"Nay, Cyaxares, what you say is not true, and what you think is not right, if you imagine that because I am here, your Medes have been equipt to do you any harm. [11] I do not wonder that you are pained, and I will not ask if you have cause or not for your anger against them: you will ill brook apologies for them from me. Only it seems to me a grievous error in a ruler to quarrel with all his subjects at once. Widespread terror must needs be followed by widespread hate: anger with all creates unity among all. [12] It was for this reason, take my word for it, that I would not send them back to you without myself, fearing that your wrath might be the cause of what would injure all of us. Through my presence here and by the blessing of heaven, all is safe for you: but that you should regard yourself as wronged by me,--I cannot but feel it bitter, when I am doing all in my power to help my friends, to be accused of plotting against them. [13] However," he continued, "let us not accuse each other in this useless way; if possible, let us see exactly in what I have offended. And as between friend and friend, I will lay down the only rule that is just and fair: if I can be shown to have done you harm, I will confess I am to blame, but if it appears that I have never injured you, not even in thought, will you not acquit me of all injustice towards you?" "Needs must I," answered Cyaxares. [14] "And if I can show that I have done you service, and been zealous in your cause to the utmost of my power, may I not claim, instead of rebuke, some little meed of praise?" "That were only fair," said Cyaxares. [15] "Then," said Cyrus, "let us go through all I have done, point by point, and see what is good in it and what is evil. [16] Let us begin from the time when I assumed my generalship, if that is early enough. I think I am right in saying that it was because you saw your enemies gathering together against you, and ready to sweep over your land and you, that you sent to Persia asking for help, and to me in private, praying me to come, if I could, myself, at the head of any forces they might send. Was I not obedient to your word? Did I not come myself with the best and bravest I could bring?" [17] "You did indeed," answered Cyaxares. "Tell me, then, before we go further, did you see any wrong in this? Was it not rather a service and a kindly act?" "Certainly," said Cyaxares, "so far as that went, I saw nothing but kindliness." [18] "Well, after the enemy had come, and we had to fight the matter out, did you ever see me shrink from toil or try to escape from danger?" "That I never did," said Cyaxares, "quite the contrary." [19] "And afterwards, when, through the help of heaven, victory was ours, and the enemy retreated, and I implored you to let us pursue them together, take vengeance on them together, win together the fruits of any gallant exploit we might achieve, can you accuse me then of self-seeking or self-aggrandisement?"