THE ARAB]
MANUSCRIPTS IN THE
NEWBERRY LIBRARY
PUBLICATIONS OF THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
NUMBER 2
THE ARABIC AND TURKISH
MANUSCRIPTS IN THE
NEWBERRY LIBRARY
Described By
DUNCAN BLACK MACDONALD, D.D.
Professor of Semitic Languages in the Hartford
(Connecticut) Theological Seminary
"^
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
COPYRIGHT 1912 BY
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
Published May 191 z
TRUSTEES OF THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
CHARTER MEMBERS, APRIL 13, 1892
HON. GEORGE E. ADAMS
MR. EDWARD E. AYER Resigned January 3, 1911
MR. ELIPHALET W. BLATCHFORD
MR. WILLIAM HARRISON BRADLEY Resigned May 20, 1901
MR. DANIEL GOODWIN Resigned November 7, 1898
MR. FRANKLIN H. HEAD
HON. EDWARD S. ISHAM Died February 16, 1902
GEN. ALEXANDER C. McCLURG Died April 15, 1901
HON. FRANKLIN MACVEAGH Resigned February 27, 1896
GEN. WALTER C. NEWBERRY
HON. LAMBERT TREE Died October 9, 1910
MR. HENRY J. WILLING Died September 28, 1903
MR. JOHN P. WILSON
MR. BRYAN LATHROP Elected June i, 1896
MR. GEORGE MANIERRE Elected December 5, 1898
MR. MOSES J. WENTWORTH Elected June 3, 1901
MR. HORACE H. MARTIN Elected November 4, 1901
MR. DAVID B. JONES. Elected May 5, 1902
MR. JOHN A. SPOOR Elected January n, 1904
MR. JOHN P. WILSON, JR Elected January 3, 1911
MR. EDWARD L. RYERSON Elected March 6, 1911
OFFICERS, 1912
President
ELIPHALET W. BLATCHFORD
First V ice-President Second V ice-President
GEORGE E. ADAMS HORACE H. MARTIN
Secretary and Financial Agent
JESSE L. Moss
Librarian
WILLIAM N. C. CARLTON, M.A.
V
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
There are probably very many more oriental manuscripts in
the libraries of this country, public and private, than is yet
suspected. Of the contents of a few of the larger collections,
such as those at Princeton and Yale, orientalists, at least, have
some general idea. But as to the smaller collections practically
nothing is known.
The descriptions here published are therefore almost a first
step toward that general catalogue of oriental manuscripts in
America which is an inevitable task of the future. As no plan
or norm for the carrying out of such a catalogue yet exists, it
has seemed best to make the descriptions rather full. It is true
that there are no manuscripts of striking importance in this
collection, but it is also true that no one can ever tell either when
an apparently ordinary manuscript may come to be of high
importance or what facts about it may need to be known.
I
THE QUR'AN
Written in a very small but clear naskhl hand on glazed
oriental paper. The chapter titles are in gold, and the pages
enclosed in blue and gold rulings. Last leaf missing. No date
or transcriber's name. Size of page, 8 . 25 c.X 5 . 5 c. ; of written
surface, 5. 5 c.X 3.5 c.
Bound in green silk.
Acquired, April 28, 1910. MS 49.1
II
THE QUR'AN
Written in a delicate naskhl hand on fine glazed oriental
paper. The chapter titles are in gold, and the verses divided
with gold dots; rubricated on the margins and in the text with
divisions and marks of pause for reading; text surrounded by
rulings of gold. No date or transcriber's name. Size of page,
15-5 c.XS.o c.; of written surface, 9.5 c.X 5.0 c.
Stamped, coloured, and gilded oriental binding with flap.
Accession no. 23,852. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.11
III
THE QUR'AN
Very prettily and neatly written in a naskhl hand on glazed
oriental paper. The first two pages are in gold and colours; the
chapter titles are in red; the text is enclosed in gold lines and
divided with gold dots. No date or transcriber's name.
Oriental leather binding with flap.
Accession no. 23,851. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.12
IV
THE QUR'AN
Written in a large, clear MaghribI hand in different coloured
inks, with red borders. The chapter titles are in green. The
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
leaves are separate, apparently intentionally so. Size of page,
22.0 c.Xi4-O c.; of written surface, 17.0 c.Xg.o c.
At the end is a curious and rather obscure colophon: Its
scribe: May Allah cause this blessed mashaf [copy of Qur'an],
the property of the incomparable creature ['abd] Mallam, the
Imam, Ibn al-Hasan, to travel with joyfulness( ?) of peace by
way of blessing. May Allah forgive him and his parents, Amen.
The 8th of [the month] Rabi' of Nur [a name of Muhammad], the
year 1250. But its scribe was in Tunis in Bab Suwayqa; he
wrote it in the village of Wazak( ?).
Oriental leather binding with flap, enclosed in soft oriental
leather case with a plaited strap for carrying on the shoulder.
