Shapur son of Urmuzd, surnamed Zu'l Aktaf

Passed forty days, then like the shining sun
A babe was born of that fair dame. The archmage
Named him Shapur and gave a feast for joy.
Thou wouldst have said : " The infant is all Grace,
And wisdom is his banner and his shade."
For forty days they revelled, then prepared
The child a royal throne. The nobles came
With golden girdles and hung over it
The crown of gold. That babe of forty days
They set, when fed and swaddled up in silk,
Upon his glorious father's throne beneath
The crown of gold ; the chiefs all homaged him,

And showered gems. An archimage by name
Shahrwi, wise, apt, and potent, came and sat
Upon a golden seat to serve the babe
As minister, and with good rede and justice
Ruled o'er the world. He led the folk to good,
Collected troops and treasure, and adorned
The palace and the throne, for young Shapur,
Who grew in stature with the passing years.

Attended by that wise archmage the Shah
Was sitting on an eve in Taisafun.
When Sol grew wan, and night's dark livery showed,
A din rose at the way o'er the Arwand.
" Greet they ? " he asked.

" O famed and valiant prince !"
The archmage answered thus the little Shah,
" The merchants and the workmen are returning
Home from their shops and, as they pass each other,
They fear to jostle, for the bridge is narrow,
So crow like cocks at drum-beat."

Said Shapur : —

" Ye famous sages and my counsellors !
Then let us have two bridges, one to go,
The other to return, so that our subjects,
Both soldiers and civilians, may cross
At ease ; our treasury shall bear the costs."

The archmages all joyed much that that young Tree
Was showing leaf, and, as the young Shah bade,
Their chief gave orders for a second bridge.
His mother's heart-rejoiced, she gave him tutors,
But by his rapid progress he outstripped them.
At seven years old he went upon the ground
To learn the art of war and play at polo ;
At eight he learned the etiquette of courts ;
Thou wouldst have said that he was Shah Bahram.
He exercised himself in every grace,
And made Istakhr his royal residence
By his own glorious fathers' precedent,
Men pure, accepted, and preeminent.

Anon, and when the world-illuming crown
Grew bright, Tair, the 'Inanian lion-hearted,
Whose scimitar would bolden heaven, led forth
From Rum and Pars, from Kurdistan, Bahram,
And Kadisiya, up to Taisafun

A host surpassing all compute of knowledge.
He gave the country up to pillage. Who
Could fight or fly him ? Hearing tell of Nusha,
Who was the Shah's aunt and a youthful Spring,
He sought her palace, while all Taisafun
Was full of hue and cry. They bore her off,
And made her prisoner, for he and his
Were coarse and ignorant. When she had spent
One year of grief and care with him she bore him
A daughter like the moon and like Narsi,
Thou wouldst have said, when he had crown and

throne.

Her father called her Malika on seeing
That she was fit for queenship.

When Shapur

Was six and twenty, and had grown to be
A valiant, sun-like monarch, he reviewed
His troops upon the plain and chose him out
Twelve thousand warriors and for each a camel
Wind-footed, and a hundred guides withal.
The warriors mounted, leading each his steed.
Then too the Shah himself and his own meiny
Took seat upon their beasts. He girded up
His royal belt for raiding and pursued
The monarch of the 'Inanians : " Tair,
That over-weening one, that raging Lion —
And slaughtered many of his warriors,
Which when Tai'r perceived he showed his back.
Then followed hue and cry, and many captives
Were taken while that host fled to a stronghold
Within Yaman ; men, women, children wailed.
Shapur led forth such forces that the ways
Were barred to ant and gnat. He found Tair
With troops within the hold, and turned from him
The means of fight and flight. The siege continued
A month both day and night, the garrison
Ran short of food. One morning full of ardour
Shapur, the hero, mounted on his steed
With bow in hand, a kingly, black cuirass
Upon his breast and black flag fluttering o'er him.
Now Malika looked from the castle-walls,
And saw that flag and head of chiefs, whose cheeks
Were then like rose-leaves and his hair like musk,
His lips like jujubes and his breath musk-scented.
Both sleep and peace went from her ; with her heart
Possessed by love, she sought her nurse, and said : —
" This sun-like Shah, come hither for revenge,
Is great, my very blood, and him I call
" The world ' because he is the world to me.
Now bear a message for me to Shapur ;
He came to fight us, bid him to a feast

With me. Say : " Thou and I are of one race,

And of the seed of brave Narsi as well.
Moreover I will aid in thy revenge,
For I am of thy kindred : " Nusha's daughter.
If thou wilt marry me the hold is thine,
And with the palace thou shalt have its Picture.
Arrange all with my nurse and pledge thy word
Of honour.' "

She replied : " As thou commandest
So will I speak and bring thee news of him."

When night and murk took kingship of the earth
From sea to sea, when it became pitch-hued,
The hills like indigo, the stars like lamps,
And thou hadst said : " Three hundred thousand lights
Have been suspended from the eighth heaven," the nurse
Went quaking, full of fear and fright. Her heart
Was sundered through her terror of Tair.
She reached the camp, approached a trusty man,
And said : " If thou wilt bring me to the Shah,
Thou shalt receive from me a crown and ring."

That wise and prudent man conducted her
Toward the valiant monarch from the gate.
She came, with her eyelashes swept the ground,
And told him all. Her words rejoiced the Shah,
Who smiled. He gave her fifty score dinars,
A necklace, pair of bracelets, crown, and cloak
Embroidered with brocade of Chin, and answered : —
" Speak much and kindly to the moon-faced maid,
And say to her : " He sware by sun and moon,
The girdle of Zarduhsht, the throne and crown : —
" Whate'er thou askest of me, though it be
To cantle mine own realm, thine ear shall hear
No angry word from me, nor will I seek
To part from thine embrace." " For I will buy her,
God willing, at the cost of throne and crown,
Of treasure and of host."

