The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - with -Supplemental Nights. Translated from the Arabic by Captain Sir R. F. Burton, Reprinted from the Original Edition and Edited by Leonard C. Smithers. - Richard F. Burton, Leonard C. Smithers (editor) 1894 - H. S. Nichols &, London - The Library Edition A magnificent twelve volume set of Burton’s outstanding work of translation. ‘As a monument of his Arabic learning and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Eastern life this was his greatest achievement’ [Encyclopaedia Britannica]. The first editions to be published by Nichols and edited by Leonard Smithers, in bright intricately gilt decorated bindings.

This edition followed on from Lady Burton’s disastrous 1886 abridged six volume edition (without the naughty bits or ‘
Supplemental Nights’) and the original Kamashastra Society of 1885 edition whose facsimile title pages are inserted in their correct places (as Nichols fits the original sixteen volumes into twelve for this set).

‘...But when it was midnight Shahrázád awoke and signalled to her sister Dunyázád who sat up and said, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, recite to us some new story, delightsome and delectable wherewith to while away the waking hours of our latter night." "With joy and goodly gree," answered Shahrázád, "if this pious and auspicious King permit me." "Tell on," quoth the King who chanced to be sleepless and restless and therefore was pleased with the prospect of hearing her story.’
  Issued in November 1894 at £6 6s. the set.

Provenance: H. W. A. Harrison with his armourial bookplates (’Memor et Fidelis).

Reference: Penzer,
An Annotated Bibliography of Sir Richard Francis Burton, 156.

Largo octavo, twelve volumes (book size 25.8x17cm), pp. xxxii 416; viii 431 [1]; [2] x 444; [2] x 420; viii 400; [8] 408; viii 406 [2]; xii 424; xiii [1] 444; xix [1] 479 [1]; [2] ix [1] 495 [1]; xxiv 399 [1]. in publisher’s intricately gilt decorated black cloth, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, pale yellow coated endpapers.
  Condition: Near fine, light spotting to preliminaries, some edge wear to covers, abrasion to lower boards of volume IX.   Ref: 111527   Price: HK$ 8,000