WEIL'S TRANSLATION.
The only approximately complete original German translation is
"Tausend und eine Nacht. Arabische Erzählungen. Zum Erstenmale
aus dem Urtexte vollständig und treu übersetzt von Dr. Gustav
Weil," four vols., Stuttgart. The first edition was in roy. 8vo,
and was published at Stuttgart and Pforzheim in 1839-1842; the
last volume I have not seen; it is wanting in the copy in the
British Museum. This edition is divided into Nights, and includes
No. 25b. In the later editions, which are in small square 8vo,
but profusely illustrated, like the larger one, this story is
omitted (except No. 135m, which the French editors include with
it), though Galland's doubtful stories are retained; and there is
no division into Nights. The work has been reprinted several
times, and the edition quoted in our Table is described as
"Zweiter Abdruck der dritten vollstandig umgearbeiteten, mit
Anmerkungen und mit einer Einleitung versehenen Auflage" (1872).
Weil has not stated from what sources he drew his work, except
that No. 201 is taken from a MS. in the Ducal Library at Gotha.
This is unfortunate, as his version of the great transformation
scene in No. 3b (Burton, vol. i., pp. 134, 135), agrees more
closely with Galland than with any other original version. In
other passages, as when speaking of the punishment of Aziz (No.
9a, aa), Weil seems to have borrowed an expression from Lane, who
writes "a cruel wound;" Weil saying "a severe (schwere) wound."
Whereas Weil gives the only German version known to me of No. 9
(though considerably abridged) he omits many tales contained in
Zinserling and Habicht, but whether because his own work was
already too bulky, or because his original MSS. did not contain
them, I do not know; probably the first supposition is correct,
for in any case it was open to him to have translated them from
the printed texts, to which he refers in his Preface.
Two important stories (Nos. 200 and 201) are not found in any
other version; but as they are translated in my "New Arabian
Nights," I need not discuss them here. I will, however, quote a
passage from the story of Judar and Mahmood, which I omitted
because it is not required by the context, and because I thought
it a little out of place in a book published in a juvenile
series. It is interesting from its analogy to the story of
Semele.
When King Kashuk (a Jinni) is about to marry the daughter of King
Shamkoor, we read (New Arabian Nights, p. 182), "Shamkoor
immediately summoned my father, and said, ‘Take my daughter, for
you have won her heart.' He immediately provided an outfit for
his daughter, and when it was completed, my father and his bride
rode away on horseback, while the trousseau of the Princess
followed on three hundred camels." The passage proceeds (the
narrator being Daruma, the offspring of the marriage), "When my
father had returned home, and was desirous of celebrating his
marriage Kandarin (his Wazir) said to him, ‘Your wife will be
destroyed if you touch her, for you are created of fire, and she
is created of earth, which the fire devours. You will then bewail
her death when it is too late. To-morrow,' continued he, ‘I will
bring you an ointment with which you must rub both her and
yourself; and you may then live long and happily together.' On
the following day he brought him a white ointment, and my father
anointed himself and his bride with it, and consummated his
marriage without danger."
I may add that this is the only omission of the smallest
consequence in my rendering of either story.
I have heard from more than one source that a complete German
translation of The Nights was published, and suppressed; but I
have not been able to discover the name of the author, the date,
or any other particulars relating to the subject.
VON HAMMER'S MS., AND THE TRANSLATIONS DERIVED FROM IT.
Several complete copies of The Nights were obtained by Europeans
about the close of the last or the beginning of the present
century; and one of these (in 4 vols.) fell into the bands of the
great German Orientalist, Joseph von Hammer. This MS. agrees
closely with the printed Bul. and Mac. texts, as well as with Dr.
Clarke's MS., though the names of the tales sometimes vary a
little. One story, "The two Wazirs," given in Von Hammer's list
as inedited, no doubt by an oversight, is evidently No. 7, which
bears a similar title in Torrens. One title, "Al Kavi," a story
which Von Hammer says was published in "Mag. Encycl.," and in
English (probably by Scott in Ouseley's Oriental Collections,
vide anteŕ p. 491) puzzled me for some time; but from its
position, and the title I think I have identified it as No. 145,
and have entered it as such. No. 9a in this as well as in several
other MSS., bears the title of the Two Lovers, or of the Lover
and the Beloved.
Von Hammer made a French translation of the unpublished tales,
which he lent to Caussin de Perceval, who extracted from it four
tales only (Nos. 21a, 22, 32 and 37), and only acknowledged his
obligations in a general way to a distinguished Orientalist,
whose name he pointedly suppressed. Von Hammer, naturally
indignant, reclaimed his MS., and had it translated into German
by Zinserling. He then sent the French MS. to De Sacy, in whose
hands it remained for some time, although he does not appear to
have made any use of it, when it was despatched to England for
publication; but the courier lost it on the journey, and it was
never recovered.
Zinserling's translation was published under the title, "Der
Tausend und einen Nacht noch nicht übersetzte Mährchen,
Erzählungen und Anekdoten, zum erstenmale aus dem Arabischen in's
Französische übersetzt von Joseph von Hammer, und aus dem
Französischen in's Deutsche von Aug. E. Zinserling, Professor."
(3 vols., Stuttgart and Tübingen, 1823.) The introductory matter
is of considerable importance, and includes notices of 12
different MSS., and a list of contents of Von Hammer's MS. The
tales begin with No. 23, Nos. 9-19 being omitted, because Von
Hammer was informed that they were about to be published in
France. (This possibly refers to Asselan Riche's "Scharkan,"
published in 1829.) The tales and anecdotes in this edition
follow the order of The Nights. No. 163 is incomplete, Zinserling
giving only the commencement; and two other tales (Nos. 132b and
168) are related in such a confused manner as to be
unintelligible, the former from transposition (perhaps in the
sheets of the original MS.) and the latter from errors and
omissions. On the other hand, some of the tales (No. 137 for
instance) are comparatively full and accurate.
A selection from the longer tales was published in English in 3
vols. in 1826, under the title of "New Arabian Nights
Entertainments, selected from the original Oriental MS. by Jos.
von Hammer, and now first translated into English by the Rev.
George Lamb." I have only to remark that No. 132b is here
detached from its connection with No. 132, and is given an
independent existence.
A complete French re-translation of Zinserling's work, also in 3
vols., by G. S. Trébutien (Contes inédits des Mille et une
Nuits), was published in Paris in 1828; but in this edition the
long tales are placed first, and all the anecdotes are placed
together last.
The various MSS. mentioned by Von Hammer are as follows:--
I. Galland's MS. in Paris.
II. Another Paris MS., containing 870 Nights. (No. 9 is
specially noticed as occurring in it.) This seems to be the same
as a MS. subsequently mentioned by Von Hammer as consulted by
Habicht.
III. Scott's MS. (Wortley Montague).
IV. Scott's MS. (Anderson).
V. Dr. Russell's MS. from Aleppo (224 Nights).
VI. Sir W. Jones' MS., from which Richardson extracted No.
6ee for his grammar.
VII. A. MS. at Vienna (200 Nights).
VIII. MS. in Italinski's collection.
IX. Clarke's MS.
X. An Egyptian MS. at Marseilles.
XI. Von Hammer's MS.
XII. Habicht's MS. (==Bres. text).
XIII. Caussin's MS.
XIV. De Sacy's MS.
XV. One or more MSS. in the Vatican.
TRANSLATIONS OF THE PRINTED TEXTS.
These are noticed by Sir R. F. Burton in his "Foreword" (vol. i.,
pp. x-xii.) and consequently can be passed over with a brief
mention here.
Torrens' edition (vol. 1) extends to the end of Night 50 (Burton,
ii., p. 118).
Lane's translation originally appeared in monthly half-crown
parts, from 1839 to 1841. It is obvious that he felt himself
terribly restricted in space; for the third volume, although much
thicker than the others, is not only almost destitute of notes
towards the end, but the author is compelled to grasp at every
excuse to omit tales, even excluding No. 168, which he himself
considered "one of the most entertaining tales in the work"
(chap. xxix., note 12), on account of its resemblance to Nos. 1b
and 3d. Part of the matter in Lane's own earlier notes is
apparently derived from No. 132a, which he probably did not at
first intend to omit. Sir R. F. Burton has taken 5 vols. to cover
the same ground which Lane has squeezed into his vol. 3. But it
is only fair to Lane to remark that in such cases the publisher
is usually far more to blame than the author.
In 1847 appeared a popular edition of Lane, entitled, "The
Thousand and One Nights, or the Arabian Nights Entertainments,
translated and arranged for family reading, with explanatory
notes. Second edition." Here Galland's old spelling is restored,
and the "explanatory notes," ostentatiously mentioned on the
title page, are entirely omitted. This edition was in 3 vols. I
have seen a copy dated 1850; and think I have heard of an issue
in 1 vol.; and there is an American reprint in 2 vols. The
English issue was ultimately withdrawn from circulation in
consequence of Lane's protests. (Mr. S. L. Poole's Life of E. W.
Lane, p. 95.) It contains the woodcut of the Flying Couch, which
is wanting in the later editions of the genuine work; but not
Galland's doubtful tales, as Poole asserts.
Several editions of the original work, edited by Messrs. E. S.
and S. L. Poole, have appeared at intervals from 1859 to 1882.
They differ little from the original edition except in their
slightly smaller size.
The short tales included in Lane's notes were published
separately as one of Knight's Weekly Volumes, in 1845, under the
title of "Arabian Tales and Anecdotes, being a selection from the
notes to the new translation of the Thousand and One Nights, by
E. W. Lane, Esq."
Finally, in 1883, Mr. Stanley Lane Poole published a classified
and arranged edition of Lane's notes under the title of "Arabian
Society in the Middle Ages."
Mr. John Payne's version of the Mac. edition was issued in 9
vols. by the Villon Society to subscribers only. It appeared from
1882 to 1884, and only 500 copies were printed. Judging from the
original prospectus, it seems to have been the author's intention
to have completed the work in 8 vols., and to have devoted vol. 9
to Galland's doubtful tales; but as they are omitted, he must
have found that the work ran to a greater length than he had
anticipated, and that space failed him. He published some
preliminary papers on the Nights in the New Quarterly Magazine
for January and April, 1879.
Mr. Payne subsequently issued "Tales from the Arabic of the
Breslau and Calcutta (1814-18) editions of the Thousand Nights
and One Night, not occurring in the other printed texts of the
work." (Three vols., London, 1884.) Of this work, issued, like
the other, by the Villon Society, to subscribers only, 750 copies
were printed, besides 50 on large paper. The third volume
includes indices of all the tales in the four principal printed
texts.
Finally we have Sir R. F. Burton's translation now in its
entirety before his subscribers. It is restricted to 1,000
copies. (Why not 1,001?) The five supplementary vols. are to
include tales wanting in the Mac. edition, but found in other
texts (printed and MS.), while Lady Burton's popular edition will
allow of the free circulation of Sir R. F. Burton's work among
all classes of the reading public.
COLLECTIONS OF SELECTED TALES.
There are many volumes of selections derived from Galland, but
these hardly require mention; the following may be noticed as
derived from other sources:
1. Caliphs and Sultans, being tales omitted in the usual editions
of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. Re-written and re-arranged
by Sylvanus Hanley, F. L. S., etc., London, 1868; 2nd edition
1870.
Consists of portions of tales chiefly selected from Scott, Lamb,
Chavis and Cazotte, Trébutien and Lane; much abridged, and
frequently strung together, as follows:--
Nos. 246, 41, 32 (including Nos. 111, 21a, and 89); 9a (including
9aa [which Hanley seems, by the way, to have borrowed from some
version which I do not recognise], 22 and 248); 155, 156, 136,
162; Xailoun the Silly (from Cazotte); 132 and 132a; and 169
(including 134 and 135x).
2. Ilâm-en-Nâs. Historical tales and anecdotes of the time of the
early Kalîfahs. Translated from the Arabic and annotated by Mrs.
Godfrey Clerk, author of "The Antipodes, and Round the World."
London, 1873.
Many of these anecdotes, as is candidly admitted by the authoress
in her Preface, are found with variations in the Nights, though
not translated by her from this source.
3. The New Arabian Nights. Select tales not included by Galland
or Lane. By W. F. Kirby, London, 1882.
Includes the following tales, slightly abridged, from Weil and
Scott: Nos. 200, 201, 264, 215, 209, and 208.
Two editions have appeared in England, besides reprints in
America and Australia.
SEPARATE EDITIONS OF SINGLE OR COMPOSITE TALES.
6e (ee).--The Barber's Fifth Brother.
Mr. W. A. Clouston (in litt.) calls attention to the version of
this story by Addison in the "Spectator," No. 535, Nov. 13, 1712,
after Galland. There is good reason to suppose that this is
subsequent to the first English edition, which, however, Addison
does not mention. There is also an English version in Faris'
little Arabic Grammar (London, 1856), and likewise in
Richardson's Arabic Grammar. The latter author extracted it from
a MS. belonging to Sir W. Jones.
5.--Nur Al-din and Badr Al-din Hasan.
There are two Paris editions of the "Histoire de Chems-Eddine et
de NourEddine," edited by Prof. Cherbonneau. The first (1852)
contains text and notes, and the second (1869) includes text,
vocabulary and translations.
7.--Nur Al-din and Anis Al-jalis.
An edition by Kasimiraki of "Enis' el-Djelis, ou histoire de la
belle Persane," appeared in Paris in 1867. It includes text,
translation and notes.
9.--King Omar Bin Al-nu'aman.
There is a French abridgment of this story entitled, "Scharkan,
Conte Arabe, suivi de quelques anecdotes orientales; traduit par
M. Asselan Riche, Membre de la Société Asiatique de Paris" (Paris
and Marseilles, 12mo, 1829, pp. 240). The seven anecdotes
appended are as follows: (1) the well-known story of Omar's
prisoner and the glass of water; (2) Elhedjadj and a young Arab;
(3)=our No. 140; (4) Anecdote of Elhedjadj and a story-teller;
(5)=our No. 86; (6) King Bahman and the Moubed's parable of the
Owls; (7)=our No. 145.
133.--Sindbad the Seaman.
This is the proper place to call attention to a work specially
relating to this story, "Remarks on the Arabian Nights
Entertainments; in which the origin of Sindbad's Voyages and
other Oriental Fictions is particularly described. By Richard
Hole, LL.D." (London, 1797, pp. iv. 259.)
It is an old book, but may still be consulted with advantage.
There are two important critical editions of No. 133, one in
French and one in German.
1. Les Voyages de Sind-bâd le marin et la ruse des Femmes. Contes
arabes. Traduction littérale, accompagnée du Texte et des Notes.
Par L. Langlčs (Paris, 1814).
The second story is our No. 184.
2. Die beiden Sindbad oder Reiseabenteuer Sindbads des
Seefabrers. Nach einer zum ersten Male in Europa bedruckten
Aegyptischen Handschrift unmittelbar und wortlich treu aus den
Arabischen übersetzt und mit erklärenden Anmerkungen, nebst zwei
sprachlichen Beilagen zum Gebrauch für abgehende Orientalisten
herausgegeben von J. G. H. Reinsch (Breslau, 1826).
135.--The Craft and Malice of Women.
The literature of this cluster of tales would require a volume in
itself, and I cannot do better than refer to Mr. W. A. Clouston's
"Book of Sindibad" (8vo, Glasgow, 1884) for further information.
This book, though privately printed and limited to 300 copies, is
not uncommon.
136.--Judar and His Brethren.
An edition of this story, entitled "Histoire de Djouder le
Pęcheur," edited by Prof. Houdas, was published in the
Bibliothčque Algérienne, at Algiers, in 1865. It includes text
and vocabulary.
174.--The Ten Wazirs.
This collection of tales has also been frequently reprinted
separately. It is the Arabic version of the Persian Bakhtyar
Nameh, of which Mr. Clouston issued a privately-printed edition
in 1883.
The following versions have come under my notice:--
1. Nouveaux Contes Arabes, ou Supplement aux Mille et une Nuits
suivies de Mélanges de Littérature orientale et de lettres, par
l'Abbe * * * (Paris, 1788, pp. 425).
This work consists chiefly of a series of tales selected and
adapted from the Ten Vazirs. "Written in Europe by a European,
and its interest is found in the Terminal Essay, on the
Mythologia Aesopica" (Burton in litt.).
2. Historien om de ti Vezirer og hoorledes det gik dem med Kong
Azád Bachts Sön, oversat af Arabisk ved R. Rask (8vo, Kobenhavn,
1829).
3. Habicht, x. p. vi., refers to the following:--Historia decem
Vezirorum et filii regis Azad-Bacht insertis XIII. aliis
narrationibus, in usum tironum Cahirensem, edid. G. Knös,
Göttingen, 1807, 8vo.
He also states that Knös published the commencement in 1805, in
his "Disquisitio de fide Herodoti, quo perhibet Phoenices Africam
navibus circumvectos esse cum recentiorum super hac re sententiis
excussis.--Adnexurn est specimen sermonis Arabici vulgaris s.
initium historiae filii regis Azad-Bacht e Codice inedito."
4. Contes Arabes. Histoire des dix Vizirs (Bakhtyar Nameh)
Traduite et annotée par René Basset, Professeur A l'école
superieure des lettres d'Algérie. Paris, 1883.
Chavis and Cazotte (anteŕ pp. 471, 472) included a version of the
Ten Vazirs in their work; and others are referred to in our Table
of Tales.
248.--The Wise Heycar.
Subsequently to the publication of Gauttier's edition of The
Nights, Agoub republished his translation under the title of "Le
sage Heycar, conte Arabe" (Paris, 1824).
A few tales published by Scott in Ouseley's Oriental Collections
have already been noticed (anteŕ, pp. 434, 435).
TRANSLATIONS OF COGNATE ORIENTAL ROMANCES ILLUSTRATIVE
OF THE NIGHTS.
1. Les Mille et Un Jours. Contes Persanes.
"In imitation of the Arabian Nights, was composed a Persian
collection entitled ‘Hazár Yek Rúz or the Thousand and One Days,'
of which Petis de la Croix published a French rendering [in
1710], which was done into English [by Dr. King, and published in
2 vols. (with the Turkish Tales=Forty Vezirs) as early as 1714;
and subsequently] by Ambrose Phillips" (in 1738) (Clouston, in
litt). Here, and occasionally elsewhere, I have quoted from some
MSS. notes on The Nights by Mr. W. A. Clouston, which Sir R. F.
Burton kindly permitted me to inspect. Mr. Clouston then quotes
Cazotte's Preface (not in my edition of the Thousand and One
Days), according to which the book was written by the celebrated
Dervis Moclčs (Mukhlis), chief of the Sofis (Sufis?) of lspahan,
founded upon certain Indian comedies. Petis de la Croix was on
friendly terms with Mukhlis, who allowed him to take a copy of
his work in 1675, during his residence in Ispahan. (I find these
statements confirmed in the Cabinet des Fées, xxxvii. pp. 266,
274, 278, and in Weber's "Tales of the East," i. pp. xxxvi.,
xxxxii.)
The framework of the story is the same as Nos. 9a and 152: a
Princess, who conceives an aversion to men from dreaming of the
self-devotion of a doe, and the indifference and selfishness of a
stag. Mr. Clouston refers to Nakhshabí's Tútí Náma (No. 33 of
Káderí's abridgment, and 39 of India Office MS. 2,573 whence he
thinks it probable that Mukhlis may have taken the tale.) But the
tale itself is repeated over and over again in many Arabic,
Persian, and Turkish collections; in fact, there are few of
commoner occurrence.
The tales are told by the nurse in order to overcome the aversion
of the Princess to men. They are as follows:
Introduction and Conclusion: Story of the Princess of Cashmir.
1. Story of Aboulcassem Bafry.
2. Story of King Ruzvanchad and the Princess Cheheristani.
a. Story of the young King of Thibet and the Princess of
the Naimans.
b. Story of the Vazir Cavercha.
3. Story of Couloufe and the Beautiful Dilara.
4. Story of Prince Calaf and the Princess of China.
a. Story of Prince Fadlallah, son of Bei-Ortoc, King of
Moussel=Nos. 184 and 251.
5. Story of King Bedreddin-Lolo, and his Vazir Atalmulk,
surnamed the Sad Vazir.
a. Story of Atalmulk and the Princess Zelica Beghume.
b. Story of Prince Seyf-el-Molouk.
c. Story of Malek and the Princess Chirine.
d. Story of King Hormuz, surnamed the King without
trouble.
da. Story of Avicenna.
e. Story of the fair Arouya. Cf. Nos. 135q and 225.
f. Singular Adventures of Aboulfawaris, surnamed the Great
Traveller (2 Voyages).
6. Story of the Two Brother Genii, Adis and Dahy.
7. Story of Nasiraddolé, King of Moussel, of Abderrahman,
Merchant of Bagdad, and the Beautiful Zeineb.
8. Story of Repsima=No. 181r.
This work has many times been reprinted in France, where it holds
a place only second to The Nights.
Sir R. F. Burton remarks, concerning the Persian and Turkish
Tales of Petis de la Crois (the latter of which form part of the
Forty Vazirs, No. 251), "Both are weak and servile imitations of
Galland by an Orientalist who knew nothing of the East. In one
passage in the story of Fadlallah, we read of ‘Le Sacrifice du
Mont Arafáte,' which seems to have become a fixture in the
European brain. I found the work easy writing and exceedingly
hard reading."
The following tales require a passing notice:--
1. Story of Aboulcassem Bafry.--A story of concealed treasure; it
has also some resemblance to No. 31.
2. Ruzvanchad and Cheheristani.--Cheheristani is a jinniyah, who
is pursued by the King, under the form of a white doe; marries
him, and becomes the mother of Balkis, the Queen of Sheba. She
exacts a promise from him never to rebuke her for any of her
actions: he breaks it, and she leaves him for a time.
2a. The Young King of Thibet.--Two imposters obtain magic rings
by which they can assume the shapes of other persons.
2a, b. The Vazir Cavercha.--This is one of Scott's stories (No.
223 of our Table). It goes back at least as far as the Ring of
Polycrates. It is the 8th Vezir's Story in Mr. Gibbs' Forty
Vezirs (pp. 200-205).
4. Prince Calaf.--This story is well known, and is sometimes
played as a comedy. The Princess Turandot puts riddles to her
suitors, and beheads them if they fail to answer.
5b. Story of Prince Seyj-el-Molouk.--This story is perhaps an
older version than that which appears in The Nights (No. 154a).
It is placed long after the time of Solomon; Saad is devoured by
ants (Weber (ii. p. 426) has substituted wild beasts!); and when
Seyf enters the palace of Malika (=Daulet Khatoon), the jinni
surprises them, and is overpowered by Seyf's ring. He then
informs him of the death of Saad; and that Bedy al-Jernal was one
of the mistresses of Solomon; and has also long been dead.
5b. Malek and Chirine.--Resembles No. 264; Malek passes himself
off as the Prophet Mohammed; burns his box (not chair) with
fireworks on his weddingday, and is thus prevented from ever
returning to the Princess.
5f. Adventures of Aboulfawaris.--Romantic travels, resembling
Nos. 132a and 133.
2. Antar.--This is the most famous of the Badawi romances. It
resembles No. 137 in several particulars, but is destitute of
supernaturalism. An English abridgment in 4 vols. was published
in 1820; and the substance of vol. 1 had appeared, as a fragment,
in the previous year, under the title of "Antar, a Bedoueen
Romance translated from the Arabic by Terrick Hamilton, Esq.,
Oriental Secretary to the British Embassy at Constantinople." I
have also seen vol. 1 of a French translation, published about
1862, and extending to the death of Shas.
Lane (Modern Egyptians, ch. 21-23) describes several other Arab
romances, which have not yet been translated; viz. Aboo-Zeyd; Ez-
Zahir, and Delhemeh.
3. GLAIVE-DES-COURONNES (Seif el-Tidjân) Roman traduit de
l'Arabe. Par M. le Dr. Perron (Paris, 1862).
A romantic story of Arab chivalry, less overloaded with
supernaturalism than No. 137; but more supernatural than Antar.
