Additional information
by John Goldsborough Ravenshaw (Author)
From the preface: "THE following Translation of an interesting portion of Mirkhond's General History of the East was completed many years back, under peculiarly un¬favourable circumstances-the possession of only one Manuscript, and the want of some learned friend to consult on the difficult and doubtful pas¬sages which occur in the original. The under¬taking, commenced under such discouraging pro¬spects, has at present been revised under more favourable auspices: the Library of the East-India College supplied two valuable Manuscripts; and Dr. WILKINS, of the East-India House, to whom Oriental Literature is so deeply indebted, kindly af¬forded the use of three Manuscripts from the Library of the Honourable the East-India Company. In addition to these advantages, the Translator enjoyed that of consulting the MIRZA IBRAHIM, a learned native of Shiraz, who to an intimate know¬ledge of the customs and languages of Western Asia unites an extensive acquaintance with English and European literature. The Translator now re¬grets that he did not more frequently avail himself of such powerful aid, so cheerfully afforded on every occasion. In this version nothing has been in-tentionally passed over, excepting the enumeration of difficulties and the various readings; even the seeming tautology of the text has been adhered to in numerous passages, where a concise Arabic sen¬tence has been dilated into sonorous Persian periods. On the whole, the translation has been kept so close to the original, that it is hoped the Oriental Stu¬dent may find it a useful and faithful auxiliary in the perusal of the Rauzat-us-Safa: and, as this motive has chiefly influenced the Translator, he trusts that, for whatever faults may be found in the style, this important object, which he never lost sight of, may serve as an apology or extenuation."
