296 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
form as Ganjw l-ganj, and is most probably not genuine. The 
author apparently possessed good knowledge of Arabic and 
could not invent such an unnatural expression. 
his first volume is divided into six babs, of which only 
five are extant. They deal with the usual topics of moral 
doctrine, recommending different virtues, stich as reasonable- 
ness (tab II), energy (ba6 III), other general qualities useful 
in administration (bab IV), etc. The fifth bab gives some 
moral maxims on various subjects, and the sixth contains 
anecdotes a oe the legendary ideal officials who lived under 
Chosroes (Kisra 
Each of these babs is angen divided into many un- 
numbered fasls, and the latter, in their turn, also uniformly 
or theory in et There are also very few pee politic 
and administrative questions involved, as the majority are 
moral rules of the most elementary natu 
e author does not mention the sources from which he 
has compiled his bcok.! The maxims contained in the work 
are attributed to a small number of authorities, almost all 
legendary: Buzurjmihr, Socrates, Aristotle, Alexander the 
Macedonian, and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law of the Prophet. : 
None of these aphorisms and maxims have, indeed, anything 
to do with the historical Ate to whom they are ascribed. 
Only one authority may more historically authentic, i.e. 
Aba ‘Ali, who probably is saanteal with ros ‘Ali b. Sina, or the 
famous ‘Avisoana (d. 42 .H./1037 D.), to whom some 
works on ethics are ektribated. granatle the Zafar-nama, a 
translation from the Pehlevi.* 
From the point of view of philosophy, as mentioned 
above, the work hardly deserves attention. Its va alue lies in 
another direction: in the large collection of historical anec- 
dotes which the author gives for the illustration of mural rules. 
Some of them apparently are taken from rare early sources. 
Others may be based on oral tradition and deal with events, 
not very remote from the author’s time. 

' T have noticed only one reference (it. “25y-26) : 
ra te! X91 gt Zs CUS 9 res! one dal S 
resence amongst the ancient sages probably is re ane’ 
tis s Shi itic tetiduiiciea. oh h are manifest from some epit added 
after ‘Alls name, On f. 29 there is added pledls wt pba! Se vase 
enor = — been used by a Sunnite. 
S Catalomud of the Society’s Segue collection, 
ci senna to other catalogues are giv 
No. 1369, 
Te, oe 
