years of unclouded prosperity. Egypt was during this reign
at the very height of its power and wealth. It had seen three kings,
who, though not equally great men, not equally fit to found a monarchy
or to raise the literature of a people, were equally successful in the
parts which they had undertaken. Euergetes left to his son a kingdom
perhaps as large as the world had ever seen under one sceptre; and
though many of his boasted victories were like letters written in
the sand, of which the traces were soon lost, yet he was by far the
greatest, and possibly the wisest, monarch of his day.

We may be sure that in these prosperous reigns life and property were
safe, and justice was administered fairly by judges who were independent
of the crown; as even centuries afterwards we find that it was part of
a judge's oath on taking office, that, if he were ordered by the king to
do what was wrong, he would not obey him. But here the bright pages in
the history of the Ptolemies end.

[Illustration: 176.jpg COIN OF BERENICE, WIFE OF PTOLEMY III.]

Though trade and agriculture still enriched the country, though arts and
letters did not quit Alexandria, we have from this time forward to mark
the growth only of vice and luxury, and to measure the wisdom of Ptolemy
Soter by the length of time that his laws and institutions were able to
bear up against the misrule and folly of his descendants.

Ptolemy, the eldest son of Euergetes, inherited the crown of his
forefathers, but none of the great qualities by which they had won and
guarded it. He was then about thirty-four years old. His first act was
to call together his council, and to ask their advice about putting to
death his mother Berenice and his brother Magas. Their crime was the
being too much liked by the army; and the council was called upon to say
whether it would be safe to have them killed. Cleomenes, the banished
King of Sparta, who was one of the council, alone raised his voice
against their murder, and wisely said that the throne would be still
safer if there were more brothers to stand between the king and the
daring hopes of a traitor. The minister Sosibius, on the other hand,
said that the mercenaries could not be trusted while Magas was alive;
but Cleomenes remarked to him, that more than three thousand of them
were Peloponnesians, and that they would follow him sooner than they
would follow Magas.

Berenice and Magas were, however, put to death, but the speech of