22 Life and Writings 
his writings, but still they shew a wonderful 
freedom from’ those meretricious ornaments 
and puerile conceits, and those affected forms 
of expression, which disgrace the best com- 
positions of his country. 
It does not consist with the object of the 
present sketch to enter into a detail of the 
faults of Ferdoosee. ‘The Shah-nameh, ad- 
mirable as-it is in many respects, is still a 
Persian poem, and the candour of European 
critics must be called upon to make large 
allowances for its imperfections. In so long 
a performance it is not wonderful that there 
are passages which are tedious, and that the 
action sometimes languishes. The minute- 
ness of the Poet sometimes degenerates into 
feebleness, and occasionally becomes ridicu- 
lous. He has many weak and faulty verses. 
His figures are sometimes too gigantic or far 
fetched; his thoughts often forced and unna- 
tural. His language occasionally is too in- 
flated, and sometimes borders on extrava- 
gance. But these and other blemishes may 
be traced rather to the age and country in 
which he lived than to any want of genius. 
‘‘ Had he been born in Europe,” says the 
laborious editor of the printed edition of 
the Shah-nameh, “ he might have left a work 
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