Chapter 10

ANECDOTES AND ANA.

In Persian literature there are three celebrated works (Sa'di's 'Gulistan,' or Rose Garden, A.D. 1258; Jawini's 'Negaristan,' or Portrait Gallery, A.D. 1334; and Jami's 'Beharistan,' or Abode of Spring, A.D. 1487, all translated by the Kama Shastra Society), containing an entertaining collection of stories, verses, and moral maxims. In Arabic literature there are many books of the same sort, and in this chapter it is proposed to give a few specimens of stories and philosophic reflections culled from various authors. This will perhaps be more interesting than a lengthened analysis of the works themselves.

The following anecdotes have been taken from the 'Naphut-ul-Yaman' (Breeze or Breath of Yaman), a collection of stories and poetical extracts of various Arabic authors, edited by Ahmad-ash-Shirwani.

I.

Al-Jahiz said: 'I never was put so much to shame as when a woman met me on the road and said, "I have some business with you," and I followed her till we reached the shop of a goldsmith, when she said, "Like this man," and walked away. I stood amazed, and asked the goldsmith to explain the matter. He replied: "This woman wanted me to make her a figure of Satan, and I told her that I did not know his physiognomy; whereon she brought you!"'

II.

A voracious man paid a visit to a hermit, who brought him four loaves, and then went to fetch a dish of beans; but when he had come with it, he found that his guest had consumed the bread. Accordingly he departed to bring some more bread, but when he returned with it he saw that the man had devoured the beans. This proceeding was repeated ten times, whereon the host asked his guest to what place he was travelling. He replied, 'To Rei.' 'Wherefore?' 'I heard of a celebrated physician in that town, and I mean to consult him about my stomach, because I have but little appetite for eating.' 'I have a request to make of you.' 'What is it?' 'When you return, after having recovered your appetite, please do not pay me a visit again.'

III.

One day the poet Abu Nuwas made his appearance at the gate of the palace of Rashid, who, as soon as he was informed of this, called for eggs, and said to his courtiers: 'Here is Abu Nuwas at the door. Now let each of you take an egg and place it under his body, and when he enters I shall feign to be angry with all of you, and shall exclaim: "Now lay eggs each of you, and if you do not I shall order you all to be beheaded," and we shall see how he will behave.' Then the poet was admitted, and the conversation continued. After a while, however, the Khalif became angry, and manifested his displeasure by exclaiming: 'You are all like hens, and meddle with things that do concern you; now lay eggs each of you, for that is your nature, or I shall order your heads to be struck off.' Then he looked at the courtier on his right, saying: 'You are the first; now lay an egg.' Accordingly he made great efforts, and contorting his features, at last drew forth an egg. Then the Khalif addressed the others successively in the same manner, and when the turn of Abu Nuwas came, he struck his sides with his hands, and crowing like a cock, said: 'My lord, hens are useless without a cock. These are hens, and I am their cock.' Hereon the Khalif burst out laughing, and approved of his excuse.

IV.

A certain king was much addicted to women, and one of his viziers warned him of the danger. Shortly afterwards some of his concubines observed that his behaviour towards them had changed, and one of them said: 'My lord, what is this?' He replied: 'One of my viziers (mentioning his name) advised me not to love you.' 'Then,' said the girl, 'present me to him, O king, and do not reveal what I shall do to him.' Accordingly he gave the girl away, and when the vizier was alone with her, she made herself so amiable that he fell in love with her, but she refused to grant him any favour except on condition of allowing her first to ride on his back. He agreed. Accordingly she bridled and saddled him, but meanwhile sent word to the king what was taking place; and when he arrived he saw the vizier in the position alluded to, and said: 'You warned me of the love of woman, and this is the state I see you in.' The vizier replied: 'O king! this is just what I warned you of!'

V.

Once a lion, a fox, and a wolf were associates in the chase, and after they had killed an ass, a gazelle, and a hare, the lion said to the wolf: 'Divide the prey among us;' whereon the latter said: 'The ass will be yours, the hare the fox's, and the gazelle mine;' and the lion knocked his eye out. Then the fox said: 'A curse on him, what a silly division he proposed!' Accordingly the lion said: 'Then do you make the division, O possessor of the brush!' And the fox said: 'The ass will be for your dinner, the gazelle for your supper, and the hare for your luncheon.' The lion said: 'You rogue! who taught you to make such a just distribution?' and Reynard answered, 'The eye of the wolf.'

VI.

A certain king asked his vizier whether habit can vanquish nature, or nature habit? The vizier replied: 'Nature is stronger, because it is a root, and habit a branch, and every branch returns to its root.' Now the king called for wine, and a number of cats made their appearance with candles in their paws, and stood around him; then he said to the vizier: 'Do you perceive your mistake in saying that nature is stronger than habit?' The vizier replied: 'Give me time till this evening.' The king continued: 'You shall have it.' Accordingly the vizier appeared in the evening with a mouse in his sleeve, and when the cats were standing with their candles, he allowed it to slip out, whereon all the cats threw down the candles and ran after it, so that the house was nearly set on fire. Then the vizier said: 'Behold, O king, how nature overcomes habit, and how the branch returns to the root.'

The 'Merzubán námah,' translated from the Persian into Arabic, is said to be of very ancient origin, and to embody good maxims in fables. It was composed, or is supposed to have been composed, by one of the old princes of Persia called Merzuban, a brother of the King Nausherwan the Just, who died A.D. 578. On referring to the great encyclopædical and bibliographical dictionary, edited by Fluegel, it will be found, under No. 11,783, that Haji Khalfa mentions this book, giving, however, its title only, without mentioning the time of its composition, nor the author of it, nor the language in which it had been written. The following are some extracts from this work, and the stories resemble others that have come from the Farther East.

I.

The philosopher Merzubán said: 'I am informed that in a certain district of Aderbaijan there is a mountain as high as the sky, with fine brooks, trees, fruits and herbs. Under the shelter of one of the most beautiful trees a pair of partridges lived most happily, but in the vicinity there was likewise a powerful eagle with his brood, who periodically visited the abode of the partridges and devoured their young ones. When the pair had thus several times lost their progeny, the male proposed that it would either be necessary for them to emigrate to some other locality, or to try some expedient by which they might escape from the rapacity of the eagle. He was of opinion that even in case of failure they might gain some valuable experience that would be of use in future attempts to elude the persecution, and said: "We must at all events make a trial, and may learn something from it, like the donkey who endeavoured to become the companion of the camel." The she-partridge asked, "How was that?" and the male continued:

II.

'"Once a donkey tried to keep up walking with a big camel, who paced lustily, and took long steps, but the ass, being in a hurry, stumbled every moment, and found that he had undertaken an impossible task. He asked the camel, 'How is it I wound my hoofs on the rocks so often, although I constantly look where I am stepping; whilst you, who apparently walk with leisure, never cast a glance at any of the obstacles you meet with, and never hurt yourself?' The camel replied: 'The reason is just because you are short-sighted and of weak intellect; you can look no further than your nose, and are, therefore, disappointed; whereas I look always forward, know the obstacles I am likely to encounter, scan the road to a great distance, and avoid the difficulties, selecting the easiest parts of the way.'" The wise hen said: "To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and this principle I follow." "I have narrated this story to show you that we must look forward, now that the time of laying eggs is at hand, because when our little ones are hatched it may again be too late to try and save them."

'The female partridge said: "This is all very well, but we might fare like the hungry fox who would have lost his life if the ichneumon had not interceded for him with the camel." The male said "How was that?" and the female continued:

III.

'"It is related that a certain fox had a fine large den, in which he collected provisions for the winter and for the summer, fared sumptuously, and never suffered from want. Once, however, a large army of ants invaded his domicile, and made short work of all the victuals he had carefully stored. This misfortune befel him just at a time when the weather happened to be very cold and food scarce, so that he began to feel the pangs of hunger. One morning, however, when he was about to sally forth from his den, he perceived, to his no small astonishment, at the mouth of it a camel kneeling, with the hinder part of his body turned towards him. The fox said to himself, 'Here is good luck,' and made a foolhardy attempt to drag the animal into the cave by tying a rope to its tail, and to commence pulling at it with all his might. To make sure of his prey the fox had tied the other end of the rope to his own body, but when he began to jerk it rather strongly the camel became vexed, jumped up suddenly, and first discharging both urine and dung upon Reynard, began to shake himself violently. The fox dangled in the air, and was repeatedly knocked against the flanks of the gigantic animal. Then the fox repented of his silly attempt to feast on camel meat, and knew that his death-knell would shortly sound. Luckily an ichneumon happened to be standing close by, amazed at the strange spectacle, and the fox implored it to intercede for him. Accordingly, the ichneumon addressed the camel in the following strain: 'Friend giant! it is meet that the strong, hoping for an eternal reward, should have mercy upon the weak! Here is a poor stranger who has accidentally become entangled with your tail. He will be strangled; you may save his life and become his deliverer by letting him go.' The camel then released the fox, who would assuredly have lost his life if the ichneumon had not interceded for him." When the male partridge had heard this story he fully approved of the moral of it, which is to the effect that ignorant and weak individuals are generally foiled in their designs against those who are powerful. He therefore considered that it would be best to throw themselves upon the mercy of the eagle, and said: "We must pay a visit to his majesty the eagle, explain our case to him, implore his mercy, and enroll ourselves among the number of his servants. We may succeed by gaining his favour; he is the king of all the birds, and carnivorous, but for all we know his disposition may be so merciful that he will spare our offspring not only himself, but order all the other birds of prey, his subjects, to do likewise."

'Then the she-partridge exclaimed: "Your advice is indeed wonderful! You propose nothing less than that we should court our own perdition, and of our own accord run into a trap! The eagle in treacherous, and would deal with us like the heron dealt with the little fish." The male said, "Please narrate the occurrence," and the female continued:

IV.

