On the third day he seated himself again in his place, looking towards

the woman; and she saw him, and, perceiving that he had become enslaved

by her love, laughed in his face, and he, in like manner, laughed in her

face. She then disappeared from before him, and sent to him her

slave-girl, with a wrapper containing a piece of red flowered silk; and

the girl, coming to him, said to him, My mistress saluteth thee, and

desireth thee to cut out for her, with the hand of skill, a shirt of

this piece, and to sew it beautifully. So he answered, I hear and

obey:--and he cut out for her the shirt, and finished the sewing of it

on that day; and on the following day the slave-girl came to him again;

and said to him, My mistress saluteth thee, and saith to thee, How didst

thou pass last night?--for she tasted not sleep, from her passion for

thee.--She then placed before him a piece of yellow satin, and said to

him, My mistress desireth thee to cut out for her, of this piece, two

pairs of trousers, and to make them this day. He replied, I hear and

obey. Salute her with abundant salutations, and say to her, Thy slave is

submissive to thine order, and command him to do whatsoever thou

wilt.--He then busied himself with the cutting out, and used all

diligence in sewing the two pairs of trousers; and presently the woman

looked out at him from the window, and saluted him by a sign, now

casting down her eyes, and now smiling in his face, so that he imagined

he should soon obtain possession of her. After this, she disappeared

from before him, and the slave-girl came to him; so he delivered to her

the two pairs of trousers, and she took them and departed: and when the

night came, he threw himself upon his bed, and remained turning himself

over in restlessness until the morning.

On the following day, the master of the house came to my brother,

bringing some linen, and said to him, Cut out and make this into shirts

for me. He replied, I hear and obey:--and ceased not from his work until

he had cut out twenty shirts by the time of nightfall, without having

tasted food. The man then said to him, How much is thy hire for

this?--but my brother answered not; and the damsel made a sign to him

that he should receive nothing, though he was absolutely in want of a

single copper coin. For three days he continued scarcely eating or

drinking anything, in his diligence to accomplish his work, and when he

had finished it, he went to deliver the shirts.

Now the young woman had acquainted her husband with the state of my

brother's mind, but my brother knew not this; and she planned with her

husband to employ him in sewing without remuneration, and moreover to

amuse themselves by laughing at him: so, when he had finished all the

work that they gave him, they contrived a plot against him, and married

him to their slave-girl; and on the night when he desired to introduce

himself to her, they said to him, Pass this night in the mill, and

to-morrow thou shalt enjoy happiness. My brother, therefore, thinking

that their intention was good, passed the night in the mill alone.

Meanwhile, the husband of the young woman went to the miller, and

instigated him by signs to make my brother turn the mill. The miller,

accordingly, went in to him at midnight, and began to exclaim, Verily

this bull is lazy, while there is a great quantity of wheat, and the

owners of the flour are demanding it: I will therefore yoke him in the

mill, that he may finish the grinding of the flour:--and so saying, he

yoked my brother, and thus he kept him until near morning, when the

owner of the house came, and saw him yoked in the mill, and the miller

flogging him with the whip; and he left him, and retired. After this,

the slave-girl to whom he had been contracted in marriage came to him

early in the morning, and, having unbound him from the mill, said to

him, Both I and my mistress have been distressed by this which hath

befallen thee, and we have participated in the burden of thy sorrow. But

he had no tongue wherewith to answer her, by reason of the severity of

the flogging. He then returned to his house; and lo, the sheykh who had

performed the marriage-contract came and saluted him, saying, May God

prolong thy life! May thy marriage be blessed!--May God not preserve the

liar! returned my brother: thou thousandfold villain! By Allah, I went

only to turn the mill in the place of the bull until the morning.--Tell

me thy story, said the sheykh:--and my brother told him what had

happened to him: upon which the sheykh said, Thy star agreeth not with

hers: but if thou desire that I should change for thee the mode of the

contract, I will change it for another better than it, that thy star may

agree with hers.[V_74]--See then, replied my brother, if thou hast

any other contrivance to employ.

My brother then left him, and repaired again to his shop, hoping that

somebody might give him some work, with the profit of which he might

obtain his food; and lo, the slave-girl came to him. She had conspired

with her mistress to play him this trick, and said to him, Verily, my

mistress is longing for thee, and she hath gone up to look at thy face

from the window. And my brother had scarcely heard these words when she

looked out at him from the window, and, weeping, said, Wherefore hast

thou cut short the intercourse between us and thee? But he returned her

no answer: so she swore to him that all that had happened to him in the

mill was not with her consent; and when my brother beheld her beauty and

loveliness, the troubles that had befallen him became effaced from his

memory, and he accepted her excuse, and rejoiced at the sight of her. He

saluted her, therefore, and conversed with her, and then sat a while at

his work; after which the slave-girl came to him, and said, My mistress

saluteth thee, and informeth thee that her husband hath determined to

pass this next night in the house of one of his intimate friends;

wherefore, when he hath gone thither, do thou come to her.--Now the

husband of the young woman had said to her, How shall we contrive when

he cometh to thee that I may take him and drag him before the Wálee? She

replied, Let me then play him a trick, and involve him in a disgrace for

which he shall be paraded throughout this city as an example to

others:--and my brother knew nothing of the craftiness of women.

