THE LITERARY PANORAMA. For OCTOBER, 1806. A Dictionary, Persian, Arabic, and Engfish; with a Dissertation on the Languages, Literature, and Manners of Eastern Nations, by John Richardson, Esq. F. S. A. of the Middle Temple, and of Wadham College, Oxford. A new Edition, with numerous Additions and Improvements, by Charles Wilkins, LL. D. F. R. S. Vol. I. Royal Quarto. pp. Dissertation 96, Dictionary 1157. Richardson, &c. London, 1806. LANGUAGES are at all times an interesting study to the liberal mind, inasmuch as speech is the vehicle by which man conveys his sentiments to his fellow men, and a nation maintains its intercourse with surrounding nations. Whoever has acquired a language has removed one formidable barrier which opposed his being considered as a native in any country, whether civilized or savage. Quitting the humiliating character of a silent spectator, he now rises to the dignity of an associate and friend, he ingratiates himself with those whom he addresses in accents recommended by their familiarity, and in terms received with effect, because received with understanding. In proportion to the intimacy of nations, and the connections established between their subjects, an acquaintance with the language spoken by each other, becomes indispensable; and their mutual necessities will induce them to devise means for effecting that medium of intercourse, from which both expect the establishment of mutual convenience and confidence. Countries so distant in situation as Britain and Persia, might be supposed to have little occasion for acquiring each other's languages; nevertheless, such is -the magic influence of commerce, that VOL. I. [Lit. Pan. Oct. 1806] the importance of this acquisition is entitled to national attention; and the advantages it presents are not only numerous and valuable, but unattainable by any other means. When the possessions of Britain in India were confined to a few acres on the Coast of Coromandel, the language prevalent on that coast was, apparently, the only one necessary for transacting the concerns of the English East-India Company, at that time merely an association of traders. But, when the obvious policy, amounting to a duty, of expelling the French from their insidious encroachments, had annexed extensive territories to the British Dominions, and when, by degrees, the sovereignty of these Merchants comprized not only provinces, and kingdoms, but an empire with many millions of subjects, the languages and dialects of the country, became objects of serious concern in discharging the highly important duties of government. Many and serious are the embarrassments arising from extemporaneous interpretation; whether in courts of justice, where the law should be administered with impartiality, and tempered with mercy; or in carrying into effect the ordinances of authority, where he, who intentionally demands no more than castomary tribute, or who endeavours to adjust local and opposing interests, is liable to imposition in a thousand shapes, under evervarying pretences, and to an indefinite amount. Mistake, and still more effectually misrepresentation, may impoverish the subject without enriching the sovereign; and vexations utterly repugnant to the intention of the legishtor, may attach so many difficulties to the operation of the wisest regulations, as to disgust the very B parties whose welfare was expressly consulted, in the promulgation of such acts of authority. India had long submitted to Mahometan conquerors, Persians by origin, who had adopted much of the Arabic into their native tongue, by reason of the prevalence of that language among them, in consequence of the religion they professed, of which, Arabia was the primitive seat. India had also commercial relations with Arabia and Persia, so that to conduct the business of government, or even to fulfil the commissions of trade, was impossible, without acquaintance, if not familiarity, with the languages of those countries. The learning and research of Britain had been, and continued to be, directed to such Oriental writings as might assist in theological enquiries, rather than to those which were requisite for facilitating commerce. Hence we had but slight and confined knowledge of the Arabic; and respected it no further than we felt its utility in explaining the Biblical Hebrew. Of the Persian we were utterly ignorant; neither had we any facility in the spoken dialects; but these, however essential they might be thought to a few supercargos, were neglected, as of little concern, or were relinquished as absolutely unattainable by European literati. It is true, that a few distinguished characters, notwithstanding such discouragements deservedly acquired the character of scholars in Oriental Literature, but of these the major part were votaries to the Arabic, and only one, or two, regarded the Persian with any better feeling than indifference. So that, while the former could boast of Erpenius, Golius, D'Herbelot, Schultens, and many others, abroad; and of Greaves, Hyde, Walton, &c. at home; while Reiske could read ancient MSS. which baffled Arabians themselves, and while Britain had established professorships for Arabic, in her seats of learning, the Persian was scarcely noticed, till recommended by the grammar of that excellent scholar Sir W. Jones; notwithstanding the dictionary of Dr. Edmund Castell, was published so long ago as 1669. The most valuable compendium of Oriental languages known in Europe was compiled by Meninski, and appeared