'"A heron had taken up his abode, and had lived for a long time near a brook on the little fishes there. At last, however, he became so old and weak that he was scarcely able to provide his daily food. He was once standing in a melancholy attitude on the bank of the streamlet, waiting for a chance to satisfy his hunger, when he happened to catch sight of a beautiful little fish disporting itself in the water, and mourned over his inability to get hold of it. The little fish perceived the heron standing immovable, and apparently taking not the least notice of it; therefore it gradually ventured to approach him, and asked the cause of his melancholy. The heron replied, 'I am reflecting upon the time of my youth which has passed away, the life I enjoyed, the pleasures I felt, all of which are irretrievably lost, and have left behind nothing but repentance for my sins, a weak body, and tottering limbs. I can now only regret the depredations I have committed, and wash away with my tears the stains of my transgressions. How often have I given occasion, both to little fishes and to eels, to deplore the loss of members of their families, which I had greedily devoured; but I have now repented, and shall henceforth do so no more.' When the little fish had heard this wonderful confession it asked: 'What can I do for you?' The heron replied: 'I want you only to convey this declaration of mine, with my salutations, to all your acquaintances, with the information that they may henceforth live in perfect safety, and need not apprehend any depredations on my part. There must, however, be covenants and pledges of security between us.' The little fish asked: 'How can I trust you, since I am the food on which you subsist, and you cannot be inclined to dispense with that.' He said: 'Take this grass and tie it round my neck for a sign that I shall not injure you.' Accordingly, the little fish took hold of a blade of grass, which was to serve for the heron's collar, who then placed his beak near the surface of the water to receive it, but as soon as the little fish had come within reach, the heron gobbled it up, and this was the end of the promised pledge. My dear husband, I have narrated this occurrence only to show that we would, by trusting to any promises of magnanimity that the eagle might make to us, only court our own perdition."

'In spite of all her objections, however, the she-partridge agreed at last to accompany her husband to the court of the eagle. They started together, travelled for some time, arrived at his abode, and made their obeisance to a courtier whose name was Yuyu, whom the male partridge addressed as follows: "Most noble lord, we are denizens of an adjoining mountain, where we lived happily till his majesty the eagle crushed all our hopes by making his appearance on our mountain with his court of birds of prey, destroyed our young on several successive occasions, and reduced us to despair. I proposed to my wife to emigrate, and she at last consented, so that we have now arrived here and placed ourselves under the wings of your protection."' Yuyu was pleased with these words, and replied: "I bid you welcome, and approve of your sagacity which induced you to seek a refuge at the court of our most noble sovereign. I must, however, tell you that although his disposition is righteous, he feeds upon the meat of animals, but when the weak and helpless crave his mercy, or implore his aid, he seldom disappoints them; those, on the contrary, who oppose or endeavour to deceive him must be prepared to fall under his wrath. He is honest and veracious, because he lives in solitude, and keeps aloof from intercourse with mankind, because all agree that the society of men crushes out all good qualities, and is productive of misery. You may now arise, and seek an audience from his majesty, because the opportunity will not present itself often. When you enter and make your obeisance you must watch his humour, which will be excellent if he has been successful in the chase. Then you will behold him social and chatting with his courtiers, whilst the nightingale, the heron, and other birds are singing and dancing for his amusement, and you can then introduce the subject of your petition. But if you behold him sitting dumb, with bloodshot eyes, or in an angry mood, say nothing if you value your life, and in any case, if you should perceive that silence is best, do not venture to speak."

'After this advice the partridge flew with Yuyu up to a lofty peak of the mountain, and alighted in a beautiful garden, fragrant with the perfume of flowers, where the eagle was sitting with his court, which consisted of birds of every species. Then Yuyu presented himself before his majesty, and craved an audience for the partridge, which, having been granted, he was admitted and spoke as follows: "Praise be to Allah, who has healed our wound and restored us to life! We lived in trouble and distress, but the justice of your majesty's government is the theme of every tongue; all our apprehensions have vanished, and we hope for security under the wings of your protection, because it is said that a noble Sultan is to his subjects like a kind father to his children, and protects them against all evils."

'The king replied: "You are welcome in this region; here you may live in safety among the best of neighbours, and I grant you protection." Accordingly, the partridge returned to his spouse, whom he informed of the condescension of his majesty, whose service both accordingly entered, and whose favour they afterwards gained, so that they lived happily to the end of their days.'

The 'Merzubán námah' contains also several stories about Kesra Nausherwan the Just, and his minister Buzarjimehr, but they are not very interesting. The extracts given above sufficiently show the nature of this work, which puts into the mouths of animals how men and women ought to act under various circumstances, and it bears a strong resemblance in many ways to the 'Kalilah wa Dimnah.'

Two stories have been selected from the celebrated Arabic work entitled 'Al--Mustatraf,' or 'The Gleaner,' or 'The Collector.' The full title of this work is 'Al-Mustatraf min kell finn al-mustazraf,' which may be translated thus: 'Gleanings from every kind of Elegant (or Pleasing) Composition.' The similarity of the first and last word of the title is attributable to the fondness of the Arabs for alliterative or rhyming titles. As there are several meanings attached to the word Mustatraf in the dictionaries, it might also be interpreted as 'The Book of Pleasing Novelties.' It contains an anthology of anecdotes, stories, proverbs, and elegant extracts by Shaikh Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al-Bashihi. The work is mentioned by Fluegel in his edition of Haji Khalfa's great work.

I.

Abbas, the chief of the police of the Khalif Mamun, said: 'One day I was present in an assembly of the Prince of the Faithful, before whom a man was standing heavily fettered with chains of iron. As soon as the Khalif perceived me he said: "Abbas, take good care of this man, and produce him again to-morrow." Accordingly I called for some of my people, and they carried him away, because he was so heavily shackled that he could scarcely move. Considering that I had been ordered to take every care of this prisoner, I concluded that I had better keep him in my own house, in a chamber of which I then confined him. I asked him what place he had come from, and on his replying that it was Damascus, I expressed my best wishes for the prosperity of that town, whereat he was astonished. I told him that I had been there, and asked him about a certain man; he said that he would like to know how I could be acquainted with him, and on my replying that I had had some business with him, he promised to satisfy my curiosity if I gave him first some information. Accordingly I made the following statement:

"When I was with some other officials at Damascus the population rebelled against us, and even the governor was under the necessity of escaping by getting himself let down in a basket from his palace. I also fled, and whilst doing so the mob pursued me, and I ran into the house of the above-mentioned man, who was sitting at the door of it. I said to him: 'Help me and Allah will help you!' He received me kindly, and told his wife to put me into a certain room, whilst he remained sitting at the door. I had scarcely gone in when my pursuers likewise rushed in and insisted on searching the house, which they actually did, and would certainly have discovered me had not the man's wife kept them off from the room in which I sat trembling for my life. When the people at last dispersed, the man and his wife comforted me as much as they could, and hospitably entertained me in their house for four months, till every danger had passed away. When I was bold enough to go out and see what had become of my slaves, I found that they had all dispersed, and I asked my kind host to allow me to depart to Baghdad. He consented, but when the caravan was starting he insisted on presenting me with a horse, a slave, and all the provisions required for the journey. All these were surprises thrust upon me when I was about to start, and was wondering how I could possibly travel without any of these things. Moreover, during my whole sojourn this kind man had never asked me my name for fear that I might thereby be compromised. After I had safely arrived in Baghdad I desired many a time to show my gratitude to this man, but could obtain no information about him. I still desire to requite his services, and this is the reason why I was so anxious to learn something about him from you."

'After the man had listened to the above statement he said: "Verily, Allah has enabled you to requite the kindness of that man." I asked: "How can that be?" and he replied: "I am that man, but the trouble in which you see me has hindered you from recognising me." Then he reminded me of various circumstances, and so established his identity that I was perfectly convinced of it, and could not restrain myself from embracing him most fervently. To my inquiries how he had fallen into the calamity which had overtaken him, he replied:

"A disturbance arose in Damascus similar to the rebellion which had broken out when you were there; the Prince of the Believers sent troops and suppressed it, but I, having been suspected as one of the ringleaders thereof, was captured by his command, brought as a prisoner to Baghdad, and considered to have forfeited my life, which I shall certainly lose. I left my family without taking leave, but a slave of mine has followed me here, and will carry back information about me. He is to be found at such and such a place, and if you will send for him I will give him the necessary instructions. I shall consider it a high favour, and as a reward for all the obligations under which you were to me."

'I told him to put his trust in Allah, and got a smith to relieve him first of his irons, then I made him enter the bath, provided him with good clothes, and sent for his slave, to whom he gave, with tears in his eyes, the message for his family. I then ordered my people to get ready several horses and mules, which I loaded with baggage and provisions, gave the man a bag of ten thousand dirhems, with another of five thousand dinars, and ordered my lieutenant to escort him on his journey to Damascus as far as Anbar.' But the man replied: "The Prince of the Believers considers that I have committed high treason, and will send troops to pursue me; I shall be recaptured and executed, and by allowing me to escape you will endanger your own life." I said: "Never mind what will became of me, but save your life, and I shall afterwards endeavour to save mine." He rejoined: "That shall not be, and I cannot leave Baghdad without knowing what has become of you." Seeing him determined in his purpose, I ordered my lieutenant to take him to a certain place in the town where he could remain in concealment till the next day, when he might be informed as to whether I had extricated myself from the difficulty, or had lost my life, in which latter case I should only have repaid him for having risked his in Damascus to save mine, and after that he could depart.

'The lieutenant had taken the man away, and I made preparations for my death, getting ready my winding-sheet in which my corpse was to be shrouded, when an official on the part of Mamun arrived with this message: "The Prince of the Faithful orders you to bring the man with you." Accordingly I hastened to the palace, where I found the Khalif sitting and expecting me. The first words he said to me were these: "I want to see the man!" I remained silent, and on his uttering them more emphatically, replied: "Will you please listen to me, O Commander of the Believers?" He continued: "I am determined to strike your head off if the man has fled." I said: "O Prince of the Faithful, the man has not escaped, but listen to what I have to say about him, and then you may act as you deem fit." He continued: "Speak!" Accordingly I narrated everything, and said that I was anxious to requite the man in some measure for all the good he had done to me, that I was desirous to save his life even at the cost of my own, if need be, and finished my explanation by showing the winding-sheet I had brought with me. After the Khalif had patiently listened, he exclaimed: "His merit is superior to yours, because he has treated you nobly without knowing you; whereas you only do so after having enjoyed his beneficence. I desire to reward him myself." "The man is here, and would not leave until apprized of my fate; I can produce him at once." The Khalif said: "This trait of his character is yet more noble; go, comfort the man, and bring him here." Accordingly I departed, and when I introduced the man to the Khalif, he received him kindly, offered him a seat, conversed with him till dinner was brought in, of which he made him partake in his own company. Lastly, the Khalif invested him with a robe of honour, and wished to appoint him Governor of Damascus, but this he humbly refused. Accordingly, Mamun presented him with ten horses saddled and bridled, ten mules caparisoned, and ten bags, each of which contained ten thousand dinars; he also gave him ten slaves, with animals to ride upon, and a letter to the Governor of Damascus to absolve him from the payment of taxes. This man afterwards corresponded with Mamun, and when a courier arrived from Damascus the Khalif used to say to me, "Abbas! a letter from your friend has arrived."'

