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Of Ferdoosee. 15 
mortal events. We may sympathize with the 
despairing Roman, who invokes a Goddess, 
in whom he believes, to favour his passion 5 
but we accuse of affectation and want of 
feeling, the modern poet who addresses his 
vows to the same divinity. To relish tho- 
roughly therefore the literature of any nation, 
we must endeavour to imbue ourselves with 
its spirit. Lf we do this with regard to the 
works of oriental writers, we may find 
in them, amidst many extravagant ideas 
and false thoughts, many things also calcula- 
ted to delight the fancy, and fill the mind 
with pleasing images. Why should we dis- 
dain to receive from the Persian fables of a 
Ferdoosee something of the pleasure which 
we derive from the Gothic mythology of a 
Tasso, or the Scottish superstitions of a 
Burns or a Collins? 
The Shah-nameb, or book of kings, con- 
tains 120,000 lines. It has been called by 
some an Epic poem; by others a series of 
Epic poems: but neither with much pro- 
priety. It is in truth merely a Historical 
poem, similar in many respects to our ancient 
rhyming chronicles, but highly embellished 
with all the ornaments of poetry and fable. 
It embraces the whole period of ancient 
Persian history, commencing with the reign 
