of the African Philosopher Inn Kuatpwtn. 389 
of the African dynasties who derive their origin from the Berbers ; for, 
with respect to the Prolegomena, it is pretty well ascertained that he wrote 
them, as well as the whole second part of the Work, after having finished 
the third part, which contains the History of the Berbers. 
I do not believe there exists, in any European library, one complete 
copy of all the three parts of this valuable work. Of the first, or the Intro- 
duction, some more or less correct copies are to be met with in England, 
France, and Germany ; but of the second and the third, the Baron De Sacy 
himself confesses, in his biography of the author already alluded to, that he 
did not know whether a single complete manuscript copy existed in the 
whole extent of Europe. 
On my first arrival at Tangier, and during my subsequent residence there, 
from 1816 to 1822, I spared neither pains nor expense to obtain a copy of 
this valuable work ; but, in spite of all my exertions, the thing appeared 
to be impossible. A very learned Sharif from Wazan, who had lived a long 
time at the university of Fez, assured me, that only two copies were extant 
throughout the whole of Moghrib-al-Aksé or the empire of Morocco, 
namely, one in the mosque of A/ Kariibin at Fez, and the other in the sanc- 
tuary of Shella near Salee. In the mean time, I heard it whispered that a 
good copy of the Prolegomena might be met with in the principal mosque 
of Tangier; and by means of a considerable bribe, I succeeded in persuading 
one of the officiating 7i/ibs or priests, to transcribe it for me. But, how painful 
was my disappointment, on finding that this dear-bought transcript, although 
it extended to 478 pages, contained the half only of the Mokaddameh or Pro- 
legomena. Instead of six books or sections, which this First Part of the Work 
ought to contain, the manuscript given to me had merely the two first books 
and somewhat more than the half of the third. Both promises and bribes 
were unavailing, to induce the Tilib to let me collate my copy with the original 
manuscript, so that I cannot even say whether I have got all that could be 
obtained. The priest, however, contended that his original did not contain 
one syllable, yea not one single letter, more than what he had transcribed. 
Of this I was further assured by the abovementioned Sharif, who moreover 
affirmed, that of the two MS. copies of which he had spoken, only that 
one in the mosque of Fez was really complete, because it was the selfsame 
autograph manuscript which the Author, in his Preface, says he inscribed 
and presented in person to the mosque of Al Karubin; but that the other 
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