The treasury I will open, and our troops Shall fight for thee, and I will gird my loins As they were girt for thy bold ancestors; And when thou art the chosen king, and I Thy warrior-chief, the world will be thy own; No other sovereign need attempt to reign."

"So much time has been spent in vain boasting, and extravagant self-praise," rejoined Isfendiyar, "that the day is nearly done, and I am hungry; let us therefore take some refreshment together." Rustem's appet.i.te being equally keen, the board was spread, and every dish that was brought to him he emptied at once, as if at one swallow; then he threw aside the goblets, and called for the large flagon that he might drink his fill without stint. When he had finished several dishes and as many flagons of wine, he paused, and Isfendiyar and the a.s.sembled chiefs were astonished at the quant.i.ty he had devoured. He now prepared to depart, and the prince said to him, "Go and consult with thy father: if thou art contented to be bound, well; if not, thou wilt have cause to repent, for I will a.s.suredly attend to the commands of Gushtasp."--"Do thou also consult with thy brethren and friends," replied Rustem, "whether thou wilt be our guest to-morrow, or not; if not, come to this place before sunrise, that we may decide our differences in battle."

Isfendiyar said, "My most anxious desire, my wish to heaven, is to meet thee, for I shall have no difficulty in binding thee hand and foot. I would indeed willingly convey thee without fetters to my father, but if I did so, he would say that I was unable to put thee in bonds, and that would disgrace my name." Rustem observed that the immense number of men and demons he had contended against was as nothing in the balance of his mind compared with the painful subject of his present thoughts and fears. He was ready to engage, but afraid of meriting a bad name.

"If in the battle thou art slain by me, Will not my cheek turn pale among the princes Of the Kaianian race, having cut off A lovely branch of that ill.u.s.trious tree?

Will not reproaches hang upon my name When I am dead, and shall I not be cursed For perpetrating such a horrid deed?

Thy father, too, is old, and near his end, And thou upon the eve of being crowned; And in thy heart thou knowest that I proffered, And proffer my allegiance and devotion, And would avoid the conflict. Sure, thy father Is practising some trick, some foul deception, To urge thee on to an untimely death, To rid himself of some unnatural fear, He stoops to an unnatural, treacherous act, For I have ever been the firm support Of crown and throne, and perfectly he knows No mortal ever conquered me in battle, None ever from my sword escaped his life."

Then spoke Isfendiyar: "Thou wouldst be generous And bear a spotless name, and tarnish mine; But I am not to be deceived by thee: In fetters thou must go!" Rustem replied: "Banish that idle fancy from thy brain; Dream not of things impossible, for death Is busy with thee; pause, or thou wilt die."

"No more!" exclaimed the prince, "no more of this.

Nor seek to frighten me with threatening words; Go, and to-morrow bring with thee thy friends, Thy father and thy brother, to behold With their own eyes thy downfall, and lament In sorrow over thy impending fate."

"So let it be," said Rustem, and at once Mounted his n.o.ble horse, and hastened home.

The champion immediately requested his father's permission to go and fight Isfendiyar the following day, but the old man recommended reconciliation and peace. "That cannot be," said Rustem, "for he has reviled thee so severely, and heaped upon me so many indignities, that my patience is exhausted, and the contest unavoidable." In the morning Zal, weeping bitterly, tied on Rustem's armor himself, and in an agony of grief, said: "If thou shouldst kill Isfendiyar, thy name will be rendered infamous throughout the world; and if thou shouldst be killed, Sistan will be prostrate in the dust, and extinguished forever! My heart shudders at the thoughts of this battle, but there is no remedy." Rustem said to him:--"Put thy trust in G.o.d, and be not sorrowful, for when I grasp my sword the head of the enemy is lost; but my desire is to take Isfendiyar alive, and not to kill him. I would serve him, and not sever his head from his body." Zal was pleased with this determination, and rejoiced that there was a promise of a happy issue to the engagement.