II.

One night Harun-ar-Rashid was quite sleepless, and said to his vizier, Jaafar, the son of Yahya, the Barmekide: 'I cannot sleep this night; I feel oppressed, and do not know what to do.' The servant Masrur, who happened to be standing near, burst out laughing at these words, and the Khalif continued: 'What are you laughing for? Do you mock me or wish to show your levity?' Masrur said: 'I swear by your relationship to the Prince of Apostles that I have done this unwittingly; but last evening I was near the castle, and walked to the bank of the Tigris, where I saw many persons assembled around a man who made them laugh, and just now I recollected some of his words, which caused me to smile; his name is Ben Almugázeli, and I crave pardon from the Commander of the Faithful.' Then Rashid said: 'Bring him here this moment.' Accordingly Masrur went to Ben Almugázeli and said to him: 'The Commander of the Faithful wants you.' He replied: 'To hear is to obey!' And Masrur continued: 'But on the condition that if he presents you with anything, one-fourth of it will belong to you, and the rest to me.' The man rejoined: 'No, I must have one-third of it and you the other two-thirds.' Masrur would not agree to this proposal, but at last consented after a great deal of haggling. When he was admitted and had made his salutations, the Khalif said: 'If you make me laugh I shall give you five hundred dinars, but if not I shall give you three blows with this sock.' Now Ben Almugázeli said to himself: "What is the odds if I get three strokes with the sock?" because he thought it was empty. Accordingly he began to jest and to play tricks at which low people might have laughed, but not Rashid, who did not even smile. The man was first astonished, then grieved, and at last frightened when Rashid said: "Now you have deserved the blows." He then took up the sock and twisted it, but at the bottom there were some balls, each of which weighed two drachms. When he had struck Ben Almugázeli once, the latter yelled pitifully, but recollecting the condition Masrur had imposed upon him, he exclaimed: "Mercy, O Commander of the Faithful, listen to two words of mine." He said: "Speak what you like." The man continued: "I have promised Masrur to let him have two-thirds of the bounty I might receive, and to keep one-third for myself, and to this he agreed only after much bargaining. Now the Commander of the Faithful has decided that the bounty shall consist of three blows, of which my share would be one, and Masrur's two. I have received mine, and now is his turn to take his." Rashid laughed, called for Masrur, and struck him; Masrur groaned from pain, and said: "I present him with the remainder." The Khalif laughed and ordered them to be presented with one thousand dinars, of which each received five hundred, and Ben Almugázeli went away grateful.'

In this work there are several other stories concerning various Khalifs, the Barmekide family, and other people, but the extracts given above are sufficient to show the nature of the volume.

Two short anecdotes are taken from the 'Sihr-ul-oyoon,' or 'Magic of the eyes,' a work known to Haji Khalfa, and noted by Fluegel in his lexicon. This book contains seven chapters, with some drawings of the eye, and an appendix consisting entirely of poetry, which, however, is also interspersed throughout the work, excepting in the chapters treating on the anatomy, the infirmities of, and the remedies for the eye.

I.

Moghairah bin Shabah states that he never was so cunningly deceived as by a youth of the Benou-ul-Háreth. He intended to sue for the hand of a girl of that tribe, when this youth, who stood near him, said: 'O Amir, you have no need of her.' 'Why?' 'I saw a man kiss her.' Accordingly Moghairah went away, but heard some time afterwards that the said youth had married the girl himself. On meeting again Moghairah said to the youth: 'Did you not tell me that you had seen a man kiss her.' 'Certainly I did,' the young man replied, 'but that man was her father.'

II.

A man happened to find on the road a silver brooch, which women use for applying collyrium to their eyes. This pin was handsome, and he concluded that the girl who had lost it must have very beautiful eyes. He indulged so much in this fancy that he conceived an affection for the owner of the brooch, and was fond of showing the precious article to his acquaintances. One day a friend paid him a visit, and after the wine they had drunk had taken effect, he took out the said brooch according to his wont, kissed it, and wept over it. The friend, who knew the brooch, asked whence he had obtained it, but he replied: 'Pray do not question me, I am in love with the proprietress of it; my heart is melting, and it is so dear to me that I get jealous when other eyes beside my own look at it.' The friend said: 'I shall bring about a meeting between you and your mistress.' The other asked, 'Who could procure me that felicity?' The friend went away, but returned in a short time bearing a covered platter, which he placed before him, saying, 'Uncover this basin,' and lo! it contained a female head, weltering in its own gore, and on beholding it the man nearly fainted with grief. His friend, however, said: 'Be not dismayed, but tell me how you obtained this brooch, which I had presented to my wife, whose head is before you.' He replied that he had found the brooch on a certain day on the road, and described the spot, adding that he imagined the owner of it must be beautiful, and conceived a warm affection for her, but that he had never seen her face, and knew not who she might have been. The friend said: 'This is true enough, because she told me one day that she had lost it; hence no blame rests on you.' The two men parted; the would-be lover, however, took this melancholy event so much to heart that he not only repented of his folly, but died of grief.

The following curious philosophic discourse is taken from the 'Siraj-ul-Mulûk,' or Lamp of Kings, a well-known work composed about A.D. 1126, and typographed at Cairo A.D. 1872:

'Allah, the Most High, has said (Koran, vi., verse 38): "There is no kind of beast on earth, nor fowl which flieth with its wing, but the same is a people like unto you." Allah the Most High has accordingly established a resemblance between us and all the animals. It is well known that they are not like us in their figures and forms as perceived by the eye, but in their demeanour; and there is not a human being who does not possess some qualities peculiar to animals. When you perceive that a man's character is unusual, you must endeavour to find out the qualities of the animal with which it may be compared, and judge of him according to these; and to avoid all misunderstanding, and to maintain intercourse with him, you must behave towards him in conformity with them.

'Accordingly, when you see an ignorant man of rude behaviour, strong in body, whose anger overpowers him at any moment, you are to compare him to a tiger, and there is an Arab proverb: "He is more stupid than a tiger." When you see a tiger, you avoid him, and do not fight with him, therefore towards an individual of this kind you must behave in the same manner.

'When you observe a man wantonly attacking the reputation of others, compare him to a dog, because it is his nature. When a dog barks at you it does not trouble you much, and you go your own way. You must deal in this manner with such men, because they are like dogs who assault others without any provocation.

'When you perceive that a man's nature is to say "Yes" when you say "No," and "No" if you say "Yes," compare him to an ass, because when you approach him he recedes, and when you move away he will move towards you. You must put up with your donkey, and neither separate from him nor insult him. Deal in the same way with such a person.

'When you perceive a man searching out the weaknesses or shortcomings of people, compare him to a fly, which settles on a carcase, and then gluts itself with the vilest parts of it, such as the rotten flesh and the filthy offal.

'When you observe a Sultan taking the lives, and confiscating the property of his subjects, consider him to be a lion, and be on your guard that he does not injure you.

'When you see a wicked man full of tricks and boastings, compare him to a fox.

'If you happen to meet with a tale-bearer who foments enmity among friends, consider him to be a "Zeriban," which is a small beast of fetid smell, so that when two persons fall out with each other, the Arabs say that "a Zeriban has passed between them." It is, indeed, the peculiarity of this animal that an assembly disperses when it enters, accordingly it is driven off as soon as perceived, and a tale-bearer ought to be dealt with similarly.

'When you observe that a man loathes to listen to intelligent conversation, and hates meetings of learned men, but is fond of gossip, all kinds of nonsense, and scandals of society, compare him to the May-bug, which delights in impure exhalations, and loves dunghills, but hates the perfumes of musk or of roses, which actually kill it when sprinkled upon it.

'If you meet an individual displaying a great deal of piety outwardly, but always intriguing to acquire property, to enrich himself by unrighteous means, and to cheat widows and orphans, consider him to be a wolf:

"The wolf is so devout; You see him on his knees, He nicely prays and sighs. But when his game is near, He falls upon it speedily And tears it all to pieces."

'When you discover a liar consider him to be like a dead man, who can give no information, and with whom no one can associate. A liar may also be compared to an ostrich which buries all its eggs in the sand, but leaves one upon the surface, and one close under it, whilst all the others are deeply concealed. When an inexperienced man perceives that egg he takes it, and perhaps also the one close below it, and after scraping up the sand a little, and finding nothing more goes away; whilst a person who knows this habit of the ostrich does not stop searching until he has got possession of all the eggs. You must deal in the same manner with a liar, and not believe him till you get to the bottom of his story, i.e. until you elicit the actual truth.

'When you observe that a man's whole attention is absorbed in endeavours to make a good appearance by keeping his clothes nice, and apprehensive lest they should be dirtied in any way, always picking any little straws that might adhere to them, and constantly adjusting his turban, consider him to be a peacock, whose nature is always to admire his own person, to stalk about majestically, to display the plumage of his tail, and to solicit praise of his beauty.

'If you become acquainted with a rancorous person who never forgets the slightest insult, but avenges himself for it even after a considerable lapse of time, compare him to a camel, for the Arabs truly say of such a man that "he is more rancorous than a camel." Avoid such a man as you would an ill-natured camel.

'When you meet a hypocrite, who is different from what he appears to be, compare him to the Yarbu, _i.e._ the mouse of the desert, which has two apertures to its lair, the one for an entrance, and the other for an exit, so that it always cheats the hunter who digs for it.'

