[FN#11] The surroundings suggest Jehovah, the tribal deity of the Jews.  The old version says, “Hicar was a native of the country of Haram (Harran), and had brought from thence the knowledge of the true God; impelled, however, by an irresistible decree,” etc.

[FN#12] i.e. a woollen cloth dyed red.  Hence Pyrard (i. 244) has “red scarlet,” and (vol. ii.) “violet scarlet”; Froissart (xvth centy.) has “white scarlet,” and Marot (xvith) has “green scarlet.”  The word seems to be French of xiith century, but is uncertain:  Littre proposes Galaticus, but admits the want of an intermediate form.  Piers Plowman and Chaucer use “cillatun, which suggests Pers.  “Sakalat, or “Saklatun”, whence Mr. Skeat would derive “scarlet.”  This note is from the voyage of F. Pyrard, etc.  London.  Hakluyts, M.dccc.lxxxvii.; and the editor quotes Colonel Yule’s M. Polo (ii. chapt. 58) and his “Discursive Glossary s. v.  Suclat.”

[FN#13] i.e."Al-Kirm,” Arab. and Pers. =a worm, as in Kirman (see Supplem. vol. i. 40); the coccus ilicis, vulg. called cochineal.

[FN#14] Arab.  “Arz”, from the Heb.  Arz or Razah (raz=to vibrate), the root {Greek} (cedrus conifera), the Assyrian “Erimu of Lebanon,” of which mention is so often made.  The old controversy as to whether “Razah"=cedar or fir, might easily have been settled if the disputants had known that the modern Syrians still preserve the word for the clump called “The Cedars” on the seaward slope of the Libanus.

[FN#15] We should say “reading and writing,” but the greater difficulty of deciphering the skeleton eastern characters places reading in the more honourable place.  They say of a very learned man, “He readeth it off (readily) as one drinketh water.”

[FN#16] Arab.  “Al-Sahib al-jayyid.” ["Jayyid” is, by the measure “Fay’il,” derived from the root, “Jaud,” to excel, like “Kayyis,” from “Kaus” (see Suppl. vol. iv., p.277), “Mayyit” from “Maut,” “Sayyid” from “Saud.”  The form was originally “Jaywid;” then the Waw became assimilated to the preceding Ja, on account of the following Kasrah, and this assimilation or “Idgham” is indicated by Tashdid.  As from “Kayyis” the diminutive “Kuwayyis” is formed, so “Jayyid” forms the Tasghir, “Juwayyid,” which, amongst the Druzes, has the specific meaning of “deeply versed in religious matters.”—­St.]

[FN#17] “Kul,” vulg. for “Kul”; a form constant in this Ms.

[FN#18] Gauttier “Sarkhadom,” the great usurper Sargon, a contemporary of Merodach Baladan of Babylon and of Sabaco 1st of Ethiopia, B.C. 721-702:  one of the greatest Assyrian Kings, whose place has been determined to be between Shalmaneser and his son, the celebrated Sennacherib, who succeeded him.  The name also resembles the biblical Ezarhaddon (Asaridanus), who, however, was the son of Sennacherib, and occupied the throne of Babylon in B.C. 680.

[FN#19] Gauttier, pp. 317-319, has greatly amplified and modified these words of wisdom.