ALE 
now in ufe.—What a beard of the general’s cut, and a 
horrid fait of the camp, will do among foaming battles 
and akwajktd wits, is wonderful to be thought on. S/iaktf- 
pcare. 
ALEW 1 FE ,f. A woman that keeps an alehoufe. 
ALEXANDER the GREAT, king of Macedon, was 
born at Fella, the fird year of the 106th Olympiad, the 
398th from the building of Rome, and the 356th before 
the birth of Ohrid. His father Philip was defcended 
from Hercules, and his mother Olympias-from Achilles. 
When Alexander was fifteen years of age, he was de¬ 
livered to the tuition of Arilfotle. He difcovered very 
early a mighty fpirit, and fymptoms of that vaft and im¬ 
moderate ambition, which was afterwards to make him 
the fcourge of mankind, and the peft of the world. One 
day, when it was told him that Philip had gained a bat¬ 
tle, indead of rejoicing he looked' much chagrined; and 
faid, that, “ if his father went on at this rate, there would 
be nothing left for him to do.” Upon Philip’s ihewing 
fome little wonder, that Alexander did not engage in the 
Olympic games, “ Give me (faid the youth) kings for 
my antagonids, and I will prefent myfelf at once.” The 
taming and managing of the famous Bucephalus is always 
mentioned among the exploits of his early age. This re¬ 
markable horfe was brought from Thedaly, and purcha- 
fed at a very great price; but upon trial he was found fo 
wild and vicious, that neither Philip nor any of his cour¬ 
tiers could mount or manage him. In fliort, he was upon 
the point of being fent back as an intractable and ufelefs 
bead, when Alexander, exprefling his grief, that fo noble 
a creature (hould J be rejected and let at nought, merely be- 
caufe nobody had the dexterity to manage him, was at 
length permitted to try what he could do. Alexander had 
perceived, that the frolicfome fpirit and wildnef'sof Bu¬ 
cephalus proceeded f'olely from the fright which the ani¬ 
mal had taken at his own (hadow ; whereupon, turning his 
head direftly to the fun, and gently approaching him with 
addrefs and (kill, he threw himfelf at length upon him; 
and, though Philip at fil'd was extremely diftrefled and 
alarmed for his fon, yet when he faw him fate, and per¬ 
fectly mafter of his deed, he received him.with tears of 
joy, faying, “ O my fon, thou mud feelc elfewhere a king¬ 
dom, for Macedonia cannot contain thee.” One more 
indance of this very high fpirit dial! fuffice. When Phi¬ 
lip had repudiated Olympias for infidelity to his bed, the 
young prince felt the mod lively refentment on the occa¬ 
sion ; yet, being invited by his father to the nuptials wfith 
his new wife, he did not refufe to go. In the midfi of 
the entertainment, Attains, a favourite of Philip, had the 
imprudence to fay, that the Macedonians ntud implore 
the gods to grant the king a lawful fucceflor. “ What, you 
fcoundrel! do you then take me for a baftard?” fays 
Alexander; and threw a cup that infant at his head. 
Philip, intoxicated with wine, and believing his fon to be 
author of the quarrel, ruflied violently towards him with 
his fwbrd; but, flipping with his foot, fell prodrateupon 
the floor. Upon which, faid Alexander infultingly, “ See, 
Macedonians, what a general you have for the conqued of 
Afia, who cannot take a Angle fiep without falling;” for 
Philip had juft before been named for this expedition in a 
common aflembly of the Greeks, and was preparing for 
it, when he was murdered at a fead by Paufanias. 
