LXV. CHAP. journals of his fecretaries': the authentic narrative was revised by the perfons beft informed of each particular tranfaction; and it is believed in the empire and family of Timour, that the monarch himself compofed the commentaries of his life, and the inftitutions of his government. But these cares were ineffectual for the prefervation of his fame, and thefe precious memorials in the Mogul or Perfian language were concealed from the world, or at least from the knowledge of Eu 3 I These journals were communicated to Sherefeddin, or Cherefeddin Ali, a native of Yezd, who compofed in the Perfian language a history of Timour Beg, which has been tranflated into French by M. Petis de la Croix (Paris, 1722, in 4 vols. 12mo),. and has always been my faithful guide. His geography and . chronology are wonderfully accurate; and he may be trufted for public facts, though he fervilely praises the virtue and fortune of the hero. Timour's attention to procure intelligence from his own and foreign countries, may be seen in the Inftitutions, p. 215. 217. 349 351. 2 Thefe Commentaries are yet unknown in Europe: but Mr. White gives fome hope that they may be imported and tranflated by his friend Major Davy, who had read in the Eaft this "mi-nute and faithful narrative of an interefting and eventful "period." 3 I am ignorant whether the original inftitution, in the Turkish or Mogul language, be ftill extant. The Perfic verfion, with an English tranflation and most valuable index, was published (Oxford, 1783, in 4to) by the joint labours of Major Davy, and Mr. White the Arabic profeffor. This work has been fince tranflated from the Perfic into French (Paris, 1787) by M. Langles, a learned Orientalift, who has added the life of Timour, and many curious notes. 4 Shaw Allum, the prefent Mogul, reads, values, but cannot initate, the institutions of his great ancestor. The English translator relies on their internal evidence but if any fufpicions should arife of fraud and fiction, they will not be dispelled by Major Davy's letter. The Orientals have never cultivated the art of criticism; the patronage of a prince, lefs honourable perhaps, is not lefs lucrative than that of a bookfeller: nor can it be deemed incredible, that a Perfian, the real author, fhould renounce the credit, to raise the value and price, of the work. горе. LXV. rope. The nations which he vanquished exercifed CHAP. a base and impotent revenge; and ignorance has long repeated the tale of calumny, which had disfigured the birth and character, the perfon, and even the name, of Tamerlane. Yet his real merit would be enhanced, rather than debased, by the elevation of a peasant to the throne of Afia; nor can his lameness be a theme of reproach, unless he had the weakness to blush at a natural, or perhaps, an honourable, infirmity. In the eyes of the. Moguls, who held the indefeasible fucceffion of the house of Zingis, he was doubtless a rebel fubje&t; yet he sprang from the noble tribe of Berlafs: his fifth ancestor, Carafhar Nevian, had been the vizir of Zagatai, in his new realm of Tranfoxiana; and in the afcent of fome generations, the branch of Timour is confounded, at least by the females', with the Imperial s The original of the tale is found in the following work, which is much esteemed for its florid elegance of. ftyle: Abmedis Arabfiade (Ahmed Ebn Arabfhah) Vitæ et Rerum geftarum Timuri. Arabice et Latine. Edidit Samuel Henricus Manger. Franequera, 1767, 2 tom. in 4to. This Syrian author is ever a malicious, and often an ignorant, enemy: the very titles of his chapters are injurious; as how the wicked, as how the impious, as how the viper, &c. The copious article of TIMUR, in Bibliothéque Orientale, is of a mixed nature, as d'Herbe. lot indifferently draws his materials (p. 877-888.) from Khondemir, Ebn Schounah, and the Lebtarikh.. • Demir, or Timour, fignifies, in the Turkish language, Iron; and Beg is the appellation of a lord or prince. By the change of, a letter or accent, it is changed into Lenc, or lame; and a Eu. ropean corruption confounds the two words in the name of Ta-, merlane. 7 After relating fome falfe and foolish tales of Timour Lenc, Arabshah is compelled to speak truth, and to own him, for a kinfman of Zingis, per mulieres (as he peevishly adds) laqueos Satana (pars i. c. 1. p. 25.). The testimony of Abulghazi Khan (P. ii. c. 5. P. v. c. 4.) is clear, unquestionable, and decifive. LXV. CHAP. ftem. He was born forty miles to the fouth of Samarcand, in the village of Sebzar, in the fruitful territory of Cash, of which his fathers were the hereditary chiefs, as well as of a toman of ten thou fand horfe. His birth " was caft on one of thofe periods of anarchy which announce the fall of the Afiatic dynasties, and open a new field to adventurous ambition. The khans of Zagatai were extinct; the emirs afpired to independence; and their domeftic feuds could only be fufpended by the conqueft and tyranny of the khans of Kafhgar, who, with an army of Getes or Calmucks", invaded the Tranfoxian kingdom. From the twelfth year of his age, Timour had entered the field of action; in the twenty-fifth, he stood forth as the deliverer of his country; and the eyes and His firft adven tures. A. D. 13611370. According to one of the pedigrees, the fourth ancestor of Zingis, and the ninth of Timour, were brothers; and they agreed, that the pofterity of the elder should succeed to the dignity of khan, and that the defcendants of the younger should fill the office of their minister and general. This tradition was at least convenient to justify the first steps of Timour's ambition (Institutions, p. 24, 25. from the MS. fragments of Timour's history). 