invest ourselves in those influences to which in nature that sympathy is subjected. If the senses are to be impressed, or the fancy fascinated, by the hues and shapes of creative genius, the orator and the philosopher must be, like the painter and the sculptor, perfect in the knowlege of those hues and forms which exert so mysterious a sway over the mind.

NOTICE OF

Travels in Persia and other Countries of the East, by SIR W. OUSELEY, KNT., 3 vols. 4to.

PART II. [Concluded from No. LIX.]

WE left our author at Ispahán, at the end of the second volume. That this city was "the ancient Aspadana, placed by Ptolemy in Persis, can scarcely be doubted." In 641, the Persian general Hurmuzán accounted Ispahán the head, Párs and Kirmán the hands, and Hamadán and Raï the feet of the empire. On this occasion, which was the great battle of Nihávend, the Persian army consisted of 150,000 men, horse and foot; of which Raï, Semnan, Dámeghán, and the neighboring places, furnished 20,000, Hamadán and Sáveh 10,000, Nuhávend (or Nihávend) 10,000, Kum and Cáshán 20,000, Ispahán 20,000, Párs and Kirmán 40,000, and Azerbaiján 30,000. Tabri records Ispahán as the country of the famous blacksmith Káveh (89), to whom Feridun was indebted for his throne. It is stated to have consisted of two towns; "the first called Yehúdíah, the other Medínah, or the city:" and it is very probable, that the name Yehúdíah (4) may have taken its origin from the quarter where the captive Jews resided: the documents of their dispersion still discoverable in Persia are innumerable. It was the grand mart for Párs, Kúhestán, Khurásán, and Khúzistán; and was famed for its costly garments of cotton, its embroidered scarlet stuffs and silks, its saffron, and choice fruits. Sir W. Ouseley brings strong collateral evidence that Yehudiah was so called from the Jews—

(یهودیه)

The ancient town was denominated Jei (), and is said to have

been founded by Iscander: it was a place of great size, and named Yehudiah; having been thus peopled: when Bakhtnasser led away captive from Jerusalem the most ingenious artists, they arrived at the spot where Ispahan now stands, and finding, that in the qualities of air and water, it resembled their holy city, they chose it for their residence, and established themselves there. (Ms. Seir al Belád, Clim' 4.)

Bakhtnasser is the Persian and Arabic name of Nebuchadnezzar and JEI in Pahlavi signified pure or excellent.

Hamdallah Cazvini gives an account of Ispahán, "with its four hundred dependent villages, comprised in eight districts;" originally, it is said to have consisted but of four villages, Karran, Der-i-Kúshk, Júbáreh, and Deridesht: the city was at one time divided into 44 districts, and had 9 gates. Apples, quinces, pears, apricots, and melons, are among its most celebrated fruits. A singular Arabian prophecy is quoted, which mentions, that the J, or Antichrist, shall come from the Yebúdíah of Ispahán. We may form some opinion of the population of Ispahán' in Cazvini's time, from his statement, that many of the villages contained 1000 houses or families. The name of the city has been derived by some writers from Ispahán, a descendant of Japheth; by others from Ispahán, a son of Shem; by others from words implying THE CITY OF HORSEMEN. The Ajaieb el Beldán mention it as a Jewish settlement at a very early period. A thousand and one channels are said to have been cut from the Zendehrúd, on the banks of which it lies, to supply its or districts. It is famed for the purity of its air, and the antiseptic quality of its earth. Whether the name of its river, or "the living stream," may have been given by the Jews from their sacred books, may be a matter of inquiry: in the Bundehesh (a Pahlavi work) it is called Khréi and Mesregaroud, or Mesregantch.

The Al, or royal square of Ispahán, has long been celebrated for the immense space on which it stands. Here our author witnessed the buffoonery of mountebanks, and the athletic exercises of wrestlers. For a more detailed account of the various edifices with which the present city is adorned, reference must be made to the subject of this review. The prognostications of the natives concerning the weather, are noticed scarcely ever to have been proved fallacious

1 In 1666, it was said to contain 1,100,000 inhabitants: the natives

.Ispahan is half the world اصفهان نصف جهانست vauntingly say

They pretend, indeed, to determine with precision the very day, or even hour, when spring shall perceptibly succeed to winter, and when summer and autumn are to follow in their turns. The power of doing this they have enjoyed since the time when, according to an old tradition, Balkis (), the Queen of Sheba, having been affected by a dangerous malady, King Solomon ascertained from his books of mysterious science, that she could not possibly recover, unless removed to a particular spot, where the four seasons and their respective periods of wind and rain, heat and cold, perpetually, recurred at intervals, not liable to the variation of one moment. After an anxious search throughout the world, it was found that Ispahán alone corresponded to this description.

This fabulous place is still shown, and called, "from the remains of an ancient structure, Takht-i-Rustam," (w).

Sir W. Ouseley, during his residence here, visited

—

the place from whence Darius is affirmed to have seen his troops routed and slain by those of Alexander. Here the Persian word a memorial, was seen inscribed in Hebrew At Julfa he saw some Christians in the

.יאד גאר characters

most deplorable poverty: at Kálehdán (U) was an Imámzadeh's tomb, of which the towers were shaken by the slight exertion of any one ascending them.

