“The sixth branch, or that of steel, is the reign of Nushirwan, through whose equity the aged world shall be restored to youth; and although _Mazdak_ of corrupt heart shall pursue his designs, yet will he be unable to do any injury to the pure faith. The seventh branch, or that of mixed iron, is emblematic of the time when the period of a thousand years verges to its end,[426] and the royal dignity falls to _Mazdakin_, and no respect remains to the pure faith; then a people clothed in black, oppressors of the poor, without title, reputation, or merit, friends to tumult and wickedness, fraudulent, hypocritical, and deceitful, bitter of heart like aloes, with honied tongue, traitors to bread and salt, ungrateful, speakers of falsehood, alike building the most magnificent mansions and fond of ruined caravansarais, seeking the ways of hell, having conspired together will destroy the fire-temples, and turn to themselves the spirit of the inhabitants of Iran. The sons and daughters of the nobles shall fall into their hands, and the children of the virtuous and mighty become their attendants: nay, this race shall make a covenant-breaker king over them: “That person among them obtains both power and rank, Whose career is directed to the production of misery. “When this millennium comes to a termination, the clouds shall mostly appear unattended by rain; the rains not fall in their season; heats predominate; the water of rivers be lessened; few cows or sheep be left remaining; and men despicable in figure, small of stature, weak in form, shall then be met with. “The speed of the horse and the rider shall suffer diminution, And no productive energy remain in the bosom of the sown field.” “Men shall gird the sacred zone in secrecy, and drag on a dishonored existence, forgetting altogether the _Náúroz_ and _the festival of Farvardin_.[427] “The mouth of Safandármuz shall be opened wide, And the hidden treasures cast forth and exposed to view.” “An evil-disposed rapacious host of Turks shall come to Iran, and force away the crown and throne from its chieftains. O, Zardusht! communicate these tidings to the Mobeds, that they may impart them to the people.” Zardusht replied: “How shall the professors of the true faith be able to perform their worship?” to which this answer was given: “When the second millennium commences, mankind shall behold more calamity than was witnessed in the times of Zohák and Afrasiáb; and when that period is terminated, there will not be found any one of the least merit among the professors of the true faith. “From every quarter they shall prepare to assail Iran, With their chargers’ hoofs they shall lay it waste.”