sought them to take the earliest opportunity of accom¬ 
plishing his wish. They promised fairly, but were slow 
in performing; waiting, as they alleged, for a proper occa- 
sion. Thinking, however, they deferred this without just 
grounds, he took his own course for the object he had in 
view. He was, I should state, a man of tall stature, pleas¬ 
ing countenance, and altogether of dignified appearance. 
Trusting to the gifts with which nature had thus endowed 
him, he put off his ordinary clothing, and having anointed 
himself with oil, crowned his head with a wreath of pop¬ 
lar, slung a lion's skin across his left shoulder, and carrying 
à large club in his right hand, he sallied forth to the roval 
tribunal, at a period when the king was dispensing jus¬ 
tice. The novelty of his appearance excited the atten¬ 
tion of the people ; and Alexander soon discovering, with 
astonishment, the object of their curiosity, ordered the 
crowd to make way for him, and demanded to know who 
he was. “ A Macedonian architect, replied Dinocrates, 
" who suggests schemes and designs worthy your roval 
renown. 1 propose to form Mount Athos into the statue 
of à man holding a spacious city in his left hand, and in 
his right a huge cup, into which shall be collected all the 
streams of the mountain, which shall thence be poured 
into the sea." Alexander, delighted at the proposition, 
made immediate inquiry if the soil of the neighbourhood 
were of a quality capable of yielding sufficient produce for 
such a state. When, however, he found that all its sup¬ 
plies must be furnished by sea, he thus addressed Dino¬ 
crates : * T'admire the grand outline of your scheme, and 
am well pleased with it : but I am of opinion he would 
be much to blame who planted a colony on such a spot. 
For as an infant is nourished by the milk of its mother,