In the morning Rustem arrayed himself in his war-attire, helmet and breast-plate, and mounted Rakush, also armed in his bargustuwan. His troops, too, were all a.s.sembled, and Zal appointed Zuara to take charge of them, and be careful of his brother on all occasions where a.s.sistance might be necessary. The old man then prostrated himself in prayer, and said, "O G.o.d, turn from us all affliction, and vouchsafe to us a prosperous day." Rustem being prepared for the struggle, directed Zuara to wait with the troops at a distance, whilst he went alone to meet Isfendiyar. When Bashutan first saw him, he thought he was coming to offer terms of peace, and said to Isfendiyar, "He is coming alone, and it is better that he should go to thy father of his own accord, than in bonds."--"But," replied Isfendiyar, "he is coming completely equipped in mail--quick, bring me my arms."--"Alas!" rejoined Bashutan, "thy brain is wild, and thou art resolved upon fighting. This impetuous spirit will break my heart." But Isfendiyar took no notice of the gentle rebuke.

Presently he saw Rustem ascend a high place, and heard his summons to single combat. He then told his brother to keep at a distance with the army, and not to interfere till aid was positively required. Insisting rigidly on these instructions, he mounted his night-black charger, and hastened towards Rustem, who now proposed to him that they should wait awhile, and that in the meantime the two armies might be put in motion against each other. "Though," said he, "my men of Zabul are few, and thou hast a numerous host."

"This is a strange request," replied the prince, "But thou art all deceit and artifice; Mark thy position, lofty and commanding, And mine, beneath thee--in a spreading vale.

Now, Heaven forbid that I, in reckless mood, Should give my valiant legions to destruction, And look unpitying on! No, I advance, Whoever may oppose me; and if thou Requirest aid, select thy friend, and come, For I need none, save G.o.d, in battle--none."

And Rustem said the same, for he required No human refuge, no support but Heaven.

The battle rose, and numerous javelins whizzed Along the air, and helm and mail were bruised; Spear fractured spear, and then with shining swords The strife went on, till, trenched with many a wound, They, too, snapped short. The battle-axe was next Wielded, in furious wrath; each bending forward Struck brain-bewildering blows; each tried in vain To hurl the other from his fiery horse.

Wearied, at length, they stood apart to breathe Their charges panting from excessive toil, Covered with foam and blood, and the strong armor, Of steed and rider rent. The combatants Thus paused, in mutual consternation lost.

In the meantime Zuara, impatient at this delay, advanced towards the Iranians, and reproached them for their cowardice so severely, that Nushawer, the younger son of Isfendiyar, felt ashamed, and immediately challenged the bravest of the enemy to fight. Alwai, one of Rustem's followers, came boldly forward, but his efforts only terminated in his discomfiture and death. After him came Zuara himself:--

Who galloped to the charge incensed, and, high Lifting his iron mace, upon the head Of bold Nushawer struck a furious blow, Which drove him from his steed a lifeless corse.

Seeing their gallant leader thus overthrown, The troops in terror fled, and in their flight Thousands were slain, among them brave Mehrnus, Another kinsman of Isfendiyar.

Bahman, observing the defeat and confusion of the Iranians, went immediately to his father, and told him that two of his own family were killed by the warriors of Zabul, who had also attacked him and put his troops to the rout with great slaughter. Isfendiyar was extremely irritated at this intelligence, and called aloud to Rustem: "Is treachery like this becoming in a warrior?" The champion being deeply concerned, shook like a branch, and swore by the head and life of the king, by the sun, and his own conquering sword, that he was ignorant of the event, and innocent of what had been done. To prove what he said, he offered to bind in fetters his brother Zuara, who must have authorized the movement; and also to secure Feramurz, who slew Mehrnus, and deliver them over to Gushtasp, the fire-worshipper. "Nay," said he, "I will deliver over to thee my whole family, as well as my brother and son, and thou mayest sacrifice them all as a punishment for having commenced the fight without permission." Isfendiyar replied: "Of what use would it be to sacrifice thy brother and thy son? Would that restore my own to me?

No. Instead of them, I will put thee to death, therefore come on!"

Accordingly both simultaneously bent their bows, and shot their arrows with the utmost rapidity; but whilst Rustem's made no impression, those of Isfendiyar's produced great effect on the champion and his horse. So severely was Rakush wounded, that Rustem, when he perceived how much his favorite horse was exhausted, dismounted, and continued to impel his arrows against the enemy from behind his shield. But Rakush brooked not the dreadful storm, and galloped off unconscious that his master himself was in as bad a plight. When Zuara saw the n.o.ble animal, riderless, crossing the plain, he gasped for breath, and in an agony of grief hurried to the fatal spot, where he found Rustem desperately hurt, and the blood flowing copiously from every wound. The champion observed, that though he was himself bleeding so much, not one drop of blood appeared to have issued from the veins of his antagonist. He was very weak, but succeeded in dragging himself up to his former position, when Isfendiyar, smiling to see them thus, exclaimed:--

"Is this the valiant Rustem, the renowned, Quitting the field of battle? Where is now The raging tiger, the victorious chief?