Note: In place of a title, there are prefixed pictures of the prophet's
grave and pulpit at al-Medina as in Number V., post. On the top and
bottom edges is written the usual warning against touching it in a state of
ritual impurity. "Rabi' of Nur" is Rabi' I from the birth of Muhammad
in that month. The date, therefore, is July i6th, 1834.
Accession no. 23,850. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.13
MUHAMMAD IBN SULAYMAN AL-JAZULI
Dala'il al-khayrat washawdriq al-amvar . (Proofs of the
Excellencies and Flashes of Orient Light.) At the end are four
pages of prayers to be used after the Dala'il itself.
Written in a good, clear Maghrib! character in different
coloured inks. Double rulings in red surround the writing.
No date. The transcriber's name is given as Muhammad, son
of the deceased Hajj Janun( ?). Size of page, 12.5 c.Xi2.5 c.;
of written surface, 9.0 C.X8.5 c.
Oriental leather binding with flap.
Note: This is a very common devotional book of prayers in praise of
the Prophet Muhammad. For the author, see Brockelmann, Geschichte der
arabischen Litter atur, ii., 2525., and the references given there to the Mss.
catalogues.
A copy of this work may commonly be identified by two highly conven-
tionalized pictures facing one another of the Prophet's grave and pulpit at
al-Medina. The space between these is called the Garden in accordance
with the tradition "Between my grave and my pulpit is one of the Gardens
of Paradise."
MS 49.2
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 3
VI
MUHAMMAD IBN SULAYMAN AL-JAZULI
DalcCil al-khayrat washawariq al-anwdr.
Written in a fine naskhi hand on glazed oriental paper. The
pages are enclosed in red and gold rulings, and the text is divided
by decorated circles in red and gold. The transcriber was
Muhammad ibn Husayn, one of the disciples of Muhammad
Rasim; he finished it on the igth of Rabi' I., A. H. 1157 [i.e.
May 3, 1744]. Size of page, 17.0 c.X 11.25 c -5 f written sur-
face, ii. o C.X7-O c.
Stamped, coloured, and gilded oriental binding.
Note: Instead of pictures of the grave of the Prophet and of his pulpit
are two of the Ka'ba and of the mosque at al-Medlna where the Prophet is
buried, with his grave indicated within the mosque.
Accession no. 83,866. MS 49.21
VII
MUHAMMAD IBN SULAYMAN AL-JAZUL!
Dald'il al-khayrat. * * * Added, is the Burda poem of Ka'b
ibn Zuhayr al-Muzanl.
Written in a very large, clear Maghrib! hand, in different
coloured inks. The text is enclosed in double rulings in red.
(The Burda poem is in the same hand and in the same inks on
five leaves of smaller size than the rest. These five leaves have
had their edges inlaid, but the size of their written surface is
25.0 c.X 13. 50 c.). The scribe names himself 'Abdullah ibn
Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, the Tamadall(?) by family, of the
city of Morocco by abode. He finished on Saturday, the 2oth
of Rabi' II., A. H. 1196 (i.e. April 5th, 1782). Size of page,
34.0 c.X 24.0 c.; of written surface, 24.50 c.X 15. 50 c.
Oriental leather binding with flap, repaired with European
end-papers.
Note: The two illustrations in this copy are also of the tombs of the
Prophet, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and of the Prophet's pulpit as referred to
in the tradition above.
For the Burda poem of Ka'b b. Zuhayr, see Brockelmann, i., 38.
Accession no. 23,849. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.22
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
VIII
MUHAMMAD IBN 'ABDULLAH AL-KHARASHI
A volume, the first, of his Shorter Commentary (ash-sharh
as-saghir) on the Mukhtasar or Abstract of Malikite Canon Law
by Khalll ibn Ishak.
Written in a clear MaghribI hand, with rubrications. The
work was copied for his own use by at-Tayyib b. Joj-cil b.
taxis*! b. aJU! UJUi*, the Qanifite by race and Malikite by school.
The untransliterated words are Berber names which I have been
unable to find; I am not even certain of their form in Arabic
letters. The transcriber finished his work on Friday, the 3d of
the month Ramadan, A. H. 1144 (i.e. March 2d, 1732). I have
not found any note of place of transcription except that it was
in the place of session (majlis) of the Sayyid Muhammad b.
Abi-1-Qasim. The Ms. is to a great extent in loose leaves,
probably for convenience of use in study. Size of page, 24.0 c.
XiS.o c. ; of written surface, 19.0 c.Xi3-5 c.
Oriental binding with flap.
Note: The contents of this volume cover about a quarter of the
Mukhtasar, viz. : to the end of the section on Pilgrimage, (see page 64 in the
edition of the Mukhtasar published in Paris, 1900). For the author of the
Commentary, see Rieu's Supplement to the Catalogue of Arabic Manuscripts
in the British Museum, 1894, page 194, and the references given there.
