ve the pleasure of going
herself and setting fire, with her own hands, to the great palace of
the Persian kings in the city. Thais was a native of Attica in Greece,
a kingdom of which Athens was the capital. Xerxes, who had built the
great palace of Persepolis, had formerly invaded Greece and had burned
Athens, and now Thais desired to burn his palace in Persepolis, to
gratify her revenge, by making of its conflagration an evening
spectacle to entertain the Macedonian party after their supper.
Alexander agreed to the proposal, and the whole company moved forward.
Taking the torches from the banqueting halls, they sallied forth,
alarming the city with their shouts, and with the flashing of the
lights they bore. The plan of Thais was carried fully into effect,
every half-intoxicated guest assisting, by putting fire to the immense
pile wherever they could get access to it. They performed the
barbarous deed with shouts of vengeance and exultation.

There is, however, something very solemn and awful in a great
conflagration at night, and very few incendiaries can gaze upon the
fury of the lurid and frightful flames which they have caused to
ascend without some misgivings and some remorse. Alexander was sobered
by the grand and sublime, but terrible spectacle. He was awed by it.
He repented. He ordered the fire to be extinguished; but it was too
late. The palace was destroyed, and one new blot, which has never
since been effaced, was cast upon Alexander's character and fame.

And yet, notwithstanding these increasing proofs of pride and cruelty,
which were beginning to be developed, Alexander still preserved some
of the early traits of character which had made him so great a
favorite in the commencement of his career. He loved his mother, and
sent her presents continually from the treasures which were falling
all the time into his possession. She was a woman of a proud,
imperious, and ungovernable character, and she made Antipater, whom
Alexander had left in command in Macedon, infinite trouble. She wanted
to exercise the powers of government herself, and was continually
urging this. Alexander would not comply with these wishes, but he paid
her personally every attention in his power, and bore all her
invectives and reproaches with great patience and good humor. At one
time he received a long letter from Antipater, full of complaints
against her; but Alexander, after reading it, said that they were
heavy charges it was true