3G On the Swayamvara of the Ancient Hindus. [No. 1. 



these legends ; and the very form in which we have them has been 

 doubtless subjected to continual changes, as they floated on the lips 

 of successive generations, ere they were stamped by Firdausi 

 (A. D. 1000) into their present permanent shape. As it is, they 

 bear all the marks of a legendary age, — deficient in everything but 

 spirit and imagination, — and it is hopeless to construct a system 

 from their chaos. Still such a system might have been partly pos- 

 sible, had Ctesias and Chares been preserved to us, — many a legend 

 which now lies buried under its surrounding inventions, would have 

 started into a new significance, if we could have compared it with 

 some Greek account, which had preserved the true lineaments of 

 the story. 



The legend of Odatis, which has beeu casually saved by Athe- 

 nzeus' quotation from Chares, is a single specimen, — we have no- 

 thing else of the kind ; but this legend is at once to be recognised 

 in the Shahnameh ; and the striking confirmation thus presented 

 makes us realise how much we have lost in the wreck of Greek 

 Oriental history. 



Lohrasp, the king of Persia, had irritated his son Gushtdsp by 

 his excessive partiality for his children by another wife. Gushtasp 

 in despair first fled towards India, but is followed by his uterine 

 brother Zarir (Zariadres,) who persuades him to return to his fa- 

 ther's court. He is, however, again provoked to fly, and he now 

 bends his course to Rum. On arriving at the capital, he in vain 

 seeks for employment in the court, and, failing this, in the bazar ; 

 and he is well nigh reduced to desperation, when a Dihkau, in a 

 neighbouring village, takes pity on his forlorn condition, and lodges 

 him as a guest in his house. Of the remainder of the story we add 

 a literal version, line for line with the original as given in Macau's 

 edition, vol. ii. pp. 1038—1040. 



The Kaisar of Bum cast about in his mind, 



That, since his daughter was now of age, 



Her star of fortune high, and she ripe for marriage, 



It was time that she were given to a husband. 



He would gather an assembly in his palace 



Of all his wise nobles and counsellors, 