On hearing this

She hurried from the camp back to the hold,
Informed the silver Cypress what had passed,
And added : " Venus is conjunct with Sol."
She told of Shah Shapur, his looks and height,
All she had noted of that Moon so bright.

Now Malika, when Sol's crown westward shone,
And on the earth its yellow flower became
Like teak in hue, won from the treasurer
And minister of king Tair the keys
That oped the stores of provand and of wine,
And sent the leaders and the veteran chiefs
Supplies thereof with sweet narcissus-blooms
And fenugreek. She called to her the server,
Spake much and graciously to him, and said : —
" Thou pourest wine to-night ; give it Tair
Neat, and keep all of them with wine in hand
That they may fall asleep and be bemused."
The server answered her : " Thy slave am I,
And only live because thou wiliest it."
Now when the sun was yellow in the west,
And murky night bade it : " Avaunt," Tair
Called for a cup of royal wine, and first
They drank "The 'Inanians." When one watch had
passed
Tair slept careless of the din around,
And all withdrew to rest, whereat that Moon
Bade her slaves speak in whispers and undo
With stealth the castle-gate. Now Shah Shapur
Was waiting, angered at the drunken din,
But when the light shone through the gate he cried : —
" Our mate is sleepless fortune ! "
Then he bade
To lodge that fair maid daintily in camp,
Collected all his forces, chose out men,
Both mounted and afoot, approved in valour
And fitted for the fray, and entering
The hold 'gan slay, and seized the ancient treasures.
The more part of the garrison were drunk,
The rest, but half awake, prepared to fight ;
None showed his back through fear. The noble Shah
Slew many while Tair, who was made captive,
Came naked and, albeit unwillingly,
Apace before him. Hold and goods were both
Shapur's. One man was rich and only one !
He waited till the dawn and, when Sol showed
Its golden cap, they set a throne of turquoise,
As was the custom, in the hold and held
An audience. When the Shah had made an end
The Rose of early Spring drew near to him ;
She wore a ruby coronet and shone
In cloth of gold of Chin. He seated her
Beside him on the throne and presently
Called for Tair in bonds who, when he came,
Bare-headed, and beheld his daughter crowned,
Knew that the sorcery was hers and she

Had wrought the mischief, and he said : " O Shah,
And noble man ! see how my child hath dealt
With me ! Be thou too wary of her love,
And hold all strangers enemies henceforth."
Shapur made answer to that miscreant : —
" When thou didst take the daughter of Bahram
From her seclusion, and insult our race,
Thou didst arouse a sleeping feud."

He bade

The deathsman to behead Tair and fling
His body to the flames. The head he trailed
In blood contemptuously and flung away.
He would not let his Arab captives speak,
But had their shoulder-blades removed — an act
Which horrified the world. The Arabs used
To call him Zu'l Aktaf because he wrenched
Their shoulders from the spine. Thence he returned
To Pars where all men came and homaged him.
All that got quarter with their shoulders whole
Refused to him no longer tax and toll.

Thus heaven revolved awhile, then changed its favour.
The day came when Shapur, although possessed
Of crown and treasure, dreaded what might be,
And, when two watches of the night had passed,
Called his astrologers and asked concerning
The imperial throne and weal and woe to come.
The astrologers brought forth their astrolabes,
And cast his prospects of repose and rest,
To see if ill would reach, or Grace divine
Grow greater with, the Shah. This seen, they said :— -
" Great king, world-lord, of ardent heart and pure !
A grievous, painful task confronteth thee,
But what none dareth tell."

Shapur replied :—

" learned men and seekers of the way !
By what device can this be made to pass
From me, and mine ill star not tread me down ? "
The astrologers made answer : " None, O Shah !
By courage and by knowledge can escape
of The revolution of the restless sky ;

We cannot strive with it ; what is to be
Will happen all, past doubt."

The noble Shah

Rejoined : " God is our refuge from all ill,
For He created circling heaven above,
Created strength and weakness."

He spread out

His justice through the realm and for a while
Was glad and free from trouble. Having rendered
The whole land prosperous he greatly yearned
To visit Rum and see the state of Caesar,
His army, treasury, and puissance.
He told his minister, a paladin
Both just and prudent, of his secret purpose,
But hid it from all other folk, and added : —
" Administer the realm with equity,
For that will make you glad."

He had prepared

Ten caravans of camels — noble beasts ;
There was a chief to every caravan.
He loaded thirty camels with dinars,
The rest with jewels and brocade. He left
The peopled parts and journeyed full of care
Till he arrived in Rum and saw a suburb
Where dwelt both thanes and citizens. He entered
The dwelling of a man of means and asked : —
" Can I have lodging here ? "

With many greetings
The goodman said : " Receive we not such guests ? "

Shapur abode that night, ate, and gave presents,
Receiving back the blessings of the thane.
At morn he packed and went to Caesar's palace,
Like wind, and coming to the chamberlain
Saluted him and gave him gifts, who asked :—
" Who art thou ? Say, because thou art a king
In limbs and looks."

Shapur replied : " Not I.
I am a Persian, a religious man,

And with my merchandise have come from Jaz.
I have a caravan of silks and linens,
And came to court in hope to be received
By Caesar. If among my merchandise
Aught liketh him, or of my gems and arms,
Let him accept such from his slave and place them
Among his treasures. This will please, not grieve, me.
The rest I shall sell boldly in reliance
On his protection, purchase what I need
I In Rum, and bear it to Iran."
The elder
Went and told Caesar, who bade raise the curtain,

And granted audience. When Shapur approached
The presence he gave praises as was fitting,
While Caesar, gazing on him, liked him well,
Bade spread the board, and put all strangers forth.