Yet another story-book may be quoted, viz., the 'Ilam en Nâs,' or Warnings for Men, containing historical tales and anecdotes of the time of the early Khalifates. Some of these were translated by Mrs. Godfrey Clerk in 1873 (King and Co.), and her little volume also contains a very good genealogical table of the families of the Prophet, and of the Rashidin (or 'rightly directed,' _i.e._ Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali), the Omaiyide, and the Abbaside Khalifs.

Among the many works of Arabic literature one of the most interesting and the most amusing is Ibn Khallikan's celebrated Biographical Dictionary. The author must have been a very intelligent and a very industrious man, for his volumes contain an enormous amount of information about many hundred Arabs. This work is rendered all the more readable and all the more amusing by the many anecdotes related in connection with their lives, and a few of these stories are now given below.

I.

Ibn Abbas, son of Abbas, uncle of Muhammad, was one of the ablest interpreters of the Koran. It was owing to his efforts that the study of the poems, composed before the introduction of Islamism, became of such importance to the Muslims, for he frequently quoted verses of the ancient poets in proof of the explanation he gave of different passages of the Koran, and he used to say: 'When you meet with a difficulty in the Koran look for its solution in the poems of the Arabs, for these are the registers of the Arabic nation.' On being asked how he had acquired his extensive knowledge, he replied: 'By means of an inquiring tongue and an intelligent heart.'

It may here perhaps be stated that the Koran, composed avowedly in the purest Arabic, offered many difficulties to those who were not acquainted with the idiom of the desert Arabs, a race who alone spoke the language in its perfection. The study of the ancient poets was therefore considered as necessary for the intelligence of the Koran, and their poems, often obscure from the intricacy of their construction and their obsolete terms, required the assistance of grammatical analysis and philology to render them comprehensible.

II.

Ibn Faris Ar-Razi, the Philologist, is the author of these verses:

'Well, some things succeed and some fail: when my heart is filled with cares I say: "One day perhaps they may be dispelled." A cat is my companion; books the friends of my heart; and a lamp my beloved consort.'

III.

Badi Az-Zaman al-Hamadani, the author of some beautiful epistles and excellent essays, which last Hariri took as a model in the composition of his, wrote as follows about death: 'Death is awful till it comes, and then it is found light; its touch seems grating till felt, and then it is smooth; the world is so hostile and its injustice so great that death is the lightest of its inflictions, the least of its wrongs. Look, then, to the right; do you see aught but affliction? Look to the left; do you see aught but woe?'

IV.

Abu Wathila Iyas Al-Kadi was renowned for his excessive acuteness of mind, observation, and penetration. Many stories are told about him in connection with these qualities, which are really astonishing. It is related of him that he said: 'I was never worsted in penetration but by one man: I had taken my seat in the court of judgment at Busra, when a person came before me and gave testimony that a certain garden, of which he mentioned the boundaries, belonged to a man whom he named. As I had some doubts of his veracity, I asked him how many trees were in that garden, and he said to me, after a short silence: "How long is it since our lord the Kadi has been giving judgment in this hall?" I told him the time. "How many beams," said he, "are there in the roof?" On which I acknowledged that he was in the right, and I received his testimony.'

V.

It is a curious circumstance that Homer the Greek poet, Radaki the Persian poet, and Bashshar bin Burd the Arabian poet, were all blind. Here is a specimen of one of the verses of the last-named:

'Yes, my friends! my ear is charmed by a person in that tribe; for the ear is sometimes enamoured sooner than the eye. You say that I am led by one whom I never saw; know that the ear as well as the eye can inform the mind of facts.'

He composed also the following verse, which is the most gallant of any made by the poets of that epoch:

'Yes, by Allah! I love the magic of your eyes, and yet I dread the weapons by which so many lovers fell.'

VI.

Several sayings of Al-Hasan bin Sahl, the vizier to the Khalif Al-Mamun, have been preserved. Once he himself wrote at the end of a letter of recommendation, dictated to his secretary: 'I have been told that on the day of judgment a man will be questioned respecting the use he made of the influence given him by his rank in the world, in the same manner as he will be questioned respecting the use he made of the superfluity of his wealth.'

Again he said to his sons: 'My sons, learn the use of language; it is by it that man holds his preeminence over other animals; the higher the skill which you attain in the use of language, the nearer you approach to the ideal of human nature.'

VII.

It is related of Sari-as Sakati, the celebrated Sufi, that he said that for twenty years he never ceased imploring Divine pardon for having once exclaimed, 'Praise be to God!' and on being asked the reason he said: 'A fire broke out in Baghdad, and a person came up to me and told me that my shop had escaped, on which I uttered these words; and even to this moment I repent of having said so, because it showed that I wished better to myself than to others.'

VIII.

Al-Ahnaf bin Kais, whose prudence was proverbial among the Arabs, used to say: 'I have followed three rules of conduct, which I now mention merely that the man of reflection may profit by my example--I never interfered between two parties unless invited by them to do so; I never went to the door of these people (meaning princes) unless sent for by them; and I never rose from my place to obtain a thing when all men were anxious to possess it.'

IX.

Abu Yazid Taifur al-Bastaimi, the famous ascetic, being asked how he had acquired his knowledge of the spiritual world, answered that it was by means of a hungry belly and naked body. He used to say: 'When you see a man possessing miraculous powers, so as even to mount into the air, let not that deceive you, but see if he observes God's commands and prohibitions, if he keeps within the bounds imposed by religion, and if he performs the duties which it prescribes.'

X.

Abul Aswad ad-Duwali, the inventor of grammar, in intelligence one of the most perfect of men, and in reason one of the most sagacious, was notorious for his avarice, and he used to say: 'If we listened to the demands made by the poor for our money, we should soon be worse off than they.' He said also to his sons: 'Strive not to rival Almighty God in generosity, for He is the most bountiful and the most glorious; had He pleased He would have given ample wealth to all men, so strive not to be generous lest you die of starvation.' It is also related that Abul Aswad had an attack of the palsy, and that he used to go to the market himself, though scarcely able to draw his legs after him, and yet he was rich, and possessed both male and female slaves. A person who knew this accosted him one day, and said: 'God has dispensed you from the necessity of moving about on your own business, why do you not remain seated at home?' To which he replied: 'No; I go in and out, and the eunuch says "He is coming," and the boy says "He is coming," whereas, were I to continue sitting in the house, the sheep would urine upon me without any person's preventing them.'

XI.

It is related that on a dispute between the Sunnites and Shiites of Baghdad about the relative merits of Abu Bakr and Ali, both parties agreed to abide by the opinion of the Shaikh Abul Faraj bin Al-Jauzi. They consequently deputed a person, who questioned him on the subject when he was seated in the preacher's chair. The one reply which he made bears in Arabic two different meanings--the first, that the best of them was he whose daughter was married to the other man; and the second, that the best of them was he who had married the daughter of the other man. He then withdrew promptly, lest he should be questioned further, and the Sunnites said: 'He means Abu Bakr, because his daughter Ayesha was married to the Prophet,' 'Nay,' said the Shiites, 'he means Ali, because Fatima, the Prophet's daughter, was married to him.' The answer was certainly very clever; had it even been the result of long reflection and deep consideration, it would have been admirable, but coming as it did without any previous preparation, it was still more so.

XII.

Shibab Ad-Din (flambeau of the faith) as-Suhrawardi was a pious and holy Shaikh, most assiduous in his spiritual exercises, and the practice of devotion, and successfully guided a great number of Sufis in their efforts to obtain perfection. Many persons wrote to him for his opinion on circumstances which concerned themselves, and one wrote as follows: 'My lord,--If I cease to work I shall remain in idleness, and if I work I am filled with self-satisfaction; which is best?' To this the Shaikh replied: 'Work, and ask Almighty God to pardon thy self-satisfaction.' The following is one of his verses:

'If I contemplate you, I am all eyes; and if I think of you I am all heart.'

XIII.

Abu Ali Al-Jubbai was an able master in the science of dogmatic theology, and had at one time a pupil named Abul Hasan Al-Ashari. It is related that one day the two had the following discussion. Al-Ashari propounded to his master the case of three brothers, one of whom was a true believer, virtuous and pious; the second an infidel, a debauchee, and a reprobate; and the third an infant; they all died, and Al-Ashari wished to know what had become of them. To this Al-Jubbai answered: 'The virtuous brother holds a high position in Paradise, the infidel is in the depths of hell, and the child is among those who have obtained salvation.' 'Suppose now,' said Al-Ashari, 'that the child should wish to ascend to the place occupied by his virtuous brother, would he be allowed to do so?' 'No,' replied Al-Jubbai, 'it would be said to him: "Thy brother arrived at this place through his numerous works of obedience towards God, and thou hast no such works to set forward."' 'Suppose, then,' said Al-Ashari, 'that the child say, "That is not my fault; you did not let me live long enough, neither did you give me the means of proving my obedience."' 'In that case,' answered Al-Jubbai, 'the Almighty would say: "I knew that if I allowed thee to live thou wouldst have been disobedient, and incurred the severe punishment of hell; I therefore acted for thy advantage."' 'Well,' said Al-Ashari, 'and suppose the infidel brother were here to say: "O God of the Universe! since you knew what awaited him, you must have known what awaited me; why, then, did you act for his advantage and not for mine?"' Al-Jubbai had not a word to offer in reply. This discussion proves that the Almighty elects some for mercy, and others for punishment, and that his acts are not the results of any motive whatsoever.

XIV.

It is related that As-Shafi said: 'There are five men on whom people must rely for the nourishment of their minds: he who wishes to become learned in jurisprudence must have recourse to Abu Hanifah; he who desires to become skilled in poetry must apply to Zoheir bin Ali Sulma, the author of one of the Mua'llakas, or suspended poems at Mecca; he who would like to become well acquainted with the history of the Muslim conquests must obtain his information from Muhammad bin Ishak; he who wishes to become deeply learned in grammar must have recourse to Al-Kisai; and he who seeks to be acquainted with the interpretations of the Koran must apply to Mukatil bin Sulaiman.'

XV.

