low, sweet chant of the muezzinn, telling that a princess has departed, and the quick tramp of a long train of mourners, should have sounded in the "Cities of Silence." Bagdad's fairest daughters should have hung garlands upon her tomb. But she died in a land unknown, and unbeloved. Harsh tyranny cast its wintry blight upon her-and "Persia's Rose" sleeps unlamented, far from the palace of her sires. There the thorn, the willow, and the cypress, form a gloomy, yet sacred shade; and the rose and sweet briar are creeping in wild luxuriance over her neglected grave. We have related her sad story with a heavy heart, We have attended her trembling steps along a rough and weary way, till they have led her to the tomb; and it is with feelings of relief, mingled with regret, that we leave her to rest sweetly, in its deep and enduring stillness. She has lingered full long alone amid her sorrows, and a kind welcome awaits her whither she has gone. Why grieve, then, at death, if happiness comes hand in hand with the stern visitant? Why shield the bosom from the stroke, when peace flies winged upon the welcome dart? Yet has she fallen early -fallen young-ere youth had thrown its warm garment fully upon her, its livery of beauty and of love. The roses upon her cheek were too fresh so soon to fade; her bosom was too young and warm to grow thus early cold. They may not murmur to depart, who have passed the meridian of life, or declined well down its vale. They have eaten and drunk; they have had their portion; they must soon look for the end. "Privileged guests, they cannot always be seated at the board." But to be called away when the alarm is ringing to the feast, or when the sweet viands are half tasted; when flowers are in the path, but none are gathered; when the cup is filling; when love and beauty are dawning in their earliest and brightest hues; when life is so dear-when it is young. Weep for her, ye maidens, who are yourselves thus blithe, and thus attached to this sweet world. Weep for her, ye in years, if ye have a young friend that ye fear to lose, or the memory of one already gone. Weep for her, ye youth, if ye love one like her, and tremble for her safety; or if, grieving for the past, ye cherish the sweet image of the departed. Yet mourn not over long, either for your own griefs, or for the fate of this unfortunate. Happiness, doubtless, has many a home besides this earth. Shall not those, then, that have departed, of a surety find it? 1. Page 6. KHEDER. A prophet of the Orientals, whom they suppose to have been the companion or counsellor of Alexander the Great, not the Macedonian, but a monarch of the same name and title who preceded him. He found the fountain of life, and having drunk of its waters, cannot die until the sound of the trumpet-that is to say, till the day of judgment.—D'Ohsson's Empire Othoman. 2. Page 27. D'Herbelot relates of Barkiarok, son of Malek Schah, fourth sultan of the house of Seljuck, that in executing with his own hand a treacherous vizier, he cut off his head with such dexterity, that it remained on the shoulders until the body fell to the ground. 3. Page 99. ADHAB AL CABR. The punishment of the tomb. It is the general belief of the Mussulmen, that mankind are judged immediately after their death, and that they are tormented in their graves, before the final resurrection, if they have merited punishment by their sins. 4. Page 159. See in chapter lii of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, an account of a pilgrimage undertaken by Mahadi, the grandfather of Haroun. 5. Page 188. The following miracle is attributed to Salih, the first of the Arabian prophets. In the midst of a pagan festival, at Higjeaz, he caused a female camel, with her young one, to come forth from the bowels of a dense rock, which prodigy effected the conversion of a great number of idolaters. A little time after, however, they returned to their errors, and Ahmer-Semoud had the impiety to hamstring the camel, whose cries, together with those of her young, brought down upon them the anger of God. A fearful voice was heard over all Arabia, which struck with death all the tribe of Semoud-a name since held in horror among the Arabians. Since that time public disasters are always announced by these words: "It is the fatal cry of the celestial camel."-See D'Ohsson. 6. Page 198. It is an article of Mohammedan belief, that every man is accompanied through life by a good and evil angel. They have also a tradition, that the angel who notes a man's good actions, has the command over him who notes his evil actions; and when a man does a good action, the angel at his right hand writes it down ten times, and when he commits an ill action, the same angel says to the angel on the left hand, "Forbear setting it down for seven hours; peradventure he may pray, or ask pardon."-Sale's Koran. 7. Page 202. The death of Jasser, the executioner of the prince, is thus related by D'Herbelot. 8. Page 204. We read in the same author, upon whom we have drawn so largely for our facts, that the Calif Haroun forbade, on pain of death, that any person should make mention of the family. Notwithstanding this decree, an aged man named Mondir was accustomed to place himself before one of their houses which had been abandoned, and mounting upon a heap of earth, which served him as a sort of tribune or desk, he entertained the passers by with a recital of the noble actions of the family of the Barmecides, making at the same time their formal panegyric. The calif, having heard of the boldness of this man, ordered him into his presence, and condemned him to death for having disobeyed his commands. Mondir received his sentence with a smile, and only requested that he might be heard by the calif, before the execution should take place. This favour having been granted him, he made a long discourse, in which he related with much force the obligations under which he lay to the family of the Barmecides. The calif, who had listened patiently, was moved by his words, and not only pardoned him, but presented him with a vase of gold which lay upon the table. Having received this present from the hands of Haroun, after having prostrated him self at his feet, according to the usage of the court, the old man exclaimed, "Behold yet another favour which I receive at the hands of the Barmecides !" "These words of Mondir," continues our author, "have since passed into a proverb throughout Asia." THE END. Ꭼ Ꭱ Ꭱ Ꭺ Ꭲ Ꭺ. In consequence of the author's absence from the city during the correction of the proofs, a number of errors of the press have unavoidably crept into the present work. These, however, it is believed, the reader will for the most part find rectified in the following list of errata. The name 9, "at" "as" "Jahia" throughout the work should be spelled Iahia. |