barber.) The prince very much applauded my conduct, by reiterated
fits of laughter. “This must be the reason,” he said to me,
“that they have given you, and so justly, the name of
‘Silent,’ and no one can say you do not deserve it.
Nevertheless, I have some private reasons for wishing you to leave
the town; I, therefore, order you immediately to quit the city. Go,
and never let me hear of you again.” I yielded to necessity, and
travelled for many years in distant parts. I at length was informed,
that the caliph was dead; I returned, therefore, to Bagdad, where I
did not find one of my brothers alive. It was on my return to this
city, that I rendered to this lame young man the important service
which you have been informed of. You are also witnesses of his great
ingratitude, and of the injurious manner in which he has treated me.
Instead of acknowledging his great obligations to me, he has chosen
rather to wander at a distance from his own country in order to
avoid me. As soon as I discovered that he had left Bagdad, and
although no person could give me any information of the road he had
taken, or into what country he had travelled, I did not hesitate a
moment, but instantly set out to seek him. I passed on from province
to province for a considerable length of time; and I accidentally
met him to-day at a time I least expected it. And least of all did I
expect to find him so irritated against me.
Having in this manner related the history of the lame young man and
the barber of Bagdad to the sultan of Casgar, the tailor went on as
follows:
When the barber had finished his story, we plainly perceived the
young man was not wrong in accusing him of being a great chatterer.
We nevertheless wished that he should remain with us and partake of
the feast which the master of the house had prepared for us. We then
sat down at table, and continued to enjoy ourselves till the time of
the last prayers before sun-set. All the company then separated; and
I returned to my shop, where I remained, till it was time to shut it
up, and go to my house.
It was during this interval, that the little hunchback, who was half
drunk, came before my shop; when he sat down and sung, and played on
the symbal. I thought that by taking him home with me, I should
afford some entertainment to my wife; and it was for this reason
only, that I invited him. My wife gave us a dish of fish for supper,
to which I helped the little hunchback, who immediately began to
eat, without taking sufficient care to avoid the bones, and
instantly fell down senseless before us. We tried every thing in our
power to relieve him, but without effect; and then, in order to free
ourselves from the embarrassment into which this melancholy accident
had thrown us, and the great fright it caused us, we did not
hesitate a moment to carry the body out of our house, and induce the
Jewish physician to receive it in the manner your majesty has heard.
The Jewish physician let it down into the apartment of the purveyor,
and the purveyor carried it into the street, where the merchant
thought he had killed him. This, Sire, (added the tailor,) is what I
wished to say to your majesty in my justification. It is for you to
determine, whether we are worthy of your clemency, or your anger;
whether we deserve to live or die.”
The sultan of Casgar’s countenance expressed so much satisfaction
and content, that it gave new life to the tailor and his companions.
“I cannot deny,” he said, “that I am more astonished at the
history of the lame young man, of the barber, and with the
adventures of his brothers, than at any thing in the history of my
buffoon. But before I send you all four back to your own houses, and
even before I order the burial of the little hunchback, I wish to
see this barber, who has been the cause of your pardon. And since he
is now in my capital, it will not be difficult to satisfy my
curiosity.” He immediately ordered one of his attendants to go and
find him out, and to take the tailor with him, who knew where he
most probably was.
The officer and tailor were not long absent, and brought back the
barber with them, whom they presented to the sultan. He appeared
like a man of about ninety. His beard and eyebrows were as white as
snow; his ears hung down a considerable length, and his nose was
very long. The sultan could scarcely refrain from laughter at the
sight of him. “Man of silence,” said he to the barber, “I
understand that you are acquainted with many wonderful histories, I
wish very much that you would relate one of them to
me.”--“Sire,” replied the barber, “for the present, we will,
if it please your majesty, not speak of the histories which I may
know; but I most humbly entreat you to permit me to ask one
question: and that is, for what reason this Christian, this Jew,
this mussulman, and this hunchback, whom I see extended on the
ground, are in your majesty’s presence.” The sultan smiled at
the liberty the barber took, and said, “Of what consequence can
that be to you?”--“Sire,” returned the barber, “it is of
consequence to me to make this inquiry; namely, that your majesty
may know, that I am not that great talker which some people pretend;
but a man who has very justly acquired the title of the Silent.”
