They were all laid upon the wood. Croesus
raised himself and looked around, surveying
with extreme consternation and horror the prep-
arations which were making for lighting the
pile. His heart sank within him as he thought
of the dreadful fate that was before him. The
spectators stood by in solemn silence, awaiting
the end. Croesus broke this awful pause by
crying out, in a tone of anguish and despair,

"Oh Solon! Solon! Solon!"

The officers who had charge of the execution
asked him what he meant. Cyrus, too, who was
himself personally superintending the scene,
asked for an explanation. Croesus was, for a
time, too much agitated and distracted to re-
ply. There were difficulties in respect to lan-
guage, too, which embarrassed the conversation,
as the two kings could speak to each other only
through an interpreter. At length Croesus gave
an account of his interview with Solon, and of
the sentiment which the philosopher bad ex-
pressed, that no one could decide whether a
man was truly prosperous and happy till it was
determined how his life was to end. Cyrus
was greatly interested in this narrative ; but, in
the mean time, the interpreting of the conver-
{[(ition h^d been ^IpWj ^ considerc^ble period bad



184 Cyrjs the Great. [B.C. 546.
Croaeus is saved. He becomes Cyrus's friend.
elapsed, and the offioers had lighted the jSre.
