sion, saying: It is not the occupation of sensible
men to solicit marrow from a shrivelled brain, or to digest the smoke of
a profitless lamp. Nevertheless it cannot be concealed from the
enlightened judgment of the holy and good, to whom these discourses are
specially addressed, that the pearls of salutary admonition are threaded
on the cord of an elegance of language, and the bitter potion of
instruction sweetened with the honey of facetiousness, that the taste of
the reader may not take disgust, and himself be debarred from the
pleasure of approving of them: "On our part we offered some good advice,
and spent an age in bringing it to perfection. If that should not meet
the ear of anybody's good-will, prophets deliver their messages, or warn
mankind; and that is enough."

"_O thou who perusest this book, ask the mercy of God on the author of
it: his forgiveness on the transcriber. Petition for whatever charitable
gift thou mayst require for thyself, and implore pardon on the owner_."
May I crave thy prayer on the English translator? _The book is finished
through the favor of the Lord God Paramount and the bestower of all
good_!

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PERSIAN LITERATURE, VOLUME 2,
COMPRISING THE SHAH NAMEH, THE RUBAIYAT, THE DIVAN, AND THE GULISTAN
***

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