at Vienna, in 1680. The Arabic and Persian parts of this have served for the basis of the work under consideration. The extreme rarity, and the high price, of complete copies of Meninski (little short of £100) rendered a performance more accessible to students extremely desirable; and the first edition of Mr. Richardson's dictionary, was, in consequence, extremely well received by the Public. It was published in 1777, principally under the patronage of the East-India Company; and the present improved edition must depend on the same quarter, for that remuneration to which it is amply entitled. Indeed, it gives us pleasure to observe in those who conduct the immense concerns of this distinguished corporation, a sense of the importance attached to literature; with a readiness to promote and communicate the benefits which naturally flow from it. The institution, in this country, of an establishment in which the necessary preparations for situations of official consequence in our Indian Empire may be acquired, is an honorable proof that public feeling is not absorbed amid the rapid and bewildering vicissitudes of commercial speculation. These, and many other considerations, that will suggest themselves to our readers, induce us to welcome, with great complacency, the volume under examination, which combines the Arabic language with the Persian; and is a spirited attempt to render both more attainable than hitherto. For this purpose, the Arabic types have been cut with a skill which does great credit to the founder, Mr. William Martin; they seem to be every thing that can fairly be expected from their size. The paper also is good; and the execution of the work at the press, as well as the appearance of the English type, is extremely respectable. Dr. Wilkins has attempted to communicate the accurate pronunciation of the Arabic, by means of points, above, or below the letter, generally, which to some letters are as many as four. These, in addition to the symbols already established, might be thought, on a cursory inspection, to give an air of complexity to the appearance of the Arabic words; and they might, doubtless, occasion great embarrassment in works less carefully executed than the present, or by an inju dicious extension of the scheme. The Dr. has also inserted 65 nume fous literal and verbal corrections ;"— "the additions in new words, and significations marked E. at the end of every period containing them," which "must amount to many thousands;" and must have been a long continued subject of care and anxiety, being mostly drawn from Persian and Arabic lexicons, in possession of the editor; though some were derived from loans and communications, procured, if we are not misinformed, at a considerable expense. Dr. W. has not only augmented the number of significations under many articles; but he has remodelled various parts, and made disfinct letters of some that were before intermingled: he has introduced, of course, a new arrangement, and has rendered the whole more distinct and satisfactory than in the first edition. This work will be found extremely useful to young gentlemen, who propose to engage as linguists in the Company's service: to those already settled in mercantile establishments, whether in Eastern or Western Asia, or in Africa, and, generally, wherever the Arabic, or the Persian, is the spoken language. We must, however, be permitted to express our persuasion, that the study of Oriental Literature among the learned of Britain would have been more effectually promoted, had the roots of the Arabic words been pointed out in this work; whereby the relations of the various senses into which they diverge would have been more evident, and of course more convincing. For though any one accustomed to the construction of Oriental languages may, in many cases, determine the original idea of the root; and may trace it with much apparent certainty through all its transmutations, yet in others, the very learned editor's assistance, and authority would have been extremely acceptable. And why should not this dictionary have been rendered so complete in every department, as to preclude the necessity of recourse to any other? Moreover what can be thought, by a reader only moderately acquainted with Arabic, of the precision of that language, in which the same word, has contradictory meanings? E. gr.-"Climbing a mountain," and "descending a hill," as ifras." Ravishing, delighting the soul," and "killing, murdering" as jansitan." Plaiting the hair," and "shaving it off," as tumum. "A miracle of beauty," and “ a monster of deformity,' as Eajba."What is before, also what is behind," as wara.-" Gathering together scattered camels, in order to be numbered by the tything man: (contra.) separating those which are in a body; concealing one's camels in another's herd, or in another's field, that the tythe gatherer may not see them," as wirat.