The sultan of Casgar had the complaisance to satisfy the barber’s
great curiosity. He desired the adventures of the little hunchback
to be related to him, since he seemed so very anxious to hear it.
When the barber had heard the whole story, he shook his head, as if
he meant it to be understood, that he thought there was something
which he could not well comprehend. “Truly,” he exclaimed,
“This is a very wonderful history: but I should vastly like to
examine this little hunchback a little more closely.” He then went
near to him, and sat down on the ground. He took his head between
his knees, and after examining him very attentively, he suddenly
burst out into a violent fit of laughter; and with so little
restraint, that he absolutely fell backwards, without at all
considering that he was in the presence of the sultan of Casgar. He
then got up laughing heartily the whole time. “You may very well
say,” he at length cried, “that no one dies without a cause. If
ever a history deserved to be written in letters of gold, it is this
of the hunchback.”
This speech made every one look upon the barber as a buffoon; or
like an old man who had lost his senses.
“Man of silence,” said the sultan, “answer me: what is the
reason of your clamorous laughter?” “Sire,” replied the
barber, “I swear, by your majesty’s good nature, that this
hunchback fellow is not dead; there is still some life in him; and I
wish to be considered as a fool and a madman, if I do not instantly
prove it to you.” Having said this, he produced a box, in which
there were various medicines, and which he always carried about with
him, to use as occasion might require. He opened it, and taking out
a phial, containing a sort of balsam, he rubbed some of it, for a
length of time, on the neck of the hunchback. He then drew out of a
case an iron instrument suited to the purpose, with which he set
open his jaws; and by these means he was enabled to put a small pair
of pincers into the hunchback’s throat, and drew out the
fish-bone, which he held up and showed to all who were present.
Almost immediately after this the hunchback gave a sneeze, stretched
out his hands and feet, opened his eyes, and gave many other proofs
of being alive.
The sultan of Casgar, and all who were witness to this excellent
operation, were less surprised at seeing the hunchback brought to
life, although he had passed a night and almost a whole day without
the least apparent sign of animation, than they were at the merit
and skill of the barber, whom they now began to regard, in spite of
all his faults, as a very great personage. The sultan was so filled
with joy and admiration, that he ordered the history of the
hunchback, as well as that of the barber, to be instantly committed
to writing; that the knowledge of it, which so well deserved to be
preserved, might never be forgotten. He was not satisfied with this;
but in order that the tailor, the Jewish physician, the purveyor,
and the Christian merchant might ever remember with pleasure the
adventures which the accident of the hunchback had caused them, he
presented each of them with a very rich robe, which he made them put
on in his presence, before he dismissed them. And he bestowed upon
the barber a large pension; and retained him ever afterwards near
his person.
The sultana Scheherazadè thus finished this long series of
adventures, to which the supposed death of the hunchback had given
rise. She was now silent. Her sister Dinarzadè, observing, that she
had done speaking, said to her, “My dear princess, my sultana, I
am much the more delighted with the story you have just finished,
because it was brought to a conclusion by so unexpected an incident.
I really thought the little hunchback was quite dead.”--“This
surprise has also afforded me pleasure,” said Schahriar, “as
well as the adventures of the barber’s brothers.”--“The
history of the lame young man of Bagdad has also very much diverted
me,” rejoined Dinarzadè.--“I am highly satisfied, my dear
sister,” replied Scheherazadè, “at having been able thus to
entertain the sultan, our lord and master, as well as yourself; and
since I have had the good fortune not to weary his majesty, if he
will have the goodness to prolong my life still further, I will have
the honour to relate to him the history of the amours of Aboulhassan
Ali Ebn Becar, and of Schemselnihar, the favourite of the caliph
Haroun Alraschid, which is not less worthy of his attention, and
yours also, than the history of the hunchback.” The sultan of
India, who was well satisfied at every thing Scheherazadè had
hitherto related, was determined not to forego the pleasure of
hearing this other history, which she promised. He now therefore
arose and went to prayers, and then sat in council; and the next
morning Dinarzadè did not fail to remind her sister of her promise,
which she was thus prepared to fulfil.
