can I venture to return to Moussoul? All that I can say to my
father, will never persuade him that I am innocent.’ Three days
after this accident befel me, I saw, with the utmost astonishment, a
number of the attendants of the police officer come into my house,
attended by my landlord and the merchant, who had falsely accused me
of having stolen the necklace from him. I asked them what they
wanted; but instead of replying, they bound me with cords, and
poured forth the most abusive language, telling me, that the
necklace belonged to the governor of Damascus, who had lost it about
three years before; and that at the same time one of his daughters
had disappeared. Judge of the state I was in at this intelligence; I
however determined how to act. ‘I will tell the truth,’ thought
I; ‘the governor shall decide, whether he will pardon me, or
commit me for execution.’
“When I was conducted before him, I observed, that he looked on me
with an eye of compassion, which I conceived to be a favourable
omen. He ordered me to be unbound, and then addressing the merchant,
who was my accuser, and the landlord of my house, ‘Is that,’
said he to them, ‘the young man who offered for sale the pearl
necklace?’ They immediately answered that I was. When he added,
‘I am convinced, that he did not steal the necklace; and I am very
much surprised, that such injustice should have been practised on
him.’ Encouraged by this speech, ‘My lord,’ I cried, ‘I
swear to you that I am innocent. I am persuaded also, that the
necklace did not ever belong to my accuser, whom I never saw before,
and whose horrible perfidy is the cause of the disagreeable
treatment I have met with. It is true that I confessed the theft;
but I made this avowal against my conscience, urged by the torments
I was made to suffer, and for a reason which I am ready to relate,
if you will have the goodness to listen to me.’--‘I know enough
already,’ replied the governor, ‘to be able to render you
immediately part of the justice which is your due. Let the false
accuser be taken from hence,’ continued he, ‘and let him undergo
the same punishment which he caused to be inflicted on this young
man, whose innocence is well known to me.’
“The order of the governor was instantly put in execution. The
merchant was led out, and punished as he deserved. After which the
governor, having desired all who were present to withdraw, thus
addressed me: ‘My son, relate to me, without fear, in what manner
this necklace fell into your hands, and disguise nothing from me.’
I then discovered to him all that had happened; and owned, that I
preferred passing for a thief to revealing this tragical adventure.
‘Great God,’ exclaimed the governor, as soon as I had done
speaking, ‘thy judgments are incomprehensible, and we must submit
without murmuring: I receive, with entire submission, the blow which
thou hast been pleased to strike.’ Then addressing himself to me,
‘My son,’ added he, ‘having heard the account of your
misfortune, for which I am extremely sorry, I will now relate mine.
Know, then, that I am the father of the two ladies you have been
speaking of.
“‘The first lady, who had the effrontery to seek you, even in
your own house, was the eldest of all my daughters. I had married
her, at Cairo, to her cousin, the son of my brother. Her husband
died, and she returned here, corrupted by a thousand vices, which
she had learnt in Egypt. Before her arrival, the youngest, who died
in so deplorable a manner in your arms, was very prudent, and had
never given me any reason to complain of her morals. Her eldest
sister formed a very close friendship with her, and by insensible
degrees rendered her as wicked as herself.
“‘The day following that on which the youngest died, as I did
not see her when I sat down to table, I inquired for her of the
eldest, who had returned home; but instead of making any reply she
began to weep so bitterly, that I conceived an unlucky presage. I
pressed her to inform me of what I wished to know.
“‘Father,’ replied she, sobbing, ‘I can tell you nothing
more than that my sister yesterday put on her best dress, and her
beautiful pearl necklace, and went out; since which she has not
appeared.’ I had my daughter searched for over the city, but could
learn no tidings of her unhappy fate. In the mean time my eldest
daughter, who no doubt began to repent of her jealous fit, did not
cease weeping and bewailing the death of her sister: she even
deprived herself of all kinds of nourishment, and by that means put
a period to her existence.
