No. II. The following passage was by accident omitted in printing the foregoing pages: it concludes the account of Ardeshir Babegan.

<Arabic>

“And NERD is of his invention; for this reason the Arabs call it Nerdshir.” The word Nard or Nerd, according to the dictionaries Luttayef al Loghat, Jehangeeri, Kashf-al-loghat, &c. signifies a well known game, (draughts, perhaps backgammon), and the pith of a tree.

The invention of draughts is generally ascribed to Buzurjemher, the vizier of Nushirvan, who did not reign until three centuries after Ardeshir: this vizier introduced chess, an Indian game, into Persia; and the Ferhung Borhan Kattee informs us, that Buzur­jemher devised Nerd, on the plan or in imitation of chess; but that Nerd was played with two dice, and, according to some, was of a more ancient origin.