DARIUS. 85

him v/ith the command of a division. Darius must then be willing to sacrifice a few thousands of his worst soldiers to give the Babylonians confidence in Zopyrus, who, when he had the game safe in his hands, would open the gates to the Persian army. All turned out according to the programme. Zopyrus admitted the Persians, who took the city. Darius did his best to destroy the formidable walls, and had three thou- sand of the leading rebels impaled ; but not wish- ing to depopulate the city, procured from the neigh- bouring nations fifty thousand women to make up for those whom the Babylonians had sacrificed. As for Zopyrus, the king loaded him with honours and made him governor of Babylon ; but he was wont to say, more scrupulous than Henry IV. of France, who changed his religion to procure the surrender of the capital, thinking Paris " well worth a mass," that he would rather have Zopyrus unmutilated than be master of twenty Babylons.