"[95]
My Lords, I have only further to inform your Lordships that these
Institutes of Timour ought to be very well known to Mr. Hastings. He
ought to have known that this prince never claimed arbitrary power; that
the principles he adopted were to govern by law, to repress the
oppressions of his inferior governors, to recognize in the nobility the
respect due to their rank, and in the people the protection to which
they were by law entitled. This book was published by Major Davy, and
revised by Mr. White. The Major was an excellent Orientalist; he was
secretary to Mr. Hastings, to whom, I believe, he dedicated this book. I
have inquired of persons the most conversant with the Arabic and
Oriental languages, and they are clearly of opinion that there is
internal evidence to prove it of the age of Tamerlane; and he must be
the most miserable of critics, who, reading this work with attention,
does not see, that, if it was not written by this very great monarch
himself, it was at least written by some person in his court and under
his immediate inspection. Whether, therefore, this work be the
composition of Tamerlane, or whether it was written by some persons of
learning near him, through whom he meant to give the world a just idea
of his manners, maxims, and government, it is certainly as good
authority as Mr.
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