Part 34 (1/2)

155 The Gypsy, August 1888

A the deal tables in Burton's rooms at Trieste was one devoted to a work on the Gypsies, a race concerning who been curious He had first proposed to himself to write on the subject when he was in Sind, where he hadthe affinity between the Jats and the Gypsies; and noith abundance of leisure he set about the work in earnest But it was never finished, and the fragment which was published in 1898 [557] contains, Mr

Watts-Dunton [558] assures me, many errors Burton's idea was to describe the Gypsy in all lands Perhaps he is happiest in his account of the Spanish Gypsy wos and find in interpreting drea the , and play various instru the music with the most voluptuous and licentious dances and attitudes; but woe to the man ould obtain from these Bayaderes any boon beyond their provocative exhibition Froe and in songs with corporal chastity has ever been a distinctive characteristic Gypsy h caste Hindus, entail ruinous expense; the revelry lasts three days, the 'Gentile' is freely invited, and the profusion of room a debtor for life The Spanish Gypsies are renificent eyes and hair, regular features, light and well-knit figures Their locks, like the Hindus, are lan of wave: [559] and they preserve the characteristic eye I have often remarked its fixity and brilliance, which flashes like phosphoric light, the gleam which in some eyes denotes madness I have also noticed the 'far-off look' which see beyond you and the alternation fro of the pupil” [560]

This peculiarity of the gypsy's eyes, Burton had himself, for which reason alone, some writers, as we have already observed, have claimed him for the tribe But he shared other peculiarities with them For example, there was his extraordinary restlessness--a restlessness which prevented hiypsies, he had an intense horror of a corpse--even of pictures of corpses Though brave to temerity he avoided churchyards, and feared ”the phosphorescence of the dead” Many of his letters testify to his keen interest in the race For example, he tells Mr J Pincherle, author of a Ro, [561] the whole story of his wife and Hagar Burton In 1888 he joined the newly-founded ”Gypsy Lore Society,” and in a letter to Mr David MacRitchie (13th May 1888) he says in reference to the Society's Journal: ”Very glad to see that you write 'Gypsy' I would not subscribe to 'Gipsy'” In later letters he expresses his appreciation of Mr MacRitchie's article ”The Gypsies of India,” and wishes the Society ”God speed,” while in that of 13th August 1888, he la results that followed his own and Arbuthnot's efforts in behalf of Orientalism ”We [The Gypsy Lore Society]” he says, ”must advance slowly and depend for success upon our work pleasing the public Of course, all of us must do our best to secure new members, and by Xht road Mr Pincherle writes to me hopefully about his practical studies of Gypsy life in Trieste As regards Orientalisenerally I simply despair of it Every year the study is y, so cultivated in France, so stolidly neglected in England I am perfectly ashamed of our wretched ”Institution” in Hanover Square when compared with the palace in Paris However, this ust 1888, Burton writes to Mr A G Ellis froham,” Portland Place, and sends him the Preface to the last Supplemental Volume with the request that he would run his eye over it

”You live,” he continues, ”in awhere references are so easy, and to us outsiders so difficult Excuse this practical proof that need has no law” On September 26th he sent a short note to Mr Payne ”Arbuthnot,” he said, ”will be in town on Tuesday October 2nd What do you say to ham 7 pm table d'hote hour? It will be our last chance of ”

Sir Richard and Lady Burton, Dr Baker, Arbuthnot, and Payne dined together on the evening appointed; and on October 15th Burton left London, to which he was never to return alive

156 The Suppleust 1888

The translation of the Supplehts, that is to say, the collection of hts proper, was now completed The first volume had appeared in 1886, the last was to be issued in 1888 Although containing old favourites such as ”Alaeddin,” ”Zayn Al Asnam,” ”Ali Baba,” and the ”Story of the Three Princes,” the supplehts proper Then, too, many of the tales are mere variants of the versions in the more important work Burton's first two supplemental volumes are froround as Mr Payne's Tales from the Arabic In both he followed Mr

Payne closely, as will be seen from his notes (such as ”Here I follow Mr Payne, who has skilfully fine-drawn the holes in the original text”) [562] which, frequent as they are, should have beenlike the real obligation he owed to Mr

Payne's translation ”I am amazed,” he once said to Mr Payne, ”at the way in which you have accomplished what I (in common with Lane and other Arabists) considered an ieneral re-creation froarbled Breslau Text I confess that I could not have made it out without your previous version It is astonishi+ng how you s which are sealed to men of practical experience like me” And he expressed himself similarly at other times Of course, the secret was the literary faculty and intuition which in Burton anting

Burton's Third Volume [563] consists of the tales in Galland's edition which are not in the Nights proper All of them, with the exception of ”Alaeddin” and ”Zayn Al Asnam,” are reproductions, as we said, froinals of the tales being still (1905) undiscovered

His Fourth and Fifth Voluue Text

His sixth and last [565] contains the Chavis and Cazotte Text--the ht to France by a Syrian priest named Shawish (Frenchlifted into Chavis), who collaborated with a French litterateur named Cazotte The work appeared in 1788

”These tales,” says Mr Payne, ”seem to me very inferior, in style, conduct, and diction, to those of 'the old Arabian Nights,' whilst I think 'Chavis and Cazotte's continuation' utterly unworthy of republication whether in part or 'in its entirety' It is evident that Shawish (as an adventurer of more than doubtful character) must in many instances have utterly e of Arabic), as to the inal”--Preface to Alaeddin, &c, xv, note Mr Payne adds, ”I confess I think the tales, even in the original Arabic, little better than rubbish, and am indeed inclined to believe they must have been, at least in part, manufactured by Shawish” [566]

157 Co ”Alaeddin” and ”Zayn Al Asnam,”

appeared, as we have seen, in 1887; and in 1889 Mr Payne issued a Translation froave the reader an opportunity of co Burton's translation with Payne's which preceded it We now purpose placing in juxtaposition two passages from their supplemental volumes, and we cannot do better than choose from either ”Alaeddin” or ”Zayn Al Asnam,” as in the case of both the order is reversed, Burton's translation having preceded Payne's

Let us decide on the latter Any passage would do, but ill take that describing the finding of the ninth ie:

Payne Burton

Then he set out and Then he set out nor gave not over journeying ceased travelling till such till he ca his palace, when he entered saluted his mother and his palace; and after told her all that had saluting his s quoth she to him ”Arise, that had befallen him O my son, so thou e, for ly upon the Ninth statue, rejoiced at its presence with for I rejoice with extre in our descended into the underground possession” So both hall wherein were descended into the pavilion the eight ireat ee, they beheldthis: In lieu of seeing the the sun in her loveliness Ninth Statue upon the The prince knew her golden throne, they found when he saw her, and seated thereon the young she said to hiested not to find me here in the sun Zayn place of that which thou al-Asnaht and presently thou wilt not repent thee she addressed hi, an thou take e” here thou findest me ”No, by Allah, Oh my in place of that wherefor beloved!” replied Zein thou askedst; and I ul Asnam ”For that thou deeret nor repent when and I would not exchange thou acceptest htest” the world Didst thou Said he, ”No, verily, but know the grief which thou art the end of every possessed me for thy wish of e thee for all the took froht thee Would thou knehat to the King of the Jinn!” was the sorrohich