1853.] The first volwne of the original text of 'Tabary. 195 



The first volume of the original text of Tabary. — By Dr. 

 A. Speengee. 



In the library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, No. 443 is an old 

 MS. on the margin of the first page of which the words uifi &* **Jai 

 f^jixJ\ are written in an old hand, but not in the hand of the copyist, 

 and it has consequently been entered in the Society's catalogue 

 under this title. On examination it turns out to be a very consider- 

 able portion of the first volume of the original text of Tabary. 

 This is proved by the fact that Ibn /Tomayd is constantly quoted, as 

 the informant of the author, and observations on the original tradi- 

 tions, which compose the body of the works, are in the fashion of 

 Tabary preceded by the words (Sji^ 1 jtj§* W?' j®*&- y) J 1 *. To 

 these words, the formula ajjIp *JJ| &+a*j are added, which might shake 

 our faith in the identity of the work, but it is clear they are the 

 additions of the pious copyist. 



The volume is not only incomplete (there are six or fourteen 

 leaves wanting in the commencement) but the book-binder has dis- 

 placed the leaves. It is in small 4to., 216 pp. of 17 lines, written in 

 a clear, old and correct hand. The contents do not appear suffi- 

 ciently important to deserve more than a summary notice. The 

 author treats of the creation, of time, of the eternity of God, of the 

 first thing created, of the day on which the creation was begun, of 

 the order in which day and night, sun and moon were created, of 

 Iblys and the fallen angels, of the history of Adam. He gives 

 a short account of Kaytimarth&/*jAa* (the end of this Chapter 

 is wanting, or displaced by the book-binder) the death of Adam, 

 the history of Seth and his times, a few words on Tahmirath 

 the successor of Hushang, Idrys, Noah and the flood, Bayurasb 

 that is to say al-Azdahaq $*>&$, whom the Arabs call DhaMaq, 

 the history of Noah continued, the times from Noah to Abraham. 

 This is the last chapter of the book. It would perhaps be worth 

 while to extract from it the legends of the Persians contained in it. 



2 o 2 