Accordingly, at the approach of evening, the slave-girl came to him,

and, taking him by the hand, returned with him to her mistress, who said

to him, Verily, O my master, I have been longing for thee.--Hasten then,

said he, to give me a kiss, first of all. And his words were not

finished, when the young woman's husband came in from his neighbour's

house, and, seizing my brother, exclaimed to him, By Allah, I will not

loose thee but in the presence of the chief magistrate of the police. My

brother humbled himself before him; but, without listening to him, he

took him to the house of the Wálee, who flogged him with whips, and

mounted him upon a camel, and conveyed him through the streets of the

city, the people crying out, This is the recompense of him who breaketh

into the ḥareems of others!--and he fell from the camel, and his leg

broke: so he became lame. The Wálee then banished him from the city; and

he went forth, not knowing whither to turn his steps: but I, though

enraged, overtook him, and brought him back; and I have taken upon

myself to provide him with meat and drink unto the present day.

The Khaleefeh laughed at my story, and exclaimed, Thou hast spoken

well:--but I replied, I will not accept this honour until thou hast

listened to me while I relate to thee what happened to the rest of my

brothers; and think me not a man of many words.--Tell me, said the

Khaleefeh, what happened to all thy brothers, and grace my ears with

these nice particulars: I beg thee to employ exuberance of diction in

thy relation of these pleasant tales.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BARBER'S STORY OF HIS SECOND BROTHER.

So I said, Know, O Prince of the Faithful, that my second brother, whose

name was El-Heddár,[V_75] was going one day to transact some

business, when an old woman met him, and said to him, O man, stop a

little, that I may propose to thee a thing, which, if it please thee,

thou shalt do for me. My brother, therefore, stopped; and she said to

him, I will guide thee to a thing, and rightly direct thee to it, on the

condition that thy words be not many. So he said, Communicate what thou

hast to tell me:--and she proceeded thus:--What sayest thou of a

handsome house, with running water, and fruit and wine, and a beautiful

face to behold, and a smooth cheek to kiss, and an elegant form to

embrace; and to enjoy all these pleasures without interruption? Now, if

thou wilt act agreeably with the condition that I have imposed upon

thee, thou wilt see prosperity.--When my brother had heard her words, he

said to her, O my mistress, how is it that thou hast sought me out in

preference to all the rest of the creation for this affair; and what is

there in me that hath pleased thee? She replied, Did I not say to thee

that thou must not be a person of many words? Be silent then, and come

with me.

The old woman then went her way, my brother following her, eager to

enjoy the pleasures which she had described to him, until they had

entered a spacious house, when she went up with him to an upper story,

and my brother perceived that he was in a beautiful palace, in which he

beheld four damsels, than whom none more lovely had ever been seen,

singing with voices that would charm a heart as insensible as stone. One

of these damsels drank a cup of wine; and my brother said to her, May it

be attended with health and vigour!--and advanced to wait upon her; but

she prevented his doing so, giving him to drink a cup of wine; and as

soon as he had drunk it, she slapped him on his neck. When he found that

she treated him thus, he went out from the chamber in anger, and with

many words; but the old woman, following him, made a sign to him with

her eye that he should return: so he returned, and seated himself,

without speaking; and upon this, the damsel slapped him again upon the

back of his neck until he became senseless; after which, recovering, he

withdrew again. The old woman, however, overtook him, and said to him,

Wait a little, and thou shalt attain thy wish.--How many times, said he,

shall I wait a little before I attain it? The old woman answered, When

she hath become exhilarated with wine thou shalt obtain her favour. He

therefore returned to his place, and resumed his seat. All the four

damsels then arose, and the old woman directed them to divest my brother

of his outer clothes, and to sprinkle some rose-water upon his face; and

when they had done so, the most beautiful one among them said to him,

May Allah exalt thee to honour! Thou hast entered my abode, and if thou

have patience to submit to my requisitions, thou wilt attain thy

wish.--O my mistress, he replied, I am thy slave, and under thy

authority.--Know then, said she, that I am devotedly fond of frolic, and

he who complieth with my demands will obtain my favour. Then she ordered

the other damsels to sing; and they sang so that their hearers were in

an ecstasy; after which the chief lady said to one of the other damsels,

Take thy master, and do what is required, and bring him back to me

immediately.

