240 LIVES OF THE MOGHUL EMPERORS. 
the transactions of his life we might imagine that we 
had got among the adventurous knights of Froissart. 
This, as well as the simplicity of his language, he owed 
to his being a Turk. That style which wraps up a 
worthless meaning in a mist of words, and the eti- 
quette which annihilates the courtier in the presence of 
his prince, were still, fortunately for Baber, foreign to 
the Turki race, among whom he was born and edu- 
cated. 
Upon the whole, if we review with impartiality 
the history of Asia, we shall find few princes entitled 
to rank higher than Baber in genius and accomplish- 
ments. His grandson Akbar may perhaps be placed 
above him for profound and benevolent policy. The 
crooked artifice of Aurungzebe is not entitled to the 
same distinction. The merit of Jengyz Khan and of 
Tamerlane terminates in their splendid conquests, 
which far excelled the achievements of Baber : but in 
activity of mind — in the gay equanimity and unbroken 
spirit with which he bore the extremes of good and 
bad fortune — in the possession of the manly and social 
virtues, so seldom the portion of princes — in his love of 
letters and his success in the cultivation of them, we 
shall probably find no other Asiatic prince who can 
justly be placed beside him.”* 
* Supplement to the Memoirs, p. 452. 
LONDON : 
PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, 
Dorset-street, Fleet-street. 