The hero marries (among other wives) two jinniyahs of the
posterity of Iblis. In ch. 21 we have an account of a magical
city much resembling the City of Brass (No. 134) and defended by
similar talismans.
4. MEHEMET THE KURD, and other tales, from Eastern sources, by
Charles Wells, Turkish Prizeman of King's College, London, and
Member of the Royal Asiatic Society (London, 1865).
The first story, taken from an Arabic MS., is a narrative of a
handsome simpleminded man, with whom Princesses fall in love, and
who is raised to a mighty throne by their enchantments. Some of
the early incidents are not unlike those in the well-known German
story of Lucky Hans (Hans im Glück). In one place there is an
enchanted garden, where Princesses disport themselves in feather-
dresses (as in No. 155, &c.), and where magic apples grow. (Note
that apples are always held in extraordinary estimation in The
Nights, cf. Nos. 4 and 264.) Among the shorter stories we find
No. 251h; a version of Nos. 9a and 152 (probably that referred to
by Mr. Clouston as in the Tuti Nama); a story "The Prince
Tailor," resembling No. 251; No. 256, and one or two other tales
not connected with The Nights. (Most of Wells' shorter tales are
evidently taken from the Forty Vezirs.)
5. RECUEIL DES CONTES POPULAIRES de la Kabylie du Djardjara,
recueillis et traduits par J. Rivičre (Paris, 1882). I have not
seen this book; but it can hardly fail to illustrate The Nights.
6. THE STORY OF JEWAD, Romance by 'Ali 'Aziz Efendi the Cretan.
Translated from the Turkish by E. J. W. Gibb, M.R.A.S., &c.
(Glasgow, 1884).
A modern Turkish work, written in A. H. 1211 (1796-97). It
contains the following tales:--
The Story of Jew d.
1. The Story of Eb -'Ali-Sin ;.
2. The Story of Monia Em n.
3. The Story of Ferah-N z, the daughter of the King of China.
a. The Story of Khoja 'Abdu-llah.
4. The Story told by Jew d to Iklilu'l Mulk.
a. The Story of Sh b r and Hum .
c. The Story of Ghazanfer and R hila.
5. The Story of Qara Khan.
The following deserve notice from our present point of view:--
The Story of Jewad.--Here we have magical illusions, as in Nos.
247 and 251a. Such narratives are common in the East; Lane
(Nights, ch. i., note 15) is inclined to attribute such illusions
to the influence of drugs; but the narratives seem rather to
point to so-called electro-biology, or the Scotch Glamour (such
influences, as is notorious, acting far more strongly upon
Orientals than upon Europeans).
2. The Story of Monia Em n corresponds to the Story of Naerdan
and Guzulbec, in Caylus' Oriental Tales. A story of magical
illusions.
3. The Story of Ferah N z.--Here again we have a variant of
Nos. 9a and 152.
3a. Khoja 'Abdu-ltab.--This is a version of the Story of
Aboulcassem in the Thousand and One Days.
4a. Sh b r and Hum .--The commencement of this story might have
suggested to Southey the adventures of Thalaba and Oneida in the
Gardens of Aloadin; the remainder appears to be taken from the
Story of the young King of Thibet, in the Thousand and One Days.
5. Qara Khan.--The principal part of this story is borrowed
from the First Voyage of Aboulfawaris in the Thousand and One
Days; it has some resemblance to the story of the Mountain of
Loadstone in No. 3c.
7. FRÜCHTE DES ASIATISCHEN GEIST, von A. T. Hartmann. 2 vols.,
12mo (Münster) 1803. A collection of anecdotes, &c., from various
Eastern sources, Arabic, Indian, &c. I think it not impossible
that this may be the work referred to by Von Hammer in the
preface to Zinserling's "1001 Nacht" (p. xxvii. note) as
"Asiatische Perleuschnur von Hartmann." At least I have not yet
met with any work to which the scanty indication would apply
better.
8. TUTI-NAMA. I could hardly pass over the famous Persian and
Turkish "Parrot-Book" quite without notice; but its tales have
rarely any direct connection with those in The Nights, and I have
not attempted to go into its very extensive bibliography.
DR. CLARKE'S M.S.
Dr. Edward Daniel Clarke has given an account of an important MS.
nearly agreeing with Bul. and Mac., which he purchased in Egypt,
in his "Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa."
Part ii. Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land. Section i. (1812) App.
iii., pp. 701-704. Unfortunately, this MS. was afterwards so
damaged by water during a shipwreck that it was rendered totally
illegible. The list of tales (as will be seen by the numbers in
brackets, which correspond to our Table, as far as the
identifications are safe) will show the approximate contents of
the MS., but the list (which is translated into German by Habicht
in the preface to his vol. 12) was evidently compiled carelessly
by a person nearly ignorant of Arabic, perhaps with the aid of an
interpreter, Maltese, or other, and seems to abound with the most
absurd mistakes. The full text of Clarke's App. iii. is as
follows: "List of One Hundred and Seventy-two Tales, contained in
a manuscript copy of the ‘Ŕlif Lila va Lilin,' or ‘Arabian
Nights,' as it was procured by the Author in Egypt."
N.B.--The Arabic words mentioned in this list are given as they
appeared to be pronounced in English characters, and of course,
therefore, adapted to English pronunciation.
The number of tales amounts to 172, but one tale is supposed to
occupy many nights in the recital, so that the whole number is
divided into "One Thousand and One Nights." It rarely happens
that any two copies of the Alif Lila va Lilin resemble each
other. This title is bestowed upon any collection of Eastern
tales divided into the same number of parts. The compilation
depends upon the taste, the caprice, and the opportunities of the
scribe, or the commands of his employer. Certain popular stories
are common to almost all copies of the Arabian Nights, but almost
every collection contains some tales which are not found in every
other. Much depends upon the locality of the scribe. The popular
stories of Egypt will be found to differ materially from those of
Constantinople. A nephew of the late Wortley Montague, living in
Rosetta, had a copy of the Arabian Nights, and upon comparing the
two manuscripts it appeared that out of the 172 tales here
enumerated only 37 were found in his manuscript. In order to
mark, therefore, the stories which were common to the two
manuscripts, an asterisk has been prefixed to the thirty-seven
tales which appeared in both copies.
1. The Bull and the Ass (a).
2. The Merchant and the Hobgoblin (1; Habicht translates
Kobold!).
3. The Man and the Antelope (1a).
4. The Merchant and Two Dogs (1b).
5. The Old Man and the Mule (1c).
*6. The History of the Hunters (2).
7&8. The History of King Unam and the Philosopher Reinan
(2a).
* 9. History of King Sinbad and Elbase (2a, ab).
*10. History of the Porter (3).
*11. History of Kar nduli.
12. Story of the Mirror.
13. Story of the Three Apples (4).
*14. Of Shensheddin Mohammed, and his Brother Noureddin (5).
*15. Of the Taylor, Little Hunchback, the Jew and the
Christian (6).
16. The History of Noureddin Ali (7).
17. Ditto of Gaumayub, &c. (8).
*18. The History of King Omar and Oman and his Children.
(This tale is extremely long, and occupies much of the
manuscript) (9).
*19. Of the Lover and the Beloved (9a).
20. Story of the Peacock, the Goose, the Ass, the Horse, &c.
(10).
21. Of the Pious Man (11).
22. Of the Pious Shepherd.
23. Of the Bird and the Turtle (12).
24. Of the Fox, the Hawk, &c. (13).
25. Of the Lord of the Beasts.
*26. Of the Mouse and the Partridge (14).
27. Of the Raven and the Cat (15).
28. Of the Raven, the Fox, the Mouse, the Flea, &c., &c. (16).
29. Story of the Thief (18).
*30. Of Aul Hassan and the Slave Shemsney Har (20).
*31. Of Kamrasaman, &c. (21).
32. Of Naam and Nameto la (21a).
*33. Of Aladin Abuskelmat (22).
*34. Of Hallina Die (23).
35. Story of Maan Jaamnazida (24).
36. History of the Town Litta (26).
37. Story of Hassan Abdulmelac (27).
38. Of Ibrahim Elmachde, Brother of Haroun al Raschid (28).
39. History of the Famous Garden Ezem (Paradise) (29).
40. Of Isaac of Mossul (30).
41. Of Hasli Hasli.
42. Of Mohammed Eli Ali (32).
43. Of Ali the Persian (33).
44. History of the Raschid and his Judge (34).
45. Of Haled Immi Abdullah.
46. Of Jafaard the Bamasside (36).
47. Of Abokohammed Kurlan (37).
48. Of Haroun al-Raschid and Sala.
49. History of Mamoan (40).
50. Of Shar and the Slave Zemroud (41).
51. Of the Lady Bedoor (literally Mrs. Moon-face) and Mr.
Victorious (42).
52. Of Mammon and Mohammed of Bassorah.
53. Of Haroun al-Raschid and his Slave (44).
54. Of the Merchant in Debt (45).
55. Of Hassoun Medin, the Governor (46).
56. Of King Nassir and his Three Children--the Governor of
Cairo, the Governor of Bulac, and the Governor of Old Cairo
(47).
57. History of the Banker and the Thief (48).
58. Of Aladin, Governor of Constantinople.
59. Of Mamoon and Ibrahim (50).
60. Of a certain King (51).
61. Of a Pious Man (52).
62. Of Abul Hassan Ezeada (53). 63. Of a Merchant (54).
64. Of a Man of Bagdad (55).
65. Of Modavikil (56).
*66. Of Virdan in the time of Hakim Veemrelack (N.B.--He
built the Mosque in going from Cairo to Heliopolis)
(57).
67. Of a Slave and an Ape (58).
*68. Story of the Horse of Ebony (59).
*69. Of Insilvujud (60).
70. Of Eban Vas (61).
71. Of an Inhabitant of Bassora (62).
72. History of a Man of the tribe of Arabs of Beucadda (63).
73. History of Benriddin, Vizir of Yemen (64).
74. Of a Boy and a Girl (65).
75. Of Mutelmis (66).
76. Of Haroun al Rashid and the Lady Zebeda (67).
77. Of Mussa ab imni Zibir (69).
78. Of the Black Father.
79. Of Haroun al Raschid.
80. Story of an Ass Keeper (74?).
81. Of Haroun al Rashid and Eboo Yussuf (75).
82. Of Hakim, Builder of the Mosque (76).
83. Of Melikel Horrais.
84. Of a Gilder and his Wife (78).
85. Of Hashron, &c. (79).
86. Of Yackyar, &c., the Barmadride (80).
87. Of Mussa, &c.
88. Of Said, &c.
89. Of the Whore and the Good Woman.
90. Of Raschid and Jacob his Favourite.
91. Of Sherif Hussein.
92. Of Mamoon, son of Haroun al Raschid (87).
93. Of the repenting Thief (88)
94. Of Haroun al Raschid (89).
95. Of a Divine, &c. (90).
96. Another story of a Divine.
97. The Story of the Neighbours.
98. Of Kings (94).
99. Of Abdo Rackman (95).
100. Of Hind, daughter of Nackinan (96).
101. Of Tabal (97).
102. Of Isaac son of Abraham (98).
103. Of a Boy and a Girl.
104. Story of Chassim Imni Addi.
105. Of Abul Abass.
106. Of Ebubecker Ben Mohammed.
107. Of Ebi Evar.
108. Of Emmin, brother of Mamon (105).
109. Of six Scheiks of Bagdad.
110. Of an Old Woman.
111. Of a Wild Girl.
112. Of Hasan Elgevire of Bagdad.
113. Of certain Kings.
114. Of a king of Israel (116).
115. Of Alexander (117).
116. Of King Nusharvian (118).
117. Of a Judge and his Wife (119).
118. Of an Emir.
119. Of Malek Imnidinar.
120. Of a devout man of the children of Israel (122).
121. Of Hedjage Himni Yussuf (123).
122. Of a Blacksmith (124).
123. Of a devout man (125).
124. Of Omar Imnilchatab.
125. Of Ibrahim Elchaber.
126. Of a Prophet (128).
127. Of a Pious Man (129).
128. Of a Man of the Children of Israel (130).
129. Of Abul Hassan Duradge (131).
130. Of Sultana Hayaat.
131. Of the Philosopher Daniel (132).
*132. Of Belukia (132A).
*133. The Travels of Sinbad--certain seven voyages, &c.
(133).
134. Of the Town of Copper (134).
135. Of the Seven Virgins and the Slave (135).
*136. Story of Judais (136).
137. The Wonderful History.
138. Of Abdullah lmni Mohammi.
139. Of Hind Imni Haman (139).
140. Of Chazmimé Imni Bashés (140).
141. Of Jonas the Secretary (141).
142. Of Haroun al-Rashid (142).
143. Of ditto.
144. Of Ebon Isaac Ibrahim (144).
145. Of Haroun al Raschid, Misroor and the Poet.
146. Of the Caliph Moavia.
147. Of Haroun al Raschid.
148. Of Isaac Imni Ibrahim (148),
149. Of Ebwi Amér.
*150. Of Achmet Ezenth and the old Female Pimp.
151. Of the three Brothers.
152. Of Erdeshir and Hiaker, of Julmar El Bacharia (1521.
153. Of Mahomet, &c.
154. Ditto (154?).
*155. Story of Safil Moluki (154A).
*156, Of Hassan, &c. (155).
*157. Of Caliph the Hunter (156).
*158. Of Mersir and his Mistress (157).
159. Of Noureddin and Mary (158).
160. Of a Bedouin and a Frank (159).
161. Of a Man of Baghdad and his Female Slave (160).
162. Of a King, his Son, and the Vizir Shemar (161).
*163. Of a Merchant and the Thieves.
*164. Of Abousir and Aboukir (162).
*165. Abdulak El Beri and Abdulak El Backari (163).
*166. Of Haroun al Raschid.
167. Of the Merchant Abul Hassan al-Omani (164).
168. Of Imnil Echarib (168).
169. Of Moted Bila.
*170. Of Kamasi Zemuan (167).
*171. Of Abdulah Imni Fasil (168).
*172. The Story of Maroof (169).
IMITATIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS WORKS HAVING MORE OR LESS
CONNECTION WITH THE NIGHTS.
The success of Galland's work led to the appearance of numerous
works more or less resembling it, chiefly in England and France.
Similar imitations, though now less numerous, have continued to
appear down to the present day.
The most important of the older works of this class were
published in French in the "Cabinet des Fées" (Amsterdam and
Geneva, 1785-1793; 41 vols.); in English in "Tales of the East:
comprising the most popular Romances of Oriental origin, and the
best imitations by European authors, with new translations and
additional tales never before published, to which is prefixed an
introductory dissertation, containing an account of each work and
of its author or translator. By Henry Weber, Esq." (Edinburgh,
1812, 3 vols.); and in German in "Tausand und ein Tag.
Morgenländische Erzählungen aus dem Persisch, Turkisch und
Arabisch, nach Petis de la Croix, Galland, Cardonne, Chavis und
Cazotte, dem Grafen Caylus, und Anderer. Übersetzt von F. H. von
der Hagen" (Prenzlau, 1827-1837, 11 vols.). In the "Cabinet des
Fées" I find a reference to an older collection of tales (partly
Oriental) called the "Bibliothčque des Fées et des Génies," by
the Abbé de la Porte, which I have not seen, but which is, in
part, incorporated in the "Cabinet." It formed only 2 vols. 12mo,
and was published in 1765.
The examination of these tales is difficult, for they comprise
several classes, not always clearly defined:--
1. Satires on The Nights themselves (e.g. the Tales of the
Count of Hamilton).
2. Satires in an Oriental garb (e.g. Beckford's Vathek).
3. Moral tales in an Oriental garb (e.g. Mrs. Sheridan's
Nourjahad).
4. Fantastic tales with nothing Oriental about them but the
name (e.g. Stevenson's New Arabian Nights).
5. Imitations pure and simple (e.g. G. Meredith's Shaving of
Shagpat).
6. Imitations more or less founded on genuine Oriental sources
(e.g. the Tales of the Comte de Caylus).
7. Genuine Oriental Tales (e.g. Mille et une Jours, translated
by Petis de la Croix).
Most of the tales belonging to Class 7 and some of those
belonging to Class 6 have been treated of in previous sections.
The remaining tales and imitations will generally need only a
very brief notice; sometimes only the title and the indication of
the class to which they belong. We will begin with an enumeration
of the Oriental contents of the Cabinet des Fées, adding W. i.,
ii. and iii. to show which are included in Weber's "Tales of the
East":--
7-11. 1001 Nuits (W. 1).
12, 13. Les Aventures d'Abdalla (W. iii).
14, 15. 1001 Jours (Persian tales, W. ii.). 16. Histoire de la
Sultane de Perse et des Visirs. Contes Turcs (Turkish
tales, W. 3==our 251).
16. Les Voyages de Zulma dans le pays des Fées.
17, 18. Contes de Bidpai.
19. Contes Chinois, on les Aventures merveilleuses du Mandarin
Fum-Hoam (W. iii.). 21, 22. Les Mille et un Quart d'Heures.
Contes Tartares (W. iii.).
22, 23. Les Sultanes de Guzerath, ou les Songes des hommes
eveillés. Contes Moguls (W. iii.).
25. Nouveaux Contes Orientaux, par le Comte de Caylus (W. ii.).
29, 30. Les Contes des Génies (W. iii.).
30. Les Aventures de Zelouide et d'Amanzarifdine.
30. Contes Indiens par M. de Moncrif.
33. Nourjahad (W. ii.).
34. Contes de M. Pajon.
38-41. Les Veillées du Sultan Schahriar, &c. (Chavis and Cazotte;
cf. anteŕ, p. 419; W. i. ii.).
(Weber also includes, in his vol. ii. Nos. 21a, 22, 32 and 37,
after Caussin de Perceval.)
12, 13. The Adventures of Abdallah, the Son of Hanif (Class 5 or
6).
Originally published in 1713; attributed to M. de Bignon, a young
Abbé. A series of romantic travels, in which Eastern and Western
fiction is mixed; for instance, we have the story of the Nose-
tree, which so far as I know has nothing Oriental about it.
16. The Voyages of Zulma in Fairy Land (Class 4).
European fairy tales, with nothing Oriental about them but the
names of persons and places. The work is unfinished.
17, 18. The Tales of Bidpai (translated by Galland) are Indian,
and therefore need no further notice here.
19-23. Chinese, Tartarian and Mogul Tales (Class 6).
Published in 1723, and later by Thomas Simon Gueulette.
Concerning these tales, Mr. Clouston remarks (in litt.): "Much of
the groundwork of these clever imitations of the Arabian Nights
has been, directly or indirectly, derived from Eastern sources;
for instance, in the so-called Tartar tales, the adventures of
the Young Calender find parallels, (1) in the well-known Bidpai
tale of the Bráhman, the Sharpers and the Goat (Kalila and Dimna,
Pánchatantra, Hitopadesa, &c.) and (2) in the worldwide story of
the Farmer who outwitted the Six Men (Indian Antiquary, vol. 3)
of which there are many versions current in Europe, such as the
Norse tale of Big Peter and Little Peter, the Danish tale of
Great Claus and Little Claus; the German tale (Grimm) of the
Little Farmer; the Irish tale of Little Fairly (Samuel Lover's
collection of Irish Fairy Legends and Stories); four Gaelic
versions in Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands; a
Kaba'il version in Riviere's French collection (Contes populaires
Kabylies); Uncle Capriano in Crane's recently published Italian
Popular Tales; and a Latin mediaeval version (written probably in
the I **1th century) in which the hero is called ‘Unibos,'
because he had only one cow."
25. Oriental Tales (Class 6).
Mr. Clouston observes, "Appeared in 1749,[FN#472] and on the
title page are said to have been translated from MSS. in the
Royal French Library. The stories are, however, largely the
composition of De Caylus himself, and those elements of them
which are traceable to Asiatic sources have been considerably
Frenchified."
Nevertheless they are not without interest, and are nearly all of
obviously Oriental origin. One of the stories is a fantastic
account of the Birth of Mahomet, including romantic travels
largely borrowed from No. 132a. Another story is a version of
that of the Seven Sleepers. Other noteworthy tales are the story
of the Dervish Abounader, which resembles Nos. 193 and 216d; and
the story of Naerdan and Guzulbec, which is a tale of magical
illusions similar to that of Monia Emin, in the Turkish story of
Jewad.
The Count de Caylus was the author of various European as well as
Oriental fairy tales. Of his Oriental collection, Sir R. F.
Burton remarks:--"The stories are not Eastern but Western fairy
tales proper, with kings and queens, giants and dwarfs, and
fairies, good and bad. ‘Barbets' act as body guard and army.
Written in good old style, and free language, such as, for
instance, son pétenlaire, with here and there a touch of salt
humour, as in Rosanie ‘Charmante reine (car on n'a jamais parlé
autrement ŕ une reine, quel que laide qu'elle ait été).'"
29, 30. Tales of the Genii (Class 3).
Written in the middle of the last century by Rev. James Ridley,
but purporting to be translated from the Persian of Horam, the
son of Asmar, by Sir Charles Morell.
These tales have been reprinted many times; but it is very
doubtful if they are based on any genuine Oriental sources. The
amount of Oriental colouring may be guessed from the story of
Urad, who having consented to become the bride of a Sultan on
condition that he should dismiss all his concubines, and make her
his sole queen (like Harald Harfagr on his marriage with
Ragnhilda), is presented to his loving subjects as their Sultana!
32. Adventures of Zeloide and Amanzarifdine. Indian Tales, by M.
de Moncrif (Class 4). Ordinary European Fairy Tales, with
the scene laid in the East.
33. Nourjahad, by Mrs. Sheridan (Class 3).
An unworthy favourite is reformed by a course of practical moral
lessons conveyed by the Sultan through supposed supernatural
agencies. Mr. Clouston regards it as "one of the very best of the
imitations of Eastern fiction. The plot is ingeniously conceived
and well wrought out, and the interest never flags throughout."
34. Pajon's Oriental Tales (Class 5). These demand no special
notice.
In addition to the above, the following Oriental works are
mentioned in the Cabinet des Fées, but not reprinted:
1. Apologues orientaux, par l'abbé Blanchet.
2. Mélanges de littérature orientale, par Cardonne. (Paris, 2
vols. 1770.)
3. Neraďr et Meloe, roman oriental, par H. B. Deblanes (1759).
4. Contes orientaux, par M. de la Dixmerie.
5. Les Cinq Cent Matinées et une demie, contes Syriens, par le
chevalier de Duclos.
6. Abassâi, conte oriental, par Mademoiselle Fault (ou
Fauques) 1752.
7. Les Contes du Serail, par Mdlle. Fault (1753.)
8. Kara Mustapha, conte oriental, par Fromaget (1745).
9. Zilia et Cénie, par Francoise d'Isembourg d'Hippincourt de
Graffigny.
10. Salned et Garalde, conte oriental, par A. H. De la Motte.
11. Anecdotes orientales, par G. Mailhol (2 vols. 1752).
12. Alzahel, traduit d'un manuscrit arabe, par Mdlle. Raigné de
Malfontaine (Mercure, 1773).
13. Mahmoud le Gasnevide, conte oriental, par J. F. Melon.
14. Contes Orientaux, ou les recits du Sage Caleb, voyageur
persan, par Mme. Mouet.
15. Nadir, par A. G. de Montdorge.
16. Lettres Persanes, de Montesquieu.
17. Les Amusements de Jour, ou recueil de petits contes, par
Mme. de Mortemar.
18. Mirloh, conte oriental, par Martine de Morville (1769).
19. Ladila, anecdote turque (par la męme) 1769.
20. Daira, histoire orientale, par A. J. J. de la Riche de la
Poupeliničre (1761).
21. Cara Mustapha, par de Preschat.
22. Des trois Nations, conte oriental, par Marianne Robert
(1760).
23. Contes Orientaux, tirés des manuscrits de la Bibliothčque du
Roi, 2 vols. 12mo (1749).
This is the same as the Count de Caylus' Oriental Tales. Sir R.
F. Burton has received the following memorandum, respecting a
copy of an earlier edition of the same work: "Contes Orientaux,
tirés des manuscrits de la Bibliothčque du Roy de France, ornés
de figures en taille douce. A la Haye, 1743, 2 vols. 12mo,
polished calf gilt, gilt edges, arms in gilt on the sides.
