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280
EPISTLES OF MÂNÛSKİHAR.
mysterious dignity, encompassed with happiness, now possess increasing prosperity and a complete share of pre-eminent welfare and great exaltation in both worlds.
2. The epistle ? which was wisely, properly, and with religious demeanour ordered by you, and sent by a courier (paiko), has come, and has enveloped and assailed (gasto) me, indeed, with appalling intelligence on other subjects; and if even a portion 3 of the vast importance and great value, as regards your heavenly concerns, arrangements, and natural and unpremeditated (avarik) prodigies“, which are for my knowledge, for the sake of courteous (dradik) information, be owing to intelligence for which the courteousness and proper courageousness are among you, special pleasure is received therewith. 3. And praise is, thereupon, recited by me to the sacred beings, as regards the conflicting affairs even of this disordered (game zisniko) existence; worldly possessions, as much as are suitable for the assistance of wisdom, are proper", and the gift of virtuous pleasure is the gain of the undeserving good work or prayer they (the sacred beings) shall accept; it causes aggrandizement and is as deserving as even that which the decision of
1 Or, sent down in,' according as we read parvasto or frosto.
* An epistle complaining of certain heretical teachings of their high-priest, Zâd-sparam, which is no longer extant.
* Reading va hat va har-ik.
• The epistle which he had received from his brother, Zád. sparam, some time before, seems also to have mentioned certain omens (see Ep. II, i, 3).
.J omits shayedo, are proper,' because it follows the other shayed, are suitable;' but it is not always safe to assume that the repetition of a word is a blunder.
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