MODERN LITERATURE.
An interval of eight centuries separates the period of the decline of Roman litera ture from that of the first dawn of modern literature in Europe. 'rhe successive invasions of the barbarians during- the rapid dismemberment of the ancient em pire of Rome, for a time destroyed all languages, rind centuries elapsed before the new tongues were sufficiently ma tured for the cultivation of letters. In the Eastern Empire, during the third, fourth, and fifth centuries after Christ, nothing was produced except some works of theology, by the Fathers of the Church. The Arabs first began to cultivate litera ture in the sixth, and the Persians in the ninth century after Christ. The Pro venc;al, or language of the Troubadours, in the south of France, first attained stable character towards the close of the ninth century, and the Lang ne d' Oil, or Romance-tongue of Normandy, about fifty years later. Nearly all of the living languages of Europe date the first be ginnings of their literature as far back as the tenth century, though, except to gratify a philological taste, there is little that will repay the student of modern literature for going beyond the twelfth century. The following sketches of the literature of civilized nations, since the decline of classic literature, have been arranged nearly in the order of time : Arabic after its final decay and extinction in the East ern and Western Roman Empires, revived first among the Arabic tribes in the East. Even before the era of Mahomet, there were renowned poets and story-tellers in Arabia. In the fifth century, during the great fairs of Mecca, poetical contests frequently took place, the victorious pro ductions being lettered with gold and hung up in the Caaba. Among the most renowned poets of this period were Amralkeis, Tharafil., and Antar. Their works are distinguished by imaginative power, richness of illustration, and great skill in depicting the passions a love and revenge. With Mahomet commenced a ruer.:orable epoch in Arabic literature. Through the Koran, which was arranged from Ma hornet's teachings, by Abubekr, the first caliph, the method of writing and the literary style of the nation were determined. The reigns of llaroun Al Raschid and Al-Mamun in the seventh and eighth centuries, were the most en lightened period of the Arabic dominion, though for two centuries afterwards tho nation produced many eminent geogra phers, philosophers, jurists and histori ans. Under the government of Al-3la mun, excellent. universities were estab lished at Bagdad, Bussont and Bukhara, and extensive libraries in Alexandria, Bagdad and Cairo. The dynasty of t he Abbassides in Bagdad emulated that of the Om Inanities in Spain ; during the tenth century the University of Cordova was almost. the only refuge of literature in Europe. The labors of the Arabic schol ars and travellers contributed greatly to the spread of geographical knowledge. Ibn Battita, who in the thirteenth century visited Africa, India, China, and Russia, ranks with Marco Polo and Rubruquis. In the twelfth cent.ury Abu'l Kasein wrote the history of the Arabs in Spain ; Boluedlin, a biography of Sultan Sala din ; Ihn Arabschah described the ex ploits of Taunerlane, and Idadji Khalfa, in later times, has produced an encyclo pedia of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature. The style of the Arabian historians is clear, concise, and unincum bered with imagery. The most renowned philosopher so Ms Avicenna, who flourished in the eleventh century. Averrhoes, whose name is also familiar to scholars, was famous as an expounder of the sys tem of Aristotle. In the departments
of medicine, astronomy, geometry. and arithmetic, there are many Arabic works which exhibit great research and scien tific knowledge.
The number and variety of the works produced by the Arabian poets, is most remarkable, and their influence on the modern literature of Europe was greater than is generally suspected. In pic turesque narration they have rarely been excelled, and the "Thousand and Ono Nights," which first appeared in its col lected form during the reign of Caliph Mansur in the ninth century. has been naturalized in all modern languages Only half of this, however, is Arabic; the remainder having been translated from the Sanscrit and Persian. The Arabian poets left many poetic chron icles, the most celebrated of which are : "The Deeds of Antar," "The Deeds of the Warriors," and "The Deeds of tho _Heroes." Of late years, several eminent French and German scholars have given their attention to the study of Arabic literature, the best works of which arc now accessible through their translations Persian Lite•ature.—The modern lit• erat are of Persia succeeded that of Arabia. After the conquest of the country by the caliphs, about the middle of the seventh century, the arts and sciences of the Arabs, together with the religion of Ma hound, were transplanted upon Persian soil, but the fruits of this new culture did not appear for several succeeding genera tions. The first Persian books, both of poetry and history, were written in the ea-rly part of the tenth century, and for several centuries there was no interrup tion in the list of renowned authors. Literature was encouraged and rewarded, whatever might be the political convul sions that affected the empire. Persian poetry consists for the most part of small lyrics, arranged in dirans, or collections. There are also several voluminous histori cal, romantic, and allegorical poems, be sides legends and narratives toll in it mix ture of prose and verse. The first Persian poet is Rudegi, who flourished about the year 952. Firdilsi, the great epic poet of Persia, died in the year 1030, at the age of seventy. He wrote the " naiad'," or "Kings' Book," describing the deeds of the Persian rulers, from the creation of the world to the downfall of the Sassanide dynasty in 632. He was thirty years in the composition of this work, which contains sixty thousand verses. The most celebrated portion is that recounting the adventures of the hero Rustent. Nisami, at Ihecloseof the twelfth century, wrote extensive romantic poems, the most remarkable of which were "Medinoun and Leila," and " Is kander-Nameh," an epic on Alexander the Great. Chakini was a celebrated writer of odes in the thirteenth cent Saadi, one of the most celebrated Persian authors, was born in 1175, and lived till 1263. llis poems are principally moral and didactic, but rich with the experience of a fruitful life, and written in a very simple and graceful style, llis bust works arc the Galistan, or "Garden of Roses," and the Pastan, or "Garden of Trees." Ilafiz, the Oriental poet of love, wait horn at Schiran, in the beginning of the fourteenth century, where he lived as a dervish in willing poverty, resisting the invitations of the caliphs to reside in Bagdad. In the year 1383, he had an interview with Tamerlane, by whom he was treated with much honor. llis poems consisted of isles and elegies, which have heen collected into a "Limn." llis lyrics, devoted to the praise of lore and wino, are full of fire and melody.