Paper. 215 x 140mm. 20 fos.

Quarter binding of black leather and marbled paper.

The original manuscript of a translation into Arabic verse of Moore's Peri and Paradise from Lalla Rookh begun by Prof. E.H. Palmer. See Walter Besant's The life and achievements of Edward Henry Palmer (London, 1883) pp.39 and 62, where it is spoken of as existing in 1863, when Palmer was only 23 years of age.

A note on the inside cover reads 'This MS I bought on Oct. 8, 1908, from Luzac, Great Russell St., London, W.C. It contains one of the late Professor E.H. Palmer's earliest attempts at Arabic composition, namely a partial translation, in mixed verse & prose, of Thomas Moore's Paradise & the Peri, made by him in 1862 at Cambridge. Presented to the Library of St John's College in grateful remembrance of the help which I received from Professor Palmer (in 1880) when I first began to study the Arabic language. Edward G. Browne, Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic, Pembroke College, Cambridge. 10.X.1908.'

Attached inside the front cover is a letter from E.G. Browne (Firwood, Trumpington Road, Cambridge) to R.F. Scott (Master of St John's), dated 11 Oct. 1908, which reads 'Here is the little MS book of the late E.H. Palmer's which I told you about yesterday, and which I hope your College will accept for the Library ... The pencil note on the margin of the title-page is also by Palmer and its meaning is "I wrote this book in the prime of my youth, at a time when I was unacquainted with the laws of Arabic Prosody, and I am now ashamed of its mistakes and would like to tear it to pieces, but I do not" ... I think you will find mention of this translation of Thomas Moore's "Peri outside Paradise" (which Palmer translates al-janna wa'l jinniyya) in Besant's Life of Palmer. This title is written in gold, and what stands beneath it means "English Poetry by Thomas Moore (may God have mercy on him) translated into Arabic verse & prose by Edward Henry Palmer. Cambridge."'

The title-page bears an architectural design in black, blue, green and red.