ry; and when it was delivered into the
hands of Gushtasp, a council was held to consider its contents, to which
Zerdusht was immediately summoned. Jamasp, the minister, said that the
subject required deep thought, and great prudence was necessary in
framing a reply; but Zerdusht observed, that the only reply was
obvious--nothing but war could be thought of. At this moment Isfendiyar
gallantly offered to lead the army, but Zarir, his uncle, objected to
him on account of his extreme youth, and proposed to take the command
himself, which Gushtasp agreed to, and the two demon-envoys were
dismissed. The answer was briefly as follows:--

"Thy boast is that thou wilt in two short months
Ravage my country, scathe with fire and sword
The empire of Iran; but on thyself
Heap not destruction; pause before thy pride
Hurries thee to thy ruin. I will open
The countless treasures of the realm; my warriors,
A thousand thousand, armed with shining steel,
Shall overrun thy kingdom; I myself
Will crush that head of thine beneath my feet."

The result of these menaces was the immediate prosecution of the war,
and no time was lost by Arjasp in hastening into Iran.

Plunder and devastation marked his course,
The villages were all involved in flames,
Palace of pride, low cot, and lofty tower;
The trees dug up, and root and branch destroyed.
Gushtasp then hastened to repel his foes;
But to his legions they seemed wild and strange,
And terrible in aspect, and no light
Could struggle through the gloom they had diffused,
To hide their progress.

Zerdusht said to Gushtasp, "Ask thy vizir, Jamasp, what is written in
thy horoscope, that he may relate to thee the dispensations of heaven."
Jamasp, in reply to the inquiry, took the king aside and whispered
softly to him: "A great number of thy brethren, thy relations, and
warriors will be slain in the conflict, but in the end thou wilt be
victorious." Gushtasp deeply lamented the coming event, which involved
the destruction of his kinsmen, but did not shrink from the battle, for
he exulted in the anticipation of obtaining the victory. The contest was
begun with indescribable eagerness and impetuosity.

Approaching, each a prayer addrest
To Heaven, and thundering forward prest;
Thick showers of arrows gloomed the sky,
The battle-storm raged long and high;
Above, black clouds their darkness spread,
Below, the earth with blood was red.

Ardshir,