corruption of Diab): suffice it to say that they cast a clear and
wholly original light upon the provenance of eight of the
Gallandian histories. I can, however, promise to all
"Aladdinists" a rich harvest of facts which wholly displace those
hitherto assumed to be factual. But for the satisfaction of my
readers I am compelled to quote the colophon of M. Zotenberg's
great "find" (vol. ii.), as it bears upon a highly important
question.

"And the finishing thereof was during the first decade of Jamadi the Second,
of the one thousand and one hundred and fifteenth year of the Hegirah (= A.D.
1703) by the transcription of the neediest of His slaves unto Almighty Allah,
Ahmad bin Mohammed al-Taradi, in Baghdad City: he was a Shafi'i of school, and
a Mosuli by birth, and a Baghdadi by residence, and he wrote it for his own
use, and upon it he imprinted his signet. So Allah save our lord Mohammed and
His Kin and Companions and assain them! Kabikaj."[FN#2]

Now as this date corresponds with A.D. 1703, whereas Galland did
begin publishing until 1705-1705 the original MS. of Ahmad al-
Taradi could not have been translated or adapted from the French;
and although the transcription by Mikhail Sabbagh, writing in
1805-10, may have introduced modification borrowed from Galland,
yet the scrupulous fidelity of his copy, shown by sundry marginal
and other notes, lays the suspicion that changes of importance
have been introduced by him. Remains now only to find the
original codex of Al-Taradi.

I have noticed in my translation sundry passages which appear to
betray the Christian hand; but these are mostly of scanty
consequence in no wise affecting the genuineness of the text.