264 Oriental Literature, [Chap. XIV. 



Ryer. But in the century under consideration 

 this ancient record of the Mahometan faith was 

 ably translated into English, from the original 

 Arabic^ "by ]\Ir. George Sale, an English gentle- 

 man profoundly versed in the literature of Arabia, 

 and who accompanied Iiis work with instructive 

 and highly interesting annotations. The Koi^an 

 was also translated, a itw years afterwards, into 

 the French language, by M. Savary, the celebrated 

 traveller into Egypt*. The appearance of this 

 version may be considered as forming an epoch in 

 the progress of the sacred literature of Arabia 

 among the learned of Europe. The translations 

 of some other important works, both prose and 

 poetical, from the Arabic, in the course of the 

 last fifty years, may also be mentioned as favoura- 

 ble to the same object. 



SECTION III. 



PERSIAN LITERATURE. 



The Persian language was also an object of con- 

 siderable attention, and the knowledge of Persian 

 literature made some progress in Europe during 

 the last age. It was before remarked that the la- 

 bours of Dr. Hyde, towards the close of the se- 

 venteenth century, contributed much to the pro- 

 motion of this object. This gentleman, from va- 

 rious Persian and Arabian writings, from the rela- 

 tions of travellers, together with numerous letters 

 from persons in the east, compiled his celebrated 

 work on the ancient Persians, which has been ever 



* This version makes a part of his Letters on Egypt and Greece , 

 6 vols, 8vo. 



