252 THE ZENDAVESTA. [CH. VIII. the divine mission and miracles of the prophet. To suppress the idolators, reunite the schismatics, and confute the unbelievers, by the infallible decision of a general council, the pious Artaxerxes summoned the magi from all parts of with those held by the dynasty of the Medes. The Abbé Foucher and others suppose that there were two Zoroasters; the first, otherwise called Zerdusht, the original author of the Magian faith, and living in the time of Cyaxares the First; and the second, only a reformer in the reign of Darius Hystaspes. This opinion is founded only on a passage in Pliny the elder, whose authority on such a question is of no value, since neither Greeks nor Latins possessed any but the most uncertain and contradictory information respecting Zoroaster. See Hyde, de Rel. vet. Pers. pp. 303, 312, 335. Prof. Tychsen's dissertation, De Religionum Zoroastricarum apud veteres gentes vestigiis, in Comment. Soc. Gotting., tom. ii. p. 112, and Foucher's Sur la personne de Zoroaster, Mém. de l'Acad. des Inscrip. et Belles Lettres, tom. xxvii. p. 253-394. The Pehlvi was the language of the countries bordering on Assyria, and probably of Assyria itself. The word sig nifies strength, heroism; it therefore denoted the language of the strong, of the ancient heroes and kings of Persia. It abounds in terms that are radically Armenian. Anquetil thought that it was derived from the Zend. Kleuker is not of the same opinion. "The Pehlvi," he says, "is much smoother and less overdone with vowels than the Zend." The books of Zoroaster, originally written in the latter language, were afterwards translated into the Pehlvi and Parsee. Of these, the former was already obsolete during the dynasty of the Sassanides, although sometimes written by the leaned. The Parsee, originally brought from Pars or Farsistan, was then the prevailing dialect. See Kleuker's Anhang zum Zendavesta, tom. ii, part 1, p. 158; part 2, p. 158.GUIZOT.] [With his German version of Anquetil's work, M. Kleuker has given us an Appendix to the Zendavesta; and, in his first volume, sundry dissertations by the French publisher, and by M. Foucher, on subjects in the religion, philosophy, and history of the Persians. In this the translator has indulged his love of the oracular, and the propensity shown in his other writings to involve in obscurity all that it was desirable to place in a clearer light. On the other hand, Prof. Meiners has scrutinized more coolly the history of Zoroaster and of the Zend writings ascribed to him. The result of his investigations may be found, partly, in the third volume of the Bibliotheca Philologica Nova, and partly in the eighth volume of the Commentaria Societatis Gottingensis. That eminent and talented Oriental scholar, Sir William Jones, had taken the lead on this track; a translation of his letter to M. Anquetil du Perron, on this subject, is in Hissman's Philosophical Magazine. But it has lately been most fully discussed by M. Augustus Hennig, in his Essay on the History of East Indian Literature, with an inquiry into the genuineness of the Zendavesta, Hamburg, 1786. These researches have by no means elicited facts favourable to the authenticity of the Zend writings, and give weight to Gibbon's hypothetically expressed doubts. The same applies to his dominions. These priests, who had so long sighed in contempt and obscurity, obeyed the welcome summons; and on the appointed day appeared, to the number of about eighty thousand. But as the debates of so tumultuous an assembly could not have been directed by the authority of reason, or influenced by the art of policy, the Persian synod was reduced, by successive operations, to forty thousand, to four thousand, to four hundred, to forty, and at last to seven magi, the most respected for their learning and piety. One of these, Erdaviraph, a young but holy prelate, received from the hands of his brethren, three cups of soporiferous wine. He drank them off, and instantly fell into a long and profound sleep. As soon as he waked, he related to the king, and to the believing multitude, his journey to heaven, and his intimate conferences with the Deity. Every doubt was silenced by this supernatural evidence; and the articles of the faith of Zoroaster were fixed with equal authority and precision.