sing his life for curing a gluttonous lord.
He was invited to an excellent dinner and was to have been poisoned in the
second course, but, during the first, he happily received a courier from
the fair Astarte. "When one is beloved by a beautiful woman," says the
great Zoroaster, "he hath always the good fortune to extricate himself out
of every kind of difficulty and danger."

THE COMBATS

The queen was received at Babylon with all those transports of joy which
are ever felt on the return of a beautiful princess who hath been involved
in calamities. Babylon was now in greater tranquillity. The Prince of
Hircania had been killed in battle. The victorious Babylonians declared
that the queen should marry the man whom they should choose for their
sovereign. They were resolved that the first place in the world, that of
being husband to Astarte and King of Babylon, should not depend on cabals
and intrigues. They swore to acknowledge for king the man who, upon trial,
should be found to be possessed of the greatest valor and the greatest
wisdom. Accordingly, at the distance of a few leagues from the city, a
spacious place was marked out for the list, surrounded with magnificent
amphitheaters. Thither the combatants were to repair in complete armor.
Each of them had a separate apartment behind the amphitheaters, where they
were neither to be seen nor known by anyone. Each was to encounter four
knights, and those that were so happy as to conquer four were then to
engage with one another; so that he who remained the last master of the
field would be proclaimed conqueror at the games.

Four days after he was to return with the same arms and to explain the
enigmas proposed by the magi. If he did not explain the enigmas he was not
king; and the running at the lances was to be begun afresh till a man
would be found who was conqueror in both these combats; for they were
absolutely determined to have a king possessed of the greatest wisdom and
the most invincible courage. The queen was all the while to be strictly
guarded: she was only allowed to be present at the games, and even there
she was to be covered with a veil; but was not permitted to speak to any
of the competitors, that so they might neither receive favor, nor suffer
injustice.

These particulars Astarte communicated to her lover, hoping that in order
to obtain her he would show himself possessed of greater courage and
wisdom than any other person. Zadig set out on his