teingass.

Born in 1825, Dr. Steingass came to England in 1873, and after five
years as Professor of Modern Languages at Wakefield Grammar School,
Birmingham, was appointed Professor at the Oriental Institute, Woking.
Though entirely self-taught, he was master of fourteen languages. [432]
His Arabic Dictionary (1884) and his Persian English Dictionary (1892)
are well known, the latter being the best extant, but he will, after
all, be chiefly remembered by his masterly rendering of Hariri. Dr.
Steingass presently became acquainted with Burton, for whom he wrote the
article "On the Prose Rhyme and the Poetry of the Nights." [433] He
also assisted Burton with the Notes, [434] supervised the MSS. of the
Supplemental Volumes and enriched the last three with results of
his wide reading and lexicographical experience. [435] The work of
transcribing Burton's manuscript and making the copy for the press fell
to a widow lady, Mrs. Victoria Maylor, a Catholic friend of Mrs. Burton.
Mrs. Maylor copied not only The Arabian Nights, but several of Burton's
later works, including The Scented Garden.

131. Anecdotes.

When asked why he spent so much time and money on Orientalism, Arbuthnot
gave as excuse his incompetency to do anything else. He admitted,
indeed, that for the higher walks of life, such as whist and nap, he
had no aptitude. Occasionally at Upper House Court, politics were
introduced, and Arbuthnot, a staunch Liberal in a shire of Tories,
was sometimes rallied upon his opinions by the Conservative Burton
and Payne. He took it all, however, as he took everything else,
good humouredly, and even made some amiable attempts to convert his
opponents. "His Radicalism," says Mr. Payne, amusingly, "was entirely
a matter of social position and connection. He was good enough for a
Tory." As usual, Burton paid a visit to Fryston, and he occasionally
scintillated at Lord Houghton's famous Breakfasts in London. Once
the friends were the guests of a prosperous publisher, who gave them
champagne in silver goblets. "Doesn't this," said Lord Houghton, raising
a bumper to his lips, "make you feel as if you were drinking out of the
skulls of poor devil authors?" For reply Burton tapped his own forehead.

About this time an anonymous letter of Burton's appeared in The World,
but we forget upon what subject. It excited wide interest, however, and
hundreds of persons wrote to Mr. Yates, the editor, for the name of the
author.

"D