* A short delineation of that celebrated system will be found useful, not only to display the character of the Persian nation, but to illustrate many of their most important transactions, both in peace and war, with the Roman empire.t The great and fundamental article of the system, was the celebrated doctrine of the two principles; a bold and injudicious attempt of eastern philosophy to reconcile the existence of moral and physical evil, with the attributes of a beneficent Creator and Governor of the world. The first and original Being, in whom, or by whom, the universe exists, is denominated in the writings of Zoroaster, Time without bounds; but it must be confessed, that this infinite substance seems rather a metaphysical abstraction of the mind, than a real object endowed with self-consciousness, possessed of moral perfections. From either the blind or the intelligent operation of this infinite Time, which bears but too near an affinity with the chaos of the Greeks, the the passages extracted from these books, as far as they have been used, to show what were the doctrines of the most ancient Persian religion. -SCHREITER.] * Hyde, de Religione veterum Pers. c. 21. + I have principally drawn this account from the Zendavesta of M. d'Anquetil, and the Sadder, subjoined to Dr. Hyde's treatise. It must, however, be confessed, that the studied obscurity of a prophet, the figurative style of the east, and the deceitful medium of a French or Latin version, may have betrayed us into error and heresy, in 254 * ZOROASTER'S DOCTRINE [CH. VIII. two secondary but active principles of the universe were from all eternity produced, Ormusd and Ahriman, each of them possessed of the powers of creation, but each disposed, by bis invariable nature, to exercise them with different designs. The principle of good is eternally absorbed in light; the principle of evil eternally buried in darkness. The wise benevolence of Ormusd formed man capable of virtue, and abundantly provided his fair habitation with the materials of happiness. By his vigilant providence, the motion of the planets, the order of the seasons, and the temperate mixture of the elements, are preserved. But the malice of Ahriman has long since pierced Ormusd's egg, or, in other words, has violated the harmony of his works. Since that fatal irruption, the most minute articles of good and evil are alternately intermingled and agitated together; the rankest poisons spring up amidst the most salutary plants; deluges, earthquakes, and conflagrations, attest the conflict of nature, and the little world of man is perpetually shaken by vice and misfortune. While the rest of human kind are led away captives in the chains of their infernal enemy, the faithful Persian alone reserves his religious adoration for his friend and protector Ormusd, and fights under his banner of light, in the full confidence that he shall, in the last day, share the glory of his triumph. At that decisive period, the enlightened wisdom of goodness will render the power of Ormusd superior to the furious malice of his rival. Ahriman and his followers, disarmed and subdued,† this abridgment of Persian theology. Ahriman is not forced "by his invariable nature," to work evil. In the Izeschne, the Zendavesta states expressly, that he was produced good: that he was at first light; but that, corrupted by envy, he became jealous of Ormusd. Then his light was changed into darkness, and he was cast into the abyss. See Anquetil's Abridgment of the Doctrine of the Ancient Persians, prefixed to the Zendavesta, (c. 2, § 2.)-Guizot. The annihilation of Ahriman is not predicted in the Zendavesta, nor is it there said, that he will "sink into his native darkness." But at the resurrection of the dead, he is to be entirely defeated by Ormusd, his power destroyed, and his kingdom overthrown to its very foundations. Himself purified in streams of molten metal, his heart and will are to be changed; he is to become holy and celestial, to give efficiency to the law and to the words of Ormusd, attach himself to him by the bonds of endless friendship, and both are to sing, in sweet accord, hymns to the honour and praise of the Eternal See the before-quoted Abridgment, ibid., Kleuker's Anhang, part 3, p. 85, will sink into their native darkness; and virtue will maintain the eternal peace and harmony of the universe.* The theology of Zoroaster was darkly comprehended by foreigners, and even by the far greater number of his disciples; but the most careless observers were struck with the philosophic simplicity of the Persian worship. "That people," says Herodotus,† "rejects the use of temples, of altars, and of statues; and smiles at the folly of those nations, who imagine that the gods are sprung from, or bear any affinity with, the human nature. The tops of the highest mountains are the places chosen for sacrifices. Hymns and prayers are the principal worship; the supreme God, who fills the wide circle of heaven, is the object to whom they are addressed." Yet, at the same time, in the true spirit of a polytheist, he accuses them of adoring earth, water, fire, the winds, and the sun and moon. But the Persians of every age have denied the charge, and explained the equivocal conduct, which might appear to give a colour to it. The elements, and more particularly fire, light, and the sun, whom they call Mithra,+ were the objects of their no. 36, and the Izeschne in the Zendavesta. According to the Sadder Ben-Dehesch, which is a more modern work, Ahriman is to be annihilated. But this is contrary to the words of the Zendavesta, and to the idea which its author had of the kingdom of Eternity, as it will be, after the struggle of twelve thousand years between the good and evil principles.