herb　Homa；　and　by　the　preservation　of　the　sacred　fire；　which；
  understand；　was　not　he；　but　the　symbolas　was　light　and　the　sunof
  the　good　spiritof　Ahura　Mazda。　　They　had　no　images　of　the　gods；
  these　old　Persians；　no　temples；　no　altars；　so　says　Herodotus；　and
  considered　the　use　of　them　a　sign　of　folly。　　They　were；　as　has　been
  well　said　of　them；　the　Puritans　of　the　old　world。　　When　they
  descended　from　their　mountain　fastnesses；　they　became　the
  iconoclasts　of　the　old　world；　and　the　later　Isaiah；　out　of　the
  depths　of　national　shame；　captivity；　and　exile；　saw　in　them　brother…
  spirits；　the　chosen　of　the　Lord；　whose　hero　Cyrus；　the　Lord　was
  holding　by　His　right　hand；　till　all　the　foul　superstitions　and　foul
  effeminacies　of　the　rotten　Semitic　peoples　of　the　East；　and　even　of
  Egypt　itself；　should　be　crushed；　though；　alas！　only　for　awhile；　by
  men　who　felt　that　they　had　a　commission　from　the　God　of　light　and
  truth　and　purity；　to　sweep　out　all　that　with　the　besom　of
  destruction。
  But　that　was　a　later　inspiration。　　In　earlier；　and　it　may　be
  happier；　times　the　duty　of　the　good　man　was　to　strive　against　all
  evil；　disorder；　uselessness；　incompetence　in　their　more　simple
  forms。　　〃He　therefore　is　a　holy　man；〃　says　Ormuzd　in　the　Zend…
  avesta；　〃who　has　built　a　dwelling　on　the　earth；　in　which　he
  maintains　fire；　cattle；　his　wife；　his　children；　and　flocks　and
  herds；　he　who　makes　the　earth　produce　barley；　he　who　cultivates　the
  fruits　of　the　soil；　cultivates　purity；　he　advances　the　law　of　Ahura
  Mazda　as　much　as　if　he　had　offered　a　hundred　sacrifices。〃
  To　reclaim　the　waste；　to　till　the　land；　to　make　a　corner　of　the
  earth　better　than　they　found　it；　was　to　these　men　to　rescue　a　bit　of
  Ormuzd's　world　out　of　the　usurped　dominion　of　Ahriman；　to　rescue　it
  from　the　spirit　of　evil　and　disorder　for　its　rightful　owner；　the
  Spirit　of　Order　and　of　Good。
  For　they　believed　in　an　evil　spirit；　these　old　Persians。　　Evil　was
  not　for　them　a　lower　form　of　good。　　With　their　intense　sense　of　the
  difference　between　right　and　wrong　it　could　be　nothing　less　than
  hateful；　to　be　attacked；　exterminated；　as　a　personal　enemy；　till　it
  became　to　them　at　last　impersonate　and　a　person。
  Zarathustra；　the　mystery　of　evil；　weighed　heavily　on　them　and　on
  their　great　prophet；　Zoroastersplendour　of　gold；　as　I　am　told　his
  name　signifieswho　lived；　no　man　knows　clearly　when　or　clearly
  where；　but　who　lived　and　lives　for　ever；　for　his　works　follow　him。
  He；　too；　tried　to　solve　for　his　people　the　mystery　of　evil；　and　if
  he　did　not　succeed；　who　has　succeeded　yet？　　Warring　against　Ormuzd；
  Ahura　Mazda；　was　Ahriman；　Angra　Mainyus；　literally　the　being　of　an
  evil　mind；　the　ill…conditioned　being。　　He　was　labouring　perpetually
  to　spoil　the　good　work　of　Ormuzd　alike　in　nature　and　in　man。　　He　was
  the　cause　of　the　fall　of　man；　the　tempter；　the　author　of　misery　and
  death；　he　was　eternal　and　uncreate　as　Ormuzd　was。　　But　that；
  perhaps；　was　a　corruption　of　the　purer　and　older　Zoroastrian　creed。
  With　it；　if　Ahriman　were　eternal　in　the　past；　he　would　not　be
  eternal　in　the　future。　　Somehow；　somewhen；　somewhere；　in　the　day
  when　three　prophetsthe　increasing　light；　the　increasing　truth；　and
  the　existing　truthshould　arise　and　give　to　mankind　the　last　three
  books　of　the　Zend…avesta；　and　convert　all　mankind　to　the　pure　creed；
  then　evil　should　be　conquered；　the　creation　become　pure　again；　and
  Ahriman　vanish　for　ever；　and；　meanwhile；　every　good　man　was　to　fight
  valiantly　for　Ormuzd；　his　true　lord；　against　Ahriman　and　all　his
  works。
  Men　who　held　such　a　creed；　and　could　speak　truth　and　draw　the　bow；
  what　might　they　not　do　when　the　hour　and　the　man　arrived？　　They　were
  not　a　BIG　nation。　　No；　but　they　were　a　GREAT　nation；　even　while　they
  were　eating　barley…bread　and　paying　tribute　to　their　conquerors　the
  Medes；　in　the　sterile　valleys　of　Farsistan。
  And　at　last　the　hour　and　the　man　came。　　The　story　is　half　legendary…
  …differently　told　by　different　authors。　　Herodotus　has　one　tale；
  Xenophon　another。　　The　first；　at　least；　had　ample　means　of
  information。　　Astyages　is　the　old　shah　of　the　Median　Empire；　then　at
  the　height　of　its　seeming　might　and　splendour　and　effeminacy。　　He
