'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎283] (314/582)

VISIT TO THE RUINS OF PERSEPOLIS.
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years, but merely from conjecture, without any historical founda
tion. The Count, however, thinks they cannot be attributed to
the Persians before Cyrus, as Herodotus describes the Persians of
that age as a people of great simplicity, having neither temples
nor altars, but worshipping Jupiter on the summits of the highest
mountains. Cyrus himself was occupied with his foreign con
quests, and his religious impressions were simple and austere, con
formable to his own education and the manners of his country ;
besides which, when he was in a condition to make such vast
expenditure as these works required, Persepolis was no longer
the royal city, but Suza, Ecbatana, and Babylon, became the resi
dence of him and his successors.
Diodorus (lib. 11.) informs us, that Cambyses, son of Cyrus,
conquered Egypt in the third year of the seventy-third Olympiad,
when he pillaged the country and burnt the temples, the trea-
act that ever he did, if, while he was feasting with them, he would burn the palace, and so the
glory and renown of Persia might be said to be brought to nothing in a moment by the hands
of women. This spreading abroad and coming to the ears of the young men, (who commonly
make little use of reason when drink is in their heads,) presently one cries out, ' Come on,
bring us firebrands !' and so incites the rest to fire the citadel, to revenge that impiety the Per
sians had committed in destroying the temples of the Grecians. At this, others with joy set
up a shout, but said so brave an exploit belonged only to Alexander to perform. The King,
stirred up at these words, embraced the motion ; upon which, as many as were present left their
cups, and leaped from the table, and said, that they would now celebrate a victorious festival
to Bacchus. Hereupon, multitudes of firebrands were presently got together, and all the wo
men that played on musical instruments which were at the feast were called for; and then the
King, with songs, pipes, and flutes, bravely led the way to this noble expedition, contrived
and managed by this courtezan Thais, who next after the King threw the first firebrand into
the palace. This precedent was presently followed by the rest; so that in a very short time the
whole fabric, by the violence of the fire, was consumed to ashes. It is very observable (adds the
historian) and not without just admiration, that the sacrilege and impiety of Xerxes, King of
Persia, (exercised in his destroying the citadel of Athens,) should so many years after be re
venged in the same kind by one courtezan only of that city that was so injured.'—JDiod Sic.
lib. 17. c. 8.
Arrian says that Alexander burned the royal palace of the Persian monarch much against
the will of Parmeneo, who entreated him to leave it untouched, not only because it was impro
per to spoil and destroy what he had gained by his valour, but that he would thereby disoblige
the Asiatics, and render them less benevolent to him; for they would then suppose he would
not keep Asia in his possession, but abandon it as soon as it was conquered and laid waste.
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