The Gulistan of Sadi,[FN#409] which was the next book issued, is best known in England from the translations by James Ross (1823) and Edward B. Eastwick (1852).  Sadi’s aim was to make “a garden of roses whose leaves the rude hand of the blast of Autumn could not affect."[FN#410] “The very brambles and rubbish of this book,” says an ancient enthusiastic admirer, “are of the nature of ambergris.”  Men treasured the scraps of Sadi’s writing “as if they were gold leaf,” and The Gulistan has attained a popularity in the East “which has never been reached in this Western world.”  The school-boy lisps his first lessons in it, the pundit quotes it, and hosts of its sayings have become proverbial.  From end to end the “unity, the unapproachable majesty, the omnipotence, the long-suffering and the goodness of God” are nobly set forth—­the burden of every chapter being: 

   “The world, my brother! will abide with none,
    By the world’s Maker let thy heart be won.”

119.  The Nigaristan.

The third of the great trio, Jawini’s Nigaristan, did not reach the press owing to Arbuthnot’s death.  The manuscript, however, in Rehatsek’s hand-writing, is still in the possession of the Royal Asiatic Society, 22, Albermarle Street, and we trust to see it some day suitably edited and published.  Arbuthnot, who contributes the preface, points out that it contains 534 stories in prose and verse, and that it abounds “in pure and noble sentiments, such as are to be found scattered throughout the Sacred Books of the East, the Old and New Testaments and the Koran.”  A few citations from it will be found in our Appendix.

120.  Letters to Payne, 19th January 1884.

On January 19th, Burton, after asking for the remaining volumes of Mr. Payne’s Nights, says “A friend here is reading them solemnly and with huge delight:  he would be much disappointed to break off perforce half way.  When do you think the 9 vols. will be finished?  Marvellous weather here.  I am suffering from only one thing, a want to be in Upper Egypt.  And, of course, they won’t employ me.  I have the reputation of ‘independent,’ a manner of ’Oh! no, we never mention it, sir,’ in the official catalogue, and the one unpardonable Chinese Gordon has been sacked for being ‘eccentric,’ which Society abominates.  England is now ruled by irresponsible clerks, mostly snobs.  My misfortunes in life began with not being a Frenchman.  I hope to be in London next Spring, and to have a talk with you about my translation of the 1001.”

All the early months of 1884, Burton was seriously ill, but in April he began to mend.  He writes to Payne on the 17th:  “I am just beginning to write a little and to hobble about (with a stick).  A hard time since January 30th!  Let me congratulate you on being at Vol. ix.  Your translation is excellent and I am glad to see in Academy that you are working at Persian tales.[FN#411] Which are they?  In my youth I read many of them.  Now that your