There are several stories current as to how the Khalif Omar bin Al-Khattab took upon himself the title of 'Commander of the Faithful.' One is that Omar was one day holding a public sitting, when he said: 'By Allah! I do not know what we must say. Abu Bakr was the successor of the Apostle of God, and I am the successor of the successor of God's Apostle. Is there any title that can answer?' Those who were present said: 'Commander (Amir) will do.' 'Nay,' said Omar, 'you are all commanders.' On this Al-Mughira said: 'We are the faithful, and you are our Commander.' 'Then,' said Omar, 'I am the Commander of the Faithful.'

XVI.

Abu Ali Yahya, the vizier of Harun-ar-Rashid, was the son of Khalid, and the grandson of Barmek. Yahya was highly distinguished for wisdom, nobleness of mind, and elegance of language. One of his sayings was: 'Three things indicate the degree of intelligence possessed by him who does them: the bestowing of gifts, the drawing up of letters, and the acting as ambassador.' He used to say to his sons: 'Write down the best things which you hear; learn by heart the best things which you write down; and in speaking utter the best things which you have learned by heart.'

XVII.

Ibn As-Sikkit, the philologist, related that Muhammad bin As-Summak used to say: 'He who knows mankind humours them; he who has not that knowledge thwarts them; and the main point in humouring mankind is to abstain from thwarting them.' The neglect of carrying out this maxim cost As-Sikkit his life. One day, whilst he was with the Khalif Al-Mutwakkil, that prince's two sons, Al-Motazz and Al-Muwaiyad, came in, and the Khalif said to him: 'Tell me, Yakub, which you like best--these two sons of mine, or Al-Hasan and Al-Hussain, the sons of Ali.' Ibn As-Sikkit answered by depreciating the merits of the two princes, and giving to Al-Hasan and Al-Hussain the praise to which they were well entitled. On this Al-Mutwakkil ordered his Turkish guards to chastise him, and they threw him down and trod on his belly. He was then carried to his house, where he died two days afterwards, A.D. 859.

XVIII.

Three men met together; one of them expressed a wish to obtain a thousand pieces of gold, so that he might trade with them; the other wished for an appointment under the Emir of the Muslims; the third wished to possess the Emir's wife, who was the handsomest of women, and had great political influence. Yusuf bin Tashifin, the Emir of the Muslims, being informed of what they said, sent for the men, bestowed one thousand dinars on him who wished for that sum, gave an appointment to the other, and said to him who wished to possess the lady: 'Foolish man! what induced you to wish for that which you can never obtain?' He then sent him to her, and she placed him in a tent, where he remained three days, receiving each day, one and the same kind of food. She had him then brought to her, and said: 'What did you eat these days past?' He replied: 'Always the same thing.' 'Well,' said she, 'all women are the same thing!' She then ordered some money and a dress to be given him, after which she dismissed him.

The following anecdotes have been gathered from various sources.

I.

A certain shepherd had a dog of which he was very fond, and which having, to his great grief, died, was buried by him with every mark of affection and regret. The Kadi of the village, whose ill-will the shepherd had in some way incurred, hearing of this, ordered him to be brought before him on the serious charge of profanity in having mocked the ceremonies of the Muhammadan religion, and buried an unclean animal with sacred rites. On being asked what he had to say in his defence, the prisoner thus addressed the magistrate: 'If your reverence will be pleased to hear my story, you will, I am sure, excuse me. My dog's mother died when he was quite a puppy, and he was brought up by a she-goat of my flock, who adopted him. When she died in her turn she left him all her property, consisting of several fine young kids. Now when my dog was taken ill, and found himself at the point of death, I asked him what I should do with the kids which belonged to him, and he replied: "Give them to his reverence the Kadi." I thought the animal so sensible for this that I gave him Muslim burial.' 'Quite right,' said his reverence. 'What else was the lamented deceased pleased to observe?'

II.

A knowledge of the language of birds and beasts is regarded as the greatest divine gift, and was expressly vouchsafed, according to the Koranic legend, to Solomon, the son of David. It is related that one day Solomon was returning to his palace when he saw a cock and hen sparrow sitting near the gateway, and overheard the former telling the latter that he was the person who had designed, and planned, and built all the surroundings. On hearing this Solomon remarked to the male bird that he must know he was telling a fearful lie, and that nobody would believe him. 'That is true,' replied the sparrow, 'nobody probably will believe my story except my wife; she believes implicitly everything that I say.'

III.

One day a king was sailing in a boat with a negro slave, who was so seasick that his groans and lamentations disturbed the royal repose. A doctor who happened to be present undertook to keep the slave quiet, and, on receiving permission to do so, ordered him to be thrown overboard, which was promptly done. The poor wretch managed with difficulty to catch hold of the rudder of the boat, and, being taken on board once more, sat shivering in a corner, and did not utter another sound. The king, delighted with this result, asked the doctor how he had silenced the fellow. 'Your Majesty will see,' was the reply, 'he had never before experienced the inconvenience of being drowned, and did not properly appreciate the security of a boat.'

IV.

One day the Khalif Harun-ar-Rashid and his jester, the poet Abu Nuwas, were disputing as to the truth of an axiom laid down by Abu Nuwas, that 'an excuse was often worse than the crime,' and the poet offered to convince the monarch of it before the night was over. The Khalif, with a grim humour peculiarly his own, promised to take off his jester's head if he failed to do so, and went out in a rage. After awhile Harun came in a somewhat surly temper to his harem, and the first thing which greeted him was a kiss from a rough-bearded face. On calling out violently for a light and an executioner, he found that his assailant was Abu Nuwas himself. 'What on earth, you scoundrel, do you mean by this conduct?' asked the enraged Sovereign. 'I beg your Majesty's most humble pardon,' said Abu Nuwas, 'I thought it was your Majesty's favourite wife.' 'What!' shrieked Harun, 'why the excuse is worse than the crime.' 'Just what I promised to prove to your Majesty,' replied Abu Nuwas, and retired closely followed by one of the imperial slippers.

V.

An Arab whose camel had strayed swore an oath that he would, on finding it, sell it for one dirhem. When he had again obtained possession of the animal he repented of his oath, but tied a cat to the neck of the camel and shouted: 'Who will buy a camel for one dirhem, and a cat for a hundred dirhems? But I will not sell them separately.' A man who was there said: 'How cheap would this camel be if it had no collar on the neck!' Something of the same kind happened in France the other day. A peasant died, leaving his property to be sold by his wife. Among other things there was a dog and a horse, which the woman put up for sale together, saying that the dog's price was twenty pounds, and the horse's one pound, but that they must be sold together. It turned out that the deceased husband had left the dog to his wife, and the horse to another relation, the monies realized by the sale of each to be paid to the respective parties.

VI.

An Arab of the desert said to his boy: 'O son! on the day of resurrection thou wilt be asked what merit thou hast gained, and not from whom thou art descended; that is to say, thou wilt be asked what thy merit is, and not who thy father was.'

VII.

A learned man relates the following: 'I stood with a friend on a road conversing with him when a woman halted opposite to me, looking at me steadfastly. When this staring had passed all bounds, I despatched my slave to ask the woman what she was listening to. He came back and reported that the woman had said: "My eyes had committed a great sin. I intended to inflict a punishment upon them, and could devise none worse than looking at that hideous face."'

There are some good verses in the Arabic descriptive of the places where certain Arabs wished to be buried. It was Abu Mihjan, the Thackifite, who chose the vineyard.

'Bury me, when I die, by the roots of the vine, The moisture thereof will distil into my bones; Bury me not in the open plain, for then I much fear That no more again shall I taste the flavour of the grape.'

Another version:

'When the Death angel cometh mine eyes to close, Dig my grave 'mid the vines on the hill's fair side; For though deep in earth may my bones repose, The juice of the grape shall their food provide. Oh, bury me not in a barren land, Or Death will appear to me dread and drear! While fearless I'll wait what he hath in hand If the scent of the vineyard my spirit cheer.'

On the other hand, some of the wild people prefer the hill slopes, and an example is given in the address of the dying Bedouin to his tribe:

'O bear with you my bones where the camel bears his load, And bury me before you, if buried I must be; And let me not be buried 'neath the burden of the vine, But high upon the hill whence your sight I ever see! As you pass along my grave cry aloud, and name your names, The crying of your names shall revive the bones of me, I have fasted through my life with my friends, and in my death I will feast when we meet on that day of joy and glee.'

The French poet, Alfred de Musset's, gentle verses in his elegy to Lucie, and which have been engraved on his tomb in Paris, at Père-Lachaise, run as follows:

'When I shall die, dear friends, aslant My silent grave a willow plant; I love its foliage weeping near, To me its colour's sweet and dear; Its shadow gray will lightly fall Upon my tomb--a mourning pall, And will likewise do the keeping Of the ground where I am sleeping.'

APPENDIX.

LIST OF TRANSLATIONS

_Published under the patronage of the Old Oriental Translation Fund_.

=From the Persian=.

1. Memoirs of the Emperor Jehanghir. 2. History of the Afghans. 3. The Adventures of Hatim Tai. 4. The Life of Sheikh Muhammad Ali Hazin. 5. Autobiographical Memoirs of the Moghul Emperor Timur. 6. The Life of Hafiz ul Mulk Hafiz Rehmut Khan. 7. The Geographical Works of Sadik Isfahani. 8. Firdusi's Shah Nameh. 9. Private Memoirs of the Moghul Emperor Humayun. 10. History of the Mahomedan Power in India during the Last Century. 11. Customs and Manners of the Women of Persia. 12. Mirkhond's History of the Early Kings of Persia. 13. The Political and Statistical History of Guzerat. 14. Chronique d'Abou Djafar Muhammad Tabari. 15. Laili and Majnun. 16. Practical Philosophy of the Mahomedan People. 17. Specimens of the Popular Poetry of Persia. 18. History of Hyder Naik, otherwise called Nuwab Hyder Ali. 19. The Dabistan, or School of Manners. 20. History of the Reign of Tipu Sultan. 21. Historical Memoirs of Early Conquerors of Hindustan, and Founders of the Ghaznavide Dynasty.

=From the Arabic=.