He died A. H. noi (i.e. A. D. 1689).
Accession no. 170,390. MS 49.25
IX
MUHAMMAD IBN IBRAHIM AT-TATA'I
Jawdhir ad-durar ft hall 'alfdz al-mukhtasar . (The Jewels
of Pearls in explanation of the expressions of the Compend).
Written in a modified MaghribI hand, with the text of the
Mukhtasar in red. Numerous marginal notes. The gatherings
(i9@ 10 but very irregular) are numbered with European Arabic
numerals. No date or transcriber's name. Size of page, 34 . o c.
X23-5 c.; of written surface, 26.5 c.Xi7-o c.
Oriental leather binding with flap.
Note: This is another commentary on the Mukhtasar, or Compend on
Malikite Canon Law by Khalll. This volume contains only the first part
of the commentary, down to the end of the section on the feeding of slaves
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 5
(Fi nafaqat al-mamluk). The author died A. H. 942 (i.e. A. D. 1535); for
his life, see Brockelmann, ii., 316, and especially the reference there to the
Khitat Jadida, x., 31. For Khalil, see Brockelmann, ii., 83 ff., and for this
commentary, ii., 84; also, British Museum: Catalogus Mss. Orient., Codices
Arabici, page 129, nos. CCXXXVII and CCXXXVIII. The title of the
commentary seems sometimes to be given as Path al-jalil, but that may be
another book. The same author frequently wrote two or even three com-
mentaries, of different lengths, on the same work.
Accession no. 170,392. MS 49.3
X
ABU RABI'A SULAYMAN IBN MusA AL-KALA'I AL-BALANSI
Kitab al-iktifd (Book of the Sufficiency), called in a later
title, prefixed and also written on lower edges, As-sira al-kald
'iya (The Kala'ite Biography) i.e. of the Prophet.
Seventeen gatherings, the second @ 4 , all others @ s . First
page originally blank; title added on it in a later hand as noted
above; last leaf missing and present last page blank.
Written in a regular Maghrib! hand, rubricated with catch-
words to the folios throughout, but without signature marks.
The transcription of the Ms. was completed in Tunis on the 26th
day of the month Rabl* I., A. H. 1159 (i.e. April i9th, 1746) by
Ahmad b. 'Umar b. Ahmad, the Khatib, the Hasan! Sharif.
Size of page,i6.oc.X22.oc.; of written surface, io.oc.Xi4.oc.
Oriental leather binding with flap.
Note: This volume contains the second part (juz\ sifr) extending from
the campaign of Badr (Dhikr ghazwat Badr al-kubra) to the mission by the
Prophet of 'Abdullah ibn Hudhafa to the Chosroes (Dhikr tawajjuh 'Abd
Allah ibn Hudhafa ila Kisra). In a colophon, it is said that the third part
will begin with the embracing of Islam by the Negus of Abyssinia. The
author was a Spanish Muslim who was killed in battle near Valencia in A. H.
634 (i.e. A. D. 1237). For his life and other manuscripts of this work, see
Brockelmann, i., 371, no. 12, and references there, especially Rieu's Supple-
ment to the Catalogue of Arabic Manuscripts in the British Museum, page
421, no. DCCCCXVIII and page 583, no. MCCLXXVII.
Acquired, April 28, 1910. MS 49.35
XI
ABU RABI'A SULAYMAN IBN MusA AL KALA'I AL-BALANS!
Another copy of part of the Kitdb al-iktifd.
Written in (possibly) six different hands, all MaghribI in
character but some approximating closely to naskhi, on several
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
kinds of paper, with ornaments and rubrics in different coloured
inks. The gatherings are very broken and irregular throughout.
At the head of the first page and in the original hand, the title
is given as As-sira al-kald'iya (The Kala/ite Biography); other-
wise there is no title, author's name, date or name of transcriber
or transcribers, etc. Size of page, 24.0 c.XiS.o c.; size of
written surface, too irregular to be given.
Oriental binding with flap, but different from that of the
other volume.
Note: This Ms. contains, in large fragments, the Third Part of the
Kitab al-iktifd, and extends from the Mission by Muhammad to the Negus
of Abyssinia down to the conquest of Egypt, extracted from the History of
Ibn'Abd Al-Hakam, breaking off abruptly after only a few lines of that nar-
rative. The contents of the latter part of this volume do not seem to be
covered by any Ms. in a European library, except possibly Bibliotheque
Nationale 1569.
Accession no. 170,391. MS 49.36
XII
MUHAMMAD IBN MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZZALI
A poem by al-Ghazzali (see Brockelmann, i., 426) called
"The Book of the Seal" or "The Seal" (Kitab al-khatam) on the
Buduh talisman, 1 with a commentary by Muhammad b. Abu
(sic) 'Umar, known as Abu Sa'd (or Sa'Id) al-Qassar.