"The Preface says, ‘M. Petit et M. Galland n'ont en aucune
connaissance des manuscrits dont cet ouvrage est tiré.'
"The Tales are from the MSS. and translations sent by those
despatched by the French Ministers to Constantinople to learn
Arabic, &c., and so become fit to act as Dragomans and
Interpreters to the French Embassy."
There is a copy of this work in the British Museum; it proves, as
I expected, to be the series of tales subsequently attributed to
the Count de Caylus.
In addition to the above, the following, of which I can only give
the names, are mentioned in the Cabinet des Fées, but not
reprinted:--
1. Alma-Moulin, conte oriental, 1779.
2. Gengiskan, histoire orientale, par M. de St. M.
3. Almanzor et Zelira, conte arabe, par M. Bret. (1772). {From
"les mercures."}
4. Almerine et Zelima, ou les Dangers de la Beauté, conte
orientale, 1773. {From "les mercures."}
5. Les Ames, conte arabe, par M. B--------. {From "les
mercures."}
6. Balky, conte oriental, 1768. {From "les mercures."}
7. Mirza, ou Is necessité d'etre utile (1774). {From "les
mercures."}
8. Zaman, histoire orientale, par M. B. {From "les mercures."}
9. Anecdotes Orientales, par Mayol, 1752.12mo.
10. Contes trčs moguls.
11. Foka ou les Metamorphoses, conte chinois. Derobé ŕ M.
de V. 1777. 12mo.
12. Mahulem, histoire orientale. 12mo, 1776.
13. Mille et une heure, contes Peruviens. 4 vols. 12mo,
1733.
14. Histoire de Khedy, Hermite de Mont Ararat. Conte
orientale, traduit de l'Anglais, 12mo, 1777.
15. Zambeddin, histoire orientale. 12mo, 1768.
16. Zelmoille et Zulmis et Turlableu. Par M. l'Abbé de
Voisem, 12mo, 1747.
17. Roman Oriental, Paris, 1753.
The remaining imitations, &c., known to me I shall place roughly
in chronological order, premising that I fear the list must be
very incomplete, and that I have met with very few except in
English and French.
A.--French
1. Zadig, ou la Destinée, par Voltaire[FN#473] probably
partakes of classes 2 and 6; said to be partly based on
Gueulette's "Soirées Bretonnes," published in 1712. The latter is
included in Cabinet des Fées, Vol. 32.
2. Vathek, an Arabian Tale, by William Beckford. I include this
book here because it was written and first published in French.
Its popularity was once very great, and it contains some
effective passages, though it belongs to Class 2, and is rather a
parody than an imitation of Oriental fiction. The Caliph Vathek,
after committing many crimes at the instance of his mother, the
witch Carathis, in order to propitiate Eblis, finally starts on
an expedition to Istakar. On the way, he seduces Nouronihar, the
beautiful daughter of the Emir Fakreddin, and carries her with
him to the Palace of Eblis, where they am condemned to wander
eternally, with their hearts surrounded with flames.
This idea (which is certainly not Oriental, so far as I know)
took the fancy of Byron, who was a great admirer of Vathek, and
he has mixed it with genuine Oriental features in a powerful
passage in the Giaour, beginning:
"But thou, false infidel! shalt writhe
Beneath avenging Monkir's scythe;
And from its torment 'scape alone
To wander round lost Eblis' throne;
And fire unquenched, unquenchable,
Around, within thy heart shall dwell;
Nor ear can hear, nor tongue can tell
The tortures of that inward hell!" &c.
How errors relative to Eastern matters are perpetuated is
illustrated by the fact that I have seen these lines quoted in
some modern philosophical work as descriptive of the hell in
which the Mohammedans believe!
Southey, in Thalaba, b. 1., speaks of the Sarsar, "the Icy Wind
of Death," an expression which he probably borrowed from Vathek.
3. The Count of Hamilton's Fairy Tales. Written shortly after
the first publication of Galland's work. There is an English
Translation among Bohn's Extra Volumes.
4. Les Mille et un Fadaises, par Cazotte. Class 1. I have not
seen them.
5. La Mille et deuxičme Nuit, par Theophilus Gautier (Paris,
1880). Probably Class 1 or 2; I have not seen it.
B.--English.
1. The Vision of Mirza (Addison in the "Spectator"). Class 3.
2. The Story of Amurath. Class 3. I do not know the author. I
read it in a juvenile book published about the end of last
century, entitled the Pleasing Instructor.
3. The Persian Tales of Inatulla of Delhi. Published in 1768,
by Colonel Alexander Dow at Edinburgh. A French translation
appeared at Amsterdam in two vols. and in Paris in one vol.
(1769). Class 6. Chiefly founded on a wellknown Persian work, of
which a more correct, though still incomplete, version was
published in 3 vols. by Jonathan Scott in 1799, under the title
of Bahar Danush, or Garden of Knowledge.
5. Rasselas, by Samuel Johnson. Class 3. Too well known to need
comment.
6. Almoran and Hamet, by Dr. Hawksworth. Class 3. Very popular
at the beginning of the present century, but now forgotten.
7. Oriental Fairy Tales (London, 1853). Class 4. A series of
very pretty fairy tales, by an anonymous author, in which the
scene is laid in the East (especially Egypt).
8. The Shaving of Shagpat, by George Meredith (London, 1855).
Class 5. I prefer this to most other imitations of an Oriental
tale.
9. The Thousand and One Humbugs. Classes 1 and 2. Published in
"Household Words," vol. xi. (1855) pp. 265-267, 289-292, 313-316.
Parodies on Nos. 1, 195, 6d, and 6e,f.
10. Eastern Tales, by many story-tellers. Compiled and edited
from ancient and modern authors by Mrs. Valentine, author of "Sea
Fights and Land Battles," &c. (Chandos Classics.)
In her preface, the authoress states that the tales "are gathered
from both ancient and modern French, Italian and English
sources."
Contains 14 tales, some genuine, others imitations, One,
"Alischar and Smaragdine," is a genuine story of The Nights (No.
41 of our Table), and is probably taken from Trébutien. Three
tales, "Jalaladeen," "Haschem," and "Jussuf," are Grimm's
imitations, taken probably from the composite English edition of
1847, and with the same illustrations. "The Seven Sleepers" and
the "Four Talismans" are from the Count de Caylus' tales;
"Halechalbe" and "Bohetzad" (our No. 174) are from Chavis and
Cazotte; "The Enchanters" and "Urad" are from the "Tales of the
Genii"; and "The Pantofles" is the well-known story of the miser
Casem and his slippers, but I know not where it first appeared.
The remaining three tales are unknown to me, and as I have seen
no volume of Italian Oriental tales, some, no doubt, are derived
from the Italian sources of which the authoress spoke. They are
the following: "The Prince and the Lions," "The City of the
Demons" (a Jewish story purporting to have been written in
England) and "Sadik Beg."
11. New Arabian Nights, by R. L. Stevenson (London, 1882).
12. More New Arabian Nights. The Dynamiter. By R. L. Stevenson
and Vander Grift (London, 1882). Class 4.
Of these tales, Sir R. F. Burton observes, "The only visible
connection with the old Nights is in the habit of seeking
adventures under a disguise. The method is to make the main idea
possible and the details extravagant. In another ‘New Arabian
Nights,' the joint production of MM. Brookfield, Besant and
Pollock, the reverse treatment is affected, the leading idea
being grotesque and impossible, and the details accurate and
lifelike."
C.--German.
It is quite possible that there are many imitations in German,
but I have not met with them. I can only mention one or two tales
by Hauff (the Caliph turned Stork, and the Adventures of Said); a
story called "Ali and Gulhindi," by what author I do not now
remember; and some imitations said to be by Grimm, already
mentioned in reference to the English composite edition of 1847.
They are all European fairy tales, in an Eastern dress.
CONCLUSION.
Among books specially interesting to the student of The Nights, I
may mention Weil's "Biblische Legenden der Muselmänner, aus
arabischen Quellen zusammengetragen, und mit jüdischen Sagen
verglichen" (Frankfort-on-Main, 1845). An anonymous English
translation appeared in 1846 under the title of "The Bible, the
Koran, and the Talmud," and it also formed one of the sources
from which the Rev. S. Baring-Gould compiled his "Legends of Old
Testament Characters" (2 vols., 1871). The late Prof. Palmer's
"Life of Haroun Al-Raschid" (London, 1881), is not much more than
a brief popular sketch. The references to The Nights in English
and other European literatures are innumerable; but I cannot
refrain from quoting Mark Twain's identification of Henry the
Eighth with Shahryar (Huckleberry Finn, chap. xxiii).
"My, you ought to have seen old Henry the Eighth when he was in
bloom. He was a blossom. He used to marry a new wife every day,
and chop off her head next morning. And he would do it just as
indifferent as if he was ordering up eggs. "Fetch up Nell Gwynn,"
he says. They fetch her up. Next morning, "Chop off her head."
And they chop it off. "Fetch up Jane Shore," he says; and up she
comes. Next morning, "Chop off her head." And they chop it off.
"Ring up Fair Rosamun." Fair Rosamun answers the bell. Next
morning, "Chop off her head." And he made every one of them tell
him a tale every night, and he kept that up till he had hogged a
thousand and one tales that way, and then he put them all in a
book, and called it Domesday Book--which was a good name, and
stated the case. You don't know kings, Jim, but I know them, and
this old rip of ourn is one of the cleanest I've struck in
history. Well, Henry, he takes a notion he wants to get up some
trouble with this country. How does he do it--give notice?--give
the country a show? No. All of a sudden he heaves all the tea in
Boston Harbour overboard, and whacks out a declaration of
independence, and dares them to come on. That was his style--he
never give anybody a chance. He had suspicions of his father, the
Duke of Wellington. Well, what did he do?--ask him to show up?
No--drownded him in a butt of mamsey, like a cat. Spose people
left money laying around where he was--what did he do? He
collared it. Spose he contracted to do a thing, and you paid him,
and didnt set down there and see that he done it--what did he do?
He always done the other thing. Spose he opened his mouth--what
then? If he didnt shut it up powerful quick, he'd lose a lie,
every time. That's the kind of a bug Henry was."
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE TALES IN THE PRINCIPAL
EDITIONS OF THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS, viz.:--
1. Galland.
2. Caussin de Perceval.
3. Gauttier.
4. Scott's MS. (Wortley Montague).
5. Ditto (Anderson; marked A).
6. Scott's Arabian Nights.
7. Scott's Tales and Anecdotes (marked A).
8. Von Hammer's MS.
9. Zinserling.
10. Lamb.
11. Trébutien.
12. Bul. text.
13. Lane.
14. Bres. text.
15. Habicht.
16. Weil.
17. Mac. text.
18. Torrens.
19. Payne.
20. Payne's Tales from the Arabic (marked I. II. III.)
21. Calc.
22. Burton.
As nearly all editions of The Nights are in several volumes, the
volumes are indicated throughout, except in the case of some of
the texts. Only those tales in No. 5 not included in No. 4 are
here indicated in the same column. All tales which there is good
reason to believe do not belong to the genuine Nights are marked
with an asterisk.
The blank column may be used to enter the contents of some other
edition.
Galland. "Bul." Text. Burton.
| Caussin de Perceval. | Lane. |
| | Gautier. | | "Bres." Text. |
| | | Scott's MS. | | | Habicht. |
| | | | Scott. | | | | Weil. |
| | | | | Van Hammer's MS.| | | | | "Mac." Text |
| | | | | | Zinserling. | | | | | | Torrens. |
| | | | | | | Lamb. | | | | | | | Payne. |
| | | | | | | | Trébutien | | | | | | Calc. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . - … … 1 - * … … … + 1 + … 1 + 1 1 + … 1
Story of King Shahryar and his brother . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
a. Tale of the Bull and the Ass . . . . 1 1 1 A 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
1. Tale of the Trader and the Jinni . . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
a. The First Shaykh's Story . . . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
b. The Second Shaykh's Story . . . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
c. The Third Shaykh's Story . . . . . - - … 1 - * … … … + 1 + … 1 + 1 1 - … 1
2. The Fisherman and the Jinni . . . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
a. Tale of the Wazir and the Sage Duban . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ab. Story of King Sindibad and his Falcon . - - … ? - * … … … + - - - 1 + 1 1 - … 1
ac. Tale of the Husband and the Parrot . . 1 1 1 ? 1 * … … … - 1 + 1 1 - - - + … 1
ad. Tale of the Prince and the Ogress . . 1 1 1 ? 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
b. Tale of the Ensorcelled Prince . . . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 1 1 + 1 1 + … 1
3. The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad . . 1 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
a. The First Kalandar's Tale . . . . . 2 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
b. The Second Kalandar's Tale . . . . . 2 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ba. Tale of the Envier and the Envied . . 2 1 1 ? 1 * … … … - 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
c. The Third Kalandar's Tale . . . . . 2 1 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
d. The Eldest Lady's Tale . . . . . . 2 2 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
e. Tale of the Portress . . . . . . 2 2 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 - … 1
Conclusion of the Story of the Porter and
three Ladies . . . . . . . . 2 2 1 1 1 * … … … + 1 + 2 1 + 1 1 + … 1
4. Tale of the Three Apples . . . . . . 3 2 2 … 2 * … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
5. Tale of Nur Al-Din and his Son Badr Al-Din Hasan 3,4 2 2 … 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
6. The Hunchback's Tale . . . . . . . 4 2 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
a. The Nazarene Broker's Story . . . . . 4 2 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
b. The Reeve's Tale . . . . . . . 4 2 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
c. Tale of the Jewish Doctor . . . . . 4 3 2 ? 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
d. Tale of the Tailor . . . . . . . 4,5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 3 1 + 1 1 + … 1
e. The Barber's Tale of Himself . . . . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ea. The Barber's Tale of his First Brother . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
eb. The Barber's Tale of his Second Brother . 5 3 2 ? 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ec. The Barber's Tale of his Third Brother . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ed. The Barber's Tale of his Fourth Brother . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ee. The Barber's Tale of his Fifth Brother . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
ef. The Barber's Tale of his Sixth Brother . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
The End of the Tailor's Tale . . . . . 5 3 2 1 2 1 … … … + 1 + 4 1 + 1 1 + … 1
7. Nur Al-Din Ali and the Damsel Anis Al-Jalis . 7 4 3 1 3 1 … … … + 1 + 5,6 1 + 1 1 + … 2
8. Tale of Ghanim Bin Ayyub, the Distraught, the
Thrall o' Love . . . . . . . . 8 4,5 4 … 4 1 … … … + 1 + 8 2 + 1 1 … … 2
a. Tale of the First Eunuch, Bukhayt . . . … … … … … ? … … … + + … 2 + 1 1 … … 2
b. Tale of the Second Eunuch, Kafur. . . . … … … … … ? … … … + 1 + … 2 + 1 1 … … 2
9. Tale of King Omar Bin Al-Nu'uman, and his
sons Sharrkan and Zan Al-Makan . . . . … … … … … 1 … … … + - … … 3 + 1(p) 2 … … 2,3
a. Tale of Taj Al-Muluk and the Princess
Dunya . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 1 … … … + 1 … … 3 + … 2 … … 2,3
aa. Tale of Aziz and Azizah . . . . . … … … … … 1 … … … + 1 … … 3 + … 2 … … 2,3
b. Tale of the Hashish-Eater . . . . . … … … … … ? … … … + - … … - + … 2 … … 3
c. Tale of Hammad the Badawi . . . . . … … … … … 1 … … … + - … … - + … 2 … … 3
10. The Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter . . . … … … … … * … … … + 2 … … 2 + … 2 … … 3
11. The Hermits . . . . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … 2 + … 2 … … 3
12. The Water-fowl and the Tortoise . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
13. The Wolf and the Fox . . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + 2 … … … + … 2 … … 3
a. Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge . . … … … … … * … … … + 2 … … … + … 2 … … 3
14. The Mouse and the Ichneumon . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
15. The Cat and the Crow . . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … 2 + … 2 … … 3
16. The Fox and the Crow . . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
a. The Flea and the Mouse . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
b. The Saker and the Birds . . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
c. The Sparrow and the Eagle . . . . . … … … … … * … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
17. The Hedgehog and the Wood Pigeons . . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
a. The Merchant and the Two Sharpers . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
18. The Thief and his Monkey . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 2 … … 3
a. The Foolish Weaver . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 3 … … 3
19. The Sparrow and the Peacock . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 3 … … 3
20. Ali Bin Bakkar and Shams Al-Nahar . . . . 5,6 3 3 … 2,3 1 … … … + 2 + 4 1 + … 3 + … 3
21. Tale of Kamar Al-Zaman . . . . . . . 6 3,4 3 2 3 1,2 … … … + 2 + 5 1 + … 3 … … 3,4
a. Ni'amah bin Al-Rabia and Naomi his
Slave-girl . . . . . . . . . … 9 … … … ? … … … + 2 + 13 2 + … 3 … … 4
22. Ala Al-Din Abu Al-Shamat . . . . . . … 9 … … … 2 … … … + 2 + 13 2 + … 3 … … 4
23. Hatim of the Tribe of Tayy . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
24. Ma'an the son of Zaidah and the three Girls . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 … 2 + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
25. Ma'an son of Zaidah and the Badawi . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
26. The City of Labtayt . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
27. The Caliph Hisham and the Arab Youth . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
28. Ibrahim bin Al-Mahdi and the Barber-Surgeon . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
29. The City of Many-columned Iram and Abdullah
son of Abi Kalabah . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 2 + … 3 … … 4
30. Isaac of Mosul . . . . . . . . … … 7 … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + 13 2 + … 3 + … 4
31. The Sweep and the Noble Lady . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 3 … … 4
32. The Mock Caliph . . . . . . . . … 9 2 … … 2 - … - + 2 + 4 2 + … 3 … … 4
33. Ali the Persian . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 3 … … 4
34. Harun Al-Rashid and the Slave-Girl and the
Imam Abu Yusuf . . . . . . . . … … … … … - - … - + - + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
35. The Lover who feigned himself a Thief . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
36. Ja'afar the Barmecide and the Bean-Seller . . … … … … … 2 - … - + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
37. Abu Mohammed hight Lazybones . . . . . … 9 … … … 2 - … - + 2 + 13 2 + … 4 … … 4
38. Generous dealing of Yahya bin Khalid the
Barmecide with Mansur . . . . . . … … … … … ? - … - + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 4
39. Generous Dealing of Yahya son of Khalid with
a man who forged a letter in his name . . … … … … … ? - … - + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 4
40. Caliph Al-Maamun and the Strange Scholar . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … … … … 4 … … 4
41. Ali Shar and Zumurrud . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 1 + 2 + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
42. The Loves of Jubayr Bin Umayr and the Lady
Budur . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 1 + 2 + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
43. The Man of Al-Yaman and his six Slave-Girls . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
44. Harun Al-Rashid and the Damsel and Abu Nowas . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 4 … … 4
45. The Man who stole the dish of gold whereon
the dog ate . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
46. The Sharper of Alexandria and the Chief of
Police . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
47. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and the three Chiefs of
Police . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
a. Story of the Chief of the New Cairo Police . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
b. Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
c. Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
48. The Thief and the Shroff . . . . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
49. The Chief of the Kus Police and the Sharper . … … … … … - - … - + - … … … + … 4 … … 4
50. Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi and the Merchant's Sister . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 4
51. The Woman whose hands were cut off for alms-
giving . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
52. The devout Israelite . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
53. Abu Hassan AI-Ziyadi and the Khorasan Man . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
54. The Poor Man and his Friend in Need . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
55. The Ruined Man who became rich again through
a dream . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 4
56. Caliph AI-Mutawakkil and his Concubine Mahbubah … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
57. Wardan the Butcher's Adventure with the Lady
and the Bear . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 4 … … 4
58. The King's Daughter and the Ape . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 4 … … 4
59. The Ebony Horse . . . . . . . . 11 7 5 … 5 2 - … - + 2 + 9 1 + … 4 … … 5
60. Uns Al-Wujud and the Wazir's Daughter Rose-
in-Hood . . . . . . . . . . … … 6 4 6 2 1 … 1 + 2 + 11 2 + … 4 … … 5
61. Abu Nowas with the Three Boys and the Caliph
Harun Al-Rashid . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … - + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
62. Abdullah bin Ma'amar with the Man of Bassorah
and his Slave-Girl . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
63. The Lovers of the Banu Ozrah . . . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + 11 4 + … 4 … … 5
64. The Wazir of Al-Yaman and his young Brother . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 4 … … 5
65. The Loves of the Boy and Girl at School . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 4 … … 5
66. Al-Mutalammis and his Wife Umaymah . . . . … … … … … - - … - + - + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
67. Harun At-Rashid and Zubaydah in the Bath . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
68. Harim Al-Rashid and the Three Poets . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 2 + … 4 … … 5
69. Mus 'ab bin AI-Zubayr and Ayishah his Wife . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 4 … … 5
70. Abu Al-Aswad and his Slave-Girl . . . . … … … … … - - … … + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
71. Harim Al-Rashid and the two Slave-Girls . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
72. Harun Al-Rashid and the Three Slave-Girls . . … … … … … - - … … + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
73. The Miller and his Wife . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
74. The Simpleton and the Sharper . . . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
75. The Kazi Abu Yusuf with Harun Al-Rashid and
Queen Zubaydah . . . . . . . . … … … A A - - … - + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
76. The Caliph Al-Hakim and the Merchant . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
77. King Kisra Anushirwan and the Village Damsel . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
78. The Water-carrier and the Goldsmith's Wife . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
79. Khusrau and Shirin and the Fisherman . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
80. Yahya bin Khalid and the Poor Man . . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
81. Mohammed al-Amin and the Slave-Girl . . . … … … … … - - … - + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
82. The Sons of Yahya bin Khalid and Said bin Salim … … … … … - - … - + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
83. The Woman's Trick against her Husband . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
84. The Devout Woman and the Two Wicked Elders . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
85. Ja'afar the Barmecide and the old Badawi . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
86. Omar bin Al-Khattab and the Young Badawi . . … … … … … 2 1 1 3 + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
87. Al-Maamun and the Pyramids of Eygpt . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 4 … … 5
88. The Thief and the Merchant . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
89. Masrur the Eunuch and Ibn Al-Karibi . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
90. The Devotee Prince . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 3 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
91. The Schoolmaster who fell in Love by Report . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
92. The Foolish Dominie . . . . . . . … … … … … - - … … + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
93. The Illiterate who set up for a Schoolmaster . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
94. The King and the Virtuous Wife . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 4 … … 5
95. Abd Al-Rahman the Maghribi's story of the Rukh . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
96. Adi bin Zayd and the Princess Hind . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
97. Di'ibil Al-Khuza'i with the Lady and Muslim bin
Al-Walid . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
98. Isaac of Mosul and the Merchant . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
99. The Three Unfortunate Lovers . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
100. How Abu Hasan brake Wind . . . . . . … … … … … - - … - … - … … … … … - … … 5
101. The Lovers of the Bann Tayy . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
102. The Mad Lover . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
103. The Prior who became a Moslem . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 2 3 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
104. The Loves of Abu Isa and Kurrat Al-Ayn . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 + … … + … 4 … … 5
105. Al-Amin and his Uncle Ibrahim bin Al-Mahdi . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
106. Al-Fath bin Khakan and Al-Mutawakkil . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
107. The Man's dispute with Learned Woman concerning
relative excellence of male and female . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
108. Abu Suwayd and the pretty Old Woman . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
109. Ali bin Tahir and the girl Muunis . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
110. The Woman who had a Boy, and the other who had
a Man to lover . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - + … … + … 4 … … 5
111. Ali the Cairene and the Haunted House in
Baghdad . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 1 + 2 + … 4 + … 4 … … 5
112. The Pilgrim Man and the Old Woman . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … … + … 4 … … 5
113. Abu Al-Husn and his Slave-girl Tawaddud . . … … … … … 2 1 … 1 + - … … … + … 4 … … 5
114. The Angel of Death with the Proud King and the
Devout Man . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
115. The Angel of Death and the Rich King . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
116. The Angel of Death and the King of the Children
of Israel . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 3 3 + 2 … … … + … 5 … … 5
117. Iskandar zu Al-Karnayn and a certain Tribe of
Poor Folk . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
118. The Righteousness of King Anushirwan . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
119. The Jewish Kazi and his Pious Wife . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
120. The Shipwrecked Woman and her Child . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
121. The Pious Black Slave . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
122. The Devout Tray-maker and his Wife . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
123. Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Pious Man . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 5 … … 5
124. The Blacksmith who could Handle Fire Without
Hurt . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
125. The Devotee to whom Allah gave a Cloud for
Service and the Devout King . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
126. The Moslem Champion and the Christian Damsel . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
127. The Christian King's Daughter and the Moslem . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 5 … … 5
128. The Prophet and the Justice of Providence . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + 2 … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
129. The Ferryman of the Nile and the Hermit . . … … … … … 2 1 … - + - … … … + … 5 … … 5
130. The Island King and the Pious Israelite . . … … 6 … … 2 1 … 3 + - … 10 4 + … 5 … … 5
131. Abu Al-Hasan and Abu Ja'afar the Leper . . . … … … … … 2 1 … 3 + - … … … + … 5 … … 5
132. The Queen of the Serpents . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 3 1 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
a. The Adventure of Bulukiya . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 3 1 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
b. The Story of Janshah . . . . . . … … … … … 2 1 3 1 + - … … 4 + … 5 … … 5
133. Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Landsman . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 2 1 + … 5 + … 6
a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 2 1 + … 5 + … 6
b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 2 1 + … 5 + … 6
c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 2 1 + … 5 + … 6
d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 2 1 + … 5 + … 6
e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 3 1 + … 5 + … 6
f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad theSeaman . . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 3 1 + … 5 - … 6
ff. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad theSeaman . . … … … … … … … … … - 3 - … … - … III + … -
g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . 3 2 2 … 2 3 - … - + 3 + 3 1 + … 5 + … 6
gg. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman . - … … … - - - … - - 3 - … - - … III + … 6
134. The City of Brass . . . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 1 1 + 3 + … 2 + … 5 … … 6
135. The Craft and Malice of Women: . . . . . … … … A A 3 - … - + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
