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Perfian of Abou-Taleb-Al-Hoffeini; to which is added the Life
of that illuftrious Conqueror, according to the best Oriental
Writers; with Notes, and Tables, Hiftorical, Geographical, &c.
By L. Langlès, &c. 8vo. Paris. 1787.

is four years fince the firft publication of Timur's Inftitutes, by Major Davy, and Profeffor White *. It is more wonderful, therefore, that they should not have been generally tranflated into European languages, than that they should have claimed fo much of M. Langlès' attention, as this verfion fhews him to have bestowed on them. Much labour, and, indeed, no small share of erudition, has been employed in this work; for though the French Institutes are evidently intended for the ufe of common readers, yet the Notes and Indexes are fufficiently tinctured with Eaftern learning. The difference between Major Davy's verfion and that of Monf. L. is easily discernible: but it is, in general, not fo much a difference of fenfe as of style and diction. The Oxford, or, to fpeak more properly, the only edition of Timur, was published not merely as an object of learned curiofity, but as a valuable claffic, which might facilitate the acquifition of the Perfian language; and that a tranflation was added, in which elegance was fometimes facrificed to fidelity, is a circumftance moft gratefully remembered by those for whose ufe it was intended. To have retained the fame fcrupulous exactness in a work defigned to convey hiftorical and political information to his countrymen in general, would have argued a want of taste and difcrimination in Monf. L. which cannot now be imputed to him. Major D. therefore, is comparatively literal and concife; M. Langlès, free and paraphraftic. Yet fo far is this difference from diminishing the real merit of either, that it evinces the judgment of both. This general comparison might perhaps fuffice, did not the French tranflator challenge our examination of feveral paffages, to which he affixes a sense very different from that which his predeceffor afcribes to them. Some of these, and the arguments by which he endeavours to fupport his own interpretation, we fhall readily fubjoin; for they plainly diftinguish him from thofe tranflators of tranflations, who only exemplify the affertion of the Satirift,

"That even fhadows have their fhadows too."

In p. 21, the following paffage is thus rendered by M. Langlès:

بمسامع وي رسيد كه دين محمدي وچون بمرتبه ضعیف شده که در نماز بعد از تشهد وبر ال محمد نمیفرستند صلوات بر محمد وبرال

*See Rev. vol. xi. p. 451.; alfo vol. lxx. p. 248.

Il apprit, (telle étoit alors la décadence de la religion) que dans les prières publiques, après la profeffion de foi, on négligeoit d'implorer les faveurs du Seigneur pour le prophète et pour fes defcendans."

"When he was informed that the duties of our holy religion were neglected to fuch a degree, that the people after the profeffion of their faith, did not include the pofterity of Mahummud in their bleffings and benedictions on that holy Prophet," is the lefs accurate verfion of the English translator.

Page 224 of English edition,

که دنیا غدار است و عاشق بسیار دارد

"For the world is full of treachery, and hath many lovers." On this paffage M. Langlès remarks, Ghaddar, (INE),

que

A

le texte porte, eft certainement une faute; & il faut lire A'Dzrâ, (↓¿c). Ghaddâr fignifie trompeur, perfide, ADzra

Sans cette cor

une vierge, l'un & l'autre mots font Arabes.
rection l'idée eft incohérente, et inintelligible. We fee no ne-
ceffity for this correction. The printed text is fupported by the
authority of a MS. to which we have had accefs. Nor does
the context seem to require the alteration fo ftrongly contended
for. The language is undoubtedly figurative, and the figure
were fubftituted for
would perhaps be more perfect, if s

عذرا

ċ ; yet even then, perhaps, the thought would have in

it as much of French levity as of critical precifion. The fenfe, however, of the English tranflation is fufficiently perfpicuous, and Monf. L. betrays much hafte, if not arrogance, when he fays that it is incoherent and unintelligible..

Page 232 of the English edition,

وعلونه اون باشي ده برابر علوفه تاپینان

P. 49 of the French verfion, Le chef de dix (Ounbachi) recevoit dix payes de foldats." On this paffage, the tranflator obferves, Il y a dans le texte, Tabinan. Je ne fçais de quelle langue et ce mot. J'ai fuivi l'interprétation du traducteur Anglois. Peut-être feroit-ce le plurier Perfan, du mot Tartare Tebe taba, pêle-mêle, comme des infectes attroupés dans un même lieu. Timour vouloit peut-être defigner par ce mot les fimples foldats. Dictionnaire Tartare-François du P. Amyot MSS. tom. ii.

p. 102.

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The fame word occurs again in p. 244,

واکر از ایشان گاري بظهور رسد که از ان كار فسادي در ملک ظاهر شود تایین امرا

نمایند

Major Davy feems to have totally mistaken the fenfe of this paffage: "And that if any of them fhould be guilty of actions, from whence difturbances might arife in my dominions, that they should be delivered over to the judgment of their peers." M. Langlès has tranflated with greater accuracy, Lorsqu'on apprénoit de leur part des manoeuvres capables de jetter le trouble dans le royaume, ils étoient relégués dans un rang inférieur.' The word

is probably of Tartarian original, and from a com تاپینان

parifon of feveral paffages in which it occurs in the work of Timur, we think that its fignification may be afcertained with fufficient exactnefs. The word, then, implies, if we may fo expreís ourselves, an idea of proximate inferiority. Thus page 230, line 5, and 12, it fignifies common foldiers, not abfolutely, but as the immediate inferiors of the Ounbaufhee: and in page 275, line 6, from the manner in which it is combined with the word

it reems abfolutely neceffary to adopt this mode of اون باشي

interpretation.