Written in a modified Maghribi hand in inks of several
colours and gold; the writing on each page is bordered with
gold. The first few pages are out of order and some later ones
have evidently been lost; the Ms. must have been in bad con-
dition before it was put into its present elaborate European
binding. No date or name of transcriber is to be found in the
volume as it is now. Size of page 8.0 c.Xs.o c.; of written
surface, 5.0 C.X4-5 c -
Note: The title of the commentary as given here is "The praiseworthy
things in comment on the poem of the Imam Abu Hamid (Al-mahamid fi
shark qasidat al-Imam Abi Hamid). This is evidently the commentary to
which Hajji Khalifa refers (Fliigel's ed., iii., 127) although he gives the title
slightly differently and the author's name as Sharaf ad-Din Abu 'Abdullah
b. Fakhr ad-Din 'Uthman b. 'Ah" known as Ibn Bint Abi Sa'd. He also says
1 On this talisman, its importance and its history, see my article in the Ency-
clopedia of Islam, Leyden, s. v. Buduh.
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 7
that the book was dictated by the author in two sittings, one of them on the
8th of the month Muharram A. H. 894 (i.e. Dec. i3th, 1488).
In magical literature I find other references to this book which was
and is evidently the standard commentary on al-Ghazzall's poem, but I
cannot find any precisely similar Ms. described in catalogues accessible to
me. Nor does Brockelmann seem to have known any. In the Berlin Cata-
logue (iii., 503, no. 4110) a Ms. is described which seems to agree more
exactly with that in Hajji Khalifa, but while it has undoubted relations to
this, it is at least a very different recension. Ahlwardt says that the
author of the commentary was born in A. H. 653 (i.e. A. D. 1255) and died
after A. H. 713 (i.e. A. D. 1313); his authority he does not give. It is, of
course, vain to expect that books on this subject should be carefully trans-
mitted. Hajji Khalifa mentions two other books said to be the same as
the Khdtam of al-Ghazzall; viz.: " The strung pearls on the hidden secret "
(Ad-dun al-manzum fi-s-sirr al-maktum), to which is assigned a commentary
with the same title as above by a certain Toledan (at-Tulaitall), and "The
guarded secret and concealed jewel" (As-sirr al-masun wal-jawhar al-
maknun), also said to be the same as the Khdtam and to be an extract from
Al-Jafr, the book of mystery left by 'All. 2 The subject is bottomless.
There is a copy of al-Ghazzall's poem in the Leyden Library; see
Catalogue, iii., 170, and reference is there made to another copy, Ms. Ambro-
sianus 254.
Accession no. 23,854. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.4
XIII
Leaves from a collection of prayers (hizbs, du'ds, etc.,) by well
known saints, among them al-jazull and 'Abd al-Qadir al-JIlam.
Six leaves only. Written in a small, semi-Maghribl hand in
different coloured inks; gold illuminated headings to the separate
prayers; red and green lines ruled round the text. Size of page,
10. o c.Xio.o c.; of written surface, 6.5 C.X6.5 c.
Accession no. 50,592. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.45
XIV
'ABD AL WAHHAB IBN 'ALI (TAj AD-DIN) AS-SUBKI
A concise manual on the Bases of Canon Law (Fi 'usul al-fiqti)
with a commentary. The author of neither is given nor any
title, but the book is evidently the Jam 1 al-jawdmi' fi-l-ustil
("Collecting of collectors on the Bases") by Taj ad-Din Abu
Nasr <Abd al-Wahhab b. 'Abd al-Kafl as-Subkl ash-ShafVi
' Fliigel's ed., iii., 195, 596. See also my article on Djafr to be published in the
Leyden Encyclopedia of Islam.
8 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
(A. H. 728-771, i.e. A. D. 1328-1369) which he completed in
A. H. 760 (i.e. A. D. 1359). The commentator is Jalal ad-Dm
al-Mahalll ash-Shafi'I (died A. H. 864, i.e. A. D. 1460) who com-
pleted the rough copy of his work in the month Sha'ban A. H.
827 (i.e. July, 1424).
Written in one hand throughout, the original treatise in red,
the commentary in black, in a small, modified Maghrib! char-
acter. The only information as to date, etc., is a colophon:
"Its rough copy was finished on the night of [i.e. preceding] the
nth of Sha'ban of the year [?827]. 3 And the reading of it was
finished on the 2oth of [the month] Jumada II., of the year 42.
This is the last of what is found in the hand of the commentator." 4
Size of page, 19.0 c.XiS-o c.; of written surface, 14.0 c.
Xg.o c.
Note: The above information as to the original treatise and the com-
mentary is extracted from Ahlwardt (Konigl. Bibliothek zu Berlin. Arabische
Handschriften, iv., 24-27, nos. 4400 and 4403). For the author, see Brockel-
mann, ii., 89, no. i c.
