a fault, coming from a man like Ibn Dihya, is not to be pardoned; for he was a hafiz (knowing by heart traditional information) and should have been well acquainted with general biography. The mistake is evident, but, to err is in the lot of humanity. -Most of the persons whose names occur in this article have been already mentioned in this (biographical) history and have, each of them, a separate article, but we have not spoken of az-Zabîdi. This shaikh was a man of great influence, an active reformer of manners (20) and a person whose society was always profitable to the vizir. As I have not mentioned him in this work, I feel it my duty to direct towards him the reader's attention, for a man like him should not be passed over. He arrived in Baghdad A. H. 509 (A. D. 1115-6) and died in the month of the first Rabi 555 (March-April, A. D. 1160). Abû Abd Allah Ibn an-Najjâr (vol. I. p. 11) says,

in his History of Baghdad: "He was born at Zabîd (in Yemen), on the eve of Wed

nesday, the 22nd of Muharram, 460 (3rd December, A. D. 1067); he died on Monday, the 1st of the first Rabî, 555 (11th March, A. D. 1160), and was buried "in the cemetery adjoining the Djamê (or mosque) of al-Mansûr at Baghdad."-As for the verse of the poet: "Olord! the noble (Yahya) Ibn Hubaira is dead and Yahya "Ibn Jaafar is alive;" the last words refer to Abû 'l-Fadl Yahya Ibn Abi 'l-Kâsim Obaid Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Moammar Ibn Jaafar, surnamed Zâim ad-Dîn (the champion of the faith). He was appointed inspector of the Makhzen in the month of the latter Jumâda, 542 (Oct.-Nov. A. D. 1147), and remained in office till the year 567 (A. D. 1171). He was appointed vizir on the dismissal of Abû 'l-Faraj Ibn alMuzaffar (21) and occupied that post till his death. His conduct entitled him to praise and gratitude, and he was a friend to men of learning. His birth took place at Baghdad after the last evening prayer of Thursday, the 29th Safar, 511 (2nd July, A. D. 1117). He died in Baghdad on the 20th of the first Rabî, 570 (19th October, A. D. 1174), and was interred in a mausoleum (turba) which he had erected for himself in the Harbiya cemetery.

(1) See towards the end of this article.

(2) The names of the offices mentioned in this paragraph are here rendered by their probable signification; as we do not yet possess any precise information respecting the internal administration of the khalifate in its latter days.

(3) Ildegîz was governor of Arrân and Adarbaijân. He and a number of other emirs revolted against the sultan Masud, marched towards Baghdad, defeated the khalif's troops and committed all sorts of atrocities. They then asked and obtained the khalif's pardon, retired and spread ravage and devastation over all the countries through which they passed.—(Ibn al-Athìr's Kamil; Mirkhond.)

(4) The meaning of the text is doubtful.

(5) The Táj, or crown, was a pavilion adjoining the palace of the khalifs at Baghdad. See M. de Sacy's Chrestomathie Arabe, tome I, page 74. It was in it that the khalif appeared in state, on the days of solemn audience.

(6) Those verses are given in the Hamasa, page 19. The commentator, at-Tibrizi, says that they were composed by a native of Medina in honour of Amr Ibn Said Ibn al-Aâsi, who, as we learn by the Nujùm, was put to death, in the year 69 (A. D. 688-9) by the Omaiyide khalif, Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwân. Ibrahîm asSûli could not have composed this piece, for he died A. H. 243 (A. D. 857) and was not a native of Medina. (7) The life of Ibn as-Sikkit, the author of the Islah al-Mantik, is given in this volume. (8) I read Mahmûd Shah; see vol. III, p. 234.

(9) The copyists and editors, not having well understood this piece, have given it very incorrectly. In the

. يقف and, in the fourth, but with doubt الدنيا : third line, I read

(10) Kordn, sur. 34, verse 10.

(11) The meaning of this is explained in the next verse.

(12) Ahmad Ibn al-Kâsim, surnamed al-Kâdi ar-Rashid, was a native of Sicily, from which country he removed to Egypt. He died A. H. 526 (A. D. 1131-2).—(History of the kådis of Misr; ms. of the Bib, imp., ancien fonds, no 691.)

