sed with Arabic
words to such an extent that one-third of the words of the language are
Arabic.

POETICAL LITERATURE.

Under the dynasty of Samanides, a writer comes into view, one Nasr,
living about 952 A.D. under the third ruler of the dynasty. Also Abul
Hasson Rudige, the blind, lived under the same ruler. This man wrote
1,300,000 rhymes. About 1000 A.D. Kabbas wrote, being a contemporary of
Mahmud who surrounded himself with four hundred court poets. Ansarie,
another writer, wrote 300,000 rhymes in honor of the king.

The reign of Atabek dynasty was the brilliant age of Persian poetry.
Anhaduddin Anawaree was one of the greatest writers of that period. The
best mystic poet was Sunayi, author of 30,000 distichs. Nizami about
the twelfth century, was the founder of the Romantic Epoch. The greater
part of his Jami- or collection of five romantic poems, are about
Khosraw and Shirin, a king and his betrothed; Magenoon and Leila, a
lover and his beloved.

Kizilarsalon, the king offered for each one of his poems not less than
fourteen estates. His tomb now at Gendsheh is visited by hundreds of
pious pilgrims.

In the eastern part of Persia the theosophical mysticism was
preeminently cultivated, especially in Azerbijon state. A great number
of these mystics are in Oroomiah, my city. They speak in allegorical
form in glowing songs of wine and love.

Again in this province we find Sunayee in the thirteenth century and
Fariduddin Attar, born 1216. A still greater man in this peculiar field
was Djalal Eddin Romi born at Balkh and who died 1266. He was the
founder of a still existing and most popular order of darwishes. His
poems on contemplative life have made him the oracle of oriental
mysticism up to this day.

I will give one of his rhymes which will show the spirit of his
mysticism: "Gar Kasi wasf ou Zman Posad, bidil oz binishon chiguyan
baz, ashikon kushtagon mashookand, bar nayayad Z kooshtagon awaz." The
thirteenth century was one of the most brilliant in the annals of
Persian poetry. The greatest seer of the era was Sheikh Musli Eddin
Sahdie of Shiraz who died in the year 1291. He stands unrivaled as
Persia's foremost didactic poet. His Boston and Guliston--"the fruit of
the garden and roses,"--are universally known and loved in Europe.

At the beginning of the fourteenth century we made several meritorious
imitations of Sahdi in didactic poetry. But far above all these as
above all other Persian lyrical a