“‘This alas!’ continued the governor, ‘is the condition of
man. These are the evils to which he is exposed. But, my son, as we
are both equally unfortunate, let us unite our sorrows, and never
abandon each other. I will bestow my third daughter on you in
marriage: she is younger than her sisters, and does not at all
resemble them in her conduct. She is even more beautiful than they
were, and I can assure you, that she is of a disposition to make you
happy. My house shall be your home, and after my death you and she
will be my only heirs.’--‘My lord,’ said I, ‘I am quite
confused by your kindness, and shall never be able to testify my
gratitude.’--‘Enough,’ interrupted he, ‘let us not waste
time in useless conversation.’ Saying this, he had some witnesses
called, and I married his daughter without any farther ceremony.
“He was not satisfied with punishing the merchant who had falsely
accused me; he also confiscated all his property, which was very
considerable, to my use. In short, as you come now from the
governor, you may have observed in what high estimation he holds me.
I must add too, that a man, who was sent expressly by my uncles to
seek me in Egypt, having discovered, in passing through this city,
that I resided here, yesterday gave me letters from them. They
inform me of the death of my father, and invite me to go to Moussoul
to take possession of his inheritance; but as my alliance and
friendship with the governor attach me to him, and do not suffer me
to think of quitting him, I have sent back the express, empowering
my uncles legally to transfer all that belongs to me. After what you
have heard I trust you will pardon me the incivility I have been
guilty of, during my illness, of presenting you my left hand instead
of my right.’
“This,” said the Jewish physician to the sultan of Casgar, “is
what the young man of Moussoul related to me. I remained at Damascus
as long as the governor lived; after his death, as I was in the
prime of my life, I had the curiosity to travel. I traversed all
Persia, and went into India; at last I came to establish myself in
your capital, where I exercise, with credit to myself, the
profession of physician.”
The sultan of Casgar thought this story entertaining; “I
confess,” said he to the Jew, “what thou hast been relating is
extraordinary; but to speak frankly, the story of the hunchback is
still more so, and much more comical; so do not flatter thyself with
the hope of being reprieved any more than the others; I shall have
you all four hanged.”--“A moment’s grace, Sire,” cried the
tailor, advancing, and prostrating himself at the feet of the
sultan; since your majesty likes pleasant stories, that which I
shall tell you, will not, I think, displease you.”--“I will
listen to thee also,” replied the sultan, “but do not entertain
any hopes that I shall suffer thee to live, unless thou canst
recount some adventure more diverting than that of the hunchback.”
The tailor then, as if he had been sure of his business, boldly
began his recital in these words:
THE STORY
TOLD BY THE TAILOR.
A tradesman, Sire, of this city, did me the honor, two days since,
of inviting me to an entertainment, which he gave yesterday morning
to his friends: I repaired to his house at an early hour, and found
about twenty people assembled.
We were waiting for the master of the house, who was gone out on
some sudden business, when we saw him arrive, accompanied by a young
stranger very neatly dressed, and of a good figure, but lame. We all
rose, and to do honor to the master of the house, we begged the
young man to sit with us on the sofa. He was just going to sit down,
when perceiving a barber, who was one of the company, he abruptly
stepped back; and was going away. The master of the house, surprised
at this, stopped him. “Where are you going?” said he, “I bring
you here to do me the honor of being present at an entertainment I
am going to give my friends, and you are scarcely entered before you
want to go away!”--“In the name of God, sir,” replied the
stranger, “I entreat you not to detain me, but suffer me to
depart. I cannot behold without horror that abominable barber, who
is sitting there; although he is born in a country where the
complexion of the people is white, yet he bears the colour of an
Ethiopian; but his mind is of a still deeper and more horrible die
than his visage.”
