to practise that admirable science with considerable reputation, a
slave came to inquire for me; and desired me to go to the house of
the governor of the city, to visit a person who was ill. I
accordingly went; and was introduced into a chamber, where I
perceived a very well made young man, but apparently very much
depressed, from the pain he suffered; I saluted him, and went and
sat down by his side. He returned no answer to my salutation; but
expressed to me by his eyes, that he understood me, and was grateful
for my kindness. “Will you do me the favour, sir,” I said to
him, “to put out your hand, that I may feel your pulse?” When,
instead of giving me his right hand, as is the usual custom, he
presented his left to me. This astonished me very much.
“Surely,” said I to myself, “it is a mark of great ignorance
of the world, not to know, that it is the constant custom always to
present the right hand to a physician.” I nevertheless felt his
pulse, wrote a prescription, and then took my leave.
I continued to visit him successively for nine days: and every time
that I wished to feel his pulse, he still presented his left hand to
me. On the tenth day he appeared to be so much recovered, that I
told him he had no more occasion for me, or indeed for any thing
else but to go to the bath. The governor of Damascus, who was
present, in order to prove how very well he was satisfied with my
abilities and conduct, made me put on a very rich robe in his
presence, and appointed me on the spot physician to the hospital of
the city, and physician in ordinary to his house, where I might go
whenever I pleased, as there was constantly a place provided at his
table for me.
The young man also gave me many proofs of his friendship, and
requested me to accompany him to the bath. I did so; and when we
were gone in, and his slaves had undressed him, I perceived that he
had lost his right hand. I even remarked, that it had not been long
cut off; that this was in fact the cause of his disease, which he
had concealed from me; and that while the most proper applications
were used to cure his arm as quickly as possible, they only called
me in to prevent any bad consequences arising from a fever which had
come on. I was both astonished and afflicted to see him in that
condition. Nor could my countenance conceal the state of my mind.
The young man remarked it, and said to me, “Do not be surprised at
seeing me without my right hand, I will one day inform you how it
happened, and you will then hear a most wonderful and strange
adventure.”
When we came from the bath, we sat down to table, and began to
converse together. He asked me, if he might, without endangering his
health, take a walk out of the city to the garden of the governor; I
replied, that it would be very beneficial to him to go into the air.
“If so,” said he, “and you will like to accompany me, I will
there relate my history.” I told him I was at his disposal for the
rest of the day. He immediately ordered his people to prepare a
slight collation, and we set out for the garden of the governor. We
walked two or three times round the garden, and after seating
ourselves on a carpet, which his people spread under a tree, that
formed a delightful shade, the young man thus began the relation of
his history.
“I was born at Moussoul; and am of a family which is one of the
most considerable in that city. My father was the eldest of ten
children, whom my grandfather, when he died, left living and all
married. But amongst this number of brothers, my father was the only
one who had any offspring; and he had no other child besides myself.
He took great care of my education, and had me taught every thing
which a boy in my situation of life ought to be acquainted with.
“I was grown up, and began to associate with the world, when one
Friday I went to the noon-day prayers, in the great mosque of
Moussoul, with my father and my uncles. After the prayers were over,
every one retired, excepting my father and my uncles, who seated
themselves on the carpet which covered the whole floor of the
mosque. I sat down with them, and discoursing on various topics, the
conversation insensibly turned on travels. They praised the beauties
and peculiarities of some kingdoms, and of their principal towns;
but one of my uncles said, that if one might believe the account of
an infinity of travellers, there was not in the world a more
beautiful country than Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, which all
universally agreed in praising. What he related of it gave me such
vast ideas, that I from that moment formed the wish of travelling
thither. All that my other uncles could say, in giving the
preference to Bagdad and the Tigris, calling Bagdad the true abode
of the mussulman religion, and the metropolis of all the cities in
the world, did not make half so much impression on me. My father
maintained the same opinion with that brother who had spoken in
favor of Egypt, which caused me very great pleasure. ‘Let people
say what they will,’ cried he, ‘he who has not seen Egypt, has
not seen the greatest wonder in the world. The earth is all gold,
that is to say, so fertile, that it enriches the inhabitants beyond
conception. All the women enchant, either by their beauty or their
agreeable manners. If you mention the Nile, what river can be more
delightful? What water was ever so pure and delicious? The mud that
remains after its overflowings enriches the ground, which produces,
without any trouble, a thousand times more than other countries do
with all the labor that it costs to cultivate them. Hear what a
poet, who was obliged to quit Egypt, addressed to the natives of
that country: ‘Your Nile heaps riches on you every day; it is for
you alone that it travels so far; alas! at leaving you, my tears
will flow as abundantly as its waters; you will continue to enjoy
its pleasures, whilst I, contrary to my inclinations, am condemned
to deprive myself of them.’
