History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

132 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. III.

were not unknown in the domestic circles of past generations of Parsis. In this they copied the other natives of the country, who considered such a mode of treatment no more than a wholesome discipline for the other sex. This has now become a thing of the past, and such conduct is considered both cowardly and unmanly.

Asa race the Parsis are highly sociable, and they embrace every opportunity of visiting or entertaining their friends and relations. A religious festival or holiday, a birthday or a marriage, are the great occasions of their social enjoyment. As an indication of increasing intellectual taste among the Parsis, it may be noted that of late English music has formed one of the amusements of their evening parties, instead of the ugly and absurd ‘“‘natches” of native dancing girls, accompanied by musicians who were far from being great masters of their profession, but who grinned, nodded, and made horrible faces in their excitement, with a view to delude the audience into the belief that they were absorbed in the spirit of their art! The natch, however, is not entirely superseded.

Each day of the Zoroastrian month of thirty days hasitsname. In the fourth century of the Christian era there flourished in Persia a “dastur” who was reputed to be very wise. His name was Adarbad Marespand, and he is said to have written a tract in Pehleyi as an admonition to his son Zarthushtra. It describes