Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

458
THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
in the passion of their lusts every kind of musical
instrument with wheels, and pulleys, and levers,
accompanied by an [p. 275] innumerable host of
cunning contrivances; and there was no cessation
from dancing among them, for they made figures
of men and women in brass which danced [when
they themselves stopped].
Alexander And it Came to pass that Alexander went round
city, about this city on foot, and he and his host encamped
there for eight days, until they had gone
wholly round it. Now the roofs of the houses
of these people were of gold and silver, but all
their vessels were of brass and tin; and all their
couches, and the doors of their houses, and all
the beams thereof were decorated with g-old and
silver. Now the roofs of their houses were decorated
with ornaments of great price, and the utensils
and vessels of great value which were in that
city were without number. y\.nd when Alexander
the king came to the city he commanded his
It has no en- soldiers to surround it, and to make an entry
nT'iLiabi't- through the gates thereof if they were able to
''"'^-
open them, but they found no place of entrance
into it, neither in the building itself nor in the
lower parts of it, nor by steps. And they returned
to him and told him that they had not been able
to enter the city. "But," said they, "the people
"inside it were singing songs to the sound of the
"drum, and the flutes, and the pipes, and the
"organ, and we heard music which was most
"wonderful to listen to. We found, however, no