There was in Rum a native of Iran,
A man of much experience, b,ut withal
Injurious, oppressive, and accursed,
Who said to Caesar : " O exalted one !
List to my news in secret : this great merchant,
Who taketh our dinars for his brocade,
Is, I assert, Shapur, the king of kings,
In speech, in countenance, in Grace, and bearing."

When Caesar heard he was amazed, looked black,
And set a watch, but kept the matter close,
And scanned Shapur as he arose bemused.
The guard came up, and said : " Thou art Shapur,
Son of Narsi, disguised."

They carried him

Off to the women's house and bound his hands ;
None 'scapeth from the net of bale by valour.
What booteth to consult astrologers
Since all their calculations naught availed ?

They lit a candle by the drunken man,
And vilely sewed him up in ass's hide.

All said : " The wretch hath gained an ass's skin,

And lost a throne ! "

There was a dark, strait cell
Whereto they bare, and whereinto they flung,
That luckless one forthwith and locked the door.
Now Caesar gave the custody of key,
And of that captive wrapped in alien hide,
To his own wife, and told her : " Give him bread
And water lest his soul may pass too soon.
If he survive awhile he will perceive
The worth of throne and crown, and none that is not
Of Caesar's race will covet Caesar's throne."

She locked the cell. Her own home was elsewhere.
She had for treasuress and confidant
A moon-faced girl, Iranian by descent,
Who knew her lineage from sire to sire,
And Caesar's wife put in her charge the key,
And brave Shapur fast in The ass's skin,
Whom Caesar left thus straitened, and that day
Led forth his host. Now when he reached Iran
His army drew the falchion of revenge,
And bore off many captives. Their brave foes
Had none to aid them, and Iran was stripped
Of men and women, children and all havings,
Both great and small. No news came to the host
Of Shah Shapur alive or dead, Iran
Fled before Rum, the land was void of folk,
While countless others had a Christian call,
And flocked before the bishops, one and all.

Time passed, the army of Iran was scattered,
And all the while in Rum the keepers watched
Shapur both day and night, howbeit the damsel,
That was Iranian-born, rejoiced not o'er him,
But wept for him, thus clad in ass's hide,
Incessantly ; her heart burned for Shapur.

One day she said : " O goodly man ! who art thou ?
Speak and fear not, for in this ass's skin
Thy graceful form hath neither sleep nor rest.
Thou wast a Cypress with the moon full-orbed
Above it, and that moon had musk-black curls,
But now thy cypress-form is like a hoop,
Thine elephantine body like a reed.
My heart is burning, mine eyes weep, for thee
Both day and night. What wouldst thou in thine

anguish ?
Why tell not me thy secret ? "

Said Shapur : —

" If thou art well disposed to me, my Fair !
I ask thy promise — one confirmed by oath
That thou wilt keep it — not to tell my foes
My secret, but be mindful of mine anguish ;
Then will I tell thee what thou wouldst — the truth."

The damsel sware to him by the All-just,
The cincture of the priest — that stalwart guide —
The life of Christ, the Passion of the Cross,
The master of Iran, and love and fear : —
" I will not tell or benefit thereby."
He told all, hiding neither good nor bad,
And said to her : " Now if thou wilt perform
My hest, and pledge thy heart to keep my secret,
Thy head shall be exalted o'er all dames,

The world be at thy feet. At meal-time thou
Shalt bring warm milk and supple me this hide.
Soak it because it shall become world-famous,
And after my decease the men of wisdom
Will tell the tale for many a year."

The damsel Used her endeavours to obtain hot milk,
But furtively and speaking 'neath her breath.
On coming back with milk she used to set
Upon the fire a bowl thereof, then bear it
In secret to Shapur, informing none.
In two weeks' time the ass's hide was moistened,
And when with aching body and full heart
Shapur came forth therefrom he said to her
In confidence : " O pure one, vigilant,
And kindly in thy deeds ! we must advise,
And frame a stratagem to 'scape from Rum :
May blessing never light on such a land ! "

The damsel said to him : " Tomorrow morn
Our chiefs will set forth to the banquet-place.
There is a feast in Rum that men and women,
And children will attend. Whenas the queen
Shall leave the city for the merrymake
Upon the plain, the coast will be all clear,
And I will manage, reckless of mishap ;
My wits shall get for thee two steeds, two maces,
And bow and arrows.

Hearing this, he praised
That worshipful, foreseeing maid, grew bold,
And in this case took wisdom for his guide.

Whenas the Fount of Light sank in the west,
And night drew o'er its head the Veil of Pitch,
Shapur mused much : " What will she do tomorrow ? "

When Sol arose in Leo, when day waxed
And slumber waned, the great men of the city
Went to the feast. That damsel, like a man
Full of resource, began to ply her schemes.
She had the empty palace to herself,
Had lion's heart withal and leopard's claws.
She brought two noble horses from the stalls,
Chose weapons fit for valiant cavaliers
With all that she had need of in dinars,
In pearls, in rubies, and in every thing.
When all was ready, and the night had come,
The pair resolved to act and started forth
Toward Iran, both full of secret joy,

In quest of safety. Night and day alike
They hurried onward, neither slept nor ate,
And from the city through the thornbrakes reached
A province civilised. When steeds and riders
Grew faint with hurrying they sought a place
To halt at, came upon a pleasant village
With gardens, park, and pleasances, and there,
Toil-worn and fleeing from calamity,
Knocked at a gardener's door, who hurried out —
A hospitable man of kindly heart —
And, seeing two with armour, spears, and helms,
Said to the Shah : " Why is this visitation ?
Whence hast thou sprung at this untimely hour,
Armed for an expedition ? "

Said Shapur : —

" Good friend ! thou askest much of one astray !
A traveller I, a native of Iran,
And bent on flight. I am in Caesar's danger
And in his troops', and never may I see
His head and crown ! If thou wilt be my host
To-night, and play the marchlord's part discreetly,
Sure am I that one day 'twill profit thee ;

The tree that thou shalt plant will bear thee fruit."

