508 
thofe fcanty relics make us the more regret 
fhe_reit, which have perifhed in the wreck 
of ages. ) : 
’ The anecdotes which we poffefs concern- 
ing the Life of Lockman, are found {cat- 
tered in the works of feveral Oriental 
writers, who have introduced them as an 
ornament and. acquifition to their poems 
and other works. I fhall here add a few 
extraGis from. fome of thefe authors, 
which may efit in furnifhing a biogra- 
phical account of this eminent man. 
The celebrated Perfian Poet, Gelal-ed- 
dyn, furnamed F/ Balkby, relates, in his 
moral poem, intitled Methnawy, an an- 
ecdote of Lokman,-which is alfo attribut- 
ed to Efop; and Gelal.ed-dyn makes ufe 
of this anecdote to introduce a truly fin- 
gular moral application. ; 
«© Lokman (fays he) was accufed be- 
fore his mafter, by his fellow-flaves, of 
having eaten fome forbidden fruits, when 
they themfelves had been the offenders ; 
but the fage juftified himfelf by drinking 
warm water, and making his accufers do 
the fame: they foon vomited the fruits, 
and the innocence of Lokman was efta- 
blithed. 
«© Oye (adds the poet) who here be- 
Tow cloak yourfelves with the vefiments of 
the upright man, and conceal within your 
hearts every kind of vice, when, in the 
great day of judgment you'will be com- 
pelled to drink of its hot and fealding 
water, all that you have hid from the 
world with fo much care will appear in 
open view to all, and che reputation which 
you have gained through-your hypocrify, 
will then be changed into fhame ‘and con- 
fufion.”’ 
Waheb, in a Turkifh Commentary on 
the thirty-firft Sourate of the Koran, re- 
jJates fome of the fententious maxims of our 
Fabulift : 
*« Lokman (fays he) being afked from 
whom he had learned that wifdom and dif- 
cernment, which made him fhine fo con- 
f{picuoufly on every fubjeét, anfwered—It 
is from the blind, who will believe nothing 
but what they touch with their own 
hands.” 
Waheb alfo adds, ** It was Lokman 
who firft faid that the tongue and the 
heart were both the beft and the worft 
parts of man.” 
This faying has alfo been attributed to 
Efop, by the writers of his Life. _ 
Saady, the moft illuftrious of the Per- 
fian poets, relates, in his Boffaz and his 
Guljian, feveral traits and maxims of 
Lokman, of which I fhall only give the 
two following ; ? 
Notice concerniag the Writings Pr stmar: 2 
[Jam 
«¢ A caravan, in which Lokman wag 
prefent, having been pillaged by robbers, 
who could not be moved to pity by the 
tears and lamentations of the fufferers, 
‘on@@of the plundered merchants faid to 
Lokman, * ‘Thou fhouldeft have given to 
thefe robbers leflons of wifdom and good 
conduct ; perhaps they might then have 
been diverted'from their purpofe by thy 
advice and remonftrances, and would have 
reftored to us our goods, or, at leaft, in 
part repaired the heavy fofs which they 
have cccafioned’ us.” 
‘ It would have been a much’ greater 
Jofs (replied Lokman) to have thrown 
‘away leffons of wifdem on villains inca- 
pable of wndeifianding or appreciating 
them. No file’ can polith the iron when 
the ruft has entirely confumed it.’* _ 
«* Lokman being afked, whence he had 
drawn that treafure of virtue and wifdom, 
which he poffeffed in fo eminent a degree, 
anfwered—‘ It is from the foolifh and 
wicked: by obferving their actions, and 
comparing them with the diétates of my - 
own conference, I have learned what te 
perform, and what to fhun; the wife and 
prudent man can extract benefit from poi- - 
fon itfelf, whilft the moft excellent pre 
cepts are of no advantage to the fool.” 
Another remarkable trait is related in a 
Perfian poem, intitled Niganifian : . 
‘¢ Lokman’s matier having one day 
given him a bitter melon or coloquintida 
to eat: ‘he immediately ate it, without 
fhewing the leaft repugnance. Aftonifhed 
at this act of obedience, his mafter afked 
him how he had been able to take a fruit 
fo difagreeable to the tafle—* I have re- 
ceived fo many fweets from you (replied 
Lokman) that it is not furprifing I fhould 
have eaten the only bitter fruit which you 
have ever given me.” 
His mafter, touched with his wife and 
excellent fentiments, gave him his Jiberty 5 
a circumftance which is alfo related of 
Efop. 
I fhali conclude this colleétion of anecs 
dotes concerning Lokman, extraéted from 
the Oriental writers, by the following 
ftory.: 
Lokman was one day feated in the 
midit of a circle of auditors; who were 
eagerly crowding round to profit by his 
leffons of wifdom, when a man, who pre- 
tended to the charaéter of a phildfopher, 
jealous of feeing him furrounded with a 
throng of difciples, afked him, if he was 
not that flave, who was formerly feen at- 
tending his mafter’s flocks? ‘* It is true 
(faidLokman modeftly)I am he.” The en- 
vious man then afked him,how he had beer 
) 2 : able 
