_"Ockley's History of the Saracens," and unauthentic Works._--At the end
of a late edition of Washington Irving's _Life of Mahomet_, those "who
feel inclined to peruse further details of the life of Mahomet, or to
pursue the course of Saracenic history," are referred to _Ockley_.
Students should be aware of the character of the histories they peruse.
And it appears, from a note in Hallam's _Middle Ages_ (vol. ii. p.
168.), that Wakidi, from whom Ockley translated his work, was a "mere
fabulist," as Reiske observes, in his preface to Abulfeda.
Query, Would it not be well, if some of your more learned correspondents
would communicate to students, through the medium of "NOTES AND
QUERIES," a list of such books as are genuine but not authentic; and
authentic but not genuine, or altogether spurious? or would point out
the sources from which such information can be obtained?