[ARABIAN NIGHTS]. LANE, Edward William (translator).
The thousand and one nights, commonly called, in England, the Arabian nights entertainments.
London, Charles Knight and Co. (back of title-page volume 1 & 3: William Clowes and sons; volume 2: Whitehead & Co.), 1840 (vol. 2) - 1841 (vols. 1 & 3). 3 volumes. 8vo in 4s. With a different lithographed title-page for each volume and hundreds of wood-engraved illustrations in text.19th-century red morocco (signed on flyleaf: "Jefferies & Sons, Bristol" - the sons joined the firm in 1863), richly gold-tooled spines, boards, board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges. XXXII, 618; XII, 643, [1]; XII, 763, [1] pp.
€ 3,500
Attractively bound set of the first accurate English translation of the of Alf laylah wa laylah, commonly known in English as the Arabian nights. The British orientalist Edward William Lane (1801-1876) lived in Egypt for several years and had integrated well with the Arabic population.
The first printing of vol. 1 (1839) appears to have sold out by the time vol. 3 was printed, so the complete sets were published with a new printing of vol. 1, matching the first printing line for line. Since the publisher switched printers (from Whitehead to Clowes) between volumes 2 and 3, the new printing of vol. 1 omits the reference to Whitehead as printer and apparently also the translators advertisement.
With the bookplate of the American collector Henry T. Cox, whose library was auctioned in 1899, and the library stamps of the American businessman Henry T. Sloane (1845-1937). A very good set. Jack Ross, Scheherazade's web: the 1001 nights & comparative literature (http://dinarzade.blogspot.com), bibliography 24 (with vol. 1 in 1839 printing).
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