Of Ferdoosee. 21 
to the heart, and convince us that the Poet 
felt strongly the emotions which he describes. 
The dignity and beauty of the moral reflec- 
tions, which are liberally scattered throughout 
the work, would alune render it highly 
valuable. (9) 
The diction of Ferdoosee is soft and ele- 
gant, but at the same time bold and animated. 
His versification sinooth and polished. (10) 
His style easy and natural. He is distin- 
guished from all other Persian poets by that 
inimitable simplicity which is almost always 
the accompaniment of the highest order of 
genius. When his simplicity is thus spoken 
of, it is not meant to be understood that many 
instances of bad taste may not be found in 
(9) The following fine passage may be selected as an exainple. 
One thou exaltest, and givest him dominion, 
Another thou castest as food to the fishes ; 
One thou enrichest with treasure like Caroon, 
Another thou feedest with the bread of affliction: 
Nor is that a proof of thy love, nor thisof thy batred, 
For thou, the Creator of the world, knowest what is fit; 
Thou assignest to each man his high or low estate, 
And how shall I describe thee? THou ART, WHAT THOU ART! 
(10) The Shah-nameh is written in the purest dialect of the old 
Persian, before it had received any admixture of Arabic words. Mo- 
hammed, who admired it for its extreme sweetness, used to declare that 
it would be the language of Paradise, 
