archment rolls which young scholars were taught to read. Some of
these writings were treatises on philosophy, others were romantic
histories, narrating the exploits of the heroes of those days--of
course, with much exaggeration and embellishment. There were also some
poems, still more romantic than the histories, though generally on the
same themes. The greatest productions of this kind were the writings
of Homer, an ancient poet who lived and wrote four or five hundred
years before Alexander's day. The young Alexander was greatly
delighted with Homer's tales. These tales are narrations of the
exploits and adventures of certain great warriors at the siege of
Troy--a siege which lasted ten years--and they are written with so
much beauty and force, they contain such admirable delineations of
character, and such graphic and vivid descriptions of romantic
adventures, and picturesque and striking scenes, that they have been
admired in every age by all who have learned to understand the
language in which they are written.

Alexander could understand them very easily, as they were written
in his mother tongue. He was greatly excited by the narrations
themselves, and pleased with the flowing smoothness of the verse
in which the tales were told. In the latter part of his course of
education he was placed under the charge of Aristotle, who was one
of the most eminent philosophers of ancient times. Aristotle had a
beautiful copy of Homer's poems prepared expressly for Alexander,
taking great pains to have it transcribed with perfect correctness,
and in the most elegant manner. Alexander carried this copy with him
in all his campaigns. Some years afterward, when he was obtaining
conquests over the Persians, he took, among the spoils of one of his
victories, a very beautiful and costly casket, which King Darius had
used for his jewelry or for some other rich treasures. Alexander
determined to make use of this box as a depository for his beautiful
copy of Homer, and he always carried it with him, thus protected, in
all his subsequent campaigns.

Alexander was full of energy and spirit, but he was, at the same time,
like all who ever become truly great, of a reflective and considerate
turn of mind. He was very fond of the studies which Aristotle led him
to pursue, although they were of a very abstruse and difficult
character. He made great progress in metaphysical philosophy and
mathematics, by which means his powers of calculation