caters" of the Greeks, residing on the Persian Gulph. At length, after a glorious reign of fifty years, he was slain, by a fragment of a rock hurled against

In the Shah name of Ferdousi*, the celebrated Rostam, several ages after, slew, in fierce combat, the dive Arzshenk, who had escaped from the chains of Tahmurus, and fought with a human body, and head of a bull, and afterwards he killed the Dive Sepid, or "whiteDive." And Gershab, the last king of the Pishdadian dynasty, wounded the Dive Munheras with an arrow in the mouth; and Sohrab, the son of Rostam, afterwards slew him, after he had assumed various forms; first, the head of a hog; next, a head with two faces, of a lion on one side, and of a wild boar on the other.

These Peris and Dives, the friends and foes of mankind, and all the machinery of their conflicts, seem to have furnished the ground-work of the prevalent notions of good and bad demons, of gods and giants, that pervade the whole of eastern and western romance. We find them in Jewish, Indian, Grecian, and Roman Mythology. The apocryphal book of Tobit, written during, or after, the Babylonish Captivity, introduces Raphael, the guardian angel of Tobias, the wicked spirit Asmodeus, who was fond of Sarah, and destroyed her seven husbands on their wedding nights; who was driven from her bedchamber by the perfume of the burnt heart and liver of the fish that attempted to devour Tobias, when bathing in the Tigris; the flight of Asmodeus to Egypt, where the angel bound him, we may presume in the Red Sea, with Pharaoh and his magicians. The Hares of the Persians, Hara of the Hindus, Eblis and Sheitan of the Arabs, correspond to " Beelzebub, the prince of Demons," to whom the Scribes and Pharisees compared CHRIST. And our Lord refuted them upon their own principles; "when the strong (xvę☺) armed, keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when the stronger (ò, 10xugoti) cometh upon, and conquereth him, he taketh from him his panoply, on which he trusted, and distributeth his spoils." Luke xi. 21,22. And the deeply-learned Paul adopted this beautiful imagery, when warning his Gentile converts of their spiritual conflict with the foes of the Gospel. "Put on the panoply of GoD, &c." Eph. vi. 10-17.

In Europe also, this machinery forms the basis of Gothic Romance. We trace it in the Ippogriffe, mounted on which, Astolpho took his flight to heaven; and the magic ring of Bradamantè, in the Qrlando Furioso of Ariosto; the various enchantments of Armida and Ismeno, in the Gierusalemme liberata of Tasso; the many-headed monster of Duessa, and the shield of King Arthur, in the Faery Queen of Spenser; the faery Morgain (the copy of the Peri Merjan) who conveyed away king Arthur from the battle of Camelon, to the delights of Fuery land, in the old British Romance; Satan's journey from Pandemonium to this earth, across the chaotic abyss, in the Paradise Lost; and the Masque of Comus, in Milton; the play of the Tempest, in Shakspeare, &c. &c. &c.

Some ingenious Antiquaries have considered this Romantic Mythology, as of Arabian growth; because it abounds in Arabian authors, especially in that most entertaining work,

• Ferdousi, who may be reckoned the Homer of Persia, spent thirty years in the composition of this work. He died at an advanced age, in A. D. 1018.

the

against him by the Giants, his mortal foes, who had occupied the streights of the mountains of Damavend, in the province of Adherbigian.

This remarkably corresponds to Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, in Abraham's days, who subdued the Pentapolis, and probably the eastern countries of Arabia, stretching to the Arabian and Persian gulfs; for among his auxiliaries, was Arioch, king of Ellasar, or Arabia: and he might have been slain, either when surprized by Abraham in his camp, in the mountainous country, near the springs of the Jordan; or afterwards, upon his return home, in some later engagement. It is also remarkable, that the giants, in Horace, hurled rocks against Jove, and his confederate gods; as shewn in the preceding note. This seems to leave scarcely a doubt of the identity of Chedorlaomer and Hushang; and thereby tends to remove the

the Thousand and one Nights; in which it is fully displayed. But neither the scenes are laid, nor the technical terms of this mythology, found in Arabia. The warriors who figure in Faery land, are exclusively Persian, the kings and heroes of the first Pishdadian dynasty; and the Arabic language has no appropriate terms to express the Peris, Dives, Simurgh, Rakshe, or Ouranobad, &c. For the terms it substitutes, Angels, Devils, Genies, Giants, Afrites, Gules, &c. are only figuratively applied to these imaginary beings; radically denoting creatures which really exist. The Peris and Dives of Persian Romance, are neither angels nor devils, but supposed intermediate classes between both; nor do they accurately correspond to the demons of the Jews and Greeks, which were generally supposed to be the spirits of dead men, good or bad. See vol. ii. p. 764, 1223—1225.

A very early intercourse subsisted between Iran, and India eastwards, and Europe westwards, in the time of the Pischdadian dynasty; which was renewed under the Kaianian. And many traces of the Syriac, or ancient Persic, are to be found in the Sanscrit, and other dialects of India, and in the Greek and Latin, and Celtic languages of Europe. The crusades afterwards introduced many more, into the modern languages, Italian, French, German, Eng lish, &c. In the last, the number of pure Persic words is very considerable; as, CHODA, or GODA, "God;" Div, " Divel, or Devil;" PERI, "Fairy;" PADER, "warne, pater," “warm, or PHADER," Father;" MADEB," ung, mater," or MODER, "Mother," BRODER, "Brother;" DOCHTER, "Daughter;" HOKSPAZ, a "conjuror;" whence the vulgar hocus pocus tricks, &c.

