Last night I had some of your Letters read to me: among them one but yesterday arrived, not very sunshiny in its prospects: but your Brother thinks the Times Newspaper of yesterday somewhat bids us look up. Only, all are trembling for Lucknow, crowded with Helplessness and Innocence! I am ashamed to think how little I understand of all these things: but have wiser men, and men in Place, understood much more? or, understanding, have they _done_ what they should? . . . Love to the dear Lady, and may you be now and for time to come safe and well is the Prayer of yours, 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 Attar's Poems. What a number! All almost much made up of _Apologues_ in which Attar excels, I think. His Stories are better than Jami's: to be sure, he gives more to pick out of. An interesting thing in the Mantic is, the stories about Mahmud: and these are the best in the Book. I find I have got seven or eight in my brief Extract. I see Sprenger says Attar was born in 513--four years before poor Omar Khayyam died! He mentions one of Attar's Books--'The Book of Union,' _waslat_ _namah_, 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 Attar differ from one another.