-GUIZOT. *The modern Parsees (and in some degree the Sadder) exalt Ormusd into the first and omnipotent cause, while they degrade Ahriman into an inferior but rebellious spirit. Their desire of pleasing the Mahometans may have contributed to refine their theological system. + Herodotus, 1. 1, c. 131. But Dr. Prideaux thinks, with reason, that the use of temples was afterwards permitted in the magian religion. Among the Persians, Mithra was not the sun. Anquetil has successfully exposed the error of those who confound them; and it is equally shown by the Zendavesta, Mithra was the first of the genii, or jzeds, created by Ormusd, to watch over all nature; this gave rise to the opinion among the Greeks, that he was the "summus deus" of the Persians. He was represented with a thousand eyes and as many ears. Among the Chaldeans he held a higher rank than among the Persians. By him the light of the sun was given to the earth. The sun, named Khor (splendour), was therefore an inferior agent, who, with others of the same order, assisted the operations of Mithra. These assistant genii were called the kankars of him whom they serve; but they were never confounded in the Zendavesta. On the days consecrated to one of the genii, the Persian had to repeat, not only the prayers appointed to be addressed to him, but also those that were appropriated to his 256 ZOROASTER'S DOCTRINE. [CH. VIII. religious reverence, because they considered them as the purest symbols, the noblest productions, and the most powerful agents of the Divine Power and Nature.* Every mode of religion, to make a deep and lasting impression on the human mind, must exercise our obedience, by enjoining practices of devotion, for which we can assign no reason; and must acquire our esteem, by inculcating moral duties analogous to the dictates of our own hearts. The religion of Zoroaster was abundantly provided with the former, and possessed a sufficient portion of the latter. At the age of puberty, the faithful Persian was invested with a mysterious girdle, the badge of the divine protection; and from that moment, all the actions of his life, even the most indifferent, or the most necessary, were sanctified by their peculiar prayers, ejaculations, or genuflexions; the omission of which, under any circumstances, was a grievous sin, not inferior in guilt to the violation of the moral duties. The moral duties, however, of justice, mercy, liberality, &c., were in their turn required of the disciple of Zoroaster, who wished to escape the persecution of Ahriman, and to live with Ormusd in a blissful eternity, where the degree of felicity will be exactly proportioned to the degree of virtue and piety.‡ But there are some remarkable instances, in which Zoro kankars. Thus the hymn, or iescht, of Mithra was recited on the sacred day of the Sun (Khor), and vice versa. These rites probably occasioned the error which was pointed out by Anquetil himself, and has since been marked by Kleuker, and all who have studied the Zendavesta. See Anquetil's eighth Dissertation, and Kleuker's Anhang, part 3, p. 132.-GUIZOT. * Hyde, de Relig. Pers. c. 8. Notwithstanding all their distinctions and protestations, which seem sincere enough, their tyrants, the Mahometans, have constantly stigmatized them as idolatrous worshippers of the fire. Zoroaster exacted much less attention to ceremonies than was afterwards required by the priests of his religion; their worship, at first simple, was gradually encumbered by minute formalities. That Zoroaster did not make these so important as Gibbon seems to think that he did, may be inferred from the subsequently-quoted precept of the Zendavesta: "He who sows the ground with care and diligence, acquires a greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the repetition of ten thousand prayers." It is not in the Zendavesta, but in the much later pages of the Sadder, that Gibbon found the proofs of his statement.-Guizot. See the Sadder, the smallest part of which consists of moral precepts. The ceremonies enjoined are infinite and trifling. Fifteen genuflexions, prayers, &c., were required whenever the devout Persian cut his nails, |