a. The King and his Wazir's Wife . . . . … … … A A … - … - + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
b. The Confectioner, his Wife and the Parrot . … … … A A ** - … - + - + … … + … 5 … … 6
c. The Fuller and his Son . . . . . . … … … A A ** … … … + - + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
d. The Rake's Trick against the Chaste Wife . … … … … … ** … … … + - + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
e. The Miser and the Loaves of Bread . . . … … … … … ** … … … + - + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
f. The Lady and her two Lovers . . . . . … … … A A ** … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
g. The King's Son and the Ogress . . . . … … … A A ** … … … + - + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
h. The Drop of Honey . . . . . . . … … … A A ** … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
i. The Woman who made her husband sift dust . … … … A … ** … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
j. The Enchanted Spring . . . . . . … … … A A ** … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
k. The Wazir's Son and the Hammam-keeper's Wife … … … A … … … … … + - + … … + … 5 … … 6
l The Wife's device to cheat her Husband . . … … … A A … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-girl . … … 1 A A … … … … + 3 + 1 1 + … 5 … … 6
n. The Man who never laughed during the rest
of his days . . . . . . . . … … … A A … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
o. The King's Son and & Merchant's Wife . . … … … A A … … … … + - + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
p. The Page who feigned to know the Speech of
Birds . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 5 … … 6
q. The Lady and her five Suitors . . . . … … … A A … … … … + - … … … + … 5 … … 6
r. The Three Wishes, or the Man who longed to
see the Night of Power . . . . . … … … A … … … … … + - + … … + … 5 … … 6
s. The Stolen Necklace . . . . . . . … … … A A … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
t. The Two Pigeons . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + 3 … … … + … 5 … … 6
u. Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma . . … … … A A … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
v. The House with the Belvedere . . . . … … … A A … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
w. The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress . . … … … … … … … … … + - … … … + … 5 … … 6
x. The Sandal-wood Merchant and the Sharpers . … … … … … … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
y. The Debauchee and the Three-year-old Child . … … … … … … … … … + - + … … + … 5 … … 6
z. The Stolen Purse . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … + 3 + 15 … + … 5 … … 6
aa. The Fox and the Folk . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … - - + 15 … - … 5 … … 6
136. Judar and his Brethren . . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 1 1 + 3 + … 2 + … 6 … … 6
137. The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib . . … … … … … 3 2 … 1 + - + … … + … 6 … … 6,7
138. Otbah and Rayya . . . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + 3 … … … + … 6 … … 7
139. Hind, daughter of Al-Nu'man and Al-Hajjaj . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
140. Khuzaymah bin Bishr and Ekrimah al-Fayyaz . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + 3 … … 4 + … 6 … … 7
141. Yunus the Scribe and the Caliph Walid bin Sahl . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … 4 + … 6 … … 7
142. Harun Al-Rashid and the Arab Girl . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
143. Al-Asma'i and the three girls of Bassorah . . … … … … … 3 - … - + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
144. Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil . . . . . … … … … … 3 - … … + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
145. The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah . . . . . … … 6 4 6 3 - … … + 3 … 11 … + … 6 … … 7
146. The Badawi and his Wife . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
147. The Lovers of Bassorah . . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
148. Ishak of Mosul and his Mistress and the Devil . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
149. The Lovers of Al-Medinah . . . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + 3 … … … + … 6 … … 7
150. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and his Wazir . . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 3 + - … … … + … 6 … … 7
151. The Rogueries of Dalilah the Crafty and her
Daughter Zaynab the Coney-Catcher . . . … … … … … 3 2 … 2 + - + … 4 + … 6 … … 7
a. The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo . . … … … … … 3 2 … 2 + - + … 4 + … 6 … … 7
152. Ardashir and Hayat Al-Nufus . . . . . … … … 7 … 3 2 1 2 + - + … 2 + … 6 … … 7
153. Julnar the Sea-born and her son King Badr Basim
of Persia . . . . . . . . . 7 4 3 … 3,4 3 - … - + 3 … 6 3 + … 7 … … 7
154. King Mohammed bin Sabaik and the Merchant Hasan … … … 1 … 3 2 … 2 + 3 + … - + … 7 … … 7
a. Story of Prince Sayf Al-Muluk and the
Princess Badi'a Al-Jamal . . . . . … … … 1 … 3,4 2 … 2 + 3 + … 2 + … 7 … … 7,8
155. Hasan of Bassorah . . . . . . . . … … … 3 … 4 3 2 2 + + … 2 + … 7 … … 8
156. Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad . . . . … … … … … 4 3 … 2 + 3 - … 2 + … 7 … … 8
a. The same from the Breslau Edition . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … 7 … … 8
157. Masrur and Zayn Al-Mawassif . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 2 2 + - + … … + … 8 … … 8
158. Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl . . … … … … … 4 3 2 2 + - + … … + … 8 … … 8,9
159. The Man of Upper Egypt and his Frankish Wife . … … … … … 4 3 - 3 + - + … … + … 8 … … 9
160. The Ruined Man of Baghdad and his Slave-Girl . … … … … … 4 3 - 3 + 3 + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
161. King Jali'ad of Hind and his Wazir Shimas,
followed by the history of King Wird Khan,
son of King Jali'ad, with his Women and
Wazirs . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
a. The Mouse and the Cat . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
b. The Fakir and his Jar of Butter . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
c. The Fishes and the Crab . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
d. The Crow and the Serpent . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
e. The Wild Ass and the jackal . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
f. The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
g. The Crows and the Hawk . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
h. The Serpent-Charmer and his Wife . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
i. The Spider and the Wind . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
j. The Two Kings . . . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
k. The Blind Man and the Cripple . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
l. The Foolish Fisherman . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
m. The Boy and the Thieves . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
n. The Man and his Wife . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
o. The Merchant and the Robbers . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
p. The Jackals and the Wolf . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
q. The Shephered and the Rogue . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
r. The Francolin and the Tortoises . . . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + - + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
162. Abu Kir the Dyer and Abu Sir the Barber. . . … … … … … 4 3 1 3 + 3 + … 4 + … 8 … … 9
163. Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman . … … … … … 4 3 1 3 + 3 + … … + … 8 … … 9
164. Harun Al-Rashid and Abu Hasan, the Merchant of
Oman . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 … 3 + - + … 2 + … 9 … … 9
165. Ibrahim and Jamilah . . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 1 3 + 3 … … … + … 9 … … 9
166. Abu Al-Hasan of Khorasan . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 1 3 + - … … … + … 9 … … 9
167. Kamar Al-Zaman and the Jeweller's Wife . . . … … … … … 4 3 1 3 + - … … 4 + … 9 … … 9
168. Abdullah bin Fazil and his Brothers . . . … … … … … 4 3 … 3 + - … … … + … 9 … … 9
169. Ma'aruf the Cobbler and his wife Fatimah . . … … … … … 4 3 3 3 + 3 … … 4 + … 9 … … 10
170. Asleep and Awake . . . . . . . . 9 5 4 … 4 … … … … … 2 + 7 1 … … I. … … …
a. Story of the Lackpenny and the Cook . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
171. The Caliph Omar ben Abdulaziz and the Poets . … … … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
172. El Hejjaj and the Three Young Men . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
173. Haroun Er Reshid and the Woman of the
Barmecides . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
174. The Ten Viziers, or the History of King
Azad-bekht and his Son . . . . . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
a. Of the uselessness of endeavor against
persistent ill-fortune . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
aa. Story of the Unlucky Merchant . . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
b. Of looking to the issues of affairs . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
bb. Story of the Merchant and his Sons . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
c. Of the advantages of Patience . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
cc. Story of Abou Sabir . . . . . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
d. Of the ill effects of Precipitation . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
dd. Story of Prince Bihzad . . . . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
e. Of the issues of good and evil actions . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
ee. Story of King Dabdin and his Viziers . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
f. Of Trust in God . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
ff. Story of King Bekhtzeman . . . . … 8 … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
g. Of Clemency . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
gg. Story of King Bihkerd . . . . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
h. Of Envy and Malice . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
hh. Story of Ilan Shah and Abou Temam . . … 8 6 … … … … … … … - + 10 2 … … I. … … …
i. Of Destiny, or that which is written on the
Forehead . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
ii. Story of King Ibrahim and his Son . . … 8 7 … … … … … … … - + 13 2 … … I. … … …
k. Of the appointed Term, which if it be
advanced, may not be deferred, and if it
be deferred, may not be advanced . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
jj. Story of King Suleiman Shah and his Sons … 8 … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
k. Of the speedy Relief of God . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - … … … … … … … … …
kk. Story of the Prisoner, and how God gave
him relief . . . . . . . … 8 … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
175. Jaafer Ben Zehya and Abdulmelik Ben Salih the
Abbaside . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
176. Er Reshid and the Barmecides . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … 2 … … I. … … …
177. Ibn Es-Semmak and Er-Reshid . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
178. El Mamoun and Zubeideh . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
179. En Numan and the Arab of the Benou Tai . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
180. Firouz and his Wife . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + … … … … I. … … …
181. King Shah Bekht and his Vizier Er Rehwan . . … … … … … … … … … … - + 14 … … … I. … … …
a. Story of the Man of Khorassan his son and
his governor . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + 14 … … … I. … … …
b. Story of the Singer and the Druggist . . … … … … … … … … … … - + 14 … … … I. … … …
c. Story of the King Who knew the quintessence
of things . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … - + 14 … … … I. … … …
d. Story of the Rich Man who gave his fair
Daughter in Marriage to the Poor Old Man . … … … … … … … … … … - + 14 … … … I. … … …
e. Story of the Rich Man and his Wasteful Son . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
f. The King's Son who fell in love with the
Picture . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
g. Story of the Fuller and his Wife . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
h. Story of the Old Woman, the Merchant, and
the King . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
i. Story of the credulous Husband . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
j. Story of the Unjust King and the Tither . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
jj. Story of David and Solomon . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
k. Story of the Thief and the Woman . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
l. Story of the Three Men and our Lord Jesus . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
ll. The Disciple's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
m. Story of the Dethroned King whose kingdom
and good were restored to him . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
n. Story of the Man whose caution was the cause
of his Death . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
o. Story of the Man who was lavish of his house
and his victual to one whom he knew not . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
p. Story of the Idiot and the Sharper . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
q. Story of Khelbes and his Wife and the
Learned Man . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … I. … … …
r. Story of the Pious Woman accused of lewdness … … … … … … … … … … … + … … … … II. … … …
s. Story of the Journeyman and the Girl . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
t. Story of the Weaver who became a Physician
by his Wife's commandment . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
u. Story of the Two Sharpers who cheated each
his fellow . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
v. Story of the Sharpers with the Moneychanger
and the Ass . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
w. Story of the Sharper and the Merchants . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
wa. Story of the Hawk and the Locust . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
x. Story of the King and his Chamberlain's Wife … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
xa. Story of the Old Woman and the Draper's
Wife . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
y. Story of the Foul-favoured Man and his Fair
Wife . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
z. Story of the King who lost Kingdom and Wife
and Wealth, and God restored them to him . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
aa. Story of Selim and Selma . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
bb. Story of the King of Hind and his Vizier . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
182. El Melik Ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers El
Bunducdari, and the Sixteen Officers of
Police . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
a. The First Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
b. The Second Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
c. The Third Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
d. The Fourth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + … … … … II. … … …
e. The Fifth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
f. The Sixth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + … … … … II. … … …
g. The Seventh Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
h. The Eighth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
ha. The Thief's Story . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
i. The Ninth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
j. The Tenth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
k. The Eleventh Officer's Story . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
l. The Twelfth Officer's Story . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
m. The Thirteenth Officer's Story . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
n. The Fourteenth Officer's Story . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
na. A Merry jest of a Thief . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
nb. Story of the Old Sharper . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
o. The Fifteenth Officer's Story . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
p. The Sixteenth Officer's Story . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … … … … …
183. Abdallah Ben Nafi, and the King's Son of
Cashgbar . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
a. Story of the Damsel Tuhfet El Culoub and
Khalif Haroun Er Reshid . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 14 … … … II. … … …
184. Women's Craft . . . . . . . . . … … 2 3 6 … … … … … … … 4 … … … II. + … …
185. Noureddin Ali of Damascus and the Damsel Sitt
El Milah . . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 15 … … … III. … … …
186. El Abbas and the King's Daughter of Baghdad . … … … … … … … … … … … + 15 … … … III. … … …
187. The Two Kings and the Vizier's Daughters . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 15 … … … III. … … …
188. The Favourite and her Lover . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 15 … … … III. … … …
189. The Merchant of Cairo and the Favourite of the
Khalif El Mamoun El Hakim bi Amrillah . . … … … … … … … … … … … + 15 … … … III. … … …
190. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . … … … … … 4 3 … 3 + 3 + 15 … … … {9 & … … …
{III.
*191. History of Prince Zeyn Alasnam . . . . . 8 5 4 … 4 … … … … … … … 6 3 … … … … … …
*192. History of Codadad and his Brothers . . . 8 5 4 … 4 … … … … … … … 6 3 … … … … … …
*a. History of the Princess of Deryabar . . 8 5 4 … 4 … … … … … … … 6 3 … … … … … …
*193. Story of Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp . . 9,10 5,6 4 … 4,5 … … … … … … … 7,8 3 … … … … … …
"194. Adventures of the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid . . 10 6 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 8 3 … … … … … …
*a. Story of the Blind Man, Baba Abdallah . . 10 6 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 8 3 … … … … … …
*b. Story of Sidi Numan . . . . . . 10 6 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 8 3 … … … … … …
*c. Story of Cogia Hassan Alhabbal . . . . 10,11 6 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 8 3 … … … … … …
*195. Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves . . 11 6 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 9 3 … … … … … …
*196. Story of Ali Cogia, a Merchant of Baghdad . . 11 7 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 9 3 … … … … … …
*197. Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Peri Banou . 12 7 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 9 3 … … … … … …
*198. Story of the Sisters who envied their younger
sister . . . . . . . . . . 12 7 5 … 5 … … … … … … … 10 3 … … … … … …
199. (Anecdote of Jaafar the Barmecide==No. 39) . . … … … … … … … … … … … … … 2 … … … … … …
200. The Adventures of Ali and Zaher of Darnascus . … … … … … … … … … … … … … 4 … … … … … …
201. The Adventures of the Fisherman, Judar of Cairo,
and his meeting with the Moor Mahmood and the
Sultan Beibars . . . . . . . . … … … … … … … … … … … … … 4 … … … … … …
202. The Physician and the young man of Mosul . . … … … 1 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
203. Story of the Sultan of Yemen and his three sons … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
204. Story of the Three Sharpers and the Sultan . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. Adventures of the Abdicated Sultan . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
b. History of Mahummud, Sultan of Cairo . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
c. Story of the First Lunatic . . . . . … 8 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
d. (Story of the Second Lunatic==No. 184) . . … … 2 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
e. Story of the Sage and his Pupil . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
f. Night adventure of the Sultan . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
g, Story of the first foolish man . . . . … … … 3 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
h. Story of the broken-backed Schoolmaster . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
i. Story of the wry-mouthed Schoolmaster . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
j. The Sultan's second visit to the Sisters . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
k. Story of the Sisters and the Sultana, their
mother . . . . . . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
205. Story of the Avaricious Cauzee and his wife . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
206. Story of the Bang-Eater and the Cauzee . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. Story of the Bang-Eater and his wife . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
b. Continuation of the Fisherman, or
Bang-Eater's Adventures . . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
207. The Sultan and the Traveller Mhamood
Al Hyjemmee . . . . . . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. The Koord Robber (==No. 33) . . . . . … … … 3 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
b. Story of the Husbandman . . . . . . … … … 3 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
c. Story of the Three Princes and Enchanting
Bird . . . . . . . . . . … … 6 3 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
d. Story of a Sultan of Yemen and his three Sons … … 6 4 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
e. Story of the first Sharper in the Cave . . … … … 4 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
f. Story of the second Sharper . . . . . … … … 4 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
g. Story of the third Sharper . . . . . … … … 4 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
h. History of the Sultan of Hind . . . . … … 5 4 6 … … … … … … … 10 … … … … … … …
208. Story of the Fisherman's Son . . . . . … … … 4 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
209. Story of Abou Neeut and Abou Neeuteen . . . … … 6 4 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
210. Story of the Prince of Sind, and Fatima, daughter
of Amir Bin Naomaun . . . . . . . … … 6 4 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
211. Story of the Lovers of Syria, or the Heroine . … … 6 4 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
212. Story of Hyjauje, the tyrannical Governor of
Confeh, and the young Syed . . . . . … … … 4 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
213. Story of the Sultan Haieshe . . . . . … … … 4 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
214. Story told by a Fisherman . . . . . . … … … 4 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
215. The Adventures of Mazin of Khorassaun . . . … … 6 4,5 6 … … … … … … … 10 … … … … … … …
216. Adventure of Haroon Al Rusheed . . . . . … … 6 5 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. Story of the Sultan of Bussorah . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
b. Nocturnal adventures of Haroon
Al Rusheed . . . . . . . . … … … 5 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
e. Story related by Munjaub . . . . . … … … 5 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
d. Story of the Sultan, the Dirveshe and the
Barber's Son . . . . . . . . … … … 5 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
e. Story of the Bedouin's Wife . . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
f. Story of the Wife and her two Gallants . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
217. Adventures of Aleefa, daughter of Mherejaun,
Sultan of Hind, and Eusuff, son of Sohul,
Sultan of Sind . . . . . . . . … … 6 5 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
218. Adventures of the three Princes, sons of the
Sultan of China . . . . . . . . … … 5 5 6 … … … … … … … 10 … … … … … … …
219. Story of the Gallant Officer . . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
220. Story of another officer . . . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
221. Story of the Idiot and his Asses . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
222. Story of the Lady of Cairo and the Three
Debauchees . . . . . . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
223. Story of the Good Vizier unjustly imprisoned . … … 6 5 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
224. Story of the Prying Barber and the young man of
Cairo . . . . . . . . . . … … … 5 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
225. Story of the Lady of Cairo and her four Gallants … … 6 5 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. The Cauzee's Story . . . . . . . … … … 5 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
b. The Syrian . . . . . . . . . … … … 5,6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
c. The Caim-makaum's Wife . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
d. Story told by the Fourth Gallant . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
226. Story of a Hump-backed Porter . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
227. The Aged Porter of Cairo and the Artful Female
Thief . . . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
228. Mhassun and his tried friend Mouseh . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
229. Mahummud Julbee, son to an Ameer of Cairo . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
230. The Farmer's Wife . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
231. The Artful Wife . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
232. The Cauzee's Wife . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
233. Story of the Merchant, his Daughter, and the
Prince of Eerauk . . . . . . . … … … 6 6 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
234. The Two Orphans . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
235. Story of another Farmer's Wife . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
236. Story of the Son who attempted his Father's
Wives . . . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
237. The Two Wits of Cairo and Syria . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
238. Ibrahim and Mouseh . . . . . . . . … … … 6 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
239. The Viziers Ahmed and Mahummud . . . . . … … … 6,7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
240. The Son addicted to Theft . . . . . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
241. Adventures of the Cauzee, his Wife, &c. . . … … 6 7 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
a. The Sultan's Story of Himself . . . . … … 6 7 6 … … … … … … … 11 … … … … … … …
242. Story of Shaykh Nukheet the Fisherman, who
became favourite to a Sultan . . . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
a. Story of the King of Andalusia . . . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
243. Story of Teilone, Sultan of Egypt . . . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
244. Story of the Retired Man and his Servant . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
245. The Merchant's Daughter who married the Emperor
of China . . . . . . . . . … … … 7 - … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
*246. New Adventures of the Caliph Harun Al Rashid . … 8 7 … - … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*247. The Physician and the young Purveyor of Bagdad . … 8 … … - … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*248. The Wise Heycar . . . . . . . . … 8 7 … - … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*249. Attaf the Generous . . . . . . . . … 9 7 … - … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*250. Prince Habib and Dorrat-al-Gawas . . . . … 9 7 … - … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*251. The Forty Wazirs . . . . . . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*a. Story of Shaykh Shahabeddin . . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*b. Story of the Gardener, his Son, and the Ass … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*c. The Sultan Mahmoud and his Wazir . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*d. Story of the Brahman Padmanaba and the young
Fyquai . . . . . . . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*e. Story of Sultan Akshid . . . . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*f. Story of the Husband, the Lover and the
Thief . . . . . . . . . … … 1 … - … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*g. Story of the Prince of Carisme and the
Princess of Georgia . . . . . . … … 1 … … … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*h. The Cobbler and the King's Daughter . . … … 1 … … … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*i. The Woodcutter and the Genius . . . . … … 1 … … … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*j. The Royal Parrot . . . . . . . … … 1 … … … … … … … … … 1 … … … … … … …
*252. Story of the King and Queen of Abyssinia . . … … 6 … … … … … … … … … 10 … … … … … … …
*253. Story of Princes Amina . . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*a. Story of the Princess of Tartary . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*b. Story told by the Old Man's Wife . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*254. Story of Ali Johari . . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*255. Story of the two Princes of Cochin China . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*256. Story of the two Husbands . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*a. Story of Abdallah . . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*b. Story of the Favourite . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*257. Story of Yusuf and the Indian Merchant . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*258. Story of Prince Benazir . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 12 … … … … … … …
*259. Story of Selim, Sultan of Egypt . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*a. Story of the Cobbler's Wife . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*b. Story of Adileh . . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*c. Story of the scarred Kalender . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*d. Continuation of the story of Selim . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 13 … … … … … … …
*260. Story of Seif Sul Yesn . . . . . . . … … 7 … … … … … … … … … 14 … … … … … … …
261. Story of the Labourer and the Chair . . . … … … A A … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
262. Story of Ahmed the Orphan . . . . . . … … … A A … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
* (Nos. 10-19 represented by 7 Fables)
** (Would include subordinate tales.)
N.B.—In using this Table, some allowance must be made for differences in the titles of many of the tales in different editions. For the contents of the
printed text, I have follwed the lists in Mr. Payne's "Tales from the Arabic," vol. iii.
