HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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A very interesting anecdote is related concerning these enterprising people:Croesus, the well known king of Lydia, having taken some cause of offence,appeared determined to crush at once, by the force of his arms, a state whichhe considered as almost too inconsiderable, and contemptible to excite his anger.Bias, one of those personages who were distinguished by the honourable appel-lation of the wise men of Greece, happening to enter the king’s presence atthe time when his choler was most vehement, being asked for news, very drylyanswered, that the Ionians, whose principal strength lay in their combinedinsular settlements, were on their march to attack him with an army consistingof ten thousand horse. The king could scarcely refrain from laughter at thefictitious intelligence, which he was credulous enough to receive as fact, de-claring, at the same time, that he desired nothing more than that they shouldafford so fair an opportunity of punishing them for their temerity. “ Nor,”rejoined Bias quickly, “ would they wish for any more favourable occasionof chastising you, than that you should attempt, by fitting out a fleet, to con-tend with them on an element, where they must have so manifest a superiorityover you.” Croesus, struck with the observation, turned his anger, perhapsstill more unfortunately, against Cyrus, the Persian ; and the affront, whateverit might be, which the Ionians had offered, passed over unnoticed.

The same spirit of arrogance which had led this people to despise the threatsof Croesus, caused a similar conduct with regard to Cyrus, his conqueror. Thelatter, however, more wary than tlie Lydian, adopted a different system ofwarfare. The Ionians, flushed with their late advantage, for such it might becalled, were led, in no less degree, to contemn the threats of Cyrus, becausethey knew him to be destitute of any naval force. He was himself aware ofthe deficiency, and accordingly ordered one of his generals, with a sufficientarmy, to attack snch of their cities as were situated on the continent itselfof Asia Minor. The Phocasans fell the first victims to his vengeance; butthey scarcely waited the attack: for having embarked their wives and chil-dren, together with the most valuable part of their property, on board theirfleet, they proceeded, in the first instance, to Italy, and quickly afterwardspassed over into Spain. From thence they again removed to that part ofFrance where Marseilles is now situated ; and after a variety of fortune renderedthemselves of sufficient consequence to have their alliance coveted by theRomans, when the republic was in its most flourishing and encreasing state.Cambyses, son to Cyrus, having succeeded to that great and magnanimous

prince,