New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-28

., salan,an Cor Sobnan) the Second, surnalica
tLe Magnificent Compiled from
aIs manuscript Just described and others In the i@ps1
'SI in the state uhi,ss of Austria and .
a Manuseripts and Documents IN the Archives ''~ -
;tcuoh he has made considerable progress in
tho collection and transcription of materlais, VIII
he tLree or tour years before the WORK can Dc com
nle, a as be has still another now upon his haDas,
pnd o,,. which suppose, will be OF more sPeciat
;n,.,sst in our country than life of the Iurkish
sultnn Perhaps not, though, for life OF Soiyinan
N j. n history of MOhammedansm at the climax VI
;,s ROVER and glory; the other being one wncn "a
y, I'd much To cur knowledge OF Its origin ana carry
history. ~,
Thanks TO American scholars every weu-in-
form ed rerson now has some ldea OF tne gio'! 'h
s,, and ietters of the Mohammedan race IN sPdin-
IT, The front rank of the Spanish Moorish poets
stands the Vizier Ibn Zaidun, OF Cordoya, VINO
an,;,hed in fifth century of the Heglra-tne
el,venth of our era For some political cause or
other lie was thrown into prison oy ion uan"ar'
+ Dictator or Senator COrdoya, where ne COM
posed a lor memorial addressed 70 MS opprssso,'
ioy kn,wn among those learned IN Arabic Mss.
ns The h,sdia GaArariija OF Ibn Zadun. In argu.
mo his cause aud justIiying himself, be brought all
H. immense store Of learning, both IN M0hainnio-
dan history and poetry TO bear, so that every Pego
abouuds IN illusions to facts aud citations rom
Arabic poetry and history. In the fourteenth cen
tury tie great Arabic Philoloqst oaishaadih as
Sotadi wrote a commentary on the Rlsaia, ~ Wnlch
he traced out all the historic illusions ciied tho
passages in the poets referred TO, and the Ike thus
making of IL a uost extensive repository OF iacts ID
the eally history OF MOhammedanism. helshe, ino
great Orientalist of the last century, puDllsned ono
Of lbn Zaidun's works Q755), with a Latin 'tans-
aton and notes; but OF this memorial 10 ION pan-
| war nothing so far as l can learn, mas ooen
! printed. except q specimen by Professor Weyers az
/ i.yden in 1881. But Weyes died in 1874, aud ,he
wuIk still exists only in manuscript. AS pfooio oi
the importance of the work. and as showing the
''broiEerly kindness" of Oriental scholars toward
one anoiher--a spirit which an American historian M
! or tw o might imblbe little of without mJury-tno
MD which has been extended to Dr. bearnauer IS
worthy OF notice.
gentleman (von Kremer) who owned copy on
the k,sdia Gahuariija, parted with 1t TO the lli-
pe1al Library in Vienna in 1884, and ADVISED Dr.
Il. TO edit it Tor the press. Having some doubt a.
| to the absolute correctness OF TINS copy, Dr' d.
applied To the various libraries where the WORK was
| 10 lie found for permission to make q collation.
| Mr. Juynbol, in Leyden sent the copy In the 7 III
yelsity Library there, ut once to vienna; ar.
| Reinuud in Paris, caused copy and eoilatio9 on
! the two MSS. there to be made and sent To Dr. Is
with list of the other MSS in that great collec-
| ton, which throw light upon the history OF lDn
| Zaidun Professor Muller OF Munich, being In SPAN,
! examiEed the Ms. in the Escurial tor him; Mr..
Wright that in the Bodlean Library in England;
! hLalil Eiendi Alkour, in ByIrout Professor Cher
bOuneau, at Constantine, in Algera and other gen.
Il, men in st. Petersburg, Stockholm, and other
places, all came forward to give him whatever they
could which might add to the value OF his edition.
If y0ur American Oriental Society,"" said this
Doctor the other day, "could give me anything,
"nigLt boast of receiving aid from all the four
quarters OF the globe"
The work is to consist of the entire text of Tho
memorial with a translation, O digest of the COM
nentary of as-Saiad, historical and biographical
introduction, and complete index. Brocbnaus,
in Leipzig, is TO be the publisher.
So much on these topics.
That the people of the Orient have not yet forgot
ten how to pile up complimentary epthets IN their
letters, found a very amusing proof in an Arabic
| letter Which Behrnaucr received from Asia Minor.
| ard which he translated to me. l do not know
that theie is anything cut of the way in sending
paIt of it to you as curiosity. The writer Is
! kander (Alexander) Abyarios, Aga in the Turkish
amy in religion Christian of some sort-proba-
bly Of the creek Church--had published book,
and Behrnauer applied to him for copy. Ii Is q
work Gu the old Arabic Poets, with biographical
notices by an Arab, in his native language. Before
the Aga had opportunity to send the book, he
! learned that friend had already seat copy 70
Vnnna The h, tie is therefore nothing but polite
note thanking the German for his interest IN him,
the Aga, and expressed his compliments and good
wishes. This is all: yet in rythm and rhyme the
Aga begins after this manner:
BEYRoUT, Nov. 26, 1853
Hcnored friend, who takes precedence OF all
friends uJfted ole, who speaks in pearls; eye-pplo
OF tie scholars of the knksh countries, and the key
TO their knowledge of Arabic phlology; he who IL
meant in these praises, DIR. Behrnauer-may God
shake down all hIs blessings upon him. Amen
And after this u. e., to proceed Tor you are unique
among men, he who OF men possesses most UNDER
snIaLg ana goodness, in whom the degree OF culture
and scientific know ledge combined and there is no.
doubt that your n0beness belongs to thoee chosen
IeIsons 10 Possess perfectons and good morals; ana
how could il DC otherwise, since already the of
world, and in all cities and cllmes, 10 ouch degree
lbai proverbs made of them !!
lien comes the letter-a m0uses body 10 lions
head
think this rather goes before the Dear Sir, OF
our English style of etter-wIiting. To us there is
sonethii very concal in addressing persons thus,
but not tie people OF Asia Minor.
The Literary world just now in Germany, no
doubt in our country too, is making preparations
Tor the celebration Of the first centennial anniver
saty OF Schiilers birth. The famous (and dcserv-
edly SOY printing ofce Of the court here will honor
tie poet with exqusitely printed Schiller Bib-
ogrulby, which is now nearly through the press.
snLli number Of copies only is TO be printed, and
these, told, are " be distributed only pres
elis TO libraries and distinguished persons The
editor is DIR. Constant won Wurzbach, author OF
the ~ Biogrsphsches Lexicon" Of the Austrian
Empire which has now reached think, the iettes
q. 1he great extent and variety OF the contentr
Of this Schiller Bibiography may be judged from
this abstract of the section devoted 10 the three
Wallersein plays. J.. The various editions which
have appeared separate from schlleris entire