Persian.

Enwari.

(Von Ham

mer.)

a foolish man, make no dispute; from an ill-natured man, take no loan.

'With a slanderer, go not to the door of kings.'

Saving Virtues.

XLVI.

Man of to-day, be thou wise or foolish, three things above all take to heart. If thou hopest to break thy

(d. A.D. 1152) chain, with these thou shalt be rescued. Reason withholds its guidance from those who possess them not. Whatever sect thou mayest embrace, with these alone thou canst resign thyself to any suffering. Know them rectitude, judgment, inoffensiveness.

Hindu.
Manu.

(Laws

Health.

XLVII.

Let the student honour his food, and eat it without contempt. Food eaten with constant respect collected about gives muscular force and sustains manhood; but, eaten 4th cent, B.C.) irreverently, destroys both. Excessive eating is prejudicial to health and virtue.

Persian,

Sádi.
Gul.

When one among all the student's organs fails, by that single failure his divine knowledge passes away, as water flows through one hole in a leathern bottle.

Sowing and Reaping.

XLVIII.

I was sitting in a boat, in company with some persons of distinction, when a vessel near us sank, and two brothers fell into deep water. One of the company promised a mariner a hundred dinars if he would save both the brothers. The mariner came and saved one, and the other perished. I said, ‘Of a truth, the other had no longer to live, and therefore

he was taken out of the water the last.' The mariner promptly replied, What you say is true; but I had also another motive for saving this, in preference to the other; because once, when I was tired in the desert, he mounted me on a camel; and from the hand of the other I received a whipping in my childhood.' I replied, Truly the great God is just, so that whosoever doeth good shall himself experience good, and he who committeth evil shall suffer evil.' As far as you can avoid it, distress not the mind of any one, for in the path of life there are many thorns. Assist the exigencies of others, since you also stand in need of many things.

Lives that are Laws.

XLIX.

Arabic.

asfrár.

Devout men are the title and inscription of the Book of the Law. They are the demonstration of all Kashf-althe truths, the solution of all the mysteries. Their (D'Herb.) outward life bears us to the path of obedience; their hidden life wins us to self-denial. They began their career before the ages, and they work for eternity. They have effaced from their hearts and minds every trace of pride and hypocrisy. They have trodden the ways of God, even when they appeared powerless to move, so feeble were they. These are the friends of God: they have discovered divine secrets: they guard them with devout silence.

Laws Universal.

L.

The rays of intelligence make the order of venerable teachers. They are all and equally born to unite science and virtue.

Nepaul.
Buddhist.

'White Lotus
of the Good

Law.'

comp.

Heb.

Deut. comp. From last words of Moses.

The Great Repose (Nirvána) results from the comprehension of the equality of all laws; there is only one, not two or three. I explain the law to creatures, after having recognised their inclinations. It is as a cloud, with a garland of lightning, spreads joy on the earth; the water falls on all creatures, herbs, bushes, trees; and each pumps up to its own leaf and blossom what it requires for its several end. So falls the rain. of the law upon the many-hearted world. The law is for millions; but it is one and alike beautiful to all it is deliverance and repose.

:

Last Words of Moses.

LJ.

Give ear, 0 ye heavens while I speak,

And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
Let my doctrine drop as the rain,

And

my speech distil as the dew,
As showers on the tender herb,
And as copious rain on the grass:
For I proclaim the name of God.
Ascribe ye greatness unto our God;
He is the Rock, perfect is his work ;
For all his ways are just :

A God of truth and without iniquity,
Just and right is he.

Remember the days of old,

Consider the years of successive generations;
Ask thy father, and he will declare to thee:
Truly, God loveth the people :

All its saints are in thy hand:

And at thy feet sat down,

That they might receive thy commands.

RELIGION.

LII.

Sympathy of Religions.

If thou art a Mussulman, go stay with the Franks; Sufi and if a Christian, join the Jews; if a Shiah, mix with the Parsi schismatics: whatever thy religion, associate with men of opposite persuasion. If in hearing their discourses thou art not in the least moved, but canst mix with them freely, thou hast attained peace, and art a master of creation.

Háfiz says, 'The object of all religions is alike. All men seek their beloved; and all the world is love's dwelling: why talk of a mosque or a church?'

Nánac says, 'He alone is a true Hindu whose heart is just; and he alone a true Mussulman whose life is true.'

The Parsi sentence says, 'Each prophet who appears is not to be opposed to his predecessors, nor yet complacently to exalt his law."

Religion.

LIII.

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before God on high?

Heb.

Micah.

Arabic.

Koran, s. 2, 'The Cow.'

tomp.

Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
With calves of a year old?

Will he be pleased with thousands of rams?
With ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I, then, give my first-born for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath declared to thee, O man, what is good;
And what doth the Lord thy God require from thee,
But to do justice, and to love mercy,

And to walk humbly with thy God?

Toleration.

LIV.

There is no doubt in this Book: it is a direction to the devout,

Who believe in the unseen, and out of what is bestowed upon them bestow to others:

These are guided by their Lord, and with these it shall be well.

O men of Mecca, adore your Lord!

Announce to those who believe and do the things that are right, that for them are gardens through which rivers flow so oft as they eat of the fruit therein they shall say, 'This same was our sustenance of old.'

The Jews say, 'The Christians lean on nought;' 'On nought lean the Jews,' say the Christians. Yet both read the same Scriptures. So with like words say they who have no knowledge.

The east and the west belongeth to God; therefore whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God.

But until thou follow their religion, neither Jews nor Christians will be satisfied with thee. Say to them, 'The direction of God is the true direction.