{ - - - p.98}

(6) How Sikandar marched against Kaid of Hind and wrote a Letter to him

~ Now when Sikandar had surveyed Írán, ~ And knew that crown and throne were his, he led ~ His host toward Kaid of Hind and, road or none, ~ Pursued his march, while as he went along ~ The people of the cities on his way ~ Unbarred their gates to him. In all that coast ~ He found none worthy to be called a man, ~ And raised his helm o'er Venus. On approaching ~ The mighty city, named by valiant Kaid ~ Mílád, they called a scribe and seated him ~ Before Sikandar who, like lion lusting ~ For quarry, wrote to Kaid : " This from Sikandar ~ The mighty and victorious, the lord ~ Of scimitar, of crown, and belt."

~The letter ~ Began with praises of the man that laveth ~ His heart with knowledge, " for in his desire ~ To eat the fruitage of his toils he chooseth ~ The easiest course, adoreth holy God, ~ And trusteth, feareth, reverenceth Him, ~ While knowing that we top the throne and are ~ The Shadow of the all-conquering Lord. Now I ~ Have written thee a letter to enlighten ~ Thy darkling mind ; so when thy scribe shall read it ~ Lay it not out before thee and consider, ~ But, if it come by night, wait not for day, ~ And do my will forthwith. If thou shalt slight ~ My words so will not I, but trample down ~ Beneath my feet thy throne and head and crown."

{ - - - p.99}

(7) How Kaid of Hind answered Sikandar's Letter and announced the Sending of the Four Wonders

~ Now when this letter came to Kaid of Hind ~ {c. 1296} ~He interviewed the great king's envoy, praised ~ And favoured him exceedingly, assigned him ~ In courtesy a seat upon the throne, ~ And said : " I joy to do the Shah's behest, ~ And alway will be true to him ; but still ~ That one so great as I am should set forward ~ So quickly and unreadily would please not ~ The Maker and the monarch of the earth."

~ Then calling for a scribe, for pen of Chin, ~ And silk of Hind, he wrote at once an answer, ~ And decked it like the garth of Paradise. ~ He gave, first, praises to the Omnipotent, ~ The Lord of victory and time, the Lord ~ Both generous and just, the Lord of manhood, ~ Of sense and prowess ; then : " The good man's head ~ Will turn not from the great, illustrious king, ~ Nor are we well advised in keeping aught ~ From him who hath the army, crown, and sword. ~ Four things have I that none else in the world ~ E'er hath possessed in public or in private, ~ And after me none will possess the like. ~ These, if the Shah shall bid me, I will send ~ To give new vigour to his heart and rule, ~ And afterward, if he commandeth me, ~ Will come and slave-like do him fealty."

{ - - - p.100}

(8) How Sikandar sent back the Messenger to ~ receive the Four Wonders

~ The envoy came as swiftly as the wind, ~ Told all that he had heard, and gave the letter. ~ Sikandar said to him : " Go to, return ~ To that famed man, and say : ' What things are these ~ That none e'er had in public or in private, ~ For we ourselves have seen whatever is, ~ And heaven will not create afresh ?'"

~ The envoy ~ Went from the presence, journeyed swift as fire, ~ {C. 1297} ~ And said to Kaid : " The Shah is fain to know ~ What things they are that no one else possesseth, ~ For seeing is believing."

~ When he heard, ~ Kaid cleared the court and sat with his advisers ~ In council, set the envoy in his presence, ~ And courteously entreated him. then said :- ~ " I have within my bower a daughter such ~ That if the sun on high should gaze on her ~ 'Twould gloom contrasted with my darling's face. ~ Her locks are lassos of one hue with pitch, ~ Milk savoureth on her lips, a cypress-stem ~ Is crooked to her, she scattereth pearls in speech, ~ Her looks and countenance make wisdom fly, ~ Yet 'tis the food of her discourse. When silent ~ She is the soul of modesty, and none ~ Hath seen her peer in this age. Sprung from chiefs, ~ And pious, she is chaste of heart and modest. ~ I have a cup which thou mayst fill with wine, ~ Or pour therein cold water, and although ~ Thou sat'st with boon-companions for ten years

{ - - - p.101}

~ The wine would fail not ; whether wine or water ~ The cup affordeth thee, the marvel is : ~ No drinking draineth it. My third possession ~ Is this : a youthful leech who diagnoseth ~ Disease by making a uroscopy. ~ So long as he is at the court the Shah ~ Will never ail ; and, fourthly, I possess, ~ Though privily, a sage who will foretell ~ The Shah all that will chance from circling sun ~ And shining moon. "

~ The noble messenger ~ Withdrew, made wind his mate, came and informed ~ Sikandar, and the heart of the world-king ~ Bloomed like a rose. He said : " If what is spoken ~ Be true could this world purchase all the four ? ~ Kaid will illume my dark soul if he send them. ~ His country 'neath my feet I will not tread, ~ But with this good will hie me home instead."

