The Collected Library

13 volumes, 8vo. Half-titles. (Occasional spotting.) Early 20th century half red morocco gilt, spines in 3 compartments with 2 raised bands, gilt-lettering in one, others with geometric tools gilt, top edges gilt, others uncut, stamp-signed by G.P. Putnam's. Provenance: Armorial bookplates.

LIMITED EDITION, numbers 123, 378, and 257 of 500 copies.

The Thousand Nights and a Night is the only complete English translation to date of a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. Due to the erotic nature of Burton's translation, the first English edition was initially printed in a run of 1,000 copies for "Private Subscribers Only" as a means of circumventing Victorian England obscenity laws. As an extra layer of security, Burton listed the book's place of publication as Benares (a city in India), even though it had been printed in London by the Scottish firm of Miller & Richard. Penzer p.114-116.