Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 29.djvu/29

1860.] Masnavi. It is in fact this simplicity and power which distinguish the apologues of Jalaluddin from most of those which we ﬁnd in Jami or Fariduddin ’attar;———the latter are generally only stories, graceful en0ugh in their way, but seldom striking any deeper chord. The legend itself is found in a1 Beidawi’s Commentary on the Koran, SW. 31.; 1). 34:. it and the following, from the Talmud, is undoubtedly an earlier and eruder version of the same story. It is immeasurably poorer in every respect, but the scene and dramatis personae are iden- tical. (See Dr. Lightfoot’s Horw Talmmlicw, vol. ii. p. 428, who quotes it from the treatise Suecah, fol. 53. 1.)

“ Those two men of Cush that stood before Solomon, Eli-horeph and Ahijah the scribes, sons of Shausha. On a certain day Solomon saw the Angel of death Weeping; he said, \Vhy weepest thou ? He answered, Because these two Cushites entreat me, that they may con- tinue here. Solomon delivered them over to the devil, who brought them to the borders of Luz; and when they were come to the borders of Luz, they died.”

Dr. Lightfoot adds the following from the ancient Gloss. “He calls them Cushitee‘l" [ironically], because they were very beautiful. They ‘entl'eat me that they may continue here.’ For the time of their death was now come; but the angel of death could not take their souls away, because it had been decreed, that they should not die but at the gates of Luz. Solomon, therefore, delivered them over to the devils; for he reigned over the devils, as it is written, And Solomon sat upon the throne of the Lord, for he reigned over those things that are ab0ve and those things that are below.”

I may mention in conclusion, as a fourth instance (though in a somewhat different style), the story of the Santon Barsisa, in the Guardian, No. 1&8. Steele avowedly takes it from the once popu- lar “Turkish tales ;” but the original is probably to be found in the ﬁfth majlis of sadi, and it is singular that even here we can trace some apparent signs of a Jewish source, as the tale opens with the words, tun-.3019)! ‘43 3,9 (5.52:5 (lile Give Moll sayl “ They have related that among ﬂzeelzilclreu of Israel there was a Zillid named Barsisﬁ."

’3“ I may add that Parnell has taken part of his Hermit from legend in SW. 18.

1' Soil. Ethiopians, or m‘groes.