During a feast given by the Amín-ad-douleh, Abdallah Khán, a singular vestige of patriarchal manners was observed. His son, apparently more than thirty years of age, although a man of considerable wealth, and the governor of Ispahán, seldom appeared among the guests; and when he did, seated himself as one of the humblest, unless invited to a higher station by his father. This arose from that filial respect which the Persians, in every stage and condition of life, are taught to express, and which is generally extended to seniority among brothers.

The autumn of this year is mentioned as having been exceedingly sickly, many in full vigor falling victims to an illness of but few hours. Most of the Persian provinces are supplied by Ispahan with pen-cases (la), made of pasteboard, and frequently most beautifully decorated: they consist of two parts; the one resembles a drawer from 5 to 10 inches long, the other is a cover made to fit it. There are many paper-boxes (i) made there, in which such a viscous substance is used, that they acquire the solidity of wood, and are often ornamented with very interesting miniature-pictures. Small lookingglasses are sometimes inserted into them. A properly furnished

w

case should contain four or five kalms (ë), ink, or ¿ɲ an inkholder (→) of brass, silver, or mother-of-pearl; a small magnetic needle (l) to direct the Musulman in his prayers towards Mecca; a small knife to mend pens, called

in contradistinction to a larger one, called ; a pair of

;(سنك سا to clip the paper; a whetstone (مقراض) scissars

the piece of horn (h) on which the kalm is laid when it T

(نرد)

wants cutting; and the, with a small metallic spoon, to dilute the ink when coagulated. There are other curious productions, for which this city is famous. Chess and backgammon () are Persian games of a very high antiquity: the men are called. The Indian game, is in high repute at Ispahán: cards (xii) are not much

esteemed.

پچیس

From Ispahan the embassy commenced their journey to Tehrán. On their route they arrived at Kuhrúd: in the valley of Kuhrúd, Chardin conjectures that Darius breathed his last.

12

Proceeding thence, they saw the great , or dike, which Shah Abbás erected, to collect, as well as to restrain the mountaintorrents. The wall was apparently from forty to fifty feet in height, between two precipices. The next place which they visited was Gabrábád; but no antiquities of the "fire-worshippers" could be discovered. They afterwards approached Cáshán, written and l: this city was formerly infested with black and venomous scorpions, that killed every one whom they stung. There was likewise another species there, called . It was famed for its apricots, melons, and grapes, and manufacture of pottery, in the thirteenth century. It is said to have been founded by Zobeidah Khátún, wife of Hárún Ar'rashid; but our author is of opinion, that she only enlarged, or embellished the place: because, in the great battle of Cádesíah, Shírzád is said to have headed its troops, being the Vály or governor of the place. Kum and Cáshán contributed their quota in the battle of Nuhávend, which occurred more than 100 years before Zobeidah's birth. It has been attributed to Tahmúras; that is to say, its antiquity is great and unknown: for thus the Persians refer unknown dates to Tahmúras, Jemshíd, and others,

On their arrival at Tehran, they found the city filled with princes, noblemen, and ministers of state. For the particular buildings of this city, we refer the inquirer to this volume: the gates are six; the mosques and colleges from thirty to forty; the public baths and caravanseras about 300. Hére the ambassador paid a private visit to the king, and shortly afterwards a public visit of ceremony. This chapter is particularly interesting, from the description of Persian etiquette and court-manners which it affords. On the 27th of December, the, or "festival of the sacrifice," announced by drums, trumpets, and the firing of guns, was celebrated, by the sacrifice of a camel," in commemoration of the victim substituted by Abraham for his own son." The Muhharrem occurred, during their stay here, which was celebrated by a ridiculous ostentation of grief for Husein and Hassan; the representation of whose story and death closely resembles our theatrical tragedies. The chivalry and allusions of these scenes are venerable and curious; and it would be unfair to the author to extract his admirable description, by forestalling the pleasure of the future reader of his work. The dance, the song, and sword-exercise, following it, are highly valuable to the antiquarian. An account of Rai, or the Rages of Tobit and Ragau of Judith, contemporary with Nineveh and Ecbatana, follows, where Sir W. Ouseley investigated the ruins but, as a vast body of matter remains to be comprised in this review, we unwillingly restrain ourselves within our limits.

His

From Tehran, Sir W. proceeded through the province of Mázenderán, on an excursion to the Caspian Sea: at Kebúd Gumbed, the BLUE TOWER," traditionally said to be one of the seven villas erected by Bahrám Gúr," alone remained. description of Aiwán-i-Keif, of Keilún, of Delíchái, of Hhablahrúd, and of Fírúzkúh, is fraught with important matter; in that of the latter place, the monsters of Mázenderán, or Hyrcania, the fabled Divs or demons are noticed: in opposition to which, the numerous fish, the silks, rice, sugar, honey, the trees, fruits, herbs, and flowers, are praised. The legendary fears of his Persian escort are vastly amusing, and show the still vigorous force of ancient opinions. The "wind of Fírúzkúh” (8959 ) was another Simoom, surcharged with death and horror. His account of the cavern, which was the favorite residence of the White Giant, in Mázenderán, and that of his daughter, proves from what slight foundation Eastern romance reared its superstructure. The various Divs of Hyrcania (as Sir W. remarks in a note), were certain Marzebáns, or

باد فیروزکوه)