A Letter from F. A. Esq; R. S. S. to the Publisher, with a Paper of Mr. S. Flowers , containing the Exact Draughts of several unknown Characters, taken from the Ruins at Persepolis .

SIR,

I here send you some Fragments of Papers put into my Hands by a very good Friend, relating to antique and obscure Inscriptions, which were retrieved after the Death of Mr. Flower, Agent in Persia for our East-India Company, who, while he was a Merchant at Aleppo, had taken up a Resolution to procure some Draught or Representation of the admired Ruins at Chilmenar, pursuant to the third Enquiry for Persia, mention'd in the Philosophical Transactions, pag. 420. viz. Whether there being already good Descriptions in Words of the Excellent Pictures and Basse Relieves that are about Persepolis at Chilmenar, yet none very particular, some may not be found sufficiently Skilled in those parts, that might be engaged to make a Draught of the Place, and the Stories there Pictur'd and Carved. This Desire of the Royal Society, as I believe, it hinted at a Summary Delineation, which might be perform'd by a Man qualifi'd in a few Days, taking his own opportunity for the avoiding much Expence, (which you know they are never able to bear:) So I cannot but think Mr. Flower conceived it to be a Business much easier to perform than he found it upon the Place, where he Spent a great deal of Time and Mony, and dying Suddainly after, left his Draughts and Papers dispersed in several Hands, one part whereof you have here, the rest its hoped may in some Time be recovered, if Sir John Chardin's exact and accurate Publication of the entire Work do not put a period to all further Curiosity, which I heartily wish.

N 1. N 2. These two Characters are engraven on the Breast of two Horses cut out of the Mountain of Black Marble at Nocturestand, distant a League from Chahelmanare, or the Ancient Persepolis, one whereof is said to be Alexander's, the other Rustram's, (a Famous Hero supposed to have lived about the time of Cambises.) Mr. Fl.

N 1. This Character hath some Similitude with the Ancient Hebrew, but the Persians would have it their own, tho' they understand not a Letter. Mr. F.

N 2. In these Lines the places are prickt where the Letters were defaced and not Perceptible. Mr. F.

N 3. This is the (Arabick) Persian Character engraven at Persepolis not above 500. years since, and is little different from the Writing us'd at this day. Mr. F.

N 4. These two Lines were writ entire on Rustram's Horse. Mr. F.

N 5. This Character, whether it be the Ancient Writing of the Gaures or Gabrees, or a kind of Telesmes, is found only at Persepolis, being a part of what is there engraven in white Marble, and is by no Man in Persia legible or understood at this Day.

A Learned Jesuit Father, who deceased Three Years since, affirmed this Character to be known and used in Ægypt. Mr. F.

It seems written from the Left Hand to the Right, and to consist of Pyramids, diversly posited, but not joined together. As to the Quantity of the Inscriptions, Herbert reckon'd in one large Table Twenty Lines of a Prodigious Breadth. Of this sort here are distinct Papers each of several Lines.

N 6. This Character is likewise Engraved at Persepolis, of the like Antiquity with the former. It has some Affinity with the Syriack and Arabick, and has been pretended to be understood by some of the Padrees. Mr. F.