This news afflicted him extremely; and he grieved as a young man would do for the loss of a very beautiful and excellent wife; yet his passion did not debase the greatness of his mind, but, keeping his usual voice, his countenance, and his habit, he gave necessary orders to his captains, and took care to secure the Tegeans. The next day he retired to Sparta; and having at home, with his mother and children, bewailed the loss, and finished his mourning, he presently appeared about the public affairs of the state. Now Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, promised him assistance, but demanded his mother and children for hostages. This, for some considerable time, he was ashamed to discover to his mother; and though he often went to her on purpose, and was just upon the discourse, yet still refrained, and kept it to himself; so that she began to suspect somewhat, and asked his friends, Whether Cleomenes had somewhat to say to her, which he was afraid to speak? At last Cleomenes venturing to tell her, she laughed heartily, and said, "Was this the thing that you had often a mind to tell me, and was afraid? Why do you not put me on shipboard, and send this carcase where it may be most serviceable to Sparta, before age wastes it unprofitably here?" Therefore, all things being provided for the voyage, they went to Tænarus on foot, and the army waited on them. Cratesiclea, when she was ready to go on board, took Cleomenes aside into Neptune's temple, and embracing him, who was very much dejected, and extremely discomposed, she said thus: "Go to, king of Sparta; when we are without door, let none see us weep, or show any passion below the honour and dignity of Sparta, for that alone is in our own power; as for success or disappointments, those wait on us as the Deity decrees." Having said thus, and composed her countenance, she went to the ship with her little grandson, and bade the pilot put presently out to sea. When she came to Egypt, and understood that Ptolemy entertained proposals and overtures of peace from Antigonus, and that Cleomenes, though the Achæans invited and urged him to an agreement, was afraid, for her sake, to come to any, without Ptolemy's consent; she wrote to him, advising him to do that which was most becoming and most profitable for Sparta, and not, for the sake of an old woman and a little child, always stand in fear of Ptolemy. This character she maintained in her misfortunes. Antigonus having taken Tegea, and plundered Orchomenum and Mantinæa, Cleomenes was shut up within the narrow bounds of Laconia, and made such of the Helots, as could pay five Attick pounds, free of Sparta, and by that means got together 500 talents; and arming 2000 after the Macedonian fashion, that he might make a body fit to oppose Antigonus's Leucaspidæ, (white shields,) he undertook a very surprising enterprize. Megalopolis was at that time a city of itself, as big and as powerful as Sparta, and had the forces of the Achæans and Antigonus