The gardener said : " The house is thine, the gardener
Himself thy guest. Whate'er I can I will,
Informing none."

Then Shah Shapur alighted,
He and the damsel, and the gardener's wife
Gat ready food for them as best she could.
When they had eaten bread they turned to wine,
And had a lowly chamber dight. The gardener
Gave to Shapur the wine forthwith, and said : —
Drink thou to whom thou wilt."

" My host," he answered,
" And gardener eloquent and excellent !
The man that bringeth wine should drink it first,
When first in years and wisdom. Thou art older
Than I and, since thou furnishest the wine,
Thou shouldst begin."

" Great sir ! " the gardener said,
" The man of Grace should drink first. Lead the way
As old in wisdom though more young in years.
I seem to scent a crown upon thy locks ;
Thy visage too is like the sun."

Shapur

Smiled, took the wine, and sighed. " O pious man ! "
He said, "what tidings from Iran hast thou ?"
The gardener said : " O thou of kingly mind !

May foe ne'er harm thee. May the ills that Caesar
Hath brought upon the Iranians now befall
Our foemen. All are scattered in Iran,
And tilth and crop remain not. Massacre
And pillage have dispersed our mighty folk,
While many have turned Christians and come zoned
Before the bishops, many don priests' caps
That they may have a land and resting-place ! "
The other said: "Where then was Shah Shapur,
Who used to shine resplendent as the moon
Upon Urmuzd, that Caesar thus should dare,
And fortune overcast the Iranians' lustre ? "

The gardener answered him : " Exalted one !
Be majesty and pleasure ever thine.
No tidings of his whereabouts, alive
Or dead, hath reached the Iranian potentates :
The people of Iran are slaves in Rum."

The gardener, the Shah's host, wept bitterly,
And added : " Thou shalt stay three days, and then
My house will be the lustre of the world
Because a sage said when the world was young : —
" Unwise is he whose courtesy is scant
To guests ; black fortune will ensure him want.'
So tarry, rest, and take a cup of wine,
And when thy heart is merry tell thy name."

Shapur said : " Good ! Our host is our Great King,
At present."

He abode, ate, and conversed,

That night, and when morn rose above the mountains,
When rose the Golden Banner from the dales,
The master of the garden visited
His guest, and said : " Good day to thee, and may
Thy head be o'er the rain-clouds. This abode
Was not a fitting resting-place for thee,
Nor was the season suited for repose."

Shapur replied : " My friend ! I should prefer
This house to crown and throne. And now bring forth
A Zandavasta and thy sacred twigs
That while I mutter I may ask thee questions."

He did according to the Shah's command,
Made the twigs ready and the place of prayer.
Then as he prayed the Shah said : " Tell me truly
Where the high priest is now."

His host replied : —
Sweet-tongued and holy man ! I can discern
His house from here."

The Shah said privily : —
" Request some seal-clay of the village-chief."
The gardener got it and returned at once.
The world-lord pressed his signet on the clay,
Returned it to the gardener with his thanks,
And said to him : " Give this clay to the high priest,
And mark his words."

That morn the gardener
Went with the impress of the royal signet,
But on arrival found the portal barred,
And armed men stationed round. He clamoured loudly
To be admitted and proceeded straightway
Before the high priest, showed the signature,
And did obeisance. When the high priest looked,
And saw the impress, that wise statist's heart
Began to throb with joy and, weeping greatly
Upon that name, he asked : " What man is this ? "

The gardener said : " My lord ! the cavalier
Is staying at my house and hath with him
A Moon, slim cypress-like, wise, fair, and graceful."

The high priest said : " Now as to this aspirant,
What is he like in stature and in face ? "

The gardener answered : " One that ne'er hath seen
Spring, and a cypress by the water's side,
Would yet at sight of this man's looks and stature
Find music in his heart. His arms are like
A camel's thighs, his chest is like a lion's,
His cheek like blood. Shame reddeneth at his grace,
The crown's decore proceedeth from his face."

The wise high priest, while listening to the gardener,
Perceived with his shrewd mind : " This Lion-heart
Can be none other than the Shah ; his mien
Befitteth but the throne ! " and seeking out
A wary messenger he sent to tell
The captain of the host : " The Grace of Shah
Shapur is manifest. Assemble troops
From every side."

The high priest's messenger
Came speeding to the captain of the host,
Who gladdened at the words and then and there
Set both his cheeks upon the ground, and said
To God : " O righteous Judge ! I serve Thee only.
Who ever thought that Shah Shapur and army
Would see each other more ? O one just God,
The Master of the world and Guide to good !
I thank Thee."

