Of Ferdoosee. 25 
Ty writer of this sketch, is not consci- 
ous of having estimated too highly the genius 
of his Author; yct he is fully sensible of the 
task which remains to him of selecting some 
specimens of his works. Independently of the 
almost total impossibility of rendering faith- 
fully, and, at the same time, with grace 
and spirit, the beauties of an original com- 
position, our associations with words are so 
strong, and the terms of one language so sel- 
dom convey to the mind precisely the same 
ideas as the corresponding terms of another, 
that every one must have observed how often 
expressions, which present to us in the origi- 
nal pleasing images, translated literally, lose 
their charm, or even become ridiculous; 
and if this happens frequently in the European 
languages, much more so must it be the case 
in those of the East, the structure, idioms, 
and figures of which, differ so widely from our 
own. Though very doubtful of his power to 
do justice to his subject, he proceeds however 
to execute his intention, with rather the more 
D 