Accession no. 23,867. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49-5
XV
PTOLEMY, CLAUDIUS
The Almagest of Claudius Ptolemaeus as edited in an Arabic
abbreviated version by Nasir ad-Din at-Tusi and called Tahrir
al-Mijisti. The basis is the Arabic version from the Greek, or
an intermediate Syriac form, by Ishaq ibn Hunayn as corrected
by Thabit ibn Qurra.
Written in a fine hand in black and red; the figures are well
drawn, mostly in red. The constellations are the conventional
pictures, illuminated and coloured. The Ms. consists of 220
leaves of fine glazed paper. It has no title and at-Tusl's name
has been omitted from the preface and the date of his composing
the work from the epilogue. In the latter place, the scribe of
the present Ms. has inserted instead his own name and the date
of transcription. The date is clear, the end of the month Safar
A. H. 1077 (Safar began A. D. Aug. 3d, 1666). The name, how-
3 Probably 827; the scribe was not sure whether it was seven or nine, which
when without diacritical dots are almost alike in Arabic. 820 is certain.
4 Ahlwardt evidently found a similar note in his Ms.
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 9
ever, is uncertain. It may be "Muhammad Shafi* (or Sha'I'),
son of the well known Hakim Farbadfl"( ?). There is an elabo-
rate series of marginal annotations, often rivalling the text in
length, by a certain Abkar Fikra (?s jCs vUot) concerning whom
I know nothing. Size of page, 16.0 c.Xii-S c.; of written
surface, 12.0 c.X 5.0 c.; but above, below, and to outside mar-
gin of that is ruled off a space 2 . 5 c., broad for the commentary.
Soft oriental leather binding, enclosed in a European leather
slip-case, the latter having binder's title: Ptolemaeus | Con-
structio | Mathematica.
Note: Cf. the description by Ahlwardt of another Ms. of the same
work (Kgl. Bib. zu Berlin, Arabische Handschriften, v., 143 ff., no 5655).
For the two translators, see Brockelmann, i., 206, 217; for at-Tusi, see ibid.,
i., 508 ff; this work is no. 39 on page 511. See also an elaborate treatment
by Steinschneider in the Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlandischen Gesell-
schaft, L., 200 ff., and especially page 205. Also H. Suter, Die Mathema-
tiker u. Astronomen der Araber u. ihre Werke, p. 152.
Edward E. Ayer Collection.
XVI
Proverbes arabes. Twenty-five Arabic proverbs, each written
on a single page with French translation on the page
opposite.
Written in a European hand on vellum with thin paper inter-
leaved between the written surfaces; ornaments in gold and
black. The frontispiece, an oriental figure holding out a scroll,
is signed Vautthier.
European morocco binding with watered silk end-pieces.
Accession no. 23,879. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.6
XVII
'ABD AR-RAHMAN IBN ABI BAKR QALAL AD-DIN) AS-SUYUTI.
A Ms. containing several treatises principally by as-Suyutl. 5
(i) A tractate by Suyuti on "The causes of Tradition" (Fi
asbdb al-hadlth}. I have not found it elsewhere, but it might
appear under different titles, and Suyutl's smaller compends are
almost innumerable.
Written in an ugly Maghrib! hand. No date. Twenty-four
s For as-Suyutl see Brockelmann, ii., 143-158.
10 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
pages. Size of page, 22.5 c.Xiy.2 c., the writing practically
filling it.
(2) Suyutfs eschatological work, "The Book of the shining
full-moons on the affairs of the world to come" (Kitdb al-budur
as-sdfirafi 'umur al-'dkhira). 6
Written in a clear Maghrib! book-hand with rubrics. The
ink has greatly corroded the paper. The copyist names himself
Idrls b. 'All b. 'Abd al-Qadir al-Qadirl al-Hasam; he finished
his transcript on Friday, the 28th of Jumada II., A. H. 1096
(i.e. June 2d, 1685). Judging from the direction of the worm-
holes, the gatherings were once very loose and some of the sheets
may easily have dropped out. Size of page, as in (i); of
written surface, 16.5 c.Xii-4 c.
There follow several blank pages with two and one-half pages
of eschatological traditions scrawled in. Then comes
(3) "The thousand line poem on the Life of the Prophet"
(Al-alfiya fi-s-siyar) by Abu-1-Fadl 'Abd ar-Rahim b. al-
Husayn al-'Iraqi. 7
Written apparently in the same hand as (2) above; rubri-
cated, and, once or twice, green and yellow ink used. Vocalized.
Nearly in the middle is a conventionalized representation of the
Prophet's sandal. Date of transcription at end given only as
"year io96"(?) (i.e. 1684-5).
(4) Suyutfs "Tractate on traditions handed down by an
uninterrupted chain of transmitters" (Risdla fi-l-'ahddith al-
musalsaldt} . 8
Written in the same hand apparently as (i) above. No date.
Eight and one-half pages.
There follow several blank pages with scribblings.
