A PLAIN AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS, NOW ENTITLUED [sic] THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT. With Introduction, Explanatory Notes on the Manners and Customs of Moslem Men and a Terminal Essay Upon the History of The Nights [with] SUPPLEMENTAL NIGHTS.With Notes Anthropological and Explanatory

16 volumes. The first edition of Burton's translation. 8vo, original black cloth with lettering and decoration in gilt, and in silver on the supplementary volumes. A good set, the spines well worn.

Edizione: the first publication of burton’s ‘plain and literal translation.’ this benares edition, the true first appearance of burton's translation, is quite scarce.<br> the first volume bears a tipped-in slip from the publisher which gives some indication of the book’s contents and the atmosphere of the victorian society into which it was born: “memorandum. in issuing this first volume of ‘the nights,” captain burton begs to remind all who have honoured him by subscribing to it, that the work is intended only for those that wish to study the peculiarities of moslem life and arabo-egyptian manners, customs, and language. it is emphatically a book for men and students; and nothing could be more repugnant to the translator’s feelings than the idea of these pages being placed in any other hands than the class for whose especial use it has been prepared. in this essential matter the writer trusts confidently to the good faith of his subscribers.”