The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE PERSIAN SAGES.
2 I
drink as that of which he drank. Now a certain prince
having made ready royal food sent and invited one of
the nobles to sit at meat with him. And when he had
eaten his meal and had gone forth he wrote to the
king, saying, "Such and such an one maketh use of
"the royal food. I myself have seen it and I cannot
"hide it from thee." And the king wrote on the back
of the letter, "We praise thee for fidelity and for the
"covenant which thou hast kept with us, but we blame
"him that made use of the food because he did not
"know how to keep his secret and revealed it unto
"such as thou."
LXXIX. Khusrau' was asked, "Which of thy sons
"is [most] beloved by thee?" He replied, "He that
"loveth correction and feareth disgrace, and longeth for
"a rank higher than his own."
LXXX. Bazarjamhir said, "The defect of this world
"is that it never giveth to a man that of which he is
"deserving. For it either giveth to him more than that
"of which he is worthy, or it giveth to him less than
"that of which he is worthy."
LXXXI. Ardashir'' said, "It is meet that the wrath
"of kings should be made manifest in shewing mercy
"upon those who provoke to wrath and not in de-
"priving them of that
which they need."
LXXXII. [Ardashir]^ said that the foundation of
'
Probably Khusrau Anosharvvan.
'
Probably Ardashir I, who began to reign A.D. 226^ is here
referred to. He was the author of several maxims and wise
sayings.
3 Surely Bar-Hebraeus must here have a version of a piece of
advice which Ardashir is said to have given to his son Shapur.
"0 my son, behold, religion and sovereignty are sisters, neither