ir several departments, and in teaching him whatever he desired to
learn. The attendant highest in rank in such a household was the
cup-bearer. He had the charge of the tables and the wine, and all the
general arrangements of the palace seem to have been under his
direction. The cup-bearer in Astyages's court was a Sacian. He was,
however, less a friend to Cyrus than the rest. There was nothing
within the range of his official duties that he could teach the boy;
and Cyrus did not like his wine. Besides, when Astyages was engaged,
it was the cup-bearer's duty to guard him from interruption, and at
such times he often had occasion to restrain the young prince from the
liberty of entering his grandfather's apartments as often as he
pleased.

At one of the entertainments which Astyages gave in his palace, Cyrus
and Mandane were invited; and Astyages, in order to gratify the young
prince as highly as possible, set before him a great variety of
dishes--meats, and sauces, and delicacies of every kind--all served in
costly vessels, and with great parade and ceremony. He supposed that
Cyrus would have been enraptured with the luxury and splendor of the
entertainment. He did not, however, seem much pleased. Astyages asked
him the reason, and whether the feast which he saw before him was not
a much finer one than he had been accustomed to see in Persia. Cyrus
said, in reply, that it seemed to him to be very troublesome to have
to eat a little of so many separate things. In Persia they managed, he
thought, a great deal better. "And how do you manage in Persia?" asked
Astyages. "Why, in Persia," replied Cyrus, "we have plain bread and
meat, and eat it when we are hungry; so we get health and strength,
and have very little trouble." Astyages laughed at this simplicity,
and told Cyrus that he might, if he preferred it, live on plain bread
and meat while he remained in Media, and then he would return to
Persia in as good health as he came.

Cyrus was satisfied; he, however, asked his grandfather if he would
give him all those things which had been set before him, to dispose of
as he thought proper; and on his grandfather's assenting, he began to
call the various attendants up to the table, and to distribute the
costly dishes to them, in return, as he said, for their various
kindnesses to him. "This," said he to one, "is for you, because you
take pains to teach me to ride; this," to another, "for you, because
you gave me a javelin; th