Chap. II. 
of the E a s 
T 
Indies 
After incredible Fatigue undergone for fixty Days, he 
came to Pur a, the chief City, where he refrelhed his Ar- 
my, and thence marched towards the Borders of Caramania. 
Here he received News, that Philips Governor of the Oxy- 
dracians, and of other Indians , was killed by the mercenary 
Soldiers 9 but that his Death was revenged upon them by 
the Macedonians : Whereupon he wrote to Taxiles and Eu- 
demus , to take care of the Country, till fuch Time as he 
Could fend one to fucceed Philip. When, after all thefe 
Dangers, he arrived fafely in the Province of Caramania , 
he received Complaints of many of his Governors, that, 
fuppofing he would never return, had behaved tyrannically 9 
whom he punilhed for their Offences very feverely. He 
likewife celebrated, as the Cuftom of thofe Days was. 
Games, and exhibited Plays, by way of Thankfgiving, 
to the Gods, for having preferved him, and his Army, in 
the Midft of fo many Dangers. And while he was thus 
employed, Nearchus , the Admiral of his Fleet, arriving 
on the Coaft, and hearing that his Mailer was only five 
Days Journey from him, thought proper to go thither, 
with a few Attendants, in order to report to him what had 
happened in his Voyage. On his entering the Theatre, 
the Macedonians , furprifed and overjoyed at the Sight of 
him, fet up a great Shout, exprefnng thereby their dread- 
ful Apprehenfions of being obliged toferve by Sea, which 
they looked upon as little better than being deftined to 
certain Death. But, as for Alexander , he was extremely 
pleafed at the News he told him •, and fo far from being 
affrighted at the ftrange Things he related, that from 
thence he conceived a Defign of fending a Fleet from the 
Mouth of the Euphrates , which, palfing round the whole 
Continent of Africa , fhould have entered the Mediterranean 
by the Streights of Gibraltar , then called the Pillars of 
Hercules : For which Expedition he caufed great Prepara- 
tions to be made, as we fhall fee in another Place 9 when, 
for the fake of enriching this Colledtion, with fo curious, 
and fo authentick a Piece, we fhall give the Reader the 
whole V oyage of Nearchus , as near as may be, in his own 
Words 9 and fhall, at the fame time, enter into the Dif- 
cufiion of the true Defigns of Alexander , with regard to 
Navigation and Commerce 9 Points in which he fhewed 
a greater Superiority of Genius, than in all his Conquefts, 
which, exclufive of thofe Views, were fo many Outrages 
on the Rights of Mankind. At prefent we will take a 
View of his Indian Expedition 9 and fee how far it contri- 
buted to his own Benefit, or to that of others. 
io. It is, in the firft Place, obfervable, that however 
weak, and contrary, to good Senfe, that Humour of 
Alexander 1 s might be, which led him to aflfume the Ho- 
nours of a God 9 to boaft of being the Son of Jupiter ; and 
tp attempt not rivalling only, but excelling, his Brethren 
Bacchus and Hercules 9 I fay, how wild or extravagant fo- 
eyer this might be, in one Senfe 9 yet it was attended with 
many good Confequences, efpecially to the Indians , who 
knew how to turn this foible of his to their own Advan- 
i tage 9 that is, to the Prefervation of their Liberty, which 
feems to have been the only Point they had in View. We 
I have already had an Inftance of this, in the artful Speech of 
Acuphis , at the Head of the Deputies from the City of 
Nyfa. But it may not be amifs to add fome farther Parti- 
* culars relating to the fame Adventure. 
When thefe Embafiadors were introduced to Alexander , 
1 they found him Handing in his Tent, completely armed, 
1 with a few Officers about him, and without any of that 
I Pomp or Splendour, which ufed to diftinguifh the Mo- 
i narchs of thofe Times. They were a little alarmed at this 
Appearance, and afraid of meeting with a rough Recep- 
tion 9 but their Countenances foon altered, when Alexander 
commanded one who was near him, to fetch a Cuffiion 9 
on which, as foon as it was brought, he very civilly defired 
Acuphis to fit down. The old Man, overcome with Ten- 
dernefs, on this extraordinary Mark of Diftindlion, cried 
out, What is it , O King, that my Countrymen can do , to 
\ merit your Friendfhip^ ? Let them , faid Alexander, make 
Choice of thee for their Governor , and fend one hundred of 
their bejl Citizens to remain with me^ as H oft ages for 
\ their Fidelity . This Anfwer ffiews the Wifdom and Pe- 
netration of Alexander , who thought to Leu re his own 
Purpofe, by paying this Compliment to Acuphis. But the 
quick Reply of that fenfible old Man does Honour to the 
Wit and Spirit of the Indian Nation *. 1 fo all govern them 
with more Eafe , O King, faid he, if I fend you , inflead of 
the heft, fo many of the worft of my Subjects a . 
