This sect were a kind of religious anchorites, who spent their whole lives in the severest austerities and mortification. ↩
The word Peri, in the Persian language, signifies that beautiful race of creatures which constitutes the link between angels and men. ↩
This was the Arabian name of the Queen of Sheba, who went from the South to hear the wisdom and admire the glory of Solomon. The Koran represents her as a worshipper of fire. Solomon is said not only to have entertained her with the greatest magnificence, but also to have raised her to his bed and his throne. —Al Koran, ch. 27, and Sale’s notes. Herbelot, p. 182 ↩
This monster is represented as a fierce flying hydra, and belongs to the same class with the Rakshe, whose ordinary food was serpents and dragons; the Soham, which had the head of a horse, with four eyes, and the body of a flame-coloured dragon; the Syl, a basilisk with a face resembling the human, but so tremendous that no mortal could bear to behold it; the Ejder, and others. See these respective titles in Richardson’s Dictionary, Persian, Arabic and English. ↩
Colophon
Vathek
was published in 1786 by
William Beckford.
It was translated from French in 1786 by
Samuel Henley.
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Presentation of the Trophies,
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