And here I end this long volume with repeating in other words and
other tongue what was said in "L'Envoi":--
Hide thou whatever here is found of fault;
And laud The Faultless and His might exalt!
After which I have only to make my bow and to say
"Salam."
Arabian Nights, Volume 10
Footnotes
[FN#1] Arab. "Zarábín" (pl. of zarbún), lit. slaves' shoes or
sandals (see vol. iii. p. 336) the chaussure worn by Mamelukes.
Here the word is used in its modern sense of stout shoes or
walking boots.
[FN#2] The popular word means goodness, etc.
[FN#3] Dozy translates "'Urrah"=Une Mégčre: Lane terms it a
"vulgar word signifying a wicked, mischievous shrew." But it is
the fem. form of 'Urr=dung; not a bad name for a daughter of
Billingsgate.
[FN#4] i.e. black like the book of her actions which would be
shown to her on Doomsday.
[FN#5] The "Kunáfah" (vermicelli-cake) is a favourite dish of
wheaten flour, worked somewhat finer than our vermicelli, fried
with samn (butter melted and clarified) and sweetened with honey
or sugar. See vol. v. 300.
[FN#6] i.e. Will send us aid. The Shrew's rejoinder is highly
impious in Moslem opinion.
[FN#7] Arab. Asal Katr; "a fine kind of black honey, treacle"
says Lane; but it is afterwards called cane-honey ('Asal Kasab).
I have never heard it applied to "the syrup which exudes from
ripe dates, when hung up."
[FN#8] Arab. "'Aysh," lit.=that on which man lives: "Khubz" being
the more popular term. "Hubz and Joobn" is well known at Malta.
[FN#9] Insinuating that he had better make peace with his wife by
knowing her carnally. It suggests the story of the Irishman who
brought over to the holy Catholic Church three several Protestant
wives, but failed with the fourth on account of the decline of
his "Convarter."
[FN#10] Arab. "Asal Kasab," i.e. Sugar, possibly made from
sorgho-stalks Holcus sorghum of which I made syrup in Central
Africa.
[FN#11] For this unpleasant euphemy see vol. iv. 215.
[FN#12] This is a true picture of the leniency with which women
were treated in the Kazi's court at Cairo; and the effect was
simply deplorable. I have noted that matters have grown even
worse since the English occupation, for history repeats herself;
and the same was the case in Afghanistan and in Sind. We govern
too much in these matters, which should be directed not changed,
and too little in other things, especially in exacting respect
for the conquerors from the conquered.
[FN#13] Arab. "Báb al-'Áli"=the high gate or Sublime Porte; here
used of the Chief Kazi's court: the phrase is a descendant of the
Coptic "Per-ao" whence "Pharaoh."
[FN#14] "Abú Tabak," in Cairene slang, is an officer who arrests
by order of the Kazi and means "Father of whipping" (=tabaka, a
low word for beating, thrashing, whopping) because he does his
duty with all possible violence in terrorem.
[FN#15] Bab al-Nasr the Eastern or Desert Gate: see vol. vi. 234.
[FN#16] This is a mosque outside the great gate built by Al-Malik
al-'Ádil Tuman Bey in A.H. 906 (=1501). The date is not worthy of
much remark for these names are often inserted by the scribe--for
which see Terminal Essay.
[FN#17] Arab. "'Ámir" lit.=one who inhabiteth, a peopler; here
used in technical sense. As has been seen, ruins and impure
places such as privies and Hammám-baths are the favourite homes
of the Jinn. The fire-drake in the text was summoned by the
Cobbler's exclamation and even Marids at times do a kindly
action.
[FN#18] The style is modern Cairene jargon.
[FN#19] Purses or gold pieces see vol. ix. 313.
[FN#20] i.e. I am a Cairene.
[FN#21] Arab. "Darb al-Ahmar," a street still existing near to
and outside the noble Bab Zuwaylah, for which see vol. i. 269.
[FN#22] Arab. "'Attár," perfume-seller and druggist; the word is
connected with our "Ottar" ('Atr).
[FN#23] Arab. "Mudarris" lit.=one who gives lessons or lectures
(dars) and pop. applied to a professor in a collegiate mosque
like Al-Azhar of Cairo.
[FN#24] This thoroughly dramatic scene is told with a charming
naďveté. No wonder that The Nights has been made the basis of a
national theatre amongst the Turks.
[FN#25] Arab. "Taysh" lit.=vertigo, swimming of head.
[FN#26] Here Trébutien (iii. 265) reads "la ville de Khaďtan (so
the Mac. Edit. iv. 708) capital du royaume de Sohatan." Ikhtiyán
Lane suggests to be fictitious: Khatan is a district of Tartary
east of Káshgar, so called by Sádik al-Isfaháni p. 24.
[FN#27] This is a true picture of the tact and savoir faire of
the Cairenes. It was a study to see how, under the late Khedive
they managed to take precedence of Europeans who found themselves
in the background before they knew it. For instance, every Bey,
whose degree is that of a Colonel was made an "Excellency" and
ranked accordingly at Court whilst his father, some poor Fellah,
was ploughing the ground. Tanfík Pasha began his ill-omened rule
by always placing natives close to him in the place of honour,
addressing them first and otherwise snubbing Europeans who, when
English, were often too obtuse to notice the petty insults
lavished upon them.
[FN#28] Arab. "Kathír" (pron. Katir)=much: here used in its slang
sense, "no end."
[FN#29] i.e. "May the Lord soon make thee able to repay me; but
meanwhile I give it to thee for thy own free use."
[FN#30] Punning upon his name. Much might be written upon the
significance of names as ominous of good and evil; but the
subject is far too extensive for a footnote.
[FN#31] Lane translates "Ánisa-kum" by "he hath delighted you by
his arrival"; Mr. Payne "I commend him to you."
[FN#32] Arab. "Fatúrát,"=light food for the early breakfast of
which the "Fatírah"-cake was a favourite item. See vol. i. 300.
[FN#33] A dark red dye (Lane).
[FN#34] Arab. "Jadíd," see vol. viii. 121.
[FN#35] Both the texts read thus, but the reading has little
sense. Ma'aruf probably would say, "I fear that my loads will be
long coming."
[FN#36] One of the many formulas of polite refusal.
[FN#37] Each bazar, in a large city like Damascus, has its tall
and heavy wooden doors which are locked every evening and opened
in the morning by the Ghafir or guard. The "silver key," however,
always lets one in.
[FN#38] Arab. "Wa lá Kabbata hámiyah," a Cairene vulgarism
meaning, "There came nothing to profit him nor to rid the people
of him."
[FN#39] Arab. "Kammir," i.e. brown it before the fire, toast it.
[FN#40] It is insinuated that he had lied till he himself
believed the lie to be truth--not an uncommon process, I may
remark.
[FN#41] Arab. "Rijál"=the Men, equivalent to the Walis, Saints or
Santons; with perhaps an allusion to the Rijál al-Ghayb, the
Invisible Controls concerning whom I have quoted Herklots in vol.
ii. 211.
[FN#42] A saying attributed to Al-Hariri (Lane). It is good
enough to be his: the Persians say, "Cut not down the tree thou
plantedst," and the idea is universal throughout the East.
[FN#43] A quotation from Al-Hariri (Ass. of the Badawin). Ash'ab
(ob. A.H. 54), a Medinite servant of Caliph Osman, was proverbial
for greed and sanguine, Micawber-like expectation of "windfalls."
The Scholiast Al-Sharíshi (of Xeres) describes him in
Theophrastic style. He never saw a man put hand to pocket without
expecting a present, or a funeral go by without hoping for a
legacy, or a bridal procession without preparing his own house,
hoping they might bring the bride to him by mistake. * * * When
asked if he knew aught greedier than himself he said "Yes; a
sheep I once kept upon my terrace-roof seeing a rainbow mistook
it for a rope of hay and jumping to seize it broke its neck!"
Hence "Ash'ab's sheep" became a by-word (Preston tells the tale
in full, p. 288).
[FN#44] i.e. "Show a miser money and hold him back, if you can."
[FN#45] He wants Ł40,000 to begin with.
[FN#46] i.e. Arab. "Sabíhat al-'urs" the morning after the
wedding. See vol. i. 269.
[FN#47] Another sign of modern composition as in Kamar al-Zaman
II.
[FN#48] Arab. "Al-Jink" (from Turk.) are boys and youths mostly
Jews, Armenians, Greeks and Turks, who dress in woman's dress
with long hair braided. Lane (M. E. chapts. xix. and xxv.) gives
same account of the customs of the "Gink" (as the Egyptians call
them) but cannot enter into details concerning these catamites.
Respectable Moslems often employ them to dance at festivals in
preference to the Ghawázi-women, a freak of Mohammedan decorum.
When they grow old they often preserve their costume, and a
glance at them makes a European's blood run cold.
[FN#49] Lane translates this, "May Allah and the Rijal retaliate
upon thy temple!"
[FN#50] Arab. "Yá aba 'l-lithámayn," addressed to his member.
Lathm the root means kissing or breaking; so he would say, "O
thou who canst take her maidenhead whilst my tongue does away
with the virginity of her mouth." "He breached the citadel"
(which is usually square) "in its four corners" signifying that
he utterly broke it down.
[FN#51] A mystery to the Author of Proverbs (xxx. 18-19),
There be three things which are too wondrous for me,
The way of an eagle in the air;
The way of a snake upon a rock;
And the way of a man with a maid.
[FN#52] Several women have described the pain to me as much
resembling the drawing of a tooth.
[FN#53] As we should say, "play fast and loose."
[FN#54] Arab. "Náhí-ka" lit.=thy prohibition but idiomatically
used=let it suffice thee!
[FN#55] A character-sketch like that of Princess Dunya makes
ample amends for a book full of abuse of women. And yet the
superficial say that none of the characters have much personal
individuality.
[FN#56] This is indeed one of the touches of nature which makes
all the world kin.
[FN#57] As we are in Tartary "Arabs" here means plundering
nomades, like the Persian "Iliyát" and other shepherd races.
[FN#58] The very cruelty of love which hates nothing so much as a
rejected lover. The Princess, be it noted, is not supposed to be
merely romancing, but speaking with the second sight, the
clairvoyance, of perfect affection. Men seem to know very little
upon this subject, though every one has at times been more or
less startled by the abnormal introvision and divination of
things hidden which are the property and prerogative of perfect
love.
[FN#59] The name of the Princess meaning "The World," not unusual
amongst Moslem women.
[FN#60] Another pun upon his name, "Ma'aruf."
[FN#61] Arab. "Naká," the mound of pure sand which delights the
eye of the Badawi leaving a town. See vol. i. 217, for the lines
and explanation in Night cmlxiv. vol. ix. p. 250.
[FN#62] Euphemistic: "I will soon fetch thee food." To say this
bluntly might have brought misfortune.
[FN#63] Arab. "Kafr"=a village in Egypt and Syria e.g. Capernaum
(Kafr Nahum).
[FN#64] He has all the bonhomie of the Cairene and will do a
kindness whenever he can.
[FN#65] i.e. the Father of Prosperities: pron. Aboosa'ádát; as in
the Tale of Hasan of Bassorah.
[FN#66] Koran lxxxix. "The Daybreak" which also mentions Thamud
and Pharaoh.
[FN#67] In Egypt the cheapest and poorest of food, never seen at
a hotel table d'hôte.
[FN#68] The beautiful girls who guard ensorcelled hoards: See
vol. vi. 109.
[FN#69] Arab. "Asákir," the ornaments of litters, which are
either plain balls of metal or tapering cones based on crescents
or on balls and crescents. See in Lane (M. E. chapt. xxiv.) the
sketch of the Mahmal.
[FN#70] Arab. "Amm"=father's brother, courteously used for
"father-in-law," which suggests having slept with his daughter,
and which is indecent in writing. Thus by a pleasant fiction the
husband represents himself as having married his first cousin.
[FN#71] i.e. a calamity to the enemy: see vol. ii. 87 and passim.
[FN#72] Both texts read "Asad" (lion) and Lane accepts it: there
is no reason to change it for "Hásid" (Envier), the Lion being
the Sultan of the Beasts and the most majestic.
[FN#73] The Cairene knew his fellow Cairene and was not to be
taken in by him.
[FN#74] Arab. "Hizám": Lane reads "Khizám"=a nose-ring for which
see appendix to Lane's M. E. The untrained European eye dislikes
these decorations and there is certainly no beauty in the hoops
which Hindu women insert through the nostrils, camel-fashion, as
if to receive the cord-acting bridle. But a drop-pearl hanging to
the septum is at least as pretty as the heavy pendants by which
some European women lengthen their ears.
[FN#75] Arab. "Shamtá," one of the many names of wine, the
"speckled" alluding to the bubbles which dance upon the freshly
filled cup.
[FN#76] i.e. in the cask. These "merry quips" strongly suggest
the dismal toasts of our not remote ancestors.
[FN#77] Arab. "A'láj" plur. of "'Ilj" and rendered by Lane "the
stout foreign infidels." The next line alludes to the cupbearer
who was generally a slave and a non-Moslem.
[FN#78] As if it were a bride. See vol. vii. 198. The stars of
Jauzá (Gemini) are the cupbearer's eyes.
[FN#79] i.e. light-coloured wine.
[FN#80] The usual homage to youth and beauty.
[FN#81] Alluding to the cup.
[FN#82] Here Abu Nowas whose name always ushers in some
abomination alluded to the "Ghulámiyah" or girl dressed like boy
to act cupbearer. Civilisation has everywhere the same devices
and the Bordels of London and Paris do not ignore the "she-boy,"
who often opens the door.
[FN#83] Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz, son of Al-Mu'tazz bi 'llah, the
13th Abbaside, and great-great-grandson of Harun al-Rashid. He
was one of the most renowned poets of the third century (A.H.)
and died A.D. 908, strangled by the partisans of his nephew
Al-Muktadir bi 'llah, 18th Abbaside.
[FN#84] Jazírat ibn Omar, an island and town on the Tigris north
of Mosul. "Some versions of the poem, from which these verses are
quoted, substitute El-Mutireh, a village near Samara (a town on
the Tigris, 60 miles north of Baghdad), for El-Jezireh, i.e.
Jeziret ibn Omar." (Payne.)
[FN#85] The Convent of Abdun on the east bank of the Tigris
opposite the Jezirah was so called from a statesman who caused it
to be built. For a variant of these lines see Ibn Khallikan, vol.
ii. 42; here we miss "the shady groves of Al-Matírah."
[FN#86] Arab. "Ghurrah" the white blaze on a horse's brow. In Ibn
Khallikan the bird is the lark.
[FN#87] Arab. "Táy'i"=thirsty used with Jáy'i=hungry.
[FN#88] Lit. "Kohl'd with Ghunj" for which we have no better word
than "coquetry." But see vol. v. 80. It corresponds with the
Latin crissare for women and cevere for men.
[FN#89] i.e. gold-coloured wine, as the Vino d'Oro.
[FN#90] Compare the charming song of Abu Miján translated from
the German of Dr. Weil in Bohn's Edit. of Ockley (p. 149),
When the Death-angel cometh mine eyes to close,
Dig my grave 'mid the vines on the hill's fair side;
For though deep in earth may my bones repose,
The juice of the grape shall their food provide.
Ah, bury me not in a barren land,
Or Death will appear to me dread and drear!
While fearless I'll wait what he hath in hand I
An the scent of the vineyard my spirit cheer.
The glorious old drinker!
[FN#91] Arab. "Rub'a al-Kharáb" in Ibn al-Wardi Central Africa
south of the Nile-sources, one of the richest regions in the
world. Here it prob. alludes to the Rub'a al-Kháli or Great
Arabian Desert: for which see Night dclxxvi. In rhetoric it is
opposed to the "Rub'a Maskún," or populated fourth of the world,
the rest being held to be ocean.
[FN#92] This is the noble resignation of the Moslem. What a
dialogue there would have been in a European book between man and
devil!
[FN#93] Arab. "Al-'iddah" the period of four months and ten days
which must elapse before she could legally marry again. But this
was a palpable wile: she was not sure of her husband's death and
he had not divorced her; so that although a "grass widow," a
"Strohwitwe" as the Germans say, she could not wed again either
with or without interval.
[FN#94] Here the silence is of cowardice and the passage is a
fling at the "timeserving" of the Olema, a favourite theme, like
"banging the bishops" amongst certain Westerns.
[FN#95] Arab. "Umm al-raas," the poll, crown of the head, here
the place where a calamity coming down from heaven would first
alight.
[FN#96] From Al-Hariri (Lane): the lines are excellent.
[FN#97] When the charming Princess is so ready at the voie de
faits, the reader will understand how common is such energetic
action among women of lower degree. The "fair sex" in Egypt has a
horrible way of murdering men, especially husbands, by tying them
down and tearing out the testicles. See Lane M. E. chapt. xiii.
[FN#98] Arab. "Sijn al-Ghazab," the dungeons appropriated to the
worst of criminals where they suffer penalties far worse than
hanging or guillotining.
[FN#99] According to some modern Moslems Munkar and Nakir visit
the graves of Infidels (non-Moslems) and Bashshir and Mubashshir
("Givers of glad tidings") those of Mohammedans. Petis de la
Croix (Les Mille et un Jours vol. iii. 258) speaks of the
"Zoubanya," black angels who torture the damned under their chief
Dabilah.
[FN#100] Very simple and pathetic is this short sketch of the
noble-minded Princess's death.
[FN#101] In sign of dismissal (vol. iv. 62) I have noted that
"throwing the kerchief" is not an Eastern practice: the idea
probably arose from the Oriental practice of sending presents in
richly embroidered napkins and kerchiefs.
[FN#102] Curious to say both Lane and Payne omit this passage
which appears in both texts (Mac. and Bul.). The object is
evidently to prepare the reader for the ending by reverting to
the beginning of the tale; and its prolixity has its effect as in
the old Romances of Chivalry from Amadis of Ghaul to the Seven
Champions of Christendom. If it provoke impatience, it also
heightens expectation; "it is like the long elm-avenues of our
forefathers; we wish ourselves at the end; but we know that at
the end there is something great."
[FN#103] Arab. "alŕ malákay bayti 'l-ráhah;" on the two slabs at
whose union are the round hole and longitudinal slit. See vol. i.
221.
[FN#104] Here the exclamation wards off the Evil Eye from the
Sword and the wearer: Mr. Payne notes, "The old English
exclamation ‘Cock's 'ill!' (i.e., God's will, thus corrupted for
the purpose of evading the statute of 3 Jac. i. against profane
swearing) exactly corresponds to the Arabic"--with a difference,
I add.
[FN#105] Arab. "Mustahakk"=deserving (Lane) or worth (Payne) the
cutting.
[FN#106] Arab. "Mashhad" the same as "Sháhid"=the upright stones
at the head and foot of the grave. Lane mistranslates, "Made for
her a funeral procession."
[FN#107] These lines have occurred before. I quote Lane.
[FN#108] There is nothing strange in such sudden elevations
amongst Moslems and even in Europe we still see them
occasionally. The family in the East, however humble, is a model
and miniature of the state, and learning is not always necessary
to wisdom.
[FN#109] Arab. "Fárid" which may also mean "union-pearl."
[FN#110] Trébutien (iii. 497) cannot deny himself the pleasure of
a French touch making the King reply, "C'est assez; qu'on lui
coupe la tęte, car ces derničres histoires surtout m'ont causé un
ennui mortel." This reading is found in some of the MSS.
[FN#111] After this I borrow from the Bresl. Edit. inserting
passages from the Mac. Edit.
[FN#112] i.e. whom he intended to marry with regal ceremony.
[FN#113] The use of coloured powders in sign of holiday-making is
not obsolete in India. See Herklots for the use of "Huldee"
(Haldí) or turmeric-powder, pp. 64-65.
[FN#114] Many Moslem families insist upon this before giving
their girls in marriage, and the practice is still popular
amongst many Mediterranean peoples.
[FN#115] i.e. Sumatran.
[FN#116] i.e. Alexander, according to the Arabs; see vol. v. 252.
[FN#117] These lines are in vol. i. 217.
[FN#118] I repeat the lines from vol. i. 218.
[FN#119] All these coquetries require as much inventiveness as a
cotillon; the text alludes to fastening the bride's tresses
across her mouth giving her the semblance of beard and
mustachios.
[FN#120] Repeated from vol. i. 218.
[FN#121] Repeated from vol. i. 218.
[FN#122] See vol. i. 219.
[FN#123] Arab. Sawád=the blackness of the hair.
[FN#124] Because Easterns build, but never repair.
[FN#125]i.e. God only knows if it be true or not.
[FN#126] Ouseley's Orient. Collect. I, vii.
[FN#127] This three-fold distribution occurred to me many years
ago and when far beyond reach of literary authorities, I was,
therefore, much pleased to find the subjoined three-fold
classification with minor details made by Baron von Hammer-
Purgstall (Preface to Contes Inédits etc. of G. S. Trébutien,
Paris, mdcccxxviii.) (1) The older stories which serve as a base
to the collection, such as the Ten Wazirs ("Malice of Women") and
Voyages of Sindbad (?) which may date from the days of Mahommed.
These are distributed into two sub-classes; (a) the marvellous
and purely imaginative (e.g. Jamasp and the Serpent Queen) and
(b) the realistic mixed with instructive fables and moral
instances. (2) The stories and anecdotes peculiarly Arab,
relating to the Caliphs and especially to Al- Rashíd; and (3) The
tales of Egyptian provenance, which mostly date from the times of
the puissant "Aaron the Orthodox." Mr. John Payne (Villon
Translation vol. ix. pp. 367-73) distributes the stories roughly
under five chief heads as follows: (1) Histories or long
Romances, as King Omar bin Al-Nu'man (2) Anecdotes or short
stories dealing with historical personages and with incidents and
adventures belonging to the every-day life of the period to which
they refer: e.g. those concerning Al-Rashíd and Hátim of Tayy.
(3) Romances and romantic fictions comprising three different
kinds of tales; (a) purely romantic and supernatural; (b)
fictions and nouvelles with or without a basis and background of
historical fact and (c) Contes fantastiques. (4) Fables and
Apologues; and (5) Tales proper, as that of Tawaddud.
[FN#128] Journal Asiatique (Paris, Dondoy-Dupré, 1826) "Sur
l'origine des Mille et une Nuits."
[FN#129] Baron von Hammer-Purgstall's château is near Styrian
Graz, and, when I last saw his library, it had been left as it
was at his death.
[FN#130] At least, in Trébutien's Preface, pp. xxx.-xxxi.,
reprinted from the Journ. Asiat. August, 1839: for corrections
see De Sacy's "Mémoire." p. 39.
[FN#131] Vol. iv. pp. 89-90, Paris mdccclxv. Trébutien quotes,
chapt. lii. (for lxviii.), one of Von Hammer's manifold
inaccuracies.
[FN#132] Alluding to Iram the Many-columned, etc.
[FN#133] In Trébutien "Síhá," for which the Editor of the Journ.
Asiat. and De Sacy rightly read "Sabíl-há."
[FN#134] For this some MSS. have "Fahlawiyah" = Pehlevi
[FN#135] i.e. Lower Roman, Grecian, of Asia Minor, etc., the word is still applied throughout
Marocco, Algiers and Northern Africa to Europeans in general.
[FN#136] De Sacy (Dissertation prefixed to the Bourdin Edition)
notices the "thousand and one," and in his Mémoire "a thousand:"
Von Hammer's MS. reads a thousand, and the French translation a
thousand and one. Evidently no stress can be laid upon the
numerals.
[FN#137] These names are noticed in my vol. i. 14, and vol. ii.
3. According to De Sacy some MSS. read "History of the Wazir and
his Daughters."
