And here we were confronted by a serious question, What number of copies would suffice my public?  A distinguished Professor who had published some 160,000 texts with prices ranging from 6d. to 50 guineas, wrote to me in all kindness advising an issue of 150 to 250:  an eminent printer-publisher would have ventured upon some 500:  others rose to 750 with a warning-note anent “wreckage,” great risk and ruinous expenditure, while only one friend—­and he not in business—­urged an edition of 2,000 to 3,000 with encouraging words as to its probable reception.  After long forethought I chose 1,000 as a just middle.

We then drew up a long list, names of friends, acquaintances and strangers likely to patronise the novelty, and caused the following three papers to be lithographed and printed at Trieste.

No.  I.

Captain Burton, having neither agent nor publisher for his forthcoming Arabian nights, requests that all subscribers will kindly send their names and addresses to him personally (Captain Burton, Trieste, Austria), when they will be entered into a book kept for the purpose.

There will be 10 volumes at a guinea a piece, each to be paid for on delivery.  Subscribers may count on the first three volumes being printed in March next.  Captain Burton pledges himself to furnish copies to all subscribers who address themselves to him; and he also undertakes not to issue, nor to allow the issue of a cheaper Edition.  One thousand copies will be printed, the whole Manuscript will be ready before going to press in February, and the ten volumes will be issued within Eighteen Months.

This was presently followed by

No.  Ii.

The Student of Arabic who reads “The nights” with this version, will not only be competent to join in any conversation, to peruse the popular books and newspapers, and to write letters to his friends, he will also find in the notes a repertoire of those Arabian Manners and Customs, Beliefs and Practices, which are not discussed in popular works.

The 10 volumes will be handsomely bound in black and gold.

No subscriptions will be until the work is done, and then at Coutts’ Bank, Strand London.

Subscribers who apply directly are preferred.

The author will pay carriage of volumes all over the United Kingdom.  A London address is requested.

And, lastly, after some delay, came the subjoined cutting from the Daily Tribune, New York.

No.  III.

“It has already been announced that the first instalment of Captain Burton’s new translation of the Arabian Nights may be expected this autumn.  I am indebted to a friend of his for some details which have not yet, I think, been made public.  There is still room for a translation of the Arabian Nights.  All or nearly all the popular editions of which there are hundreds, are but renderings, more or less imperfect, from Professor Galland’s French