ARABIAN NIGHTS. An extensive collec tion of tales forming part of Arabic literature. and the more exact title of which is "The Book of the Thousand and One Nights." Arabic manuscripts vary considerably, no two agreeing either as to the number of separate tales or as to their order. In their most complete form we have 262 tales, though this does not include one of the most famous stories, that of Aladdin. an Arabic text of which has only recently come to light (published by H. Zotenberg). This varia tion in the manuscripts, while also an index of the popularity which the collection enjoyed, is due to their gradual growth and to the different centres in which the traditions regarding them developed. They were first made known to Europe by Antoine Galland (a.u. 1640-1715), a French orientalist, who succeeded, after much etrott, in obtaining a manuscript, which he sup plemented by gathering tales from professional story-tellers with whom he came in contact dur ing his travels in the East. Between 1704 and 1717, Galland published in twelve volumes his French translation of the tales which he en titled Mille et line Nuits, conics A rabes traduits en Francais. While received with great enthu siasm by the general public, doubts were freely expressed in learned circles as to their genuine ness. Oriental scholars did not hesitate at first to declare against their authenticity, and de nounce them as forgeries. Having taken only an obscure place in the literature of the East, and their style unfitting them from being classed among models of eloquence or taste—having no object of a religious. moral, or philosophical kind in view, while the manners and customs deline ated in them were different from all received ideas of those of the Moslem nations—their suc cess took the critics by surprise. It was not long, however, before such skepticism gave way, and they were recognized not only as genuine productions but as a characteristic expression of Eastern thought and manners. The success of Galland's translation spread the tales through out Europe. Few books have been translated into so many different languages. and given de light to so large a number of readers. In addi tion to the translations into European languages we must bear in mind that the Ambic original has also been the source of renderings into many Eastern tongues, notably Persian, 'Turkish. and Hindustani, so that more than any other com pilation, with the single exception of the Bible, the Arabian Nights has encircled the entire world. It may be said that. in these Oriental tales. there has sprung up a new branch of literature, for their influence on the literature of the present day is easily discernible. Here are found depicted with much simplicity and great effect, the scenes of the town-life of the Moslem. The prowess of the Arab knight. his passion for adventure, his dexterity, his love and his revenge, the craft of his wives, the hypocrisy of his religious teachers, and the cor ruptibility of his judges. are all dramatically
delineated—far more vividly represented, in fact, than is possible in a book of travels; while gilded palaces. charming women, lovely gardens, and exquisite repasts captivate the sense of the reader, and transport him to the land of wonder and enjoyment. Besides entertaining the mind with the kaleidoscopic wonders of a teeming and luxurious fancy. which is their most obvious merit, they present a treasure of instruction upon life in general. and Oriental life in particu lar. And this is undeniable, notwithstanding the fact that the aspects of society they depict are far from standing high in the social scale either as to civilization or morality. A clue to the ori gin of the framework of the .1 rabian Nights is furnished by the authors of the bibliographical work Kitab Ibn Yakub relates that he was acquainted with a Persian collection of tales entitled "Hazar Afsan," meaning "Thousand Nights:" the argument of which, such as de seribed by him, has many points of resemblance with the Arabian Nights. In both, the frame work is essentially the same—a king who was in the habit when wedding a damsel to kill her alter having spent one night with her, and a damsel who entertained a king with stories so fascinating that he respited her each night in or der that lie might hear the continuation. This continued for a thousand nights, at the end of which period the king decided to preserve his consort's life. Ihn Yakub gives the name of the heroine of the framework in its Persian form, Slut razad, mother of Humrti, wife of Artaxerxes Longimanus. As Artaxerxes is supposed to be identical with the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther, which, as de Goeje pointed out, has cer tain elements in common with the framework of the Arabian Nights, it is probable that they are both derived fndn a Persian folk tale. The Arabian Xights, however, is a most com posite production. and whatever its indebt edness may be to the Persian Thousand Tales. it contains stories gathered from all parts of the Eastern world. The tales may have circulated for a long time orally before being committed to writing, and to this day they form the theme frequently of the professional story-tellers or writers who are found in the East—in Morocco, Algiers, Egypt, Syria, and Persia. When and where they began to be gathered into manuscripts are questions hard to determine. Thirteen tales which may be regarded as the nucleus of the collection ap pear to have been reduced to writing as early as the Tenth Century, and while the collection as a. whole assumed a definite sliape in the Thirteenth Century, there are a few tales which may be as late as the Sixteenth Century.