thout avail. At last
she had been herself to the hanging-gardens, but the guards had actually
had the hardihood to refuse her admission.

Croesus went at once to meet her, told her what had happened,
suppressing as many painful details as possible, confirmed her in her
belief of the innocence of the accused, and then took her to the bedside
of the king.

The convulsions had not lasted long this time. He lay on his golden bed
under purple silk coverlets, pale and exhausted. His blind mother seated
herself at his side, Croesus and Oropastes took their station at the
foot of the bell, and in another part of the room, four physicians
discussed the patient's condition in low whispers.

[It was natural, that medicine should be carefully studied among a
people who set such a high value upon life as did the Persians.
Pliny indeed, (XXX. I.) maintains, that the whole of Zoroaster's
religion was founded on the science of medicine, and it is true that
there are a great many medical directions to be found in the Avesta.
In the Vendidad, Farg. VII. there is a detailed list of medical
fees. "The physician shall treat a priest for a pious blessing or
spell, the master of a house for a small draught animal, etc., the
lord of a district for a team of four oxen. If the physician cures
the mistress of the house, a female ass shall be his fee, etc.,
etc." We read in the same Fargard, that the physician had to pass a
kind of examination. If he had operated thrice successfully on bad
men, on whose bodies he had been permitted to try his skill, he was
pronounced "capable for ever." If, on the other hand, three evil
Daevayacna (worshippers of the Divs) died under his hands, he was
pronounced "incapable of healing for evermore."]

Kassandane was very gentle with her son; she begged him not to yield to
passionate anger, and to remember what a sad effect every such outburst
had on his health.

"Yes, mother, you are right," answered the king, smiling bitterly; "I
see that I must get rid of everything that rouses my anger. The Egyptian
must die, and my perfidious brother shall follow his mistress."

Kassandane used all her eloquence to convince him of the innocence of
the accused, and to pacify his anger, but neither prayers, tears, nor
her motherly exhortations, could in the least alter his resolution to
rid himself of these murderers of his happiness and peace.

At last he interrupted her la