CONCERNING ANCIENT INDIA.

13

:1< took his expedition into India . The wild Tallies s15 of patlion , the indecent exceffes of intemperance,

ie and the oftentatious difplay of vanity too frequent

)tt in the conduct of this extraordinary man, have fo

degraded his charadler, that the pre-eminence of■d his merit, either as a conqueror, a politician, or

a legiflator, has feldom been juftly eftimated. Thett fubjedt of my prefent inquiry leads me to confider

ve his operations only in one light, but it will enable

it, me to exhibit a (Hiking view of the grandeur and

he extent of his plans. He feems , foon after his firft

of fucceffes in Afia, to have formed the idea of eftab-

it lifhing an univerfal monarchy, and afpired to the

ia. dominion of the fea, as well as of the land. From

ed the wonderful efforts of the Tyrians in their own

tie defence, when left without any ally or protector,

it he conceived a high opinion of the refources of

n- maritime power, and of the wealth to be derived

id from commerce, efpecially that with India , which

0 he found engroffed by the citizens of Tyre. With

at a view to fecure this commerce, and to eftablifh

tc a Ration for it, preferable in many refpedts to

ty that of Tyre , as foon as he completed the con-

g queft of Egypt , he founded a city near one of the

te mouths of the Nile, which he honored with his own

name; and with fuch admirable difcernment was then fituation of it chofen, that Alexandria foon be-

j. came the greateft trading citv of the ancient world;

and, notwithftanding many fucceffive revolutions inempire, continued, during eighteen centuries, toof be the chief feat of commerce with India Amidft

** Hill, of America, vol. i. p. 20.

E C T.

t.