Sir R. Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, &c. 
the purest, and therefore’ most proper 
type of the divinity.) But how far their 
gencral doctrine accords with that'of the 
ancient magi, may in some measure’ be 
judged, by reading the books” of ‘their 
faith, said to ‘have been'compiled from 
the coral records of the’ Dustdors, or 
priests'ofthe Guebres, several ages after 
tthe Mahomedan destruction of the sacred 
parehments at Persepolis. Doubtless, 
in «these ‘documents, some part of the 
origina) Mithrati¢ system may be traced; 
hut much more''is to be found of the 
polytheistical innovations which de- 
graded the oneeé spiritualized religion 
of) Persia,into*the grossness of general 
idolatry, Of the “Zendavesta, and 
Boundehesh, two of these books, we 
have translations*by Mons. Aquitel du 
Perron; and, ‘besides, are in possession 
of two, also:deemed ancient, the Dabis- 
ian and Desatir, lately discovered in 
India‘; and ‘both of which that great ori- 
entalist, Sir William Jones, considers to 
be genuine works, and unexceptionable 
authority.’ From these, we find a de- 
cided *belief in an all-powerful and su- 
preme Goud, whom they considered the 
first object of adoration; then follows the 
host-of heaven, commonly known under 
tie names of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the 
Sun,; Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. 
These seven intelligences of the ancient 
magi; together with their attendant 
‘spirits, ‘agree with the seven divine 
agents andtheir satellites of the modern 
Parse and Gnebre. In the Dabistan, 
the peculiar symbol under which each 
planet was to be worshipped, is de- 
seribed; the whole bearing a striking 
similarity:1o many of the idols of the 
Hindods, the hieroglyphics of Egypt, 
and to the cylinders of Ninevah and 
Babylon.’ A coincidence that bears out 
the idea of idolatry having originated in - 
the East, and that ancient Assyria was 
indeed the parent of pagan worsbip. 
PERSIAN FRUIT, 
The: variegated flours of our rooms 
were nearly covered with heaps of the 
finest apples, pears, and every sort of 
niclons; besides the most beautifal 
grapes: I ever beheld; all piled up in 
high) pyramids, and) glowing with’ the 
ricly colours and various bloom of fruit, 
whose; delicious ' freshness “was ‘more 
grateful to theveye, than a palace’s most 
usual gorgeous farniture: ‘he fragrance 
aiid beauty of flowers mingled with na- 
ture’s sweet) banquet round “1s; but, 
when we partook of its luxuries, our 
Easopean palates found most of them 
djvu luscious for our colder tastes ; the 
581 
grapes, in particular, though possessing 
many different flavours, were invariably 
too’ cloying for refreshment. The fruit 
of ‘highest zest, isa small red plum, in 
shape like our grecn-gage, with some- 
thing of the same taste, but much more 
exquisite; and this was our favourite 
dessert. At’ this time of the year, the 
country around’ Ispahan’ teems with 
fruit of every ‘description, allowing the 
lower orders to purchase a load of the 
common sort for a few pieces of copper 
money. In consequence of this plenty, 
and the fondness of the people for so 
light and cooling a food, itis rather de- 
voured than eaten, and in such immo- 
derate quantities, that the effects on 
their bowels carries off whole families, 
and even districts, as if swept by the 
plague. 
ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 
Gilpaigon is the provincial capital of 
a khan, who governs the small district 
from which it takes its name. The 
town itself is supposed to contain about 
{wo thousand persons. Nearly a couple 
of farsangs before we reachied this little 
rural metropolis, we found. the road 
divide itself; one branch leading to the 
village of Gobikaw, the regular halting- 
place, in the way to Liamadan, and the 
other to the town which we had ‘chosen 
for our menzil. Gobikaw, with two 
other villages of less: dimensions, but 
promisivg equal refreshment, ‘from the 
number of trees which mingled their gay 
green with the rustic dwellings, spread 
themselves along the base of the same 
line of hills which cover the town of 
Gilpaigon, and seemed quite in as good 
condition. The impression this’ sight, 
with its accompanying cultivation, made 
on my mind as I approached, can hardly 
be conceived by an European’ who has 
never wandered from happy Christen- 
dom: so beyond imagination is the dif- 
ference, between the populousness and 
aspect of countries, which own such dif- 
fereut governments as those of Asia and 
Europe. Here, in the Kast, with regard 
to population and’ its habitations, this 
vast tract of country, (once the very 
well-spring of emigration to all na- 
tions of) the ‘earth,) appears like the dry 
bed of some former great river ; where 
the depth, und the space, evidence the 
mighty flood by which it might have 
been filled; and a few pools of stagnant 
water, dotting the’ marshy ‘surface, re- 
main vestiges that such an’ element 
really did fill it. “No man can enter 
Persia, without remenibering he is 
about to tread a Jaud which a long line 
of 
