time, what are we to conclude frorri his caufmg his favourite miftrefs Pancafte to be drawn naked by Apellcs, though it is true he gave her to the painter, who fell in love with her ? What of that immoderate love of boy?, which Dcipnof. Athcnxus relates of him ? What of that prodigious number of wives and concubines which he kept ? His excefies with regard to wine were notorious, and be- yond all imagination ; and he committed, when drunk, a thoufand extravagances. It was owing to wine, that he killed Clytus who faved his life, and burnt Perfcpolis, one of the moft beautiful cities of the Eatt : he did this laft indeed at the inftigation of the courtezan Thais j but this circum- P- c " rtlu8 ' ftance made it only the more heinous. It is generally be- llb, Vi!J. ,. ., J , ,. ,, , i 1 l i lieved, that he cued by drinking immoderately: and even Plutarch >