a. 'Tis fit, therefore, that I should tell thee what danger
thou incurrest hereby. Thou sayest that thou wilt bridge the
Hellespont, and lead thy troops through Europe against Greece.

"Now, suppose some disaster befall thee by land or sea, or by both. It
may be even so, for the men are reputed valiant. Indeed one may
measure their prowess from what they have already done; for when Datis
and Artaphernes led their huge army against Attica, the Athenians
singly defeated them. But grant they are not successful on both
elements. Still, if they man their ships, and, defeating us by sea,
sail to the Hellespont, and there destroy our bridge--that, sire, were
a fearful hazard. And here 'tis not by my own mother wit alone that I
conjecture what will happen, but I remember how narrowly we escaped
disaster once, when thy father, after throwing bridges over the
Thracian Bosphorus and the Ister, marched against the Scythians, and
they tried every sort of prayer to induce the Ionians, who had charge
of the bridge over the Ister, to break the passage. On that day, if
Histiaeus, the King of Miletus, had sided with the other princes, and
not set himself to oppose their views, the empire of the Persians
would have come to naught. Surely a dreadful thing is this even to
hear said, that the King's fortunes depended wholly on one man.

"Think, then, no more of incurring so great a danger when no need
presses, but follow the advice I tender. Break up this meeting, and
when thou hast well considered the matter with thyself, and settled
what thou wilt do, declare to us thy resolve. I know not of aught in
the world that so profits a man as taking good counsel with himself;
for even if things fall out against one's hopes, still one has
counseled well, though fortune has made the counsel of no effect:
whereas, if a man counsels ill and luck follows, he has gotten a
windfall, but his counsel is none the less silly. Seest thou how God
with His lightning smites alway the bigger animals, and will not
suffer them to wax insolent, while those of lesser bulk chafe Him not?
How likewise His bolts fall ever on the highest houses and the tallest
trees? So plainly does He love to bring down everything that exalts
itself. Thus oft-times a mighty host is discomfitted by a few men,
when God in His jealousy sends fear or storm from heaven, and they
perish in a way unworthy of them. For God allows no one to have high
thoughts but Himself. Again, hurry always br