[121]. i.e. King of kings, the Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων.
[122]. Majlis garm karná, i.e., to give some life to the company.
[123]. In Arabic “’Ilm al-Mukáshafah” = the Science by which Eastern adepts discover man’s secret thoughts. Of late years it has appeared in England but with the same quackery and imposture which have ruined “Spiritualism” as the Faith of the Future.
[124]. Nor are those which do occur all in the same order: The first in the Turkish book, “Of ’Ebú-’l-Kásim of Basra, of the ’Emír of Basra, and of ’Ebú-’l-Faskh of Wásit,” is probably similar to the first in Petis, “History of Aboulcasem of Basra.” The second, “Of Fadzlu-’llah of Mawsil (Mosel), of ’Ebú-’l-Hasan, and of Máhyár of Wásit,” is evidently the seventh in Petis, “History of Fadlallah, Son of Bin Ortoc, King of Moussel.” The fourth, “Of Ridzwán-Sháh of China and the Shahristání Lady,” is the second in Petis, “History of King Razvanschad and of the Princess Cheheristany.” The eleventh, “Of the Sovereign without a care and of the Vazír full of care,” is the eighth in Petis, “History of King Bedreddin Lolo and of his Vizier Altalmulc.” The third, “Of the Builder of Bemm with the two Vazírs of the king of Kawáshar,” the seventh, “Of the Rogue Nasr and the son of the king of Khurásán,” and the tenth, “The Three Youths, the Old Man, and the Daughter of the King,” I cannot, from these titles, recognise in Petis; while the fifth, “Farrukh-Shád, Farrukh-Rúz, and Farrukh-Náz,” may be the same as the frame-story of the “Hazár ú Yek Rúz,” where the king is called Togrul-bey, his son Farrukrouz, and his daughter Farruknaz, and if this be the case, the Turkish book must differ considerably from the Persian in its plan.—Although “The Thousand and One Nights” has not been found in Persian, there exists a work in that language of which the plan is somewhat similar—but adapted from an Indian source. It is thus described by Dr. Rieu, in his Catalogue of Persian MSS. in the British Museum, vol. ii. p. 773: Tale of Shírzád, son of Gurgahan, emperor of China, and Gulshád, daughter of the vazír Farrukhzád (called the Story of the Nine Belvideres). Nine tales told by Gulshad to Shírzád, each in one of the nine belvideres of the royal palace, in order to save the forfeited life of her father.
[125]. A translation of this version, omitting the moral reflections interspersed, is given by Professor E. B. Cowell in the “Journal of Philology,” 1876, vol. vi. p. 193. The great Persian mystic tells another story of a Dream of Riches, which, though only remotely allied to our tale, is very curious:
THE FAKÍR AND THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
Notwithstanding the clear evidence of God’s bounty, engendering those spiritual tastes in men, philosophers and learned men, wise in their own conceit, obstinately shut their eyes to it, and look afar off for what is really close to them, so that they incur the penalty of being “branded on the nostrils” [Kurán, lxviii. 16], adjudged against unbelievers. This is illustrated by the story of a poor Fakír who prayed to God that he might be fed without being obliged to work for his food. A divine voice came to him in his sleep and directed him to go to the house of a certain scribe and take a certain writing he should find there. He did so, and on reading the writing found that it contained directions for discovering a hidden treasure. The directions were as follows: “Go outside the city to the dome which covers the tomb of the martyr, turn your back to the tomb and your face towards Mecca, place an arrow in your bow, and where the arrow falls dig for the treasure.” But before the Fakír had time to commence the search the rumour of the writing and its purport had reached the King, who at once sent and took it away from the Fakír, and began to search for the treasure on his own account. After shooting many arrows and digging in all directions the King failed to find the treasure, and got weary of searching, and returned the writing to the Fakír. Then the Fakír tried what he could do, but failed to hit the spot where the treasure was buried. At last, despairing of success by his own unaided efforts, he cast his care upon God, and implored the divine assistance. Then a voice from heaven came to him, saying, “You were directed to fix an arrow in your bow, but not to draw your bow with all your might, as you have been doing. Shoot as gently as possible, that the arrow may fall close to you, for hidden treasure is indeed ‘nearer to you than your neck-vein’” [Kurán, l. 15]. Men overlook the spiritual treasures close to them, and for this reason it is that prophets have no honour in their own countries.—Mr. E. H. Whinfield’s Abridgment of “The Masnavi-i Ma’navi.” (London, 1887.)
[126]. See Mr. Gibb’s translation (London: Redway), p. 278.
[127]. “Rem quæ contigit patrum memoriâ ut veram ita dignam relatu et sæpenumero mihi assertam ab hominibus fide dignis apponam.”
[128]. Thorpe says that a nearly similar legend is current at Tanslet, on the island of Alsen.