[Transcriber's Notes: The first edition of this translation was published in London in 1802. It was translated indirectly by Edward Forster from the French translation of Antoine Galland titled Les mille et une nuits. Footnotes appearing in the Preface were numbered alphabetically and moved to the end of the ebook with the endnotes.] THE ARABIAN NIGHTS. VOL. I. THE ARABIAN NIGHTS. IN FOUR VOLUMES, TRANSLATED BY EDWARD FORSTER, M. A. THE FOURTH EDITION. VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM MILLER, ALBEMARLE-STREET, Reprinted by Assignment, for THOMAS TEGG, NO. 111, CHEAPSIDE. 1815. W. Lewis, Printer, St. John’s Square, London. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIRST EDITION. Whatever rank an author or a translator may hold in the republic of letters, he is seldom listened to with much satisfaction whenever he speaks of himself, however necessary it may be for his own character, or however it may tend to the elucidation of his labours. His motives, indeed, either for writing, or publishing any work, will not much engage the attention of the Public, to whom the work itself is the only thing of consequence. And in this respect, as the translator of a work, which has stood the test of time, I confess, that I feel myself under no great apprehension. But of its merits, I shall have occasion to speak more at large in the Preface.--I must, however, trespass for some little time, in giving such explanations as appear to me to be necessary; in bestowing on others the praise which they deserve; and in endeavouring to extenuate the severity of that criticism, to which I may myself be exposed. Some years ago, not to mention that it was the delight of my childhood, I was much struck with the beauties of the Arabian Nights; and being in possession of Monsieur Galland’s French copy, entitled, “Les mille et une Nuits, Contes Arabes,” I sometimes amused myself, while residing at Oxford, with _doing a story into English_. Two years since, I accidentally mentioned this circumstance to my Bookseller, who requested me to finish and publish my translation. The consequence of this and various other conversations, is the following publication; the faults of which, both as to embellishments and translation, must rest with myself. When I came to examine what had been done, which I did not until the matter was finally arranged, I found much more to do than I expected. And if an English Public can have been so long pleased with a translation, (I do not here use my own words,) “loaded with inelegancies, frequently deficient in grammar, and not always without errors,” I trust they will be indulgent to me, who have tried to remedy these defects; though with what success it is not for me to determine.