hope of governing, at some future period, so large and powerful a
kingdom as that of China, made a strong impression on the mind of an
emir, who was present, although he was already far advanced in
years. As he was well-skilled in magic, he flattered himself he
should succeed; and, therefore, offered his services to the king.
“I consent,” replied the monarch, “but I must first inform
you, that it is on condition of your losing your head if you do not
succeed: it would not be fair that you should be able to acquire so
great and enviable a recompense without any risk on your part. What
I propose to you will, in the same way, be proposed to all who shall
present themselves after you, in case you do not agree to the
condition, or do not succeed.”
The emir accepted the proposal, and the king himself conducted him
to the apartment of his daughter. The princess covered her face as
soon as she perceived the emir. “Sire,” said she, “your
majesty surprises me, by bringing into my presence a man who is
unknown to me, and to whom, as you well know, our holy religion
forbids me to expose myself.”--“My daughter,” replied the
king, “do not suffer your delicacy to be wounded by his presence;
he is one of my emirs, who requests you in marriage.”--“Sire,”
resumed she, “This is not the husband you have already bestowed on
me, whose faith is pledged to me by the ring I wear: be not offended
if I refuse to accept any other.
The emir expected to find the princess committing violent actions,
and saying extravagant things. He was much surprised to find her
collected and tranquil; and to hear her utter such good sense; he
therefore was soon convinced, that she had no other madness than a
strong attachment to some object who had engaged her love. He did
not, however, dare to explain his real sentiments to the king, for
he could not have endured the idea, that his daughter had bestowed
her heart on any other than the man whom he should present to her.
“But,” said the emir, prostrating himself at the feet of the
king, “Sire, after what I have just heard from the lips of the
princess, it would be useless for me to undertake to cure her. I
have no remedies that can be of any service to her disease; my life,
therefore, is at the disposal of your majesty.” The king,
irritated by this avowal of inability from the emir, and by the
trouble he had occasioned him, ordered his head to be struck off.
Some days after this, that he might not have to reproach himself
with having neglected any thing that could conduce to the recovery
of the princess, this monarch ordered it to be proclaimed in his
capital, that if there were any physician, astrologer, or magician,
inhabiting it, who was sufficiently experienced in his profession to
restore her to her senses, he might present himself for that
purpose, on the before-mentioned condition of losing his head if he
failed in the attempt. He sent an order to have the same
proclamation published in all the principal towns in his dominions,
and also in the courts of the neighbouring princes.
The first who presented himself was an astrologer and magician, whom
the king ordered to be conducted to the prison of the princess by an
eunuch. The astrologer drew out from a little bag he had brought
under his arm, an astrolabe, a small globe, a chafing-dish, various
kinds of drugs proper for fumigation, a copper vessel, together with
several other things; and he desired to have some fire.
The princess of China asked the meaning of all this apparatus.
“Princess,” said the eunuch, “it is to conjure the evil
spirit, that possesses you, to confine him in this copper vessel,
and throw him into the sea.”
“Cursed astrologer,” cried the princess, “know, that I want
none of these preparations; I am perfectly in my senses, and it is
thou who art mad. If thy power extends thus far, bring me only him I
love, and thou wilt serve and oblige me beyond expression.”--“If
that is the case,” replied the astrologer, “I can be of no use,
princess; the king, your father, can alone give you relief.” He
then replaced in his bag all that he had taken out, truly mortified
at having so inconsiderately undertaken to cure an imaginary disease.
When the eunuch had re-conducted the astrologer before the king of
China, he did not wait for the eunuch to speak to the king, but he
addressed himself immediately to him. “Sire,” said he, in a firm
tone, “your majesty published it to the world, and confirmed me
also in opinion, that the princess, your daughter, was mad; and I
had no doubt of being able to restore her to her senses by means of
the secrets I am acquainted with; but I was not long with her before
I was convinced, that her only malady is violent love; and my art
does not extend so far as to cure love-sickness; your majesty can
prescribe the remedy better than any one, if you will please to give
her the husband she wishes.” The king, enraged by what he supposed
to be insolence in the astrologer, immediately commanded his head to
be struck off.