When night raised its sable flag,

And stars began to twinkle round the moon,
Troops gathered from all quarters, and wherever
Chiefs were they made their way, by ones and twos,
Toward that city and reached joyfully
The hospitable gardener's door. Now when
The troops had gathered, that good man approached
The Shah who bade that they should be admitted
Although his court was lowly. As they came
They bent their faces to the ground before him.
The Shah embraced the chieftains and began
To wail his woes, told of his sufferings
Within the ass's skin, of Caesar's words,
And what that fair Iranian slave had done
For love of him : " I have through her and God
Preserved my life. May Fortune smile on her.
Grant but a virtuous slave and thou wilt be
The slave of such though king and glorious.
I am the slave of this fond slave whose heart
Is open and who keepeth secrets well.
Wherever I have forces, and my rule
Is recognised, send thither men and give
The tidings. Scatter scouts upon the roads,
Secure them, and the one to Taisafun
In chief. The news must not transpire. If Caesar
Hear of me that the Grace of king of kings
Appeareth he will come, destroy my host,
And break the Iranians' hearts and backs. We cannot
Withstand him yet or cope with his lush fortune,
But when the high priest cometh and shall bring
Troops we will bar the road to ants and gnats.
We will be instant then and take new order
To clear our garden quietly of weeds,
To every corner spies shall be dispatched,
And outposts be on guard by day and night.
Thenceforth I give no Ruman liberty
To sleep in peace or lay his armour by."

Shapur, whose troops were soon six thousand strong,
Sent veteran chiefs to spy out Taisafun,
And notify his high and glorious court
Of Caesar. Instantly they went to find
How matters stood, then told the exalted Shah : —
" No thought hath Caesar save for wine and chase.
His troops are scattered everywhere to pillage.
There are no guards or sentries day or night,
His troops are like a flock without a shepherd.
He seeth not a foe on any side,
And so it pleaseth him to live at ease."

Shapur rejoiced; his troubles turned to wind.
He chose three thousand of the Iranians,
All horsemen mailed on barded chargers, armed
Himself, and marched on Taisafun by night.
He marched by night and turned aside by day.
His route lay over wilderness and mountain
By track or no track, and two leagues and more
Ahead were scouts till Taisafun was nigh.
In the third watch he reached the camp of Caesar,
Of whom he felt no fear, heard no man's voice,
No sentries' challenge and no tinkling bells.
Tents and pavilions covered all the waste.
Who wotted of that onset ? In his tent
Lay Caesar drunk, his troops were all abroad.
Shapur, the valiant, gave his royal steed
The rein, on seeing this, led on his powers
Against the camp, and grasped his massive mace.
Rang cloudward clarion, mace, and Indian bell ;
Rose battle-cry and tumult everywhere.
Thou wouldst have said : " May be the heaven is rent,
And through the air blood droppeth from the sun ! "
Gleamed Kawa's flag, gloomed night, flashed violet

swords ;

Thou wouldst have said : " The air is raining them ;
The world is in a mist ! " Heaven disappeared
Amid the dust, the stars drew in their skirts,
And brave Shapur wrecked worthless Caesar's camp.
They slew twelve thousand Ruman cavaliers
And over, fired the camp, dashed heaven to earth,

And in the end made Caesar prisoner.
His good stars grew averse. Among the tents
They captured many of his nobles, horsemen
Elect and brave, and put them into bonds.

Such is the action of the lofty sky
At whiles up-lifting and at whiles low-laying,
At whiles delighting and at whiles affraying !

The innocent that hath humanity

Is best ; almighty God is his ally.
When it was day, when night withdrew its skirt,
And Sol's flag showed aloft, Shapur commanded
A scribe to come with writing implements.
They wrote to every province, to each king,
And chief. Shapur began : " Our heart-felt praise
Be to almighty God who helpeth others
To good but hath no need of others' help.
Since Caesar hath kept not God's laws, but sown
Naught but the seed of wrong within Iran,
Bonds chafe him sorely, for he had not wisdom
To guide his soul. He hath resigned to us
The crown of kingship and reserveth only
His infamy. His host and court are broken
By God's own might who pointed out the way.
Those Rumans whom ye capture in your cities
Must have their portion of the scimitar.
Seek ye all justice, do as I command,
And swear allegiance unto me afresh."

A cameleer came to each quarter quickly;
And brought the letter of the ardent Shah,
Who left the camp for Taisafun and there
Held session safely with his counsellors,
And, having donned the ancestral crown, gave thanks
To God, the Giver of all good. He bade
A scribe to go inside the prison-house,
And make a list of all the captives' names.
There were a thousand and five score and two
Of Caesar's kindred and high rank in Rum.
The world-lord lopped the hands and feet of those
That had been chief in ill, and then commanded
To bring in Caesar, lord of Rum. The guard

Brought him from prison like a man insane.
That tyrant, when he saw Shapur's crown, wept ;
He rubbed his visage red upon the ground,
And swept it with his lashes, grovelling,
And blessing crown and throne.
" O thou compact

Of ill," the Shah said, " Christian and God's foe,
Ascribing unto Him who hath no mate,
No period, and no origin, a son !
Thou art a very knave, a lunatic,
A miscreant, fool, and utterest naught but lies,
Which are an evil, unilluming fire.
Where are thy counsel, modesty, and heart
Inciting thee to good, if thou art Caesar ?
Why bind me in an ass's hide and so
Fling greatness to the dust ? I came to feast
In merchant's guise, I came not forth to fight
With drums and troops, but thou didst clothe thy guest
In ass's skin and march against Iran.
Now shalt thou feel the clutch of valiant men,
And seek no more to fight Iran."

" Shah!"

Said Caesar, " who can 'scape God's ordinance ?
The royal throne put wisdom far from me,
And made my soul a hireling of the Div.
Thou wilt be famous, doing good for ill,
Because thy name ne'er will grow old, and thou
Wilt compass all thy longing by thy prowess.
If I have safeguard for my life from thee
Wealth and dinars are worthless in mine eyes,
Then will I be a slave about thy court,
And seek for nothing but to grace thy throne."

