Weary at length of inaction, he resolves to go out to hunt, and meets with a party of robbers, whose real avocation he does not know, and joins them-the robbers binding him to fidelity by a solemn oath. Too late he discovers the true character of his companions, but is compelled to accompany them on their plundering expeditions. The daring outrages perpetrated by this gang of robbers become so notorious that the Sultan Hebraim marches against them at the head of some chosen troops. The robbers are utterly defeated, but the Sultan himself is grievously wounded. On returning to his capital he sends for his astrologers, and angrily asks them whether in their predictions they had foreseen that he should die by the hand of a robber. They affirm that what the stars had predicted could not prove false, and suggest that the Sultan should ascertain who it was, among the robbers, that wounded him, and then inquire into his birth and history. Abaquir, his own son, is the robber who inflicted the fatal wound; and after he has given the best account he could of his early years, and shown the scars of the lion's claws on his breast, the Sultan submits to the decree of Fate, and dies shortly after declaring Abaquir his successor.-In Habicht's Arabian text (which agrees with Cazotte in nearly all the details) it is stated that the King went once every month to the opening of the underground dwelling, let down a rope, and drew up his son, embraced and kissed and played with him awhile, then let him down again. NOTES ON CONCLUSION. Page 116. "Sent an order to the Viziers," &c. The lithographed text says: "Instantly he commanded Bakhtyar to be fetched. The King with his own hands drew off the fetters, brought him before the Queen, and put on him a kahi [see Note p. 135] and a kulāh”—that is, a robe and a turban. -Certain officers of the King of Persia's household who wear gold tiaras are called Zarrin-Kullāhān, Golden Caps. Page 117. "Resigned the throne to Bakhtyar."-In Hindū stories a very usual conclusion is the King's abdication of his throne in favour of his son; and it is highly probable that such was actually the custom formerly. In the European mediaval romance of "The Knight with the Swan," King Oriant abdicates in favour of his son Helias.-See Mr W. J. Thoms' Early English Prose Romances. Page 117. "Dignity of Chief Vizier."-The text reads: "He conferred on Farrukhsuwar, with complete honour and. reverence, the Vizier's Khil'at [see Note p. 136], and appointed him Commander-in-chief (Sipahsālār).” The lithographed text thus concludes: "This book is finished by the aid of the King the Giver [i.e. God]": tamma-'l-kitāb bi 'awni-'l-Maliki-'l-Wahhab. ADDITIONAL NOTES. As a few notes remain to be added to the foregoing, I take the opportunity of correcting in this place some errors which have occurred while these sheets were passing through the press. Page 157, line 1, for Berica read Beroa. Page 160, line 19 for chemy read cheraiy, or sheraiy. Page 167, lines 7 and 8.-It may be as well to explain that the words tavakkul bar Khuda are a Persian translation (in the text) of the Arabic tawakkal ‘ala-'llāhi of the Kur'an, ch. xxxiii (not xxxvii), 3-" put thy trust in God." 66 Page 169, line 19, for Trinchinopoli read Trichinopoli. The following note, by mischance, has been omitted in its proper place (Notes on Chapter VIII): Page 93. "The King graciously received the present which Rūzbih offered."-It is well known that, in all parts of the East, whoever visits a great person must carry him a present. "It is counted uncivil," says Maundrell, p. 26, "to visit in this country without an offering in hand. All great men expect it as a tribute due to their character and authority; and look upon themselves as affronted, and indeed defrauded, when the compliment is omitted." In the sacred writings we find mention made of this custom. For instance, I Samuel ix, 7: "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present (teshurah) to bring to the man of God-what have we?" Menachem explains teshurah to signify "an offering or gift, which is presented in order to be admitted into the presence of a King or some great man." See also Isaiah lvii, 9, lit: "And thou hast visited the King with a present of oil." "The King of Yemen and his Slave "—see page 56, and last note, page 174.