Notices respecting Ncic Booh. 36 1 



Tlalian translation published at Venice in IG97, and a 

 Latin translation in manuscript bv the celebrated Rciske. 

 The Turkish editor of these Chronological Tables has finished 

 the Life of Hadji Khalfa, which the latter had added to one 

 of his works, entitled Mizan-Jlhnkk, i. e. The Balance of 

 Truth. It shows us Hadji Khalfa consecrating the greatest 

 part of his life to study or teaching, neglecting no niethod 

 of- increasing his knowledge, and voluntarilv renouncing 

 the pleasures and illusions of ambition, in order to amass, 

 in tranquillity, the materials for a great number of useful 

 works, with which he has successively enriched the litera- 

 ture of his country. He finished his mortal career in the 

 year 1068 of the Hegira (A. D. 1657). We are ignorant 

 how old he was, the year of his birth not being mentioned ; 

 but it is probable that he was not 60, since he was ap- 

 pointed to the situation of adjunct or commissary in the 

 office of accounts for Natolia, being the first he filled, in 

 the year 1032. 



To the Life of Hadji Khalfa, in itself a precious relic of 

 literary history, succeed short notices of the seven original 

 works, the extracts from which compose the work before 

 us; and after all, a tale in the fornj of a dialogue, extracted 

 from the last of these works j but the original Arabic has 

 for its author, according to report, Imam Gayali. 



The interlocutors cnoatred in this dialogue arc, a young 

 Arab named Beschir, and a young Persian named Schadan, 

 and their conversation takes place in presen.cc of the khalif 

 Haroun Kaschid, who arrives at the moment these two 

 young people, both strangers, meet, and imbibe a mar- 

 vellous sympathy for each other. The khalif. after having 

 received their salutations and politely answered them, struck 

 with the vivacity of their looks, addresses himself to Be- 

 schir, and asks him whence he came, and how old he is. 

 Beschir answers him in a sententious and ^enigmatical man- 

 ner. To the question put by Haroun, " Combicii (hiniues 

 accz-vous P" (How old are vou ?) " Aiinnies." (Xoue) he 

 ans.wcrcd : the years are in the hands of God ! J low many 

 do you count, then ? I count, said the Arab, fron) one 



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