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Page 3.

Those insignia of the Emperor's favour, &c.

"One mark of honour or knighthood bestowed by the Emperor is the permission to wear a small kettledrum at the bows of their saddles, which at first was invented for the training of hawks, and to call them to the lure, and is worn in the field by all sportsmen to that end." Fryer's Travels.

"Those on whom the King has conferred the privilege must wear an ornament of jewels on the right side of the turban, surmounted by a high plume of the feathers of a kind of egret. This bird is found only in Cashmeer, and the feathers are carefully collected for the King, who bestows them on his nobles.". ·Elphinstone's Account of Caubul.

Page 3.

Khedar Khan, &c.

"Khedar Khan, the Khakan, or King of Turquestan beyond the Gihon (at the end of the eleventh century) whenever he appeared abroad was preceded by seven hundred horsemen with silver battle-axes, and was followed by an equal number bearing maces of gold. He was a great patron of poetry, and it was he who used to preside at public exercises of genius, with four basins of gold and silver by him to distribute among the poets who excelled." Richardson's Dissertation prefixed to his Dictionary.

Page 3.

The gilt pine-apples, &c.

"The kubdeh, a large golden knob, generally in the shape of a pine-apple, on the top of the canopy over the litter or palanquin."— Scott's notes on the Bahardanush.

Page 3.

The rose-coloured veils of the Princess's litter.

In the Poem of Zohair, in the Moallakat, there is the following lively description of "a company of maidens seated on camels."

"They are mounted in carriages covered with costly awnings, and with rose-coloured veils, the linings of which have the hue of crimson Andem-wood.

"When they ascend from the bosom of the vale, they sit forward on the saddle-cloths, with every mark of a voluptuous gaiety.

"Now, when they have reached the brink of yon blue gushing rivulet, they fix the poles of their tents like the Arab with a settled mansion."

Page 4.

A young female slave sat fanning her, &c.

See Bernier's description of the attendants on RauchanaraBegum in her progress to Cashmere.

Page 4.

Religion, of which Aurungzebe was a munificent protector. This hypocritical Emperor would have made a worthy associate of certain Holy Leagues." He held the cloak of religion (says Dow) between his actions and the vulgar; and impiously thanked the Divinity for a success which he owed to his own wickedness. When he was murdering and persecuting his brothers and their families, he was building a magnificent mosque at Delhi, as an offering to God for his assistance to him in the civil wars. He acted as high-priest at the consecration of this temple; and made a practice of

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attending divine service there, in the humble dress of a Fakeer. But when he lifted one hand to the Divinity, he, with the other, signed warrants for the assassination of his relations." — History of Hindostan, vol. iii. p. 335. See also the curious letter of Aurungzebe, given in the Oriental Collections, vol. i. p. 320.

Page 5.

The diamond eyes of the idol, &c.

"The Idol at Jaghernat has two fine diamonds for eyes. No goldsmith is suffered to enter the Pagoda, one having stole one of these eyes, being locked up all night with the Idol." Tavernier.

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Page 5.

Gardens of Shalimar.

See a description of these royal Gardens in "An Account of the present State of Delhi, by Lieut. W. Franklin.”. Asiat. Research. vol. iv.

p.

417.

Page 5.
Lake of Pearl.

"In the neighbourhood is Notte Gill, or the Lake of Pearl, which receives this name from its pellucid water." Pennant's Hindoostan.

"Nasir Jung encamped in the vicinity of the Lake of Tonoor, amused himself with sailing on that clear and beautiful water, and gave it the fanciful name of Motee Talab,

the Lake of Pearls,' which it still retains."- Wilks's South of India.

Page 5.

Described by one from the Isles of the West, &c. Sir Thomas Roe, Ambassador from James I. to Jehanguire.

Page 5.

Loves of Wamak and Ezra.

T

"The romance Wemakweazra, written in Persian verse, which contains the loves of Wamak and Ezra, two celebrated lovers who lived before the time of Mahomet." Note on the Oriental Tales.

Page 5.

1

Of the fair-haired Zal, and his mistress, Rodahver. Their amour is recounted in the Shah-Namêh of Ferdousi; and there is much beauty in the passage which describes the slaves of Rodahver, sitting on the bank of the river and throwing flowers into the stream, in order to draw the attention of the young Hero who is encamped on the opposite side.v. Champion's Translation.

Page 5.

The combat of Rustam with the terrible white Dæmon. Rustam is the Hercules of the Persians. For the particulars of his victory over the Sepeed Deeve, or White Demon, v. Oriental Collections, vol. ii. p. 45.- Near the city of Shirauz is an immense quadrangular monument,' in commemoration of this combat, called the Kelaat-i-Deev Sepeed, or Castle of the White Giant, which Father Angelo, in his Gazophylacium Persicum, p. 127., declares to have

been the most memorable monument of antiquity which he had seen in Persia. - v. Ouseley's Persian Miscellanies.

Page 6.

Their golden anklets.

"The women of the Idol, or dancing girls of the Pagoda, have little golden bells fastened to their feet, the soft, harmonious tinkling of which vibrates in unison with the exquisite melody of their voices."- Maurice's Indian Antiquities.

“The Arabian courtesans, like the Indian women, have little golden bells fastened round their legs, neck and elbows, to the sound of which they dance before the King. The Arabian princesses wear golden rings on their fingers, to which little bells are suspended, as well as in the flowing tresses of their hair, that their superior rank may be known, and they themselves receive in passing the homage due to them."-- v. Calmet's Dictionary, art. Bells.

Page 7.

That delicious opium, &c.

"Abou-Tige, ville de la Thebaïde, ou il croit beaucoup de pavot noir, dont se fait le meilleur opium."-D'Herbelot.

Page 7.

That idol of women, Crishna.

"He and the three Rámas are described as youths of perfect beauty; and the Princesses of Hindustan were all passionately in love with Crishna, who continues to this hour the darling God of the Indian women." Sir W.Jones, on the Gods of Greece, Italy, and India.

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