274 



A brief notice of some of the 



finally his travel to Zulmet (a dark region at the extremity of u 

 world where the fountain of life is supposed to exist) in quest of the 

 water of immortality, from which he returns without success. 



Part the second is called the Fal Nameh and is probably the same, 

 alluded to by Mr. Ousely, as the " sixth poem," sometimes added to 

 the " five treasures of Nizami." It contains an explanation of the title 

 usually applied to Alexander by Oriental historians of Zu-aMcarnein, 

 Lord of the two horns— the story of Arasmandas of the Kibti, or Coptish 

 woman &c, the coronation of Alexander, his question to Ajiatun or 

 Plato. The council of the seven sages, viz. Aristo, Wales, Balinas, 

 Socrat, Furfur ius, Hernias, Ajiatun. Their opinions and those of Alex- 

 ander and Nizami. 



Alexander imagines himself a prophet, and receives letters from Ar- 

 isto, Ajiatun and Socrat. He proceeds to the west of the land and ar- 

 rives at the city of Peristan, fairy land. His second expedition to In- 

 dia and China; he falls sick on his return, makes his will, and writes to 

 his mother and dies, succeeded by his son Askanderus supposed to be 

 the Aridceus of the Greeks.* The work terminates with a brief account 

 of the demise of the seven sages and of Nizami. Nizami describes the 

 auspicious aspect of the planets, as observed at Alexander's birth by the 

 astrologers, as follows. Sol emerging from Aries (Hamal). Mercury, 

 Wtarid, from Gemini {Jonzd). Luna and Venus in Taurus {Sawr). 

 Jupiter in Sagittarius (Kaws). Saturn in Libra (Terazu). Bahrain 

 or Mars, in the sixth mansion. Asad or Leo predominant. 



In the second part of the Secunder Nameh we find the following 

 traditions regarding the origin of the title of Zu-al-karnein 



^ji.Jjii!Uj or Lord of the two horns, bestowed by Oriental writ- 

 ers on the Macedonian monarch. First, because the horns had 

 reference to the eastern and western worlds of which Alexander was 

 supposed to be the conqueror. Secondly, because he is represented 

 to have worn two peculiar ringlets on the back part of the head, 

 Thirdly, because he smote the talisman of Jemshid with a sword 

 having two blades like the famous weapon of Ali called Zu-al Fa- 



kar jViuiljJ. Fourthly, because he saw in a dream the karan-i- 

 falek enclosed in the rays of the sun. Fifthly, because his age (at 



* Aridosus, according to Justin and Diodorus Siculas, was an illegitimate son of Phi- 

 lip, who succeeded to the throne on the death of Alexander. After a reign of seven years 

 he was cruelly put to death, together with his wife Eurydice, by Olympia mother of 



Alexander, 



