[Footnote 171: The schism of the Persians is explained by
all our travellers of the last century, especially in the
iid and ivth volumes of their master, Chardin. Niebuhr,
though of inferior merit, has the advantage of writing so
late as the year 1764, (Voyages en Arabie, &c., tom. ii. p.
208 - 233,) since the ineffectual attempt of Nadir Shah to
change the religion of the nation, (see his Persian History
translated into French by Sir William Jones, tom. ii. p. 5,
6, 47, 48, 144 - 155.)]