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 18 Nuskha-i násikha-i mathnawiyyát-i saqíma (Rieu, Catalogue of Persian MSS, in the British Museum, vol. II, p. 589; Ethé, Catalogue of Persian MSS. in the India Office Library, Nº 1088) by ʿAbdu ʾl-Laṭíf b. ʿAbdalláh al-ʿAbbásí of Gujrát (ob. circa A. H. 1048 = A.D. 1638).

ʿAbdu ʾl-Laṭif, who also edited the Ḥadíqa of Sanáʾí, wrote two commentaries on the Mathnawí and compiled a glossary of the rare words which occur in it. He states that his recension of the poem was based on more than eighty MSS. Unfortunately the abundance of his sources has only increased the depravation of his text; the portion covering Books I and II includes about 800 verses over and above those comprised in the text of this volume, so that, roughly speaking, one verse in every ten is interpolated. My present acquaintance with the Nuskha-i násikha does not encourage belief that the time needed in order to examine it thoroughly would be well spent.

What has been said will, I hope, convince the reader that this new edition of the Mathnawí is justified by the result. I am aware of its limitations and defects, but against these can be set three main points of advantage:

It is perhaps unnecessary to say that my text does not claim to