d for his wise maxims on morals and law.
After his death, which took place during his defence of a friend in
the public court, a temple was erected to him by his countrymen.
Laert. Diog. I. 88.]

"Now tell me openly," began king Pharaoh--[In English "great house," the
high gate or "sublime porte."]--in tolerably fluent Greek, "what opinion
hast thou formed of Egypt? Thy judgment possesses for me more worth than
that of any other man, for three reasons: thou art better acquainted
with most of the countries and nations of this earth; the gods have not
only allowed thee to ascend the ladder of fortune to its utmost summit,
but also to descend it, and thirdly, thou hast long been the first
counsellor to the mightiest of kings. Would that my kingdom might please
thee so well that thou wouldst remain here and become to me a brother.
Verily, Croesus, my friend hast thou long been, though my eyes beheld
thee yesterday for the first time!"

"And thou mine," interrupted the Lydian. "I admire the courage with
which thou hast accomplished that which seemed right and good in thine
eyes, in spite of opposition near and around thee. I am thankful for the
favor shown to the Hellenes, my friends, and I regard thee as related to
me by fortune, for hast thou not also passed through all the extremes of
good and evil that this life can offer?"

"With this difference," said Amasis smiling, "that we started from
opposite points; in thy lot the good came first, the evil later; whereas
in my own this order has been reversed. In saying this, however," he
added, "I am supposing that my present fortune is a good for me, and
that I enjoy it."

"And I, in that case," answered Croesus, "must be assuming that I am
unhappy in what men call my present ill-fortune."

"How can it possibly be otherwise after the loss of such enormous
possessions?"

"Does happiness consist then in possession?" asked Croesus. "Is
happiness itself a thing to be possessed? Nay, by no means! It is
nothing but a feeling, a sensation, which the envious gods vouchsafe
more often to the needy than to the mighty. The clear sight of the
latter becomes dazzled by the glittering treasure, and they cannot but
suffer continual humiliation, because, conscious of possessing power to
obtain much, they wage an eager war for all, and therein are continually
defeated."

Amasis sighed, and answered: "I would I could prove thee in the wrong;
but in looking back on my past life