The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-29
By
maurus Jokai.

n URING the reign of King Achae-
~ menes. a Persian magician con-
cocted a miraculous potion the
magic charm of which was 10 make
OF the most courageous, determined
and e~nterprising man, am abject
coward The man who partook of this
potion would tremble at a mere COM
mand or At the view Of a blade. and
would entirely lose his s|elf-contr0L he
would betray his iuuerm0st thoughts
unreservedly if cross-examiued fin this
condition. since he would lack the
courage TO answer interrogation by
silence.
The secret Of this philter. The magi-
clan had coudded only 90 the king. who
on bis part communicated il to his som.
by whou it was condded again to
Augias. The latter. a few hours be-
fore his death, revealed the secret 20
ms daughter. Agamede, o. thus Il
came that never more than one person
was In possession of the same.
AT "a tender age, Agamede became
the wife of kieauth0s. king Of sparta.
al that time the laws of LyCuTgus had
mot yet simplided the customs Of The
-N@ Naht. anu "a A4IaE III I4lNE4aLLtt-all4
was OF the same Importance as an
autOcrat in Asia. klcanthOs frequent
Is made use of his Wife's secret. Often
the suspicious glance of an EphOr. OF
the lncautiOus word of an ArChOu in
duced him to pour the charm secretly
lntO the goblet of his guest, and with
ITS help he frequently unearthed C0n-
Spuaci& among the subJugated tribe
or b LacedaemOnians.
Lna most pDdHrafa sinner roFfH NOT
Withstand the power of This charm.
Those Who had drunk of it remembered
Nlth horror the painful anguish that
had taken hold Of them. the uncou-
q~uerabie fear under the pressure OF
which body and soul suffered alike.
and the crushing consciousness of
coWardice, against which there was no
resistance, and compared TO which amy
bodily torture seemed like Child's play.
But Agamede kept the secret OF the
pnilter N did not betray its com
position even 90 her husband. When
kleanthOs questioned her about fl she
became provoked and angry. though at
other times she had the temper of a
dove, soft and docile.
About this time commenced The sec
ond Messenian war. The subdued Mes
senlans threWs on their yoke and took
arms against their tyTants. the proud
H~paIJauS. A yOunE hero. Aristomcnts.
led them TO victory and they eco
quered the hamlets and towns which
Ihey had lost under A-ristodemus.
Proud Sparta had TO humble itself be-
fore its rivals, the Athenians, so far
as 10 ask them for a general TO lead
the spartan troops against the vic
JOTiOus m-OuuLaiueers.
Out of mOckery, Athens sent the
petitioners "a lame poet. TyTtae0s.
This poet was a cripple. whose hand
could not WELD the sword. but his
words enthused the people, and Sparta,
with renewed strength. resisted Aris-
tomenes.
They needed enthusiasm badly, ON
o. side, the powerful N-essenisus. and
ON the other, the reTOitinE HelOts.
There the despairiuE nation had to de-
feGd itself against the swords of C0ur-
ageous men here against the COWardly
Iagger Of the slaves
iif These QulHuus days, 10 So happened
ffat a strange man was a-ppreheuded
in the palace of King klCaDth0s, just
aH he approached the chamber Of the
king. after having gained entrance 40
rhe courtyard by way of a draining
canal
The stranger fought his CaptOrs gall
lautly, n was o-verpowered by superb
or force, bound and led before the king.
IL VAS au important capture. His
mission was certainly to murder klean-
thos. and it would have been of great
value TO ferret q the conspiracy. Was
81 i'm the camps of the Messeuians OF
among b people of LacedaemOniae