BABYLON AND PERSIA

* THE GATHAS. 105of Faith known as " Chapter XXX. of Yasna," inpoint pf doctrine, by ransacking the rest of theGathic poems.sent missionA profound conviction of his heaven¬(" I am thy chosen one from the be¬ginning ; all others I consider as my opponents ") -outpourings of personal feelings in the days of per¬secution and distress, appeals for help and enlighten¬ment often worded with great pathos and tenderness(" To thee I cry : Behold, O Lord, and grant meassistance, as a friend grants it to a dear friend ! ")such is the strain that runs through all. these ancienthymns, lending them athoroughly human, livinginterest.One of them (chapter XLIV.) especiallybreathes the purest poetical feeling, and keeps on alofty level rarely maintained for so long a stretch inthese often crude literary efforts.The questionings,the doubts, the longings of the prophet's spirit areput in the form of a series of questions addressed byhim to his heavenly " friend " and teacher.Somebear upon points of doctrine, some on the issue of acoming struggle :" This I will ask ; tell it me right, O Lord (Ahura) will the gooddeeds of men be rewarded already before the best life comes ? . . ,"(The " best life "future life, for the good.)~^ "This I will ask thee ; tell it me right, O Lord are those thingswhich I will proclaim really .so?Will the righteous acquire holinessby their good deeds ? Wilt thou award them the kingdom (ofheaven Khshathra) through the good mind ? (vohu-mant>) . . .How will my soul att.ain to bli.ss ? . . . Will piety (ar)naili)come to those, O Mazda, to whom thy faith is declared ? . . ." This I -\vill ask thee ; tell it me right, O Lord who of those towhom I am speaking here is a friend of Truth (asha), who of False¬hood (druj) ? On which side stand the wicked ? And are they notwicked, the unbelievers, who make thy benefits vain ? (by attackingand robbing the followers of Ahura-Mazda) . . ,