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A...'> ORIENTAL LEGE~m.
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5. AN ORIENTAL LEGEND.
1. A king, grown old in glory and renown,
W ith wisdom wished his happy reign to crown.
Feeling the years turn white upon his head ,
H e thought upon his end, and thus he said:
.. Th ree sons I have , strong types of sturdy youth,
Bred in all honour , man liness, and truth ;
H onest and brave ar e they , I know it well ;
But traits th ere are in all that none may tell.
I'll test th em, therefore ; for I fain would know
'Which one shall rule th e best when I must go."
2. Th ereon he sent a sIave to call his sons
I nto his presence. St rong an d manly ones
They surely were , to glad a fath er's sight,
And mind him of his spring-time's manly might.
To whom th e king: "~Iy sons, the tim e draws near
W hen I, you r sire, shall be no longer here,
And I would kno w which of you I may trust
To wield th e sceptre when my hands nrc dust ;
And to that end I make you this requ est,
Which of my three sons loves his fath er best 1"
3. Then spak e the eldest : "Sire, my love for th ee
Is deeper, broade r, greater than the sea,
Vast as it is, that wets thy kin gdom's shore.
Such is my love for thee, my sire, and more."
Th e second then: " ~Iy fath er and my king,
There is not any yet created th ing
I n the whole universe, below, above,
To mark th e scope and measure of my love."
The young est simply said: " I cannot tell
Th ee more t han th is, 1 love my fath er well."
4 The king dis missed them with a tender word,
And sat and pondered well what he had hea rd j