st by a great and signal victory
over his conquerors. He therefore after some years determined to renew
the war. It was in vain that the chief Mobed opposed himself to this
intention; it was in vain that his other counsellors sought to dissuade
him, that his general, Bahram, declared against the infraction of the
treaty, and that the soldiers showed themselves reluctant to fight.
Perozes had resolved, and was not to be turned from his resolution. He
collected from all parts of the empire a veteran force, amounting, it
is said, 50 to 100,000 men, and 500 elephants, placed the direction of
affairs at the court in the hands of Balas (Palash), his son or brother,
and then marched upon the north-eastern frontier, with the determination
to attack and defeat the Ephthalites or perish in the attempt. According
to some Oriental writers he endeavored to escape the charge of having
falsified his engagements by a curious subterfuge. The exact terms of
his oath to Khush-newaz, the Ephthalite king, had been that he would
never march his forces past a certain pillar which that monarch had
erected to mark the boundary line between the Persian and Ephthalite
dominions. Perozes persuaded himself that he would sufficiently observe
his engagement if he kept its letter; and accordingly he lowered
the pillar, and placed it upon a number of cars, which were attached
together and drawn by a train of fifty elephants, in front of his army.
Thus, however deeply he invaded the Ephthalite country, he never "passed
beyond" the pillar which he had sworn not to pass. In his own judgment
he kept his vow, but not in that of his natural advisers. It is
satisfactory to find that the Zoroastrian priesthood, speaking by the
mouth of the chief Mobed, disclaimed and exposed the fallacy of this
wretched casuistry.

The Ephthalite monarch, on learning the intention of Perozes, prepared
to meet his attack by stratagem. He had taken up his position in the
plain near Balkh, and had there established his camp, resolved to await
the coming of the enemy. During the interval he proceeded to dig a deep
and broad trench in front of his whole position, leaving only a space
of some twenty or thirty yards, midway in the work, untouched. Having
excavated the trench, he caused it to be filled with water, and
covered carefully with boughs of trees, reeds, and earth, so as to be
undistinguishable from the general surface of the plain on which he was
encamped. On the arrival of