-This last instance conveys but a moderate idea of Arabian honesty; alas! that in all coun◄ tries, men should practice deception! To the sedate imagination which characterizes inhabitants of the temperate zone, the ideas presented by these, and similar. oppositions, must appear utterly incongruous; and the process by which they have been derived from the same source will greatly need explanation. Mr. Richardson's allusion to this circumstance, in his prefatory dissertation, is unsatisfactory. We should also suppose, in coincidence with our own feelings, that to have met more frequently with descriptions of the customs, manners, ideas, prejudices, and principles, of the productions, implements, labours, and diversions, of the east, would have contributed to render this work a favorite among those, and they are now not a few, who allot to such investigations a considerable portion of their studies. It was, we are well convinced, in the power of Dr. W. to have added much gratification on these points; nor would the students in sacred literature have withheld their grateful acknowledgements also, had his plan included illustrations of cognate Hebrew words; and of incidents, phrases, or terms, allied to others of similar import which occur in Holy Scripture. In short, our opinion is, that though the merit of this performance in its actual state ranks it considerably before any hitherto submitted to the European public, yet, that the Editor's learning included a variety of knowledge, which the too confined plan of the work as originally fixed withheld him from communicating. Had he trusted more to himself, and less to his predecessors, the value of his labours would have been proportionately increased, together with the obligations of the public. As the reputation of this Dictiona is already established, we shall content ourselves with extracting a few articles a: specimens of the style, (which ought to have been improved) while they may communicate to our readers some of that amusement which arises from inspecting the manners of the east. The following is connected with the history and reputation of our country. Inkitar or Angitar, an Englishman. This is the name which the Arabian historians of the Crusades have given to Richard, Cœur de Lion, King of England, famous among them for his heroic achievements, but particularly on account of the truce for which the Great Saladin was obliged to sue. One of the articles of this treaty was a marriage between Maleku' l'Adil, brother to Saladin, and the Queen of Sicily, sister to Richard; which, however, did not take place, the bishops of England insisting that the Saracen prince should become a Christian, which could not be complied with. Of this anecdote, Madame Cottin has lately taken advantage, to compose an interesting novel: but she has thought proper to deviate from the truth of history in her character of the Arabian lover and his English mistress; no less than in her general conduct of the story. As we have often in our younger days, wished for a rencontre with a troop of fairies, we feel a pleasure in tracing their history: meaning, nevertheless inflexibly to insist, that, however beautiful or benevolent, those of Persia may be, our British fairies infinitely surpass them. Pari, a good genius, a beautiful species of imaginary creature, neither man, woman, angel, nor devil; but answering, in many respects, to that beneficent little being to whom our ancestors paid so much attention, called the Fairy; which, from the resemblance of the name, and many other circumstances, was in all probability, of eastern extraction. The old romances of Arabia and Persia allot them, a particular country called Jinnistan [Paristan?] where they live upon perfume alone; and conceive them to be so extremely beautiful, that they call a lovely woman Parizadah, "born of the Paris," the name of the second daughter of Darius, whom the Greeks have called Parisatis; corrupting in the same manner Sitarah (a star) into Statira, and Roshan (splendor) into Roxana. The Devas or Dews, Jins or Genii, are another species of ideal beings, but the reverse of the Puris, being ugly, malignant. and perpetually at war with them, and with mankind, whom the Paris are sup The descriptions of the Persian months, the festivals observed in them, and their presiding angels, is an extremely curious article. The whole of it is too long for transcription; but we cannot resist the temptation of extracting a few paragraphs. We are informed, that the ancient Persians did not measure the subdivisions of their months by weeks, but gave a particular name to every day in the month, and to every month in the year, which they adopted from certain angels, supposed to preside over, and to influence, all the actions of those periods, committed by Omnipotence to their care. The presidents of the months were regarded as a superior class to the rulers of the days. It was considered as a high disrespect to address to one angel the prayer proper to the day of another. The first month of the Persian year commenced, from high antiquity, at the vernal equinox, and was formerly named, together with its angel, Fire: but the sultan, Jalal ud' din, about the end of the eleventh century, reformed the Persian computation of time, and transposed the places of the months, no less than half a year, in the calendar. Farwardin, (March,) is so named from an angel supposed to be treasurer of Paradise. On the first of this month, new year's day, began the principal festival among the Persians, which lasted six days. On the eve of the new year, a young man of elegant figure, personating the new year, was stationed at the door of the roval bed-chamber, which he entered without ceremony, the moment the sun appeared above the horizon. The King immediately addressing him, said, “ What art thou? Whence dost thou come? "Whither dost thou go? What is thy "name? Wherefore dost thou approach? "What dost thou bring" To which he answered; I am the fortunate and the "blessed: I am sent hither by God, and "bring with me the new year:" then sitting down, another appeared with a large