it muft, therefore, be learned before we attempt to read the other hands: it is frequently used by the Perfians, and the history of Nader Shah was written in it. ب II. TALIK. ش and س This beautiful hand may easily be read by Europeans, if they understand the Perfian language; and if they do not, what will it avail them to read it? In this form of writing the strokes are extremely fine, and the initial letters are fometimes fcarcely perceptible. The characters are the fame with those used in printing, except that are often expreffed by a long ftroke of the reed, as in the third word of the second line, which answers to: there are also two examples of this in the third line. As the Perfians always write their lines of an equal length, they are obliged to place their words in a very irregular manner; if the line be too short, they lengthen it by a fine stroke of the reed; if too long, they write the words one above another. In the Perfian poems the transcribers place both members of a couplet on the fame line, and not the firft above the fecond, as we do: a Perfian would write the following verses in this order, With ravished ears Affumes the god; The monarch hears, It must be confeffed, that this irregularity in writing, joined to the confufion of the diacritical points, which are often placed at random, and sometimes omitted, makes it very difficult to read the Perfian manuscripts, till the language becomes familiar to us; but this difficulty, like all all others in the world, will be infenfibly furmounted by the habit of industry and perfeverance, without which no great defign was ever accomplished. III. SHEKESTEH. In this inelegant hand all order and analogy are neglected; the points which distinguish from , ¿ from T, and Ụ from ☺, ☺ and خ ب &c. are for the most part omitted, and these seven letters, ون are connected with those that follow them in a moft irregular manner. This is, certainly, a confiderable difficulty, which must be surmounted before the learner can tranflate an Indian letter: but I am perfuaded, that those who chiefly complain of it have another difficulty still greater, which is their imperfect knowledge of the language. NISKHI. VOL. II. چو آفتاب مي از مشرق پياله برآید زباغ عارض ساتي هزار لاله برآید نسیم در بر كل بشكند كلاله سنبل چو از میان چمن بوي آن کلاله برآید شکایت شب هجران نه آن شکایتهاست که شبه زبیانش بصد رساله برآید كرت جو نوح نبي صبر هست در غم طوفان بلا بكردد وكام هزار ساله برآید بسعی خود نتوان برد كوهر مقصود خیال تست که این کار بیحواله برآید زکرد خوان فلك كو طمع چه ميداري كه بيهلالت صد غصه يكنواله برآید . نسيم زلغت اگر بگذرد بتربت حافظ زخاك كالبدش صد هزار لاله برآید L L ADVERTISEMENT. THE following Index will be found, it is hoped, of confiderable use to learners, to those in particular who are unprovided with dictionaries; fince it is not only intended as a literal alphabetical explanation and analysis of the extracts and authorities from the various writers interspersed through the Grammar, but as a vocabulary it may be employed to advantage, by imprinting on the memory a number of useful words. It may not be improper, however, to inform those who have made but little progress in this language, that, in confulting any dictionary, there are a variety of infeparable particles prefixed and annexed to words, which must be analysed or separated before the meaning can be found : for example, ب Cwhich literally fignifies to defire is, muft not be looked for under the letter, but under, the prefixed being the infeparable preposition for, to, in, ¿ implying defire, &c. and C (for Cl) the third person present of to be. It is unneceffary to multiply examples, but it will fave the learner much trouble if he keep in mind, that the principal of these prefixed particles are, بي or) ب before words beginning with 1) the characteristick of the first future, and fometimes of the imperative. به |