22 HISTORY.

tame that he ran about at liberty in the grounds, and

followed his master like a dog. Of this tame lion

the tyrant made use to frighten the people who

came before him, a species of wanton sport in which

he took the gTeatest pleasure. If it so happened that

no stranger came to visit him during the hour in

which he engaged himself in his garden, he ordered

his attendants to bring any person they might meet

on the high roads to him. The invitation was suffi-

cient in itself to frighten any one to death ; but when an unfortunate man in the greatest trepida-

tion entered the garden, and in absolute fear of his

life creeping along the earth, approached the Deftur-

dar, he set the lion at him, and the poor fellow, of

course, fell senseless to the ground at the sight

of the wild beast. This was now his greatest

delight ; for, although the animal did no harm, it

was sufficient to frighten the most courageous man

to be brought in close contact with a rampant lion.

Before this animal was quite domesticated, and

whilst it was yet kept in confinement, one of the

gardener's assistants was guilty of some error, of

which the superintendant complained to the Deftur-

dar. In no case dilatory in passing judgment, he

ordered the accused, without going into details, or

listening even to the full explanation of the case, to

be cast ii^to the lion's den. This order was imme-

diately complied with ; the beast, however, treated

the poor condemned wretch like a second Daniel

;

it not only did him no harm, but, to the astonish-