ve conferred with the leading nobles in Media, and they
are all ready to espouse your cause. You may rely upon
finding every thing thus prepared for you here; come,
therefore, without any delay."

Cyrus was thrown into a fever of excitement and agitation on reading
this letter. He determined to accede to Harpagus's proposal. He
revolved in his mind for some time the measures by which he could
raise the necessary force. Of course he could not openly announce his
plan and enlist an army to effect it, for any avowed and public
movement of that kind would be immediately made known to Astyages,
who, by being thus forewarned of his enemies' designs, might take
effectual measures to circumvent them. He determined to resort to
deceit, or, as he called it, stratagem; nor did he probably have any
distinct perception of the wrongfulness of such a mode of proceeding.
The demon of war upholds and justifies falsehood and treachery, in all
its forms, on the part of his votaries. He always applauds a forgery,
a false pretense, or a lie: he calls it a stratagem.

Cyrus had a letter prepared, in the form of a commission from
Astyages, appointing him commander of a body of Persian forces to be
raised for the service of the king. Cyrus read the fabricated document
in the public assembly of the Persians, and called upon all the
warriors to join him. When they were organized, he ordered them to
assemble on a certain day, at a place that he named, each one provided
with a woodman's ax. When they were thus mustered, he marched them
into a forest, and set them at work to clear a piece of ground. The
army toiled all day, felling the trees, and piling them up to be
burned. They cleared in this way, as Herodotus states, a piece of
ground eighteen or twenty furlongs in extent. Cyrus kept them thus
engaged in severe and incessant toil all the day, giving them, too,
only coarse food and little rest. At night he dismissed them,
commanding them to assemble again the second day.

On the second day, when they came together, they found a great banquet
prepared for them, and Cyrus directed them to devote the day to
feasting and making merry. There was an abundance of meats of all
kinds, and rich wines in great profusion. The soldiers gave themselves
up for the whole day to merriment and revelry. The toils and the hard
fare of the day before had prepared them very effectually to enjoy the
rest and the luxuries of this festival. They spent