“‘If,’ continued my father, ‘you cast your eyes on the
island, which is formed by the two largest branches of the Nile,
what a variety of verdure will gratify them! What a beautiful enamel
of all kinds of flowers! What a prodigious quantity of cities,
towns, canals, and a thousand other pleasing objects! If you turn on
the other side, looking towards Ethiopia, how many different
subjects for admiration! I can only compare the verdure of so many
meadows, watered by the various canals in the island, to the
brilliancy of emeralds set in silver. Is not Cairo the largest, the
richest, the most populous city in the universe? How magnificent the
edifices, as well private as public! If you go to the pyramids, you
are lost in astonishment! you remain speechless at the sight of
those enormous masses of stone, which lose their lofty summits in
the clouds: you are forced to confess, that the Pharaohs, who
employed so many men, and such immense riches in the construction of
them, surpassed all the monarchs who have succeeded them, not only
in Egypt, but over the whole world, in magnificence and invention,
by leaving monuments so worthy of them. These monuments, which are
so ancient, that the learned are at a loss to fix the period of
their erection, still brave the ravages of time? and will remain for
ages. I pass over in silence the maritime towns of the kingdom of
Egypt, such as Damietta, Rosetta, and Alexandria, where so many
nations traffic for various kinds of grain and stuffs, and a
thousand other things for the comfort and pleasure of mankind. I
speak of it from knowing the place; I spent some years of my youth
there, which I shall ever esteem the happiest of my life.’
“My uncles had nothing to say in reply to my father, and agreed to
all he had said about the Nile, Cairo, and the whole of the kingdom
of Egypt. As for me, my imagination was so filled with it, that I
could not sleep all night. A short time after, my uncles also
evinced how much they had been struck with my father’s discourse.
They all proposed to him to travel together into Egypt: he accepted
the proposal, and, as they were rich merchants, they resolved to
take with them such goods as they might dispose of with profit. I
heard of their preparations for the journey, and I went to my father
to entreat him, with tears in my eyes, to permit me to accompany
them, and to allow me a stock of merchandise to sell on my own
account. ‘You are too young,’ said he, ‘to undertake such a
journey; the fatigue would be too much for you; besides which, I am
persuaded you would be a loser by your bargains. This speech did not
diminish my desire of travelling; I engaged my uncles to intercede
for me with my father, and they at length obtained his permission,
that I should go as far as Damascus, where they would leave me,
whilst they continued their journey into Egypt. ‘The city of
Damascus,’ said my father, ‘has its beauties; and he must be
satisfied that I give him leave to go thus far.’ However strong my
inclination was to see Egypt after the accounts I heard, I was
obliged to relinquish the thought; for he was my father, and I
submitted to his will.
“I set off from Moussoul with my father and my uncles. We
traversed Mesopotamia, crossed the Euphrates, and arrived at Aleppo,
where we remained a few days, and from thence proceeded to Damascus,
the first appearance of which agreeably surprised me. We all lodged
in the same khan. I here saw a large and well fortified city,
populous, and inhabited by civilized people. We passed some days in
visiting those delightful gardens, which adorn the suburbs, as we
may see from this spot, and we agreed, that what was said of
Damascus was true, that it was in the midst of Paradise. After
staying some time, my uncles began to think of proceeding on their
journey, having first taken care to dispose of my merchandize, which
they did so advantageously, that I gained a profit of five per cent.
This produced a considerable sum for me, the possession of which
quite delighted me.