The Shah replied : " Vile wretch ! why didst thou

turn
This country upside down ? If all the spoil
That thou didst bear to Rum (ne'er mayst thou look
On that cursed land again ! ) thou wilt restore
Back from thy house to this exalted folk ;
Next, if whate'er was harried in Iran,
And made the lair of lions and of pards,
Thou wilt recover at thine own expense,
And in requital for thine evil deeds ;
Next, if for those Iranians whom thou slewest
Thou choosest Rumans of the royal race,
And givest me ten for every one of ours,
Surrendering their lives as hostages,
And I will take but men of Caesar's stock
To be with me here in this happy land ;
And, next, if for each tree felled in Iran,
(None well-disposed would fell the trees of others)
Thou plant another, reinstate all walls,
And thus abate the anger in our hearts,
Shall I not bind thee as thou bindest me ?
Can I forgive thee for the ass's skin ?
If thou shalt fail in aught that I have said

My men shall rend thy skin from head to foot."

As soon as he had finished his demands
Shapur, the world-lord, as the conqueror
Split with his dagger both his prisoner's ears,
And having bored his nostrils put a bit
Therein in memory of the ass's hide,
And loaded both his feet with heavy chains ;
The guard moreover bare him back toward.

They held review and muster, and demanded
The treasury-key. The monarch massed and paid
The host, then, bent on justice and revenge,
Marched from Iran upon the coast of Rum.
All that were in the desert and that land
They slew and set the houses there on fire,
So that the world was lighted by the blaze.
When news reached Rum : " Our fertile lands are wasted,
And in a night-attack illustrious Caesar
Hath been made captive," all the people wept,
And at Shapur's name were consumed with dread.
" Ungenerous Caesar wrought this woe," they said.

Though Caesar's sire was dead, his mother lived ;
He had a younger brother too : " Yanus —
A generous and potent atheling.
Troops mustered at his gate, his warlike mother
Gave them a donative, and said to him :—
" Avenge thy brother : seest not that a host
Hath come forth from Iran ? "
He beat the drums,

And carried out the Cross. The Cross was great,
The army fierce. The hosts met face to face ;
The warriors had no rest. The ranks were ranged ;
A shout went up ; Yanus led on the van.
Black dust-clouds rose, and none could see his way
Amid the murk. Upon one flank were mountains,
And on the other, where the troops were massed,
A river ran. The din of battle rose,
Sword, mace, and arrow flashed, while azure-dim
Was air with dust of horsemen, spearheads gleamed,
And banners fluttered while the stars looked down

Upon that strife — all wreak and malison.
The warriors of Rum all girt their loins,
Like furious lions, for that strife. The air
Was lapis-lazuli, the ground was iron,
Dark dusk rose cloud-ward, and thou wouldst have

said : —
" The air is all a mist whence diamonds pour."
The Shah's troops likewise girt their loins for blood-
shed.

Thus blew the blast of battle till the sun
Grew dim. They slew until earth's surface turned
To iron with the breast-plates of the slain.
Then from the centre Shah Shapur advanced
His battle, calling on his left and right,
And on his meiny. Shah and chiefs made hot
Their steeds, earth trembled, and the armies reeled.
He charged the Ruman host, and great and small
Were one. Aware that he could not withstand
The Shah, Yanus fled with his troops, pursued
By valorous Shapur, who robbed the air
Of lustre with his dust-clouds. On all sides
He piled the foe in heaps, smirched earth with brains,
And slew so many of the host of Rum
That all the plain was heads and feet and trunks.
No host and Cross remained upon the field,
No crucifix and bishop in the holds.
He took such spoil on all sides that the troops
Were in amaze. He gave it all to them,
Reserving to himself but Caesar's wealth,
Who had seen travail in amassing it,
And found his travail end not with his treasure !
The host of Rum, assembling, said of him : —
" Be such chief ours no more ! May Caesar's name
Cease out of Rum ! The girdle of the priests,
And their archbishop's crozier are consumed !
So now for us Rum and Kannuj are one,
Because the call of Christ's Faith is fordone ! "

There was a man of noble lineage,
And of the famous Caesars' stock withal,
A man of wisdom, Bazanush by name,
Fraught with good counsel both in mind and tongue,
To whom the army said : " Be Caesar thou,
This very day the captain of the host ;
The troops will be attentive to thy words :
Illume the crown and renovate the throne."

They set for him the throne of ivory
Whereon he sat in all his glory crowned,
While all the Rumans hailed him as the Caesar.
He sat and mused on war and battlefield,
And, knowing that to strive in fight against
The exalted Shah would bring disaster, chose
An envoy shrewd and modest who could speak
Wise words with gentleness — a scribe expert,
Experienced, learned, wise, and well approved —
Set him hard by, dictated subtle words,
And wrote a letter full of benisons
From God almighty on the king of earth : —
" Be thy crown ever bright and all the great
Thy slaves. Thou know'st that pillaging and bloodshed,
And harrying the innocent, are hateful
To noble men both in Iran and Rum.
If this feud first began about Iraj
'Twas settled by the might of Minuchihr.
Now Salm is dust, and Tur is swept away,
In vengeance. If Sikandar and Dara
Embroil us now that feud is obsolete
In Rum ; the one good fortune left, the other
Was slain by his two ministers, while Caesar,

If he be cause, is galled within thy prison
By fetters. Rum must not be desolate,
For never there hath been a land like Rum.
Now, if thy purpose is to waste and slay,
The Rumans cannot either fight or flee.
Their wives and children are thy prisoners,
Or wounded by thy swords and shafts. 'Tis time
To minish wrath and vengeance ; wrath and Faith
Ne'er fare together. Be our ransom then
All our possessions, for this feud is wasting
Our lives. Be kind, burn not so many cities.
Such days must cease. The Maker of the world
Will not approve a world-lord set on wrong,
And vengeance. May He bless the Shah, and may
The Shah's exalted star encrown the moon."

