enemies. He also made a law that the arable lands of the farmers, and the roads which led to the before-mentioned temples or cities, should be confirmed in the same privilege. After this, when he had maintained the kingdom forty years in peace he died, and was buried in the city Trinovantum, near the temple of Concord, which he himself had built, for the purpose of giving confirmation to his laws. After that, his two sons, Belinus and Brenniue, divided the kingdom between them, in such a way that Belinus had Loegria, Wales, and Cornwall ; and Brennius, who was the younger, had Northumberland and Scotland. CH. III.—The succession of the kings of Persia—The expedition of Xerxes against Greece—Vashti—Esther—The war between Artaxerxes and Cyrus—Aristotle. AFTEB the before-mentioned Darius, son of Antipastes, Xerxes, a most powerful monarch, and one of great riches and power, reigned in the country of the Persians. He is said to have had seventy thousand armed men, and three hundred thousand auxiliary troops, in the army with which he marched to attack Greece. He had also twelve hundred ships of war, and three thousand transports. But all this great army was without a general, for Xerxes was always seen to be the last in battle, and die first in flight ; he was timid amid dangers, and insolent the moment that he was released from fear ; owing to which, before he commenced the war, he, ftlying on his great wealth, levelled mountains with the plains, loaded seas with bridges, and made enormous canals of water navigable. Bat when he came to the straits of Thermopylae, which is the entrance into Greece, he was shamefully defeated ; and when he had returned from thence, having been defeated in battles both by land and sea, he began to be despised by hie own subjects also. Accordingly, as the majesty of the king grew less every day, Artabanus, his prefect, being led to entertain a hope of obtaining the kingdom, entered the palace in the evening, with seven strong young men, and slew him, and took possession of the kingdom. And Artaxerxes Longimanus succeeded Artabanus. He, in the third year of. his reign, entertained all the nations which are subject to the Persiana, with their satraps and generals, for a hundred and eighty days, with a magnificent and luxurious banquet. Also