1. The Travels of Ibn Batuta. 2. Travels of Marcarius, Patriarch of Antioch. 3. The Algebra of Muhammad Ben Musa. 4. History of the First Settlement of the Mahomedans in Malabar. 5. Alfiyya, ou la Quintessence de la Grammaire Arabe. 6. Haji Khalfæ Lexicon Encyclopædicum et Bibliographicum. 7. The History of the Temple of Jerusalem. 8. Histoire des Sultans Mamelouks de l'Égypte. 9. The History of the Mahomedan Dynasties in Spain. 10. El-Mas'udi's Historical Encyclopædia, entitled 'Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems.' 11. Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary. 12. Makamat, or Rhetorical Anecdotes of Abul Kasem al Hariri of Basra. 13. The Chronology of Ancient Nations, by Albiruni.

=From the Sanscrit=.

1. Kalidasæ Raghuvansa Carmen. 2. Harivansa, ou Histoire de Famille de Hari. 3. The Sánkhya Káriká, or Memorial Verses on the Sánkhya Philosophy. 4. Rig Yeda Sanhita. 5. Kumara Sambhava. 6. The Vishnu Purana, a System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition. 7. Sama Veda. 8. Kalidasa, the Birth of the War God.

=From the Chinese=.

1. Han Koong Tsew, or the Sorrows of Hen--a Tragedy. 2. The Fortunate Union--A Romance. 3. Hoe Lan Ki--A Drama. 4. Le Livre des Récompenses et des Peines. 5. Mémoires sur les Contrées occidentales.

=From The Japonais-Chinois=.

1. San Kokf Tsou Ban To Sets; ou, Aperçu général des trois Royaumes. 2. Annales des Empereurs du Japon.

=From the Turkish=.

1. History of the War in Bosnia during 1837-38-39. 2. History of the Maritime Wars of the Turks. 3. Annals of the Turkish Empire, A.D. 1591 to 1659. 4. Narratives of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

=From the Armenian=.

1. The History of Vartan, and of the Battle of the Armenians. 2. Chronique de Matthieu d'Edesse.

=From The Cingalese=.

1. Yakkun Nattannawa and Kolan Nattannawa, two Cingalese poems.

=From the Coptic=.

1. The Apostolic Constitutions, or Canons of the Apostles.

=From the Ethiopic=.

1. The Didascalia, or Apostolical Constitutions of the Abyssinian Church.

=From the Hebrew=.

1. The Chronicles of Rabbi Joseph Ben Joshua Ben Meir.

=From the Hindustani=.

1. Les Aventures de Kamrup.

=From the Malay=.

1. Memoirs of a Malayan Family.

=From the Maghadi=.

1. The Kalpa Sutra and Nava Tatva. Two works illustrative of the Jain Religion and Philosophy.

=From the Syriac=.

1. Spicilegium Syriacum; containing remains of Bardesan, Meliton, Ambrose, and Mara Bar Serapion.

=Miscellaneous=.

1. Miscellaneous Translations, two volumes, 1831-34. 2. Translations from the Chinese and Armenian. 3. A Description of the Burmese Empire. 4. Essay on the Architecture of the Hindus. 5. Histoire de la Littérature Hindoui et Hindustani. 6. Biographical Notices of Persian Poets. 7. The Poems of the Huzailis, edited in Arabic.

INDEX.

A.

Aasha (Al), the poet, 30, 77, 82

Abbas, uncle of Muhammad, 3,7

Abbasides, the, 7, 12

Abbaside Khalifs, the most celebrated, 12,96

Abbaside Khalifs, list of, 19

Abd-al-Hamid, the secretary, 95

Abd-Allah bin Hilal, the translator, 90

Abd-Allah bin Rewaha, the poet, 34

Abd-Allah bin Zobeir, the politician, 34

Abd-ar-Rahman I. of Spain, 8

Abd-ar-Rahman II. of Spain, 9

Abd-ar-Rahman III. of Spain, 9, 11, 102

Abdul-Muttalib, grandfather of Muhammad, 120, 121

Abdul Wahab, the reformer, 16

Abode of Wisdom, 106

Abraham, the father of three religions, 144

Abu Awana, the traditionist, 38

Abu Bakr, the Khalifah, 4, 18, 123, 137, 147

Abu Bakr as Sauli, the editor of poems, 77, 83, 84, 101

Abu Hatim es Sejastani, the philologist, editor of poems and author, 76

Abu Nuwas, the poet, 77, 79-82

Abu Obaida, the general, 4

Abu Obaida, the philologist, 60, 61

Abu Othman, the philologist, 62, 76

Abu Sa'ud, the mufti, 112

Abu Sofyan, the politician and Companion, 34, 137

Abu Sulaiman Dawud ez Zahari, the imam, 38

Abu Tammam, the poet, 76,77

Abu Thaleb, uncle of Muhammad, 121, 125

Abu Zaid, the traditionist, 38

Abu Zaid bin Aus, the editor of poems, 76

Abul Abbas as Saffah, 7, 19

Abul Aina, the philologist, 63

Abul Ala-al-Maari, the philologist and poet, 84

Abul Atahya, the poet, 77, 78

Abul Faraj, the historian, 97

Abul Faraj al Ispahani, 77, 83, 84, 87

Abul Feda, the historian, 97, 108, 109

Abul Khair, or Ahmed bin Mustafa, 55, 113, 115

Abul Mashar (Albumasar), the astronomer, 24, 42

Ahmed-bin-ud Dmveri, the author, 58

Akhfash (Al), the grammarian, 49

Akhtal (Al), the poet, 77, 78, 82

Alchemists, 40 (Khalid bin Yazid, Jaafar as Sadik, Jaber bin Hayam, each indexed separately.)

Ali bin Abu Thaleb, the Khalifah, 5, 6, 19, 123, 127

Ali bin Ridhwan, the philosopher, 65, 69, 70

Ali bin Yunis, the astronomer, 43

Amina, mother of Muhammad, 121

Amr bin Al-Aasi, the general, 4, 129, 147

Amra-al-Kais (Amriolkais), the poet, 28, 79, 80

Amru, the poet, 29

Analysis of twelve stories from the 'Arabian Nights,' 157-174

Anbari (Al), the grammarian, 49

Anecdotes, eighteen from Ibn Khalhkan's Biographical Dictionary, 217-228

Anecdotes from various sources, 228

Animal fables and stories, 153, 156

Ansari (Al), the philologist, 62

'Antar,' a Bedouin romance, 184, 185

Antara, the poet, 28

Arab verses about burial places, 233

Arabia, description of, 1, 2; history of, 2; detached from the Abbasides, 15; semi-independent, 16; Turkish dealings with, 16; Wahhabi movement in 16; Egyptian dealings with, 17; Wahhabism in 17; present government of, 17; future prospects of 18

Arabian learning, 10, 24

'Arabian Nights,' The. Date of their commencement 152, 153; the oldest part of the work, 153; the oldest tales and stories, 154; the remaining ones, 154; the sources from which they sprang, 152, 180; many authors composed the work, 153-180; compared with the 'Kathá Sarit Ságara', 181; remarks on the 'Nights' and 'Antar,' 186; Galland's translation of, 154, 175, 176; Payne's, 155, and Burton's 155; stories from, 157-174

Arabic language, 23, 24

Arabic literature, decline of, 117, 118 its former position, 117; its present state, 118

Arabic literature, translation of, vii.

Arabic story books, 151, 152, 184, 188, 192, 201, 210, 212, 216

Asmai (Al), the philologist, 60, 61, 62

Asmai (Al), supposed author of 'Antar,' 184

Astronomers, 41 (Fezari (Al), Abul Mashar, Farghani (Al), Battani (Al), Ali bin Yunis, Es-Zerkel, each indexed separately.)

Ayesha, third wife of Muhammad, 4, 38, 125, 126, 128, 137, 138

Az-zahra, mistress or wife of Abd-ar-Rahman III. of Spain, 12

B.

Badger (Rev. G.P.), on Muhammad, 120

Badger (Rev. G.P.), about the Koran, 140

Badr, battle of, 127

Baghdad, founding of, 12; description of 96; fall and conquest of, 12

Baital Pachesi, 183

Baladori (Al), the translator and chronicler, 91

Barmekides, The, 12, 98-101

Bashshar bin Burd, the poet, 77, 78

Battani (Al), or Albategnius, the astronomer, 25, 43

Bekri (Al), the traveller and geographer, 49, 50, 52

Benjamin's (Mr.) 'Persia and the Persians,' 6

Beruni (Al), the traveller and geographer, 49, 50, 51

Biblos, or Book, or Bible, 139; the work of many men, 139; its increased interest after visiting Egypt, Palestine and Syria, 139; can be read in various ways, 139; its description by 'Il Secolo,' 140 as a scientific work of little value, 140

Birgeli, or Birkeli, the dogmatist and grammarian, 112

Bohtori (Al), the poet, 76, 77, 84

Boulak (Cairo) text of the 'Nights,' 156, 180

Breslau (Tunis) text of the 'Nights', 156, 174, 175, 180

Buddha, 119

Buddha compared with Jesus, 142, 143

Buddhism and Christianity, 142

Buddhist birth stories, or Jataka tales, 184

Bujeir bin Zoheir, the poet, 32

Bukhari (Al), the traditionist, 38, 39

Burton (Richard F.), description of his 'Nights' translation in Sixteen volumes, 155, 156, 175-180

Busiri (Al)'s poem of the Mantle, 21, note

C.

Calcutta texts of the 'Nights' 156, 175, 180

Calligraphers 113 (Ibn Mukla, Ibn Al Bawwab, Yakut Al Mausili, Ibn Hilal, Hamdallah, Mir Ah, Muhammad Hussain Tabrizi, each indexed separately)

Casiri, the bibliographer, 11

Caussin de Perceval, 26, 78, 155

Chavis and Cazotte, the translators, 155, 178, 179

Chinese language, 23

Christianity and Buddhism, 142

Clerk (Mrs. Godfrey), 216

Clouston, W.A., 29, 184

Companions of the Prophet, 39

Compilers of encyclopædias and biographies, 55 (Nadim (An), Ibn Khallikan, Abul Khair, Haji Khalfa, each indexed separately.)

Contents of this work, ix.-xiv.

Cordova, 7, 8, 9, 11

Cromwell and the Bible, 140

D.

Democracy of Islam, 149

Dow, a translator, 154

Duwali (Ad), the grammarian, 45, 46

E.

