A. D. 590. Hejáz, or the Arabian mode. Whether these modes, like ours, mean a fucceffion of founds relating by juft proportions to one principal note, or only a particular fort of air, it has not been in my power to learn. If we may argue from the softness of the Perfian language, the strong accentuation of the words, and the tenderness of the fongs which are written in it, we may conclude that the Perfians must have a natural and affecting melody, which is, certainly, true mufick; but they seem to be very little acquainted with the Theory of that fublime art and, indeed, the Europeans knew as little of it, till it was explained to them by Rouffeau of Geneva, who has written upon the fubject like a Philofopher, an Artist, and a Man of Tafte.

A.D. 62?

After the death of Parviz, the Empire began to decline: the five Princes, and the two Queens who fucceeded to Shirúieh, or Siroes, as they were eminent neither in peace nor in war, are not worthy of a place in History.

The Arabs, under the command of Omar, were perpetually making inroads upon the Perfian Empire, and finally overthrew it by the defeat of YEZDEGIRD*, who was

killed in the middle of the feventh century; and A D. 623. by his death the family of Saffan became ex

tinct.

CHAP. IV.

The Mohammedan Dynafties.

OMAR was fucceeded by a race of Califs, the Popes of Afia, who affumed at once a regal and a priestly character, the one as conquerors of Perfia, and the other as fucceffors of Mahomed. The family of OMMIA preserved their power and dignity; but, under the house of ABBAS, the Califate was reduced to a shadow of sovereignty, and their Empire was divided among a number of independent Princes.

The divifion of the Empire prepared it for diffolution; the fons of GENGHIZ, who led à numerous army of Tartars over the Oxus, found the conqueft of Perfia an eafy task. It is related, that Holagu, a Mogul prince, who put an end to the Califate in the thirteenth century, was incited to befiege Bagdad, by

the great aftronomer Naffireddin, who had taken offence at the Calif's behaviour to him; fo that the fubverfion of a fplendid Empire was owing to the refentment of a private Philofopher *. The Genghizians were followed by TIMUR, improperly called Tamerlane, whofe dominions extended from the Ganges to the borders of Mufcovy, and from the Archipelago to the frontiers of China; which kingdom he was beginning to invade at the time of his death. The metropolis of his Empire was Samarcand, a rich and flourishing city, the ancient Maracanda, fituated in the beautiful valley of Sogd, about a day's journey from Cash, the place of his birth. At the opening of the fifteenth century, not many months before his death, he celebrated the nuptials of his fons and grandfons by a fumptuous feftival in a delightful plain called Gánigul†, or The Treasury of Rofes. All the riches of Xerxes and Darius, of which our hiftorians talk fo extravagantly, were trifling in comparison of the jewels and gold exhibited on this occafion.

His vaft poffeffions were inherited by the illuftrious SHAROKH, who distributed them

*M. d'Herbelot treats this anecdote as a fable.

شان كل +

among

his children. In his reign the princes of the BLACK RAM grew very powerful and infolent; they were, however, reduced by UZUN HASSAN, or Hafan the Tall, who was the fixth king of the WHITE RAM, and fubdued many provinces of Persia, but was defeated by Sultan Mahomed II. who took Conftantinople in the middle of the fifteenth century. These two families were diftinguished by the Rams of different colours, which were painted on their enfigns.

The fons of Haffan weakened their Empire by their violent diffenfions; and, in the beginning of the fixteenth century, left it open to ISMAIL, whofe grandfather funeid had married a daughter of Haffan. This prince is confidered as the founder of the Sefi family, but his ancestor SHEIKH SEFI was the true cause of its rife. The story of that fingular man deferves to be told at full length. When Timur returned to Perfia, after his victories in Syria, he paffed through Ardebil, a large city of Media. There lived at that time in this city a man named Sefieddin, or the Purity of Religion, by contraction Sefi, who was much refpected by the Citizens, as a philofopher of fingular virtue and piety, and a reputed defcendant from the prophet

Ali. The Tartarian Conqueror, who was not inferior to Alexander, vifited Sefi, who was far more benevolent than Diogenes; and at that time Tamerlane happened to have with him a great number of captives in chains, for the most part natives of Carmania, whom he had determined to put to death upon some publick occafion. He was charmed with the converfation of the philofopher, and, like the Macedonian Hero, offered to give him any thing he could defire. The fage pointed to the Captives, and entreated him to fave the lives of thofe young Carmanians who were in bis train. Timur confented; and gave them all to Sefi as his flaves; but the virtuous old man supplied them with the necessaries of life, and fent them to their native city. The families of thofe prifoners, who were the principal men of Carmania, retained so grateful a fenfe of this benefit, that they expreffed it in the moft extravagant manner; they made it the business of their lives to vifit their benefactor, and to carry him presents; and even enjoined their children to pay the fame respect to the pofterity of this excellent man. But all his defcendants had not his bene

volence; and Ijmail employed thofe very Carmanians in railing him to the throne of