The Behaviour of Mophis, afterwards called Taxiles , has 
been already related 9 but the Motives which induced him 
to deliver up his Kingdom to Alexander , deferve ouf 
Notice : They are contained in the following Speech he 
made to him at the Time of his Submiffion :• 4 To what 
c Purpofe, Alexander , fhould we make War upon each 
4 other, if thy Defign of coming into thefe Parts be not to 
4 rob us of our Water, or our neceftary Food, which are 
4 the only Things that wife Men are indifpenfably obliged 
4 to fight for ? As for other Riches and Poffeffions, as 
4 they are accounted in the Eye of the World 9 if I am 
4 better provided of them than thou, I am ready to let 
4 thee fhare with me 9 but, if Fortune hath been more 
4 liberal to thee than me, I will not decline thy Favours, 
4 but accept them with all the thankful Acknowledgments 
4 that are due to a Benefactor. 5 This Compliment was 
extremely grateful to Alexander , who, after embracing, 
made him this Anfwer : Bo not imagine , Taxiles, that thefe- 
foft Expreffions , and fo polite a Behaviour , fhall hinder our 
coming to an Engagement : No , you are not like to efcape by 
changing the Nature of the War 9 for I will not be conquered 
even in Complaifance. It was upon this Occafion that he 
made him a Prefent of a thoufand Talents, which difpleafed 
the Macedonians fo much, but which, however, gained 
him the Friendffiip of the Indians \ 
Thefe are certainly Inflances of the good Senfe, great 
Prudence, and generous Spirit, of thefe People. As to 
their Bravery, and excellent military Difcipline, the fol- 
lowing Inflances will be fufficient to fatisfy the Reader as 
to both. Such of the free Cities in India , that is, fuch as 
lived under a Republican Government, did not pra&ife 
thefe Arts to fecure, but hired Soldiers to defend their 
Liberties 9 which they did fo effectually, that, when Alex- 
ander had granted them an honourable Capitulation, he was 
tempted to break it, and open a Paffage to farther Con- 
quefts, by thus difpenfing with his Word 9 which, how- 
ever, leffened his Reputation exceedingly, and induced 
others to defend themfelves with incredible Obftinacy. The 
Courage of Porus , the military Skill he fhewed in the 
Difpofition of his Forces, and the dear-bought Victory 
which Alexander obtained over him, were very fully fet 
forth by the Pen of Alexander himfelf, in the Epiftles he 
wrote upon that Subjedt 9 and the Requeft, which he made to 
Alexander , that he might be treated like a King , will, pro- 
bably, be remembered and admired fo long as the Light 
of Hiftory remains unextinguiffied c . But it may not be 
amifs to obferve, that in this hard-fought Battle Porus had 
no Advantage of Numbers 9 the Force he brought into the 
Field did not exceed twenty thoufand Foot, and two thou- 
fand Horfe 9 and it was the Ufe he made of thefe, that 
ftruck the Macedonians with fuch a Diflike to the Indian 
War, that all the fine Speeches of Alexander could not 
infpire them with Courage enough to attempt the Paffages 
of the Ganges d . 
It was in his Battles and Sieges in India, that Alexander 
received moll of his Wounds. In other Countries he 
fought for Fame and Vidtory, but it was in India only that 
he fought for his Life. In a word, all his Conquefts here 
were either obtained by the Admiration of his Virtue, or 
by dint of Superior Force. It mull be likewife obferved, 
that the Indians were never charged with Infidelity to him, 
but maintained their Promiles with the ftridteft Honour 9 
and, therefore, when the Greek Mercenaries had murdered 
Philip , he recommended the Macedonians he had left in 
India to the Care of Taxiles , and never had any Reafon to 
diftruft his Friendffiip. Thefe are folid and inconteftable 
Proofs of the Civility, Wifdom, and Virtue, of the In- 
dians , who, though they abounded with Riches, ufed then\ 
with Difcretion and Moderation 9 and who appear, in all, 
the Accounts we have of -Alexander's Expedition, to have 
been a People well governed, obedient to their Laws, and 
a Plutarch, in Alexandra . 
Plutarch, in Alexandra* 
l> Id. ibid . 
Strabo. Arrian . Diodor. Sic, Juftin. 
d Arrian, lib. vi. £>uint. Curt. lib. ix, 
jealous 
