It is not the fault of English Orientalists if the MS. in question is not thoroughly well-known to the world of letters. In 1797 Sir Gore Ouseley’s “Oriental Collections” (vol. ii. pp. 25–33) describes it, evidently with the aid of Scott, who is the authority for stating that the tales generally appear like pearls strung at random on the same thread; adding, “if they are truly Oriental it is a matter of little importance to us Europeans whether they are strung on this night or that night.”[[1]] This first and somewhat imperfect catalogue of the contents was followed in 1811 by a second, which concludes the six-volume edition of “The
ARABIAN NIGHTS
ENTERTAINMENTS,
Carefully revised, and occasionally corrected
From the Arabic.
TO WHICH IS ADDED
A SELECTION OF NEW TALES,
Now first translated
From the Arabic Originals.
ALSO,