Omar was FitzGerald and FitzGerald was Omar. Both threw away their shields and retired to their tent, not indeed to sulk, but to seek in meditative aloofness, the calm and content that is the proper reward of those alone who persevere to the end. Retirement brought them all it could bring, a yet deeper sense of the vanity of things and their unknowableness. Herein for the mass of mankind lies the charm of the Rubáiyát, in clear, tuneful numbers it chants the half-beliefs and disbeliefs of those who are neither demons nor saints, neither theological dogmatists nor devil-worshippers, but men. Those seeking further information as to the life and place in literature of Edward FitzGerald are referred to Jackson's "FitzGerald and Omar Khayyám" [1899]; Clyde's "Life of FitzGerald" [1900]; Tutin's "Concordance to FitzGerald's Omar Khayyám" [1900]; and Prideaux's "Notes for a Bibliography of FitzGerald" [1901], and his "Life" [1903]. For an interesting discussion as to the real nature of Omar, see the Introduction to "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám" in the "Golden Treasury" Series. W. S. PREFACE TO Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Omar Khayyám, or Chiam, was born about the middle of the 11th Century, at Naishápúr, Khorassán, and he died in that town about the year 1123. Little is known as to the details of his life, and such facts as are available have been drawn principally from the _Wasíyat_ or _Testament_ of Mizam al Mulk (_Regulation of the Realm_), who was a fellow-pupil of Omar at the school of the celebrated Imám Mowafek or Mowaffak. Reference to this is made in Mirkhond's _History of the Assassins_, from which the following extract[A] is taken.