Perfia, by Ferdufi. See the Treatife on Oriental Poetry, in Vol. IV. Oxf. Priv.

كليات 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 bed of rofes 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 subjects, and are written with all the elegance of the Perfian language. Oxf.

PERSIAN LANGUAGE.

.Selman and Abfal, a tale قصه سلمان و ابسال
.the life of Alexander سکندر نامه
یوسف و زلیخا

poem.

The

iwg the loves of fofeph and Zuleica, a very beautiful

.the loves of Leila and Megenun ليلي و مجنون
.a collection of odes ديوان جامي
.the manfion of the Jpring بہارستان
.the gift of the noble تحفة الاحرار
the manners of the jul. Oxf سجية الابرار

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, hiftory, morality, and politicks; compofed by Geláleddîn, furnamed Rúmi. This poem is greatly admired in Perfia, and it really deserves admiration. Oxf. Priv.

دیوان انواري

poems of Anvári, which are quoted by Sadi in his Gulistán, and are much efteemed in the Eaft.

251

كليات نظامي

The works of Nezámi; containing fix poems:

.the Secrets of lovers اسرار العاشقين

هنت

.the feroen faces هفت پیکر

.the loves of Cboffru 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 sentences, not unlike those of Theogenis in Greek, by jus la Ferideddin Attar. Lond. Oxf.

كليات كاتبي

The works of Catebi, containing five poems:

.the junction of two feas مجمع البحرين

the ten chapters.

the second class were

fables into verse;

.beauty and love حسن و عشق

the ناصر و منصور .the loves of Babaram and Gulendam بهرام و گلاندام

conqueror and triumpher.

There are many more histories and poems written in Persian; but those above-mentioned are the most celebrated in Afia. The

poets of Roudeki, who translated Pilpai'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.

PHILO

PHILOSOPHY.

انوار سهيلي كاشفي

The light of Soleil or Canopus.-A very elegant paraphrafe of Pilpai's tales and fables, by Cafhefi.

Oxf.

عیار دانش

The touchstone of learning; a more fimple tranflation 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 mifcellaneous work upon moral fubjects, in profe and verfe. There is a beautiful copy of this book in the Bodleian library at Oxford. Marsh 397.

دانش نامه

A system of natural philofophy, 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

ferve

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 rofes or fandal wood. The poem of Jofeph 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, No. 1. 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 so easily into one another, that they can write fafter than any other nation. It is not ftrange, 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 manuscript.

I shall conclude with a Perfian ode in three Afiatick hands, and shall add a few remarks upon each of them.

I.
NISKHI.

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 it