(13) Literally they described thee.

"are wide," instead of

(14) I suppose that the poet wrote "are tight," as thick ankles were probably not considered to be a point of beauty. — By the word anklets are meant the bracelets worn on the ankles by Moslim ladies. These ornaments are of a crescent shape and as thick as the thumb. They are hollow inside and contain a litt'e ball of metal which, as it rolls about, makes a clinking sound.

(15) Tabâla was a village on the road leading from Mekka to Yemen; al-Jara lay probably at a great distance from that place.

(16) That is the surface of the water was wrinkled with waves. "The breeze has changed the water into "a coat of mail," said al-Motamid Ibn Abbâd to Ibn Ammâr, in one of his sportive moods. See Dozy's Histoire des Musulmans d'Espagne, t. IV, p. 139.

(17) See introduction to the second volume.

(18) Unthiân (the two testicles). It is difficult to conceive how such a wound could be inflicted. Did the author mean to write thidiân (the two nipples)?

(19) The author speaks of this person at the end of the present article.

(20) See vol. III, p. 216, note (5). The arabic expression is to command what is laudable and forbid what is reprehensible.

(21) The same who was mayor of the palace. See page 125.

IBN ZABADA

Abû Tâlib Yahya Ibn Abi 'l-Faraj Saîd Ibn Abi 'l-Kâsim Hibat Allah Ibn Ali Ibn Zabâda tas-Shaibâni (belonging to the Arabic tribe of Shaibân) was a kâtib (writer in a government office) and a munshi (a drawer up of official dispatches). His family belonged to Wasit, but Baghdad was the place of his birth, of his residence and of his death. He bore the surname of Kiwâm ad-Dîn (support of religion) or, according to another statement, Amîd ad-Dîn (column of religion). Eminent in rank and in talent, he obtained the highest reputation as a kâtib, a munshi and an arithmetician; besides which, he possessed some skill in jurisprudence, dogmatical theology, the fundamentals (of law) and other sciences. As a versifier, he displayed great talent. When a student, he attended the lessons of Abû Mansûr al-Jawâlîki (vol. III. p. 498) and studied Koran-reading under the tuition of that professor and of his successors. He learned Traditions under some of the teachers and, from his early youth till the time of his death, he filled (successively) a number of places in the service of the Divân (the government of the khalif). His epistles are remarkable for the graces of their style, the elegance of their thoughts, the beauty of their ornaments and the delicacy of their allusions. In drawing up dispatches, he paid more attention to the ideas than to the cadence; his letters are elegant, his thoughts just, his poetry good and his merits are so conspicuous that they need not be described. Being nominated director of the office which administered (the cities of) Basra, Wâsit and al-Hilla, he continued to fill that post till the month of Muharram, 575 (June-July, A. D. 1179), when he was recalled from Wâsit and appointed to act as hajib (chamberlain) at the Nûba door (1) and to render justice in all cases of appeal to the sovereign (2). In the mouth of the first Rabî, 577 (July-August, A. D. 1181), he was dismissed from all these offices and, in the month of the first Jumâda, 582 (July-Aug. 1186), he was restored to them again. When the mayor of the palace (Ostâd ad-Dâr) Majd adDîn Abû 'l-Fadl Hibat Allah Ibn Ali Ibn Hibat Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan, generally designated by the surname of Ibn as-Sahib, was put to death (by order of khalif an-Nasir), which event occurred on Saturday, the 19th of the first Rabî, 583 (29th May, A. D. 1187), Ibn Zabâda was appointed to succeed him. In the

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year 585 (A. D. 1189-90), he was dismissed from office and sent back to Wâsit where he remained till the month of Ramadân, 592 (August, A. D. 1196), and was then recalled (to Baghdad). On Monday, the 22nd of Ramadân, he was appointed director of the official correspondance and obtained again the inspectorship of the board of government grants (mukatadt), which places he held till his death. His conduct was exemplary and the line of life which he followed most praiseworthy. He was particularly careful in fulfulling his religious duties, and transmitted down a few Traditions. A great quantity of his prose writings and poetical compositions has been written down under his dictation by different persons. One of these pieces is as follows :

In times of trouble, the worthless are raised to such eminence that the affliction is general. When tranquil water is agitated, the dregs rise from the bottom.

