If, however, in the explication of the glories and wisdom of this generous Lord and unparalleled Vizier, one should enter into detail, the widest stream would afford no footing in its abyss of pages, and in seeking to express his perfection neither length nor breadth would be powerful enough to celebrate but a small portion thereof; and in these days, which are one year of scarcity as regards virtue and the virtuous, and when cruel fate is perhaps enslaved to a hatred of good manners and of the means of honour, and the stars of ingenuity are settled in the retirement of depression, and folly finds friends, the perfect merit, the lofty intellect, the liberal breast, the wide ocean and good fortune of mind, the true fortitude, the noble patronage, the wide plain of determined and dignified authority, the well-ordered conduct, sweet disposition, special ingenuousness, and innate beauties of this surpassing heart of super-eminence and this favoured lord of favour, hath arrived as the pardon-pleader of fortune, and the fault-coverer of the times. People of distinction, in emigrating from these flames and in purifying from this distress, have covered themselves with his overshadowing veil and have fled to the strong fortification and powerful munition of his reflecting care; and one of the beneficial qualities of his nature is, that he hath obtained a thorough knowledge of the chronicles, the origin and the state of peoples, the con­dition and whatever deserves to be known of the kings of Arabia and Persia, and their tribes, and hath become deep and powerful in this science, and aware of the vicissitudes of events, and his mind hath solidly occupied itself in pursuing this knowledge, and hath been engaged in acquiring the experience of history, so that his enlightened understanding and perfumed mind hath become a bright mirror, before which the converse of secrets and the fallacies of thoughts, and the sequences of affairs, and the ends of actions, are clear and shining as the sun-ray (Verse)

“Oh thy intellect, thou hast seen yesterday the difficulties of to-day, and oh thy thought, thou hast given this year the harvest of the past.
“Like Heaven’s foreordaining by wisdom for all men.
“Like the sun, freely benefiting all things.
“If they place one principle of increase from thy hand in the puncture (i. e., graft from thy nature)
“No branch would ever blow empty on the poplar.”

And another of his praiseworthy practices and agreeable rules is, that not one twinkling of an eye of his life (may its extension be conjoined with the extension of time!) is wasted, and although most of his time is spent in watching over the affairs of State and in promoting the peace of Muslims, when he finds a moment of leisure he seeks recre­ation in the perusal of books and the conversation of the wise, and the society of the learned, and in discussing the nice points of science, and the quaint intricacies of knowledge, and in acquiring information upon the rules of religious and eternal wisdom, and his soul and time becomes deeply immersed in these things; and if I may put forth an assertion it is that the curved umbrella of the sky overcast its shadow on the forehead of such greatness, and in the four quarters of the world there hath never sat upon the four-cornered seat of the Vizarat a Minister like him. May he be supported in the perfection of his discernment and the testimony of his far-sightedness, and may he be recorded so to be by evident arguments and clear proofs (Verse)

“I declare that there is no man like him; to deny this is to deny that God is one.”

Whoso hath entered the winter-house which is the mansion of his greatness, the point of contact of his happiness, and the fountain of his govern­ment, and should see his benevolent foundations and his conduit-pipes of alms, and should witness his religious houses, his treasuries of books, and other curious and strange things, his library book­cases, his choice volumes and appended pages therein assembled, and should be aware of the hospital for the sick, and the valuable bottles, with various kinds of medicines and remedies, and their divisions for the poor and humble, he would know to what an extent his lofty mind hath attained varied kinds of excellence, by the avenues of goodness and the utilization of knowledge and reflection, and in the power of the Almighty, will be convinced, by proof, that neither the world in its youth, or creatures in their greatness, or Para­dise in its nature, or ocean in its seas, could produce his equal (Verse)

“Let there be no denial that God hath collected all things in one universe.”

And doubtless it is through his fortunate fore­lock and blessed counsel that the just Prince, the pacificator of the world, Ulugh Barík, hath passed so long a period in such power, comfort, peace, repose, and affluence, and hath found such an abundant hold of his royalty and empire; and the hope of his servants is this, that he may still con­tinue in the freshness of the youth and vigour of his fortune, in increase of years and influence of power, that overflowing happiness and great establishment, as regards his life, his possessions, his wishes, and his years, may yet remain for him, and that many long years may pass under His Majesty, his children, and his descendants (who are the apple of the State’s eye, and the liver-corner of the empire) under the protecting shadow and guardianship of his fortunate standard, may they arrive at command and hold the world, and for eternity may the elevation of the office of Vizier and the seat of the empire’s dignity be adorned and illuminated by this great centre, this bright moon, this phœnix of time, this sun of generosity, this sea of munificence, this world of knowledge, and this earth of intelligence, if thus God will and His definitions (concur).