New-York tribune., 1903-06-21

sian TO an Indian origin. or TO generalize about
| the "Aryan genius" The historical argument
we are assured Is further On the side OF Neo-
PIatonisrn which had been brought to Persia
even before it was carried to the conqUerors ot
Persia. the Arabs
| Of more general interest are the many le-
qends which are 50 interviewer with the history
20 tba country that it is at times exceedingly
| 5iT5cuIt to separate fiction from fact Such
| stories as the legend Of THE Year Of the Ele-
pbant' and "The Worm OF Kirman' are enter
tainingIy told the sense OF proportion L@ing
6uIv maintained. The author also occasionally
| stops by the wayside. so TO speak. in order to
| gather some nosegays OF thought One that
particularly appeals to us Is his comparison OF
the pagan and Moslem ideals. and another the
account Of the conversion Of Persia to Islam-
The popular suppOstion has been that the de-
feated Zoroastrians were offered the choice be-
tween the Koran and the sword. but Professor
| Browne endeavors to show that this not the
case. and that, az rule. the religious conquest
was peaceful one. the simplicity, Of Islam and
! the relief it offered from the disabilities and
elaborate publications" Of the religion Of the
fire worshfppers commencing it 70 many. He
cites especially the defeat OF the Persi1ns at
Qadisiyya. when four thousand Of the beaten
warriors held a meeting and decided to en-
brace Islam-
/ The weakness OF tnlS DOOk. WHICH - NOT per
haps such a weakness after all. lies in the
thor's habit Of frequently repeating himself
He will give in one place the details Of a legend
or historical incident and in another. when the
same subject comes up for incidental discus
sion, will tell the story again in all its details.
thus conveying the impression that he has for
gotten all about having mentioned il before. His
logical defence is that the facts are brought into
prominence owing to new light or interest.
but this defence fails when it is seen that he
now and again actually goes out of his way TO
drag in something with which he has already
made the reader sufficiently acquainted.
Of those parts Of the work which deal ex-
clusiveIy with early Persian literature there can
| be nothing but praise. The author has ex-
aggera ted notion of the Importance of the writ
ings OF the period. the meagreness Of which is
indicated in his statement that it is very doubt
full if we possess the text of even a line # Ter
sian which was composed before the middle Of
the ninth century From SIS to 9G9 \ D. the
case was very different for we find" says Pro-
fessor Browne Persian verse and, to a lesser
extent Persian prose fOurshing in full vigor.
the most celebrated poet of this period being
Fiudagi (or RawdhakD, who fourished in che
first half of the tenth century. Indeed. his fame
| so far outshOne that of his predecessors that he
| is often reckoned the first Persian 1oet.'
Briefly but brilliantly the author outlines the
work of the writer's OF that period, thus paving
| the way for the fuller discussion which is to
| come in the second volume.
| Whether no Professor Browne viii succeed
| in holding the readers attention through two
volumes is open question. Persian affairs
and the history of Persian literature DO not us i
rule appeal to the average American or Euro
pean. the trouble apparently being that the
habit Of using tropes. SMILES. metaphors, innu-
| endoes hyperboles and the like grew upon the
| Persians il a way that is incompatible with the
| ideas of those who are not born to Persian ex-
vagance. Then too. most of the early poets
were court poets, who wrote for their royal
patrons, not for the public. were stilted and af-
| fected. and, at times, uncommon b0res- For
that reason the later writer's such as FirdaWsi
Hafidh. Sadi Altar and Omar Khayyam. have
made far stronger appeals TO the outside world.
| because each of these writers. though in u diff
| ferent way strikes on a basic element in human
nature. All this is recognized BY Professor
Browne however. and it is to be said for him
that he goes far toward making his book read
able, even when the particular phase Of his sub
ject under discussion is sadly against him.