...cont...

(9) How Sikandar sent Ten ^[1] Sages with a Letter to inspect the Four Wonders of Kaid of Hind

~ The Shah made choice of Rumans learned, wise, ~ And well disposed, then wrote a letter all ~ Excuse and perfume, colour and device : ~ " Ten trusty chiefs of mine, world- veteran, ~ {C. 1298} ~ And in my confidence, wise men and modest, ~ Endowed with Grace and counsel, shrewd observers, ~ Learned and directing, lo I have dispatched thee : ~ They will not deviate from thy shrewd counsels. ~ Exhibit those four wonders unto them, ~ And suffer them to stay with thee awhile. ~ When I receive the letter of mine ancients, ~ Those men expert and erudite, to say :-

*[1] Nine in P.

{ - - - p.102}

~ ' The four things those whose like none e'er beheld ~ Have passed before our eyes,' I will indite ~ A patent drawn on silk to this effect :- ~ ' Kaid, while he liveth, is the king of Hind.' "

~ So those ten Human sages left Sikandar, ~ And sped to Kaid who, when he saw those chiefs, ~ Had much to ask of them and heard their answers, ~ Received them graciously and lodged them featly.

~ Next day, when heaven grew pallid and the sun ~ Drew forth its sword of battle, they adorned, ~ Although the moon requireth no adornment, ~ The monarch's daughter, and within the palace ~ Set up, and decked with ornaments of Chin, ~ A golden throne whereon she sat sun-faced, ~ Outshining Venus in the sky. The sages, ~ Those ancient men, fair-spoken and observant, ~ Drew near. The monarch sent them to the bride, ~ As bade Sikandar, son of Failakus. ~ The ancients, seeing the king's daughter's face ~ Illumining the palace, crown, and throne, ~ Were lost in wonder and astonishment ; ~ Feet failed them at the sight. They stood stock-still, ~ Their tongues all busied with the praise of God, ~ Unable to withdraw or look elsewhere, ~ Till one arrived to call them, since they lingered, ~ Before the king, who said : " Why such delay ? ~ The owner of that face is but a human, ~ Endowed with goodliness by every star." ~

~ A Rúman answered : " None, O king ! beholdeth ~ A picture like her in his halls ; so now ~ We each of us will send the Shah a letter ~ Describing somewhat of the lady's charms." ~

They all sat down with paper, ink, and pens. ~ Each wrote what he had noted, covering all ~ The paper with his words ; then from ^[1] Milád

*[1] Reading with P.

{ - - - p.103}

~ They sent in haste a horseman to Sikandar, ~ Who marvelled as he read, for every sage ~ {c. 1299} ~ Had written some description of the lady. ~ He wrote to them and said : " Ye have done well, ~ Ye ancients ! ye have looked on Paradise. ~ Return with those four things and ask naught else. ~ When ye have given the patent unto Kaid ~ Make ready for the way and load the beasts. ~ No man henceforth shall do him injury, ~ For I have found him just, and that sufficeth." ~ The envoy quitted that green country-side, ~ And to those Rúman ancients' presence hied.

[10] How the Ten Sages brought the Daughter, the Cup, ~ the Leech, and the Sage, from Kaid of Hind to Sikandar

~ Now when those sages heard their Shah's reply, ~ Brought by the toilful cavalier, they went ~ Forth from their palace and approached king Kaid, ~ And his famed court. The king of Hindustan, ~ When he had read the answer to his letter ~ The message of the imperious world-aspirant ~ Joyed to be free from trouble with Sikandar, ~ And chose withal a hundred men of Hind ~ Of honied tongue and eloquent, unlocked ~ Hoards not by him amassed, and chose therefrom ~ Crown, throne, and armlet, and of gems withal, ~ And raiment in the piece, all that was best. ~ They brought three hundred camel-loads of raiment, ~ And royal jewelry ; ten of dinars, ~ And five score all of drachms ; there was withal ~ A splendid litter of green aloe- wood, ~ Inlaid with gold and gems. Kaid placed gold thrones ~ Upon ten elephants and on another,

{ - - - p.104}

~ More splendidly caparisoned, the Beauty, ~ Who was escorted by the sage and leech, ~ And showered tears of blood. A magnate bare ~ The cup, whose wine made all the chiefs bemused. ~ When that Moon reached the royal women's house ~ There was a crown of black musk on her head ; ~ She had let fall her tresses o'er her cheeks, ~ Like mail o'er cercis-blossom, and appeared ~ A slender cypress 'neath the full orbed moon, ~ {c. 1300} ~ To gaze was perilous. Her eyes were like ~ To twin narcissi grown in Paradise. ~ Thou wouldst have said : " She is compact of charms." ~ Sikandar gazed upon her stately form. ~ Her hair, her face, and all from head to foot, ~ And said : " Behold the Lustre of the world ! " ~ While privily invoking benisons ~ Upon the All-just, the Maker of the sky, ~ Who had created such a form and face. ~ He gave command, and all the men of lore, ~ And understanding, in the host of Rum ~ Sat by while he demanded her in marriage, ~ The which he solemnised with Christian rites, ~ And showered dínárs upon her from above ~ Out of his hoards till scarcely she could move.

