B. C. 337. revolted, and transferred the empire to the Saffanians.

CHAP. III.

The Saffanian Family.

A. D. 202. ARDESHIR BABEGAN*, whóm our writers call Artaxares, was the fon of Saffan, a man originally in a low ftation of life, but defcended from a fon of Ardefir the Longhanded, who was difinherited in favour of Homáï. He was furnamed Babegán from Babeg, his grandfather, who was a Perfian prince of eminent rank, and was so pleased with the amiable qualities of Saffan, his fhepherd, that he gave him his daughter in marriage. Ardefhir was bold and warlike, yet a wife and learned prince, and is said to have compofed two excellent books, the first, a Cárnáma†, or a Commentary of his life and actions; the fecond, a moral work, of which Nushirvan the Great, some ages after, published a fecond edition. These were employ

*

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ments truly worthy of great Princes; but the A. D. 202. Kings of Europe have not written many Cárnáma's, nor given many leffons of morality.

SHAPOR*, fon of Ardefhir, whom we A. D. 242. call Sapores, built many cities in Perfia, and rebuilt that of Nishapór †, which the Macedonians had deftroyed. The name of this city is compounded of Shapór added to Nî or Nei, a reed, because its ruins were overgrown with reeds, when Shapór first faw it. This Prince was very fuccefsful in his wars against the Roman Emperors: he reduced all Syria and Cilicia, and took Valerian prifoner, but was checked in his career by the more fortunate arms of Odenatus. In his reign Máni ‡, a Painter, having learned by the converfation of fome Chriftians, that the Redeemer had promised to send a Comforter after him, formed the wild defign of paffing for the Paraclete; and, as no opinions are so abfurd, which many will not embrace, he foon drew together a multitude of profelytes. Shapór was enraged at this impofture, and wifhed to punish the author of it; but Máni found means to escape, and fled into Eaftern Tar

A. D. 242. táry, as far as the borders of China, having firft told his followers, that he was going to heaven, and promised to meet them in a certain grot, at the end of the year. In his retreat he amufed himfelf with painting a number of ftrange figures and views, which, at the year's end, he fhewed to his disciples, as a work given to him by angels: he was a very ingenious artist, and had a lively fancy, fo that his pictures, which were finely coloured, eafily perfuaded the credulous multitude, in the infancy of the art in Afia, that they were really divine; they were bound together, in a book called Erteng*, which is often alluded to by the Perfian poets, one of whom, addreffing himself to a great Painter, fays, The point of thy pencil draws a line over the leaves of Erteng, that is, effaces them †. Máni, by a whimfical mixture, blended in his doctrine the Metempfychofis of Brahma and Vishnút, and the two Principles of Zeratusht, together with several tenets of the Alcoran, and even of the Gofpel; yet this motley re

ارژنگ or ارتنك In Perfian *

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Kemál Isfabáni. Xij

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ligion, ridiculous as it may feem, was followed A. D. 242. even by Bishops and Patriarchs. Our writers call the profeffors of this fect Manicheans, but they should, by analogy, be called Manians, The impoftor was put to death in the reign. of Baharam, grandson of Shapór: had he been, like Mahomed, a fuccefsful Warrior, inftead of an obfcure Artift, his religion would, perhaps, have been fpread over all Afia; for it was the miraculous privilege of the true faith alone, to make its way, in defiance of perfecution, by the force of its indifputable Truth, and the fanctity of its precepts.

HORMƆZD*, or Hormizdas, as our hif- A. D. 272. torians call him, had the advantage of a graceful perfon, and an agreeable air; but he was neither active nor warlike. He was much addicted to ftudy, and ftrongly inclined to favour Mani, whom his fon, as it was faid above, afterwards deftroyed.

BAHARAM †, fon of Hormuz, after the A. D. 274. death of Mani, led a peaceful and ftudious life. He was furnamed The Beneficent, and used to say, that Good-nature and Benevolence could not be defined feparately, because they were the aggregate of all Virtues. His adopt

A. D. 274. ed fon, who fucceeded him, paid little regard

A. D. 349.

to this maxim, and his violence procured him the name of Khálef, or, The Unjuft *; but it is faid that he changed his temper and conduct the remonftrances of his nobles.

upon

There was nothing memorable in the reign of his fucceffor Narfi †, whom we call Narfes: Hormozd II. his fon, was a just and magnificent prince; he raised a Court of Judicature in his metropolis, in which he fometimes prefided in perfon; and he built, it is thought, the city of Hormuz in Carmania, the name of which was afterwards given to the Island in the Perfian Gulf, which our travellers call Ormus.

SHAPOR, whom the Arabians name DHU LACTAF ‡, or, The Round-Shouldered, was taken prifoner by the Greek Emperor, and, during his captivity, many of his finest provinces were laid wafte; but having recovered his liberty by the help of the Emperor's mistress, he returned to Azarbigian, where he made himself known to his people, and foon after totally defeated the Greeks : in memory of this action he built the city of Cazvin §, which, for its fingular beauty, was