The curious and recondite information contained in this note, is chiefly collected from the learned and ingenious orientalist, Richardson's Dissertations, Herbelot's Bibliotheque Orientale, and Hyde's Religio veterum Persarum.

The high antiquity of the primitive Persian language, is also held by Sir William Jones, who considers it as the original Syriac, or Chaldean tongue, and the mother of the Sanscrit, and consequently of the Zend, and Parsi, as well as of Greek, Latin, and Gothic. Sixth Discourse on the Persians, Asiat. Res. ii. p. 54, 64.

váil that has hitherto been spread over the chronology of the romantic ac, counts of the oriental historians.

To this famous monarch is ascribed a very ancient book, entitled Ghiavidan Chrad, or, "Eternal Wisdom;" which, among many other fine seatences, contains the following.

"Great kings are GODS upon earth, and have all the attributes of power, wisdom, and mercy, in a superior degree, with respect to private persons, as the ALMIGHTY has over them. Let not this, however, encourage them to use their subjects with rigour. Thunder is seldom heard, but the sun >shines every day: we see ten thousand instances of GoD's goodness, for one extraordinary act of vengeance. Let kings imitate him, by doing all the good they can: and always remember, that though death is in their power, yet life is not. They may order a man to be cut into a thousand pieces, but there their dominion ends; they cannot call him into being again. Beware, therefore, of sudden judgments, and of repentance coming too late." What an admirable comment does this furnish on our Lord's divine discourses. Matt. v. 45-48; Luke vi. 36.

TAHMURAS.

years,

This prince was the son, grandson, or kinsman of Hushang; and, succeeding him, reigned with high reputation. Finding that the wars of his predecessor had impoverished his subjects, and introduced disorder and licentiousness into his dominions, he first remitted all taxes for three repressed irregularities by new laws, and took care that they should be duly executed by the magistrates. He fortified the frontiers of Persia, in order to prevent sudden invasions; and shewed himself not inferior to his illustrious predecessors, in the arts of government, and with the like success: for he gained the confidence of the neighbouring nations, who voluntarily submitted themselves to him, and acknowledged him for their sovereign. At length, after a glorious reign of 30 years, he died of a raging and epidemic pestilence.

He also was one of the most famous adventurers in Faery Land, as shown in the foregoing note.

GIEM SCHID.

It is not clear whether this prince was the son, or grandson, or nephew, of his predecessor; but all agree, that he was of the royal line of Kaiumarath, and was inspired with a laudable ambition of equalling at least, if not excelling, his ancestors. He divided his subjects into three classes, of soldiers, husbandmen, and artizans. He first corrected the Calendar, and instituted the festival of the Neuruz, or new year, at the vernal equinox, which lasted six days. He built the great city of Estechar, which some think to be Persepolis, and others Schiras. But at length, elated with prosperity, he fancied himself immortal, and required to be worshipped with divine honours. This lost him the hearts of his subjects, who revolted; and, under the command of Dahak, defeated, and took him prisoner; when that cruel tyrant immediately ordered him to be sawn asunder in his presence.

DAHAK OR ZOHAK.

This prince was an Arab, by the father's side, but descended from Kaiumarath by the mother's. As he gained the crown by the sword, so he ruled by the sword. His outrageous cruelty at length excited an insurrection, headed by Kaoh, a smith, in revenge for the death of his sons, slain by Dahak. He made use of his leathern apron, as a standard for the insurgents, defeated the tyrant, and recalled the rightful heir of the throne, Phridun, the son of Giemshid, who was only three years old at his father's death and had been concealed from the jealous tyrant's continual researches, by his careful mother, Phramak. Dahak marched with an army to oppose his rival; but being deserted in the engagement by his troops, was taken prisoner, and confined in the caves of Damavand. This victory, being gained about the time of the autumnal equinox, gave rise to the anniversary feast of Mihragian, celebrated at that season.

The authors of the Lebtarikh, and Tarik Montekheb, Mirkhond, and Chondemir, all make Abraham contemporary with Zohak; furnishing a va

luable

luable chronological character, corresponding to Sacred Chronology, which represents Abraham's birth B. C. 2155, and his death, B. C. 1978, two years after Zohak's death. This furnishes an additional proof of the accuracy of the present adjustment of the Pischdadian Chronology.

PHRIDUN OR FERIDUN.

The first act of this prince was to appoint Kaoh, the smith, general of his armies. This faithful partizan, in the course of twenty years, recovered many of the refractory provinces that had revolted during the late troubles, and added considerably to the empire, on the western side. To reward his long services, Feridun made him governor of the first province of the realm, Aderbigian, and provided nobly for his family. The leathern apron, which had been the original standard of insurrection against Zohak, he made the royal standard of Persia, entitled, Dirfesch Kaviani, "the standard of Koah." And it was continually adorned with the richest jewels, by this prince and his successors, so that it became at last of inestimable value; and when taken in the decisive battle of Cadesia, A. D. 636, which put an end to the last Persian dynasty, with Jezdejird, it enriched the whole army of Omar, the second Caliph of the Saracens.

Feridun was an excellent prince, who consulted the happiness of his people. He was a zealous worshipper of the true God, and repressed the Zabian idolatry. His wise maxims were treasured up by the oriental writers.

To his successors, he bequeathed the following advice:

"Reckon that all the days of your reign are so many leaves of your book of life. Be careful then to write nothing thereon, that shall not be worthy of being handed down to posterity."

On the front of one of his pavilions, was this inscription:

Remember, whoe'er thou art, the failures of this world:

Give then thy heart to the world's CREATOR,

For He will never fail thee.

Trust not in power, nor in riches, here below;

For