[FN#138] Lane (iii. 735) has Wizreh or Wardeh which guide us to
Wird Khan, the hero of the tale. Von Hammer's MS. prefers
Djilkand (Jilkand), whence probably the Isegil or Isegild of
Langlés (1814), and the Tséqyl of De Sacy (1833). The mention of
"Simás" (Lane's Shemmas) identifies it with "King Jalí'ád of
Hind," etc. (Night dcccxcix.) Writing in A.D. 961 Hamzah Isfaháni
couples with the libri Sindbad and Schimas, the libri Baruc and
Barsinas, four nouvelles out of nearly seventy. See also Al-
Makri'zi's Khitat or Topography (ii. 485) for a notice of the
Thousand or Thousand and one Nights.
[FN#139] alluding to the "Seven Wazirs" alias "The Malice of
Women" (Night dlxxviii.), which Von Hammer and many others have
carelessly confounded with Sindbad the Seaman We find that two
tales once separate have now been incorporated with The Nights,
and this suggests the manner of its composition by accretion.
[FN#140] Arabised by a most "elegant" stylist, Abdullah ibn al-
Mukaffá (the shrivelled), a Persian Guebre named Roz-bih (Day
good), who islamised and was barbarously put to death in A.H. 158
(= 775) by command of the Caliph al-Mansur (Al-Siyuti p. 277).
"He also translated from Pehlevi the book entitled Sekiserán,
containing the annals of Isfandiyar, the death of Rustam, and
other episodes of old Persic history," says Al-Mas'udi chapt.
xxi. See also Ibn Khallikan (1, 43) who dates the murder in A.H.
142 (= 759-60).
[FN#141] "Notice sur Le Schah-namah de Firdoussi," a posthumous
publication of M. de Wallenbourg, Vienna, 1810, by M. A. de
Bianchi. In sect. iii. I shall quote another passage of Al-
Mas'udi (viii. 175) in which I find a distinct allusion to the
"Gaboriaudetective tales" of The Nights.
[FN#142] Here Von Hammer shows his customary inexactitude. As we
learn from Ibn Khallikan (Fr. Tr. I. 630), the author's name was
Abu al-Faraj Mohammed ibn Is'hak pop. known as Ibn Ali Ya'kúb al-
Warrák, the bibliographe, librarian, copyist. It was published
(vol. i Leipzig, 1871) under the editorship of G. Fluegel, J.
Roediger, and A. Müller.
[FN#143] See also the Journ. Asiat., August, 1839, and Lane iii.
736-37
[FN#144] Called "Afsánah" by Al-Mas'udi, both words having the
same sense = tale story, parable, "facetić." Moslem fanaticism
renders it by the Arab "Khuráfah" = silly fables, and in
Hindostan it = a jest: "Bát-kí bát, khurafát-ki khurafát" (a word
for a word, a joke for a joke).
[FN#145] Al-Mas'údi (chapt. xxi.) makes this a name of the Mother
of Queen Humái or Humáyah, for whom see below.
[FN#146] The preface of a copy of the Shah-nameh (by Firdausi,
ob. A.D. 1021), collated in A.H. 829 by command of Bayisunghur
Bahadur Khán (Atkinson p. x.), informs us that the Hazar Afsanah
was composed for or by Queen Humái whose name is Arabised to
Humáyah This Persian Marguerite de Navarre was daughter and wife
to (Ardashir) Bahman, sixth Kayanian and surnamed Diraz-dast
(Artaxerxes Longimanus), Abu Sásán from his son, the Eponymus of
the Sassanides who followed the Kayanians when these were
extinguished by Alexander of Macedon. Humái succeeded her husband
as seventh Queen, reigned thirty-two years and left the crown to
her son Dárá or Dáráb 1st = Darius Codomanus. She is better known
to Europe (through Herodotus) as Parysatis = Peri-zádeh or the
Fairy-born.
[FN#147] i.e. If Allah allow me to say sooth.
[FN#148] i.e. of silly anecdotes: here speaks the good Moslem!
[FN#149] No. 622 Sept. 29, ‘39, a review of Torrens which
appeared shortly after Lane's vol. i. The author quotes from a
MS. in the British Museum, No. 7334 fol. 136.
[FN#150] There are many Spaniards of this name: Mr. Payne (ix.
302) proposes Abu Ja'afar ibn Abd al-Hakk al-Khazraji, author of
a History of the Caliphs about the middle of the twelfth century.
[FN#151] The well-known Rauzah or Garden-island, of old Al-
Saná'ah (Al-Mas'udi chapt. xxxi.) which is more than once noticed
in The Nights. The name of the pavilion Al-Haudaj = a camel-
litter, was probably intended to flatter the Badawi girl.
[FN#152] He was the Seventh Fatimite Caliph of Egypt: regn. A.H.
495-524 (= 1101 1129).
[FN#153] Suggesting a private pleasaunce in Al-Rauzah which has
ever been and is still a succession of gardens.
[FN#154] The writer in The Athenćum calls him Ibn Miyvah, and
adds that the Badawiyah wrote to her cousin certain verses
complaining of her thraldom, which the youth answered abusing the
Caliph. Al-Ámir found the correspondence and ordered Ibn Miyah's
tongue to be cut out, but he saved himself by a timely flight.
[FN#155] In Night dccclxxxv. we have the passage "He was a wily
thief: none could avail against his craft as he were Abu Mohammed
Al-Battál": the word etymologically means The Bad; but see infra.
[FN#156] Amongst other losses which Orientals have sustained by
the death of Rogers Bey, I may mention his proposed translation
of Al-Makrízí's great topographical work.
[FN#157] The name appears only in a later passage.
[FN#158] Mr. Payne notes (viii. 137) "apparently some famous
brigand of the time" (of Charlemagne). But the title may signify
The Brave, and the tale may be much older.
[FN#159] In his "Mémoire sur l'origine du Recueil des Contes
intitulé Les Mille et une Nuits" (Mém. d'Hist. et de Littér.
Orientale, extrait des tomes ix., et x. des Mémoires de l'Inst.
Royal Acad. des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris, Imprimerie
Royale, 1833). He read the Memoir before the Royal Academy on
July 31, 1829. Also in his Dissertation "Sur les Mille et une
Nuits" (pp. i. viii.) prefixed to the Bourdin Edit. When first
the Arabist in Europe landed at Alexandria he could not exchange
a word with the people the same is told of Golius the
lexicographer at Tunis.
[FN#160] Lane, Nights ii. 218.
[FN#161] This origin had been advocated a decade of years before
by Shaykh Ahmad al-Shirawáni; Editor of the Calc. text (1814-18):
his Persian preface opines that the author was an Arabic speaking
Syrian who designedly wrote in a modern and conversational style,
none of the purest withal, in order to instruct non-Arabists.
Here we find the genus "Professor" pure and simple.
[FN#162] Such an assertion makes us enquire, Did De Sacy ever
read through The Nights in Arabic?
[FN#163] Dr. Jonathan Scott's "translation" vi. 283.
[FN#164] For a note on this world-wide Tale see vol. i. 52.
[FN#165] In the annotated translation by Mr. I. G. N. Keith-
Falconer, Cambridge University Press. I regret to see the
wretched production called the "Fables of Pilpay" in the "Chandos
Classics" (London, F. Warne). The words are so mutilated that few
will recognize them, e.g. Carchenas for Kár-shínás, Chaschmanah
for Chashmey-e-Máh (Fountain of the Moon), etc.
[FN#166] Article Arabia in Encyclop. Brit., 9th Edit., p. 263,
colt 2. I do not quite understand Mr. Palgrave, but presume that
his "other version" is the Bresl. Edit., the MS. of which was
brought from Tunis; see its Vorwort (vol. i. p. 3).
[FN#167] There are three distinct notes according to De Sacy
(Mém., p. 50). The first (in MS. 1508) says "This blessed book
was read by the weak slave, etc. Wahabah son of Rizkallah the
Kátib (secretary, scribe) of Tarábulus al-Shám (Syrian Tripoli),
who prayeth long life for its owner (li máliki-h). This tenth day
of the month First Rabí'a A.H. 955 (= 1548)." A similar note by
the same Wahabah occurs at the end of vol. ii. (MS. 1507) dated
A.H. 973 (= 1565) and a third (MS. 1506) is undated. Evidcntly M.
Caussin has given undue weight to such evidence. For further
information see "Tales of the East" to which is prefixed an
Introductory Dissertation (vol. i. pp. 24-26, note) by Henry
Webber, Esq., Edinburgh, 1812, in 3 vols.
[FN#168] "Notice sur les douze manuscrits connus des Milles et
une Nuits, qui existent en Europe." Von Hammer in Trébutien,
Notice, vol. i.
[FN#169] Printed from the MS. of Major Turner Macan, Editor of
the Shahnamah: he bought it from the heirs of Mr. Salt, the
historic Consul-General of England in Egypt and after Macan's
death it became the property of the now extinct Allens, then of
Leadenhall Street (Torrens, Preface, i.). I have vainly enquired
about what became of it.
[FN#170] The short paper by "P. R." in the Gentleman's Magazine
(Feb. 19th, 1799, vol. lxix. p. 61) tells us that MSS. of The
Nights were scarce at Aleppo and that he found only two vols.
(280 Nights) which he had great difficulty in obtaining leave to
copy. He also noticed (in 1771) a MS., said to be complete, in
the Vatican and another in the "King's Library" (Bibliothčque
Nationale), Paris.
[FN#171] Aleppo has been happy in finding such monographers as
Russell and Maundrell while poor Damascus fell into the hands of
Mr. Missionary Porter, and suffered accordingly.
[FN#172] Vol. vi. Appendix, p.452.
[FN#173] The numbers, however, vary with the Editions of Galland:
some end the formula with Night cxcvii; others with the ccxxxvi.
: I adopt that of the De Sacy Edition.
[FN#174] Contes Persans, suivis des Contes Turcs. Paris; Béchet
Ainé, 1826.
[FN#175] In the old translation we have "eighteen hundred years
since the prophet Solomon died," (B.C. 975) = A.D. 825.
[FN#176] Meaning the era of the Seleucides. Dr. Jonathan Scott
shows (vol. ii. 324) that A.H. 653 and A.D. 1255 would correspond
with 1557 of that epoch; so that the scribe has here made a
little mistake of 5,763 years. Ex uno disce.
[FN#177] The Saturday Review (Jan. 2nd '86) writes, "Captain
Burton has fallen into a mistake by not distinguishing between
the names of the by no means identical Caliphs Al-Muntasir and
Al-Mustansir." Quite true: it was an ugly confusion of the
melancholy madman and parricide with one of the best and wisest
of the Caliphs. I can explain (not extenuate) my mistake only by
a misprint in Al-Siyúti (p. 554).
[FN#178] In the Galland MS. and the Bresl. Edit. (ii. 253), we
find the Barber saying that the Caliph (Al-Mustansir) was at that
time (yaumaizin) in Baghdad, and this has been held to imply that
the Caliphate had fallen. But such conjecture is evidently based
upon insufficient grounds.
[FN#179] De Sacy makes the "Kalandar" order originate in A.D.
1150, but the Shaykh Sharíf bú Ali Kalandar died in A.D. 1323-24.
In Sind the first Kalandar, Osmán-i-Marwándí surnamed Lál
Sháhbáz, the Red Goshawk, from one of his miracles, died and was
buried at Sehwán in A D. 1274: see my "History of Sindh" chapt.
viii. for details. The dates therefore run wild.
[FN#180] In this same tale H. H. Wilson observes that the title
of Sultan of Egypt was not assumed before the middle of the xiith
century.
[FN#181] Popularly called Vidyanagar of the Narsingha.
[FN#182] Time-measurers are of very ancient date. The Greeks had
clepsydrć and the Romans gnomons, portable and ring-shaped,
besides large standing town-dials as at Aquileja and San Sabba
near Trieste. The "Saracens" were the perfecters of the
clepsydra: Bosseret (p. 16) and the Chronicon Turense (Beckmann
ii. 340 et seq.) describe the water-clock sent by Al-Rashid to
Karl the Great as a kind of "cockoo-clock." Twelve doors in the
dial opened successively and little balls dropping on brazen
bells told the hour: at noon a dozen mounted knights paraded the
face and closed the portals. Trithonius mentions an horologium
presented in A.D. 1232 by Al-Malik al-Kámil the Ayyubite Soldan
to the Emperor Frederick II: like the Strasbourg and Padua clocks
it struck the hours, told the day, month and year, showed the
phases of the moon, and registered the position of the sun and
the planets. Towards the end of the fifteenth century Gaspar
Visconti mentions in a sonnet the watch proper (certi orologii
piccioli e portativi); and the "animated eggs" of Nurembourg
became famous. The earliest English watch (Sir Ashton Lever's)
dates from 1541: and in 1544 the portable chronometer became
common in France.
[FN#183] An illustrated History of Arms and Armour etc. (p. 59);
London: Bell and Sons, 1877. The best edition is the Guide des
Amateurs d'Armes, Paris: Renouard, 1879.
[FN#184] Chapt. iv. Dr. Gustav Oppert "On the Weapons etc. of the
Ancient Hindus;" London: Trübner and Co., 1880. :
[FN#185] I have given other details on this subject in pp. 631-
637 of "Camoens, his Life and his Lusiads."
[FN#186] The morbi venerei amongst the Romans are obscure because
"whilst the satirists deride them the physicians are silent."
Celsus, however, names (De obscenarum partium vitiis, lib.
xviii.) inflammatio coleorum (swelled testicle), tubercula
glandem (warts on the glans penis), cancri carbunculi (chancre or
shanker) and a few others. The rubigo is noticed as a lues
venerea by Servius in Virg. Georg.
[FN#187] According to David Forbes, the Peruvians believed that
syphilis arose from connection of man and alpaca; and an old law
forbade bachelors to keep these animals in the house. Francks
explains by the introduction of syphilis wooden figures found in
the Chinchas guano; these represented men with a cord round the
neck or a serpent devouring the genitals.
[FN#188] They appeared before the gates of Paris in the summer of
1427, not "about July, 1422": in Eastern Europe, however, they
date from a much earlier epoch. Sir J. Gilbert's famous picture
has one grand fault, the men walk and the women ride: in real
life the reverse would be the case.
[FN#189] Rabelais ii. c. 30.
[FN#190] I may be allowed to note that syphilis does not confine
itself to man: a charger infected with it was pointed out to me
at Baroda by my late friend, Dr. Arnott (18th Regiment, Bombay
N.I.) and Tangier showed me some noticeable cases of this hippic
syphilis, which has been studied in Hungary. Eastern peoples have
a practice of "passing on" venereal and other diseases, and
transmission is supposed to cure the patient; for instance a
virgin heals (and catches) gonorrhśa. Syphilis varies greatly
with climate. In Persia it is said to be propagated without
contact: in Abyssinia it is often fatal and in Egypt it is
readily cured by sand baths and sulphur-unguents. Lastly in lands
like Unyamwezi, where mercurials are wholly unknown, I never saw
caries of the nasal or facial bones.
[FN#191] For another account of the transplanter and the
casuistical questions to which coffee gave rise, see my "First
Footsteps in East Africa" (p. 76).
[FN#192] The first mention of coffee proper (not of Kahwah or old wine in vol. ii. 260) is in Night
cdxxvi. vol. v. 169, where the coffee-maker is called Kahwahjiyyah, a mongrel term showing the
modern date of the passage in Ali the Cairene. As the work advances notices become thicker, e.g.
in Night dccclxvi. where Ali Nur al-Din and the Frank King's daughter seems to be a modernisation
of the story "Ala al-Din Abu al-Shámát" (vol. iv. 29); and in Abu Kir and Abu Sir (Nights cmxxx.
and cmxxxvi.) where coffee is drunk with sherbet after present fashion. The use culminates in
Kamar al-Zaman II. where it is mentioned six times (Nights cmlxvi. cmlxx. cmlxxi. twice; cmlxxiv.
and cmlxxvii.), as being drunk after the dawn-breakfast and following the meal as a matter of
course. The last notices are in Abdullah bin Fazil, Nights cmlxxviii. and cmlxxix.
[FN#193] It has been suggested that Japanese tobacco is an
indigenous growth and sundry modern travellers in China contend
that the potato and the maize, both white and yellow, have there
been cultivated from time immemorial.
[FN#194] For these see my "City of the Saints," p. 136.
[FN#195] Lit. meaning smoke: hence the Arabic "Dukhán," with the
same signification.
[FN#196] Unhappily the book is known only by name: for years I have vainly troubled friends and
correspondents to hunt for a copy. Yet I am sanguine enough to think that some day we shall
succeed: Mr. Sidney Churchill, of Teheran, is ever on the look-out.
[FN#197] In § 3 I shall suggest that this tale also is mentioned
by Al-Mas'udi.
[FN#198] I have extracted it from many books, especially from
Hoeffer's Biographie Générale, Paris, Firmin Didot, mdccclvii.;
Biographie Universelle, Paris, Didot, 1816, etc. etc. All are
taken from the work of M. de Boze, his "Bozzy."
[FN#199] As learning a language is an affair of pure memory,
almost without other exercise of the mental faculties, it should
be assisted by the ear and the tongue as well as the eyes. I
would invariably make pupils talk, during lessons, Latin and
Greek, no matter how badly at first; but unfortunately I should
have to begin with teaching the pedants who, as a class, are far
more unwilling and unready to learn than are those they teach.
[FN#200] The late Dean Stanley was notably trapped by the wily
Greek who had only political purposes in view. In religions as a
rule the minimum of difference breeds the maximum of disputation,
dislike and disgust.
[FN#201] See in Trébutien (Avertissement iii.) how Baron von
Hammer escaped drowning by the blessing of The Nights.
[FN#202] He signs his name to the Discours pour servir de
Préface.
[FN#203] I need not trouble the reader with their titles, which
fill up nearly a column and a half in M. Hoeffer. His collection
of maxims from Arabic, Persian and Turkish authors appeared in
English in 1695.
[FN#204] Galland's version was published in 1704-1717 in 12 vols.
12mo., (Hoeffer's Biographie; Grasse's Trésor de Livres rares and
Encyclop. Britannica, ixth Edit.)
[FN#205] See also Leigh Hunt "The Book of the Thousand Nights and
one Night," etc., etc. London and Westminster Review Art. iii.,
No. 1xiv. mentioned in Lane, iii., 746.
[FN#206] Edition of 1856 vol. xv.
[FN#207] To France England also owes her first translation of the
Koran, a poor and mean version by Andrew Ross of that made from
the Arabic (No. iv.) by André du Reyer, Consul de France for
Egypt. It kept the field till ousted in 1734 by the learned
lawyer George Sale whose conscientious work, including
Preliminary Discourse and Notes (4to London), brought him the
ill-fame of having "turned Turk."
[FN#208] Catalogue of Printed Books, 1884, p. 159, col. i. I am
ashamed to state this default in the British Museum, concerning
which Englishmen are apt to boast and which so carefully mulcts
modern authors in unpaid copies. But it is only a slight
specimen of the sad state of art and literature in England,
neglected equally by Conservatives, Liberals and Radicals. What
has been done for the endowment of research? What is our
equivalent for the Prix de Rome? Since the death of Dr. Birch,
who can fairly deal with a Demotic papyrus? Contrast the Société
Anthropologique and its palace and professors in Paris with our
"Institute" au second in a corner of Hanover Square and its
skulls in the cellar!
[FN#209] Art. vii. pp. 139-168, "On the Arabian Nights and
translators, Weil, Torrens and Lane (vol. i.) with the Essai of
A. Loisseleur Deslongchamps." The Foreign Quarterly Review, vol.
xxiv., Oct. 1839-Jan. 1840. London, Black and Armstrong, 1840.
[FN#210] Introduction to his Collection "Tales of the East," 3
vols. Edinburgh, 1812. He was the first to point out the
resemblance between the introductory adventures of Shahryar and
Shah Zaman and those of Astolfo and Giacondo in the Orlando
Furioso (Canto xxviii.). M. E. Lévęque in Les Mythes et les
Légendes de l'Inde et la Perse (Paris, 1880) gives French
versions of the Arabian and Italian narratives, side by side in
p. 543 ff. (Clouston).
[FN#211] Notitić Codicis MI. Noctium. Dr. Pusey studied Arabic
to familiarise himself with Hebrew, and was very different from
his predecessor at Oxford in my day, who, when applied to for
instruction in Arabic, refused to lecture except to a class.
[FN#212] This nephew was the author of "Recueil des Rits et
Cérémonies des Pilgrimages de La Mecque," etc. etc. Paris and
Amsterdam, 1754, in 12mo.
[FN#213] The concluding part did not appear, I have said, till
1717: his "Comes et Fables Indiennes de Bidpaď et de Lokman,"
were first printed in 1724, 2 vols. in 12mo. Hence, I presume,
Lowndes' mistake.
[FN#214] M. Caussin (de Perceval), Professeur of Arabic at the
Imperial Library, who edited Galland in 1806, tells us that he
found there only two MSS., both imperfect. The first (Galland's)
is in three small vols. 4to. each of about pp. 140. The stories
are more detailed and the style, more correct than that of other
MS., is hardly intelligible to many Arabs, whence he presumes
that it contains the original (an early?) text which has been
altered and vitiated. The date is supposed to be circa A.D.
1600. The second Parisian copy is a single folio of some 800
pages, and is divided into 29 sections and cmv. Nights, the last
two sections being reversed. The MS. is very imperfect, the
12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 21st-23rd, 25th and 27th parts are
wanting; the sections which follow the 17th contain sundry
stories repeated, there are anecdotes from Bidpai, the Ten Wazirs
and other popular works, and lacunć everywhere abound.
[FN#215] Mr. Payne (ix. 264) makes eleven, including the Histoire
du Dormeur éveillé = The Sleeper and the Waker, which he
afterwards translated from the Bresl. Edit. in his "Tales from
the Arabic" (vol. i. 5, etc.)
[FN#216] Mr. E. J. W. Gibb informs me that he has come upon this
tale in a Turkish storybook, the same from which he drew his
"Jewád."
[FN#217] A littérateur lately assured me that Nos. ix. and x.
have been found in the Bibliothčque Nationale (du Roi) Paris; but
two friends were kind enough to enquire and ascertained that it
was a mistake. Such Persianisms as Codadad (Khudadad), Baba
Cogia (Khwájah) and Peri (fairy) suggest a Persic MS.
[FN#218] Vol. vi. 212. "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments
(London: Longmans, 1811) by Jonathan Scott, with the Collection
of New Tales from the Wortley Montagu MS. in the Bodleian." I
regret to see that Messieurs Nimmo in reprinting Scott have
omitted his sixth Volume.
[FN#219] Dr. Scott who uses Fitnah (iv. 42) makes it worse by
adding "Alcolom (Al-Kulúb?) signifying Ravisher of Hearts" and
his names for the six slave-girls (vol. iv. 37) such as "Zohorob
Bostan" (Zahr al-Bústán), which Galland rightly renders by "Fleur
du Jardin," serve only to heap blunder upon blunder. Indeed the
Anglo-French translations are below criticism: it would be waste
of time to notice them. The characteristic is a servile suit
paid to the original e.g. rendering hair "accomodé en boucles" by
"hair festooned in buckles" (Night ccxiv.), and Île d'Ébčne
(Jazírat al-Abnús, Night xliii.) by "the Isle of Ebene." A
certain surly old littérateur tells me that he prefers these
wretched versions to Mr. Payne's. Padrone! as the Italians say:
I cannot envy his taste or his temper.
[FN#220] De Sacy (Mémoire p. 52) notes that in some MSS., the
Sultan, ennuyé by the last tales of Shahrázad, proposes to put
her to death, when she produces her three children and all ends
merrily without marriage-bells. Von Hammer prefers this version
as the more dramatic, the Frenchman rejects it on account of the
difficulties of the accouchements. Here he strains at the gnat--
a common process.
[FN#221] See Journ. Asiatique, iii. série, vol. viii., Paris,
1839.
[FN#222] "Tausend und Eine Nacht: Arabische Erzählungen. Zum
ersten mal aus einer Tunisischen Handschrift ergänzt und
vollstandig übersetzt," Von Max Habicht, F. H. von der Hagen und
Karl Schatte (the offenders?).