But, not to weary your majesty with so many repetitions, I will only
say, that, what with astrologers, physicians, and magicians, one
hundred and fifty successively presented themselves, and shared the
same fate; and their heads were ranged over each gate of the city.
The nurse of the princess of China had a son, named Marzavan, the
foster-brother of the princess, whom she had nursed and brought up
with her. Their friendship, during their infancy, had been so
intimate, that they treated each other as brother and sister as long
as they lived together; and even after their more advanced age,
obliged them to be separated.
Among the various sciences which Marzavan had cultivated from his
earliest youth, his inclination had led him more particularly to the
study of judicial astrology, geomancy, and other secret sciences; in
all of which he had made considerable proficiency. Not satisfied
with the information he could obtain from the masters, under whose
tuition he was, he began to travel as soon as he felt himself
sufficiently strong to bear the fatigue. There was no one celebrated
for learning in any science or art that he did not seek, even in the
most distant countries; and continued to associate with them, until
he had gained from them all the information and intelligence he
required.
After an absence of several years, Marzavan at length returned to
the capital of China. The heads which he observed ranged over the
gate at which he entered the city surprised him very much. As soon
as he was arrived at his house, he inquired the reason of their
being placed there; but, above all, he was anxious to be informed of
the health of the princess, his foster-sister, whom he had not
forgotten. As the answer to his first question implied that to his
second also, he was soon made acquainted with what occasioned him
much pain; but he waited for his mother, the princess’s nurse, to
give him full information of the whole affair. Although she was so
much engaged in her attendance on the princess, yet she had no
sooner learnt the arrival of her beloved son, than she contrived to
steal away to embrace and pass a few moments with him. After having
related to him, with tears in her eyes, the pitiable state the
princess was reduced to, and the reason why the king of China had
ordered her to be thus treated, Marzavan asked her, if she could not
procure him a secret interview, without the knowledge of the king.
The nurse meditated for some minutes; she then said, “I cannot say
any thing to such a proposition at present; but expect me to-morrow
at this hour, and I will give you an answer.”
As no one except the nurse had access to the apartment of the
princess, without first obtaining permission of the eunuch who
commanded the guard at the door, the nurse, knowing that he had been
only lately appointed to that office, and was ignorant of what had
previously taken place at court, addressed herself to him. “You
know,” said she, “that I have nursed and brought up the princess
from her earliest infancy; but, perhaps, you do not also know, that
I nursed a daughter of my own at the same time, who was of the same
age. She is lately married, and the princess, who still does her the
honor of feeling attached to her, desires to see her; but she wishes
an interview could be contrived without any one seeing her come in
or go out.”
The nurse was going to add more, but the eunuch stopped her.
“Enough,” said he, “I will always, with the greatest pleasure,
do every thing in my power to oblige the princess: you may either
tell your daughter to come, or go yourself to conduct her hither at
night, after the king has retired; the door shall be open to you.”
As soon as night came on, the nurse went to her son Marzavan. She
disguised him in woman’s clothes, so that no one could have
discovered him to be the other sex, and took him with her. The
eunuch, who had no suspicion that he was not her daughter, opened
the door and let them both go in.
Before she presented Marzavan to the princess, the nurse went to
her. “Madam,” said she, “this is not a woman, whom you see; it
is my son Marzavan, who is just arrived from his travels, and whom I
have found means to introduce into your chamber, disguised by this
dress. I hope you will not refuse him the honor of paying his
respects to you.”
At the name of Marzavan the princess expressed great joy. “Come
forward, brother,” cried she to Marzavan, “and take off that
veil; it is not forbidden to a brother and sister to see each other
uncovered.” Marzavan saluted her with great respect, but without
allowing him time to say any thing, “I am delighted,” continued
the princess, “to see you again in good health, after an absence
of so many years, during which time no one ever received any
intelligence from you, nay, not even your good mother.”