We were all very much surprised at this speech, and began to
conceive a very bad opinion of the barber, without knowing whether
the young stranger had any just reason for speaking of him in such
terms. We even went so far as to declare that we would not suffer at
our table a man of whom we had heard so shocking a character. The
master of the house begged the stranger to acquaint us with the
occasion of his hatred to the barber. “Gentlemen,” said the
young man, “you must know, that this barber was the cause of my
being lame; and also of the most cruel affair, which befel me, that
you can possibly conceive; for this reason I have made a vow to quit
instantly any place where he may be; and even not to reside in any
town where he lives: for this reason I left Bagdad, where he was,
and undertook so long a journey to come and settle myself in this
city, where, being in the centre of Great Tartary, I flattered
myself I should be secure of never beholding him again. However,
contrary to my hopes and expectations, I find him here; this obliges
me, gentlemen, to deprive myself of the honor of partaking of your
feast. I will this day leave your city, and go to hide myself, if I
can, in some place where he can never again offend my sight.” In
saying this, he was going to leave us, but the master of the house
still detained him, and entreated him to relate to us the cause of
the aversion he had against the barber, who all this time kept his
eyes fixed on the ground, and was silent. We joined our entreaties
to those of the master of the house, and at last the young man,
yielding to our wishes, seated himself on the sofa, and began his
history in these words; having first turned his back towards the
barber, lest he should see him.
“My father, who lived in Bagdad, was of a rank to aspire to the
highest offices of state; but he preferred leading a quiet and
tranquil life to all the honors he might deserve. I was his only
child, and when he died, I had completed my education, and was of an
age to dispose of the large possessions he had bequeathed me. I did
not dissipate them in folly, but made such use of them as procured
me the esteem of every one.
“I had not yet felt any tender passion, and far from being at all
sensible to love, I will confess, perhaps to my shame, that I
carefully avoided the society of women. One day, as I was walking in
a street I saw a great number of ladies coming towards me; in order
to avoid them, I turned into a little street that was before me, and
sat down on a bench that was placed near a door. I was opposite to a
window, where there was a number of very fine flowers, and my eyes
were fixed on them, when the window opened and a lady appeared,
whose beauty dazzled me. She cast her eyes on me, and watering the
flowers, with a hand whiter than alabaster, she looked at me with a
smile, which inspired me with as much love for her as I had hitherto
had aversion towards the rest of her sex. After having watered her
flowers, and bestowed on me another look full of charms, which
completed the conquest of my heart, she shut the window, and left me
in a state of pain and uncertainty which I cannot describe.
“I should have remained thus a considerable time, had not the
noise I heard in the street brought me to my senses again. I turned
my head as I got up, and saw, that it was one of the first cadis of
the city, mounted on a mule, and accompanied by five or six of his
people: he alighted at the door of the house where the young lady
had opened the window, and went in, which made me suppose he was her
father.
“I returned home in a state very different from that in which I
had left it: agitated by a passion so much the more violent from its
being the first attack. I went to bed with a raging fever, which
caused great affliction in my household. My relations, who loved me,
alarmed by so sudden an indisposition, came quickly to see me, and
importuned me to acquaint them of the cause, but I was very careful
to keep it secret. My silence increased their alarms, nor could the
physicians dissipate their fears for my safety, because they knew
nothing of my disease, which was only increased by the medicines
they administered.
“My relations began to despair of my life, when an old lady of
their acquaintance, being informed of my illness, arrived; she
considered me with a great deal of attention, and after she had
thoroughly examined me, she discovered, I know not by what chance,
the cause of my disorder. She took them aside, and begged them to
leave her alone with me, and to order my people to retire.
“The room being cleared, she seated herself near my pillow. ‘My
son,’ said she, ‘you have hitherto persisted in concealing the
cause of your illness; nor do I require you to confess it; I have
sufficient experience to penetrate into this secret, and I am sure
you will not disown what I am going to declare. It is love which
occasions your indisposition. I can probably assist your cure,
provided you will tell me who is the happy lady that has been able
to wound a heart so insensible as yours; for you have the reputation
of not liking the ladies, and I have not been the last to perceive
it; however, what I foresaw is at last come to pass, and I shall be
delighted if I can be of any service in releasing you from your
pain.’
