Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/145

 126 cares with which I am forced to cumber myself, against my will. Should Alexander cut off my head, he cannot also destroy my soul. My head alone, now silent, will remain, but the soul will go away to its Master, leaving the body hke a torn garment upon the earth, whence also it was taken. I then, becoming spirit, shall ascend to my God, who enclosed us in flesh, and left us upon the earth to prove whether when here below we shall live obedient to his ordinances, and who also will require of us, when we depart hence to his pre- sence, an account of our life, since he is judge of all proud wrong-doing ; for the groans of the oppress- ed become the punishments of the oppressors. those who wish for gold and for wealth, and who dread death, for against us these weapons are both alike powerless, since the Bragmanes neither love gold nor fear death. Go, then, and tell Alexander this : * Dandamis has no need of aught that is yours, and therefore will not go to you, but if you want anything from Dandamis come you to him.' "X Alexander, on receiving from Onesikrates a re- port of the interview, felt a stronger desire than ever to see Dandamis, who, though old and naked, was the only fintagonist in whom he, the conqueror of many nations, had found more than his match, &c. t " Others say Dandamis entered into no discourse with the messengers, bat only asked ' why Alexander had taken so long a journey ?' " — Plutarch's Alexander. Digitized by Google
 * Let Alexander, then, terrify with these threats