The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night

I here proceed to offer a list of the tales in the Wortley Montague MS. (Nos. 550-556), beginning with

Vol. i.,

which contains 472 pages=92 Nights. It is rudely written, with great carelessness and frequent corrections, and there is a noted improvement in the subsequent vols. which Scott would attribute to another transcriber. This, however, I doubt: in vol. i. the scribe does not seem to have settled down to his work. The MS. begins abruptly and without caligraphic decoration; nor is there any red ink in vol. i. except for the terminal three words. The topothesia is in the land of Sásán, in the Isles of Al-Hind and Al-Sind; the elder King being called “Báz” and “Shár-báz” and the younger “Kahraman” (p. l, 11. 5-6), and in the same page (1. 10) “Saharban, King of Samarkand”; while the Wazir’s daughters are “Shahrzádah” and “Dunyázádah” (p. 8). The Introduction is like that of the Mac. Edit. (my text); but the dialogue between the Wazir and his Daughter is shortened, and the “Tale of the Merchant and his Wife,” including “The Bull and the Ass,” is omitted. Of novelties we find few. When speaking of the Queen and Mas’úd the Negro (called Sa’id in my text, p. 6) the author remarks:—

And in the “Tale of the Trader and the Jinni “ (MS. 1, 9: see my transl. 1, 25) the ‘Ifrit complains that the Merchant had thrown the date-stones without exclaiming “Dastúr!"— by thy leave.

The following is a list of the Tales in vol. i.:—

	PAGE
Introductory Chapter	1-9
Tale of the Trader and the Jinni, Night i.-ii.	9
The First Shaykh’s Story, Night ii.	14
The Second Shaykh’s Story, Night ii.	23
The Third Shaykh’s Story, Night iv.	34

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’ ‘Ala al-Din, 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 (?)628	312
(In p. 314 is a hiatus not accounting for the loss of hand.)
The Barber’s Tale of his First Brother	314
The Barber’s Tale of his Second Brother	317
The Barber’s Tale of his Third Brother	323
The Barber’s Tale of his Fourth Brother	327
The Barber’s Tale of his Fifth Brother	331
The Barber’s Tale of his Sixth Brother	343
The end of the Tale of the Hunchback, the Barber and others, Night lxviii.(?)	350

(Here Ends My Vol. I.)

	PAGE
Núr al-Dín Alí and the Damsel Anis al-Jalís, Night lxviii	355
Sayf al-Mulúk and Badí‘a al-Jamal, Night xci.629	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-Yaman630 and his Sons, told to Al-Rashíd by Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccxxix.-cccxxxiv	81
Story of the Three Sharpers,631 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,632 Night cccxlviii.-ccclv	141
Story of the Second Lunatic, Night ccclv.-ccclvii	168
Story of the Sage and his Scholar, Night ccclvii.-ccclxii	179
Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with three foolish Schoolmasters, Night ccclxii	204
Tale of the Mother and her Three Daughters, Night ccclxii	206
Story of the broke-back Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii	211
Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii	214
Story of the limping Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiv.-ccclxv	219
Story of the three Sisters and their Mother the Sultánah, Night ccclxvi.-ccclxxxvi	231
History of the Kází who bare a babe, Night ccclxxxvi.-cccxcii	322
Tale of the Kází and the Bhang-eater, Night cccxciii.-cdiii	344
History of the Bhang-eater and his wife, Night cccxciii.-cdiii	348
How Drummer Abú Kásim became a Kází, Night cdiii.-cdxii	372
Story of the Kazi and his Slipper (including the Tale of the Bhang-eater who became the Just Wazir and who decided two difficult cases), Night cdxii.-cdxiii	424
Tale of Mahmúd the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Night cdiii.-cdxvi	428
Tale of the Sultan and the poor man who brought to him fruit, including the Fruit-seller’s 633 Tale, Night cdxvi.-cdxxv	432
Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, which ends this volume, Night cdxvii-cdxxvi	437

Vol. iv.

Contains 456 pages, and ranges between Nights cdxxvi. and dxcvi.

