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REMARKS ON THE TOMB. 
fathom, like the Pyramids of Egypt, all have been accessible to 
the ingress of avarice; and seen the remains of their illustrious 
dead thrown abroad, when the riches in which they lay were made 
the spoil of the violator. The account which Q. Curtius gives of 
certain consecrated deposits in the tomb of Cyrus, affords some 
knowledge of the temptations with which these last dwellings 
of the great in those countries were stored. He relates, that 
“ on Alexander’s return from India, he halted at Pasargadas, 
where he ordered the tomb of the Persian monarch to be 
opened, that he might render due honours to the ashes of so 
great a man. What then was the Conqueror’s surprise, when on 
entering he found nothing but an old shield, and a sword, and 
a simple urn ; for he had expected to see treasures of gold and of 
silver ; it having been reported to him, that such were the 
deposits in the royal tomb. But, placing a golden crown upon 
the urn, and covering it with his own mantle, he expressed 
his amazement that a king so renowned should have been 
buried with such bare simplicity; upon which Bagoas the 
eunuch, who accompanied him, made reply: — “It is not 
surprising that the sepulchres of kings should be found empty, 
when we behold the houses of Satrapes glittering with treasures 
stolen thence ! As for me, I never before saw the tomb of Cyrus ; 
but I have often heard it said in the presence of Darius, that it 
possessed wealth to the value of a thousand talents.” 
At first sight, this does not appear to agree with the gorgeous 
representation given us by Strabo and Arrian, of its contents; 
but when we recollect that this votive homage was paid to the 
tomb, on the return of Alexander from India, at the very time 
when, Plutarch tells us, Polymachus had rifled it of its treasures, 
we need not be surprised either at the apparent contradiction of 
