fuperior claim to difgrace the human understanding. From the whole therefore I remain at present of opinion, that M. Anquetil has made no discovery which can stamp his publications with authority. He brings no evidence of the leaft antiquity; and we are only disgusted with the frivolous superstition and never-ending ceremonies of the modern Worshippers of Fire. •

I SHALL now proceed to make some ob fervations on the modern idiom of Perfia; and to point out the origin of that fingular and intimate connection which it has long maintained with the language of Arabia. Early in Perfia, as in every wide extended empire, there were many provincial dialects, distinguished chiefly by the names of those provin ces where they were spoken: the principal of which were the Parfi or Farfi, and the Pehlavi. The first was the dialect of Farfistan (Persia Proper), and had an extensive range over the most civilized of the lower districts: whilst the Pehlavi prevailed chiefly around the Mazenderan or Cafpian Sea, and in the more mountainous dependencies of the empire. So rude however was the Pehlavi confidered, that, after having been discountenanced at court as early, it is faid, as the reign of Bahaman, about 400 years before Chrift, it

B

was at length profcribed in a formal edict by Behram Gur, in the fifth century of our era; and foon after ceafed to be a living language. The Farf, on this event, as it had long been the principal, became now the only language of Perfia; being fubdivided into the Zebani Deri, or the language of the court, and the Zebani Farfi, the dialect of Perfia at large. It is to this language, which seems to have been peculiarly cultivated by the great and the learned above twelve hudred years before the Mohammedan era, that we fhould apparently point our researches for Perfian literature previous to that period: and not to the uncourtly Pehlavi. So early neglected by the fuperior orders of men, and confined entirely amongst the boorish mountaineers and unlettered peasants, it appears to be equally improbable, that men of genius fhould have preferred this rude idiom to the polished Deri; as to fuppofe a Voltaire to have written in the Bas Breton; or an Addifon in the most rugged of our county dialects. '

f

THE Deri was improved with uncommon care by the Saffanian princes; many of whom, as well as their vizirs and great officers, published works in it: which, though at prefent hardly known, are mentioned with high approbation by fucceeding writers. Amongst

the chief of those royal and noble authors was Ardeshir Babegan, the first prince of this dynafty, who began his reign A. D. 202. He wrote a Karnamé, or journal of his public and private life: and also a work of morality; which being afterwards improved by Noufhirvan the Juft, (who flourished in the sixth century), was fent by him to all his governors, as the invariable rule of their conduct. The Zefer name, written by Bouzour, vizir to Noushirvan, is better known; having been modernized by the celebrated physician and vizir Avicenna, about the beginning of the eleventh century. Those books, could they now be recovered in their original language, would apparently be an acquifition far fuperior to a thousand such volumes as M. Anquetil's Zend Avefta. Exclufive of their intrinsic value, with regard to Perfian History, manners, politics, and morals, they would fhew the precise distinction between the ancient and modern dialects: for if what Dr. Hyde has given us, as the words of Ardefhir, is authentic, the language of this prince, though called Old Perfian by that very learned gentleman, is actually, when decyphered, fimply the modern in ancient characters: and if his book is written in the fame tongue, (which is probably the cafe) the whole dif

ference between the language of the early kings of Perfia, and that which now remains, seems to reft entirely in the difference of character, and in the introduction of the Arabic ; which began to take place in the seventh century of the Christian era.

SECT. III.

Changes introduced, by the Arabian conqueft, in the government, religion, and language of Perfia. The Macedonians and Arabians perfecute the religion of the Magi; and deftroy their books. Probable caufes of this feverity. The Parfis fly from the Arabian profcription, and fettle in Guzerat and other places. They acknowledge that their books are of modern date. The Perfian language neglected by the Mohammedans till the tenth century. Becomes blended with Arabic on its revival. Singular attention paid by Eaftern princes to learned men. Decline of Oriental literature after the invafions of Gengiz Khan and Ta merlane. Leading diftinctions between Weftern and Eaftern genius. The usefulness of the Perfian and Arabic languages in Hin doftan.

BEFORE the appearance of Mohammed,

the Arabians, confined within their own peninsula, made no figure on the theatre of Afia; and were, in a political light, known only to be despised by the Grecian and the Perfian powers. But the enthusiasm, genius, and intrepidity of one extraordinary man, foon changed the fcene; and gave a begin ning to revolutions equally rapid as complete. The numerous Arabian tribes Mohammed, by various means, converted to his faith, or fubjected to his power; but died before any impreffion was made upon the adjacent states. Abubeker led the way to foreign conqueft; and his fucceffor Omar, in the short space of four years, faw the Khalifat extended from Egypt to the frontiers of India. Perfia was one of the nobleft acquifitions of the Mohammedan arms; the decifive victory of Kadeffia, in the year 636, throwing this mighty empire under the Arabian yoke, as that of Arbela had formerly subjected it to Alexander. The confequences however of the two revolutions had nothing fimilar: the Macedonian conquest produced only a change of princes the Kaianian dynasty of Perfian kings giving way to the fucceffors of their Grecian conqueror: but that of the Arabians proved a