Then Cæsar cleared the audience-room and sat
Deliberating with his counsellor,
And said thus to that priest: “This suppliant
Hath made choice of ourselves to refuge with:
What shall we do that he may gather strength,
And feel no more his subject's insolence?”
The counsellor thus answered: “What we need
Is that a few shrewd-hearted men of those
That are our well-advised philosophers
Shall act with us herein.”

So famous Cæsar

Dispatched a messenger and four arrived
Of those philosophers, two young, two old,
All Rúman-born, and thus they spake at large:—
“The Íránians, since Sikandar passed away,
Have deeply wounded us by frequent raiding,
By war and strife, and causeless, reckless bloodshed;
Now holy God requiteth their ill deeds
In kind. Since the Sásánians' fortune halteth
Forbear to intervene. Khusrau Parwíz,
If he shall gain the royal crown and raise

His forehead to the moon, will ask for tribute
From Rúm anon and trample on our land.
Reflect if this be wise. Hold their words wind.”
When Cæsar heard he changed his mind and sent
The Sháh a letter by a cavalier
To tell what course the sages had advised
In long debate. He reached Khusrau Parwíz,
And told what he had heard the famed king say,
Delivered Cæsar's letter too and uttered
Words past compute. Khusrau Parwíz grew strait
Of heart thereat, his face turned wan with care.
He thus replied: “If we must lay to heart
All that can be alleged from days of yore
Then all our travail will but catch the wind.
Consider now if my progenitors,
Those chosen world-lords, men of holiness,
Made wars with justice or unjustly; ask
Of ancient men who bear such things in mind.
Vouchsafe to question the wise men of Rúm
If 'twas the crow or owl that did the wrong.
* Although the Maker hath not left in want
The Great of Rúm mine ancestors withal
Were men of name, in their own days supreme,
Who were no brookers of insurgency,
Pride, wrong, or foolishness from any one;
But what can this avail now that my head
Is in the dragon's maw? Greet Cæsar for me,
And say: ‘The Great speak only to the point
In wisdom's presence though both good and ill
Pass in the end. I will not rest till I
Have drawn my skirt forth from this turbid stream,
And if the Rúmans will not succour me
I will send envoys to the Khán. My words
Have naught availed because my river-bed
Was fouled, and when my messengers return
My sojourn in this city will be short.’”
He said to the Íránians: “Obey
My hests; let not this matter break your hearts,
For God, the Conqueror, is aiding us;
Our part is fortitude and manliness.”
He took the matter lightly and dispatched
His answer by Tukhár. He wrote as though
He recked not either good or ill. Tukhár
Departed from Khusrau Parwíz and came
To where was Cæsar's court, that man of name.