The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 16 | Page 5

of the histories, as it appears in the
English translation, lengthily entitled, "Arabian Tales; | or, | a
Continuation | of the | Arabian Nights Entertainments. | Consisting of |
Stories | Related by the | Sultana of the Indies | to divert her Husband
from the Performance of a rash vow; | Exhibiting | A most interesting

view of the Religion, Laws, | Manners, Customs, Arts, and Literature |
of the | Nations of the East, | And | Affording a rich Fund of the most
pleasing Amusement, | which fictitious writings can supply. | In Four
Volumes | newly translated from the original Arabic into French | By
Dom Chavis | a native Arab and M. Cazotte, Member | of the Academy
of Dijon. | And translated from the French into English | By Robert
Heron. | Edinburgh: | Printed for Bell and Bradfute, J. Dickson, E.
Balfour, | and P. Hill, Edinburgh, | and G. G. J. and J. Robinson,
London | MDCCXCIl."
1. The Robber-Caliph; or, adventures of Haroun-Alraschid, with the
Princess of Persia and the fair Zutulbe.[FN#3] 2. The Power of Destiny,
or, Story of the Journey of Giafar to Damascus comprehending the
Adventures of Chebib (Habíb) and his family. 3. The Story of
Halechalbé (Ali Chelebí) and the Unknown Lady; or, the Bimaristan. 4.
The Idiot; or, Story of Xailoun.[FN#4] 5. The Adventures of Simustafa
(="Sí" for Sídí "Mustafa") and the Princess Ilsatilsone (Lizzat al-Lusún
= Delight of Tongues?). 6. Adventures of Alibengiad, Sultan of Herat,
and of the False Birds of Paradise. 7. History of Sankarib and his two
Viziers. 8. History of the Family of the Schebandad (Shah-bander =
Consul) of Surat. 9. The Lover of the Stars: or, Abil Hasan's Story. 10.
History of Captain Tranchemont and his Brave Companions: Debil
Hasen's Story. 11. The Dream of Valid Hasan. 12-23. Story of
Bohetzad and his Ten Viziers (with eleven subsidiary tales).[FN#5] 24.
Story of Habib and Dorathal-Goase (=Durrat al-Ghawwás the Pearl of
the Diver); or, the Arabian Knight. 25. Story of Illabousatrous (?) of
Schal-Goase, and of Camarilzaman. 26. Story of the Lady of the
Beautiful Tresses. 27. The History of Habib and Dorathal-Goase; or,
the Arabian Knight continued. 28. History of Maugraby (Al
Magnrabi=the Moor); or, the Magician. 29. History of Halaiaddin ('Alá
al-Din, Alaeddin, Aladdin), Prince of Persia. 30. History of
Yemaladdin (Jamál al-Dín), Prince of Great Katay. 31. History of
Baha-Ildur, Prince of Cinigae. 32. History of Badrildinn (Badr al-Dín),
Prince of Tartary. 33. History of the Amours of Maugraby with Auhata
al-Kawakik ( = Ukht al-Kawákib, Sister of the Planets), daughter of the
King of Egypt. 34. History of the Birth of Maugraby.

Of these thirty four only five (MS. iv., vi., vii., xxvii. and xxxii.) have
not been found in the original Arabic.
Public opinion was highly favourable to the "Suite" when first issued.
Orientalism was at that time new to Europe, and the general was
startled by its novelties, e.g. by "Women wearing drawers and trousers
like their husbands, and men arrayed in loose robes like their wives, yet
at the same time cherishing, as so many goats, each a venerable length
of beard." (Heron's Preface.) They found its "phænomena so remote
from the customs and manners of Europe, that, when exhibited as
entering into the ordinary system of human affairs, they could not fail
to confer a considerable share of amusive novelty on the characters and
events with which they were connected." (Ditto, Preface.) Jonathan
Scott roundly pronounced the continuation a forgery. Dr. Patrick
Russell (History of Aleppo, vol. i. 385) had no good opinion of it, and
Caussin de Perceval (père, vol. viii., p. 40-46) declared the version
éloignée du goût Orientale; yet he re-translated the tales from the
original Arabic (Continués, Paris, 1806), and in this he was followed by
Gauttier, while Southey borrowed the idea of his beautiful romance,
"Thalaba the Destroyer," now in Lethe from the "History of
Maughraby." Mr. A. G. Ellis considers these tales as good as the old
"Arabian Nights," and my friend Mr. W. F. Kirby (Appendix to The
Nights, vol. x. p. 418), quite agrees with him that Chavis and Cazotte's
Continuation is well worthy of republication in its entirety. It remained
for the Edinburgh Review, in one of those ignorant and scurrilous
articles with which it periodically outrages truth and good taste (No.
535, July, 1886), to state, "Cazotte published his Suite des Mille et une
Nuits, a barefaced forgery, in 1785." A barefaced forgery! when the
original of twenty eight tales out of thirty four are perfectly well known,
and when sundry of these appear in MSS. of "The Thousand Nights and
a Night."
The following is a list of the Tales (widely differing from those of
Chavis and Cazotte) which appeared in the version