The four pieces are all bound together in a modern occidental
binding,
Accession no. 23,848. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 49.65
* See Brockelmann, ii., 146, no. 31.
7 See Brockelmann, ii., 65 f.; this is no. 2 on page 66.
8 See Brockelmann, ii., 147, no. 49.
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS H
XVIII
ABU BAKR 'Aso AL-QAHIR AL-JURJANI (d. A. H. 471, i.e. A. D.
1078).
Al-'awamil ("The governors," i.e. grammatical), otherwise
called Mi 1 at l dmil ("A hundred governors").
Written in black and red in the book-hand used for Arabic
works in India and Persia; vocalized; a great wealth of glosses
between the lines. On F? za come the title in a very short form
('Awdmil), some scribblings of traditions as to who shall enter
Paradise, and some Chinese characters. Ff. ib-2b have an
extract from the early part of the book and some further scrib-
blings in Arabic and Chinese. F? 3a has what looks like a title
in Chinese. Then F? 3b-i3a give the book entire, preceded by
the regular formula "In the name of Allah, the merciful Com-
passionator," first in Arabic and then in Persian. The remain-
ing leaves have various scribblings the title of the book repeated
again and again, grammatical formulae, a verse or two from the
Qur'dn, all quite purposeless. On F? i3a the transcriber asks
of Allah forgiveness for himself, his parents, his teacher and
whomsoever may read the book or even look into it, but does
not give his name or the place or date of writing. Size of page,
36.0 C.X23-5 c.; of written surface, 22.5 c.Xi4.o c.
Unbound.
Note: This is a very common short treatise on Arabic syntax, especially
popular among Indians, Persians and Turks. On it and the author see
Brockelmann, i., 287 f.
East Asiatic Collection.
XIX
ABU-L-FATH NASIR AL-MUTARRIZ! (d. A. H. 610, i.e. A. D. 1213).
Al-misbdh fi-n-nahw ("The lamp in syntax").
Written in black and red in the same type of script as No.
XVIII.; vocalized, except the last six pages; a few interlinear
glosses. On F? la come the title in a very short form (Misbdh)
and a couple of Chinese characters partly effaced. On F? 2a
are same characters as on F? 3a of No. XVIII. The work
begins on F? 2b with the same regular introductory formula,
"In the name," etc., in Arabic and Persian. The Misbdh follows
and extends to the end of the MS. No name of scribe or place
12 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
or date of transcription. Size of page and of written surface
practically the same as in No. XVIII.
Unbound.
Note: This is a fuller treatise on Arabic syntax based on the works of
c Abd al-Qahir and equally popular in India, Persia and Turkey. See
Brockelmann, i., 293 f.
East Asiatic Collection.
XX
A Persian treatise, without title or author's name, on Arabic
accidence (sarf). It is evidently the Sarf-i-Mir of al-Jurjam, the
author of the 'Awdmil (No. XVIII.). See Pertsch, Persische
Handschriften der konigl. Bibliothek zu Berlin, p. 181, no. 108,
and Rieu's Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the British
Museum, ii., no. 522*.
Written in black and red and on evidently Chinese paper in
the same type of script as in Nos. XVIII. and XIX; partially
vocalized; a great many Arabic interlinear and marginal glosses.
It is divided into twelve sections (babs) and begins abruptly
after "In the name," etc., in Arabic and Persian. It ends
abruptly without name of scribe or place or date of transcription.
Size of page, about 31 . 5 c.X 21 . o c. ; of written surface, 16 . o c.
Xn.oc.
Unbound and in poor condition.
East Asiatic Collection.
XXI
A medical treatise in Turkish by Naday, commonly known
as Qaisun Zada, who was body-physician to Sahib Giray Khan I.,
of Crimea, and to Sultan Sulayman I. 9 The title is Manaft
an-nds ("Advantages of Mankind"). There is prefixed a poem
addressed to Sulayman I., and a short autobiography is added.
The treatise itself is divided into sixty sections according to the
cases and their remedies.
Written in a good, clear naskhi hand on different coloured
papers, and rubricated. The copyist calls himself Yiisuf the
9 See Lane-Poole's Mohammedan Dynasties, pp. 195, 236.
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 13
Scribe and gives date of completing as the latter part of Rajab,
A. H. 1076 (i.e. Jan.-Feb., 1666). I0 Size of page, 2O.25C.X
14.50 c.; of written surface, 15.0 c.XS-75 c.
Oriental leather binding with flap.
Note: Mr. Ananikian, of the Seminary Library, examined this Ms.
for me. D. B. M.
Accession no. 23,881. From the Henry Probasco Collection.
MS 37.
10 Cf. Pertsch: Turkische Handschriften der herzogl. Bibliothek zu Gotha, p. 94.
14 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
NOTE
No. XXII was not seen by Professor Macdonald. The ensuing descrip-
tion has been compiled from secondary sources, but it is sufficient probably
to establish the identity of the work.