“The old lady having finished this speech, waited to hear my
answer; but although it had made a strong impression on me, I did
not dare to open my heart to her. I only turned towards her, and
uttered a deep sigh, without saying a word. ‘Is it shame,’
continued she, ‘that prevents you from speaking, or is it want of
confidence in my power to relieve you? Can you doubt the effects of
my promise? I could mention to you an infinite number of young
people of your acquaintance, who have endured the same pain that you
do; and for whom I have obtained consolation.’
“In short, the good lady said so many things to me, that at length
I broke silence, and declared to her the cause of my pain. I
acquainted her with the place where I had seen the object that had
given birth to it; and related all the circumstances of the
adventure. ‘If you succeed,’ continued I, ‘and procure me the
happiness of seeing this enchanting beauty, and of expressing to her
the passion with which I burn, you may rely on my
gratitude.’--‘My son,’ replied the old lady, ‘I know the
person you mention; she is, as you justly suppose, the daughter of
the principal cadi in this city. I am not surprised that you should
love her; she is the most beautiful, as well as most amiable lady in
Bagdad; but what grieves me is, she is very haughty, and difficult
of access. You know, that many of our officers of justice are very
exact, in making women observe the harsh laws which subject them to
so irksome a restraint; they are still more strict in their own
families, and the cadi you saw is himself alone more rigid on this
point than all the others put together. As they are continually
preaching to their daughters the enormity of the crime of showing
themselves to men, the poor things are in general so cautious of
being guilty of it, that, when necessity obliges them to walk in the
streets, they make no use of their eyes, but to guide them on their
way; I do not say, that this is absolutely the case with the
daughter of the principal cadi; yet I am much afraid of having as
great obstacles to overcome on her side, as on her father’s. Would
to Heaven you loved any other lady! I should not have so many
difficulties, as I foresee, to surmount. I will nevertheless employ
all my address; but it will require time to succeed. At any rate
take courage, and place confidence in me.’
“The old lady left me, and as I reflected with anxiety on all the
obstacles she had represented to me, the fear that she would not
succeed possessed me, and increased my disease. She returned the
following day, and I soon read in her countenance, that she had no
favourable intelligence to announce. She said, ‘My son, I was not
mistaken; I have more to surmount than merely the vigilance of a
father; you love an insensible object, who delights in letting those
burn with unrequited passion, who suffer themselves to be charmed
with her beauty; she will not allow them the least relief; she
listened to me with pleasure, whilst I talked to her only of the
pain she made you suffer; but no sooner did I open my mouth, to
persuade her to allow you an interview, than she cast an angry look
at me, and said, ‘You are very insolent to attempt to make such a
proposition; and I desire you will never see me more, if it be only
to hold such conversations as this!
“‘But let not that afflict you,’ continued the old lady, ‘I
am not easily discouraged, and provided you do not lose your
patience, I hope at last to accomplish my design.’ Not to protract
my narration (said the young man) I will only say, that this good
messenger made several fruitless attempts in my favor, with the
haughty enemy of my peace. The vexation I endured, increased my
disorder to such a degree, that the physicians gave me over. I was,
therefore, considered as a man who was at the point at death, when
the old lady came to give me new life.
“That no one might hear her, she whispered in my ear; ‘Think of
the present you will make me for the good news I bring you.’ These
words produced a wonderful effect; I raised myself in my bed, and
replied with transport, ‘The present will not be deficient; what
have you to tell me?’--‘My dear sir,’ resumed she, ‘you will
not die this time, and I shall soon have the pleasure of seeing you
in perfect health, and well satisfied with me; yesterday being
Monday, I went to the lady you are in love with, and found her in
very good humour; I at first put on a mournful countenance, uttered
an abundance of sighs, and shed some tears. ‘My good mother,’
said she, ‘what is the matter? Why are you in such
affliction?’--‘Alas! my dear and honorable lady,’ replied I,
‘I am just come from the young gentleman I spoke to you of the
other day; it is all over with him; he is at the point of death, and
all for love of you; it is a great pity, I assure you, and you are
very cruel.’--‘I do not know,’ said she, ‘why you should
accuse me of being the cause of his death: how can I have
contributed to his illness?’--‘How?’ replied I, ‘did I not
tell you, that he seated himself before your window, just as you
opened it to water your flowers? He beheld this prodigy of beauty,
these charms, which your mirror reflects every day; from that moment
he has languished for you, and his disease is so augmented, that he
is now reduced to the pitiable state I have had the honor of
describing to you. You may remember, madam,’ continued I, ‘how
rigorously you treated me lately, when I was going to tell you of
his illness, and propose to you a method of relieving him from his
dangerous condition; I returned to him after I left you, and he no
sooner perceived, from my countenance, that I did not bring a
favorable account, than his malady redoubled its violence. From that
time, madam, he has been in the most imminent danger of death; and I
do not know, whether you could now save his life, even if you were
inclined to take pity on him.’
