4 Life and Writings 
Fereedoon from the tyranny of Zohak. 
This production was received with universal 
applause, and introduced the poet to Abu 
Mansoor, governor of Tous, who urged him 
to proceed with ardour in the glorious career 
on which he had entered, and gave him 
the most flattering assurances of success. 
Ferdoosee has gratefully owned his obliga- 
tions to him, and has elegantly sung his praises 
at the commencement of his poem. 
Confident of his strength, Ferdoosee now 
determined to repair to Ghezni, as to a proper 
theatre for the display of his genius, and the 
acquisition of that fame, which he felt 
that he was destined one day to enjoy. His 
admission at court was opposed by the rival 
poets; (1) but he soon established himself 
in the favor of Mahmood, who allotted to 
him the honourable task of composing the 
work which he had projected. Every even- 
ing he read to the Sultan what he had written 
during the day, and Mahmood was so much 
delighted with these specimens of his per- 
formance that, on one occasion, he promised 
(1) Jamee, in his Beharistan, relates, that as Unseree, Ferrahee and 
Usjidee, three of the court poets were sitting together in a garden of 
the palace, they saw Ferdoosee enter and approach them, Unwilling 
to admit him into their society, they agreed to repeat each a verse of a 
tetrastick and to require Ferdoosee to supply ‘the fourth. They accor- 
dingly zecited each of them one of the following lines. 
