﻿60 THE sixth discourse: 



mers to the throne of Persia, in the eighth or ninth 

 century before Christ, seems to have been accompa- 

 nied by a considerable revolution both in government 

 and religion : he was most probably of a different 

 race from the Mahabadians who preceded him, and 

 began perhaps the new system of national faith 

 which Hushang, whose name it bears, completed ; 

 but the reformation was partial j for, while they reject- 

 ed the complex polytheism of their predecessors, they 

 retained the laws of Mahabad, with a superstitious ve- 

 neration for the sun, the planets, and fire ; thus re- 

 sembling the Hindu sects, called Sauras and Sagnicas, 

 the second of which is very numerous at Banares, 

 where many agnihotras are continually blazing, and 

 where the Sagnicas, when they enter on their sacerdo- 

 tal office, kindle, with two pieces of the hard wood 

 Semi, 2l fire which they keep lighted through their 

 lives for their nuptial ceremony, the performance ot 

 solemn sacrifices, the obsequies of departed ancestors, 

 and their own funeral pile. This remarkable rite 

 was continued by Zeratitsht, who reformed the old re- 

 ligion by the addition of genii, or angels, presiding 

 over months and days, of new ceremonies in the ve- 

 neration shown to fire, of a new work which he pre- 

 tended to have received from heaven, and, above all, 

 by establishing the actual adoration of one Supreme 

 Being. He was born, according to Mohan, in the 

 district of Rai; and it was he (not, as Ammianus as- 

 serts, his protector Gushtasb) who travelled into India, 

 that he might receive information from the Brahmans 

 in theology and ethics. It is barely possible that Py- 

 thagoras knew him in the capital of Irak ; but the 

 Grecian sage must then have been far advanced in 

 years ; and we have no certain evidence of an inter- 

 course between the two philosophers. The reformed 

 religion of Persia continued in force till that country 

 was subdued by the Musehnans ; and, without study- 

 ing the Zend, we have ample information concerning 



