Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/510

 488 THE DECLINE AND FALL and Christians among the people of the written law ; ^33 and, as late as the third century of the Hegira, the city of Herat will afford a lively contrast of private zeal and public toleration. ^34 Under the payment of an annual tribute, the Mahometan law secured to the Ghebers of Herat their civil and religious liber- ties ; but the recent and humble mosch was overshadowed by the antique splendour of the adjoining temple of fire. A fanatic Imam deplored, in his sermons, the scandalous neighbourhood, and accused the weakness or indifference of the faithful. Ex- cited by his voice, the people assembled in tumult ; the two houses of prayer were consumed by the flames, but the vacant ground was immediately occupied by the foundations of a new mosch. The injured Magi appealed to the sovereign of Chora- san ; he promised justice and relief; when, behold ! four thou- sand citizens of Herat, of a grave character and mature age, unanimously swore that the idolatrous fane had never existed ; the inquisition was silenced, and their conscience was satisfied (says the historian Mirchond ^^JJ) with this holy and meritorious perjury.''^*'. By^- ^^q greatest part of the temples of Persia were ruined by the insensible and general desertion of their votaries. It was biscnsible, since it is not accompanied with any memorial -=«Hae tres sectse, Judasi, Christiani, et qui inter Persas Magorum institutis addicti sunt, ko-t i^oxv', populi /ifiri dicnniur (Reland, Dissertat. torn. iii. p. 15). The caliph Al Mamun confirms this honourable distinction in favour of the three sects, with the vague and equivocal religion of the Sab^ans, under which the ancient polytheists of Charree were allowed to shelter their idolatrous worship (Hottinger, Hist. Orient, p. 167, 168). 234 This singular story is related by d'Herbelot (Bibliot. Orient, p. 448, 449) on the faith of Khondemir, and by Mirchond himself (Hist, priorum Regum Persaruni, &c. p. 9, 10, not. p. 88, 89). 235 Mirchond (Mohammed Emir Khoondah Shah), a native of Herat, composed, in the Persian language, a general history of the East, from the Creation to the year of the Hegira 875 (a.d. 1471). In the year 904 (a.d. 1498), the historian obtained the command of a princely library, and his applauded work, in seven or twelve parts, was abbreviated in three volumes by his son Khondemir, A.H. 927, A.D. 1520. The two writers, most accurately distinguished by Petit de la Croi.x (Hist, de Genghizcan, p. 537, 538, 544, 545), are loosely confounded by d'Herbelot (P 35S' 4^°' 994' 995) ' ^^^ ^'^ numerous extracts, under the improper name of Khondemir, belong to the father rather than the son. The historian of Gen- ghizcan refers to a Ms. of Mirchond, which he received from the hands of his friend d'Herbelot himself. A curious fragment (the Taherian and Soffarian Dynasties) has been lately published in Persic and Latin (ViennEe, 1782, in quarto, cum notis Bernard de Jenisch) ; and the editor allows us to hope for a continuation of Mirchond. 2^SQuo testimonio boni se quidpiam prasstitisse opinabantur. Yet Mirchond must have condemned their zeal, since he approved the legal toleration of the Magi, cui (the fire temple) peracto singulis annis censu, uti sacra Mohammedis lege cautum, ab omnibus molestiis ac oneribus libero esse licuit.