The San Francisco call., 1895-07-28
HAJJI BABA OF IsPAHAN.

ooOA VI 4SA AAAN'
Lovers of Oriental literature will well
come this new edition which the Mac
millans have just issued of James Morier's !
famous classic. 1t has been so long out of
general circulation that in all probability
1t will be an entirely new book to the
present generation. 1t is over seventy
years since it first appeared, and took both
England and the Orient by storm. The
author James Justinian Morier was born
In an Oriental atmosphere, although he
was educated at Harrow, and through
years of residence and intimate association
with the Persians, he was eminently we'll
fitted to be the chronicler of the adven-
lures of Hail Baba. He wrote of the
Persians as he knew them during his
diplomatic residence among them, in the
beginning of this century, but the Persians
are an unchanging people, and Hajji
Baba IS as accurate q type to-day
as he was ninety years ago of the
hght-hearted, credulous, mendacious,
clever race TO which he belonged. The
present edition is fortunate in having a
peculiarly happy and sympathetic intro
ductory sketch by Hon. George Curzon,
NJ. P. The present generation of readers
will require such an introduction. Hail
Baba is Persian Gil Bias, one part good
fellow and three parts knave, always the
plaything of fortune-whether barber
water-carrier, physician, scribe, Turkish |
merchant, or secretary to an Embassador |
He is as often the victim of roguery as |
rogue himself, but always faithful type of |
the Persian. The foibles of the national |
character are admirably brought out in |
= i
society where men subsist largely /
by their wits, where the scullion of |
one day may be the grand vizier of an
other, and where a despotic, unreasonable
autocratic sovereign is supreme lord of a
half-civ1lized race Of jealous and struggling
slaves. There is much good-humored fla
COLLATION. of Persian peccadillos in the
book, along with deal of delicious satire
upon the manners of more civilized COM
munities. Certain European notables do
not always escape. A certain French Era
bassador who is represented as retiring in
disgrace from Teheran was Napoleon's
emissary, General Gardanne. Sir Hartford
Jones and Sir John Malcolm also figure IN
the narrative, and there occurs this deli
clous account, from the mouth Of Per-
slans OF the English House of Commons:
Then they have certain house full of mad
men, who meet hall the year round for the
purpose OF quRrTehng. II one set says white
the other cries black: and they throw more
words away in settling a common question
than would suffice our muftis during a whole
reign. In short, nothing can be settled in the
state, be il only whether a rebellious aga is to
have his head cut off and his property confis-
Gated, or some such trifie, until these people
have Wrangled.
The adventures of Hail Baba must rank
with the immortal books. 1t belongs with
Don Quixote' and the Adventures of
Gil Bias of Santillane," among the great
satires of the world. 1t is full of rare
humor, OF delicate Interpretation, and well
justifes the comment of the Hon. Mr..
CurZon. Even were the Persians to be
blotted out as nation it would yet remain
as portrait of unriValed humor and accu-
racy of people who. though now in their
decadence, have played an immense and
sJiIl play not wholly insignificant part in
the complex drama of Asiatic politics.
1t is the picture of people, ight-hearted,
nimble-witted and volatile, but subtle, hypo-
critical and insincere; metaphysicians and
casuists, courtiers and rogues, gentlemen
and liars, hommes d'esprit. and yet incur
able towards Haiii Baba is the Hghtest-
hearted scalawag who ever took the road,
and he relates his adventures, interesting,
questionable, ridiculous and startling, by
turns, in naive fashion that makes one
love the scamp and accord a smile while
Withholding approval. He is satirical and
cynical, without being either i'll natured
or harsh. He bubbles over with wit, and
it never occurs to him that his own fragrant
rascality requires any explanation or
apology.
With a new edition of "Gil Blas' a
couple of years since, with Burton's and
Lanes admirable translations of the ''Ara-
bian Nights the recent publication of
"Don Quixote" in two andsome volumes,
and the present revival of interest in Hail
Baba," it is apparent that old favorites
are not to be cast aside in the battle of
the books for public attention. New York
and London: Macmillan & Co. For sale
by William Doxey.