BABYLON AND PERSIA

ANOTABLE RELIGIOUS SURVIVAL.also knew that the Parsis believe in a number ofspiritual beings who take care of the world underthe orders and supervision of the Creator, in sixspirits more exalted still and partaking in theiressence of some of the Divine qualities, also inthe existence and powefof sainted souls, and that theyinvoke all these beings in prayersomewhat as the Roman and Orien¬tal churches do angels, archangels,and saints. Lastly, scholars knewthat the Parsis professed to followstrictly and undeviatingly the law ofZoroaster, asit was handeddown from their ancestors be¬fore the conquest, the Per¬sians of the Sassanian period,who were, in their turn, saidto have received it from re¬mote antiquity.Now theseassertions are strongly con¬firmed by a great many pas¬sages from Greek and Romanwriters of various times,whose accounts (fragmentary . ~^ :. as they are) of the beliefs 2, a parsi lady (modern).and religious practices of the Persians as ' theyknew them in their time, agree remarkably withthe beliefs and practices of the modern Parsis.The name of Zoroaster, too, is mentioned by manyclassical authors, vaguely, it is true, and with manydefiled flame is certainly the most sublime natural representation ofHim who is in Himself Eternal Light." ,,nr,r "v^ 1,-vT!