Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 42.32.1

42.32.1

The words Seir, I am acquainted with, from my childhood, being born at Constantinople, and it signified then, as it does to-day in Minenski's learned Dictionary, not precisely review, but review, or view in walking: Deambulatio, and Promenade, says that author. This signification being once established, we may ask now in what sense is the Promenade taken, passively or actively? If the latter, then modern times are taking a promenade. If the former, then a Promenade is taking throughout modern times. But when an author writes in 1782, mostly about events happened in 1675-80-90 and 1706, and but little about those of 1740 and downwards, can he be said to write of modern times, whilst the chain of historical writings by others reach to the very year 1708? And what, if the word Mutaqherin should signify modern ones, if you will, but by all means those that lag behind? In that case Seir-el-Mutaqherin would signify promenade or review made by those that lag behind, and of course, amusements of posterity; and this would be not a literal translate, but an adequate one. Suffer me, Sir, to add six words more to this very long letter. Before I take my leave of this subject, I cannot help remembering a remark which you have echoed from your friends about the sixteen lines in the author's preface, and which I had the candour to acknowledge for being S. W. J. his property. They have remarked on the extreme difference between those sixteen lines, and the rest of the preface.