[11] How Sikandar tested the Sage, the Leech, and the Cup sent by Kaid of Hind

The matter of the Cypress-tree ^[1] achieved, ~ And an abode fit for her rank prepared, ~ The Shah was free to find out how the sage

*[1] The daughter of Kaid.

{ - - - p.105}

~ Would come off in a strife of wits, and so ~ He sent a large bowl all abrim with ghee ~ To that redoubtable philosopher, ~ And said : " Anoint thy limbs herewith, loins, waist, ~ Breast, back, and neck withal, repose thyself ~ Till thou hast shaken off thy weariness, ~ Then fill for me my mind and brain with knowledge."

~ The sage, when he beheld the ghee, observed : ~ " This should not prove a mystery to me !"

~ He placed a thousand needles in the bowl, ~ And then returned it to the sovereign, ~ Who, when he saw them, summoned privily ~ A smith and bade him melt them to an ingot, ~ And fashion out of it a disk. Sikandar ~ Dispatched this to the sage who furbished it, ~ And sent back in the place of that dull iron ~ A mirror free from rust and luminous. ~ They took this to Sikandar in the night, ~ Who, saying naught, exposed it to the wet ~ Till it grew dark and dull ; then he returned it, ~ And thus prolonged the riddle of the iron. ~ The sage refurbished it to brilliancy, ~ And sent it back forthwith, but first applied ~ That which would prove preservative from damp. ~ Sikandar, seeing, called to him the sage ~ And, greetings done, assigned to him a seat ~ Below the throne, then spake about the bowl ~ Of ghee to further test that famed man's wit, ~ Who said : " Ghee will not penetrate the frame. ~ {c.1301} ~ Thou said'st : ' I pass the sages of the state ~ In knowledge.' I replied : ' mighty Shah ! ~ A man that is both wise of heart and pure ~ Will like a needle pierce both feet and bones, ~ Or e'en a stone if one is in the way.' ~ I said in fact to thee : ' My goodly speech, ~ My heart and soul and prudent purposes

{ - - - p.106}

~ Make use of words still finer than a hair, ~ And thou hast not a heart more dense than iron.' ~ Thy answer to me was : ' In bygone years ~ My heart grew rusty hi the midst of bloodshed. ~ How shall the gloom depart, for why should I ~ Continue thus distraught ? ' I answered thee : ~ ' I will refurbish by celestial wisdom ~ Thy heart if it becometh malcontent, ~ And when it shineth with a brilliant lustre ~ How shall it rust again ?'"

~ His goodly words ~ Found favour with the Shah whose heart grew keener ~ By dint of the procedure of the sage. ~ He ordered that the treasurer should bring ~ A robe, gold, silver, and a vase of gems. ~ These they presented to the sage who said :- ~ " I have a privy jewel of mine own, ~ Which is both brighter and immune from foes, ~ And not, like wealth, the mate of Ahriman. ~ I need not hire a watchman for the night, ~ And when I go abroad I fear no thieves, ~ Since in the night-time knowledge is rny warden, ~ And wisdom my soul's crown when it is waking, ^[1] ~ For wisdom, knowledge, right, are necessaries ~ Since error knocketh at the door of loss. ~ The Shah will see that I have food and raiment ~ Enough for public and for private uses ; ~ Why should I joy in superfluities, ~ And have to safeguard all this wealth ? Command ~ To carry back these havings, and may wisdom ~ Direct thy soul."

~ Sikandar mused at him, ~ And turned the matter o'er, then said : " The Lord ~ Of sun and moon will find me not in fault ~ In future since I have thy counsel, rede,

*[1] Order of couplets as in P.

{ - - - p.107}

~ And useful talk." ~

~ He bade the leech approach ~ That judged diseases by uroscopy, ~ And asked : " Who is the greatest sufferer ~ Whose pangs compel our tears ?"

~ The leech replied :- ~ " The glutton, one without restraint at table. ~ Excessive food conduceth not to health, ~ And great is he who maketh health his aim. ~ Now will I gather herbs from every side, ~ And will exhibit unto thee a medicine, ~ One that will keep thee sound ; no need to purge ; ~ {c.1302} ~ Thine appetites will greaten too, and when ~ Thou eatest much it will not injure thee. ~ Heed thou my skilled advice, then blood and brain ~ Will wax in thee, thou wilt grow strong of frame, ~ Thy heart will.be as blithe as jocund spring. ~ 'Twill bring back colour to thy face and make ~ Thy judgment sound in all, thy flowing locks ~ Shall turn not grey, not soon shalt thou despond." ~ Sikandar said : " I have not seen or heard ~ Of any king thus favoured, but if thou ~ Produce this noble potion thou wilt be ~ My guide to good, and I with mine own soul ~ Will purchase thee. The malice of thy foes ~ Shall harm thee not."

