CHAPTER XI.

DETERIORATION OF CHARACTER.

B.C. 329

Alexander at the summit of his ambition.--Sad changes.--Alexander becomes dissipated.--His officers became estranged.--Character of Parmenio.--His services to Alexander.--Parmenio's son, Philotas.--His dissolute character.--Conspiracies.--Plot of Dymnus.--Dymnus destroys himself.--Philotas suspected.--The council of officers.--Philotas accused.--Arrest of Philotas.--The body of Dymnus.--Alexander's address to the army.--Philotas brought to trial.--Defense of Philotas.--He is put to the torture.--Confession of Philotas.--He is stoned to death.--Parmenio condemned to death.--Mission of Polydamas.--Precautions.--Brutal murder of Parmenio.--Story of Clitus.--He saves Alexander's life.--Services of Clitus.--Occurrences at the banquet.--Clitus reproaches Alexander.--Alexander's rage.--Alexander assassinates Clitus.--His remorse.

Alexander was now twenty-six years of age. He had accomplished fully the great objects which had been the aim of his ambition. Darius was dead, and he was himself the undisputed master of all western Asia. His wealth was almost boundless. His power was supreme over what was, in his view, the whole known world. But, during the process of rising to this ascendency, his character was sadly changed. He lost the simplicity, the temperance, the moderation, and the sense of justice which characterized his early years. He adopted the dress and the luxurious manners of the Persians. He lived in the palaces of the Persian kings, imitating all their state and splendor. He became very fond of convivial entertainments and of wine, and often drank to excess. He provided himself a seraglio of three hundred and sixty young females, in whose company he spent his time, giving himself up to every form of effeminacy and dissipation. In a word, he was no longer the same man. The decision, the energy of character, the steady pursuit of great ends by prudence, forethought, patient effort, and self-denial, all disappeared; nothing now seemed to interest him but banquets, carousals, parties of pleasure, and whole days and nights spent in dissipation and vice. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was successful?
2. WHat was his name?
3. Had anyone stood in his way?
4. Who?
5. Did he defeat this obstacle?
6. Did his victories alter him in any way?
7. How so?
8. Was there a culture he particularly admired?
9. Did he stay in his homeland?
10. Where did he go live?
11. Did he live a simple life there?
12. Did he like big celebrations?
13. What was one thing he did at those events?
14. Did he stay faithful to one woman?
15. How many women did he keep around?
16. Did he keep working hard?
17. What did he do instead?
18. How old was he at this time?
19. WHat did he accomplish before all of these changes?
20. Did he have any real rivals?
Answer: 1. He had accomplished fully the great objects
2. Alexander
3. Yes
4. Darius
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. He lost the simplicity, the temperance, the moderation, and the sense of justice which characterized his early year
8. Yes the Persians
9. unknown
10. lived in the palaces of the Persian kings
11. No
12. Yes
13. Often drank to excess
14. no
15. Three hundred and sixty young females
16. No
17. Parties of pleasure
18. twenty-six years of age
19. himself the undisputed master of all western Asia
20. Darius

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A NIGHT JOURNEY.

"And he must post, without delay, Along the bridge and through the dale. And by the church and o'er the down." _Wordsworth_.

John Hewlett had finished his day's work, and come home in the dusk of an October evening. He found the house hung all over with the family linen, taken in to shelter from a shower; but not before it had become damp enough to need to be put by the fire before it could be ironed or folded. His mother was moaning over it, and there was no place to sit down. He did not wonder that Jem had taken his hunch of bread and gone away with it, nor that his father was not at home; but he took off his boots at the back door, as his aunt never liked his coming into her room in them--though they were nothing to what he would have worn had he worked in the fields--and then climbed up the stairs.

Judith was sitting up in bed, with her teapot, tea-cup, and a piece of stale loaf, laid out on a tray before her; and little Judy beside her, drinking out of a cracked mug. Judith's eyes had a strange look of fright in them, but there was an air of relief when she saw Johnnie.

"Well, aunt, is that all you have got for tea?"

"Poor mother has been hindered; but never mind that," returned Judith, in a quick, agitated tone. "Judy, my dear, drink up your tea and run down to help mother, there's a dear." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How did John find the house?
2. what had to happen to the linens?
3. Why?
4. What time of day was it?
5. where was he coming from?
6. in what month?
7. who was moaning?
8. could she sit?
9. Where was Judith?
10. with what?
11. was the dad home?
12. Who may have stolen his bread?
13. Where did he take off his shoe?
14. Why?
15. What was his aunts name?
16. Who was injured and stalled?
17. Who should drink fast?
18. How did Judith's eyes look?
19. Was she ever relaxed?
20. When?
Answer:
1. hung all over
2. be put by the fire
3. it become damp
4. dusk
5. work
6. October
7. His mother
8. No
9. in bed
10. her teapot, tea-cup, and a piece of stale loaf
11. No
12. Jem
13. the back door,
14. his aunt never liked his coming into her room in them
15. Judith
16. mother
17. Judy
18. they had a look of fright
19. Yes
20. she saw Johnnie