[FN#223] Dr. Habicht informs us (Vorwort iii., vol. ix. 7) that
he obtained his MS. with other valuable works from Tunis, through
a personal acquaintance, a learned Arab, Herr M. Annagar
(Mohammed Al-Najjár?) and was aided by Baron de Sacy, Langlčs and
other savants in filling up the lacunć by means of sundry MSS.
The editing was a prodigy of negligence: the corrigenda (of which
brief lists are given) would fill a volume; and, as before
noticed, the indices of the first four tomes were printed in the
fifth, as if the necessity of a list of tales had just struck the
dense editor. After Habicht's death in 1839 his work was
completed in four vols. (ix.-xii.) by the well-known Prof. H. J.
Fleischer who had shown some tartness in his "Dissertatio Critica
de Glossis Habichtianis." He carefully imitated all the
shortcomings of his predecessor and even omitted the Verzeichniss
etc., the Varianten and the Glossary of Arabic words not found in
Golius, which formed the only useful part of the first eight
volumes.
[FN#224] Die in Tausend und Eine Nacht noch nicht übersetzten
Nächte, Erzählungen und Anekdoten, zum erstenmal aus dem
Arabischen in das Französische übersetzt von J. von Hammer, und
aus dem Französischen in das Deutsche von A. E. Zinserling,
Professor, Stuttgart und Tubingen, 1823. Drei Bde. 80 .
Trébutien's, therefore, is the translation of a translation of a
translation.
[FN#225] Tausend und Eine Nacht Arabische Erzählungen. Zum
erstenmale aus dem Urtexte vollständig und treu uebersetze von
Dr. Gustav Weil. He began his work on return from Egypt in 1836
and completed his first version of the Arabische Meisterwerk in
1838-42 (3 vols. roy. oct.). I have the Zweiter Abdruck der
dritten (2d reprint of 3d) in 4 vols. 8vo., Stuttgart, 1872. It
has more than a hundred woodcuts.
[FN#226] My learned friend Dr. Wilhelm Storck, to whose admirable
translations of Camoens I have often borne witness, notes that
this Vorhalle, or Porch to the first edition, a rhetorical
introduction addressed to the general public, is held in Germany
to be valueless and that it was noticed only for the Bemerkung
concerning the offensive passages which Professor Weil had toned
down in his translation. In the Vorwort of the succeeding
editions (Stuttgart) it is wholly omitted.
[FN#227] The most popular are now "Mille ed una notte. Novelle
Arabe." Napoli, 1867, 8vo illustrated, 4 francs; and "Mille ed
une notte. Novelle Arabe, versione italiana nuovamente emendata
e corredata di note"; 4 vols. in 32 (dateless) Milano, 8vo, 4
francs.
[FN#228] These are; (l) by M. Caussin (de Perceval), Paris, 1806,
9 vols. 8vo. (2) Edouard Gauttier, Paris, 1822-24: 7 vols. 12mo;
(3) M. Destain, Paris, 1823-25, 6 vols. 8vo, and (4) Baron de
Sacy, Paris. 1838 (?) 3 vols. large 8vo, illustrated (and vilely
illustrated).
[FN#229] The number of fables and anecdotes varies in the
different texts, but may be assumed to be upwards of four
hundred, about half of which were translated by Lane.
[FN#230] I have noticed these points more fully in the beginning
of chapt. iii. "The Book of the Sword."
[FN#231] A notable instance of Roman superficiality,
incuriousness and ignorance. Every old Egyptian city had its
idols (images of metal, stone or wood), in which the Deity became
incarnate as in the Catholic host; besides its own symbolic
animal used as a Kiblah or prayer-direction (Jerusalem or
Meccah), the visible means of fixing and concentrating the
thoughts of the vulgar, like the crystal of the hypnotist or the
disk of the electro-biologist. And goddess Diana was in no way
better than goddess Pasht. For the true view of idolatry see
Koran xxxix. 4. I am deeply grateful to Mr. P. le Page Renouf
(Soc. of Biblic. Archćology, April 6, 1886) for identifying the
Manibogh, Michabo or Great Hare of the American indigenes with
Osiris Unnefer ("Hare God"). These are the lines upon which
investigation should run. And of late years there is a notable
improvement of tone in treating of symbolism or idolatry: the
Lingam and the Yoni are now described as "mystical
representations, and perhaps the best possible impersonal
representatives of the abstract expressions paternity and
maternity" (Prof. Monier Williams in "Folk-lore Record" vol. iii.
part i. p. 118).
[FN#232] See Jotham's fable of the Trees and King Bramble
(Judges lxi. 8) and Nathan's parable of the Poor Man and his
little ewe Lamb (2 Sam. ix. 1).
[FN#233] Herodotus (ii. c. 134) notes that "Ćsop the fable-writer
( ) was one of her (Rhodopis) fellow slaves".
Aristophanes (Vespć, 1446) refers to his murder by the Delphians
and his fable beginning, "Once upon a time there was a fight;"
while the Scholiast finds an allusion to The Serpent and the Crab
in Pax 1084; and others in Vespć 1401, and Aves 651.
[FN#234] There are three distinct Lokmans who are carefully
confounded in Sale (Koran chapt. xxxi.) and in Smith's Dict. of
Biography etc. art. Ćsopus. The first or eldest Lokman, entitled
Al-Hakim (the Sage) and the hero of the Koranic chapter which
bears his name, was son of Bá'úrá of the Children of Azar,
sister's son of Job or son of Job's maternal aunt; he witnessed
David's miracles of mail-making and when the tribe of 'Ád was
destroyed, he became King of the country. The second, also called
the Sage, was a slave, an Abyssinian negro, sold to the
Israelites during the reign of David or Solomon, synchronous with
the Persian Kay Káús and Kay Khusrau, also Pythagoras the Greek
(!) His physique is alluded to in the saying, "Thou resemblest
Lokman (in black ugliness) but not in wisdom" (Ibn Khallikan i.
145). This negro or negroid, after a godly and edifying life,
left a volume of "Amsál," proverbs and exempla (not fables or
apologues); and Easterns still say, "One should not pretend to
teach Lokmán"--in Persian, "Hikmat ba Lokman ámokhtan." Three of
his apothegms dwell in the public memory: "The heart and the
tongue are the best and worst parts of the human body." "I
learned wisdom from the blind who make sure of things by touching
them" (as did St. Thomas); and when he ate the colocynth offered
by his owner, "I have received from thee so many a sweet that
'twould be surprising if I refused this one bitter." He was
buried (says the Tárikh Muntakhab) at Ramlah in Judća, with the
seventy Prophets stoned in one day by the Jews. The youngest
Lokman "of the vultures" was a prince of the tribe of Ad who
lived 3,500 years, the age of seven vultures (Tabari). He could
dig a well with his nails; hence the saying, "Stronger than
Lokman" (A. P. i. 701); and he loved the arrow-game, hence, "More
gambling than Lokman" (ibid. ii. 938). "More voracious than
Lokman" (ibid i. 134) alludes to his eating one camel for
breakfast and another for supper. His wife Barákish also appears
in proverb, e.g. "Camel us and camel thyself" (ibid. i. 295) i.e.
give us camel flesh to eat, said when her son by a former husband
brought her a fine joint which she and her husband relished.
Also, "Barákish hath sinned against her kin" (ibid. ii. 89). More
of this in Chenery's Al-Hariri p. 422; but the three Lokmans are
there reduced to two.
[FN#235] I have noticed them in vol. ii. 47-49. "To the Gold
Coast for Gold."
[FN#236] I can hardly accept the dictum that the Katha Sarit
Sagara, of which more presently, is the "earliest representation
of the first collection."
[FN#237] The Pehlevi version of the days of King Anushirwan (A.D.
531-72) became the Humáyun-námeh ("August Book") turned into
Persian for Bahram Shah the Ghaznavite: the Hitopadesa
("Friendship-boon") of Prakrit, avowedly compiled from the
"Panchatantra," became the Hindu Panchopakhyan, the Hindostani
Akhlák-i-Hindi ("Moralities of Ind") and in Persia and Turkey the
Anvar-i-Suhayli ("Lights of Canopus"). Arabic, Hebrew and Syriac
writers entitle their version Kalilah wa Damnah, or Kalilaj wa
Damnaj, from the name of the two jackal-heroes, and Europe knows
the recueil as the Fables of Pilpay or Bidpay (Bidyá-pati, Lord
of learning?) a learned Brahman reported to have been Premier at
the Court of the Indian King Dabishlím.
[FN#238] Diet. Philosoph. S. V. Apocrypha.
[FN#239] The older Arab writers, I repeat, do not ascribe fables
or beast-apologues to Lokman; they record only "dictes" and
proverbial sayings.
[FN#240] Professor Taylor Lewis: Preface to Pilpay.
[FN#241] In the Katha Sarit Sagara the beast-apologues are more
numerous, but they can be reduced to two great nuclei; the first
in chapter lx. (Lib. x.) and the second in the same book chapters
lxii-lxv. Here too they are mixed up with anecdotes and acroamata
after the fashion of The Nights, suggesting great antiquity for
this style of composition.
[FN#242] Brugsch, History of Egypt, vol. i. 266 et seq. The
fabliau is interesting in more ways than one. Anepu the elder
(Potiphar) understands the language of cattle, an idea ever
cropping up in Folk-lore; and Bata (Joseph), his "little
brother," who becomes a "panther of the South (Nubia) for rage"
at the wife's impudique proposal, takes the form of a bull--
metamorphosis full blown. It is not, as some have called it, the
"oldest book in the world;" that name was given by M. Chabas to a
MS. of Proverbs, dating from B.C. 2200. See also the "Story of
Saneha," a novel earlier than the popular date of Moses, in the
Contes Populaires of Egypt.
[FN#243] The fox and the jackal are confounded by the Arabic
dialects not by the Persian, whose "Rubáh" can never be mistaken
for "Shaghál." "Sa'lab" among the Semites is locally applied to
either beast and we can distinguish the two only by the fox being
solitary and rapacious, and the jackal gregarious and a
carrion-eater. In all Hindu tales the jackal seems to be an
awkward substitute for the Grecian and classical fox, the Giddar
or Kolá (Cants aureus) being by no means sly and wily as the
Lomri (Vulpes vulgaris). This is remarked by Weber (Indische
Studien) and Prof. Benfey's retort about "King Nobel" the lion is
by no means to the point. See Katha Sarit Sagara, ii. 28.
I may add that in Northern Africa jackal's gall, like jackal's
grape (Solanum nigrum = black nightshade), ass's milk and melted
camel-hump, is used aphrodisiacally as an unguent by both sexes.
See. p. 239, etc., of Le Jardin parfumé du Cheikh Nefzaoui, of
whom more presently.
[FN#244] Rambler, No. lxvii.
[FN#245] Some years ago I was asked by my old landlady if ever in
the course of my travels I had come across Captain Gulliver.
[FN#246] In "The Adventurer" quoted by Mr. Heron, "Translator's
Preface to the Arabian Tales of Chaves and Cazotte."
[FN#247] "Life in a Levantine Family" chapt. xi. Since the able
author found his "family" firmly believing in The Nights, much
has been changed in Alexandria; but the faith in Jinn and Ifrit,
ghost and vampire is lively as ever.
[FN#248] The name dates from the second century A. H. or before
A. D. 815.
[FN#249] Dabistan i. 231 etc.
[FN#250] Because Si = thirty and Murgh = bird. In McClenachan's
Addendum to Mackay's Encyclopćedia of Freemasonry we find the
following definition: "Simorgh. A monstrous griffin, guardian of
the Persian mysteries."
[FN#251] For a poor and inadequate description of the festivals
commemorating this "Architect of the Gods" see vol. iii. 177,
"View of the History etc. of the Hindus" by the learned Dr. Ward,
who could see in them only the "low and sordid nature of
idolatry." But we can hardly expect better things from a
missionary in 1822, when no one took the trouble to understand
what "idolatry" means.
[FN#252] Rawlinson (ii. 491) on Herod. iii. c. 102. Nearchus saw
the skins of these formicć Indicć, by some rationalists explained
as "jackals," whose stature corresponds with the text, and by
others as "pengolens" or ant-eaters (manis pentedactyla). The
learned Sanskritist, H. H. Wilson, quotes the name Pippilika =
ant-gold, given by the people of Little Thibet to the precious
dust thrown up in the emmet heaps.
[FN#253] A writer in the Edinburgh Review (July, '86), of whom
more presently, suggests that The Nights assumed essentially
their present shape during the general revival of letters, arts
and requirements which accompanied the Kurdish and Tartar
irruptions into the Nile Valley, a golden age which embraced the
whole of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and
ended with the Ottoman Conquest in A. D. 1527.
[FN#254] Let us humbly hope not again to hear of the golden prime
of
"The good (fellow?) Haroun Alrasch'id,"
a mispronunciation which suggests only a rasher of bacon. Why
will not poets mind their quantities, in lieu of stultifying
their lines by childish ignorance? What can be more painful than
Byron's
"They laid his dust in Ar'qua (for Arqua) where he
died?"
[FN#255] See De Sacy's Chrestomathie Arabe (Paris, 1826), vol. i.
[FN#256] See Le Jardin Parfumé du Cheikh Nefzaoui Manuel
d'Erotologie Arabe Traduction revue et corrigée Edition privée,
imprimé ŕ deux cent.-vingt exemplaires, par Isidore Liseux et ses
Amis, Paris, 1866. The editor has forgotten to note that the
celebrated Sidi Mohammed copied some of the tales from The Nights
and borrowed others (I am assured by a friend) from Tunisian MSS.
of the same work. The book has not been fairly edited: the notes
abound in mistakes, the volume lacks an index, &c., &c. Since
this was written the Jardin Parfumé has been twice translated
into English as "The Perfumed Garden of the Cheikh Nefzaoui, a
Manual of Arabian Erotology (sixteenth century). Revised and
corrected translation, Cosmopoli: mdccclxxxvi.: for the Kama
Shastra Society of London and Benares and for private circulation
only." A rival version will be brought out by a bookseller whose
Committee, as he calls it, appears to be the model of literary
pirates, robbing the author as boldly and as openly as if they
picked his pocket before his face.
[FN#257] Translated by a well-known Turkish scholar, Mr. E. J. W.
Gibb (Glasgow, Wilson and McCormick, 1884).
[FN#258] D'Herbelot (s. v. "Asmai"): I am reproached by a dabbler
in Orientalism for using this admirable writer who shows more
knowledge in one page than my critic does in a whole volume.
[FN#259] For specimens see Al-Siyuti, pp. 301 and 304, and the
Shaykh al Nafzawi, pp. 134-35
[FN#260] The word "nakh" (to make a camel kneel) is explained in
vol. ii. 139.
[FN#261] The present of the famous horologium-clepsydra-cuckoo
clock, the dog Becerillo and the elephant Abu Lubabah sent by
Harun to Charlemagne is not mentioned by Eastern authorities and
consequently no reference to it will be found in my late friend
Professor Palmer's little volume "Haroun Alraschid," London,
Marcus Ward, 1881. We have allusions to many presents, the clock
and elephant, tent and linen hangings, silken dresses, perfumes,
and candelabra of auricalch brought by the Legati (Abdalla
Georgius Abba et Felix) of Aaron Amiralmumminim Regis Persarum
who entered the Port of Pisa (A. D. 801) in (vol. v. 178) Recueil
des Histor. des Gaules et de la France, etc., par Dom Martin
Bouquet, Paris, mdccxliv. The author also quotes the lines:--
Persarum Princeps illi devinctus amore
Prćcipuo fuerat, nomen habens Aaron.
Gratia cui Caroli prć cunctis Regibus atque
Illis Principibus tempora cara funit.
[FN#262] Many have remarked that the actual date of the decease
is unknown.
[FN#263] See Al-Siyuti (p. 305) and Dr. Jonathan Scott's "Tales,
Anecdotes, and Letters," (p. 296).
[FN#264] I have given (vol. i. 188) the vulgar derivation of the
name; and D'Herbelot (s. v. Barmakian) quotes some Persian lines
alluding to the "supping up." Al-Mas'udi's account of the
family's early history is unfortunately lost. This Khálid
succeeded Abu Salámah, first entitled Wazir under Al-Saffah (Ibn
Khallikan i. 468).
[FN#265] For his poetry see Ibn Khallikan iv. 103.
[FN#266] Their flatterers compared them with the four elements.
[FN#267] Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxii.
[FN#268] Ibn Khallikan (i. 310) says the eunuch Abu Háshim
Masrúr, the Sworder of Vengeance, who is so pleasantly associated
with Ja'afar in many nightly disguises; but the Eunuch survived
the Caliph. Fakhr al-Din (p. 27) adds that Masrur was an enemy of
Ja'afar; and gives further details concerning the execution.
[FN#269] Bresl. Edit., Night dlxvii. vol. vii. pp. 258-260;
translated in the Mr. Payne's "Tales from the Arabic," vol. i.
189 and headed "Al-Rashid and the Barmecides." It is far less
lively and dramatic than the account of the same event given by
Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxii., by Ibn Khallikan and by Fakhr al-Din.
[FN#270] Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxi.
[FN#271] See Dr. Jonathan Scott's extracts from Major Ouseley's
"Tarikh-i-Barmaki."
[FN#272] Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxii. For the liberties Ja'afar took
see Ibn Khallikan, i. 303.
[FN#273] Ibid. chapt. xxiv. In vol. ii. 29 of The Nights, I find
signs of Ja'afar's suspected heresy. For Al-Rashid's hatred of
the Zindiks see Al-Siyuti, pp. 292, 301; and as regards the
religious troubles ibid. p. 362 and passim.
[FN#274] Biogr. Dict. i. 309.
[FN#275] This accomplished princess had a practice that suggests
the Dame aux Camélias.
[FN#276] i. e. Perdition to your fathers, Allah's curse on your
ancestors.
[FN#277] See vol. iv. 159, "Ja'afar and the Bean-seller;" where
the great Wazir is said to have been "crucified;" and vol. iv.
pp. 179, 181. Also Roebuck's Persian Proverbs, i. 2, 346, "This
also is through the munificence of the Barmecides."
[FN#278] I especially allude to my friend Mr. Payne's admirably
written account of it in his concluding Essay (vol. ix.). From
his views of the Great Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah I must differ
in every point except the destruction of the Barmecides.
[FN#279] Bresl. Edit., vol. vii. 261-62.
[FN#280] Mr. Grattan Geary, in a work previously noticed, informs
us (i. 212) "The Sitt al-Zobeide, or the Lady Zobeide, was so
named from the great Zobeide tribe of Arabs occupying the country
East and West of the Euphrates near the Hindi'ah Canal; she was
the daughter of a powerful Sheik of that Tribe." Can this explain
the "Kásim"?
[FN#281] Vol. viii. 296.
[FN#282] Burckhardt, "Travels in Arabia" vol. i. 185.
[FN#283] The reverse has been remarked by more than one writer;
and contemporary French opinion seems to be that Victor Hugo's
influence on French prose, was on the whole, not beneficial.
[FN#284] Mr. W. S. Clouston, the "Storiologist," who is preparing
a work to be entitled "Popular Tales and Fictions; their
Migrations and Transformations," informs me the first to adapt
this witty anecdote was Jacques de Vitry, the crusading bishop of
Accon (Acre) who died at Rome in 1240, after setting the example
of "Exempla" or instances in his sermons. He had probably heard
it in Syria, and he changed the day-dreamers into a Milkmaid and
her Milk-pail to suit his "flock." It then appears as an
"Exemplum" in the Liber de Donis or de Septem Donis (or De Dono
Timoris from Fear the first gift) of Stephanus de Borbone, the
Dominican, ob. Lyons, 1261: it treated of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit (Isaiah xi. 2 and 3), Timor, Pietas, Scientia, Fortitudo,
Consilium, Intellectus et Sapientia; and was plentifully
garnished with narratives for the use of preachers.
[FN#285] The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register (new series,
vol. xxx. Sept.-Dec. 1830, London, Allens, 1839); p. 69 Review of
the Arabian Nights, the Mac. Edit. vol. i., and H. Torrens.
[FN#286] As a household edition of the "Arabian Nights" is now
being prepared, the curious reader will have an opportunity of
verifying this statement.
[FN#287] It has been pointed out to me that in vol. ii. p. 285,
line 18 "Zahr Shah" is a mistake for Sulayman Shah.
[FN#288] I have lately found these lovers at Schloss Sternstein
near Cilli in Styria, the property of my excellent colleague, Mr.
Consul Faber, dating from A. D. 1300 when Jobst of Reichenegg and
Agnes of Sternstein were aided and abetted by a Capuchin of
Seikkloster.
[FN#289] In page 226 Dr. Steingass sensibly proposes altering the
last hemistich (lines 11-12) to
At one time showing the Moon and Sun.
[FN#290] Omitted by Lane for some reason unaccountable as usual.
A correspondent sends me his version of the lines which occur in
The Nights (vol. v. 106 and 107):--
Behold the Pyramids and hear them teach
What they can tell of Future and of Past:
They would declare, had they the gift of speech,
The deeds that Time hath wrought from first to last
* * * *
My friends, and is there aught beneath the sky
Can with th' Egyptian Pyramids compare?
In fear of them strong Time hath passed by
And everything dreads Time in earth and air.
[FN#291] A rhyming Romance by Henry of Waldeck (flor. A. D. 1160)
with a Latin poem on the same subject by Odo and a prose version
still popular in Germany. (Lane's Nights iii. 81; and Weber's
"Northern Romances.")
[FN#292] e. g. 'Ajáib al-Hind (= Marvels of Ind) ninth century,
translated by J. Marcel Devic, Paris, 1878; and about the same
date the Two Mohammedan Travellers, translated by Renaudot. In
the eleventh century we have the famous Sayyid al-ldrisi, in the
thirteenth the 'Ajáib al-Makhlúkat of Al-Kazwini and in the
fourteenth the Kharídat al-Ajáib of Ibn Al-Wardi. Lane (in loco)
traces most of Sindbad to the two latter sources.
[FN#293] So Hector France proposed to name his admirably
realistic volume "Sous le Burnous" (Paris, Charpentier, 1886).
[FN#294] I mean in European literature, not in Arabic where it is
a lieu commun. See three several forms of it in one page (505) of
Ibn Kallikan, vol. iii.
[FN#295] My attention has been called to the resemblance between
the half-lie and Job (i. 13- 19).
[FN#296] Boccaccio (ob. Dec. 2, 1375), may easily have heard of
The Thousand Nights and a Night or of its archetype the Hazár
Afsánah. He was followed by the Piacevoli Notti of Giovan
Francisco Straparola (A. D. 1550), translated into almost all
European languages but English: the original Italian is now rare.
Then came the Heptameron ou Histoire des amans fortunez of
Marguerite d'Angoulęme, Reyne de Navarre and only sister of
Francis I. She died in 1549 before the days were finished: in
1558 Pierre Boaistuan published the Histoire des amans fortunez
and in 1559 Claude Guiget the "Heptameron." Next is the Hexameron
of A. de Torquemada, Rouen, 1610; and, lastly, the Pentamerone or
El Cunto de li Cunte of Giambattista Basile (Naples 1637), known
by the meagre abstract of J. E. Taylor and the caricatures of
George Cruikshank (London 1847-50). I propose to translate this
Pentamerone direct from the Neapolitan and have already finished
half the work.
[FN#297] Translated and well annotated by Prof. Tawney, who,
however, affects asterisks and has considerably bowdlerised
sundry of the tales, e. g. the Monkey who picked out the Wedge
(vol. ii. 28). This tale, by the by, is found in the Khirad Afroz
(i. 128) and in the Anwar-i-Suhayli (chapt. i.) and gave rise to
the Persian proverb, "What has a monkey to do with carpentering?"
It is curious to compare the Hindu with the Arabic work whose
resemblances are as remarkable as their differences, while even
more notable is their correspondence in impressioning the reader.
The Thaumaturgy of both is the same: the Indian is profuse in
demonology and witchcraft; in transformation and restoration; in
monsters as wind-men, fire-men and water-men, in air-going
elephants and flying horses (i. 541-43); in the wishing cow,
divine goats and laughing fishes (i. 24); and in the speciosa
miracula of magic weapons. He delights in fearful battles (i.