The scribe laid down his pen when he had written
That royal letter whereunto they set
The seal of Caesar, and the ambassador
Set forward to the Shah. The wise man came,
And tendered Caesar's letter to Shapur
Of glorious race, who, when they read to him
The letter, showering on him those fair words,
Was gracious, wept, and bent his warrior-brows.
He wrote at once an answer and detailed
All that had happened both for good and ill ;
He said : " Who sewed his guest in ass's hide ?
Who lighted up the mart of ancient feuds ?
If thou art wise arise and come to me,
Thou and thy honest counsellors, for I
Have granted quarter and I will not fight.
The world is never straitened to the wise."
The messenger returned with this reply,
And word for word discharged his embassy.

When Bazanush saw that reply the heart
In his pure body throbbed with joy. He bade
A hundred nobles quit fair Rum with him. on
They made up sixty asses' loads of drachms,
Of gems, and full-dress robes, and thirty thousand
Dinars for largess gathered from all sides.

They went before the Shah with naked feet
And heads all bare, and, as they poured dinars,
Bestrewed the gold with gems. Shapur received
The Rumans graciously and seated them
In due degree. He said to Bazanush : —
" From Rum no lack of curst and unjust men
Hath come. Where there were cities in Iran
Now there are thorn-brakes. I demand redress
For what hath been laid waste and made the lair
Of pard and lion."

Bazanush replied : —

" Say what thou wilt and since thou gav'st us quarter
Frown not upon us."

Said the noble Shah : —

" If thou wouldst have full pardon for the wrong
Thou must pay tribute in dinars of Rum —
Two hundred thousand thrice in every year,
And further give up Nasibin to me,
If thou wouldst end my vengeance."

Bazanush

Replied : " Iran, Arabia, Nasibin
Are thine, and I agree to this vast tribute,
For we can not withstand thy wrath and vengeance."

Shapur agreed by treaty not to march
On Rum thenceforth, excepting by permission
In friendly wise, that Rum might not be injured.
Then he dismissed those magnates graciously
And honourably, on their departure marched,
And thanked his Maker much. He sought Istakhr-
The world-famed glory of the land of Pars —
Rejoicing.

When the news of these events
Reached Nasibin the people rushed to arms,
Exclaiming : " We will not let Shah Shapur
Take Nasibin or bring an army hither
Because he is not Christian but observeth
The Zandavasta and the cult of Fire.
He will not hear us when he cometh hither,
And we will not accept the Zandavasta,
And ancient Faith."

The populace prevailed,

The Faithful mounted for the war. When tidings
Reached Shah Shapur that Nasibin rebelled
He was enraged against the Christian Faith,
And set a countless host upon the march.
He said : " Applaud I cannot an evangel
Whose author suffered death among the Jews."

For one whole week they fought ; the city's gate
Grew all too narrow for the combatants ;
The Iranians slew a multitude of chiefs,
And placed those that survived in heavy bonds.
The citizens wrote to the Shah for quarter,
Who pardoned them and bade his host withdraw.

He gained renown in all parts of the earth,
He gained supremacy o'er all the world.
Men used to call him "The victorious Shah,"
And long did he possess the throne and crown.
She who had freed and given him his greatness,
Whom he named Dilafruz-i-Farrukhpai,
Was dearer to him than all other fair.
Moreover on the gardener he bestowed

Great treasure and dismissed him well provided ;
But Caesar stayed in prison and in bond,
In abject, evil case, and lasso-bound,
While all the treasure that he had in Rum,
And toiled to gather in from every side,
He had conveyed and given to Shapur.
He lived awhile with sighs upon his lips,
Within his prison-house, and there he died,
And let another have the crown of might.
Then Shah Shapur dispatched the corpse to Rum,
Encrowned with musk upon a bier, and said : —
" This is our end but where we shall find rest
I know not. One is covetous and foolish,
Another wise and dowered with Grace, but life
Will pass with both. The good and abstinent
Alone are blest."
He mounted on the throne

Of kings and ruled the world awhile. Thereafter
He settled many folk for good or ill
Within the land of Khuzistan and built
A city for his prisoners : folk at large
Shared not therein. 'Twas called Khurram Abad,
But who were they who shared that pleasant place ?
The men whose hands Shapur had stricken off
Had this assigned to them as their abode ;
They had it all, and every year a robe
Of honour. He erected too in Sham
A city which he called Piruz Shapur,
And in Ahwaz a third with palaces
And hospitals, Kinam-i-Asiran
They called it ; prisoners there had rest and ease.
He reigned until he passed his fiftieth year
Of sovereignty ; the age had not his peer.

There came from Chin a man of eloquence,
Whose peer in painting earth will not behold,
By which accomplishment he gained his ends.
He was a man of might by name Mani.
He said : " I prove my mission by my painting,
And am the greatest of evangelists."

He came from Chin, asked audience of Shapur,
Soliciting his help in that evangel,
And speaking with such unction that the Shah,
Filled with misgivings and keen interest,
Convoked the archmages and held talk at large
About Mani : " This suasive man of Chin
Hath plunged me into doubts about his Faith :
Hold converse with him ; ye may be converted."

They said : " This man — a worshipper of pictures-
Is not the equal of our own high priest ;
Hear what Mani saith and then call for him :
Mani will be dumfoundered in his presence."

