Búzurjmihr, while in attendance upon the Sháh during a hunting-expedition, has a premonition of coming trouble and immediately afterwards falls under the Sháh's displeasure, and is disgraced. Conscious of his own rectitude he refuses to own that he is in fault and is treated with increasing rigour till the Sháh has need of his services to expound a problem proposed by Cæsar, but with his sight greatly impaired by his sufferings.

The rest of the Part is taken up with an account of the wisdom of Núshírwán as shown in his replies to questioners and in his letter of advice to his son Hurmuzd.

§ 2. We have other instances of such problems and “hard questions.” See Vol. vii., p. 5.

§§ 3 and 5. On Persian Wisdom-literature see Vol. vii., p. 278 seq.

§ 4. It is manifest from the account in the Sháhnáma, and it is probably true historically, that Núshírwán did his best to provide himself with a worthy successor.* In addition to this letter of counsel we have in Part VI. the account of the examination that his son Hurmuzd had to pass,* and some final exhortations.* Unfortunately

“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley.”