	PAGE
Continuation of the Story of the King of Al-Yaman634 and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, Night cdxxvi.-cdxxxix	1-34
SCOTT prefers “The Sultan of the East,” etc.
History of the First Larrikin, Night cdxxxix-cdxliv	34
SCOTT: “The first Sharper in the Cave,” p. 185.
History of the Second Larrikin, Night cdxliii.-cdxlv	46
History of the Third Larrikin, Night cdxlv.-cdxlvi	53
Story of a Sultan of Hind and his Son Mohammed, Night cdxlvi.-cdlviii	58
SCOTT: “The Sultan of Hind.”
Tale of a Fisherman and his Son, Night cdlix.-cdlxix	83
Tale of the Third Larrikin concerning himself, Night cdlxix.-cdlxxii	107
SCOTT: “The Unfortunate Lovers.”
History of Abú Niyyah and Abú Niyyatayn, Night cdlxxii.-cdlxxxiii	113
SCOTT: “Abou Neeut, the well-intentioned Sultan of Moussul, and Ab ou Neeutteen, the double-minded.”
The Courtier’s Story, or Tale of the Nadim to the Emir of Cairo, Night cdlxxxiii.-cdxci	140
SCOTT: “Story related to an Ameer of Egypt by a Courtier,” p. 229.
Another relation of the Courtier, Night cdcxi	157
(Here Iblis took the place of a musician.)
The Shaykh with Beard shorn by the Shaytan, Night cdxcii	162
History of the King’s Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah, Night cdxci.-di	165
SCOTT: “The Sultan of Sind and Fatimah, daughter of Ummir635 (’Ámir) Ibn Naománn (Nu’uman).”
History of the Lovers of Syria, Night di.-dx	189
SCOTT: “The Lovers of Syria.”
History of Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Young Sayyid, Night dx-dxx	213
SCOTT: “The Young Sayd and Hijauje.”
Uns al-Wujúd and the Wazir’s Daughter Rose-in-hood, Night dxxi.-dxli	240
SCOTT: “Ins al-Wujood and Wird al-Ikmaum, daughter of Ibrahim, Vizier of Sultan Shamikh.”
Story of the Sultan’s Son and Daughter of the Wazir, Night dxli.-dxlv	293
Tale of Sultan Káyyish, Night dxlv.-dlvii	312
(A romance of chivalry and impossible contests of ten knights against 15,000 men.)
The Young Lady transformed into a Gazelle by her Step-mother, Night dlviii.-dlxiii	345
The History of Mázin, Night dlxviii-dxcv. (omitted, because it is the same as “Hasan of Bassorah and the King’s Daughter of the Jinn,” vol. viii. 7); to the end of vol. iv	456

Vol. v.

Contains 465 pages from the beginning of Night dxcvi. to dccxlvi.

	PAGE
Continuation and end of the History of Mazin, Night dxcvi-dcxxiv	1-94
Night adventure of Harun al-Rashid, Night dcxxxxv.-dcl	95
SCOTT: “Adventure of Haroon al-Rusheed, vol. vi. 343 (including Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed) by Ibn Munsoor of Damascus, of his adventures at Bussorah; the Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed by Munjaub (Manjab) and Haroon’s conduct on hearing the story of Munjaub.”
Tale of the Barber and his Son (told by Manjab), Night dlxi.-dcli	180
SCOTT: “Story of the Sultan, the Dervishe and the Barber’s Son.”
The Badawi Woman and her Lover, Night dclv.-dclvi	196
Story of the Wife and her two Gallants, Night dclvi.-dclx	199
Tale of Princess Al-Hayfá and Prince Yusuf, Night dclx.-dccx	210
SCOTT: “Story of Aleefah, daughter of Mherejaun, Sultan of Hind, and Eusuff, Prince of Sind, related to Haroun al-Rusheed by the celebrated reciter of Tales, Ibn Malook Aleed Iowaudee,” p. 352.
Adventures of the Three Princes of China, Night dccx.-dccxvii	362
SCOTT: “Adventures of the Three Princes, sons of the Sultan of China.”
History of the first Brave, Night dccxvii.-dccxxii	385
SCOTT: “The Military Braggadocio;” OUSELEY, “Tier Gallant Officer” and the Lat. list “Miles Gloriosus.”
History of another Brave, Night dccxxii.-dccxxiii	395
The Merry Adventures of a Simpleton,636 Night dccxxiii.-dccxxvi	400
SCOTT: “The Idiot and his Asses.”
The Goodwife of Cairo and the three Rakehells, Night dccxxvi.-dccxxviii	409
Story of the righteous Wazir wrongfully gaoled, Night dccxxviii.-dccxxxviii	416
Tale of the Barber, the Captain and the Cairene Youth, Night dccxxxiii.-dcxxxvii	430
(In the Lat. list we find “Tonsor et Juvenis Cahirensis.")
Story of the Goodwife of Cairo and her Gallants, Night dccxxxviii.-dccxliii	444
SCOTT: “The virtuous Woman of Cairo and her Suitors,” p. 380.
The Kazi’s Tale of the Tailor, the Lady and the Captain,637 Night dccxlii.-dccxlvi	455
SCOTT: “The Cauzee’s Story,” p. 386.
Story of the Syrian and the Three Women of Cairo, Night dccxlvi-and to end of vol. v	465

Vol. vi.

