52 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



of the Macedonian nation for his discourse, and performing the 

 same with so good manner as the hearers were much ravished ; 

 whereupon Alexander, nothing pleased, said, &quot; It was easy to 

 be eloquent upon so good a subject; but,&quot; saith he, &quot;turn 

 your style, and let us hear what you can say against us ; &quot; 

 which Callisthenes presently undertook, and did with that 

 sting and life that Alexander interrupted him, and said, &quot; The 

 goodness of the cause made him eloquent before, and despite 

 made him eloquent then again.&quot; 



(17) Consider further, for tropes of rhetoric, that excellent 

 use of a metaphor or translation, wherewith he taxed Antipater, 

 who was an imperious and tyrannous governor ; for when one 

 of Antipater s friends commended him to Alexander for his 

 moderation, that he did not degenerate as his other lieutenants 

 did into the Persian pride, in use of purple, but kept the 

 ancient habit of Macedon, of black. &quot; True,&quot; saith Alexander ; 

 &quot;but Antipater is all purple within.&quot; Or that other, when 

 Parmenio came to him in the plain of Arbela and showed him 

 the innumerable multitude of his enemies, specially as they 

 appeared by the infinite number of lights as it had been a new 

 firmament of stars, and thereupon advised him to assail them 

 by night ; whereupon he answered, &quot; That he would not steal 

 the victory.&quot; 



(18) For matter of policy, weigh that significant distinction, 

 so much in all ages embraced, that he made between his two 

 friends Hephsestion and Craterus, when he said, &quot; That the 

 one loved Alexander, and the other loved the king : &quot; describing 

 the principal difference of princes best servants, that some in 

 affection love their person, and other in duty love their crown. 



(19) Weigh also that excellent taxation of an error, ordinary 

 with counsellors of princes, that they counsel their masters 

 according to the model of their own mind and fortune, and 

 not of their masters. When upon Darius great offers Parmenio 

 Lad said, Surely I would accept these offers were I as 

 Alexander ; &quot; saith Alexander, &quot; So would I were I as 

 Parmenio.&quot; 



(20) Lastly, weigh that quick and acute reply which he made 

 when he gave so large gifts to his friends and servants, and was 

 asked what he did reserve for himself, and he answered, 

 &quot;Hope.&quot; Weigh, I say, whether he had not cast up his 

 account aright, because hope must be the portion of all that 

 resolve upon great enterprises ; for this was Caesar s portion 

 when he went first into Gaul, his estate being then utterly 

 overthrown with largesses. And this was likewise the portion 

 of that noble prince, howsoever transported with ambition, 



