Sect. III.] Persian Literature. 265 



since regarded as a standard work in this l^ranch 

 of literature. Since that time much has been ac- 

 complished in the same field of inquiry. An at- 

 tempt Avili be made to select a few out of the nu- 

 merous facts and names which might be mentioned 

 under this head. 



About the middle of the century M.Anquctil 

 du Perron, of France, made a voyage to the east, 

 for the purpose of recovering the writings of Zo- 

 roaster, or Zaratusht, the celebrated ancient phi- 

 losopher, who is said to have reformed, or found- 

 ed, the religion of the Magi. After spending a 

 number of years in Persia and India, and apply- 

 ing himself to Persian literature with great zeal, 

 he returned to his own country in 1761, and not 

 long afterwards published a work under the title 

 of Zend-Avesta, a work ascribed to Zoroaster, and 

 said to contain his pretended revelations. Though 

 it seems to be generally agreed that this work is 

 spurious *, and that it was compiled long posterior 

 to the time in which Zoroaster lived ; yet it is, on 

 several accounts, an interesting publication, and 

 a rich source of instruction to the student of Per- 

 sian literature f . 



About the time in which M. Anquetil publish- 

 ed this work, the study of the Persian language 

 began to receive much attention, and to become 

 fashionable amono- some of the literati of Great 

 Britain. Warren Hastings, under w hose auspices, 



* Sir William Jones, on the appearance of this work, immedi- 

 ately decided that it was spurious. See his Lettre a M. A du 



p dans laquelle est compris VExamen de sa traduction des livret 



attribues a Zoroastre, 1771' 



t Zend-Avesta, Ouvmge de Zoroastre, c^-c, 3 torn. 4 to, 1/71. 