Alexander, now twenty years of age, fueceeded his fa¬ 
ther as king of Macedon: he was alfo chofen, in room of 
his father, generaliflimo, in the projected expedition againd 
the Perlians; but the Greeks, agreeably to their ufual 
ficklenefs, deferted from him, taking the advantage of 
his abfence in Thrace and Ulyricum, where he began his 
military enierprifes. He hadened immediately to Greece, 
when the Athenians and other dates returned to him at 
once ; but, the Thebans danding out, he directed his arms 
againd them, flew a prodigious number, and dedroyed 
their city ; fparing nothing but the defendants of the 
houfe of Pindar, ont of refpeCt to the memory of that 
poet. This happened in the feccnd year of the 3d Olym- 
A L E 267 
piad. ft was about this time that he went to confult the 
oracle at Delphi; when, the prieftefs pretending that it 
was not on fome account lawful for her to. enter the tem¬ 
ple then, he, being impatient, hauled her along, and oc- 
cafioned her to cry out, “ Ah, my fon! there is no redd¬ 
ing you:” upon which Alexander, feizing the words as 
ominous, replied, “ I defire nothing farther: this oracle 
fuffices,” It was alfo probably at this time that the re¬ 
markable interview pafled between our hero and Dioge¬ 
nes the cynic. Alexander had the curiofity to vifit this 
philofopher in his tub, and complimented him with a(k- 
mg, “ if he could do any thing to ferve him ?” “Nothing 
(faid the brute) but to (land from betwixt me and the fun.” 
The attendants were expecting what refentment would be 
flieivn to this favage behaviour; -when Alexander furpri- 
fed them by faying, “ Pofitively, if 1 was not Alexander, 
I would be Diogenes.” 
Having fettled the affairs of Greece, and left Antipater 
as his viceroy in Macedonia, he pafled the Hellefpont, in 
the third year of his reign, with an army of rib more than 
30,000 foot, and 4,500 horfe; and, with thefe forces, he 
overturned the Perlian empire. His fird battle was at the 
Granicus, a river of Phrygia, in which the Perfians were 
routed. His fecond was at Iffiis, a city of Cilicia, where 
he was alfo victorious in an eminent degree : for the camp 
of Darius, with his mother, wife, and children, fell into 
his hands ; and the humane and generous treatment which 
he (hewed them, is ju-ftly reckoned the nobled and mod 
amiable'paflfage of his life. 
While he was in this country, he caught a violent fever 
by bathing when hot in the cold waters of the river Cyd- 
nus; and this fever was made more violent from his im 
patience at being detained by it. The army was under 
the utmod condernation, and no phyflcian durd undertake 
the cure. At length one Philip of Acarnan defined time 
to prepare a potion, which he was fure would cure him; 
and, while this potion was preparing, Alexander received 
a letter from his mod intimate confidant Parmenio, inform¬ 
ing him, that this Acarnan was a traitor, and employed 
by Darius to poifon him at the price of a thoufand ta¬ 
lents and his fider in marriage. What a fituation for a 
fick prince ! The fame greatnefs of focfl,"however, which 
accompanied him upon all occafions, did not forfake him 
here. He did not feem to his phyfician under any appre- 
henfions ; but, after receiving the cup into his hands, de¬ 
livered the letter to the Acarnan, and with eyes fixed up¬ 
on him drank it off. The medicine.at fird acted fo pows 
erfully, as to deprive him-of his fenfes, and then without 
doubt all concluded him poilbned; however, he foon got 
better, and was redored to his army pqj-feritly fafe and well. 
Faffing through Cilicia, he marched forwards to Phoe¬ 
nicia, which all furrendered to him, except Tyre; and it 
cod him a fiege of feven months to reduce that city. The 
vexation of Alexander, at being unfeafonably detained by 
the obdinacyof the Tyrians, occafioned a mighty deftruc- 
tion and carnage; and the Cruelty he exercifed here is in- 
excufable. 
When he came before the city of Gaza, he found it 
provided with a drong garrifon, commanded by Betis, one 
of Darius’s eunuchs. This governor, who was a brave 
man, and very faithful to his fovereign, defended it with 
with great vigour againd Alexander. As tiiis was the on¬ 
ly inlet or pafs into Egypt, it was abfolutely neceflary for 
him to conquer it, and therefore lie was obliged to be- 
fiege it. But although every art of war was employed, 
notwithdanding his foldiers fought with the utmod intre¬ 
pidity, he was forced to lie two months before it. Ex- 
afperated at its holding out fo long, and his receiving two 
wounds, he was refolved to treat the governor, the inha¬ 
bitants, and foldiers, with a barbarity abfolutely inexcu- 
fable ; for he cut ten thoufand men to pieces, and foid all 
the red with their wives and children for (laves. When 
Betis, who had been taken prifoner in the ladaflault, was 
brought before him, Alexander, indead of uling him 
kindly, as his valour and fidelity juftly merited, this young 
monarch,, 
