It is based on a collection of one hundred melodies which was made for the Caliph Hárún al-Rashíd, but to these Abu ’l-Faraj has added many others chosen by himself. After giving the words and the airs attached to them, he relates the lives of the poets and musicians by whom they were composed, and takes occasion to introduce a vast quantity of historical traditions and anecdotes, including much ancient and modern verse. It is said that the Ṣáḥib Ibn ‘Abbád,[655] when travelling, used to take thirty camel-loads of books about with him, but on receiving the _Aghání_ he contented himself with this one book and dispensed with all the rest.[656] The chief man of letters of the next generation was Abú Mansúr al-Tha‘álibí (the Furrier) of Naysábúr. Notwithstanding that most of his works are unscientific compilations, designed to amuse the public rather than to impart solid instruction, his famous anthology of recent and contemporary poets--the _Yatímatu ’l-Dahr_, or 'Solitaire of the Time'--supplies indubitable proof of his fine scholarship and critical taste. Successive continuations of the _Yatíma_ were written by al-Bákharzí († 1075 A.D.) in the _Dumyatu ’l-Qaṣr_, or 'Statue of the Palace'; by Abu ’l-Ma‘álí al-Ḥaẓírí († 1172 A.D.) in the _Zínatu ’l-Dahr_, or 'Ornament of the Time'; and by the favourite of Saladin, ‘Imádu ’l-Dín al-Kátib al-Iṣfahání († 1201 A.D.), in the _Kharídatu ’l-Qaṣr_, or 'Virgin Pearl of the Palace.' From the tenth century onward the study of philology proper began to decline, while on the other hand those sciences which formerly grouped themselves round philology now became independent, were cultivated with brilliant success, and in a short time reached their zenith. [Sidenote: History.] The elements of History are found (1) in Pre-islamic traditions and (2) in the _Ḥadíth_ of the Prophet, but the idea of historical composition on a grand scale was probably suggested to the Arabs by Persian models such as the Pehleví _Khudáy-náma_, or 'Book of Kings,' which Ibnu ’l-Muqaffa‘ turned into Arabic in the eighth century of our era under the title of _Siyaru Mulúki ’l-‘Ajam_, that is, 'The History of the Kings of Persia.' Under the first head Hishám Ibnu ’l-Kalbí († 819 A.D.) and his father Muḥammad deserve particular mention as painstaking and trustworthy recorders. [Sidenote: Histories of the Prophet and his Companions.] Historical traditions relating to the Prophet were put in writing at an early date (see p. 247). The first biography of Muḥammad (_Síratu Rasúli ’lláh_), compiled by Ibn Isḥáq, who died in the reign of Manṣúr (768 A.D.), has come down to us only in the recension made by Ibn Hishám († 834 A.D.). This work as well as those of al-Wáqidí († 823 A.D.) and Ibn Sa‘d († 845 A.D.) have been already noticed. Other celebrated historians of the ‘Abbásid period are the following. [Sidenote: Baládhurí.]