Lane

Lane, Edward William (1801-76), the Arabic scholar, was born at Hereford, and educated there and at Bath. He learnt engraving under Charles Heath, but had to go abroad for his health. In 1825 he first went to Egypt, and next year ascended the Nile as far as the second cataract. In 1827 he went to Wady Haifa, and spent several days at Thebes. In the intervals of his travels he lived at Cairo, studying the language and people, whose dress he always wore. On his return to England in 1828 he brought with him in MS. his Bescription of Egypt, illustrated by more than 100 sepia drawings. It was enlarged after another visit to Egypt in 1833-35, and published in 1836 by Charles Knight under the title Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. The work has been translated into German, and is still a standard authority. Between 1838 and 1840 Lane's translation of the Arabian Nights appeared in monthly parts. The notes to it were republished in 1883 under the title of Arabian Society in the Middle Ages. In 1842 Lane visited Egypt for the third time, and remained there for seven years, during which he worked from twelve to fourteen hours a, day at the composition of his Arabian Lexicon. Five volumes of it were published before his death' and it was completed in 1892 by S. Lane-Poole.