200 Alfred von Kremers edition of W&qidy. [No. 3. 



castle. The beauty and soft feminine character of Lay la had become 

 known all over the desert, and were the theme of conversation among 

 the Arabian chiefs. One day as Lokayz was staying with the Laird, he 

 demanded his daughter in marriage. Lokayz had not the courage 

 to refuse him, but he did not give him a promise. 



The rivalry of these two lovers is the plot of the story which 

 throughout is with great art connected with the political history of 

 the time to heighten its interest. It is not my intention to give the 

 outline of it, but I wish to call the attention of the reader to the 

 method of treating the subject, which is peculiar to the Arabs and 

 constitutes their epos. The narrative is in prose, whose only charm is 

 its great simplicity, and it forms only a small proportion of the work. 

 The greater part of the story consists of speeches, disputations, 

 and monologues, which are all in verse and not without poetical 

 beauty. They are always dignified and contain noble passions, and 

 much wisdom. 



Compositions of this description seem at all times to have been po- 

 pular among the Arabs. The earliest and most beautiful specimen 

 is the book of Job. It consists almost entirely of speeches, which 

 are highly poetical. One of the productions, which up to this day 

 are popular at Damascus is the Dywan Bany Hilal, which consists 

 chiefly of poetical monologues and disputations. 



The first century after the conquests of the Arabs was the most 

 poetical age recorded in oriental history. Savages, with great 

 natural talents, were the masters of the fairest countries in the 

 world. The luxuries of civilized life have a great charm which they 

 could not resist. They lived in great ease in the cities of Syria, 

 Egypt and Persia, their only occupation being the exercise of arms 

 and the defence of the country. The wealthy ryots were the slaves 

 of the Musalman community and had to support them. As these 

 barbarians advanced in civilization they looked back with pride and 

 veneration on the simple manners and exalted heroism of their 

 fathers. Eefinement and luxury deprived them of the energy to 

 imitate their example but they filled them with a taste for what is 

 beautiful and great. The traditions regarding the original condi- 

 tion and exploits of their ancestors assumed therefore more and more 

 an ideal character ; and a poetical light was poured over the history 