9. See the preface of Sherefeddin, and Abulfeda's Geography (Chorafmiæ, &c. Defcriptio, p. 60, 61.), in the id volume of Hudfon's Minor Greek Geographers. 10 See his nativity in Dr. Hyde (Syntagma Differtat. tom. ii. p. 466.), as it was caft by the astrologers of his grandfon Ulugh Beg. He was born A. D. 1336, April 9, 11° 57′ P. M. lat. 36. I know not whether they can prove the great conjunction of the planets from whence, like other conquerors and prophets, Timour derived the furname of Saheb Keran, or mafter of the conjunctions (Bibliot. Orient. p. 878.). * In the Inftitutions of Timour, these subjects of the khan of Kangar are most improperly styled Ouzbegs, or Uzbeks, a name which belongs to another branch and country of Tartars (Abulghazi, P. v. c. 5. P. vii. c. 5.). Could I be fure that this word is in the Turkish original, I would boldly pronounce, that the Institutions were framed a century after the death of Timour, fince the establishment of the Uzbeks in Tranfoxiana. wishes LXV. wishes of the people were turned towards an hero CHAP. who fuffered in their cause. The chiefs of the law and of the army had pledged their falvation to fupport him with their lives and fortunes; but in the hour of danger they were filent and afraid; and, after waiting feven days on the hills of Samarcand, he retreated to the defert with only fixty horfemen. The fugitives were overtaken by a thousand Getes, whom he repulfed with incredible flaughter, and his enemies were forced to exclaim, "Timour is a wonderful man: fortune and the "divine favour are with him." But in this bloody action his own followers were reduced to ten, a number which was foon diminished by the desertion of three Carizmians. He wandered in the defert with his wife, seven companions, and four horses; and fixty-two days was he plunged in a loathfome dungeon, from whence he escaped by his own courage, and the remorfe of the oppreffor. After fwimming the broad and rapid ftream of the Jihoon, or Oxus, he led, during fome months, the life of a vagrant and outlaw, on the borders of the adjacent ftates. But his fame fhone brighter in adversity; he learned to distinguish the friends of his perfon, the affociates of his fortune, and to apply the various characters of men for their advantage, and above all for his own. On his return to his native country, Timour was fucceffively joined by the parties of his confederates, who anxiously fought him in the defert; nor can I refufe to defcribe, in his pathetic fimplicity, one of their fortunate encounters. He prefented himfelf as a guide to three chiefs, who were at the head of feventy horfe. "When their eyes fell upon B 3 CHAP. LXV. "upon me," fays Timour, "they were over"whelmed with joy; and they alighted from "their horfes; and they came and kneeled; and they kiffed my ftirrup. I alfo came down from my horfe, and took each of them in my arins. "And I put my turban on the head of the first "chief; and my girdle, rich in jewels and "wrought with gold, I bound on the loins of "the fecond; and the third, I clothed in my "own coat. And they wept, and I wept alfo; and "the hour of prayer was arrived, and we prayed. " And we mounted our horfes, and came to my "dwelling; and I collected my people, and made "a feaft." His trufty bands were foon encreafed by the braveft of the tribes; he led them against a fuperior foe; and after fome viciffitudes of war, the Getes were finally driven from the kingdom of Tranfoxiana. He had done much for his own glory; but much remained to be done, much art to be exerted, and fome blood to be spilt, before he could teach his equals to obey him as their mafter. The birth and power of emir Houffein compelled him to accept a vicious and unworthy colleague, whofe fifter was the beft beloved of his wives. Their union was fhort and jealous; but the policy of Timour, in their frequent quarrels, expofed his rival to the reproach of injustice and perfidy and, after a fmall defeat, Houffein was flain by fome fagacious friends, who prefumed, for the last time, to disobey the commands of their lord. At the age of thirty-four ", and in a general 12 The jst book of Sherefeddin is employed on the private life of the hero; and he himself, or his fecretary (Inftitutions, p. 3-77.), enlarges |