In the year 1723, the French edition was turned into English by Mr. John Darby, who dedicated his work to His Royal Highness Frederic Prince of Wales, but these histories commence only with the twenty-fifth year of Timūr’s age. Iben Arab Shāh’s Arabic History of Timūr, called the _Ajaib al Mukhlukāt_, _Wonders of the Creation_, was translated into Latin by Golius in 1636, and again by Manger in 1767 and 1772, but, being more of a coarse satire on that Prince than his real history, it is little worthy of credit, and has consequently fallen into disrepute. In the year 1783, Professor White of Oxford, published a Persian Edition of the _Institutes_ of Timūr, with an English translation by Major William Davy of the Honourable East India Company’s Service,[1] which was deservedly much admired, and as it was the cause of producing the Translation of the following Memoirs, I shall take the liberty hereafter of subjoining a portion of its Preface. In the year 1787, the late Professor Langlès of Paris, published a French translation of the _Institutes_, under the title of “Instituts Politiques et Militaires de Tamerlane proprement appellé Timour, ecrits par lui-même en Mogol, et traduits en François sur la version Persane d’Abou Taleb al Hosseini, avec la Vie de ce Conquerant, &c. &c.” William Erskine, Esq. in his Preface to the Memoirs of Baber, published in 1826, (in praise of which work too much cannot be said) informs us, that he had seen at Bombay, a complete Persian translation of the Autographic Memoirs of Timour, the original of which had been found in the library of Jaafer Pashā of Yemen, and that it appears by Astley’s Collection of Voyages, that a person of that name was Pashā of Yemen in 1610. This is of importance, as it nearly fixes the date of the Persian Translation, which is confirmed by the dedication of the work to the Emperor Shāh Jehan of Hindūstan. Having thus premised, I proceed to give a description of the Manuscript brought from India by Major Davy, which I have undertaken to translate: it is an Octavo volume, written in the common Persian hand, and as it has never been bound, was probably copied for that gentleman in Calcutta, it is enclosed in an old cover, on which is written in Major Davy’s hand; “This Manuscript, which is a fragment of Timūr’s, is very valuable, therefore preserve it with care. N. B. It is to be put in the little black writing box.” The Manuscript contains four hundred and fifty-seven pages; after the Persian Translator’s Preface, it commences with the _Institutes_, which nearly agree with the printed edition; these are succeeded by the Designs and Enterprizes of the printed copy, after which follows the Book of _Omens_, mentioned in the 8th page of Dr. White’s Preface, and which I might probably also have omitted in my translation, did I not fear the reproach of having left part of my work undone.[2]