White, Joseph; White, Joseph [Editor]: Aegyptiaca, or observations on certain antiquities of Egypt (Band 1): The history of Pompey's pillar elucidated (Oxford, 1801)

6a

iEGYPTIACA.

PART I.

“ On the other hand, all alluftons to German writers,
“ with fome other patTages, which would have been un-
“ interefting if not unintelligible to a Britifh reader,
“ have been omittedk.”

Now this will explain, in fome degree, what I have to
obferve concerning the two Univerfal Hiftories of Abul-
pharajus, the one written in the Syriac language, the
other in that of Arabia. They both contain in general
the fame narrative, but with occafional additions and
omiffions, as appeared to the author moft interefting to
the clafs of readers, for whom he was writing. Thus
many particulars concerning the ftege and capture of
Acca, with the various meftages which palled betwixt
our lion-hearted Richard and his generous rival Sala-
din, are given at large in the Syriac, but entirely palled
over in the Arabic: on the contrary, the requeft of
Philoponus, and the burning of the Alexandrian library,
are given in the Arabic, but omitted in the Syriac. In-
ftances of this kind are numerous; and every general
fcholar may judge for himfelf, as both the Hiftories in the
original languages, together with the Latin tranflations,
are before the public. I truft therefore that we fhall
hear no more of the objection urged by Mr. Gibbon,
“ that the folitary report of a ftranger, who wrote at the

k Pref. p. xx.