“My father and my uncles left me at Damascus, and continued their
journey. After their departure, I was very careful not to spend my
money in useless things. I, however, hired a magnificent house; it
was built entirely of marble, and ornamented with paintings, and
there was a garden attached, in which were some very fine mountains.
I furnished it, not indeed so expensively as the magnificence of the
place required, but at least sufficiently so for a young man of my
condition. It had formerly belonged to one of the principal grandees
of the city, named Modoun Abdaltaham, and it was then the property
of a rich jeweller, to whom I paid only two scherifs [5] a month for
the use of it. I had a numerous retinue of servants, and lived well.
I sometimes invited my acquaintance to dine with me, and
occasionally partook of entertainments at their houses; thus I
passed my time at Damascus during the absence of my father. I had no
passion to disturb my repose, and the society of agreeable people
was my only pleasure and occupation.
“One day, when I was sitting at the door of my house, enjoying the
fresh air, a lady very well dressed, and of a good figure, came
towards me, and asked me if I did not sell stuffs; and saying this,
walked into my house. When I saw she was gone in, I got up and shut
the door, and ushered her into a room, where I entreated her to be
seated. ‘Madam,’ said I, ‘I have had some stuffs, which were
worthy of being shewn to you, but I have not any at present, for
which I am extremely sorry.’ She took off the veil which concealed
her face, and discovered to my eyes a countenance, the beauty of
which made me experience sensations I had till then been a stranger
to. ‘I do not want any stuffs,’ replied she, ‘I come to see
you, and to pass the evening in your company if you do not
disapprove it; I only require a slight collation.’
“Delighted with my good fortune, I immediately gave orders for my
people to bring us several kinds of fruit, and some bottles of wine.
We were served quickly, and we eat and drank, and regaled ourselves
till midnight; in short, I had never passed a night so agreeably
before. The next morning I was going to put ten scherifs into her
hand; but she withdrew it quickly, and said, ‘I did not come to
see you from interested motives; you wound my delicacy. Far from
receiving money from you, I insist on your accepting some from me,
otherwise I will never see you more.’ At the same time she took
ten scherifs out of her purse, and forced me to accept them.
‘Expect me in three days,’ said she, ‘after the sun is set.’
She then took her leave, and I felt that she carried away my heart
with her.
“At the expiration of three days, she did not fail to return at
the appointed hour, and I received her with the joy of a man who
impatiently expected her. We passed the evening and night as we had
the former one, and the next day, when she left me, she again
promised to return in three days, but would not depart till she had
obliged me as before to take ten scherifs.
“Having returned the third time, and being both heated with wine,
she said to me, ‘My dear love, what do you think of me? Am I not
handsome and pleasing?’--‘Madam,’ replied I, ‘these
questions, I think, are very useless; all the proofs of affection I
give you, ought to convince you I love you; I am enchanted to see
and possess you; you are my queen, my sultana; you form the sole
happiness of my life.’--‘Ah!’ resumed she, ‘I am sure you
would change your tone, if you were to see a lady of my
acquaintance, who is younger and handsomer than I am; she has such
lively spirits, that she would make the most melancholy laugh. I
must bring her to you; I have spoken to her about you, and from what
I said, she is dying with impatience to see you. She begged me to
procure her this gratification, but I did not dare to comply with
her request, till I had mentioned it to you.’--‘Madam,’ said
I, ‘you will do as you please; but say what you will about your
friend, I defy all her attractions to have any power over my heart,
which is so devotedly yours, that nothing can ever alter my
attachment.’--‘Take care,’ replied she, ‘I warn you, that I
am going to put your heart to a great trial.’
“The subject was then dropped, and the following morning at her
departure, instead of ten scherifs she gave me fifteen, which she
obliged me to accept. ‘Remember,’ said she, ‘that in two days
you will have a new guest; prepare to give her a good reception; we
will come at the usual hour after sun-set.’
