The Remarkable Sayings, Apothegms and Maxims of the Eastern Nations;

precursor to the first european translation of the arabian nights

Antoine Galland (1646-1715) was a French orientalist and scholar, best known for being the first European to translate the Kitab alf laylah wa-laylah [Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night; known as the 'Arabian Nights'] into French. His adaptation of the popular Arabic tales entitled Les Mille et Une Nuits was published in 12 volumes between 1704 and 1717, and it was this French edition that formed the basis of all the other European language translations (including English) throughout the 18th century.

Galland was an accomplished linguist with a comprehensive understanding of Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish. He travelled widely and his trips included 5 year visit to Constantinople (between 1670 and 1675), accompanying the French Ambassador, and a further 10 years after this to Greece, Egypt, Palestine and, especially, Smyrna before returning to Constantinople. In 1679 he was appointed antiquary to Louis XIV and collected antiquities, numismatics and manuscripts for the Bibliothèque Royale during his travels.

The present text is an early publication by Galland and includes extracts from a wide variety of sources in Persian, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, translated into French accompanied by his 'observations' on the various matters. These are presented as "Sayings" and form the first half of the text. The second half are the "Maxims" and these are a collection of proverbs and anecdotes, which contain the earliest appearance of the Arabian Nights in translation. The first edition of this text was printed in French in 1694 and this English edition appears only one year later in 1695; decades earlier than any recorded English translations of Galland's Les Mille et Une Nuits, and over a century earlier than any authentic English translation of the Arabian Nights directly from Arabic.

First English edition, 12mo (155 x 90 mm); lacking 2 blanks (G12 and 2D4) and the [7]p. advertisements at the end, early ink ownership inscriptions to the title, a few early ink annotations to the margins in the body of the text, some very light and occasional water-staining else good internal condition; contemporary calf, covers with decorative tooled borders in blind, spine decorated in compartments with gilt lettering, recased with later endpapers inserted, extremities and covers lighty rubbed.

Wing G169; ESTC R7403