silver dish, in which were wheat, barley, pease, vetches, sesamé, and rice, (seven ears and nine grains of each) with a lump of sugar, and two new-coined pieces of gold, which, as an offering, were placed before the king. Then entered the prime minister, the general of the forces, the lord high treasurer, and the superintendant of war: after whom, followed the nobles and people, according to their dignity and respective classes. A large loaf, made of the above-mentioned grains, being then presented to the king; after eating part of it, he offered some to those who were around him, saying "This is the new day, "of the new month, of the new year, of "new time: when all things consistent "with time must be renewed." Then investing his nobles with rich robes, he blessed and distributed among them the presents which had been brought. Such were the ceremonies of the Persian new year, at court. At the Autumnal equinox they were not wholly unlike, though somewhat differently conducted. The angel of the month Mihr (September) was supposed to be the intelligence which regulated the sun, and to preside over love and friendship. On the 16th, being this angel's particular day, began one of their greatest festivals called Mihrgan. The king on the first day of this festival, after anointing himself with the oil of Ban, [as did all of his subjects who could procure it] dressed in a superb robe of many colours, his head adorned with the royal tej, (diadem) on which was a splendid figure of the Sun, seated himself on his throne; when the high priest entering alone, with a large silver dish, filled with sugar, peaches, quinces, apples, citrons, pomegranates, the jujube, the lote, a bunch of white grapes, and seven myrtle berries, muttered over them a prayer, and presented them to the king, who eat of them all; after which the nobility and others approaching according to their rank, followed the sovereign's example; when a variety of robes and other rich furniture, from the royal ward-robes, were distributed amongst them in proportion to their degree. On this day, it was esteemed fortunate to wean or name children; and if a son was then born to the king, he was immediately, with great solemnity, consecrated high priest of the Sun. Murdad (July). This angel was one of the reputed guardians of trees, herbs, fruits, and seeds. Murdad, amongst other attributes, is supposed to be the presiding angel of winter; but that must, apparently, have been when his month (now July) correspoaded with November, for the same reason the ridiculous parade of rakul ul Kusaj or Kusah nishin (the procession of Kusah) mentioned to have been celebrated in the month Azur, must apply to it, when coinciding with the vernal equinox. This festival, however whimsical it may appear to us, was solemnized in Persia, by all ranks, from the prince to the peasant. An old toothless, In beardless, figure, representing winter in his departure, was mounted on a mule or ass. He was generally some poor buffoon, (if one eyed so much the better), who, by ludicrous gesticulations afforded much mirth to the people; some sprinkling him with warm water and giving him hot victuals, whilst others were drenching him with cold; Kusah all the while fanning himself, and exclaiming, garma! garma O neat! heat! He had a crow in one hand, and a fan or scourge in the other, and was attended even by the family of the King, or of the governor of the city, who accompanied him on horseback through the whole of the fantastic ceremony. this manner he paraded the streets, entering the house of every nobleman, who was oblig ed to give him a piece of money, if he did not wish to have his clothes bedawbed with a piece of red clay, which, dissolved in water, he carried by his side, in a little earthen vessel. He then went into every shop, the owners of which took especial care to have their money ready, for a moment's delay gave Kusah a right to seize all that was in them. Whatever was thus collected before the first prayers, became the property of the king, if in the metropolis, or of the governor in any other city; but from that hour until the second prayer, the receipts were reserved by Kusah, himself, who then suddenly disap peared; for if this representative of Winter was found in public after that time, any person might beat him with impunity. On the same grounds, we must place in the month of April, another festival of a more dignified nature, which they celebrated anciently on the 8th of the month Day, (De cember), called Khurm roz (cheerful day); when according to the Farhangi Jahangniri, and other authors, the King of Persia clothed in white robes, descended from his throne, and seating himself on a white carpet, the sarapardah (or veil before the royal throne) was thrown open, and all his subjects, were admitted to his presence. The husbandmen were treated with particular respect, some of their chiefs dining at the same table with their sovereign, when he addressed them in. the following strain: I am one of you; 66 my subsistence, and that of my people "rests on the labour of your hands; the "succession of the race of man depends upon "the plough; without you we cannot exist ; "but your dependence upon me is recipro 66 cal; we ought, therefore, to be brothers, "and to live in perpetual harmony." We cannot possibly be displeased with the attention paid by the Sovereign to husbandry, or husbandmen; but we confess, that the following custom affects us still more closely. We have, indeed, heard in our own |