400 The Chevalier Graiprre’s Account of the great Historical Work 
by all the dragomans who have a love for learning and literature, and whose 
services and knowledge are employed in the public affairs of the empire. 
Tue Seconp Part or THE Work 
contains, as I have already stated, the history of the Arabs, the Persians, 
and other nations, from the creation of the world until the end of the 
eighth century of the Hegira, or to the year 1398 of the Christian era. Its 
Arabic title was, in my manuscript : edie 5 sls el bet & Gall ObM) 
prlieall wall ure payele ure ded gla ads deel lon Bila starve See ade y 
Cas CN 5 Ds olin» bell, wel es ull s Gly alls Lal Use, that 
is, in English: ‘‘ Volume the Second, containing the History of the Arabs 
and the Barbarians, their Tribes and Dynasties, from the beginning of the 
Creation down to the present Time; with the most credible accounts 
of several other remarkable contemporary nations, viz. Nabathzans, Sy- 
rians, Persians, Israelites, Kopts, Greeks, Romans, Turks, and Franks or 
Europeans.” With regard to the primeval history of the Arabs, their 
emigrations to Asia and Africa, the branching and spreading of their 
tribes, their conquests, the progressive corruption of their language, &c., 
no other writer is likely to be found who, with greater sagacity in his 
investigations, more solid learning in his criticism, and more entertaining 
variety of erudition in his narration, has performed his task in so exquisite 
a manner as Inn Kunatptn. The fourth or last book of this history is 
especially of immense value, containing an equally new and interesting 
account of the origin and settlement of the Arabian tribes, who, in Africa, 
or in other regions, have more or less forgotten or corrupted the language 
and manners of their ancestors, for which reason they are called in the 
East : aast—)| w+, that is, literally translated, “ language-corrupting 
Arabs,” or such whose speech is scarcely intelligible. The former three 
sections give a description, 1. of the genuine Arabs, +,.\\ we who live 
in towns; 2. adventitious or adopted Arabs, &J| 4 who live in the 
fields; 3. foreign Arabs, Cjea!) Wy or Conall Oye foreigners who have 
adopted the language, the manners, and the religion of the Arabs. Gottvus, 
in his excellent dictionary, calls them Arabes facti et adscititi. 
This second part of the work is exceedingly rare in Europe, and I verily 
fancied myself the only Christian who possessed a copy of it, excepting 
the one that was purloined from my friend Srpr Hassuna D’Gua’is, 
