Page:The works of Anne Bradstreet in prose and verse.djvu/54

 x!vi INTRODUCTION.

Again, speaking of Cyrus, she says : —

"But Zenophon reports, he dj'd in's bed, In honour, peace, and wealth, with a grev head. And in his Town of Pafargada lyes, Where Alexander fought, in hope of prize, But in this Tombe was only to be found Two Sythian bowes, a fword, and target round ; Where that proud Conquereur could doe no leffe, Then at his Herfe great honours to exprelTe ; " *

using almost the same words as Raleigh : —

" Wherefore I i"ather believe Xenophon, saying, that Cyrtis died aged, and in peace. . ..

" This tomb was opened by Alexander, as Qiiintus Curtius, 1 I . reporteth, either upon hope of treasure supposed to have been buried with him, (or upon desire to honour his dead body with certain ceremonies,) in which there was found an old rotten target, two Scythian bows, and a sword. The coffin wherein the body lay, Alexander caused to be covered with his own garment, and a crown of gold to be set upon it." f

Her account of the quarrel of Alexander and Cleitus, which resulted in the death of the latter, is evidently taken from Raleigh : —

"The next that in untimely death had part. Was one of more efteem, but leffe defart ; Clitus, belov'd next to Epkejiion, And in his cups, his chief Companion ; When both were drunk, Clitus was wont to jeere ; Alexander, to rage, to kill, and fweare, Nothing more pleafing to mad Clitus tongue, Then's Mafters god-head, to defie, and wrong;


 * First edition, p. 89. See page 211.

t " History of the World," Bk. iii., ch. 3, sec. 6.

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