Was it from thee the Demons shrunk in terror, And did thy burning sword sear out their hearts?

What has become of all thy valour now?

Where is thy matchless mace, and why art thou, The roaring lion, turned into a fox, An animal of slyness, not of courage, Losing thy n.o.ble character and name?"

Zuara, when he came to Rustem, alighted and resigned his horse to his brother; and placing an arrow on his bow-string, wished himself to engage Isfendiyar, who was ready to fight him, but Rustem cried, "No, I have not yet done with thee." Isfendiyar replied: "I know thee well, and all thy dissimulation, but nothing yet is accomplished. Come and consent to be fettered, or I must compel thee." Rustem, however, was not to be overcome, and he said: "If I were really subdued by thee, I might agree to be bound like a vanquished slave; but the day is now closing, to-morrow we will resume the fight!" Isfendiyar acquiesced, and they separated, Rustem going to his own tent, and the prince remaining on the field. There he affectionately embraced the severed heads of his kinsmen, placed them himself on a bier, and sent them to his father, the king, with a letter in which he said, "Thy commands must be obeyed, and such is the result of to-day; Heaven only knows what may befall to-morrow." Then he spoke privately to Bashutan: "This Rustem is not human, he is formed of rock and iron, neither sword nor javelin has done him mortal harm; but the arrows went deep into his body, and it will indeed be wonderful if he lives throughout the night. I know not what to think of to-morrow, or how I shall be able to overcome him."

When Rustem arrived at his quarters, Zal soon discovered that he had received many wounds, which occasioned great affliction in his family, and he said: "Alas! that in my old age such a misfortune should have befallen us, and that with my own eyes I should see these gaping wounds!" He then rubbed Rustem's feet, and applied healing balm to the wounds, and bound them up with the skill and care of a physician. Rustem said to his father: "I never met with a foe, warrior or demon, of such amazing strength and bravery as this! He seems to have a brazen body, for my arrows, which I can drive through an anvil, cannot penetrate his chest. If I had applied the power which I have exerted to a mountain, the mountain would have moved from its base, but he sat firmly upon his saddle and scorned my efforts. I thank G.o.d that it is night, and that I have escaped from his grasp. To-morrow I cannot fight, and my secret wish is to retire unseen from the struggle, that no trace of me may be discovered."--"In that case," replied Zal, "the victor will come and take me and all my family into bondage. But let us not despair. Did not the Simurgh promise that whenever I might be overcome by adversity, if I burned one of her feathers, she would instantly appear? Shall we not then solicit a.s.sistance in this awful extremity?" So saying, Zal went up to a high place, and burnt the feather in a censer, and in a short time the Simurgh stood before him. After due praise and acknowledgment, he explained his wants. "But," said he, "may the misfortune we endure be far from him who has brought it upon us. My son Rustem is wounded almost unto death, and I am so helpless that I can do him no good." He then brought forward Rakush, pierced by numerous arrows; upon which the wonderful Bird said to him, "Be under no alarm on that account, for I will soon cure him;" and she immediately plucked out the rankling weapons with her beak, and the wounds, on pa.s.sing a feather over them, were quickly healed.

To Rustem now she turns, and soothes his grief, And drawing forth the arrows, sucks the blood From out the wounds, which at her bidding close, And the ill.u.s.trious champion is restored To life and power.

Being thus reinvigorated by the magic influence of the Simurgh, he solicits further aid in the coming strife with Isfendiyar; but the mysterious animal laments that she cannot a.s.sist him. "There never appeared in the world," said she, "so brave and so perfect a hero as Isfendiyar. The favor of Heaven is with him, for in his Heft-khan he, by some artifice, succeeded in killing a Simurgh, and the further thou art removed from his invincible arm, the greater will be thy safety." Here Zal interposed and said: "If Rustem retires from the contest, his family will all be enslaved, and I shall equally share their bondage and affliction." The Simurgh, hearing these words, fell into deep thought, and remained some time silent. At length she told Rustem to mount Rakush and follow her. Away she went to a far distance; and crossing a great river, arrived at a place covered with reeds, where the Kazu-tree abounded. The Simurgh then rubbed one of her feathers upon the eyes of Rustem, and directed him to take a branch of the Kazu-tree, and make it straight upon the fire, and form that wand into a forked arrow; after which he was to advance against Isfendiyar, and, placing the arrow on his bow-string, shoot it into the eyes of his enemy. "The arrow will only make him blind," said the Simurgh, "but he who spills the blood of Isfendiyar will never be free from calamity during his whole life. The Kazu-tree has also this peculiar quality: an arrow made of it is sure to accomplish its intended errand--it never misses the aim of the archer."

