rom a very early date they had made themselves conspicuous as
omen-readers and dream-expounders; but, not content with such occasional
exhibitions of prophetic power, they ultimately reduced divination to
a system, and, by the help of the barsom or bundle of divining rods,
undertook to return a true answer on all points connected with the
future, upon which they might be consulted. Credulity is never wanting
among Orientals; and the power of the priesthood was no doubt greatly
increased by a pretension which was easily made, readily believed, and
not generally discredited by failures, however numerous.

The Magian priest was commonly seen with the barsom in his hand; but
occasionally he exchanged that instrument for another, known as the
_khrafgihraghna_. It was among the duties of the pious Zoroastrian, and
more especially of those who were entrusted with the priestly office,
to wage perpetual war with Ahriman, and to destroy his works whenever
opportunity offered. Now among these, constituting a portion of "the bad
creation," were all such animals as frogs, toads, snakes, newts, mice,
lizards, flies, and the like. The Magi took every opportunity of killing
such creatures; and the _Jchrafgthraghna_ was an implement which they
invented for the sake of carrying out this pious purpose.

The court of the Sassanian kings, especially in the later period of
the empire, was arranged upon a scale of almost unexampled grandeur
and magnificence. The robes worn by the Great King were beautifully
embroidered, and covered with gems and pearls, which in some
representations may be counted by hundreds. [PLATE XLV.] The royal
crown, which could not be worn, but was hung from the ceiling by a gold
chain exactly over the head of the king when he took his seat in his
throne-room, is said to have been adorned with a thousand pearls, each
as large as an egg. The throne itself was of gold, and was supported on
four feet, each formed of a single enormous ruby. The great throne-room
was ornamented with enormous columns of silver, between which were
hangings of rich silk or brocade. The vaulted roof presented to the
eye representations of the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, and the
stars;no while globes, probably of crystal, or of burnished metal, hung
suspended from it at various heights, lighting up the dark space as with
a thousand lustres.

[Illustration: PLATE XLV.]

The state observed at the court resembled that of the most for