400) fought with the same weapons as the Moslem and rewards his
heroes with a "turband of honour" (i. 266) in lieu of a robe.
There is a quaint family likeness arising from similar stages and
states of society: the city is adorned for gladness, men carry
money in a robe-corner and exclaim "Ha! good!" (for "Good, by
Allah!"), lovers die with exemplary facility, the "soft-sided"
ladies drink spirits (i. 61) and princesses get drunk (i. 476);
whilst the Eunuch, the Hetaira and the bawd (Kuttini) play the
same preponderating parts as in The Nights. Our Brahman is strong
in love-making; he complains of the pains of separation in this
phenomenal universe; he revels in youth, "twin-brother to mirth,"
and beauty which has illuminating powers; he foully reviles old
age and he alternately praises and abuses the sex, concerning
which more presently. He delights in truisms, the fashion of
contemporary Europe (see Palmerin of England chapt. vii), such as
"It is the fashion of the heart to receive pleasure from those
things which ought to give it," etc. etc. What is there the wise
cannot understand? and so forth. He is liberal in trite
reflections and frigid conceits (i. 19, 55, 97, 103, 107, in fact
everywhere); and his puns run through whole lines; this in fine
Sanskrit style is inevitable. Yet some of his expressions are
admirably terse and telling, e. g. Ascending the swing of Doubt:
Bound together (lovers) by the leash of gazing: Two babes looking
like Misery and Poverty: Old Age seized me by the chin: (A lake)
first assay of the Creator's skill: (A vow) difficult as standing
on a sword-edge: My vital spirits boiled with the fire of woe:
Transparent as a good man's heart: There was a certain convent
full of fools: Dazed with scripture-reading: The stones could not
help laughing at him: The Moon kissed the laughing forehead of
the East: She was like a wave of the Sea of Love's insolence (ii.
127), a wave of the Sea of Beauty tossed up by the breeze of
Youth: The King played dice, he loved slave-girls, he told lies,
he sat up o' nights, he waxed wroth without reason, he took
wealth wrongously, he despised the good and honoured the bad (i.
562); with many choice bits of the same kind. Like the Arab the
Indian is profuse in personification; but the doctrine of
pre-existence, of incarnation and emanation and an excessive
spiritualism ever aiming at the infinite, makes his imagery run
mad. Thus we have Immoral Conduct embodied; the God of Death;
Science; the Svarga-heaven; Evening; Untimeliness, and the
Earth-bride, while the Ace and Deuce of dice are turned into a
brace of Demons. There is also that grotesqueness which the
French detect even in Shakespeare, e. g. She drank in his
ambrosial form with thirsty eyes like partridges (i. 476) and it
often results from the comparison of incompatibles, e. g. a row
of birds likened to a garden of nymphs; and from forced
allegories, the favourite figure of contemporary Europe. Again,
the rhetorical Hindu style differs greatly from the sobriety,
directness and simplicity of the Arab, whose motto is Brevity
combined with precision, except where the latter falls into "fine
writing." And, finally, there is a something in the atmosphere of
these Tales which is unfamiliar to the West and which makes them,
as more than one has remarked to me, very hard reading.
[FN#298] The Introduction (i. 1-5) leads to the Curse of
Pushpadanta and Mályaván who live on Earth as Vararúchi and
Gunádhya and this runs through lib. i. Lib. ii. begins with the
Story of Udáyana to whom we must be truly grateful as our only
guide: he and his son Naraváhanadatta fill up the rest and end
with lib. xviii. Thus the want of the clew or plot compels a
division into books, which begin for instance with "We worship
the elephantine proboscis of Ganesha" (lib. x. i.) a reverend and
awful object to a Hindu but to Englishmen mainly suggesting the
"Zoo." The "Bismillah" of The Nights is much more satisfactory.
[FN#299] See pp. 5-6 Avertissement des Éditeurs, Le Cabinet des
Fées, vol. xxxviii: Geneva 1788. Galland's Edit. of mdccxxvi ends
with Night ccxxxiv and the English translations with ccxxxvi and
cxcvii. See retro p. 82.
[FN#300] There is a shade of difference in the words; the former
is also used for Reciters of Traditions--a serious subject. But
in the case of Hammád surnamed Al-Ráwiyah (the Rhapsode) attached
to the Court of Al-Walid, it means simply a conteur. So the
Greeks had Homeristć = reciters of Homer, as opposed to the
Homeridć or School of Homer.
[FN#302] Vol. i, Preface p. v. He notes that Mr. Dallaway
describes the same scene at Constantinople where the Story-teller
was used, like the modern "Organs of Government" in newspaper
shape, for "reconciling the people to any recent measure of the
Sultan and Vizier." There are women Ráwiyahs for the Harems and
some have become famous like the Mother of Hasan al-Basri (Ibn
Khall. i, 370).
[FN#302] Hence the Persian proverb, "Báki-e-dastán fardá = the
rest of the tale to-morrow," said to askers of silly questions.
[FN#303] The scene is excellently described in, "Morocco: Its
People and Places," by Edmondo de Amicis (London: Cassell, 1882),
a most refreshing volume after the enforced platitudes and
commonplaces of English travellers.
[FN#304] It began, however, in Persia, where the celebrated
Darwaysh Mukhlis, Chief Sofi of Isfahan in the xviith century,
translated into Persian tales certain Hindu plays of which a MS.
entitled Alfaraga Badal-Schidda (Al-faraj ba'd al-shiddah = Joy
after annoy) exists in the Bibliothčque Nationale, Paris. But to
give an original air to his work, he entitled it "Hazár o yek
Ruz" = Thousand and One Days, and in 1675 he allowed his friend
Petis de la Croix, who happened to be at Isfahan, to copy it. Le
Sage (of Gil Blas) is said to have converted many of the tales of
Mukhlis into comic operas, which were performed at the Théâtre
Italien. I still hope to see The Nights at the Lyceum.
[FN#305] This author, however, when hazarding a change of style
which is, I think, regretable, has shown abundant art by filling
up the frequent deficiencies of the text after the fashion of
Baron McGuckin de Slane in Ibn Khallikan. As regards the tout
ensemble of his work, a noble piece of English, my opinion will
ever be that expressed in my Foreword. A carping critic has
remarked that the translator, "as may be seen in every page, is
no Arabic scholar." If I be a judge, the reverse is the case: the
brilliant and beautiful version thus traduced is almost entirely
free from the blemishes and carelessness which disfigure Lane's,
and thus it is far more faithful to the original. But it is no
secret that on the staff of that journal the translator of Villon
has sundry enemies, vrais diables enjupponés, who take every
opportunity of girding at him because he does not belong to the
clique and because he does good work when theirs is mostly sham.
The sole fault I find with Mr. Payne is that his severe grace of
style treats an unclassical work as a classic, when the romantic
and irregular would have been a more appropriate garb. But this
is a mere matter of private judgment.
[FN#306] Here I offer a few, but very few, instances from the
Breslau text, which is the greatest sinner in this respect. Mas.
for fem., vol. i. p. 9, and three times in seven pages, Ahná and
nahná for nahnú (iv. 370, 372); Aná ba-ashtarí = I will buy (iii.
109): and Aná 'Ámíl = I will do (v. 367). Alaykí for Alayki (i.
18), Antí for Anti (iii. 66) and generally long í for short .
'Ammál (from 'amala = he did) tahlam = certainly thou dreamest,
and 'Ammálín yaakulú = they were about to eat (ix. 315): Aywá for
Ay wa'lláhí = yes, by Allah (passim). Bitá' = belonging to, e.g.
Sára bitá'k = it is become thine (ix. 352) and Matá' with the
same sense (iii. 80). Dá 'l-khurj = this saddle-bag (ix. 336) and
Dí (for hazah) = this woman (iii. 79) or this time (ii. 162).
Fayn as ráha fayn = whither is he gone? (iv. 323). Kamá badri =
he rose early (ix. 318): Kamán = also, a word known to every
European (ii. 43): Katt = never (ii. 172): Kawám (pronounced
'awám) = fast, at once (iv. 385) and Rih ásif kawí (pron. 'awí) =
a wind, strong very. Laysh, e.g. bi tasalní laysh (ix. 324) = why
do you ask me? a favourite form for li ayya shayyin: so Máfish =
má fihi shayyun (there is no thing) in which Herr Landberg (p.
425) makes "Sha, le présent de pouvoir." Min ajali = for my sake;
and Li ajal al-taudí'a = for the sake of taking leave (Mac. Edit.
i. 384). Rijál nautiyah = men sailors when the latter word would
suffice: Shuwayh (dim. of shayy) = a small thing, a little (iv.
309) like Moyyah (dim. of Má) a little water: Waddúní = they
carried me (ii. 172) and lastly the abominable Wáhid gharíb = one
(for a) stranger. These few must suffice: the tale of Judar and
his brethren, which in style is mostly Egyptian, will supply a
number of others. It must not, however, be supposed, as many have
done, that vulgar and colloquial Arabic is of modern date: we
find it in the first century of Al-Islam, as is proved by the
tale of Al-Hajjáj and Al-Shabi (Ibn Khallikan, ii. 6). The former
asked "Kam ataa-k?' (= how much is thy pay?) to which the latter
answered, "Alfayn!" (= two thousand!). "Tut," cried the Governor,
"Kam atau-ka?" to which the poet replied as correctly and
classically, "Alfáni."
[FN#307] In Russian folk-songs a young girl is often compared
with this tree e.g.--
Ivooshka, ivooshka zelonaia moia!
(O Willow, O green Willow mine!)
[FN#308] So in Hector France ("La vache enragée") "Le sourcil en
accent circonflexe et l'oeil en point d'interrogation."
[FN#309] In Persian "Áb-i-rú" in India pronounced Ábrú.
FN#310] For further praises of his poetry and eloquence see the
extracts from Fakhr al-Din of Rayy (an annalist of the xivth
century A.D.) in De Sacy's Chrestomathie Arabe, vol. i.
[FN#311] After this had been written I received "Babylonian, das
reichste Land in der Vorzeit und das lohnendste Kolonisationsfeld
für die Gegenwart," by my learned friend Dr. Aloys Sprenger,
Heidelberg, 1886.
[FN#312] The first school for Arabic literature was opened by Ibn
Abbas, who lectured to multitudes in a valley near Meccah; this
rude beginning was followed by public teaching in the great
Mosque of Damascus. For the rise of the "Madrasah," Academy or
College' see Introduct. to Ibn Khallikan pp. xxvii-xxxii.
[FN#313] When Ibn Abbád the Sáhib (Wazir) was invited to visit
one of the Samanides, he refused, one reason being that he would
require 400 camels to carry only his books.
[FN#314] This "Salmagondis" by Francois Beroalde de Verville was
afterwards worked by Tabarin , the pseudo-Bruscambille d'Aubigné
and Sorel.
[FN#315] I prefer this derivation to Strutt's adopted by the
popular, "mumm is said to be derived from the Danish word mumme,
or momme in Dutch (Germ. = larva), and signifies disguise in a
mask, hence a mummer." In the Promptorium Parvulorum we have
"Mummynge, mussacio, vel mussatus": it was a pantomime in dumb
show, e.g. "I mumme in a mummynge;" "Let us go mumme (mummer) to
nyghte in women's apparayle." "Mask" and "Mascarade," for
persona, larva or vizard, also derive, I have noticed, from an
Arabic word--Maskharah.
[FN#316] The Pre-Adamite doctrine has been preached with but
scant success in Christendom. Peyrere, a French Calvinist,
published (A.D. 1655) his "Praadamitć, sive exercitatio supra
versibus 12, 13, 14, cap. v. Epist. Paul. ad Romanos," contending
that Adam was called the first man because with him the law
began. It brewed a storm of wrath and the author was fortunate to
escape with only imprisonment.
[FN#317] According to Socrates the verdict was followed by a free
fight of the Bishop-voters over the word "consubstantiality."
[FN#318] Servetus burnt (in A.D. 1553 for publishing his Arian
tractate) by Calvin, whom half-educated Roman Catholics in
England firmly believe to have been a pederast. This arose I
suppose, from his meddling with Rabelais who, in return for the
good joke Rabie lćsus, presented a better anagram, "Jan (a pimp
or cuckold) Cul" (Calvinus).
[FN#319] There is no more immoral work than the "Old Testament."
Its deity is an ancient Hebrew of the worst type, who condones,
permits or commands every sin in the Decalogue to a Jewish
patriarch, quâ patriarch. He orders Abraham to murder his son and
allows Jacob to swindle his brother; Moses to slaughter an
Egyptian and the Jews to plunder and spoil a whole people, after
inflicting upon them a series of plagues which would be the
height of atrocity if the tale were true. The nations of Canaan
are then extirpated. Ehud, for treacherously disembowelling King
Eglon, is made judge over Israel. Jael is blessed above women
(Joshua v. 24) for vilely murdering a sleeping guest; the horrid
deeds of Judith and Esther are made examples to mankind; and
David, after an adultery and a homicide which deserved
ignominious death, is suffered to massacre a host of his enemies,
cutting some in two with saws and axes and putting others into
brick-kilns. For obscenity and impurity we have the tales of Onan
and Tamar, Lot and his daughters, Amnon and his fair sister (2
Sam. xiii.), Absalom and his father's concubines, the "wife of
whoredoms" of Hosea and, capping all, the Song of Solomon. For
the horrors forbidden to the Jews who, therefore, must have
practiced them, see Levit. viii. 24, xi. 5, xvii. 7, xviii. 7, 9,
10, 12, 15, 17, 21, 23, and xx. 3. For mere filth what can be
fouler than 1st Kings xviii. 27; Tobias ii. 11; Esther xiv. 2,
Eccl. xxii. 2; Isaiah xxxvi. 12, Jeremiah iv. 5, and (Ezekiel iv.
12-15), where the Lord changes human ordure into "Cow-chips!" Ce
qui excuse Dieu, said Henri Beyle, c'est qu'il n'existe pas,--I
add, as man has made him.
[FN#320] It was the same in England before the "Reformation," and
in France where, during our days, a returned priesthood collected
in a few years "Peter-pence" to the tune of five hundred millions
of francs. And these men wonder at being turned out!
[FN#321] Deutsch on the Talmud: Quarterly Review, 1867.
[FN#322] Evidently. Its cosmogony is a myth read literally: its
history is, for the most part, a highly immoral distortion, and
its ethics are those of the Talmudic Hebrews. It has done good
work in its time; but now it shows only decay and decrepitude in
the place of vigour and progress. It is dying hard, but it is
dying of the slow poison of science.
[FN#323] These Hebrew Stoics would justly charge the Founder of
Christianity with preaching a more popular and practical
doctrine, but a degradation from their own far higher and more
ideal standard.
[FN#324] Dr. Theodore Christlieb ("Modern Doubt and Christian
Belief," Edinburgh: Clark 1874) can even now write:--"So then the
'full age' to which humanity is at present supposed to have
attained, consists in man's doing good purely for goodness sake!
Who sees not the hollowness of this bombastic talk. That man has
yet to be born whose practice will be regulated by this insipid
theory (dieser grauen theorie). What is the idea of goodness per
se? * * * The abstract idea of goodness is not an effectual
motive for well-doing" (p. 104). My only comment is c'est
ignolile! His Reverence acts the part of Satan in Holy Writ,
"Does Job serve God for naught?" Compare this selfish,
irreligious, and immoral view with Philo Judćus (On the Allegory
of the Sacred Laws, cap. 1viii.), to measure the extent of the
fall from Pharisaism to Christianity. And the latter is still
infected with the "bribe-and-threat doctrine:" I once immensely
scandalised a Consular Chaplain by quoting the noble belief of
the ancients, and it was some days before he could recover mental
equanimity. The degradation is now inbred.
[FN#325] Of the doctrine of the Fall the heretic Marcion wrote:
"The Deity must either be deficient in goodness if he willed, in
prescience if he did not foresee, or in power if he did not
prevent it."
[FN#326] In his charming book, "India Revisited."
[FN#327] This is the answer to those who contend with much truth
that the moderns are by no means superior to the ancients of
Europe: they look at the results of only 3000 years instead of
30,000 or 300,000.
[FN#328] As a maxim the saying is attributed to the Duc de Lévis,
but it is much older.
[FN#329] There are a few, but only a few, frightful exceptions to
this rule, especially in the case of Khálid bin Walíd, the Sword
of Allah, and his ferocious friend, Darár ibn al-Azwar. But their
cruel excesses were loudly blamed by the Moslems, and Caliph Omar
only obeyed the popular voice in superseding the fierce and
furious Khalid by the mild and merciful Abú Obaydah.
[FN#330] This too when St. Paul sends the Christian slave
Onesimus back to his unbelieving (?) master, Philemon; which in
Al-Islam would have created a scandal.
[FN#331] This too when the Founder of Christianity talks of
"Eating and drinking at his table!" (Luke xxn. 29.) My notes have
often touched upon this inveterate prejudice the result, like the
soul-less woman of Al-Islam, of ad captandum, pious fraud. "No
soul knoweth what joy of the eyes is reserved for the good in
recompense for their works" (Koran xxxn. 17) is surely as
"spiritual" as St. Paul (I Cor. ii., 9). Some lies, however are
very long-lived, especially those begotten by self interest.
[FN#332] I have elsewhere noted its strict conservatism which,
however, it shares with all Eastern faiths in the East. But
progress, not quietism, is the principle which governs humanity
and it is favoured by events of most different nature. In Egypt
the rule of Mohammed Ali the Great and in Syria the Massacre of
Damascus (1860) have greatly modified the constitution of Al-
Islam throughout the nearer East.
[FN#333] Chapt. viii. "Narrative of a Year's Journey through
Central and Eastern Arabia;" London, Macmillan, 1865.
[FN#334] The Soc. Jesu has, I believe, a traditional conviction
that converts of Israelitic blood bring only misfortune to the
Order.
[FN#335] I especially allude to an able but most superficial
book, the "Ten Great Religions" by James F. Clarke (Boston,
Osgood, 1876), which caricatures and exaggerates the false
portraiture of Mr. Palgrave. The writer's admission that,
"Something is always gained by learning what the believers in a
system have to say in its behalf," clearly shows us the man we
have to deal with and the "depths of his self-consciousness."
[FN#336] But how could the Arabist write such hideous grammar as
"La Il h illa All h" for "Lá iláha (accus.) ill' Allah"?
[FN#337] p. 996 "Muhammad" in vol. iii. Dictionary of Christian
Biography. See also the Illustration of the Mohammedan Creed,
etc., from Al-Ghazáli introduced (pp. 72-77) into Bell and Sons'
"History of the Saracens" by Simon Ockley, B.D. (London, 1878). I
regret some Orientalist did not correct the proofs: everybody
will not detect "Al-Lauh al-Mahfúz" (the Guarded Tablet) in
"Allauh ho'hnehphoud" (p. 171); and this but a pinch out of a
camel-load.
[FN#338] The word should have been Arianism. This "heresy" of the
early Christians was much aided by the "Discipline of the
Secret," supposed to be of apostolic origin, which concealed from
neophytes, catechumens and penitents all the higher mysteries,
like the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Metastoicheiosis
(transubstantiation), the Real Presence, the Eucharist and the
Seven Sacraments; when Arnobius could ask, Quid Deo cum vino est?
and when Justin, fearing the charge of Polytheism, could
expressly declare the inferior nature of the Son to the Father.
Hence the creed was appropriately called Symbol i.e., Sign of the
Secret. This "mental reservation" lasted till the Edict of
Toleration, issued by Constantine in the fourth century, held
Christianity secure when divulging her "mysteries"; and it
allowed Arianism to become the popular creed.
[FN#339] The Gnostics played rather a fantastic rôle in
Christianity with their Demiurge, their Ćonogony, their Ćons by
syzygies or couples, their Maio and Sabscho and their beatified
bride of Jesus, Sophia Achamoth, and some of them descended to
absolute absurdities, e.g., the Tascodrugitć and the
Pattalorhinchitć who during prayers placed their fingers upon
their noses or in their mouths, &c., reading Psalm cxli. 3.
[FN#340] "Kitáb al-'Unwán fí Makáid al-Niswán" = The Book of the
Beginnings on the Wiles of Womankind (Lane i. 38).
[FN#341] This person was one of the Amsál or Exampla of the
Arabs. For her first thirty years she whored; during the next
three decades she pimped for friend and foe, and, during the last
third of her life, when bed-ridden by age and infirmities, she
had a buckgoat and a nanny tied up in her room and solaced
herself by contemplating their amorous conflicts.
[FN#342] And modern Moslem feeling upon the subject has
apparently undergone a change. Ashraf Khan, the Afghan poet,
sings,
Since I, the parted one, have come the secrets of the world to
ken,
Women in hosts therein I find, but few (and very few) of men.
And the Osmanli proverb is, "Of ten men nine are women!"
[FN#343] His Persian paper "On the Vindication of the Liberties
of the Asiatic Women" was translated and printed in the Asiatic
Annual Register for 1801 (pp. 100-107); it is quoted by Dr. Jon.
Scott (Introd. vol. i. p. xxxiv. et seq.) and by a host of
writers. He also wrote a book of Travels translated by Prof.
Charles Stewart in 1810 and re-issued (3 vols. 8vo.) in 1814.
[FN#344] The beginning of which I date from the Hijrah, lit.= the
separation, popularly "The Flight." Stating the case broadly, it
has become the practice of modern writers to look upon Mohammed
as an honest enthusiast at Meccah and an unscrupulous despot at
Al- Medinah, a view which appears to me eminently unsound and
unfair. In a private station the Meccan Prophet was famed as a
good citizen, teste his title Al-Amín =The Trusty. But when
driven from his home by the pagan faction, he became de facto as
de jure a king: nay, a royal pontiff; and the preacher was merged
in the Conqueror of his foes and the Commander of the Faithful.
His rule, like that of all Eastern rulers, was stained with
blood; but, assuming as true all the crimes and cruelties with
which Christians charge him and which Moslems confess, they were
mere blots upon a glorious and enthusiastic life, ending in a
most exemplary death, compared with the tissue of horrors and
havock which the Law and the Prophets attribute to Moses, to
Joshua, to Samuel and to the patriarchs and prophets by express
command of Jehovah.
[FN#345] It was not, however, incestuous: the scandal came from
its ignoring the Arab "pundonor."
[FN#346] The "opportunism" of Mohammed has been made a matter of
obloquy by many who have not reflected and discovered that
time-serving is the very essence of "Revelation." Says the Rev.
W. Smith ("Pentateuch," chaps. xiii.), "As the journey (Exodus)
proceeds, so laws originate from the accidents of the way," and
he applies this to successive decrees (Numbers xxvi. 32-36;
xxvii. 8-11 and xxxvi. 1-9), holding it indirect internal
evidence of Mosaic authorship (?). Another tone, however, is used
in the case of Al-Islam. "And now, that he might not stand in awe
of his wives any longer, down comes a revelation," says Ockley in
his bluff and homely style, which admits such phrases as, "the
imposter has the impudence to say." But why, in common honesty,
refuse to the Koran the concessions freely made to the Torah? It
is a mere petitio principii to argue that the latter is
"inspired" while the former is not, moreover, although we may be
called upon to believe things beyond Reason, it is hardly fair to
require our belief in things contrary to Reason.
[FN#347] This is noticed in my wife's volume on The Inner Life of
Syria, chaps. xii. vol. i. 155.
[FN#348] Mirza preceding the name means Mister and following it
Prince. Addison's "Vision of Mirza" (Spectator, No. 159) is
therefore "The Vision of Mister."
[FN#349] And women. The course of instruction lasts from a few
days to a year and the period of puberty is fęted by magical
rites and often by some form of mutilation. It is described by
Waitz, Réclus and Schoolcraft, Páchue-Loecksa, Collins, Dawson,
Thomas, Brough Smyth, Reverends Bulmer and Taplin, Carlo
Wilhelmi, Wood, A. W. Howitt, C. Z. Muhas (Mem. de la Soc.
Anthrop. Allemande, 1882, p. 265) and by Professor Mantegazza
(chaps. i.) for whom see infra
