Mr. Hole, in his remarks on these Tales, considers the Sindbad as the Arabian Odyssey, and as descriptive of real places and manners; and he takes no small pains to ascertain the precise local situations of the islands which Sindbad is supposed to visit; but the beauties of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments have never been better described than in the following Sonnet to the Author, by Mr. Thomas Russell, Fellow of New College, Oxford: “Blessed child of Genius, whose fantastic sprite Rides on the vivid lightning’s flash, or roves Through flowery valleys and elysian groves; Or, borne on vent’rous pinions, takes its flight To those dread realms, where, hid from mortal sight, Fierce Genii roam, or where in bright alcoves Mild Fairies reign, and woo their secret loves: Whate’er thy theme, whether the magic might Of the stern kings that dwell ’mid Ocean’s roar, Or Sindbad’s perils, or the cruel wiles Of Afric’s curst enchanters, charm us more, Or aught more wond’rous still our ear beguiles; Well pleased we listen to thy fabling lore, And Truth itself with less attraction smiles.” The present translation is from the _Contes Arabes_ of M. Galland, who appears to have imbibed no inconsiderable portion of the spirit of the Oriental writer; and the utmost care has been taken to render it as correct as possible, consistent with the simplicity of the narration, and the luxuriance of its descriptions. Although it cannot now be necessary to enter into a critical examination of a work which is equally admired by the learned and the unlearned, the young and the old, yet as the Genii and Fairies form so considerable a part of the machinery of these Tales, it may not be improper to say something respecting them. The _Genn_ or _Ginn_ of the Arabians, is the same with the _Div_ or _Ganman_ of the Persians, the _Deuta_ of the Indians, and the Turks’ _Ginler_, and signifies a genie or demon, who has a body formed of a more subtle matter than those of men, and like elementary fire. They are supposed to have been created and to have governed the world before Adam, and are divided into good and evil angels, and even giants, who, in the early times, made war against men, but have since been confined to one region, denominated from them _Gimristan_, the fairy land of our old romances. _Gian ben Gian_ was the sovereign of these creatures, or of the _Peris_ or fairies, who governed the world two thousand years; after which Eblis was sent by God to drive them into a distant part of the world, and there confine them, because of their rebellion. The shield of this prince is as famous as that of Achilles among the Greeks, and, like it, seven-fold and destructive of all enchantments, and was possessed by three successive Solomons, who performed with it marvellous but fabulous exploits, and fell at last into the hands of a hero named Tahmurath, surnamed _Divbend_, or the Conqueror of Giants.