By the same:

People never find me more firm than when I am in the power of sudden misfortunes. It is thus that the sun does not display all his force till he enters into the mane (3) of the Lion.

In the following verses, written by him to al-Mustanjid, he compliments that khalif on the arrival of the festival day (the 10th Za'l-Hijja) :

Glorious prince! thy elevation is so great that our felicitations cannot reach thee; it is we who should obtain felicitations, reposing, as we do, under the shelter of thy favour. Thou art time (good fortune) itself; the day of the festival is a part of time, and it is not the custom to compliment time on the arrival of the festival.

By the same:

If you aspire to command, act uprightly; then, even if you wish to reach the heavens, you will succeed. The alif (), one of the written letters of the alphabet, is placed at the head of the others because it is upright.

By the same :

Envy not those who are vizirs, even though they obtain from their sovereigns, by the favour of fortune, more than they ever expected. Know that a day will come when the solid earth shall sink from under them as it used to sink before them through awe. Aaron, the brother and partner of Moses, would not have been seized by the beard (4), had he not been (his brother's) vizir.

To Ibn Zabâda belonged every sort of elegant ideas. He left a diwán (or collec-· tion) of epistles; I saw a copy of it in my native place, but am unable to insert here. any of its contents, as I cannot call them to mind. Abû Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Saîd ad-Dubaithi (vol. III. p. 102) says, in his History: "Abû Tâlib Yahya Ibn Saîd Ibn Hibat Allah,"—meaning Ibn Zabâda, "recited to me from memory the following lines which, as he told me, had been repeated to him by Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-Arrajâni (vol. I. p. 134) :

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The eyes of that maiden had their attention divided (between two objects), whilst she was bewildered at departing and afflicted by the coming of the camels, which was announced to her by the burden of the driver's song. With one eye, she answered my salutation and, with the other, she watched the looks of the jealous spies. Seeing around her persons ready to denounce her, she suppressed her tears and withdrew into the asylum of her tent. On the morning in which I bade them farewell, whilst tears flowed from my eyes and my mind was troubled at being separated from my companions, the reflection of those tears appeared on her cheeks, and (our foes) were jealous, thinking that she wept at my weeping.

When Ibn Zabâda was dismissed from the inspectorship of Wâsit, the poet, Abû 'l-Ghanâim Muhammad Ibn Ali, generally known by the appellation of Ibn al-Muallim (vol. III. p. 168), wrote to him these lines:

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When the rains refused to moisten the earth, you poured upon mankind the showers of your liberality. You were not removed from the province for a motive which might expose you to depreciation and neglect; but, when the torrents of your generosity seemed ready to overwhelm the land, they sent you away, in order to save the country from a deluge.

Al-Wajîh Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Tâlib, generally known by the name of Ibn Suwaid, and who was a merchand of Takrît, related to me the following.anecdote: "The shaikh Muhî ad-Dîn Abû 'l-Muzaffar Yûsuf, who was the " son of Jamâl ad-Dîn Abû 'l-Faraj Ibn al-Jauzi (vol. II. p. 96), the celebrated hâfiz and preacher, was sent from Baghdad on an embassy to the court of al-Malik al-Aâdil Ibn al-Malik al-Kâmil Ibn Aiyûb (vol. III. p. 235), who was then reigning "in Egypt. Al-Malik as-Sâlih Najm ad-Dîn Aiyub, the brother of al-Malik al-Aådil, was at that time detained as a prisoner in the fortress of al-Karak."—I have already spoken of this in the article on al-Kâmil (vol. III. p. 246).— 246). When Muhî "ad-Dîn passed through Damascus, on his return to Baghdad, I happened to be "there and went to visit him with the shaikh Asîl ad-Din Abû 'l-Fadl Abbâs Ibn "Othmân Ibn Nabhân} al-Irbili (a native of Arbela), who was then chief of the

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