“I am infinitely obliged to you for your kindness, my princess,”
replied Marzavan. “I expected and hoped on my arrival to receive
better accounts of you than those I have heard, and which I witness
the truth of with the greatest affliction. I feel very happy,
however, that after the repeated failure of so many others, I am
arrived in time to administer the remedy you are in need of for your
disorder. If I should derive no other advantage of my studies and
travels than that of being instrumental to your recovery; I should
deem it sufficient recompense.”
As he uttered these words, Marzavan drew out a book and other things
he had furnished himself with, which he supposed would be necessary,
from the accounts his mother had given him of the indisposition of
the princess. She no sooner perceived these preparations than she
exclaimed, “What, brother, are you too of the number of those who
imagine that I am mad? Listen to me, and be undeceived.”
The princess then related to Marzavan all her history, without
omitting the most trifling circumstance, nor even that of the ring,
which had been exchanged for hers, and which she showed him. “I
have disguised nothing from you,” continued she, “in what I have
told you; I acknowledge, that there is something mysterious, which I
cannot comprehend, and leads them all to suppose, that I am not in
my right senses; but they pay no attention to the other
circumstances, which are exactly as I have related.”
When the princess had ceased speaking, Marzavan, who was filled with
wonder and astonishment, remained for some time with his eyes fixed
on the ground, and unable to pronounce a syllable. At length raising
his head, he said, “If, princess, what you have now told me be
true, as indeed I am persuaded it is, I do not despair of procuring
you the gratification you so anxiously desire. I only entreat you to
arm yourself with patience for some time longer, until I shall have
visited those countries which I have not yet been in; when you hear
of my return, be assured, that he, for whom you now sigh with so
much love and tenderness, will not be very distant from you.”
Having said this, Marzavan took his leave of the princess, and set
out on the following day.
Marzavan travelled from city to city, from province to province, and
from island to island. Wherever he went, he heard of nothing but the
princess Badoura, (thus was the princess of China called) and of her
extraordinary history. At the expiration of four months our
traveller arrived at Torf, a large and populous maritime town, where
he no longer heard of the princess Badoura, but every one was
talking of prince Camaralzaman, who was said to be ill; and whose
history was nearly similar to that of the princess of China.
Marzavan experienced a transport of joy that cannot be described; he
inquired in what part of the world this prince resided, and he was
told the place. There were two ways to it, one by land, and the
other by sea, the latter of which was the shortest. Marzavan chose
this, and embarked in a merchant vessel, which had a good voyage
till within sight of the capital of the kingdom of Schahzaman. But,
unfortunately, through the unskilfulness of the pilot, as the vessel
was entering the harbour, it struck on a rock, went to pieces, and
sunk just in sight of the castle in which prince Camaralzaman passed
his life, and where his father, king Schahzaman, was at that moment
conversing with his grand vizier.
Marzavan could swim extremely well; he therefore did not hesitate to
throw himself into the sea, and he steered his course to the castle
of king Schahzaman, where he was received, and every assistance
given him, according to the orders of the grand vizier, who had
received the king’s commands so to do. He had his dress changed,
and was treated with the greatest kindness: when he had recovered
from his fatigue, he was conducted before the grand vizier, who had
desired to see him.
As Marzavan was a youth of a good person and engaging air, this
minister treated him with the utmost civility on receiving him, and
soon conceived a great esteem for him, from the sensible and proper
answers he made to all the questions he asked him; he discovered
almost insensibly, that he had numberless sources of information; at
length he could not refrain from saying to him, “I plainly
perceive, from conversing with you, that you are not a man of common
understanding; would to God, that in the course of your travels, you
had learned some secret that could cure a young man, whose illness
has plunged this court in the deepest affliction for some time
past.”
