[14] Children in former times were taught the properties of plants in order to use the wholesome and avoid the harmful; but now they seem to learn it for the mere sake of doing harm: at any rate, there is no country where deaths from poison are so common.

[15] And the Persian to-day is far more luxurious than he was in the time of Cyrus.

Then they still clung to the Persian style of education and the Persian self-restraint, merely adopting the Median dress and a certain grace of life.

But now the old Persian hardihood may perish for all they care, if only they preserve the softness of the Mede.

[16] I might give instances of their luxury.