offered up by the Magian was a model for those of the Persian
people. No man was allowed to ask anything of the gods for himself
alone. Every pious soul was rather to implore blessings for his nation;
for was not each only a part of the whole? and did not each man share
in the blessings granted to the whole kingdom? But especially they
were commanded to pray for the king, in whom the realm was embodied and
shadowed forth. It was this beautiful surrender of self for the public
weal, that had made the Persians great. The doctrines of the Egyptian
priesthood represented the Pharaohs as actual divinities, while the
Persian monarchs were only called "sons of the gods;" yet the power of
the latter was far more absolute and unfettered than that of the former;
the reason for this being that the Persians had been wise enough to
free themselves from priestly domination, while the Pharaohs, as we have
seen, if not entirely under the dominion of the priestly caste, were yet
under its influence in the most important matters.

The Egyptian intolerance of all strange religions was unknown in Asia.
The conquered Babylonians were allowed by Cyrus to retain their own
gods, after their incorporation in the great Asiatic kingdom. The Jews,
Ionians and inhabitants of Asia Minor, in short, the entire mass of
nations subject to Cambyses remained unmolested in possession of their
hereditary religions and customs.

Beside the great altar, therefore, might be seen many a smaller
sacrificial flame, kindled in honor of their own divinities, by the
envoys from the conquered provinces to this great birthday feast.

Viewed from a distance, the immense city looked like a gigantic furnace.
Thick clouds of smoke hovered over its towers, obscuring the light of
the burning May sun.

By the time the king had reached the palace, the multitude who had come
to take part in the festival had formed themselves into a procession of
interminable length, which wandered on through the straight streets of
Babylon towards the royal palace.

Their road was strewn with myrtle and palm-branches, roses, poppy
and oleander-blossoms, and with leaves of the silver poplar, palm and
laurel; the air perfumed with incense, myrrh, and a thousand other sweet
odors. Carpets and flags waved and fluttered from the houses.

Music too was there; the shrill peal of the Median trumpet, and soft
tone of the Phrygian flute; the Jewish cymbal and harp, Paphlagonian
tambourines and th