THE HISTORY
OF ABOULHASSAN ALI EBN BECAR, AND OF SCHEMSELNIHAR, THE FAVORITE OF
THE CALIPH HAROUN ALRASCHID.
During the reign of the caliph Haroun Alraschid, there lived a
druggist at Bagdad, whose name was Aboulhassen Ebn Thaher. He was a
man of considerable wealth; and was also very well made, and
reckoned an agreeable person. He possessed more understanding and
more politeness than generally falls to the lot of people of his
profession. His notions of rectitude, his sincerity, and the
liveliness of his disposition, made him beloved, and sought after by
every one. The caliph, who was well acquainted with his merit,
placed the most implicit confidence in him. He esteemed him so
highly, that he reposed in him the sole care of procuring for his
favorite ladies every thing they had occasion for. He chose their
dresses, the furniture of their apartments, and their jewellery, in
all of which departments he gave proofs of a most excellent taste.
His various good qualities, and the favor of the caliph, caused the
sons of the emirs, and other officers of the highest rank, to
frequent his house; and it, in this manner, became the rendezvous of
all the nobles of the court. Among other young men, who made almost
a daily practice of going there, was one whom Ebn Thaher esteemed
above all the rest, and with whom he contracted a most intimate
friendship. This young nobleman’s name was Aboulhassan Ali Ebn
Becar; and he derived his origin from an ancient royal family of
Persia. This family still continued extant at Bagdad, from the time
that the mussulman arms made a conquest of that kingdom. Nature
seemed to have taken a pleasure in combining in this young prince
every mental endowment, and personal accomplishment. He possessed a
countenance of the most finished beauty, his figure was fine, his
air elegant and easy, and the expression of his face so engaging,
that no one could see him without instantly loving him. Whenever he
spoke, he used the most appropriate and pure words, added to a
certain turn of expression equally novel and agreeable. There was
something even in the tone of his voice that charmed all who heard
him. To complete the whole, as his understanding and judgment were
of the first rank, so all his thoughts and expressions were most
admirable and just. He was moreover so very reserved and modest,
that he advanced nothing till he had taken every possible precaution
to avoid any suspicion of prefering his own opinion, or sentiment,
to that of another. Being a young man in every respect such as I
have described him to you, it is not to be wondered at, that Ebn
Thaher distinguished him in a particular manner from the other young
noblemen of the court, whose vices, for the most part, served only
as a foil to his virtues.
As this prince was one day at the house of Ebn Thaher, they observed
a lady come to the door, mounted upon a black and white mule, and
surrounded by ten female slaves, who accompanied her on foot. They
were all very handsome, at least as far as could be judged from
their air, and through the veils that covered their faces. The lady
herself had on a rose-coloured girdle, at least four fingers in
width, upon which were fastened diamonds and pearls of the largest
size; and it was no difficult matter to conjecture, that her beauty
surpassed that of her attendants, as much as the moon at the full
exceeds the crescent of two days old. She came here for the purpose
of executing some commission; and as it was necessary to speak to
Ebn Thaher, she went into his shop, which was very large and
commodious. He received her with every mark of respect, begged her
to be seated, and conducted her by the hand to the most honourable
place.
The prince of Persia, in the mean time, did not choose to let such
an excellent opportunity of showing his politeness and his gallantry
escape him; he placed a cushion, covered with cloth of gold, for the
lady to rest upon: then immediately retired, that she might sit
down. After this he made his compliments by kissing the carpet under
her feet, got up, and stood before her at the end of the sofa. As
she felt herself quite at home with Ebn Thaher, she took off her
veil, and displayed in the eyes of the prince of Persia a beauty so
extraordinary, that it pierced him to the bottom of his heart. Nor
could the lady on her part help looking at the prince, whose person
made an equal impression on her. “I beg of you, sir,” she said
to him in an obliging manner, “to be seated.” The prince of
Persia obeyed, and sat down on the edge of the sofa. He kept his
eyes constantly fixed upon her, and swallowed large draughts of the
delicious poison of love. She soon perceived what passed in his
mind, and this discovery completed her own passion. She then got up
and went to Ebn Thaher, and after having informed him, in a whisper,
of the motive of her visit, she inquired of him what was the name
and country of the prince of Persia. “Madam,” replied Ebn
Thaher, “this young nobleman, of whom you are speaking, is called
Aboulhassan Ali Ebn Becar, and is of the blood royal of Persia.”