~ Sikandar got prepared ~ A robe of honour and fair gifts for him, ~ And made him chief among the learned physicians. ~ That suasive leech departed to the mountains ~ Without attendants. With his ample knowledge ~ He could distinguish bane and antidote, ~ And, having gathered many mountain-herbs, ~ And put the worthless by, chose such as were ~ Medicinal, and out of these compounded ~ The needed potion. With these mountain-simples

{ - - - p.108}

~ He purged the Shah and kept him sound and whole, ~ So that for nights he slept not but enjoyed ~ Society, affected much the Fair, ~ And sought their soft embraces till he ailed, ~ Because he tendered not himself, and so ~ One day the leech came, by uroscopy ~ Detected signs of decadence, and told him :- ~ " Youths surely age. by intercourse with women : ~ Methinketh that for three nights thou hast slept not ; ~ Speak unto me and give me a reply."

~ Howbeit Sikandar answered : " I am well : ~ None of the ills of life is troubling me. "

~ Yet still the approven leech of Hindústán ~ Would not admit the matter to be so, ~ But sought that night among his books, and mixed ~ A medicine against that decadence. ~ That night Sikandar had no lovely mate. ~ The leech, when morning came, found him alone, ~ And, having ended the uroscopy, ~ Flung down the potion, sat in high delight, ~ And, taking in his hand a goblet, bade ~ The board be spread and wine and minstrels ordered, ~ {c. 1303} ~ The Shah inquired: "Why hast thou poured away ~ The draught that thou hadst mixed so carefully ? "

~ He said : " Last night the world -lord sought no mate ~ But slept alone, and when thou sleepest thus ~ Thou needest, sire ! no draught."

~ Sikandar smiled, ~ Delighted with the leech, to whom he said :- ~ " Ne'er may this world lack Hind, for thou wouldst say ~ That all the leeches and astrologers ~ Flock thither."

~ Calling for a purse of gold, ~ And for a sable steed whose reins were hung ~ With golden balls, he gave that skilled leech both, ~ And said : " Be honest rede thy tongue's companion."

{ - - - p.109}

~ Then bade he, and they brought the golden goblet ~ Brimmed with cold water. All folk drank thereof ~ From morn till bed-time as in revelry, ~ But all the drinking did not ininish it. ~ Then to the sage the Shah said : " Kaid hath not ~ His equal in the world, and from this time ~ No longer shall we speak of Hindustan, ~ But Jádústán, ^[1] as being Kaid's abode. ~ The people are no more than other folk ~ In looks but wonderful in tricks and magic !"

~ Then said the Shah to that philosopher : ~ " This knowledge must not be concealed from us : ~ How is the water in the cup renewed ? ~ Is it the stars or Indian jugglery ? "

~ " Despise not, sire ! the cup," the sage replied, ~ " For they were many years in making it, ~ And labours underwent in that behoof. ~ From all the provinces the astrologers, ~ Where'er there was a master known to fame, ~ Assisted Kaid, when fashioning the cup, ~ Both day and night, and passed full many a day ~ In noting all the aspects of the stars. ~ Take thou the loadstone, that wherewith a man ~ Attracteth iron, as an illustration. ~ This cup by innate force attracteth water, ~ Receiving fresh additions from the sky. ~ It catcheth water to replace the waste ~ Too quickly for man's eyes to follow it."

~ The Sháh, on hearing that wise man's discourse, ~ Approved thereof; he thought the words of profit. ~ Thus said he to the elders of Milád : ~ " I will observe the compact made with Kaid ~ In honour while I live, for he is one ~ Before whose presence other folk should stand. ~ Since I have gotten from him four such things

*[1] Sorcerer-land.

{ - - - p.110}

~ We will not ask for more."

~ Now afterward ~ Sikandar set the goods that he possessed, ~ With all the treasures that he had amassed, ~ {c. 1304} ~ And therewithal a hundred jewelled crowns, ~ Upon two hundred carriers and stored ~ All, with dinars and jewels in the rough, ~ Upon a mountain. When they vanished there ~ None saw again what was reposited ; ~ From that time forward no one e'er beheld ~ That treasure and the men that hoarded it. ~ Sikandar only knew where, hid from sight, ~ Were laid those treasures on the mountain-height. ^[1]

*[1] Sikandar's method of hiding his treasures bears a suspicious resemblance to that of Captains Kidd and Flint.