' » I
INTRODUCTIO. INTRODUCTIO.
it seems probable tb a t tbe Annals will be in some demand
in Moslem countries, we resolved to try w h e th e r we could
find types ag reeab le both to European and Oriental taste.
Our choice fell upon those employed a t Beyroot. We determined
also, according to th e judicious advice of Prof. Gildemeister,
to add to each volume a detailed tab le of tb e contents in
a modern language , and to conclude th e whole b y accurate
indexes and a glossary of notable words and expressions,
to g e th e r w ith an in tro d u c tio n , con tain in g a biography of the
a u th o r and a description of th e mss. The p rep a ra tio n of th e
te x t of tb e first p a rts of each series is now so far advanced,
th a t we hope to be able to commence p rin tin g in th e b e g
in n in g of 1878. Dr. D. H. Müller has been in tru sted with
th e difficult task, which he has ju s t completed, of collating
th e manuscripts of Constantinople, so fa r as tbese p a rts are
concerned.
Our appeal for assistance has n o t been fruitless. Shortly
a fte r tb e d istribution of the Pro sp e c tu s, Pro f. Amari sent me
a sum of 1675 lire, co n trib u ted by tb e Ita lia n Government,
by th e Academy of th e Lincei an d th e Geographical Society
a t Eome, and b y several members of th e In s titu te of Lomb
a rd y a t Milan and oth er scholars. In E n g lan d our en te rp rise
received warm support from tb e E o y a l Asiatic Society, to
whose recommendation we chiefly owe a donation of £ 100
by tb e In d ian Office, »in aid of th e pre lim in a ry expenses of
th e p u b lic a tio n ” . Shortly a fte rw a rd s Mr. A. Grote informed
me th a t His Exc e llen cy Sir Salar Ju n g of Hyd rab ad had
rem itted to him from In d ia £ 100 as his contribution towards
tb e expenses of b rin g in g out th e projected edition of Tabari.
Several scholars and promoters of science in E n g lan d and
on th e co n tin en t co n trib u ted an o th e r £ 100. The Société
Asiatique of P a ris resolved to subscribe for as many copies
as could be procured for 2000 fres., and to place th is sum
of money immediately a t our disposal. T h e German Oriental
Society voted 1500 mks., th e E o y a l Academy of Berlin 3000
mks., and His Bxcellenoy tb e Minister F a lck a t Berlin promised
a subsidy of 2000 mks. Teylers Sticbting, a t Haarlem, g ran ted
a y e a rly contribution of 200 fl. for five years, th e Eoyal
In s titu te for In d ia a t tb e Hague gave 1 0 0 fl., and tb e Curators
of th e U n iv e rsity of Leiden 1000 fl. Tbe Congress of Orienta
lists held la s t y e a r a t St. P e te rsb u rg adopted a proposal
to recommend our enterprise warmly to tb e support of tbe
Imperial Government of Eussia. Circumstances have, u n fo rtu na
te ly , prev en ted th e committee from g iv in g effect to this
resolution. We e a rn e stly hope, however, tb a t it may not sink
into oblivion, for, th o u g h we have go t sufficient means to
commence tb e impression, we are fa r from hav in g enough to
cover th e expenses of th e wbole publication. According to a
mo d e ra te computation, £ 2000 will suffice. Up to th e present
time about tb e h a lf of th is sum has been contributed.
As tb e price of th e work o u g h t no t to exceed 8 shillings
for each balf-volume of 320 pages, a considerable number of
copies must be sold to rep ay tb e cost of p rin tin g . The editors
must even deny themselves th e pleasure of sending presentation
copies to th e ir friends. Consequently we invoke once more
th e aid of all who th in k our en te rp rise entitled to th e ir
support e ith e r b y co n trib u tin g to th e T ab a ri fund, or by
subscribing for one or more copies.
My la s t word, however, must be th e expression of the
warmest th an k s of my collaborators and myself to all who
have aided us h ith e rto by th e ir invaluable advice and th e ir
generous assistance.
Duo bos libelli secuti sunt, a lte r mense Martis 1879:
The first half-volume of Tabari b eing now re ad y for distribution,
I will no t n eg le c t tb e opportunity of g iv in g some
fu rth e r information re g a rd in g th e progress of our und e rtak in g .
Various circumstances, with th e enumeration of which I will
not tire th e reader, have obliged us to postpone till th e
present time th e p rin tin g of the second and th ird series.
Henceforward tb e p rin tin g will go on reg u la rly , so th a t in