Rustem expressed his boundless grat.i.tude for this information and a.s.sistance; and the Simurgh having transported him back to his tent, and affectionately kissed his face, returned to her own habitation. The champion now prepared the arrow according to the instructions he had received; and when morning dawned, mounted his horse, and hastened to the field. He found Isfendiyar still sleeping, and exclaimed aloud: "Warrior, art thou still slumbering? Rise, and see Rustem before thee!"

When the prince heard his stern voice, he started up, and in great anxiety hurried on his armor. He said to Bashutan, "I had uncharitably thought he would have died of his wounds in the night, but this clear and bold voice seems to indicate perfect health--go and see whether his wounds are bound up or not, and whether he is mounted on Rakush or on some other horse." Rustem perceived Bashutan approach with an inquisitive look, and conjectured that his object was to ascertain the condition of himself and Rakush. He therefore vociferated to him: "I am now wholly free from wounds, and so is my horse, for I possess an elixir which heals the most cruel lacerations of the flesh the moment it is applied; but no such wounds were inflicted upon me, the arrows of Isfendiyar being only like needles sticking in my body." Bashutan now reported to his brother that Rustem appeared to be more fresh and vigorous than the day before, and, thinking from the spirit and gallantry of his demeanor that he would be victorious in another contest, he strongly recommended a reconciliation.

THE DEATH OF ISFENDIYaR

Isfendiyar, blind to the march of fate, treated the suggestion of his brother with scorn, and mounting his horse, was soon in the presence of Rustem, whom he thus hastily addressed: "Yesterday thou wert wounded almost to death by my arrows, and to-day there is no trace of them. How is this?

"But thy father Zal is a sorcerer, And he by charm and spell Has cured all the wounds of the warrior, And now he is safe and well.

For the wounds I gave could never be Closed up, excepting by sorcery.

Yes, the wounds I gave thee in every part, Could never be cured but by magic art."

Rustem replied, "If a thousand arrows were shot at me, they would all drop harmless to the ground, and in the end thou wilt fall by my hands.

Therefore, if thou seekest thy own welfare, come at once and be my guest, and I swear by the Almighty, by Zerdusht, and the Zendavesta, by the sun and moon, that I will go with thee, but unfetterd, to thy father, who may do with me what he lists."--"That is not enough,"

replied Isfendiyar, "thou must be fettered."--"Then do not bind my arms, and take whatever thou wilt from me."--"And what hast thou to give?"

"A thousand jewels of brilliant hue, And of unknown price, shall be thine; A thousand imperial diadems too, And a thousand damsels divine, Who with angel-voices will sing and play, And delight thy senses both night and day; And my family wealth shall be brought thee, all That was gathered by Nariman, Sam, and Zal."

"This is all in vain," said Isfendiyar. "I may have wandered from the way of Heaven, but I will not disobey the commands of the king. And of what use would thy treasure and property be to me? I must please my father, that he may surrender to me his crown and throne, and I have solemnly sworn to him that I will place thee before him in fetters."

Rustem replied, "And in the hopes of a crown and throne thou wouldst sacrifice thyself!"--"Thou shalt see!" said Isfendiyar, and seized his bow to commence the combat. Rustem did the same, and when he had placed the forked arrow in the bow-string, he imploringly turned up his face towards Heaven, and fervently exclaimed, "O G.o.d, thou knowest how anxiously I have wished for a reconciliation, how I have suffered, and that I would now give all my treasures and wealth and go with him to Iran, to avoid this conflict; but my offers are disdained, for he is bent upon consigning me to bondage and disgrace. Thou art the redresser of grievances--direct the flight of this arrow into his eyes, but do not let me be punished for the involuntary deed." At this moment Isfendiyar shot an arrow with great force at Rustem, who dexterously eluded its point, and then, in return, instantly lodged the charmed weapon in the eyes of his antagonist.