The lady was delighted to find that the man she was so passionately
in love with, was of such an high rank. “You mean, without doubt,
I suppose,” replied she, “that he is descended from the kings of
Persia.”--“I do, madam,” returned Ebn Thaher, “the last
kings of Persia are his ancestors; and since the conquest of that
kingdom, the princes of his family have always been held in
estimation at the court of our caliphs.”--“You will afford me a
great pleasure,” said the lady, “if you will make me acquainted
with this young nobleman. When I shall send this female to you,”
added she, pointing to one of her slaves, “to request you to come
and see me, I beg you will bring him with you; I very much wish that
he should see the splendour and magnificence of my palace, that he
may both see and publish to the world, that avarice does not hold
her court among people of quality at Bagdad. You understand, and
attend to what I say to you. Pray do not fail: if you do, I shall be
very angry with you, and will never come and see you again as long
as I live.”
Ebn Thaher possessed too much penetration not to understand, by this
speech, what were the sentiments of the lady. “God preserve me, my
princess,” replied he, “from giving you any cause to be offended
with me. To execute your orders will ever be a law to me.” Having
received this answer, the lady took her leave of Ebn Thaher with an
inclination of her head; and after casting a most obliging look at
the prince of Persia, she mounted her mule, and departed.
Distractedly in love with this lady, he continued looking at her as
long as she was in sight; and even after he had lost sight of her,
it was a long time before he took his eyes from the way she went.
Ebn Thaher then remarked to him, that he was observed by some
people, who were ready to laugh at seeing him in that attitude.
“Alas!” said the prince to him, “you, and all the world, would
have compassion upon me, if you knew that this beautiful lady, who
has just left your house, had carried away by far the better part of
me; and that what remains cannot live separate. Tell me, I conjure
you,” added he, “who this tyrannical lady is, that compels
people thus to love her, without giving them time to think on the
subject.”--“My lord,” replied Ebn Thaher, it is the famous
[13] Schemselnihar, the first favorite of our sovereign master, the
caliph.”--“She is indeed called so,” said the prince, “with
the greatest justice and propriety, since she is more beautiful than
the cloudless meridian sun.”--“It is true,” replied Ebn
Thaher, “and the Commander of the Faithful loves her, or, I might
rather say, adores her. He has expressly commanded me to furnish her
with every thing she wishes, and even to anticipate her thoughts, if
it were possible, in any thing she may desire.”
He entered into this conversation with the prince, to prevent his
falling in love, where the event must be unfortunate; but this in
fact only served to inflame him the more. “I cannot doubt,”
cried he, “charming Schemselnihar, that I shall not be suffered to
raise my thoughts to you. I nevertheless feel, although without any
hopes of being beloved by you, that it will not be in my power to
cease from adoring you. I will continue to love you then, and will
bless my fate, that I am become the slave of an object the most
beautiful that the sun illumines.”
Whilst the prince of Persia was thus consecrating his heart to the
beautiful Schemselnihar, this lady, as she went home, continued to
think upon the means she should pursue, in order to see and converse
with freedom with this prince. She was no sooner returned to the
palace, than she sent back to Ebn Thaher that particular female
slave, whom she had pointed out to him, and in whom she placed the
most implicit confidence, to request him to come and see her without
delay; and to bring the prince of Persia along with him. The slave
arrived at the shop of Ebn Thaher at the very time he was conversing
with the prince, and while he was using the strongest arguments to
endeavour to persuade him to give up his love for the favorite of
the caliph. When the slave saw them together, she said, “My most
honorable mistress, Schemselnihar, the first favorite of the
Commander of the Faithful, entreats you both to come to the palace,
where she expects you.” Ebn Thaher, in order to show how ready he
was to obey her, instantly got up, without answering the slave one
word, and followed her, though not without considerable repugnance.
