'The dynasty of the Kajars translated from the original Persian manuscript presented by His Majesty Faty Aly Shah to Sir Harford Jones Brydges ... to which is prefixed a succinct account of the history of Persia previous to that period illustarted with plates and a map of Western Persia' [‎4] (25/684)

iv notice
Herodotus observes, that one part oi the ancient
education of the Persian Youth was teaching them
to speak the truth*. I am not aware that this
Prince of Science is pretended now to be taught in
any of the schools or Madressas in Persia: and
therefore, if it be found that the MS. sometimes
varies in the account it gives of a particular trans
action from that received from other quarters, can
dour will suggest some allowance to be made for
national vanity; and more for the very delicate ear
of the principal person to whom the original was
recited, and by whose command it was compiled.
Moreover, it must be confessed that the modern
Persians amongst us Europeans have not a very high
reputation for a strict regard to truth ; and perhaps
the charge made against them on this head, in some
instances, may not be totally groundless : it will be
well, however, before a decisive opinion is pro
nounced by us on this subject, to make allowance
for the nature and idiom of their language, which is
elevated, poetical, and periphrastic; and to bear
in mind, that Truth and Poetry are frequently at
* Parents, in correcting the mean vice of lying, shonld be
careful to distinguish the degree of crime incurred by a lie as to fact
and a He as to inaccurate description. Viz. A child leaves a candle
burning in a room—is accused of doing so, and denies it: this is a
lie as to fact. Another comes into a room, and tells his parent,
" I have seen a snake twenty yards longthis may probably be a
lie only as far as regards inaccurate description. We should treat
the first as moral guilt, and the second as moral folly. A wise
parent surely will not use the same means to correct both.