wn over the mouth.]

The victims had been slaughtered in a meadow near the river, the flesh
cut into pieces, sprinkled with salt, and laid out on tender grasses,
sprouts of clover, myrtle-blossoms, and laurel-leaves, that the
beautiful daughter of Ormuzd, the patient, sacred Earth, might not be
touched by aught that was dead or bleeding.

Oropastes, the chief Destur,--[Priest]--now drew near the fire and
cast fresh butter into it. The flames leapt up into the air and all the
Persians fell on their knees and hid their faces, in the belief that the
fire was now ascending to their great god and father. The Magian then
took a mortar, laid some leaves and stalks of the sacred herb Haomas
within it, crushed them and poured the ruddy juice, the food of the
gods, into the flames.

After this he raised his hands to heaven, and, while the other priests
continually fed the flames into a wilder blaze by casting in fresh
butter, sang a long prayer out of the sacred books. In this prayer the
blessing of the gods was called down on everything pure and good, but
principally on the king and his entire realm. The good spirits of light,
life and truth; of all noble deeds; of the Earth, the universal giver;
of the refreshing waters, the shining metals, the pastures, trees and
innocent creatures, were praised: the evil spirits of darkness; of
lying, the deceiver of mankind; of disease, death and sin; of the rigid
cold; the desolating heat; of all odious dirt and vermin, were cursed,
together with their father the malignant Ahriman. At the end all present
joined in singing the festival prayer: "Purity and glory are sown for
them that are pure and upright in heart."

The sacrificial ceremony was concluded with the king's prayer, and then
Cambyses, arrayed in his richest robes, ascended a splendid chariot
drawn by four snow-white Nicoean horses, and studded with topazes,
cornelian and amber, and was conveyed to the great reception-hall, where
the deputies and officers from the provinces awaited him.

As soon as the king and his retinue had departed, the priests selected,
for themselves, the best pieces of the flesh which had been offered in
sacrifice, and allowed the thronging crowd to take the rest.

The Persian divinities disdained sacrifices in the light of food,
requiring only the souls of the slaughtered animals, and many a poor
man, especially among the priests, subsisted on the flesh of the
abundant royal sacrifices.

The prayer