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 15
XXII
A Turkish manuscript entitled ( ?) Tarikh el-Hind el-gharbi,
("Description of the Indies of the West"). Attributed to
Mustafe ibn 'Abdullah, called Katib Chelebl or Hajjl Khalifa,
(c. 1600-1658).
Written on a yellowish glazed paper, it consists of 114 leaves
including the maps and illustrations. Black and gold lines
enclose the text. Size of page, 24 . 8 c.X 15 . 8 c. ; of written sur-
face, 18.0 c.XS-3 c.
Bound in a modern binding of dark brown morocco, with
the sides of an earlier binding of dark brown calf preserved, and
a stamped medallion in the centre. Enclosed in a levant
morocco case.
Edward E. Ayer Collection.
Note: This manuscript was purchased by Mr. Ayer from Dr. Cyrus
Adler. It was accompanied by a typewritten description which is herewith
given in full as follows:
TURKISH ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
A MANUSCRIPT WITH TWO MAPS OF AMERICA AND ILLUSTRATIONS
The book is divided into three parts treating I, of the physical consti-
tution of the Universe; II, of the Atlantic Ocean; III, of the discovery of
America.
The following is the account of Columbus and his work with which the
third section of the book opens.
Those who describe the New World open their subject in this way:
An individual of the name of Christopher Columbus came to light in a
village of the county of Genoa. This made endless journeys by land and
sea. He became familiar with the Sea of Roum and famous in making
charts and writing treaties. Then with the design of visiting India and the
islands of the Southern Seas, he journeyed to the farthest point of Morocco
and took up his residence in an island named Maderia beyond the Straits,
which belongs to Portugal of evil destiny.
It happened that a ship chanced to that island which had suffered so
greatly from the violence of the seas that only two men besides the captain
remained, and they also died on reaching the island, so that the Captain
alone was left alive. Columbus pitied and took to his house and cared for
and entertained him many days and asked him of his adventures. The
Captain said, "We went for trade along the coast of Morocco and sailed
from home with this sort of weather. Suddenly an adverse wind arose and
took the reins of control from our hands and drove us into the expanse of
the great Ocean. We yielded to Fate and falling before the wind went on
for some time, and during our voyage we passed many islands and coasts.
Happily at the end the wind became favorable and we turned our ship in
16 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
this direction. But the violence of the terrible sea sent most of my men
into the abyss of destruction, and you see that I am broken up by the
buffettings of the sea." And truly the Captain remained alive a day or two,
and then he went too.
But this story so full of suggestion had an increasing effect on the soul
of Columbus. The longer he thought the more notions filled his head, and
he fell into the desire to go to those strange countries and win a name.
Although he had plenty of determination to devote to opening those coun-
tries, in the perversity of Fortune, for the ships required, he lacked the
needed monies. He asked aid from the king of Portugal but was told that
no inhabited land existed in that region and that his plan was crude and
foolish. But what is predestined, is; and Columbus was not in the least
daunted by his failures. Finally he went to Aragon with the purpose of
applying to the ruler of Spain and forced his way into the court of the
greatest of Giaours who was then the ruler, at once winning the ruler's
heart entirely by setting forth his wish. In answer to the same, this Giaour
without shame, said that war with the Muslims had now continued steadily
for 800 years, and now only the city of Grenada remained to them in
Andalusia. It was his purpose to go straight with small and great to seize
that city and fix himself solidly in the land. He added that if he should
attain to his wish, Columbus should also attain to his desire. Upon this
he called out his evil-minded troops and attained to his purpose at Grenada.
