ere
to-day, tell me what is your opinion. Do you think that the Greeks will
undertake to defend themselves against such a force, or will they submit
at once without attempting any resistance?"

Demaratus seemed at first perplexed and uncertain, as if not knowing
exactly what answer to make to the question. At length he asked the king
whether it was his wish that he should respond by speaking the blunt and
honest truth, or by saying what would be polite and agreeable.

Xerxes replied that he wished him, of course, to speak the truth. The
truth itself would be what he should consider the most agreeable.

"Since you desire it, then," said Demaratus, "I will speak the exact
truth. Greece is the child of poverty. The inhabitants of the land have
learned wisdom and discipline in the severe school of adversity, and
their resolution and courage are absolutely indomitable. They all
deserve this praise; but I speak more particularly of my own countrymen,
the people of Sparta. I am sure that they will reject any proposal which
you may make to them for submission to your power, and that they will
resist you to the last extremity. The disparity of numbers will have no
influence whatever on their decision. If all the rest of Greece were to
submit to you, leaving the Spartans alone, and if they should find
themselves unable to muster more than a thousand men, they would give
you battle."

Xerxes expressed great surprise at this assertion, and thought that
Demaratus could not possibly mean what he seemed to say. "I appeal to
yourself," said he; "would _you_ dare to encounter, alone, ten men? You
have been the prince of the Spartans, and a prince ought, at least, to
be equal to two common men; so that to show that the Spartans in general
could be brought to fight a superiority of force of even ten to one, it
ought to appear that you would dare to engage twenty. This is manifestly
absurd. In fact, for any person to pretend to be able or willing to
fight under such a disparity of numbers, evinces only pride and insolent
presumption. And even this proportion of ten to one, or even twenty to
one, is nothing compared to the real disparity; for, even if we grant to
the Spartans as large a force as there is any possibility of their
obtaining, I shall then have _a thousand_ to one against them.

"Besides," continued the king, "there is a great difference in the
character of the troops. The Greeks are all freemen, while my soldiers
are all