Page 250, line 13,

دزد را امر نمودم در هر جا که باشد و هرکس

بیابد پیاسا رسانند

"Robbers and thieves, in whatever place they might be found, or by whomfoever detected, I commanded to be put to death."This paffage is with greater propriety rendered by the French tranflator, Partout où fera trouvé ou voleur, quelle que foit la perfonne qui l'aura découvert, il fera puni felon la loi de Genghiskhan, nommée Yaffa.' The tranflator, in his Table des Matieres, has collected an account of the celebrated code of Genghis Khan, to which Timur here alludes, and which, though little known in Europe, is ftill faid to exift entire in Asia.

It were unjust to close this Article without mentioning the life of Timur, which M. Langlès has compiled from Eaftern writers. It is written with ease and fpirit, and exhibits a ftriking, and, if we mistake not, a faithful portrait of this illuftrious

conqueror.

P—s.

4

ART.

(581

ART. XV.

Mémoires d'Agriculture, &c. i. e. Memoirs of Agriculture, and of
Rural and Domeftic Economy; Published by the Royal Society of
Agriculture at Paris, in the Years 1785 and 1786. Vols. II. III.
IV. and V. 8vo. Paris. 1787.

THE

HE difturbances in Holland, and the warlike preparations in France and Great Britain for fome time past, inte:rupted the course of our correfpondence with the continent, and prevented us from receiving the interefting work now before us in time to fatisfy fully, in this Appendix, the curiofity of our Readers with regard to the articles it contains. We can therefore only give a fhort annonce of it here, referving a fuller view of it to a future number of our Review.

For an account of the first volume, and of the inftitution of this very ufeful Society, and the general plan of the work, we refer our Readers to the Appendix to volume 75 of our Review. A Number of this work continues to be published every three months, one for each of the four seasons of the year, under the title of Trimestre. Thofe Numbers which we have now received, are for the autumn and the winter of 1785, and the spring and fummer of 1786. We are happy to obferve that the zeal and activity of the members of this Society feem to increase. The Memoirs are numerous; many of them are curious and important; and if the labours of the Society are continued, they cannot fail to throw light on a great many useful facts, relating to rural economics. The concluding part of each Trimestre, which confifts of obfervations made on the feafons, crops, circumstances, and modes of practice in the generality of Paris, appears to be executed in a manner that claims a high degree of applaufe, and which, if adopted by the agricultural Societies in this kingdom, would ferve to bring many ufeful particulars to light, that are now little known, or fcarcely adverted to. On a future occafion we fhall be more circumftantial on this head; at prefent, we shall only remark one ftriking peculiarity, that is very obfervable between the general ftructure of the Memoirs of this French Society and those that are published by the different Societies of Agriculture in Great Britain. The first is fupported by the munificence of government; and the Memoirs it contains are written almoft entirely by men of high rank, or eminence in the literary world. Their refearches are directed chiefly to the difcovery of new objects of cultivation, and to curious philofophical difquifitions, furnishing directions, for the lower claffes of people as to many operations that we would think hould have been known long ago. It exhibits, in fhort, a picture of a country, whole inhabitants are divided into two great claffes, which are widely feparated from each other; the men of

Rr 3

high

examis nation

high rank and literary acquirements, and the lower orders of the people-the first clafs, acute, knowing, and zealous in their exertions to inftruct the others:-the laft, poor, ignorant, and deftitute, in a great measure, as yet, of that vivifying principle which alone can excite induftry. On the other hand, the communications to the agricultural focieties that have been formed in our own country, come chiefly from actual farmers, and others of comparatively low rank; and their Memoirs relate rather to practice, than to fpeculative points; they are lets brilliant, lefs amufing, lefs polifhed than the others; but, to practical farmers, in general, they are, perhaps, more ufeful. An attentive obferver would remark of thefe, that in this ifland, the point had already been nearly attained, which the French gentlemen were fo anxioufly wifhing for in their country; and that, as induftry and vigorous exertion among thofe who are engaged in rural affairs hath been here very generally introduced, and an easy independence among the people eftablished, the government, and perfons of high rank, not finding it neceffary to be so very anxious about them, have therefore left them to proceed nearly in the manner which they themselves think proper.

Many, however, might be the benefits that would refult to this nation, could fomewhat of the fame fpirit of inquiry and dif covery, with regard to interefting particulars in rural economics, be introduced among our literary men, as in France;-fome of thefe benefits may be derived from attending to the discoveries which the French philofophers may bring to light. It fhall be our study, from time to time, to notice fuch of them as feem moft to deferve our attention, and farther clucidation.

Our Readers and countrymen, in general, have for fome time paft been amused by fpecious accounts of the plant called by the French Racine de difette, which has been tranflated, the root of fcarcity; we shall felect the fubftance of fome information concerning it, communicated to the Agricultural Society in January 1786, which bears every internal mark of authenticity. It is faid that the German name of this plant is Dickruben, and its botanical name is Beta cicla altiffima; this is a fpecies of Beetrave, which is principally cultivated in Quedlinburg, in the principality of Anhalt, as well as in the principality of Halberftadt, and in feveral of the cantons of Lufatia.

The farmers in these places, we are told, prefer this kind of Beetrave, for feeding cattle, to cabbages, chiefly because they are not fo liable to be hurt by worms or infects; but they think they are not fo nourishing as turnips, potatoes, or carrots, and

*This agrees with our conjecture, on the subject, in our Review for Auguft, p. 267. when we mentioned Dr. Lettfom's account of the Mangel Wurzel,

that

A

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