is the story of the cruel execution of the Georgian queen by order of
Shāh ʻAbbās in 1624.[61] Nor is Oriental influence in the eighteenth
century more noticeable. Occasionally an Oriental touch is brought in.
Pfeffel makes his "Bramine" read a lesson to bigots; Matthias Claudius
in his well-known poem makes Herr Urian pay a visit to the Great Mogul;
Bürger, in his salacious story of the queen of Golkonde, transports the
lovers to India; Lessing, in "Minna von Barnhelm" (Act i. Sc. 12)
represents Werner as intending to take service with Prince Heraklius of
Persia, and he chooses an Oriental setting for his "Nathan der Weise."

* * * * *

In the prose writings of this period Oriental influence is much more
discernible. In the literature dealing with magic Zoroaster always
played a prominent part. The invention of the Cabala was commonly
ascribed to him.[62] European writers on the black art, as for instance
Bodinus, whose _De Magorum Dæmonomania_ was translated by Fischart
(Strassburg, 1591), repeat about Zoroaster all the fables found in
classical or patristic writers. So the Iranian sage figures prominently
also in the Faust-legend. He is the prince of magicians whose book Faust
studies so diligently that he is called a second Zoroastris.[63] This
book passes into the hands of Faust's pupil Christoph Wagner, who uses
it as diligently as his master.[64]

In all this folkbook-literature India is a mere name. Thus in the oldest
Faust-book of 1587 the sorcerer makes a journey in the air through
England, Spain, France, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, India, Africa and
Persia, and finally comes to _Morenland_.[65]

Of all the prose-writings, however, the novel, which began to flourish