To this good change in him, and nourishest The speech of Gúdarz had its due effect; and the champion, with altered feelings, returned to the court of the king; who, rising from his throne, received him with the highest honour and respect, and apologized for the displeasure into which he had been betrayed. "Wrathful and wayward in my disposition, But now I see my error, and repentance Rustem, in reply, assured the king of his allegiance, and of his readiness to undertake whatever might be desired of him ; but Káús said : Having feasted all night, in the morning Káús placed all his warriors, and his army, under the command of Rustem; who immediately set off to oppose the progress of Sohráb. The countless thousands seemed to hide the earth; And overspreading was the Persian host. Thus they rolled on, until they reached the fort, When the stripling from the top of the fort first observed the approach of the Persians, he said to Húmán-"Look, on every side at the coming legions; " at which the Tartar chief turned pale. But the youth added--" Fear not, by the favour of Heaven I will soon disperse them;" and then called for a goblet of wine, full of confidence in his own might, and in the result of the expected battle. Descending from the walls, he proceeded to his pavilion, pitched on the plain in front of the fort, and sat in pomp among the chiefs of the Túránian army. Rustem repaired thither in secret, and in disguise,* to watch the motions of his formidable enemy, and beheld him sitting drinking wine, surrounded by great men and heroes. Zindeh, a warrior, retiring from the banquet, saw the shadow of some one, and going nearer to the spot, found it to be a man in ambush. He said, "Who art thou?" when Rustem struck him a blow on the neck, which stretched him lifeless on the ground, and effected his escape. In a few minutes another person came, who seeing the body, brought a light, and discovered it to be Zindeh. When the fatal circumstance was communicated to Sohráb, the youth well knew that it must have been the work of the enemy, who had secretly entered his pavilion, and he solemnly vowed that next day he would be revenged on the Iránians, and especially on Káús, wherever he might be found. In the mean time Rustem described to Káús the appearance and splendour of Sohráb : When morning dawned, Sohráb took Hujír to the top of * It appears that in Rustem's time there was nothing dishonourable in the character of a spy. The adventure of Diomed and Ulysses in the tenth book of the Iliad shows a similar conclusion with respect to the Greeks. Alfred entered the hostile camp of the Danes, under "the disguise of a harper, and so entertained them with his music and facetious humours, that he met with a welcome reception." J the fortress, and speaking kindly to him, promised to release him if he would answer truly what he had to ask. Commencing his anxious inquiries, he then said:"To whom belongs that pavilion surrounded by elephants?" Hujír, replied "It belongs to king Káús.” Sohráb resumed—“ To whom belongs the tent on the right?"-" To the warrior Tús." "To whom, then, belongs that crimson pavilion ? ”"To Gúdarz." "Whose is that green pavilion, with the Gávání banner flying over it, and in which a throne is seen ?" Hujír knew that this was Rustem's tent; but he reflected that if he told the truth, Sohráb might in his wrath attack the champion unprepared, and slay him; better it would be, he thought, to deny his being present, and accordingly he said :- "That tent belongs to the chief of the troops sent by the Emperor of Chin in aid of king Káús." thou know his name?"-" No, I do not." and said in his heart :-" "I see here the plain indications of Rustem's presence, which my mother gave me—why am I deceived?" He again questioned Hujír, and received the same answer. "Then where is Rustem's tent?" he asked, impatiently. "It appears that he has not yet arrived from Zábulistán." "Dost Sohrab meditated, At this the stripling's heart was sunk in grief; Again he said, with persuasive gentleness, "Look well around; try if thou can'st find the tent of Rustem, and thou shalt be richly rewarded for thy trouble." "Rustem's tent may be in some degree similar to that; but it is not Rustem's." Hujír then went on in praise of the champion, and said : "When roused to fury in the battle-field, What is a man, an elephant, or pard; The strength of five-score valiant men exceeds not Then Sohrab said to him :-"Why dost thou praise Rustem in this manner to me? Where hast thou seen the strife of heroes?" Hujír became alarmed, and thought within himself, if I point out Rustem's tent, no doubt he will be killed by this ambitious youth, and then there will be no one to defend the Persian throne. Sohráb continued with emotion : "Point out to me the tent of Rustem, this moment, or thou shalt die!" Hujír again paused, and said within himself:-"More honourable will it be to save the lives of Rustem and Káús than my own.-What is my life compared to theirs?-Nothing!" He then said aloud:-"Why thus seek for a pretext to shed my blood-why these pretences, since my life is in thy power!" Sohrab turned from him in despair, and descending from the rampart on which he stood, arrayed himself in armour, and prepared for battle. His first object was to attack the centre where Káús was posted; thither he proceeded, and called out aloud :—“I have sworn to be revenged on Káús for the murder of Zindeh; if he has any honour let him meet me in single combat." Sohrab stood alone on the plain, firm as the mountain Alberz, and such terror had seized upon the hearts of the warriors, that not a man had courage enough to advance a step against him. After a short space, Sohrab called out again :-"The king cannot be excused. It is not the custom of kings to be without honour, or to skulk away like foxes from the power of lions in battle. O, Káús, wherefore dost thou hesitate to enter the field? Why have they named thee, Kai-Káús, the king, : Káús was appalled by the insulting boldness of the youth, and called to his friends to inform Rustem of the dilemma into which he was thrown, and the panic of his warriors, who seemed deprived of their senses. But Rustem had resolved not to fight on that day. Let another chief," said he, 66 66 oppose the Tartar, and when he is overthrown it will be my turn." Káús then sent Tús to urge him to comply, and the champion being made acquainted with the distress and terror of the king, hurried on his armour, and left his tent. On the way, he said to himself: "This enemy must be of the demon-breed, otherwise why should such an impression have been made on the warriors, that they are afraid to oppose him." Then throwing aside all apprehension on his own account, and placing his trust in God, he appeared before Sohráb, who invited him to go to a little distance, and fight apart from the beholders. The invitation being accepted, Sohrab said: "No mortal has power to resist this arm-thou must perish !""Why this boasting? Thou art but a child, and where hast thou seen the conflicts of the valiant? I am myself an old experienced warrior; I slew the White Demon and all his Demon-host, and neither lion, nor dragon, nor tiger, can escape from me. "Perhaps," replied Sohrab, "thou art Rustem!"-“ No, I am only the servant of Rustem." At this declaration, Aspiring hope was turned to sad dismay, And darkness quenched the joyous beam of day. At first the two combatants fought with spears, which were soon shivered to pieces; then with swords, which became hacked like saws, and then with clubs. So fiercely they contended that their mail was torn in pieces, their weapons bent, and their horses almost exhausted. Blood and sweat poured down on the ground as they strugged, and their throats were parched with thirst. Both stood still for a while to breathe. Rustem said to himself: "I never saw man or Demon with such activity and strength;" and Sohrab thus addressed the |