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SECOND DISCOURSE. ON THE .?OETIC ART 2}
the maintenance of the Imams, until at length Muhammad ibn
'Abduh* the scribe, who was Bughra Kh'an's secretary, and was
'deeply versed in learning and highly distinguished in scholarship,
besides being profoundly* skilled in ve^se and prose, and one o/
the eloquent and distinguished stylists of the Muslims, said,
"
I will reply to these questions in two words, in such wise that
when the scholars of Islam and the most conspicuous men of
the East shall see my answer, it shall command their approval
and admiration." So he took up his pen and wrote (v) under
the questions, after the fashion of a legal decision (fatwd) :
"
Saith God's Apostle (upon whom be the Blessing of God, and
Ills Pence) 'Reverence for ^God's Command and loving-kindness
towards Goa*s peopfe?" All the Imdms of Transoxiana bit their
fingers [in amazement] and expressed their admiration, saying,
" Here indeed is an answer which is perfect and an utterance
which is comprehensive!" And the Khaqan \yas mightily pleased
because t!e difficulty had been overcome by a scribe and there
was no further need for the divines. And when the answer
reached Ghazna, all applauded it.
It therefore results from these premises that an intelligent
and accomplished secretary is the greatest ornament to a king's
magnificence and the best means to his exaltation. And with
this anecdote we conclude this Discourse, and so farewell.
(ti) SECOND DISCOURSE.
On the essence of the Poetic Art and the Aptitude of the Poet.
Poetry is that art whereby the poet arranges imaginary
propositions and blends fruitful analogies, in such wise that he
can make a little thing appear great and a great .thing small,
of evil and evil in the form
oi^cause good to .appear in the garb
of good. By acting.on the imagination, he excites the faculties of
anger and concupiscence in such a way that by his suggestion
men's temperaments become affected with depression or exalta-
tion ; whereby
he conduces to the, accomplishment of great things
in the order of the world.
ANECDOTE XII.
Thus they relate Uiat Ahmad ibn 'Abdu'llah al-Khujistani 2
asked, "How didst thou, who wert originally an ass-herd,
i
1 'See p. 14 supra, Note III at the end, and p. ^ of the Persian notes.
2 " Khujistan. In the mountains near Herat. From this country issued Ahmad ibn