Some time ago I endeavoured to explain to an audience in this room the predominantly pictorial character of the ancient poetry of the Arabs, and gave as illustrations some passages from the poets, chiefly describing the fauna of the wilderness and the landscape in which their life was set, and showing the minute observation and vivid sympathy which the artist brought to bear upon his subject. I wish, now, to continue the same theme by setting before you a poet's picture of himself, of his life and its ideals, of the things which he admired and strove to attain.

The dynasty of North Pañcāla, which sprang from one of the sons of Ajamīḍha, who reigned at Hastināpura, a successor of Bharata, king of the Paurava line, is of great importance, because not a few of its kings play an important part in the hymns of the Rigveda. Its genealogy is given by eight Puranas, the Vāyu, Matsya, Harivaṁśa, Brahma, Viṣṇu, Agni, Garuḍa, and Bhāgavata. The first four are based on a common original, but now form two versions. The Vāyu and Matsya generally agree, though with variations, the former having the older text. The Harivaṁśa and Brahma largely agree, the former having the better text, while the latter is generally incomplete. These four give the oldest account of the genealogy. The other four have recast the account and are later, the Viṣṇu's version being in prose.

Certain elements are found, but in varying degree, in all human speech. Thus it is difficult to conceive of a language in which rhyme, stress-accent, tone-accent would not to some extent occur. In all languages some vowel-sounds are shorter than others, and in certain cases two consecutive words begin with the same sound. If we number these speech-elements we get (1) rhyme, (2) stress-accent, (3) tone-accent, (4) vowel-quantity, (5) alliteration. No doubt other characteristics could be enumerated, but for the purposes of poetry it is these five which have been principally exploited. English poetry has used chiefly (1), (2), and in earlier times (5); it is doubtful whether (3) has played any part, but an unconscious use has probably been made of (4).

In the Journal for 1906 there were published some Arabic inscriptions on textiles in the South Kensington Museum. Two more Arabic inscriptionś on textiles may now be brought to notice. One of them is taken from a Russian publication; the other is from a piece of stuff in the Museum. Mr. A. F. Kendrick, of the Museum, has drawn attention to these specimens, and, as before, has kindly supplied the descriptions of the stuffs. The objects are:—

1. From Wladimir Bock. Coptic Art: Coptic Figured Textiles [Text in Russian]. Moscow, 1897.

The little work here presented in text and translation attracted my notice many years ago in connexion with a certain literary question. It occurs as Nos. 1255–6 in Bunyiu Nanjio's Catalogue of the Chinese Translation of the Buddhist Tripiṭaka, where its title is given as Mushṭi-prakaraṇa (?)-śāstra (Tālāntaraka-śāstra), translated (p. 374, among the works of Gina, i.e. Dignāga) as “Sāstra on the explanation of the fist”. I was not in a position to consider its relation to a Tibetan work with which I was familiar, ascribed to Āryadeva and bearing the name Hastabāla (sic) or Hastābhava-prakaraṇa with commentary.