“I had the room ornamented, and prepared an elegant collation
against the day that they were to come; I waited for them with great
impatience, and they at length arrived towards the close of the
evening. They both unveiled; and if I had been surprised with the
beauty of the first, I had much more reason to be so with that of
her friend. She had regular features, and perfectly formed; a
glowing complexion, and eyes of such brilliancy, that I could
scarcely sustain their lustre. I thanked her for the honour she
conferred on me, and entreated her to excuse me, if I did not
receive her in the style she deserved. ‘No compliments,’ said
she, ‘I ought to bestow them on you, for having allowed me to
accompany my friend hither; but as you are so good as to suffer me
to remain, let us waive all ceremony, and think of nothing but
amusing ourselves.’
“As I had given orders for the collation to be served as soon as
the ladies arrived, we shortly sat down to table. I was opposite to
my new guest, who did not cease to look and smile at me. I could not
resist her winning glances, and she made herself mistress of my
heart without any resistance. But while inspiring me with love, she
felt the flame herself; and far from practising any restraint, she
said a number of tender things to me.
“The other lady, who observed us, at first only laughed. ‘I told
you,’ said she, addressing herself to me, ‘that you would be
charmed with my friend, and I perceive you would have already
violated the oath you made me to remain constant.’ ‘Madam,’
replied I, laughing as she had done, ‘you would have reason to
complain, if I were remiss in politeness towards a lady whom you
love, and have done me the honour to bring here; both of you would
reproach me with not knowing how to perform the honours of my
house.’
“We continued drinking, but in proportion as we became heated with
wine, the new lady and I exchanged glances with so little precaution
that her friend conceived a violent jealousy, of which she soon gave
us a fatal proof. She got up and went out, saying, that she should
soon return; but a few minutes after, the lady who had remained with
me changed countenance; she fell into strong convulsions, and
shortly after expired in my arms, whilst I was calling my servants
to assist me in relieving her. I went out immediately, and inquired
for the other lady; my people told me that she had opened the street
door, and had gone away. I then began to suspect, and nothing could
be more just than my suspicions, that she had occasioned the death
of her friend. In fact, she had had the address and the wickedness
to put a strong poison into the last cup, which she herself had
presented to her.
“I was extremely afflicted at this accident. ‘What shall I
do?’ said I to myself. ‘What will become of me?’ As I
considered that I had no time to lose, I ordered my people to raise
up, by the light of the moon, and as quietly as possible, one of the
largest pieces of marble with which the court of my house was paved,
and to dig a grave, where they interred the body of the young lady.
After the marble was replaced, I put on a travelling dress, and
taking all the money I was possessed of, I locked up every thing,
even the door of my house, on which I put my own seal; I went to the
jeweller, who was the proprietor, paid him what rent I was in his
debt, and a year in advance besides; and giving him the key, begged
him to keep it for me: ‘A very important affair,’ said I,
‘obliges me to be absent for some time; I am under the necessity
of going to my uncle’s at Cairo.’ I then took my leave of him;
instantly mounted my horse, and set off with my people, who were
waiting for me.
“I had a good journey, and arrived at Cairo without any unpleasant
interruption. I found my uncles, who were astonished to see me. I
said to them, by way of excuse, that I was tired of waiting for
them; and that, receiving no intelligence of them, my uneasiness had
induced me to undertake the journey. They received me very kindly,
and promised to intercede with my father, that he should not be
displeased at my quitting Damascus, without his permission. I lodged
in the same khan with them, and saw every thing that was worthy of
attention in Cairo.
“As they had sold all their merchandize, they talked of returning
to Moussoul, and were already beginning to make preparations for
their departure; but as I had not seen all that I wished in Egypt, I
left my uncles, and went to lodge in a quarter very distant from
their khan, and did not make my appearance till they had set off.
They sought me in the city for a considerable time; but not being
able to find me, they supposed, that, touched with remorse at coming
to Egypt against the will of my father, I had returned to Damascus
without acquainting them, and they left Cairo in the hopes of
meeting me there, where I could join them, and return home.
“I remained then at Cairo after their departure, and lived there
three years to gratify my curiosity in examining all the wonders of
Egypt. During that time I took care to send my rent to the jeweller;
always desiring him to keep my house for me, as it was my intention
to return to Damascus, and reside there for some years. I did not
meet with any adventure at Cairo, worthy of being related; but you
will, no doubt, be very much surprised to hear what befel me, on my
return to Damascus.
