ORIENTAL. 291 



Rustan), the Hercules of Persia. The history of Alexander the 

 Great, entitled Iskander-Nameh, is a favourite subject in Persia ; 

 and has been written by Nizanii ; by Mir Ali, of Shirvan ; by Achmed 

 of Kirvan ; by Emir Soliraan; and by Jami; the first and last of 

 whom have best succeeded. Ahmedi composed a heroic poem, on 

 the actions of Tamerlane. 



Among the Persian lyric poems-, are those of Ansari, Essedi, and 

 Anvari, (orEnweri), whose cassides are unsurpassed. The odes of 

 Khakani, (or Chakani), are spirited and sublime : and those of Mir 

 Chosru, (or Emir Khosrou), are very elegant. The divan, of Hafiz, 

 contains many sprightly odes and songs, chiefly anacreontic. There 

 are also books of odes, or divans, by Jami, Ahli, Saib, Arsi, Casim, 

 Shahi, Hatefi, Senai, Shefali, and others. The Gulistan, or bed of 

 roses, and the Bostan, or garden, of Sadi, are longer poems, highly 

 praised, both for style and morality. Jarnis Beharistan, or mansion 

 of the spring, as also his Chain of gold, Gift of the noble, and Man- 

 ners of the just, are moral and didactic poems, like those of Sadi. 

 The Lawful magic, and the Taper and the moth, by Ahli; the Se- 

 crets of lovers, the Seven faces, and the Treasure of secrets, by Ni- 

 zami ; and the Junction of two seas, Beauty and love, the Conqueror 

 and triumpher, by Catebi, we have barely room to mention. The 

 Pend-Nameh, of Attar, a contemporary of Sadi, is a valuable collec- 

 tion of proverbs : and the Kilat el Metnavi, (or Masnavi), of Gela- 

 leddin Roumi, surnamed Balkhi, treats of religion, history, morals, 

 and politics, with great energy and richness. Reshidi's Enchanted 

 gardens, is a treatise on the art of poetry. 



Of Persian romantic poetry, and romance, the story of Leila and 

 Meinoun, (or Laila and Mejnoun), has been written by Nizami, 

 Hatifi, Jami, and others. Nizami also wrote the loves of Chosru 

 and Shirin, (or Chosrou and Schirin) ; and Jami wrote Joseph and 

 Zuleika, (Jussuf or Yusuf and Zuleica), as also Selman and Msal ; 

 both of which are contained in his collection of seven poems, called 

 the Seven stars of the bear. Baharam and Gulendam, is a roman- 

 tic poem by Catebi; and there are long poems by Chosrou, Abubatha, 

 and Nani, probably of a romantic character. The Thousand and one 

 Nights, is said to have been written by Humai, a Persian queen ; 

 and the Thousand and one Days, in imitation of it, is devoted to the 

 praise of men, as the former is to the vindication of women. The 

 Bahar Damich, or garden of knowledge, by Doollah, or Oollah ; the 

 Tooti-Nameh, (Tuti-nama), or tales of a parrot, and the Tales of 

 Bakhtyar, and the Ten Viziers, are also of a romantic character. 

 The Hatim Tai, is a popular romance on the adventures of Hatim ; 

 and the Heft Peiker, by Nizami, relates to the adventures of Beh- 

 ram. The Bos fan i Khyal, or garden of imagination, is an historical 

 romance. The fables of Pilpay, so called, have been translated 

 into Persian by Rudigi, (or Roudeki), under the title of Anwar So- 

 heili ; and there are other translations of the same. 



3. Hindoo Callography, is chiefly based on the Hindoo My- 

 thology, as comprehended in the sacred books, in the Sanscrit tongue, 

 which we have already mentioned in the department of Theology, 

 (p. 133). It is chiefly in the hands of the Brahmins ; and has been 



