Scott, following “Oriental Collections,” ii. 34, supposes that the latter was omitted by M. Galland “on account of its indecency, it being a very free detail of the amours of an unfaithful wife.” The true cause was that it did not exist in Galland’s Copy of The Nights (Zotenberg, Histoire d’ ’Alâ al-Dîn, p. 37). Scott adds, “In this copy the Genie restores the Antelope, the Dogs and the Mule to their pristine forms, which is not mentioned by Galland, on their swearing to lead virtuous lives.”

PAGE.
Conclusion of the Trader and the Jinni, Night v.43
The Fisherman and the Jinni, including the Tales of the Sage Dúbán and the ensorcelled Prince and omitting the Stories (1) of King Sindibád and his Falcon (2) the Husband and the Parrot and (3) the Prince and the Ogress:44
The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night v.100
The First Kalandar’s Tale, Night xxxix.144
The Second Kalandar’s Tale, Night xlviii.152
(The beginning of this Tale is wanting in the MS. which omits p. 151: also The Envier and the Envied, admitted into the list of Hikáyát, is here absent.)
The Third Kalandar’s Tale, Night lv.173
The Eldest Lady’s Tale, Night lxvi.231
Tale of the Portress. Conclusion of the Story of the Porter and Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night lxii. (a clerical mistake for lxx.?)260
(In Galland follow the Voyages of Sindbad the Seaman which are not found in this copy.)
The Tailor and the Hunchback, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.)295
The Nazarene Broker’s Story, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?)308
The Youth whose hand was cut off, Night (?)[[629]]312
(In p. 314 is a hiatus not accounting for the loss of hand.)
The Barber’s Tale of his First Brother314
—— Second ——317
—— Third ——323
—— Fourth ——327
—— Fifth ——331
—— Sixth ——343
The end of the Tale of the Hunchback, the Barber and others, Night lxviii. (?)350
(HERE ENDS MY VOL. I.)
Núr al-Dín Alí and the Damsel Anis al-Jalís, Night lxviii.355
Sayf al-Mulúk and Badí’a al-Jamal, Night xci.[[630]]401
Tale of the Youth of Mosul whose hand was cut off, Night xcii.466–472
(The Tale of the Jewish Doctor in my vol. i. 288–300.)

Vol. i. ends with a page of scrawls, the work of some by-gone owner.

VOL. II.

Contains 316 pages, and includes end of Night xcii. to Night clxvi. The MS. is somewhat better written; the headings are in red ink and the verses are duly divided. The whole volume is taken up by the Tale of Kamar al-Zamán (1st), with the episodes of Al-Amjad and Al-As’ad, but lacking that of Ni’amah and Naomi. In Galland Kamar al-Zaman begins with Night ccxi.: in my translation with vol. iii. 212 and concludes in vol. iv. 29. This 2nd vol. (called in colophon the 4th Juz) ends with the date 20th Sha’abán, A.H. 1177.

VOL. III.

Contains 456 pages, extending from Night cccvi. (instead of Night clxvii.) to cdxxv. and thus leaving an initial hiatus of 140 Nights (cxvi.–cccvi. C. de Perceval, vol. viii. p. 14). Thus the third of the original eight volumes is lost. On this subject Dr. White wrote to Scott, “One or two bundles of Arabic manuscript, of the same size and handwriting as the second volume of the Arabian Tales, were purchased at the sale by an agent for Mr. Beckford of Fonthill, and I have no doubt whatever but that the part deficient in your copy is to be found in his possession.” If such be the case, and everything seems to prove it, this volume was not No. iii. but No. iv. The MS. begins abruptly with the continuation of the tale. There is no list of contents, and at the end are two unimportant “copies of verses” addressed to the reader, five couplets rhyming in —ímu (e.g. ta’dimu) and two in —af (e.g. Salaf).

The following is a list of the contents:—

PAGE.
Part of the Tale of Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccvi.–cccxxix.1–81
Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman[[631]] and his Sons, told to Al-Rashíd by Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccxxix.–cccxxxiv.81
Story of the Three Sharpers,[[632]] Nights cccxxxiv.–cccxlii.96
The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a Darwaysh, Night
cccxlii.121
History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo, Night cccxliii.–cccxlviii.124
Story of the First Lunatic,[[633]] Night cccxlviii.–ccclv.141