“When I arrived in this city, I dismounted at the jeweller’s,
who received me with joy, and would accompany me to my house, to
shew me, that no one had been in it during my absence. In fact, the
seal was still entire on the lock. I entered, and found every thing
in the state I had left it.
“In cleaning and sweeping the room where I had regaled the two
ladies, one of my servants found a golden necklace in the form of a
chain, in which, from space to space, were ten pearls very large and
perfect. He brought it me, and I knew it to be that which I had seen
on the neck of the young lady who was poisoned. I supposed that it
had got loose, and had fallen without my perceiving it. I could not
look at it without shedding tears, as it brought to my recollection
so amiable a person, whom I had seen expire in such a cruel manner.
I wrapped it up, and put it carefully in my bosom.
“I passed some days in recovering from the fatigue of my journey;
after which I began to visit those with whom I had been formerly
acquainted. I gave myself up to all kinds of pleasure, and
insensibly spent all my money. Reduced to this situation, instead of
selling my goods, I resolved to dispose of the necklace; but I was
so little acquainted with the value of pearls, that I had but bad
success, as you will hear.
“I went to the bezestein, where I called aside one of the criers,
and shewing him the necklace told him I wished to sell it, and
begged him to shew it to the principal jewellers. The crier was
surprised at seeing such an elegant ornament. ‘Ah, what a
beautiful thing!’ cried he, after having admired it for some time.
‘Our merchants have never seen any thing so rich and costly; I
shall give them great pleasure, and you need not doubt their setting
a high price on it, and bidding against each other.’ He led me
into a shop, which I found to be that of the owner of my house.
‘Wait for me here,’ said the crier, ‘I shall soon return and
bring you an answer.’
“Whilst he with great secrecy was going about to the different
merchants to shew the necklace, I seated myself near the jeweller,
who was very glad to see me; and we entered into conversation
together on various subjects. The crier returned, and taking me
aside, instead of telling me that the necklace was esteemed worth
two thousand scherifs at the least, he assured me, that no one would
give me more than fifty. ‘They tell me,’ added he, ‘that the
pearls are false; determine whether you will let it go at that
price.’ As I believed what he said, and was in want of money,
‘Go,’ said I, ‘I depend on what you say, and those who are
better acquainted with these matters than I am; deliver it, and
bring me the money directly.’
“The crier had, in fact, been sent to offer me fifty scherifs by
one of the richest jewellers in the bezestein, who had only
mentioned this price to sound me, and see if I knew the worth of
what I wanted to sell. No sooner therefore was he made acquainted
with my answer, than he took the crier with him to an officer of the
police, to whom, shewing the necklace, he said, ‘Sir, this is a
necklace that has been stolen from me, and the thief, disguised as a
merchant, has had the effrontery to offer it for sale, and is now
actually in the bezestein. He is content to receive fifty scherifs
for jewels that are worth two thousand: nothing can be a stronger
proof of his being a thief.’
“The officer of the police sent immediately to arrest me; and when
I appeared before him, he asked me if the necklace he had in his
hand was not that which I had offered for sale in the bezestein; I
replied in the affirmative. ‘And is it true,’ continued he,
‘that you would dispose of it for fifty scherifs?’ I confessed
it was. ‘Well then,’ said he, in a sneering tone, ‘let him
have the bastinado, he will soon tell us, in his fine merchant’s
dress, that he is nothing better than a rank thief; let him be
beaten till he owns it.’ The violence of the blows made me tell a
lie; I confessed, contrary to truth, that I had stolen the necklace,
and immediately the officer of police ordered my hand to be cut off.
“This occasioned a great noise in the bezestein, and I was
scarcely returned to my house, when the owner of it came to me,
‘My son,’ said he, ‘you seem to be a young man so prudent and
well educated, how is it possible, that you should have committed an
action so unworthy of yourself as that which I have just heard
related? You told me the amount of your property, and I doubt not it
was what you said. Why did not you ask me for money? I would
willingly have lent you some; but after what has passed I cannot
allow you to remain any longer in my house; resolve what you will
do; for you must seek another lodging.’ I was extremely mortified
at these words, and entreated the jeweller, with tears in my eyes,
to suffer me to stay in his house three days longer, which he
granted.