"Es muss alles hinein, was ich eben lese: vor acht Wochen Spinoza, vor
vierzehn Tagen Astronomie, jetzt Grimms ueberschwenglich gehaltreiche
Deutsche Mythologie, alles unter der nachlaessig vorgehaltenen
Brahmanenmaske...."[187] These are the author's own words and render
further detailed characterization of the work superfluous. It is well
known that the sources for the great didactic collection, even for that
part of it which is not composed of reflections on matters of
contemporary history, politics and literature, or relating to questions
of family and friendship, are more Occidental than Oriental.[188] In
fact, the Brahmanic character of the wisdom here expounded consists
mainly in the contemplative spirit of reposeful didacticism which
pervades the entire collection. Nor is there anything Oriental about
the form of the poems,--the rhymed Alexandrine reigning supreme with
wearisome monotony.

A detailed discussion of the _Weisheit_, therefore, even if it were
possible within the limits of this dissertation, will not be attempted;
the less so, as such a discussion, so far as the Oriental side, at
least, is concerned, would be very much of the same nature as that given
of the _Brahmanische Erzaehlungen_. A general Oriental influence,
especially of the _Bhagavadgita_-philosophy or of Rumi's pantheism, is
noticeable enough in many places,[189] but particular instances of such
influence are not hard to find. We shall adduce only a few, taken from
the fifth division or _Stufe_, called _Leben_. Of these there are taken
from the _Hitopadesa_ Nos. 25 (_Hit._ i. couplet 179; tr. Hertel, 141),
26 (ib. i. 178; tr. Hertel, 140), 111 (ib. i. couplet 80; Wilkins' tr.
p. 56). From the _Gulistan_ are taken Nos. 290 (_Gul._ i. 13; K.S. dist.
p. 42), 326 (ibid. vii. 20; K.S. dist. p. 230), 366 (ibid. vii. 20; K.S.
p. 232). No. 60 was probably suggested by the fable of the ass and the
camel in Jami's _Baharistan_ (tr. K.S. p. 179). No. 476 draws a moral
from the fact that the Persian title _mirza_ means either "scribe" or
"prince," according to its position before or behind the person's name.
In No. 201 we recognize a Persian proverb: [Arabic] "little goat, do not
die; spring is coming, you will eat clover." No. 364:

"Herr Strauss, wenn ein Kameel du bist, so trage mir!"
Ich bin ein Vogel. "Flieg!" Ich bin ein Trampeltier

is also a Persian proverb and is absolutely unintelligible, unless one
happens to know that the Persi