“‘This was what I said to her,’ added the old lady. ‘The
fear of your death staggered her, and I saw her face change colour.
‘Is what you say to me quite true,’ said she, ‘and does his
illness proceed only from his love of me?’--‘Ah, madam,’
replied I, ‘it is but too true: would to heaven it were
false!’--‘And do you really think,’ resumed she, ‘that the
hope of seeing and speaking to me could contribute to diminish the
peril of his situation?’--‘It very likely may,’ said I, ‘and
if you desire me, I will try this remedy.’--‘Well then,’
replied she, sighing, ‘let him hope that he may see me; but he
must not expect any other favors, unless he aspires to marry me, and
my father gives his consent!’--‘Madam,’ said I, ‘you are
very good; I will go directly to this young gentleman, and announce
to him, that he will have the pleasure of seeing and conversing with
you.’--‘I do not know,’ said she, ‘that I can fix a more
convenient time to do him this favor than on Friday next, during the
mid-day prayer. Let him observe when my father goes out to attend at
the mosque; and then let him come immediately before this house, if
he is well enough to go abroad. I shall see him arrive, from my
window, and will come down to let him in. We will converse together
while the prayer lasts, and he will retire before my father
returns.’
“‘This is Tuesday,’ continued the old lady, ‘between this
and Friday you will be sufficiently recovered to encounter this
interview.’ Whilst the good lady was talking, I felt my disorder
diminish, or rather by the time she had concluded her discourse, I
found myself quite recovered. ‘Take this,’ said I, giving her my
purse, which was quite full, ‘to you alone I owe my cure; I think
this money better employed than all I have given to the physicians,
who have done nothing but torment me during my illness.’
“The lady having left me, I found myself sufficiently strong to
get up. My relations, delighted to see me so much better,
congratulated me on my recovery, and took their leave.
“Friday morning being arrived, the old lady came whilst I was
dressing, and making choice of the handsomest dress my wardrobe
contained. ‘I do not ask you,’ said she, ‘how you find
yourself; the occupation you are engaged in sufficiently convinces
me of what I am to think; but will not you bathe before you go to
the principal cadi’s?’--‘That would take up too much time,’
replied I, ‘I shall content myself with sending for a barber to
shave my head and beard.’ I then ordered one of my slaves to seek
one who was expert in his business, as well as expeditious.
“The slave brought me this unlucky barber, who is here present.
After having saluted me, he said, ‘Sir, by your countenance you
seem to be unwell.’ I replied, that I was recovering from a very
severe illness. ‘I wish God may preserve you from all kinds of
evils,’ continued he, ‘and may his grace accompany you every
where.’--‘I hope he will grant this wish,’ said I, ‘for
which I am much obliged to you.’--‘As you are now recovering
from illness,’ resumed he, ‘I pray God that he will preserve you
in health. Now tell me what is your pleasure; I have brought my
razors and my lancets; do you wish me to shave or to bleed
you?’--‘Did I not tell you,’ returned I, ‘that I am
recovering from illness? You may suppose, then, that I did not send
for you to bleed me. Be quick and shave me, and do not lose time in
talking, for I am in a hurry, and have an appointment precisely at
noon.’