whose peculiar study was that of divinity: and on him he attended for a considerable time in the practice of those things, which are necessary for the improvement of both the head and the heart. After this he attended on Noor Ali Shah. For some time he was in the confidential service of the present king. During the last five years he has been at Tebriz, the present capital of the empire, which he has spent in bringing up those who are destined for the offices of religion. And, as he ranks high in the profession of the sciences, his employment is in teaching them, which is attended with great success. With the people, in general, he maintains the character of being polite and agreeable. And, as he is connected with the Vizier, he is continually and strenuously employed in redressing the aggrievances of those, who have no other means of obtaining a hearing, This is a summary of his laudable character, of which you required to be informed.

If I understand this aright, the author of the last tract is at the head of the Soofees or Mystics of Persia, that he is a good moral character, and high in favour at Court. That he is liable to the charge of bigotry is, I think, apparent on the face of his tract, and that he has more than once expressed himself in a very unbecoming manner is also clear. His style is, as it will be seen here

after, correct and elegant, while his arguments are, in most instances, weak and futile. In acuteness and learning he is very far inferior to Zain Elábadin, and in both, as much the superior of Aga Acber, another writer on this subject, of whom we shall have some account hereafter. In ancient History and Scripture the Persians are necessarily very ignorant, the best means they have of obtaining either being, the fragments found in the Koran or the traditions: nor is there much probability of their improving, in this respect, until they shall possess a good translation of the whole Bible, with some such works as the Connections of the Old and New Testament by Prideaux, The Connections of Sacred and Profane History by Shuckford, and some good Commentary on the Text of Scripture

With respect to the manuscripts of which the following tracts are translations, those which contain the four first tracts are written on fortyfive small 24to leaves in the Niskhi hand, neatly, but not correctly, written. The first tract is that of Mirza Ibrahim in Arabic, the three following ones are Mr. Martyn's replies in the Persian. The rejoinder of Hamadáni is written in a very neat Niskhi hand, but incorrectly, particularly in the Hebrew citations, as noticed in the pages of the translation. The size is octavo.

The text covers 90 leaves very closely written on highly polished paper. The whole of these tracts I have copied out for the press, and intend to print them for circulation as early as circumstances will allow, with a translation of the reply subjoined to the translation of the last tract. But whether the translation will retain exactly that form and matter, I am not yet quite determined, and shall be glad to receive any suggestions likely to render it more effectual for the end for which it has been designed. Perhaps it would be adviseable to add a Section on the discordances found between the Koran and the Scriptures,-on the inconsistency of the text of the Koran, and the like, incorporating at the same time as much of the matter found in Appendix B, p. 124, &c. as may be found convenient. But this must stand over for the present.

Of another manuscript of this controversy, viz. that of Aga Acber, a notice with some extracts is given at page 22. And again, in Appendix A, at page 40. It will be necessary here only to say, that this MS. is neatly written in the Niskhi hand on fine blue paper. It is of the 12mo. form, and covers about 70 leaves not very closely written, with remarks occasionally occurring in the margin. The style is neat, and in some instances florid. The matter which it contains, however, as may be

seen from the extracts given in Appendix A, is of the most trifling and ludicrous description: and, as it has already been remarked, is as much inferior to the work of Hamadáni, as that of Hamadáni is to the work of Zain Elábadin. A book to which occasional reference has been made in the following pages is, the Káfi of Kuleini; and, in one instance, a commentary upon it has been quoted. This book, according to the author of the Dabistán, is of high authority among the sect of the Shiah, which prevails in Persia. The words

وكتاب كافي كه of the author of the Dabistan are ثقة الاسلام محمد بن يعقوب الكليني قدس سره تاليف The ، آن کرده اند مشتمل بر فنون ثلثه است.

book entitled the Káfi, which was published by Mohammed Ibn Yaakoob Elkuleini, contains the three sciences." This he mentions as a book to which the Shiah have constant recourse, as containing the rules by which they can determine the mind of their Prophet, either by tradition, the express text of the Koran, or by investigation. The copy which I have used, consists of about a thousand leaves of large quarto, correctly and elegantly written. The language is Arabic; the style pure and perspicuous. To those, who wish to make themselves acquainted with the opinions of the Shiah, this book is almost invaluable.

Whether there is another copy of it in England I know not; that which I have used was lent to me by a kind friend, Jonathan Scott, Esq. of Shrewsbury, Author of many valuable works on Oriental literature, to whom I owe almost every thing with regard to my Oriental studies.

The Commentary is incomplete, not extending to a fourth part of the matter found in the original work. It contains, however, much valuable information on the tenets of the Shiah, and some good grammatical remarks on the text of Kuleini. These are books which it is almost indispensable should be studied by Missionaries. And it would be adviseable to print some pretty large extracts from them for that purpose.

The Dabistán, the Habeeb Alasayar, the Rauzat, Assafa, the Hakkul Yakeen, and other books occasionally mentioned, are too well known to need any description here. For an account of the work entitled Definitions, the reader is referred to the tenth Tome des Notices et Extraits des MSS. de la Bibliotheque du Roi, where he will find all he can want on its use and character, from the pen of the learned M. de Sacy. The copy I have used is one of the two found in the collection of Mr. Burkhardt, in the Public Library of this University. It would be a great advantage to the student of Oriental literature,