REIGN OF BEHRÂM BIN BEHRÂM.

On account of the great love Behrâm Bin Hormuz enter­tained towards his son, he called him by his own name, and nominated him his successor. Some state that in the beginning of his reign this sovereign was inclined to tyranny, and oppressed the rich as well as the poor to such an extent that the chief military officers intended to remove him from the government. When the Mobed of Mobeds heard of their intention, he said: ‘You must unanimously leave the service of the king until matters mend.’ Accord­ingly, not merely the chamberlains and higher officials, but even the carpet-spreaders, gate-keepers, table-servants, and others disappeared, and Behrâm, unable to find a man to wait upon him [one night] till the morning dawned, was much distressed. Meanwhile the Mobed of Mobeds made his appearance with the customary salutation, and was received by the king in a very friendly manner, but sur­prised him by his taciturnity, so that he said: ‘Thy greet­ing is like that of a friend, but thy behaviour like that of an enemy.’ Hereon the Mobed craved permission to speak, and having obtained it, said: ‘I am astonished that, in con­trast to the beautiful personal appearance granted to thee by the Almighty, thy demeanour is so shamefully oppres­sive that no one entertains friendship for thee, and all are thine enemies.’ After this preliminary remark, the Mobed commenced to rehearse the lives of previous sovereigns, and said: ‘Their good qualities were the cause of the permanency of their reigns.’ Then he narrated to him the history of Eskandar, of Ardeshir, and of Behmen Bin Esfendiar, which aroused the king from the sleep of care­lessness to such a degree that he promised to follow the example of his ancestors, and never to swerve from the path of justice. When he had spoken thus far, the nobles and Amirs suddenly entered the hall, and followed up the advice of the Mobed with their own, which made so lasting an impression upon Behrâm that he lived according to it till the end of his reign, which lasted from about fifteen to seventeen years or more, according to various statements. His title was ‘Sakân-Shâh,’ namely, ‘King of Seistân.’ He used to say that the world is perishable, and that wealth is held only as a loan. He had two sons, Nursi and Behrâm.