Читать книгу The Story of Alexander онлайн

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Now the king was sitting on his throne under the daïs at the upper end of the hall, and on his right hand sat the noble Alexander, and round the king on his right and his left were the nobles of the land, greybeards and youth. And when the coming of the heralds was told them the king rose from his seat, and as they stepped forward so did he, and he came to the middle of the hall and three steps further, for all men did reverence in those days to the herald. And he greeted them, and on the neck of each man he threw a chain of gold, and much he praised them for their fame. But the heralds spoke and said, “O king, we have a message for thee, nor may we delay.” And he said, “Speak on.”

The Heralds of the Emperor Darius.

So the Wild Boar of Persia spake: “O Philip, for three years thou hast not sent thy accustomed tribute to Persia, nor a part of it. Now, therefore, pay it at once, or fear the wrath of Persia.” Then the Tiger of Darius the Mede, spake: “O king, forasmuch as in past years thou hast served the king, and as perchance thy land has suffered from famine and war, thy king and friend, Darius, forgives thee freely thy past tribute by my mouth.” But the herald of the Empire of the World added: “On this condition only, that thou payest over to me three sacks full of Grecian earth in token of thy obedience to the great Emperor, and to show that hereafter thy tribute shall not fail.”