Marzavan replied, that if he were made acquainted with the disease
which the person was labouring under, perhaps he might be able to
find a remedy for it. The grand vizier then explained to Marzavan
the state in which prince Camaralzaman was; taking up his history
from the very beginning. He concealed nothing from him; his so much
wished-for birth, his education, the desire of king Schahzaman to
see him married at an early age, the extraordinary aversion the
prince had shown to enter into an engagement of so serious a nature,
his behaviour before the council, his subsequent imprisonment, the
extravagant excesses he committed in prison, which had suddenly
changed into a violent love for an unknown lady, for which there was
no other foundation than a ring, which, as the prince pretended, had
belonged to this lady, who, perhaps, was not in existence; in short,
the vizier related every circumstance with the most faithful
exactness.
This account gave Marzavan great joy, because, in consequence of his
shipwreck, he had so fortunately met with the object of his search
and inquiry. He felt convinced, beyond any doubt, that prince
Camaralzaman was the person, with whom the princess of China was so
deeply enamoured, and that this princess was no less the object of
the prince’s ardent vows. He did not mention his thoughts to the
grand vizier; he only said to him, that if he saw the prince, he
should be better able to judge what remedies it might be necessary
to administer. “Follow me,” said the vizier, “you will find
the king with him, who has already expressed a wish of seeing you.”
The first thing that met the eyes of Marzavan, when he entered the
chamber, was the figure of the prince lying in his bed, with a
languishing air, and his eyes closed. Notwithstanding the situation
in which he found him, and regardless of king Schahzaman, who was
seated by the side of the bed, as well as of the prince, whom such
an exclamation might have alarmed and agitated, he cried,
“Heavens! nothing on earth can bear a stronger resemblance.” He
meant the resemblance of the princess of China; for, in fact, there
was a great similitude in their features.
These words of Marzavan excited the curiosity of prince
Camaralzaman, who opened his eyes and looked at him. Marzavan, who
had great quickness of invention, took advantage of this moment, and
instantly repeated some extempore complimentary verses, although in
so mysterious a sense, that the king and grand vizier did not
comprehend the meaning of them. He so well explained what had
happened to him with the princess of China, that the prince
entertained no doubt of his knowing her, and being able to give him
some information respecting her; and he felt a degree of joy at the
hope of hearing of her, that soon displayed itself in his eyes and
countenance. When Marzavan had finished his compliment, the prince
took the liberty of making signs to his father to rise from his
seat, and permit Marzavan to take his place.
The king, delighted to see in his son a change which flattered him
with hope, arose, and taking Marzavan by the hand, obliged him to
sit down in the place he had just quitted. He asked him who he was,
and from whence he came; and after Marzavan had replied, that he was
a subject of the king of China, and that he was then come from his
dominions; “God grant,” said the king to him, “that you may
restore my son to health, and divert his mind from the profound
melancholy in which it is absorbed; my obligations to you will be
without bounds, and the proofs of my gratitude shall be so
extensive, that the whole world shall know, that no service was ever
before so largely recompensed.” As he concluded these words, he
left the prince at liberty to converse with Marzavan, whilst he was
rejoicing with his grand vizier at so fortunate an occurrence.
Marzavan approached very close to prince Camaralzaman, and speaking
to him in a low voice; “Prince,” said he, “the time is come
that you should cease to afflict yourself so piteously. The lady for
whom you suffer, is well known to me; she is the princess Badoura,
daughter to the king of China, whose name is Gaiour. I am certain of
the fact from what she has herself related to me of her adventure,
and from what I have already learned of yours. The princess does not
suffer less from love of you, than you do from your affection
towards her.” He then related all that he knew of the history of
the princess, since the fatal night of their almost incredible
interview: he did not omit also to inform him of the punishment
inflicted, by order of the king of China, on all those who undertook
to cure the princess Badoura of her supposed madness, when they
failed of success. “You are the only one,” continued he, “who
can accomplish her perfect recovery, and you may, therefore, present
yourself for that purpose, without fear of incurring the dreadful
penalty. But before you can undertake so long a journey, you must be
in good health yourself; we will then take the necessary measures
for the performance of it. Endeavour, therefore, to regain your
strength as quickly as possible.”
