hran died by a death which would have
been thought incredible, had not a repetition of the disaster, on
the traditional site, been witnessed by an English traveller in
comparatively recent times. The Persian writers state that Varahran was
engaged in the hunt of the wild ass, when his horse came suddenly upon
a deep pool, or spring of water, and either plunged into it or threw his
rider into it, with the result that Varahran sank and never reappeared.
The supposed scene of the incident is a valley between Ispahan and
Shiraz. Here, in 1810, an English soldier lost his life through bathing
in the spring traditionally declared to be that which proved fatal to
Varahran. The coincidence has caused the general acceptance of a tale
which would probably have been otherwise regarded as altogether romantic
and mythical.

The coins of Varahran V. are chiefly remarkable for their rude and
coarse workmanship and for the number of the mints from which they were
issued. The mint-marks include Ctesiphon, Ecbatana, Isaphan, Arbela,
Ledan, Nehavend, Assyria, Chuzistan, Media, and Kerman, or Carmania. The
ordinary legend is, upon the obverse, _Mazdisn bag Varahran malha,_
or _Mazdisn bag Varahran rasti malha,_ and on the reverse, "Yavahran,"
together with a mint-mark. The head-dress has the mural crown in front
and behind, but interposes between these two detached fragments a
crescent and a circle, emblems, no doubt, of the sun and moon gods. The
reverse shows the usual fire-altar, with guards, or attendants, watching
it. The king's head appears in the flame upon the altar. (PLATE XXI.
Fig. 2).

According to the Oriental writers, Varahran V. was one of the best
of the Sassanian princes. He carefully administered justice among his
numerous subjects, remitted arrears of taxation, gave pensions to men of
science and letters, encouraged agriculture, and was extremely liberal
in the relief of poverty and distress. His faults were, that he was
over-generous and over-fond of amusements, especially of the chase. The
nickname of "Bahram-Gur," by which he is known to the Orientals, marks
this last-named predilection, transferring to him, as it does, the name
of the animal which was the especial object of his pursuit. But he was
almost equally fond of dancing and of games. Still it does not appear
that his inclination for amusements rendered him neglectful of public
affairs, or at all interfered with his administration of the State.
Persia is said