-This story in Habicht's Arabian text is entitled "The History of King Bihkard," and the following passages may be compared with those of our text and with Lescallier, above referred to: On a certain day he went on a hunting. excursion, and one of his servants shot an arrow, and it struck. the King's ear, and cut it off. The King asked: "Who shot this arrow?" The attendants instantly conducted the bowman to the front, and his name was Yatru. Fainting from fear, he threw himself on the ground, and the King said : "Put him to death." But Yatru said: "O King, this fault is not of my own choice or knowledge-pardon me, then, out of thy kindness, since grace is the most gracious of actions, and oftentimes on some future day becomes a treasure and a benefit, and in the sight of God a recompense at the last day. Pardon me, then : as you avert evil from me, so will God ward off from thee a similar evil." When the King heard these words, he admired and forgave Yatrū, yet never had he before pardoned any one. Now this servant was of royal extraction, and had fled from his country, by reason of some transgression, and had entered the service of King Bihkard. And this is what happened to him. By chance a person who knew him passed that way, and gave information to his father, who sent him a letter, which gratified his heart and disposition; and he returned to his father, who inclined indulgently towards him. Yatrü rejoiced, and his affairs were rectified.-Compare also Lescallier and Cazotte, cited in pp. 178, 179. Arabian Version of Abū Temām's Mission. According to Habicht's text, the account of Abu Temam's delicate—not to say dangerous—mission to the King of Turkistān is very different from that of the Persian version. The King desires him to enter the harem, and see and converse with the Princess; and he proceeds thither, reflecting on the way that "Wise men have averred that whoever deprives his sight [that is, closes his eyes] no evil can attach to him; and whoever bridles his tongue hears nothing disagreeable; and whoever restrains his hand, it can neither be shortened nor lengthened." He accordingly enters the chamber of the Princess, and sits down on the floor, gathering together the extremities of his robe. When the King's daughter requests him to raise his head, look upon and converse with her, Abū Temām remains mute, and with downcast eyes. She then requests him to take the pearls, and the gold and silver which lie near him, but he does not extend his hand towards anything. At this the Princess is vexed, and tells her father that they have sent a blind, and deaf, and foolish ambassador; whereupon the King of Turkistān demands of Abū Temām why he had not looked upon and conversed with his daughter: he replies that he had seen everything [he should see]; and in answer to the inquiry, why he had not taken the proffered pearls, he says that it was not proper for him to extend his hand to aught that belongs to another. The King, overjoyed at his prudence, embraces him, shows him the heads of former ambassadors (see page 214, line 4), consents to give his daughter in marriage to Abū Temām's royal master, and presents him with a robe of honour, after which Abū Temām departs, and in due course the Princess is sent to the palace of Ïlan Shāh. Arabian Version of the Conclusion of the Romance. In Habicht's Arabian text the conclusion is as follows (comp. pp. 115-117): When the youth had finished his narrative, the King said: "Still thou wouldest bewilder us with thy discourses, but the time is now come for your execution."-At the moment when they were conducting the youth to the gallows, the robber-chief who had educated him arrived in the town. When he observed the people assembling together, he inquired the cause, and they said to him: "The King has commanded a young culprit to be executed." The robber-chief, who wished to see the youth, immediately recognised him, and kissed him on the mouth, and said: "This youth, when a child, I found near a fountain. I adopted him, and brought him up. One day we attacked a caravan, and were driven into flight, and he was taken prisoner. Since then I have sought everywhere for him, and never could gain any news respecting him." When the King heard this he cried aloud, threw himself on the youth, embraced and kissed him, and said: "I should have put my own son to death, and in consequence should have died of grief.” The King then unfettered the Prince, took the crown from his own head, and placed it on that of his son. The news was made public by the beating of drums and the braying of trumpets, the town was illuminated, and there arose such a shouting of joy that the birds could scarcely support themselves in the air. All prisoners were released by order of the King, and a seven days' festival proclaimed throughout the kingdom. On the eighth day the King placed his son at his side, and |