PAGE 295. About two miles from Hussun Abdaul were those Royal Gardens. I am indebted for these particulars of Hussun Abdaul to the very interesting Introduction of Mr. ELPHINSTONE'S Work upon Caubul. PAGE 293. As the Prophet said of Damascus, "il was too delicious." "As you enter at that Bazar without the gate of Damascus, you see the Green Mosque, so called because it hath a steeple faced with green glazed bricks, which render it very resplendent; it is covered at top with a pavilion of the same stuff. The Turks say this mosque was made in that place, because Mahomet being come so far, would not enter the town, saying it was too delicious. "-THEVENOT. This reminds one of the following pretty passage in Isaac Walton :— "When I sat last on this primrose bank, and looked down these meadows, I thought of them as Charles the Emperor did of the city of Florence," that they were too pleasant to be looked on, but only on holi days." PAGE 294. Would remind the Princess of that difference, etc. "Haroun Al Raschid, cinquième Khalife des Abassides, s'étant un jour brouillé avec une de ses maîtresses nommée Maridah, qu'il aimait cependant jusqu'à l'excès, et cette mésintelligence ayant déjà duré the Nilab, which he called Attock, which means in the Indian language Forbidden; for, by the superstition of the Hindoos, it was held unlawful to cross that river."-Dow's Hindostan. PAGE 292. Resembling, she often thought, that people of Zinge. "The inhabitants of this country (Zinge) are never afflicted with sadness or melancholy on this subject the Sheikh ABU-AL-KHEIR-AZHARI has the following distich : I : "Who is the man without care or sorrow (tell) that may rub my hand to him. ፡፡ (Behold) the Zingians, without care or sorrow, frolick some with tipsiness and mirth." "The philosophers have discovered that the cause of this cheerfulness proceeds from the influence of the star Soheil, or Canopus, which rises over them every night."—Extract from a geographical Persian Manuscript called Heft Aklim,' or the Seven Climates, translated by W. OUseley, Esq. PAGE 293. Putting to death some hundreds of those unfortunate lizards. The "The lizard Stellio. The Arabs call it Hardun. Turks kill it, for they imagine that by declining the head it mimics them when they say their prayers. HASSELQUIST. PAGE 293. About two miles from Hussun Abdaul were those Royal Gardens. I am indebted for these particulars of Hussun Abdaul to the very interesting Introduction of Mr. ELPHINSTONE'S Work upon Caubul. PAGE 293. As the Prophet said of Damascus, "il was too delicious." "As you enter at that Bazar without the gate of Damascus, you see the Green Mosque, so called bccause it hath a steeple faced with green glazed bricks, which render it very resplendent; it is covered at top with a pavilion of the same stuff. The Turks say this mosque was made in that place, because Mahomet being come so far, would not enter the town, saying it was too delicious. "-THEVENOT. This reminds one of the following pretty passage in Isaac Walton :— "When I sat last on this primrose bank, and looked down these meadows, I thought of them as Charles the Emperor did of the city of Florence," that they were too pleasant to be looked on, but only on holi Would remind the Princess of that difference, etc. "Haroun Al Raschid, cinquième Khalife des Abassides, s'étant un jour brouillé avec une de ses maîtresses nommée Maridah, qu'il aimait cependant jusqu'à l'excès, et cette mésintelligence ayant déjà duré quelque temps, commença à s'ennuyer. Giafar Barmaki, son favori, qui s'en aperçut, commanda à Abbas ben Ahnaf, excellent Poëte de ce temps-là, de composer quelques vers sur le sujet de cette brouillerie. Ce Poëte exécuta l'ordre de Giafar, qui fit chanter ces ⚫ vers par Moussali, en présence du Khalife, et ce Prince fut tellement touché de la tendresse des vers du Poëte et de la douceur de la voix du Musicien, qu'il alla aussitôt trouver Maridah, et fit sa paix avec elle. D'HERBELOT. PAGE 300. Where the silken swing. "The swing is a favourite pastime in the East, as promoting a circulation of air, extremely refreshing in those sultry climates."-RICHARDSON. "The swings are adorned with festoons. This pastime is accompanied with music of voices and of instruments, hired by the masters of the swings. THEVENOT. PAGE 300. As if all the shores, Like those of Kathay, utter'd music, and gave This miraculous quality has been attributed also to the shore of Attica. Hujus littus ait Cappella contentum musicum illisis terræ undis reddere, quod propter tantam eruditionis vim puto dictum."-Ludov. VIVES in Augustin. de Civitat. Dei, lib. xviii. c. 8. PAGE 313. The basil tuft, that waves Its fragrant blossoms over graves. "The women in Egypt go, at least two days in the week, to pray and weep at the sepulchres of the dead; and the custom then is to throw upon the tombs a sort of herb, which the Arabs call rihan, and which is our sweet basil."-MAILLET, lett. 10. PAGE 315. The mountain-herb, that dyes The tooth of the fawn like gold. NIEBUHR thinks this may be the herb which the Eastern alchymists look to as a means of making gold. “Most of those alchymical enthusiasts think themselves sure of success, if they could but find out the herb which gilds the teeth and gives a yellow colour to the flesh of the sheep that eat it. Even the oil of this plant must be of a golden colour. It is called Haschischat ed dab.' Father JEROM DANDINI, however, asserts that the teeth of the goats at Mount Libanus are of a silver colour; and adds, "this confirms me in that which I observed in Candia; to wit, that the animals that live on Mount Ida eat a certain herb, which renders their teeth of a golden colour; which, according to my judg‐ ment, cannot otherwise proceed than from the mines which are under ground.”—DANDINI, Voyage to Mount Libanus. |