  has　married　his　daughter；　the　Princess　Mandane；　to　Cambyses；
  seemingly　a　vassal…king　or　prince　of　the　pure　Persian　blood。　　One
  night　the　old　man　is　troubled　with　a　dream。　　He　sees　a　vine　spring
  from　his　daughter；　which　overshadows　all　Asia。　　He　sends　for　the
  Magi　to　interpret；　and　they　tell　him　that　Mandane　will　have　a　son
  who　will　reign　in　his　stead。　　Having　sons　of　his　own；　and　fearing
  for　the　succession；　he　sends　for　Mandane；　and；　when　her　child　is
  born；　gives　it　to　Harpagus；　one　of　his　courtiers；　to　be　slain。　　The
  courtier　relents；　and　hands　it　over　to　a　herdsman；　to　be　exposed　on
  the　mountains。　　The　herdsman　relents　in　turn；　and　bring　the　babe　up
  as　his　own　child。
  When　the　boy；　who　goes　by　the　name　of　Agradates；　is　grown；　he　is　at
  play　with　the　other　herdboys；　and　they　choose　him　for　a　mimic　king。
  Some　he　makes　his　guards；　some　he　bids　build　houses；　some　carry　his
  messages。　　The　son　of　a　Mede　of　rank　refuses；　and　Agradates　has　him
  seized　by　his　guards　and　chastised　with　the　whip。　　The　ancestral
  instincts　of　command　and　discipline　are　showing　early　in　the　lad。
  The　young　gentleman　complains　to　his　father；　the　father　to　the　old
  king；　who　of　course　sends　for　the　herdsman　and　his　boy。　　The　boy
  answers　in　a　tone　so　exactly　like　that　in　which　Xenophon's　Cyrus
  would　have　answered；　that　I　must　believe　that　both　Xenophon's　Cyrus
  and　Herodotus's　Cyrus　（like　Xenophon's　Socrates　and　Plato's
  Socrates）　are　real　pictures　of　a　real　character；　and　that
  Herodotus's　story；　though　Xenophon　says　nothing　of　it；　is　true。
  He　has　done　nothing；　the　noble　boy　says；　but　what　was　just。　　He　had
  been　chosen　king　in　play；　because　the　boys　thought　him　most　fit。
  The　boy　whom　he　had　chastised　was　one　of　those　who　chose　him。　　All
  the　rest　obeyed：　　　but　he　would　not；　till　at　last　he　got　his　due
  reward。　　〃If　I　deserve　punishment　for　that；〃　says　the　boy；　〃I　am
  ready　to　submit。〃
  The　old　king　looks　keenly　and　wonderingly　at　the　young　king；　whose
  features　seem　somewhat　like　his　own。　　Likely　enough　in　those　days；
  when　an　Iranian　noble　or　prince　would　have　a　quite　different　cast　of
  complexion　and　of　face　from　a　Turanian　herdsman。　　A　suspicion
  crosses　him；　and　by　threats　of　torture　he　gets　the　truth　from　the
  trembling　herdsman。
  To　the　poor　wretch's　rapture　the　old　king　lets　him　go　unharmed。　　He
  has　a　more　exquisite　revenge　to　take；　and　sends　for　Harpagus；　who
  likewise　confessed　the　truth。　　The　wily　old　tyrant　has　naught　but
  gentle　words。　　It　is　best　as　it　is。　　He　has　been　very　sorry　himself
  for　the　child；　and　Mandane's　reproaches　had　gone　to　his　heart。　　〃Let
  Harpagus　go　home　and　send　his　son　to　be　a　companion　to　the　new…found
  prince。　　To…night　there　will　be　great　sacrifices　in　honour　of　the
  child's　safety；　and　Harpagus　is　to　be　a　guest　at　the　banquet。〃
  Harpagus　comes；　and　after　eating　his　fill；　is　asked　how　he　likes　the
  king's　meat？　　He　gives　the　usual　answer；　and　a　covered　basket　is　put
  before　him；　out　of　which　he　is　to　takein　Median　fashionwhat　he
  likes。　　He　finds　in　it　the　head　and　hands　and　feet　of　his　own　son。
  Like　a　true　Eastern　he　shows　no　signs　of　horror。　　The　king　asks　him
  if　he　knew　what　flesh　he　had　been　eating。　　He　answers　that　he　knew
  perfectly。　　That　whatever　the　king　did　pleased　him。
  Like　an　Eastern　courtier；　he　knew　how　to　dissemble；　but　not　to
  forgive；　and　bided　his　time。　　The　Magi；　to　their　credit；　told
  Astyages　that　his　dream　had　been　fulfilled；　that　Cyrusas　we　must
  now　call　the　foundling　princehad　fulfilled　it　by　becoming　a　king
  in　play；　and　the　boy　is　let　to　go　back　to　his　father　and　his　hardy
  Persian　life。　　But　Harpagus　does　not　leave　him　alone；　nor　perhaps；
  do　his　own　thoughts。　　He　has　wrongs　to　avenge　on　his　grandfather。
  And　it　seems　not　altogether　impossible　to　the　young　mountaineer。
  He　has　seen　enough　of　Median　luxury　to　despise　it　and　those　who
  indulge　in　it。　　He　has　seen　his　own　grandfather　with　his　cheeks
  rouged；　his　eyelids　stained　with　antimony；　living　a　womanlike　life；
  shut　up　from　all　his　subjects　in　the　recesses　of　a　vast　seraglio。
  He　calls　together　the　mountain　rulers；　makes　friends　with　Tigranes；
  an　Armenian　prince；　a　vassal　of　the　Mede；　who　has　his　wrongs
  likew