THE CITY OF KERMANSHAH. 
199 
of the Kara-sou, at the time he received a letter from the 
newly-sprung prophet of Mecca, calling on the sovereign of 
Persia to forswear the religion of his fathers, and to embrace the 
Arabian faith. Indignant at so insolent a demand, the king tore 
the letter to pieces, and cast it into the river. The Mahome- 
dans say, that the stream shrunk in its bed, in horror of the 
impiety, and that in the same hour his fortunate star left him. 
Not far from the junction of these waters, a lofty and well- 
constructed bridge, erected by order of the Hakem Sheik All 
Khan, led us into the main road. It passes close to the walls of 
Kerman shah, which we reached after a short march of about a 
farsang and a half. Having declined visiting it during the pre¬ 
sence of its royal governor, I would not enter its gates in his 
absence, and therefore merely viewed it from the plain. It is 
probable that some town attached to the ancient works near, may 
have stood on the site of the present city; which having been 
rebuilt, and named Kermanshah, by Baharam the son of Shapoor 
Zoolaktaf, he received the honours of having been its founder. 
Since that epoch, the end of the fourth century, it has undergone 
many changes, dilapidations, restorations, and dilapidations again; 
no trace being left of the magnificent palace in which, we are told, 
that Noushirvan the great Chosroes of the Homan writers, re¬ 
ceived tribute from Justinian their emperor, and such incredible 
presents from the sovereigns of India and Khatay, that amidst 
piles of splendid jewellery, fair ladies were discovered veiled, 
£t but shining through their slight covering, in beauty more 
dazzling than the sun !” 
In perusing the history of Persia, in western, as well as east¬ 
ern authors, we are struck with admiration at the magnificence 
of its monarchs; at the surprising conquests of many of them, 
