Page 16. and thence descending flow'd Through many a Prophet's breast. This is according to D'Herbelot's account of the doctrines of Mokanna: "Sa doctrine étoit que Dieu avoit pris une forme et figure humaine depuis qu'il eut commandé aux Anges d'adorer Adam, le premier des hommes. Qu'après la mort d'Adam, Dieu étoit apparu sous la figure de plusieurs Prophetes, et autres grands hommes qu'il avoit choisis, jusqu'à ce qu'il prît celle d'Abu Moslem, Prince de Khorassan, lequel professoit l'erreur de la Tenassukhiah ou Metempschychose; et qu' après la mort de ce Prince, la Divinité étoit passée, et descendue en sa personne." Page 34. Such Gods as he, Whom India serves, the monkey Deity. "Apes are in many parts of India highly venerated, out of respect to the God Hannaman, a deity partaking of the form of that race.". Pennant's Hindoostan. See a curious account in Stephen's Persia of a solemn embassy from some part of the Indies to Goa, when the Portuguese were there, offering vast treasures for the recovery of a monkey's tooth, which they held in great veneration, and which had been taken away upon the conquest of the kingdom of Jafanapatan. Page 34. Where none but priests are privileged to trade The material of which images of Gaudma (the Birman Deity) is made, is held sacred. "Birmans may not pur chase the marble in mass, but are suffered, and indeed encouraged, to buy figures of the Deity ready made.". Symes's Ava, vol. ii. p. 376. Page 34. -proud things of clay, To whom if Lucifer, as grandams say, This resolution of Eblis not to acknowledge the new creature, man, was, according to Mahometan tradition, thus adopted: "The earth (which God had selected for the materials of his work) was carried into Arabia, to a place between Mecca and Tayef, where, being first kneaded by the Angels, it was afterwards fashioned by God himself into a human form, and left to dry for the space of forty days, or, as others say, as many years; the angels, in the mean time, often visiting it, and Eblis (then one of the angels nearest to God's presence, afterwards the devil) among the rest; but he, not contented with looking at it, kicked it with his foot till it rung, and knowing God designed that creature to be his superior, took a secret resolution never to acknowledge him as such." the Koran. Page 44. The puny bird that dares, with teazing hum, Sale on The humming-bird is said to run this risk for the purpose of picking the crocodile's teeth. The same circumstance is related of the Lapwing, as a fact to which he was witness, by Paul Lucas, Voyage fait en 1714. Page 48. Some artists of Yamtcheou having been sent on previously. "The Feast of Lanterns is celebrated at Yamtcheou with more magnificence than any where else; and the report goes, that the illuminations there are so splendid, that an Emperor once, not daring openly to leave his Court to go thither, committed himself with the Queen and several Princesses of his family into the hands of a magician, who promised to transport them thither in a trice. He made them in the night to ascend magnificent thrones that were borne up by swans, which in a moment arrived at Yamtcheou. The Emperor saw at his leisure all the solemnity, being carried upon a cloud that hovered over the city and descended by degrees; and came back again with the same speed and equipage, nobody at court perceiving his absence."- The present State of China, p.156. Page 48. Artificial sceneries of bamboo-work. See a description of the nuptials of Vizier Alee in the Asiatic Annual Register of 1804. Page 49. The origin of these fantastic Chinese illuminations. "The vulgar ascribe it to an accident that happened in the family of a famous mandarin, whose daughter walking one evening upon the shore of a lake, fell in and was drowned; this afflicted father, with his family, run thither, and, the better to find her, he caused a great company of lanterns to be lighted. All the inhabitants of the place thronged after him with torches. The year ensuing they made fires upon the shores the same day; they continued the ceremony every year, every one lighted his lantern, and by degrees it commenced into a custom."- Present State of China. "None of these ladies," says Shaw, "take themselves to be completely dressed, till they have tinged the hair and edges of their eyelids with the powder of lead-ore. Now, as this operation is performed by dipping first into the powder a small wooden bodkin of the thickness of a quill, and then drawing it afterwards, through the eyelids over the ball of the eye, we shall have a lively image of what the Prophet (Jer. iv. 30.) may be supposed to mean by rending the eyes with painting. This practice is no doubt of great antiquity; for besides the instance already taken notice of, we find that where Jezebel is said (2 Kings, ix. 30.) to have painted her face, the original words are, she adjusted her eyes with the powder of lead-ore." - Shaw's Travels. Page 55. drop About the gardens, drunk with that sweet food. Tavernier adds, that while the Birds of Paradise lie in this intoxicated state, the emmets come and eat off their legs; and that hence it is they are said to have no feet. 66 Page 60. As they were captives to the King of Flowers. They deferred it till the King of Flowers should ascend his throne of enamelled foliage.". The Bahardanush. Page 60. But a light golden chain-work round her hair, &c. "One of the head-dresses of the Persian women is composed of a light golden chain-work, set with small pearls, with a thin gold plate pendant, about the bigness of a crown-piece, on which is impressed an Arabian prayer, and which hangs upon the cheek below the ear." — Hanway's Travels. Page 62. The Maids of Yezd. Certainly the women of Yezd are the handsomest women in Persia. The proverb is, that to live happy a man must have a wife of Yezd, eat the bread of Yezdecas, and drink the wine of Shiraz." Tavernier. Page 67. And his floating eyes-oh! they resemble Blue water-lilies "Whose wanton eyes resemble blue water-lilies, agitated by the breeze."-Jayadeva. Page 68. To muse upon the pictures that hung round. It has been generally supposed that the Mahometans prohibit all pictures of animals; but Toderini shews that, though the practice is forbidden by the Koran, they are |