1859.] On the Swayamvara of the Ancient Hindus. 35 



eye and like to him whom she had seen in the dream, and overjoyed 

 she gave to him the cup ; and he, seizing her in his arms, bore her 

 away to his chariot and fled. And the servants and handmaidens, 

 who knew of their love, stood silent, and when her father charged 

 them to speak, they said that they knew not whither she was gone. 

 And this story of their love is known among all the barbariaus who 

 dwell in Asia, and greatly indeed do they prize it, and they sculpture 

 it upon their temples and palaces, aye and even in their private 

 houses ; and many of the nobles call their daughters Odatis after 

 her." 



Firdausi's great national epic is a Mausoleum in which he has 

 embalmed all his country's ancient heroes, and inscribed all the old 

 names associated with her days of independence, before her glories 

 succumbed to Islam at Cadesia. He tells us that he collected his 

 materials from the legends which he found floating amongst the 

 Dihkdns or landed proprietors* of Persia, more especial!}?" in the 

 remoter provinces. He thus gathered together the fragments of 

 " Border Minstrelsy," and incorporated them in his own great poem, 

 which, far from being a mere tissue of his own inventions, like 

 Ariosto's Orlando, was meant to be a faithful monument of all that 

 was remembered of Persia's heroic times. 



That his work contains so little that is available for historical 

 researches, arises from various causes, but there is no need to in- 

 crease their number by supposing wanton infidelity to his trust on 

 the part of the poet. So few of the Greek writers on Oriental sub- 

 jects are preserved, that we have hardly any means left us to test 



* " Les Dihkans formaient une classe de l'ancienne noblesse persane. lis 

 etaient selon la definition qu'en donne le Modjmel-al-Tewarikh, " des chefs, des 

 proprietaires de terres et de Tillages," et formaient une aristocratie territoriale 



qui retint, meme sous le gouvernement des arabes, son influence locale Leur 



condition sous le khalifat devait etre a peu pres la meme que celle des families 

 saxonnes de l'Angleterre qui garderent leurs propriety sous les Normands, et a 

 qui leur influence hereditaire tient encore aujourd'hui lieu de titres de noblesse 

 [country families']." M. Mohl's preface to his edition of the Shahnameh, vol. i. 

 p. viii. The position of the dihkans is a most important link in the chain that 

 connects the present reminiscences of Persia with her own earlier times. Their 

 authority is quoted in every part of the Shahnameh. 



E 3 