This discourse of Marzavan instantly produced a wonderful effect:
prince Camaralzaman was so comforted by the hope which had just been
poured into his bosom, that he felt sufficiently strong to get up,
and he entreated the king, his father, to permit him to dress
himself, with an air and countenance which gave him inexpressible
joy.
The king embraced Marzavan, to express his thanks, without inquiring
the means by which so surprising a change was instantaneously
effected; and immediately went out of the room with the grand
vizier, to proclaim this agreeable intelligence. He ordered public
rejoicings for several days; he distributed presents to his officers
and the populace, gave alms to the poor, and had all prisoners set
at liberty. In short, nothing but joy and mirth reigned in the
capital, and which very soon spread its influence throughout the
dominions of king Schahzaman.
Prince Camaralzaman, who felt extremely weakened by continual want
of sleep, and by his long abstinence from almost all kinds of food,
soon recovered his usual health. He no sooner found himself
sufficiently re-established to be able to support the fatigue of so
long a journey, than he took Marzavan in private, and said to him,
“My dear Marzavan, it is now time to put in execution the promise
you have made me. The impatience I feel to see this charming
princess, and to put an end to the singular torments she endures for
my sake, would soon, I plainly feel, reduce me to the state in which
you first saw me, if we were not to set out, immediately. One
circumstance alone afflicts me, and makes me fear there may be
delay: that is, the tender affection of my father, who will never be
able to grant me permission to leave him. This will drive me to
despair, if you cannot devise some scheme to obviate it. You see
that he will never suffer me to be out of his sight.” The prince
could not refrain from tears as he pronounced these last words.
“Prince,” replied Marzavan, “I have before now foreseen the
great obstacle you mention; it remains with me to act so that he
will not prevent our going. The original intention of my journey was
to procure remission of her grief and sufferings to the princess of
China, which I owed to the mutual friendship that has united us
almost from our birth, and to the zeal and affection with which it
is my duty to serve her. I should fail in that duty were I to
neglect any means of obtaining consolation for her, and for you at
the same time, if I did not employ all the address I am capable of
for that purpose. Hear, then, what I have conceived to obviate the
difficulty of obtaining the king’s permission to accomplish what
we both so earnestly desire. You have not yet been out, since I
arrived here; express to him a wish to take some exercise, and ask
his leave to go on a little hunting excursion, for two or three
days, with me; there is no reason to suppose he will refuse you:
when he has granted your request, you will give orders to have two
good horses ready for each; one to ride on, the other for relay, and
leave the rest to me.”
The next day, prince Camaralzaman watched his opportunity; he told
the king, his father, how much he wished to take an airing, and
begged him to allow him to hunt for a day or two with Marzavan. “I
do not object to it,” replied the king, “provided, however, that
you promise me, not to remain out longer than one night. Too much
exercise at first might be injurious, and a longer absence would be
painful to me.” The king gave orders for the best horses to be
chosen for him, and took care himself, that nothing should be
wanting for his expedition. When every thing was ready, he embraced
him, and having earnestly recommended him to the care of Marzavan,
he let him depart.
Prince Camaralzaman and Marzavan reached an open country, and, to
deceive the two grooms that led the relay of horses, they pretended
to hunt, and got as distant from the city as possible. At night they
stopped at a caravansera, where they supped and slept till about
midnight. Marzavan, who was the first to wake, called prince
Camaralzaman, without waking the grooms. He begged him to give him
his dress, and to put on another, which one of the grooms had
brought for him. They each mounted the horses of relay, and Marzavan
leading one of the groom’s horses by the bridle, they set out in a
quick pace.
At day-break, the travellers found themselves in a forest, at a
place where the road divided in four. At this spot Marzavan begged
the prince to wait for him a moment, and rode into the thickest of
the forest. He there killed the groom’s horse, tore the dress
which the prince had on the preceding day, and dipped it in the
blood: when he returned to the prince, he threw it into the middle
of the road where it divided.