lord’s discovery of the banians and persees. 563

©lie whofe eyes had beheld the things averred, got paffage, and were carried to the ears©f Guftafph, then King of Perfia, who therefore fent for Zertooft, of whom he enquiredthe further truth of this matter, who affirmed the fame to be fuch as it was reported,that God had delivered him a book concerning his worffiip, and other fecret knowledgeinducing the worffiip of fire, whereof he gave fome touches in particular to the King.The King admiring thefe things, and yet fo certainly informed in the circumftances,grew wavering in his former worffiip and religion, and fomewhat inclined to Zertooft,fo that he divers times fent for him, and had much conference with him.

Guftafph’s churchman then perceiving his fovereign to hearken to this new religion,wherein he had no knowledge, and that by degrees he loft that grace he had wontedlyfrom him, did feek to put fome infamy on Zertooft, by which the King might become,alienated from him and that new-fprung religion, wherein he had no knowledge, andthat by degrees began, as he thought, to fink too faft into the breaft of the King ;for this caufe he fuborned the porter that kept the door of Zertooft’s heufe, whichwas a Perfian, to convey under the bed of Zertooft, the bones of dead men, and thedead carcafes of dogs, a creature loathfome to the Perfians ; of which whilft Zertooftwas utterly ignorant, the King’s churchman put himfelf into the prefence of Guf-tafph, with fome other of his nobles that did not favour Zertooft’s innovation, faying,“ Oh, King! what new religion is this to which thou ftandeft fo much inclined ? orwhat is this new and ftrange lawgiver Zertooft whom thou fo favoured: ? who the otherday came in a poor manner into this land, as a fugitive from his native country, who,as I hear alfo, was hateful to his prince and the king of his people ; that he ffiouldfind fuch grace in bringing up a new religion, falfe and fidtitious, and not of that autho-rity it is pretended to be, being, as I alfo am informed, a man of unclean and beaftlyliving,, in whofe houfe, at this time, and under whofe bed whereon he hourly lieth,thou (halt find the bones of human bodies, the carcafes and limbs of dead dogs, andfilthy carrion, an abomination to the eyes of any clean perfon ; continue thou then,Oh, King ! in the law of thy fathers, and liften not to this novelift!” This fpeechbeing feconded with fome of the great ones, and the aft reported being fo odious andabominable, Guftafph commanded Zertooft’s habitation to be fearched; and it being(as the churchman of Guftafph had reported) eftefted by the wicked confpiracy ofGuftafph’s churchman and Zertooft’s fervants, Zertooft was call into prifon, defpifedand hated of all people.

It happened in this time of Zertooft’s imprifonment, that Guftafph had a horfe whichhe much prized that fell very fick, and there was not any found that knew his difeafe,or how to cure him : this being told the jailor that had Zertooft in cuftody, arid theKing publiffiing great rewards to him that could reftore him, Zertooft came to theknowledge of it; who told the keeper, that if the King pleafed, he would cure thehorfe, or elfe be liable to the King’s difpleafure. The keeper fo favoured Zertooft,that he made known his words to the King ; fo Guftafph fent for Zertooft, who,according to his promife, did reftore the beaft; which fervice was fo acceptable toGuftafph, that he was had into new eftimation again ; and maintaining his innocencytouching that fame plot that was laid upon him, the King gave him liberty and greatrewards, and by often conferences became nearly in refpect with the King, fo that away was again afforded to publiffi this religion of Zertooft’s ; who working ftrangemiracles among them, gained credence to be a man come from God . ..

This book of Zertooft’s gaining every day a better opinion, and his great worksreally demonftrated Ihewing him to be a man of more divine endowments than was foundin ordinary men ; upon a time the King fent for him, and told him, that if he would

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