If you will but tell me, any of you, when you propose to marry, you would soon discover what a clever advocate you had in me." [18] But Gobryas interposed, "And if one of us wants to give his daughter in marriage, to whom should he apply ?" "To me also," answered Cyrus; "I assure you, I am adept in the art." "What art is that ?" Chrysantas inquired.
[19] "The art of discerning the wife to suit each man." "Then by all the gods," said Chrysantas, "tell me what sort of wife would do for me ?" [20] "In the first place," he answered, "she must be short, for you are not tall yourself, and if you married a tall maiden and wanted to give her a kiss when she stood up straight, you would have to jump to reach her like a little dog." "Your advice is straight enough," said Chrysantas; "and I am but a sorry jumper at the best." [21] "In the next place," Cyrus went on, "a flat nose would suit you very well." "A flat nose ?" said the other, "why ?" "Because your own is high enough, and flatness, you may be sure, will go best with height." "You might as well say," retorted Chrysantas, "that one who has dined well, like myself, is best matched with the dinnerless." "Quite so," answered Cyrus, "a full stomach is high and an empty paunch is flat." [22] "And now," said Chrysantas, "in heaven's name, tell us the bride for a flat king ?" But at this Cyrus laughed outright, and all the others with him.

[23] And the laughter still rang loud when Hystaspas said: "There is one thing, Cyrus, that I envy in your royal state more than all the rest." "And what is that ?" said Cyrus.
"That though you are flat, you can raise a laugh." "Ah," said Cyrus, "what would you give to have as much said of you?
To have it reported on all sides and wherever you wished to stand well that you were a man of wit ?" Thus they bantered each other and gave jest for jest.
[24] Then Cyrus brought out a woman's attire and ornaments of price and gave them to Tigranes as a present for his wife, because she had followed her husband so manfully to the war, and he gave a golden goblet to Artabazus, and a horse to the Hyrcanian leader, and many another splendid gift among the company.
"And to you, Gobryas," said he, "I will give a husband for your daughter." [25] "Let me be the gift," said Hystaspas, "and then I shall get those writings." "But have you a fortune on your side," asked Cyrus, "to match the bride's ?" "Certainly, I have," he answered, "I may say twenty times as great." "And where," asked Cyrus, "may those treasures be ?" "At the foot of your throne," he answered, "my gracious lord." "I ask no more," said Gobryas, and held out his right hand.

"Give him to me, Cyrus," he said; "I accept him." [26] At that Cyrus took the right hand of Hystaspas and laid it in the hand of Gobryas, and the pledge was given and received.

Then Cyrus gave beautiful gifts to Hystaspas for his bride, but he drew Chrysantas to his breast and kissed him.

[27] Thereupon Artabazus cried: "Heaven help us, Cyrus! The goblet you gave me is not of the fine gold you have given Chrysantas now!" "Well," said Cyrus, "you shall have the same one day." "When ?" asked the other.
"Thirty years hence," said Cyrus.
"I will wait," said Artabazus: "I will not die: be ready for me." And then the banquet came to an end: the guests rose, and Cyrus stood up with them and conducted them to the door.
[28] But on the morrow he arranged that all the allies and all who had volunteered should be sent back to their homes, all except those who wished to take up their abode with him.