A thousand pities that the Muslim Emirs with bad plans and quarrels and
divisions and oppositions among themselves let several hundred thousand
Muslims, and men great in learning and noble in piety become a prey to
the vile infidels. When the Giaour returned from this evil expedition he
was met by Columbus, and proved true to his promise and gave him 6,000
pieces of gold and gave into his evil hand an order to all wherever he should
go to aid and not hinder his undertaking, on condition that of the goods
obtained on the expedition one-tenth should go to Columbus and the rest
to the Treasury. Columbus took his money and his order and went to
Palos where he prepared three ships and put forty men in each. Then he
loaded them with weapons and material and food and wine, and with
merchandise and with fine clothes and satins of various colors. Then in
the year A. D. 1492 he sailed from the port of Cadiz and passing through
the Straits of Gibraltar entered upon the great Western Ocean and was
carried by a favoring wind to the Canary Islands. After resting at the
pleasant islands a short time, he completed his supplies, and opening his
sails to a favoring wind he struck out for the West, holding a course twenty
degrees above the Tropic of Cancer. Keeping always the height of the sun
by means of his Quadrant Astrolabe. After going on in this way for 22
days they had made exactly 3,800 miles from the Canaries and his people
had many times regretted the voyage and demanded to return. Then
suddenly they came upon an uninhabited island which was full of shade
trees and flowing springs. This brought some comfort to their souls and
they went on six days more and saw six more islands of which two were
larger than the others. The largest of these two they called Hispaniola
and the other Giniva. Passing these they went 800 miles more with the
wind blowing to S.W. and came to a coast which they followed several days
ARABIC AND TURKISH MANUSCRIPTS 17
and found it was not an island. Then encountering an adverse wind toward
the North, they went back to Hispaniola. There while attempting to land
they struck one of the ships on a rock and knocked a hole in it. After
having transferred its lading by boats to the remaining ships, they fitted
up a boat and went ashore. There they saw people running away from
them. They pursued them and caught a woman whom they brought to
Columbus. Columbus treated her with great courtesy, feasted her and
gave her presents and sent her away, explaining to her by signs that she
should ask her people to come to that place, telling them "These people
will not harm you." When the woman informed her people, and showed
her presents and trinkets, a number of the islanders entered into relation
with the people from the ships, bringing to the shore gold and silver and
fruits and bread, and various kinds of birds and beasts, and began to barter
for such things as they wished; showing such liking for little things like
beads, needles and earrings, all of which they gladly bought for good weight
in gold. This sort of barter continued for several days. Then the Chief
of the island, called a Cacique by the people, heard of the event and came
with his people bringing presents to Columbus of the produce of the island,
and was soon on very good terms with the Spaniards. The two peoples
could not understand each other's language but they were able to transact
all kinds of business by signs. Columbus then asked permission of the
Cacique to build a fort in the island and leave some men there that they
might learn the language and so facilitate intercourse. This the Cacique
agreed to and aided with his people in building the fort. Columbus left
thirty-eight of his men in the fort, telling them to treat the people of the
island well. He then loaded his two ships with the produce of the island
and taking with him ten of the people of the island, he turned toward Spain
and reached Palos just one year after he sailed.
The account of the death of Columbus reveals the author's animosity
against those whom he considers unbelievers. " In 1 506," he says " Colum-
bus after having returned to Spain, swallowed the wine of death, forgot the
society of this world, and lost the ship of his body in the ocean of rebellion
against God, furling the sails of his life with hopelessly wistful and vainly
remorseful hands."
The only maritime powers of the west mentioned are Spam and
Portugal.
The portions of the New World known are the regions about the Gulf
of Mexico, Peru and the Straits of Magellan.
On folio 386 the author alludes to the Turkish Admiral Khair-ed-din
Barbarosa as having recently died. His death took place in 956 of the
Hegira. The latest historical notices contained are the nominations of
Mendoza as Viceroy of Peru and of Velasco as Viceroy of Mexico or New
Spain. These took place in 1551.
The manuscript is dated in the year " 77." From the above notices it has
been inferred that the date should be 977 of the Hegira i.e. 1569-1571 A. D.
It has been thought that the work was written by Katib Chelebi other-
wise known as Hadji-Khalfa but this seems unlikely; indeed if the date is
correct it would be impossible. An inferior manuscript is in the possession
of the American Oriental Society.
i8 THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The work was printed in Constantinople in 1730 and is one of the
incunabula of the Ottoman Press. A copy of the printed work exists in
the Library of the school of living oriental languages at Paris, and another
copy is found in the Hodgson collection now deposited in the U. S. National
Museum, Washington." The Paris copy was known to Harrisse and was
discussed by him in the Centralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen Vol. V., 1888, pp.
133-138.
Collected by Dr. Cyrus Adler, Constantinople, 1891.
MAPS AND DIAGRAMS
f. 6, Diagram of the Equator and the Poles, f. n, Diagram of the
Zones, f. 34, Map of the old world according to another, f. 37, Map of
the new world according to another. End Maps of the two worlds according
to some.
ILLUSTRATIONS
I (f. 17). The wak wak tree which bears women for its fruit. Found
on an island in the Bay of Bengal. II (f. 45). Sea Cow found in the West
Indies. III. The Cows of Darwin (f. 55) probably the tapir. IV. The
man fish found at Tobago (f. 57). V. The birds of the Moluccas, whose
flesh is supposed to have medicinal value, on clove and cinnamon trees
(f. 62). VI. The duck bill, the black swan, and a huge pelican (f. 65 op.)
which "swallows three boys at a gulp." VII. The cochineal cactus (f. 73).
VIII. The wild ox and deer of America (f. 86 op). IX. The town of
Potosi and its silver mountain (f. 93). X. The Jaguar, the Ant Bear, and
a curious beast that has a saddle as part of its body (f. 101 op). XI. The
Sloth standing on a stump and an opossum with its young (f. 102). XII.
The Cocoa tree (f. 104) "cures nearly all diseases." XIII. Specimen trees
of the New World (f. 106).
11 A copy of this edition is also in the Edward E. Ayer collection in The New-
berry Library.
University of California
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