Early Ideas,' a group of Hindoo stories, 151,181

Egypt, the Fatimites established in, 13; invasion of, by Jawhar, 13; conquest of, by Saladin, 13; other dynasties in, 13; conquest of, by Selim the First, 14; incorporated with Turkey, 14

English newspapers, 186

English tales and stories, 186

Epistolography, 95

Erpenius, a translator, 26, 97

Essays and discourses by Hariri, 87, 88

Es-Zerkel, or Arzachel, the astronomer, 44, 45

F.

Fadhl bin Yahya, the Barmekide, 99, 100

Farabi (Al), or Alfarabius, the philosopher, 24, 25, 65, 66, 67

Farazdak, the poet, 77, 78

Farghani (Al), or Alfraganius, the astronomer, 24, 25, 42

Farra (Al), the grammarian, 48

Fatimites, The, 13

Fezari (Al), the astronomer, 41

Firuzabadi, the lexicographer, 110

Fluegel, the translator, 115, 193, 202, 210

France, Invasion of, by the Arabs, 7

Freytag, the translator, 27

G.

Gabriel bin Georgios, the physician, 73, 74

Galland, his translation of the fables of Lokman and Bidpay, 26; and of the 'Nights,' 154, 175, 176; his biography, by Burton, 154; his texts, 180

Gauttier, a translator, 155

Gayangos (Pascual de), the translator 10, 11, 22, 117

Geographers and travellers, 49 (Muslim Homeir, Mervezi (Al), Ibn Foslan, Ibn Khordabeh, Jeihani, Istakhri (Al), Ibn Haukul, Beruni (Al), Bekri (Al), Idrisi, Ibn Batuta, each indexed separately.)

Georgios bin Bakhtyeshun, the physician, 72, 73, 98

Ghazali (Al), the mystic and philosopher, 65, 70

God of the Arabs, 148

God of the Jews, 148

Golius, 41, 42

Grammarians, The, 45 (Duwali (Ad), Khalil (Al), Sibawaih, Jahiz (Al), Kisai (Al), Mubarrad (Al), Thalab, Farra (Al), Akhfash (Al), Shaibani (As), Anbari (Al), each indexed separately.)

Granada, Kingdom of, established, 9; fall of, 9, 112; taken by Ferdinand and Isabella,9; Alhambra at, 11, 112

Gunádhya, the Hindoo author, 182, 183

H.

Habicht, a translator, 155, 175

Hajaj bin Yusuf bin Matta, the translator, 90, 98

Haji Khalfa, the bibliographer, 55, 113, 115

Hakim II. of Spain, his education, 103; his diwan of poems, 103; his library; 104; and catalogue of books, 104, 105

Halaku Khan, 13, 107

Hamdallah, the penman, 113

Hamilton (Terrick), the translator of 'Antar,' 184, 185

Hanbal, the imam, 37

Hanifa, the imam, 37

Hanyfs, The, 133

Harath, the poet, 29

Hariri (Al), the author of the 'Makâmat', 87, 88

Harun-ar-Rashid, the Khalif, 12, 19, 73, 96-100

Hasan bin Ali, the Fatimite, 5

Hasan bin Sehl, the translator, 91

Hasan bin Thabit, the poet, 34

Hazar Afsaneh, or Thousand Stories, 152

Hazim (Al), the traditionist, 38

Herbelot (D'), the translator and Orientalist, 97

Hertlemah, the hostile poetess, 31

Hijrah, or Emigration, 25

Historians, The, 52 (Ibn Ishak, Ibn Hisham, Wackidi (Al), Muhammad bin Saad, Madaini (Al), Tabari, Masudi, Ibn Athir, Baha-uddin, Imad-uddin, Kamal-uddin, Abul Feda, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Hajar, Ibn Kesir, Taki-uddin of Fez, Ibn Arabshaw, Makrisi (Al), Sayuti, Makkari (Al), each indexed separately.)

'Hitopodesa,' a Hindoo story-book, 151, 153, 183

Hobeira, the hostile poet, 31

Honein, Battle of, 130

Honein bin Ishak, the physician and translator, 75, 91

Hughes's 'Dictionary of Islam,' 120, 149

Hussain bin Ali, the Fatimite, 5

I.

Ibn Al Arabi, the mystic, 95

Ibn Al Athir, the historian, 54, 55

Ibn Al Bawwab, the penman, 113, 114

Ibn Al Mukaffa, the translator and author, 89, 91-94, 152

Ibn Arabshaw, the historian, 110

Ibn As Sikkit, the editor of poems, 76

Ibn Bajah (Avempace), the philosopher, 24, 25, 65, 70

Ibn Batlan, the physician and philosopher, 70

Ibn Batuta, the geographer and traveller, 108, 109

Ibn Demash, the editor of poems, 76

Ibn Duraid, the philologist and writer on natural history, 64

Ibn Foslan, the geographer and traveller, 49

Ibn Hajar, the historian and biographer, 109

Ibn Haukul, the geographer and traveller, 49, 50

Ibn Hilal, the penman, 113

Ibn Hisham, the historian, 52

Ibn Ishak, the historian, 52

Ibn Kamal Pasha, a writer on law, 112

Ibn Kesir, the historian, 110

Ibn Khaldun, the historian, 108, 109

Ibn Khallikan, the biographer, 55-57, 116, 216; eighteen anecdotes from his work, 217-228

Ibn Khordabeh, the geographer, 49,50

Ibn Kutaiba, the philologist and author, 63

Ibn Malik, the grammarian, 108

Ibn Mukla, the penman, 113,114

Ibn Rashid (Averroes), the philosopher, 24, 25, 65, 71

Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the physician, 24, 25, 65, 67, 69

Ibn-ul-Marzaban, the editor of poems, 76

Ibn Wahshiyah, the translator, 91

Ibn Yunis, the historian, 44

Ibrahim of Aleppo, a writer on law, 112

Idrisi, the geographer, 49, 50, 52

'Ilam en nas,' a story-book, 216

Imams, The Shiah, 37

Imams, The Sunni, 37, 38

Isa bin Musa, the physician, 75

Islam, The dogmas, precepts, and ordinances of, 148, 149

Istakhri (Al), the geographer and traveller, 49, 50

J.

Jaafar as Sadik, the alchemist, 41

Jaafar bin Yahya, the Barmekide, 99-101

Jaber (Al), or Geber, the astronomer, 24, 25, 41

Jaber bin Hayam, the alchemist, 40, 41

Jahiz (Al), the philologist, 47, 58, 59

Jami's 'Beharistan,' 188

Jarir, the poet, 77, 78, 80

Jawini's 'Negaristan,' 188

Jeihani, the geographer, 49, 51

Jerusalem, the early Kiblah, 133; changed to Mecca, 136

Jesus compared with Buddha, 142; no details about his early career, 143

Jones (Sir William), 29

Jurisconsults, The seven, 36 (Obaid Allah, Orwa, Kasim, Said, Sulaiman, Abu Bakr, Kharija)

K.

Kaabab, The, at Mecca, 3, 122, 144

Kab-bin-Zoheir, the poet, 31-33

Kali (Al), the philologist and author, 87, 103

Kama (Al), the poet, 30, 77

'Kama Sutra' of Vatsyayana, 182

Karitha, the hostile poetess, 31

Kasidas, _i.e._, Arab idyls or elegies, 28, 29

Kasim bin Asbagh, the traditionist, 38

Kasim (Al) bin Ma'an, the philologist and author, 59

'Kathá Sarit Ságara,' The, 153, 154, 181-184; translated by Professor Tawney, 181; compared with the 'Arabian Nights', 181; divided into 124 chapters, containing 330 stories, 182; their nature, 181-183

Khafaji, the poet, 117

Khalef al Ahmer, the author, 58

Khalid bin Barmek, 99

Khalid bin Walid, the general, 4, 129, 137, 147

Khalid bin Yazid, the alchemist, 40

Khahl (Al), the grammarian, 46, 47

'Khalilah wa Dimnah,' a story-book, 151-153

Kiblah, The, changed to Mecca, 136

Kindi (Al), or Alchendius, the philosopher, 24, 25, 65, 66

Kisai (Al), the grammarian, 47, 225

Koraish, tribe of, 2, 124, 125, 128, 134

Koran, The 3, 23, 24, 138; quotation from the 26th chapter, 31; as defined by the Muslims, 138; its division into chapters, 138; how it represents Muhammad, 138; not arranged until after his death, 138; as compared with our Bible, 132; as described by Mr. Badger, 140, 141; as a literary composition, 142

Kosta bin Luka, the philosopher and physician, 65, 75, 91

Kuenen (Dr. A.), on the religion of Israel, 146, note

Kutrub, the grammarian and philologist, 60

L.

Labid, the poet, 29; his conversion, 34

Lane, a translator of the 'Nights', 155

Lokman, the sage, 26,27

M.

Madaini (Al), the historian, 53

Mahdi (Al), the Khalif, 19, 96, 98, 99

Majridi (Al), the philosopher, 65, 106

'Makamat Hariri', 87, 88

Makin (Al), the chronicler, 97

Makkari (Al), the historian, 10, 22, 96, 117

Makrisi (Al), the historian and geographer, 110

Malik, the imam, 37

Mamun (Al), the Khalif, 12, 19, 74, 90, 96, 101

Mansur (Al), the Khalif, 12, 19, 73, 90, 96, 98, 99

Marwan II., the Khalif, 7, 19

Maseweib, the physician and translator, 75, 91

Masudi (Al), the historian, 53, 54

Mervezi (Al), the geographer, 49

'Merzuban-namah,' The, 192 extracts from it, 193-201

Mir Ali, the penman, 113

Moawia I, the Khalif, 5, 19, 33

Mofaddhal (Al), the compiler and editor of poems, 76, 85, 86

Montague (E. Wortley), his 'Nights', 177, 178

Moors, The, in Spain, 9; their expulsion, 11, 112

Morell, a translator, 154

Moses compared with Muhammad, 142; as a liberator and organizer, 143, 145; why he stayed in the desert, 145; his legislation there, 146; to him the Jews owe their nationality, 146

Mothanna, the general, 4, 147

'Mua'llakat,' The, or suspended poems, 24, 28, 30

Mubarrad (Al), the grammarian, 48

Muhammad, the Apostle, 3, 18; his birth, 120; details of his life, 120-132; his death, 132; as a poet, 24, 30; as a reformer, preacher and apostle at Mecca, 119, 120, 132; as a military leader, 147; his military expeditions, 127-131, 147; his failure at Mecca, 134; his success at Madinah, 135, 136; his power there as Pope-King, 135; his virtues at Mecca, his vices at Madinah, 136; his wives, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 137; his concubines, 128, 129, 137; reasons for his numerous marriages, 137; compared with Moses, 142; to him the Arabs owe their nationality, 146; always insisted on faith and prayer, 149; his parting address at Mina, 150; his immediate successors, 4, 5, 18, 25; his companions and their successors, 39; his converts, 123, 124, 126, 129

Muhammad Al-Amin, the philologist and lawyer, 116

Muhammad bin Habib, the editor of poems, 76

Muhammad bin Saad, the historian, 53

Muhammad Hussain Tabrizi, the penman, 113

Muir (Sir William), 120; his life of Muhammad, 120, 137; his annals of the early Khalifate, 147

Munkah, the Sanscrit translator, 91

Musa, the general, 7

Musa bin Khalid, the translator, 91

Muslim Homeir, the geographer, 49

Musset (Alfred de), the poet, 233; the verses on his tomb in Paris, 234

Mustaa'sim (Al) Billah, the Khalif, 12, 20, 107

Mustatraf (Al), a story-book, 201; extracts from it, 202-209

Muta, Battle at, 130

Mutanabbi (Al), the poet, 77, 84, 85

Mysticism, 95

N.

