One thousand years after the birth of Christ there reigned, in the eastern provinces of the
land of Iran, a great prince named Mahmud. He Was the son of Subuktigin, Ca prince who, from the low condition of a slave, had raised himself, by his courage and conduct, to the throne of Ghazni. It was pretended that this man, in his early years of servitude, had received an intimation from Heaven of future greatness. One day, when enjoying the pleasures of the chase, and riding fast and far over hill and dale, he succeeded in hunting down a fawn, and was carrying off his prize when he saw that the dam followed him with painful signs of distress. His heart was touched; and he released the trembling little captive-—-to be rewarded by the evident gratitude of the mother, who frequently turned and fixed her gaze upon him as she trotted back to the forest with her offspring. That night the prophet appeared to Subuktigin in a dream, and informed him that in recompense of his humanity, he would be raised to rule over a kingdom, adding, that he must then display the like humanity towards his fellow-men.