10 THALIA.

"to know why, after beholding with so much indif­
ference your daughter- treated as a slave, and your
* son conducted to death, you expressed so lively a
"concern for that mendicant, who, as he has been
" informed, is not at all related to you ?" Psamme-
nitus made this reply : "Son of Cyrus, my domestic
"misfortunes were too great to suffer me to shed
"tears; but it was consistent that I should weep for
" my friend, who, from a station of honour and- of
" wealth, is in the last stage of life reduced to penury."
Cambyses heard and was satisfied with his answer.
The 'Egyptians say that. Croesus, who attended Cam­
byses in this Egyptian expedition, wept at the inci­
dent. The Persians also who were present were
exceedingly moved, and Cambyses himself' yielded
so far to compassion, that he ordered the son of
Psammenitus to be preserved out of those who had
been condemned to die, and Psammenitus himself to
be conducted from the place where he was, to his
presence.

XV. The emissaries employed for the purpose
found the young prince had suffered first, and was
already dead; the father, they led to Cambyses, with
whom he afterwards lived, and received no further
ill-treatment; and, could he have refrained from am­
bitious attempts, would probably have been intrusted
with the government of Egypt. The Persians hold
tho sons of sovereigns in the greatest reverence, and
even if the fathers revolt, they will permit the sons
to succeed to thoir authority; that such is really their
conduct, may be proved by various examples. Than-
nyras, the son of Inarus, received the kingdom
which his father governed; Pausiris also, the son of
Arnyrtoeus, was permitted to reign after his father,
although tho Persians had never met with more ob­
stinate enemies than both Inarus and Amyrtieus.
Psammenitus revolted, and suffered for his offence:
ho was detected in stirring up tho Egyptians to rebel;
and being convicted by Cambyses, was made to drink
a quantity of bullock's blood, which immediately
occasioned his death. Such was the end of Psam­
menitus. . '