_A silence on both sides._ _T._ Have you come up to Dublin or down? _C._I came up. _T._ Why do you call it coming _up_? _C. thinks, then smiles, then_ … We _always_ call it coming up to Dublin. _T._ Well, but you always have a _reason_ for what you do … what is your reason here? _C. is silent._ _T._ Come, come, Mr. Brown, I won’t believe you don’t know; I am sure you have a very good reason for saying you go up to Dublin, not _down_. _C. thinks, then_ … It is the capital. _T._ Very well; now was Persia the capital? _C._ Yes. _T._ Well … no … not exactly … explain yourself; was Persia a city? _C._ A country. _T._ That is right; well, but did you ever hear of Susa? _Now_, why did they speak of going _up_ to Persia? _C. is silent._ _T._ Because it was the seat of government; that was one reason. Persia was the seat of government; they went up because it was the seat of government. _C._ Because it was the seat of government. _T._ Now where did they go up from? _C._ From Greece. _T._ But where did this army assemble? whence did it set out? _C. is silent._ _T._ It is mentioned in the first book; where did the troops _rendezvous_? _C. is silent._ _T._ Open your book; now turn to Book I., chapter ii.; now tell me. _C._ Oh, at Sardis. _T._ Very right: at Sardis; now where was Sardis? _C._ In Asia Minor?… no … it’s an island … _a pause, then_ … Sardinia. _T._ In Asia Minor; the army set out from Asia Minor, and went on towards Persia; and therefore it is said to go _up_—because … _C. is silent._ _T._ Because … Persia … _C._ Because Persia … _T._ Of course; because Persia held a sovereignty over Asia Minor. _C._ Yes. _T._ Now do you know how and when Persia came to conquer and gain possession of Asia Minor? _C. is silent._ _T._ Was Persia in possession of many countries? _C. is silent._ _T._ Was Persia at the head of an empire? _C. is silent._ _T._ Who was Xerxes? _C._ Oh, Xerxes … yes … Xerxes; he invaded Greece; he flogged the sea. _T._ Right; he flogged the sea: what sea? _C. is silent_. _T._ Have you read any history of Persia?… what history? _C._ Grote, and Mitford. _T._ Well, now, Mr. Brown, you can name some other reason why the Greeks spoke of going up to Persia? Do we talk of going _up_ or _down_ from the sea-coast? _C._ Up. _T._ That is right; well, going from Asia Minor, would you go from the sea, or towards it? _C._ From. _T._ What countries would you pass, going from the coast of Asia Minor to Persia? … mention any of them. _C. is silent._ _T._ What do you mean by Asia _Minor_?… why called Minor?… how does it lie? _C. is silent._ Etc., etc. 3.