for the soul.]

"Then Bartja has deserved death. Lead him away, guards, and strangle
him! Take him away! Be silent, wretch! never will I listen to that
smooth, hypocritical tongue again, or look at those treacherous eyes.
They come from the Divs and delude every one with their wanton glances.
Off with him, guards!"

Bischen, the captain, came up to obey the order, but in the same moment
Croesus threw himself at the king's feet, touched the floor with his
forehead, raised his hands and cried: "May thy days and years bring
nought but happiness and prosperity; may Auramazda pour down all the
blessings of this life upon thee, and the Amescha cpenta be the guardians
of thy throne!

[The Amescha cpenta, "holy immortal ones," maybe compared to the
archangels of the Hebrews. They surround the throne of Auramazda
and symbolize the highest virtues. Later we find their number fixed
at six.]

Do not close thine ear to the words of the aged, but remember that thy
father Cyrus appointed me to be thy counsellor. Thou art about to slay
thy brother; but I say unto thee, do not indulge anger; strive to control
it. It is the duty of kings and of the wise, not to act without due
enquiry. Beware of shedding a brother's blood; the smoke thereof will
rise to heaven and become a cloud that must darken the days of the
murderer, and at last cast down the lightnings of vengeance on his head.
But I know that thou desirest justice, not murder. Act then as those who
have to pronounce a sentence, and hear both sides before deciding. When
this has been done, if the criminal is proved guilty and confesses his