And darkness overspread his sight, The world to him was hid in night; The bow dropped from his slackened hand, And down he sunk upon the sand.

"Yesterday," said Rustem, "thou discharged at me a hundred and sixty arrows in vain, and now thou art overthrown by one arrow of mine."

Bahman, the son of Isfendiyar, seeing his father bleeding on the ground, uttered loud lamentations, and Bashutan, followed by the Iranian troops, also drew nigh with the deepest sorrow marked on their countenances. The fatal arrow was immediately drawn from the wounded eyes of the prince, and some medicine being first applied to them, they conveyed him mournfully to his own tent.

The conflict having thus terminated, Rustem at the same time returned with his army to where Zal remained in anxious suspense about the result. The old man rejoiced at the issue, but said, "O, my son, thou hast killed thy enemy, but I have learnt from the wise men and astrologers that the slayer of Isfendiyar must soon come to a fatal end.

May G.o.d protect thee!" Rustem replied, "I am guiltless, his blood is upon his own head." The next day they both proceeded to visit Isfendiyar, and offer to him their sympathy and condolence, when the wounded prince thus spoke to Rustem: "I do not ascribe my misfortune to thee, but to an all-ruling power. Fate would have it so, and thus it is!

I now consign to thy care and guardianship my son Bahman: instruct him in the science of government, the customs of kings, and the rules and stratagems of the warrior, for thou art exceedingly wise and experienced, and perfect in all things," Rustem readily complied, and said:--

"That duty shall be mine alone, To seat him firmly on the throne."

Then Isfendiyar murmured to Bashutan, that the anguish of his wound was wearing him away, and that he had but a short time to live.

"The pace of death is fast and fleet, And nothing my life can save, I shall want no robe, but my winding sheet, No mansion but the grave.

"And tell my father the wish of his heart Has not been breathed in vain, The doom he desired when he made me depart, Has been sealed, and his son is slain!

"And, O! to my mother, in kindliest tone, The mournful tidings bear, And soothe her woes for her warrior gone, For her lost Isfendiyar."

He now groaned heavily, and his last words were:--

"I die, pursued by unrelenting fate, The hapless victim of a father's hate."

Life having departed, his body was placed upon a bier, and conveyed to Iran, amidst the tears and lamentations of the people.

Rustem now took charge of Bahman, according to the dying request of Isfendiyar, and brought him to Sistan. This was, however, repugnant to the wishes of Zuara, who observed to his brother: "Thou hast slain the father of this youth; do not therefore nurture and instruct the son of thy enemy, for, mark me, in the end he will be avenged."--"But did not Isfendiyar, with his last breath, consign him to my guardianship? how can I refuse it now? It must be so written and determined in the dispensations of Heaven."

The arrival of the bier in Persia, at the palace of Gushtasp, produced a melancholy scene of public and domestic affliction. The king took off the covering and wept bitterly, and the mother and sisters exclaimed, "Alas! thy death is not the work of human hands; it is not the work of Rustem, nor of Zal, but of the Simurgh. Thou hast not lived long enough to be ashamed of a gray beard, nor to witness the maturity and attainments of thy children. Alas! thou art s.n.a.t.c.hed away at a moment of the highest promise, even at the commencement of thy glory." In the meanwhile the curses and imprecations of the people were poured upon the devoted head of Gushtasp on account of his cruel and unnatural conduct, so that he was obliged to confine himself to his palace till after the interment of Isfendiyar.

Rustem scrupulously fulfilled his engagement, and instructed Bahman in all manly exercises; in the use of bow and javelin, in the management of sword and buckler, and in all the arts and accomplishments of the warrior. He then wrote to Gushtasp, repeating that he was unblamable in the conflict which terminated in the death of his son Isfendiyar, that he had offered him presents and wealth to a vast extent, and moreover was ready to return with him to Iran, to his father; but every overture was rejected. Relentless fate must have hurried him on to a premature death. "I have now," continued Rustem, "completed the education of Bahman, according to the directions of his father, and await thy further commands." Gushtasp, after reading this letter, referred to Bashutan, who confirmed the declarations of Rustem, and the treacherous king, willing to ascribe the event to an overruling destiny, readily acquitted Rustem of all guilt in killing Isfendiyar. At the same time he sent for Bahman, and on his arrival from Sistan, was so pleased with him that he without hesitation appointed him to succeed to the throne.