The Shah bade that Mani should come who spake
At large, discoursing with the archimages,
In presence of the Shah, of Light and Darkness
Until Mani was checked in full career
By what the high priest said to him concerning
The ancient Faith : " Thou worshipper of pictures !
Why layest thou thy daring hand on God —
The Being that created Heaven above,
Created space and time, with light and darkness,
Therein, and is supreme of principles ?
The nights and days of high, revolving heaven
Are both thy source of safety and mishap.

How canst thou take a picture for a proof,
And disregard the counsel of the Faithful,
Who say that holy God is One, and thou
Hast no alternative to serving Him ?
If thou wilt give these pictures motion, then
Thou mayst appeal thereto. Thy proof, thou knowest
Is naught, and no one will esteem it valid.
Were Ahriman God's equal, darksome night
Would be like shining day, and both would be
Of equal length throughout the year, and neither
Would in their revolutions wax or wane.
The Maker of the world is compassed not
By thought, for He is higher than thought and space.
Thy words are those of lunatics. Enough !
No one will side with thee."
He spake much else,

For he was one of knowledge and of courage.
Mani was all confounded by the words,
His favour changed, the king was wroth with him,
So that his days were straitened, bidding some
To drag him from the court disgraced, and said : —
" This worshipper of pictures is unfit
To live, so since he causeth turmoil here
Flay him from head to foot, and let his skin
Be stuffed with hay, and then, that no one else
May make pretences to like dignity,
Hang up the skin upon the city-gate,
Or on the wall outside the hospital."

So did they. All the people blessed the Shah,
And cast dust on the body of the slain.

The fortune of Shapur was such that men
Saw in his garth no thorn upon the rose.
He was so just, so wise, and politic,
Brave, bounteous, active, that not anywhere
Was left a foe, or evil e'en a lair.

When he had naught to hope for from high heaven,
For he had passed his three score years and ten,
He called a scribe, the high priest, and Ardshir,
His younger brother, youthful still and crowned
With justice and with wisdom. Now the Shah
Had but one son — an infant — named Shapur,
Not yet matured by fortune, so the king,
In presence of the magnates and the scribes,
Said to Ardshir : " If thou wilt make a pact
With me in all good faith, and pledge thyself
To keep it, that what time my son shall come
To man's estate, and when the breath of greatness
Shall breathe on him, thou wilt resign to him
The treasure and the throne and crown, and be
His loyal minister, I will commit
To thee this crown of kingship and transfer
Withal to thee the treasure and the host."
Ardshir agreed before the great and wise
To give up to the child when grown to manhood,
And fit for diadem and throne of might,
The kingship and intreat him lovingly.
Whereat Shapur, in presence of the lords,
Gave the world's crown and signet to Ardshir,
Then said : " Take seriously the world's affairs.
Know, O my brother ! that an unjust king
Regardeth not the interests of the realm,
But yearneth to fill up his treasuries,
Exceeding all his officers in greed.
Blest is the upright king that serveth God
Because in him his subjects' hearts delight ;
He groweth rich by equity and bounty,
He leadeth every one toward the Faith,
He guardeth all his kingdom from the foe,
He lifteth to the clouds his head and crown,
He gathereth wealth by justice and in peace,
Disperseth trouble from the heart by largess,
He passeth o'er the offences of ill-doers,
And ever practiseth humanity.
He that hath sought these virtues will attain
To wisdom and right rede and watchfulness.
Kings must be wise and teach both young and old,
For subjects not instructed in God's way
Will err, and if the king is wroth with such
He violateth justice and the Faith.
Man's heart and brain are joint kings of his body,
The other members are the soldiery.
When, then, the heart and brain have been defiled,
And lost to good advice in their despair,
The life within that body is distraught ;
Will troops left chiefless live on happily ?
Left in the dark they are dispersed and cast,
A corpse, to dust. So with an unjust king:
The world is turned by him all upside down.
He will be held accursed when he is dead,
And men will know him as : " The impious Shah.'
Keep both thine eye and body in the Faith,
For eye and body both belong to God.
The king who chooseth any other way
Should wash both heart and hands of this our world.
He scattereth his subjects from his realm,
His lieges from his gate, ignoring all
The sage's words which cleanse thy heart of guile.
The tyrant is'accursed : haunt not the portal
Of men intent on greed. Know, O my brother !
That from a king the sage expecteth much —
First, that he be victorious, not turning
I From foes in fight ; again, that he entreat
His troops with equity and recognise
The greatness of the high-born : whosoever
Is fitted for the kingship will not put
The men of rank into the ranks ; next, thirdly,
That he be upright and defeat not justice ;
And fourthly, that to those who are his subjects,
And to the old retainers of his court,
He keep not tightly barred his treasury's door,
But from his branches drop a shower of fruit.
The king's gate should be not without a host,
And he should keep his treasure for his troops.
Thou wilt rejoice in treasuries increased
By justice, and thy troops will joy in thee.
Look on thy mail as thy true ornament ;
Some night it may bestead thee well. Trust not
Thy guards too much ; direct thine own concerns
As thou wouldst be secure though, whether thou
Shalt prove obscure or thy own age's lustre,
Death past all doubt will come to thee at last."
The brother, hearing this, wept sore. Shapur
Wrote his last wishes out, lived on one year.
Then passed, and left this saying in men's minds : —
" Sow not within the world the seed of greed
Because thy days will pass, and foes enjoy
The product of thy toils. Whene'er the laws
Both of Urmuzd and of Bahman are kept
This palace will become a happy home."
Bring tulip-tinted wine, O Hashimi !
From jars that never need replenishing.

Why seek I, who am deaf at sixty-three,
The world's grace and observance ? Now I sing
(Mark thou) the story of Ardshir, the king.