“This upstart soldier of fortune,” reflected he, “has an unseemly habit of overcoming and leading captive legitimate princes; thus prejudicing Divine right in the eyes of the vulgar.  The skin of his predecessor Valerian, curried and stuffed with straw, hangs to this hour in the temple at Ctesiphon, a pleasing spectacle to the immortal gods.  How would my own skin appear in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus?  This must not be.  I will send an embassy to him, and impress him with my greatness.  But how?”

He accordingly convoked his counsellors; the viziers, the warriors, the magi, the philosophers; and addressed them thus: 

“The king deigns to consult ye touching a difficult matter.  I would flatter the pride of Rome, without lowering the pride of Persia.  I would propitiate Aurelian, and at the same time humble him.  How shall this be accomplished?”

The viziers, the warriors, and the magi answered not a word.  Unbroken silence reigned in the assembly, until the turn came to the sage Marcobad, who, prostrating himself, said, “O king, live for ever!  In ancient times, as hath been delivered by our ancestors, Persians were instructed in three accomplishments—­to ride, to draw the bow, and to speak the truth.  Persia still rides and shoots; truth-speaking (praised be Ormuzd!) she hath discontinued as unbefitting an enlightened nation.  Thou needest not, therefore, scruple to circumvent Aurelian.  Offer him that which thou knowest will not be found in his treasury, seeing that it is unique in thine own; giving him, at the same time, to understand that it is the ordinary produce of thy dominions.  So, while rejoicing at the gift, shall he be abashed at his inferiority.  I refer to the purple robe of her majesty the queen, the like of which is not to be found in the whole earth, neither do any know where the dye that tinges it is produced, save that it proceeds from the uttermost parts of India.”

“I approve thy advice,” replied Bahram, “and in return will save thy life by banishing thee from my dominions.  When my august consort shall learn that thou hast been the means of depriving her of her robe, she will undoubtedly request that thou mayest be flayed, and thou knowest that I can deny her nothing.  I therefore counsel thee to depart with all possible swiftness.  Repair to the regions where the purple is produced, and if thou returnest with an adequate supply, I undertake that my royal sceptre shall be graciously extended to thee.”

The philosopher forsook the royal presence with celerity, and his office of chief examiner of court spikenard was bestowed upon another; as also his house and his garden, his gold and his silver, his wives and his concubines, his camels and his asses, which were numerous.

While the solitary adventurer wended his way eastward, a gorgeous embassy travelled westward in the direction of Rome.

Arrived in the presence of Aurelian, and at the conclusion of his complimentary harangue, the chief envoy produced a cedar casket, from which he drew a purple robe of such surpassing refulgence, that, in the words of the historian who has recorded the transaction, the purple of the emperor and of the matrons appeared ashy grey in comparison.  It was accompanied by a letter thus conceived: