t? Surely the day will come when its
beauteous light shall shed illumination upon the assemblage of man.

The apparatus of conflict will, as preparations go on at their present
rate, reach the point where war will become something intolerable to
mankind.

It is clear from what has already been said that man's glory and greatness
do not consist in his being avid for blood and sharp of claw, in tearing
down cities and spreading havoc, in butchering armed forces and civilians.
What would mean a bright future for him would be his reputation for
justice, his kindness to the entire population whether high or low, his
building up countries and cities, villages and districts, his making life
easy, peaceful and happy for his fellow beings, his laying down
fundamental principles for progress, his raising the standards and
increasing the wealth of the entire population.

Consider how throughout history many a king has sat on his throne as a
conqueror. Among them were Hulague _Kh_an and Tamerlane, who took over the
vast continent of Asia, and Alexander of Macedon and Napoleon I, who
stretched their arrogant fists over three of the earth's five continents.
And what was gained by all their mighty victories? Was any country made to
flourish, did any happiness result, did any throne stand? Or was it rather
that those reigning houses lost their power? Except that Asia went up in
the flame of many battles and fell away to ashes, _Ch_angiz's Hulague, the
warlord, gathered no fruit from all his conquests. And Tamerlane, out of
all his triumphs, reaped only the peoples blown to the winds, and
universal ruin. And Alexander had nothing to show for his vast victories,
except that his son toppled from the throne and Philip and Ptolemy took
over the dominions he once had ruled. And what did the first Napoleon gain
from subjugating the kings of Europe, except the destruction of
flourishing countries, the downfall of their inhabitants, the spreading of
terror and anguish across Europe and, at the end of his days, his own
captivity? So much for the conquerors and the monuments they leave behind
them.

Contrast with this the praiseworthy qualities and the greatness and
nobility of Anu_sh_irvan the Generous and the Just.(42) That fair-minded
monarch came to power at a time when the once solidly established throne
of Persia was about to crumble away. With his Divine gift of intellect, he
laid the foundations of justice, uprooting oppression and tyr