Perfia, by Ferdufi. See the Treatise on Oriental Poetry, în Vol. IV. Oxf. Priv. کلیات خاقاني The works of Khakáni, a sublime and fpirited poet. Oxf. Priv. دیوان حافظ The odes of Hafiz: see the treatise above-mentioned. Lond. Oxf. Par. Priv. كليات سعدي or بوستان or the beds of roes گلستان The works of Sadi; containing the garden, and or the rays of light. The two first of these excellent books are very common; but I have not feen the last: they are all upon moral fubjects, and are written with all the elegance of the Perfian language. Oxf. .the taper and the moth, a poem شمع و پروانه .a book of elegies کتاب قصاید .a book of odes کتاب غزلیات كليات جامي The works of Jámi; containing, among others, äll the chain of gold, a poem in three books. و ابسال .Selman and Abfal, a tale قصه سلمان .the life of Alexander سکندر نامه the loves of gofeph and Zuleica, a very beautiful یوسف و زلیخا . poem. .the loves of Leila and Megenun ليلي و مجنون .a collection of odes ديوان جامي .the manfion of the Jpring بهارستان .the gift of the noble تحفة الاحرار .the manners of the juft سجية الابرار juft. Oxf. دیوان خسرو A book of elegant odes, by Mir Chofru. Oxf. مثنوي تصنيف جلال الدين رومي A poetical work called Mefnavi, upon several subjects, of religion, history, morality, and politicks; compofed by Geláleddîn, furnamed Rúmi. This poem is greatly admired in Perfia, and it really deserves admiration. Oxf. Priv. دیوان انواری The poems of Anvári, which are quoted by Sadi in his Gulistán, and are much esteemed in the Eaft. كليات نظامي The works of Nezámi; containing fix poems: .the Secrets of lovers اسرار العاشقين هفت .the ferver faces هفت پیکر .the loves of Chofru and Shirin خسرو و شیرین .the life of Alexander سکندر نامه .Leila and Megenun, a tale ليلي و مجنون the treasure of fecrets. Lond. Priv. پند نامه Pendnáma, a book of moral fentences, not unlike thofe of Theogenis in la Ferideddin Attar. Lond. Oxf. Greek, by jus There are many more histories and poems written in Persian; but those above-mentioned are the most celebrated in Afia. The poets of the second class were Roudeki, who translated Pilpai’s fables into verse; S Refhídi, who wrote an art of poetry Ahmedi, who احمدي : the inchanted gardens حدايق السحر called ; composed an heroick poem on the actions of Tamerlane: not to mention a great number of elegiack and lyrick poets, who are very little known in Europe. PHILOSOPHY. انوار سهيلي كاشفي The light of Soleil or Canopus.-A very elegant paraphrase of Pilpai's The touchstone of learning; a more fimple translation of Pilpai, by Abu Fazl. Oxf. هزار یک روز The Perfian tales of a thousand and one days, tranflated into French by Petit de la Croix. نگارستان جويني Negariftân the gallery of pictures, by Jouîni.-A miscellaneous work upon moral subjects, in prose and verse. There is a beautiful copy of this book in the Bodleian library at Oxford. Marsh 397. دانش نامه A system of natural philosophy, by Isfahani. Oxf. جواهر نامه The natural history of precious ftones. Oxf There are many books in Perfian upon Geometry, Algebra, Aftronomy, Mechanicks, Logick, Rhetorick, and Phyfick; all which de serve to be read and studied by the Europeans. The Perfians are very fond of elegant manuscripts; all their favourite works are generally written upon fine filky paper, the ground of which is often powdered with gold or filver duft: the two first leaves are commonly illuminated, and the whole book is fometimes perfumed with effence of roses or fandal wood. The poem of Joseph and Zuleica in the publick library at Oxford is, perhaps, the most beautiful manuscript in the world: the margins of every page are gilt and adorned with garlands of flowers; and the hand-writing is elegant to the highest degree: it is in the collection of the learned Greaves, N°. 1. The Afiaticks have The Afiaticks have many advantages in writing: their ink is extremely black, and never lofes its colour; the Egyptian reeds with which they write, are formed to make the finest strokes and flourishes; and their letters run fo eafily into one another, that they can write faster than any other nation. It is not strange, therefore, that they prefer their manuscripts to our best printed books; and if they should ever adopt the art of printing, in order to promote the general circulation of learning, they will still do right to preserve their claffical works in manufcript. I shall conclude with a Perfian ode in three Afiatick hands, and shall add a few remarks upon each of them. I. This is the only form of writing that we can imitate exactly by our types; it is the hand of the Arabians, who invented the characters; and |