As for the prince, he followed her without at all reflecting on the
danger he ran from making this visit. The presence of Ebn Thaher,
who had free admission to the Favorite, made him perfectly easy on
that subject. They both then followed the slave, who walked a little
before them. They went into the palace of the caliph soon after her,
and joined her at the door of the smaller palace, appropriated to
Schemselnihar, which was already open. She introduced them into a
large hall, where she bagged them to be seated.
The prince of Persia thought himself in one of those delightful
palaces, which are promised to us in the other world. He had
hitherto seen nothing that at all equalled the magnificence of the
place where he now was. The carpets, cushions, and other furniture
of the sofas, together with the furniture, ornaments, and
architecture, were most exceeding rich and beautiful. They had not
long remained in this place, before a black slave, properly dressed,
set out a table, covered with the most delicate dishes; the
delicious smell of which afforded them a strong proof of the
excellence of the seasoning: while they were eating, the slave, who
had conducted them here, did not leave them: she took great care to
invite them to eat of those ragouts and dishes she knew to be best;
in the mean time, other slaves poured out some excellent wine, with
which they finished their repast. When this was over, they presented
to the prince of Persia, and to Ebn Thaher, each a separate bason,
and a beautiful golden vase, full of water, to wash their hands.
They afterwards brought them some perfume of aloes in a portable
vessel, which was also of gold, with which they scented their beards
and dress. Nor was the perfumed water forgotten. It was brought in a
golden vase, enriched with diamonds and rubies, made expressly for
this purpose, and it was poured into both their hands, with which
they rubbed their beards, and their whole faces, as was the usual
custom. They then sat down again in their places, but they were no
sooner there, than the slave requested them to get up, and follow
her. She opened a door, which led from the hall where they were, and
they entered a very large saloon, most wonderfully constructed. It
was a dome of an agreeable form, supported by an hundred columns of
marble, as white as alabaster. The pedestals and capitals of these
columns were each ornamented with quadrupeds, and birds of various
species, worked in gold. The carpet of this wonderful saloon was
composed of a single piece of cloth of gold, upon which were worked
bunches of roses in red and white silk; the dome itself was painted
in arabesque, and afforded a view of a multitude of charming
objects. There was a small sofa between each column, ornamented in
the same manner, together with large vases of porcelain, of crystal,
of jasper, of jet, of porphyry, of agate, and other valuable
materials, all enriched with gold, and inlaid with precious stones.
The spaces between the columns contained also large windows, with
balconies of a proper height, and furnished in the same style of
elegance with the sofas, from whence you looked into the most
delicious garden in the world. Its walks were formed of small stones
of various colours, which represented the carpet of the saloon under
the dome; and, in this manner, while they looked on the floor,
either in the saloon or garden, it seemed as if the dome and the
garden, with all their beauties, formed one splendid whole. The view
from every point was terminated at the end of the walks by two
canals of water, as transparent as rock crystal, which preserved the
same circular figure as the dome. One of these canals was raised
above the other, and from the higher, the water fell in a large body
into the lower one. On their banks, at certain distances, were
placed some beautiful bronze and gilt vases, all furnished with
shrubs and flowers. These walks also separated from each other large
spaces, which were planted with lofty and thick trees, in the midst
of which a thousand birds warbled the most melodious sounds; and
diversified the scene by their various flights, and by the battles
they fought while in the air; sometimes in sport, and at others in a
more serious and cruel manner.
The prince of Persia and Ebn Thaher stopped a long time to examine
the great magnificence of this place. They expressed strong marks of
surprise and admiration at every thing that struck them,
particularly the prince of Persia, who had never before seen any
thing at all comparable to it. Ebn Thaher too, although he had been
before in this enchanting spot, could not refrain from admiring its
beauties, which always appeared with an air of novelty. In short,
they had not ceased from their admiration of these singular things,
with which they were so agreeably taken up, when they suddenly
perceived a company of females most richly dressed. They were all
sitting down on the outside, at some distance from the dome, each on
a seat made of Indian plantain wood, enriched with silver inlaid in
compartments, with a musical instrument in their hands waiting only
for the appointed signal, to begin to play on them.