E. F. G.
31 Portland Street, London.
Decr. 8/57.
My dear Cowell,
You will recognize the Date of my Abode. Two years ago you were coming to see me in it much about this Season: and a year ago I wrote you my first Letter to India from it. I came hither from
Brighton a week ago: how long to be here uncertain: you had best direct to Goldington Hall, Bedford. I sent you a short Letter by last Marseilles’ Post from Brighton: and I now begin this short one because I have happened again to take hold of some Books which we are mutually interested in. I have left with Borrow the Copy of the Mantic De Tassy gave me; so some days ago I bought another Copy of Norgate. For you must know I had again taken up my rough Sketch of a Translation, which, such as it is, might easily be finisht. But it is in truth no Translation: but only the Paraphrase of a Syllabus of the Poem: quite unlike the original in Style too:—But it would give, I think, a fair proportionate Account of the Scheme of the Poem. If ever I finish it, I will send it you. Well; then in turning this over, I also turned over Volume I of Sprenger’s Catalogue, which I bought by itself for 6s. a year ago. As it contains all the Persian MSS. I supposed that would be enough for me. I have been looking at his List of Attár’s Poems. What a number! All almost much made up of Apologues in which Attár excels, I think. His Stories are better than Jámí’s: to be sure, he gives more to pick out of. An interesting thing in the Mantic is, the stories about Mahmúd: and these are the best in the Book. I find I have got seven or eight in my brief Extract. I see Sprenger says Attár was born in 513—four years before poor Omar Khayyám died! He mentions one of Attár’s Books—‘The Book of Union,’ waslat
námah, which seems to be on the very subject of the Apologue to the Peacock’s Brag in the Mantic: line 814 in De Tassy. I suppose this is no more the Orthodox Mussulman Version than it is ours. Sprenger also mentions as one separate Book what is part of the Mantic—and main part—the Haft wady. Sprenger says (p. 350) how the MSS. of Attár differ from one another.
And now about old Omar. You talked of sending a Paper about him to Fraser and I told you, if you did, I would stop it till I had made my Comments. I suppose you have not had time to do what you proposed, or are you overcome with the Flood of bad Latin I poured upon you? Well: don’t be surprised (vext, you won’t be) if I solicit Fraser for room for a few Quatrains in English Verse, however—with only such an Introduction as you and Sprenger give me—very short—so as to leave you to say all that is Scholarly if you will. I hope this is not very Cavalier of me. But in truth I take old Omar rather more as my property than yours: he and I are more akin, are we not? You see all [his] Beauty, but you don’t feel with him in some respects as I do. I think you would almost feel obliged to leave out the part of Hamlet in representing him to your Audience: for fear of Mischief. Now I do not wish to show Hamlet at his maddest: but mad he must be shown, or he is no Hamlet at all. G. de Tassy eluded all that was dangerous, and all that was characteristic. I think these free opinions are less dangerous in an old
Mahometan, or an old Roman (like Lucretius) than when they are returned to by those who have lived on happier Food. I don’t know what you will say to all this. However I dare say it won’t matter whether I do the Paper or not, for I don’t believe they’ll put it in.
Then—yesterday I bought at that shop in the Narrow Passage at the end of Oxford Street a very handsome small Folio MS. of Sadi’s Bostán for 10s. But I don’t know when I shall look at it to read: for my Eyes are but bad: and London so dark, that I write this Letter now at noon by the Light of two Candles. Of which enough for To-day. I must however while I think of it again notice to you about those first Introductory Quatrains to Omar in both the Copies you have seen; taken out of their Alphabetical place, if they be Omar’s own, evidently by way of putting a good Leg foremost—or perhaps not his at all. So that which Sprenger says begins the Oude MS. is manifestly, not any Apology of Omar’s own, but a Denunciation of him by some one else: [344] and is a sort of Parody (in Form at least) of Omar’s own Quatrain 445, with its indignant reply by the Sultan.
Tuesday Dec. 22. I have your Letter of Nov. 9—giving a gloomy Account of what has long ere this been settled for better or worse! It is said we are to have a Mail on Friday. I must post this Letter before then. Thank you for the MSS. You will let me know what you expend on them. I have been