The studies contained in this volume arose over the last thirty years. Originally the range of the materials I intended to include in my selection was very much wider. Publishing difficulties, however, have obliged me to curtail them to something less than half the planned content. At first I intended to include all the studies I supposed might be of interest to readers and represent contributi ons still of some significance for research in this domain of Oriental scholarship. When the necessity arose to limit the contents I gave preference to the standpoint of thematic completeness rather...