62 THALIA.

sistance of this you may easily obtain the sovereignty
of Greece. If you have any suspicions, send to me
some one who is in your intimate confidence, and he
shall be convinced by demonstration."

CXXIII. With these overtures', Polycrates was so
exceedingly delighted, that he was eager to comply
with them immediately, for his love of money was
excessive. He sent, first of all, to examine into the
truth of the affair, Mteandrius, his secretary, called
so after his father. This Mteandrius, not long after­
wards, placed as a sacred donative in the temple of
Juno, the rich furniture of the apartment of Poly­
crates. Orates, knowing the motivo for which this
man came, contrived and executed the following ar­
tifice : he filled eight chests nearly to the top with
stones, then covering over the surface with gold, they
were tied together, as if ready to be removed. Ma?an-
drius on his arrival saw the above chests, and return­
ed to make his report to Polycrates.

CXXIV. Polycrates, notwithstanding the predic­
tions of the soothsayers, and the remonstrances of his
friends, was preparing to meet Orcetes, when his
daughter in a dream saw this vision: she beheld her
father aloft in the air, washed by Jupiter, and anointed
by the sun. Terrified by this incident, she used every
means in her power to prevent his going to meet
Orates; and as he was about to embark for this pur­
pose, on board a fifty-oared galley, she persisted in
auguring unfavourably of his expedition. At this he
was so incensed, as to declare, that if he returned safe,
she should remain long unmarried. To this she ex­
pressed herself very desirous to submit; being willing
to continue long a virgin, rather than be deprived of
her father.

CXXV. Polycrates, disregarding all that had been
said to him, set sail to meet Orates. He was accom­
panied by many of his friends, and amongst the rest
by Democedes, the son of Calliphon; he was a phy-
sian of Crotona, and the most skilful practitioner of
his time. As soon as Polycrates arrived at Magnesia,
he was put to a miserable death, unworthy of his rank
and superior endowments. Of all the princes who