As to the general style of the Dabistán――it is only in the original text itself, that it can be justly appreciated. It will perhaps sufficiently appear from our translation that it distinguishes itself favorably among other Oriental works with which it may be compared. The diction is generally free from their usual bombast; it is commonly clear, and when obscure to an European reader, it is so on account of the strangeness and abstruseness of the matter treated. As to form――if judged according to the rules of Western criticism, the work of Mohsan Fani may be found deficient in the distribution and arrangement of matter; there are useless repetitions, incoherences, disorder, abrupt digressions, and excess, sonetimes of prolixity, at others of concision. Although we have reason to praise him for generally naming the source from which he drew his information, still we can but regret, now and then, his not sufficiently authenticating nor explaining the particulars which he relates. Thus we could wish him to have been more explicit concerning the Desátir. Upon the whole, we cannot accuse him of not having performed what, in his time and circumstances, was hardly possible, and what hitherto no Asiatic author has achieved. We ought to keep in mind how much, with respect to the perfection of literary publications, we owe solely to the art of printing, the practice of which, by its own nature, necessitates and facilitates a manifold revision and correction of the text, which otherwise could hardly take place. This alone sufficiently accounts for the frequent defects even of the best manuscript works. Striking an equitable balance between faults and excellencies, and with particular regard to the abundance of curious, useful, and important information, I shall not hesitate to express my sincere persuasion, that the Dabistán was worthy of the eulogy bestowed by the great Orientalist who first brought it into public notice. [206] Vol. III. p. 287. [207] The Koran, ch. XVIII. v. 100. [208] _Ibid._, ch. VI. v. 49. [209] _Ibid._, ch. V. vv. 86. 88. [210] _Ibid._, ch. XXIX. v. 45. [211] _Ibid._, ch. III. v. 57. [212] _Ibid._, vv. 61. 66. 67. [213] _Ibid._, ch. XX. v. 66. [214] _Ibid._, ch. X. vv. 99. 100. [215] See Epilogue. § II.――NOTICE CONCERNING THE PRINTED EDITION, SOME MANUSCRIPTS, AND THE TRANSLATIONS OF THE DABISTAN.