A literary history of Persia

xPREFACEand other Continental capitals, it is chiefly with the amateur(and I use the word in no disparaging sense, but as meaningone whose studies are prompted by taste and natural inclinationrather than by necessity) that the future extension anddevelopment of these studies lies. To him (or her), therefore,this book is especially addressed ;and should it prove of use toany of those whose interest in the East is more real andabiding than that of the ordinary reader, but who have neitherthe opportunity nor the apparatus of study necessary to theprofessional student, I shall deem myself amply rewarded formy labour in compiling it.Concerning the system of transliteration of Oriental namesand words here adopted little need be said ;it is essentiallythat approved by the Royal Asiatic Society for the transcriptionof the Arabic character, and will be readily understood byall who are familiar with that script. That consistency (or,asI fear may be said by some of my critics, pedantry) has compelledme to write Hafidh, Nidhami, 'Umar, Firdawsi, &c.,for the more popular Hafiz, Nizami, Omar, and Ferdousi maybe regretted from some points of view, but will at leastgenerally save the student from doubts as to the correct spellingin the original character of the names occurring in thefollowing pages.I only regret that this consistency has notbeen more complete, and that I have in a few cases (notablyAdharbayjan, Azarbayjan) allowed myself to be swayed byactual usage at the expense of uniformity. But at least thereader will not as a rule be puzzled by finding the samename appearing now as 'Uthman, now as 4 Usman, and againas 'Osman, according as it is sought to represent its Arabic,its Persian, or its Turkish pronunciation.And so I commend my book to the benevolent reader, and,I hope I may add, to the not less benevolent critic. Of itsmany defects, alike in plan and execution, I am fully conscious,and to others, no doubt, my attention will soon becalled. But "whoso desireth a faultless friend remains friend-