Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/209

 ALEXANDER. 20] trying his fortune again, which he might suppose himself to have, if he could impute his overthrow to the disad- vantage of the night, as he did before to the mountains, the narrow passages, and the sea. For while he had such numerous forces and large dominions still remaining, it was not any want of men or arms that could induce him to give up the war, but only the loss of all courage and hope upon the conviction of an undeniable and man- ifest defeat. After they were gone from him with this answer, he laid himself down in his tent and slept the rest of the night more soundly than was usual with him, to the as- tonishment of the commanders, who came to him early in the morning, and were fain themselves to give order that the soldiers should breakfast. But at last, time not giving them leave to wait any longer, Parmenio went to his bedside, and called him twice or thrice by his name, till he waked him, and then asked him how it was possi- ble, when he was to fight the most important battle of all, he could sleep as soundly as if he were already victorious. " And are we not so, indeed," replied Alexander, smiling, " since we are at last relieved from the trouble of wan- dering in pursuit of Darius through a wide and wasted country, hoping in vain that he would fight us ? " And not only before the battle, but in the height of the dan- ger, he showed himself great, and manifested the self- possession of a just foresight and confidence. For the battle for some time fluctuated and was dubious. The left wing, where Parmenio ^commanded, was so impetuously charged by the Bactrian horse that it was disordered and forced to give ground, at the same time that Mazaeus had sent a detachment round about to fall upon those who guarded the baggage, which so disturbed Parmenio, that he sent messengers to acquaint Alexander that the camp and baggage would be all lost unless he immediately re-