Contains 365 pages, from Night dccxlvi. to Night dccclxxiii.

The following is a list of the contents:—

	PAGE
Continuation of the Story of the Syrian, Night dccxlvi.-dccxlix	1-9
Tale of the Káim-makám’s Lady and her two Coyntes, Night dccxlix.-dcclii	9
Tale of the whorish Wife who vaunted her virtues, Night dcclii.-dcclv	18
Cœlebs the Droll638 and his Wife and her four lovers, Night dcclv.-dcclx	26
SCOTT: “The Deformed Jester.”
The Gate-keeper of Cairo and the wily She-Thief, Night dcclix.-dcclxv	41
SCOTT: “The aged Watchman of Cairo and the artful female thief.”
Tale of Mohsin and Musa, Night dcclxv.-dcclxxii	57
SCOTT: “Mhassun the liberal and Mousseh the treacherous Friend.”
Mohammed Shalabí639 and his Wife and the Kazi’s Daughter, Night dcclxxii.-dcclxxvii	76
SCOTT: “Mahummud Julbee,” etc.
The Fellah and his wicked Wife, Night dcclxxvii.-dcclxxx	92
The Woman who humoured her Lover at her Husband’s expense, Night dcclxxx.-dcclxxxi	102
SCOTT: “The Adulteress.”
The Kazi Schooled by his Wife, Night dcclxxxi.-dcclxxxv	106
The Merchant’s Daughter and the Prince of Al-Irák, Night dccclxv.-dcccxxiv	118
SCOTT: “Story of the Merchant, his Daughter, and the Prince of Eerauk,” p. 391. In the text we find ‘Irák for Al-Irák.
The Story of Ahmad and Ali who cuckolded their Masters, Night dcccxxiv.-dcccxxix	225
SCOTT: “The Two Orphans.”
The Fellah and his fair Wife, Night dcccxxix.-dcccxxx	241
The Youth who would futter his Father’s Wives, Night dcccxxx.-dcccxxxviii	247
SCOTT: “The Vicious Son, translating the Arab. Al-Ibn al-Fidawi.”
The two Lack-tacts of Cairo and Damascus, including the short ‘Tale of the Egyptian, the Syrian and the Ass,” Night dcccxxxviii.-dcccxl	261
SCOTT: “The two wits of Cairo and Sind.”
The Tale of Musa and Ibrahim, including Anecdotes of the Berberines, Night dcccxl.-dcccxliii	271
The Brother Wazirs, Ahmad and Mohammed, Night dcccxiv.-dccclxxiii	280
And to end of vol. vi	365

Vol. vii.

Contains 447 pages, from Night dccclxxiii.-mi.

The following is a list of the contents:—

	PAGE
Conclusion of the Brother Wazirs	1-69
Story of the thieving Youth and his Step-mother, Night dcccxcvii.-cm	69
The Kazi of Baghdad and his virtuous Wife, Night cm.-cmxi	77
History of the Sultan who protected the Kazi’s Wife, Night cmxi.-cmxvii	109
The Sultan of Al-‘Irák, Zunnár ibn Zunnár, Night cmxvii.-cmxxi	126
Ardashir, Prince of Persia, and the Princess Hayát al-Nufús, daughter of Sultan Kádir, Night cmxxi.-cmlxviii	139
Story of Shaykh Nakkit the Fisherman, Night cmlxviii.-cmlxxviii	297
The Sultan of Andalusia, and the Prince of Al-‘Irák who deflowered the Wazir’s daughter; a prose replica of Al-Hayfá and Yusuf. MS. vol. v. 210. Night cmlxxviii.-cmlxxxviii	329
Tale of Sultan Taylún and the generous Fellah, Night cmlxxxviii	365
The retired Sage and his Servant-lad, Night cmxcviii	414
The Merchant’s Daughter who married an Emperor of China, Night cmxcviii.-mi., ending the work	430-447

This MS. terminates The Nights with the last tale and has no especial conclusion relating the marriage of the two brother Kings with the two sisters.