Nabiga, the poet, 30

Nadim (An), author of the 'Fihrist,' 55, 56, 84, 85

Nami (An), the poet, 77, 85

'Naphut-ul-Yaman,' a story-book, 188; extracts from it, 188-192

Nasir-uddin-Tusy, the Persian, 107

Natural history, writers about, 58 (Khalef-al-Ahmer, Ahmad bin ud Dinveri, Jahiz (Al), Ibn Duraid, Shaibani (As), each indexed separately.)

Newton and the Bible, 140

Nubakht, the translator, 98

O.

Obaid Allah bin Jahsh, the Hanyf, 133

Ohud, Battle of, 127

Omaiyide Khalifs, Abdul-Malik and Walid I, patrons of literature and art, 95

Omaiyides, The, list of 19; dynasty established, 5; conquests of, 6; fall of, 7

Omar, the Khalifah, 4, 19, 137, 147

Oriental Congress of 1889, v., vi.

Oriental lectures established, vi.

Oriental literature, study of, vi.

Oriental Translation Fund, Old, vi., vii.; its revival, vi.; new fund to be permanent, vii.; some of its works, 54, 57, 88, 109, 115, 117; list of works published by, Appendix, 235

Otbi (Al), the poet, 77, 80, 82

Othman, the Khalifah, 4, 19

Othman bin Huwairith, the Hanyf, 133

Othman bin Talha, the custodian of the Kaabah, 3, 129

Oweis Al Keremi, the mystic, 95

P.

'Pancha Tantra,' 151, 153, 183

Passion Play, the Arab, 6

Payne (John), description of his 'Nights,' 155, 156, 175, 177, 180

Pelly (Sir Lewis), a translator, 6

Periods of Arab literature--first, 25; second, 20; third, 106; of Arab history, 2

Persia, its severance from the Abbasides, 13

Persian Portraits, 151

Petis de la Croix, a translator, 154

Philologists, Arab 59 (Kasim bin Ma'an, Kutrub, Jahiz (Al), Shaibani (As), Asmai (Al), Abu Obaida, Ansari (Al), Abu Othman, Abul Aina, Ibn Kutaiba, Ibn Duraid, each indexed separately.)

Philology, Arab, 59

Philosophers, Arab, 65 (Khalid bin Yazid, Kindi (Al), Farabi (Al), Ibn Sina, Ali bin Ridhwan, Ghazah (Al), Ibn Bajah, Ibn Rashid, Kosta bin Luka, Thaleb bin Korra, Tavhidi (Al), Majridi (Al), each indexed separately.)

Philosophy, Arab, 64

Physicians, Arab, 72 (Georgios bin Bakhtyeshun, Gabriel bin Georgios, Isa bin Musa, Maseweih, Yahya bin Maseweih, Honem bin Ishak, Kosta bin Luka, Razi, Ibn Batlan, each indexed separately.)

Places of learning, 105

Pococke, a translator, 97

Poem of the Mantle, by Kab bin Zoheir, 31, 33

Poem of the Mantle, by Al Busiri, 32, note

Poetry before Muhammad's time, 25, 28

Poetry, Collectors and editors of Arab, 76 (Mofaddhal (Al), Shaibani (As), Abu Zaid bin A'us, Ibn as Sikkit, Muhammad bin Habib, Abu Hatim as Sejastani, Abu Othman al Mazini, Abu Tammam, Bohton (Al), Ibn-ul-Marzaban, Ibn Demash, Zukkari, Abu Bakr As-Sauli, Abul Faraj al-Ispahani, each indexed separately.)

Poets, Arab, 28, 30, 77 (Amriolkais, Antara, Labid, Tarafa, Amru, Harath, Zoheir, Nabiga, Kama (Al), Aasha (Al), Akhtal (Al), Farazdak, Jarir, Abul-Atahya, Bashshar bin Burd, Abu Nuwas, Abu Tammam, Otbi (Al), Bohtori (Al), Mutanabbi (Al), Nami (An), each indexed separately.)

Printing presses of Arabic to-day, 118

Prophets mentioned by Muhammad, 133

Purgstall (Von Hammer), author and translator, 96, 155

Q.

Quaritch (Bernard), his catalogue, vii.

R.

Radhi (Al) Billah, the Khalif, 20, 101, 102

Razi, or Rhazes, the physician, 24, 25, 75

Redhouse (J.W.), the translator, 32

Rehatsek (E.), the translator, viii., 30, 53

Reiske, a translator, 97

Remarks, Introductory, v.

Rénan, extracts from, 144, 145

Rodiger, a translator, 27

Ruckert, a translator, 89

S.

Sacey de (Baron Silvestre), 26, 89, 108

Sad bin Malik, the general, 4

Sa'di's 'Gulistan,' 188

Sayuti (Jalal-uddin), the Egyptian author, 111

Scott (Jonathan), a translator, 155, 177, 178

Sehl bin Nubakht, 90

Seville, 9

Shafai (Al), the imam, 37

Shaibani (Abu Amr as), the grammarian, philologist, writer on natural history and editor of poems, 49, 60, 76

Shiahs, Description of the, 5

Sibawaih, the grammarian, 46, 47

'Sihr-ul-oyoon,' a book on the eye, 210 extracts from it, 210-212

'Siraj-ul Muluk,' an interesting work, 212; extracts from it, 212-216

Society of the Brethren of Purity, 105

Sofyan at Thauri, an imaam, 38

Somadeva, '(Bhatta); an Indian author, 182, 183

Soudanese, The, 148

Spain, Omaiyide rulers in, 21; other rulers, 8; the Almoravides, 9; the Almohades, 9

Spanish Omaiyide Khalifs, 8, 21; the two greatest, Abd-ar-Rahman III and Hakim II., 102

Sprengor (Dr. A.), a translator, 54

Stories from Ibn Khallikan, 217-228

Stories from the 'Arabian Nights.' 157-174

Stories from the 'Merzuban-namah.' 193-201

Stories from the 'Mustatraf.' 202-209

Stories from the 'Naphut-ul-Yaman.' 188-192

Stories from the 'Sihr-ul-oyoon.' 210-212

Stories from the 'Siraj-ul-Muluk.' 212-216

Stories from various sources, 228-233

Sulaiman, the lawgiver, 112-116

Sunnis, Description of the, 5

Syria and Palestine, 14; conquest of, by the Fatimites, 14; by the Seljuks, 14; by Saladin, 15; by Selim I., 15

T.

Tabari, the historian, 53

Taki-uddin of Fez, the historian, 110

Tarafa, the poet, 29

Tarik, the general, 7

Tavhidi (Al), the philosopher, 65, 106

Tawney (C.H.), the translator, 181

Testaments, our Old and New, 133, 139

Thalab, the grammarian, 48

Thalab bin Korra, the philosopher, 65

Theophilus of Edessa, the translator, 98

'Thousand and one Nights.' 152, 154-156, 174-176

Torrens, a translator of the 'Nights.' 155

Tradition, The six Fathers of, 38 (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tir-midi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasai, Ibn Majah.)

Traditionists, Early, 38

Traditionists, Minor, 38

Translations, how carried on, 90, 91, 98

Translators, 89, 90 (Ibn-AlMukaifa, Abd-Allah bin Hilal, Sehl bin Nubakht, Musa bin Khalid, Yusuf bin Khalid, Hassan bin Sehl, Baladori (Al), Munkah, the Indian, Ibn Washiyab, Honein bin Ishak, Maseweih and his son Yahya, Kosta bin Luka, Theophilus of Edessa, each indexed separately.)

Travellers, _see_ 'Geographers'

Trebutien, a translator, 155

U.

Ulema, Establishment of the, 116

V.

Vatsyayana, the Hindoo author of the 'Kama Sutra,' 182

Voltaire and the Bible, 140

'Vrihat Katha,' or Great Tale, 182, 183

W.

Wackidi (Al), the historian, 53

Walid I., the sixth Omaiyide Khalif, 7, 19

Warakah, the Hanyf, 123, 132

Weil (Dr.), the translator, 53, 155

White (Dr. Joseph), 177

World, End of the, prophesied, 111

Wustenfeld (Dr.), the editor and author, 52, 76

Y.

Yahya bin Khalid, the Barmekide, 99, 100

Yahya bin Maseweih, the physician and translator, 74, 75, 91,98

Yakut, the penman, 113, 114

Yazid I., the second Omaiyide Khalif, 5, 6, 19

Yusuf bin Khalid, the translator, 91

Z.

Zaid, the inquirer, 132

Zibary, the hostile poet, 31

Zinzerling, a translator, 155

Zobeida, the wife of Harun-ar-Rashid, 97, 168

Zoheir, the poet, 29

Zotenberg (H.), of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 176, 177, 179

Zukkari, the editor of poems, 76

THE END