of service and discovery in Western Africa and the Brazil my studies were necessarily confined to the “Thousand Nights and a Night”; and when a language is not wanted for use my habit is to forget as much of it as possible, thus clearing the brain for assimilating fresh matter.  At the Consulate of Damascus, however, in West Arabian Midian and in Maroccan Tangier the loss was readily recovered.  In fact, of this and sundry other subjects it may be said without immodesty that I have forgotten as much as many Arabists have learned.  But I repeat my confession that I do not know Arabic and I have still to meet the man who does know Arabic.

Orientalists, however, are like poets and musicians, a rageous race.  A passing allusion to a Swedish student styled by others (Mekkanische Sprichworter, etc., p.1) “Dr. Landberg,” and by himself “Doctor Count Carlo Landberg” procured me the surprise of the following communication.  I quote it in full because it is the only uncourteous attempt at correspondence upon the subject of The Nights which has hitherto been forced upon me.

In his introduction (p. xx.) to the Syrian Proverbes et Dictons Doctor Count Landberg was pleased to criticise, with less than his usual knowledge, my study entitled “Proverbia Communia Syriaca” (Unexplored Syria, i. 264-269).  These 187 “dictes” were taken mainly from a Ms. collection by one Hanna Misk, ex-dragoman of the British Consulate (Damascus), a little recueil for private use such as would be made by a Syro Christian bourgeois.  Hereupon the critic absurdly asserted that the translator a voulu s’occuper de la langue classique au lieu de se faire * * * l’interprete fidele de celle du peuple.  My reply was (The Nights, vol. viii. 148) that, as I was treating of proverbs familiar to the better educated order of citizens, his critique was not to the point; and this brought down upon me the following letter under the aegis of a portentous coronet and initials blazing with or, yules and azure.

Paris, le 24 Fevr., 1888.

Monsieur,

J’ai l’honneur de vous adresser 2 fascicules de mes Critica Arabica.  Dans le vol. viii. p. 48 de votre traduction de 1001 Nuits vous avez une note qui me regard (sic).  Vous y cites que je ne suds pas “Arabist.”  Ce n’est pas votre jugement qui m’impressionne, car vous n’etes nullement a meme de me juger.  Votre article contient, comme tout ce que vous avez ecrit dans le domaine de la langue arabe, des bevues.  C’est vous qui n’etes pas arabisant:  cela est bien connu et reconnu, et nous ne nous donnons pas meme la peine de relever toutes les innombrables erreurs don’t vos publications fourmillent.  Quant a “Sahifah” vous etes encore en erreur.  Mon etymologie est acceptee par tout le monde et je vous renvoie a Fleischer, Kleinre Schriften, p. 468, Leipzig, 1885, ou vous trouverez [’instruction necessaire.  Le dilettantism qui se trahit dans tout ce que vous ecrivez vous fait faire de telles erreurs.  Nous autres arabisants et professo (?) nous ne vous avons jamais et nous ne vous pouvons jamais considerer comme arabisant.  Voila ma reponse a votre note.