Accordingly, she took him away, ignorant of that which she was about to

do; and the old woman came to him, and said, Be patient; for there

remaineth but little to do. He then turned towards the damsel, and the

old woman said to him, Be patient: thou hast almost succeeded, and there

remaineth but one thing, which is, to shave thy beard.--How, said he,

shall I do that which will disgrace me among the people? The old woman

answered, She desireth this only to make thee like a beardless youth,

that there may be nothing on thy face to prick her; for her heart is

affected with a violent love for thee. Be patient, therefore, and thou

shalt attain thy desire.--So my brother patiently submitted to the

damsel's directions: his beard was shaven, and he was shorn also of his

eyebrows and mustaches, and his face was painted red, before the damsel

took him back to the chief lady, who, when she saw him, was at first

frightened at him, and then laughed until she fell backwards, and

exclaimed, O my master, thou hast gained me by these proofs of thine

amiable manners! She then conjured him by her life to arise and dance;

and he did so; and there was not a single cushion in the chamber that

she did not throw at him. In like manner also the other damsels threw at

him various things, such as oranges, and limes, and citrons, until he

fell down senseless from the pelting, while they slapped him incessantly

upon the back of his neck, and cast things in his face. But at length

the old woman said to him, Now thou hast attained thy wish. Know that

there remaineth to thee no more beating, nor doth there remain for thee

to do more than one thing, namely, this: it is her custom, when she is

under the influence of wine, to suffer no one to come near her until she

hath taken off her outer clothes; thou, being prepared in the like

manner, must run after her, and she will run before thee as though she

were flying from thee; but cease not to follow her from place to place

until thou overtake her. He arose, therefore, and did so: the lady ran

before, and as he followed her, she passed from chamber to chamber, and

he still ran after her. At last he heard her utter a slight sound as she

ran before him, and, continuing his pursuit, he suddenly found himself

in the midst of the street.

This street was in the market of the leather-sellers, who were then

crying skins for sale; and when the people there collected saw him in

this condition, almost naked, with shaven beard and eyebrows and

mustaches, and with his face painted red, they shouted at him, and

raised a loud laugh, and some of them beat him with the skins until he

became insensible. They then placed him upon an ass, and conducted him

to the Wálee, who exclaimed, What is this?--They answered, This

descended upon us from the house of the Wezeer, in this condition. And

the Wálee inflicted upon him a hundred lashes, and banished him from the

city: but I went out after him, and brought him back privately into the

city, and allotted him a maintenance. Had it not been for my generous

disposition, I had not borne with such a person.

[Illustration]

THE BARBER'S STORY OF HIS THIRD BROTHER.

As to my third brother (the blind man, Baḳbaḳ), who was also surnamed

Ḳuffeh,[V_76] fate and destiny impelled him one day to a large

house, and he knocked at the door, hoping that its master would answer

him, and that he might beg of him a trifle. The owner called out, Who is

at the door?--but my brother answered not; and then heard him call with

a loud voice, Who is this? Still, however, he returned him no answer;

and he heard the sounds of his footsteps approaching until he came to

the door and opened it, when he said to him, What dost thou desire? My

brother answered, Something for the sake of God, whose name be

exalted!--Art thou blind? said the man; and my brother answered,

Yes.--Then give me thy hand rejoined the master of the house;--so my

brother stretched forth to him his hand, and the man took him into the

house, and led him up from stair-case to stair-case until he had

ascended to the highest platform of the roof: my brother thinking that

he was going to give him some food or money: and when he had arrived at

this highest terrace, of his house, the owner said, What dost thou

desire, O blind man!--I desire something, he answered again, for the

sake of God, whose name be exalted!--May God, replied the man, open to

thee some other way!--What is this! exclaimed my brother: couldst thou

not tell me so when I was below?--Thou vilest of the vile! retorted the

other: why didst thou not ask of me something for the sake of God when

thou heardest my voice the first time, when thou wast knocking at the

door?--What then, said my brother, dost thou mean to do to me?--The man

of the house answered, I have nothing to give thee.--Then take me down

the stairs, said my brother. The man replied, The way is before thee. So

my brother made his way to the stairs, and continued descending until

there remained, between him and the door, twenty steps, when his foot

slipped and he fell, and, rolling down, broke his head.[V_77]

He went forth, not knowing whither to direct his steps, and presently

there met him two blind men, his companions, who said to him, What hath

happened to thee this day? My brother, therefore, related to them the

event that had just befallen him: and then said to them, O my brothers,

I desire to take a portion of the money now in our possession, to expend

it upon myself.--Now the owner of the house which he had just before

entered had followed him to acquaint himself with his proceedings, and

without my brother's knowledge he walked behind him until the latter

entered his abode; when he went in after him, still unknown. My brother

then sat waiting for his companions; and when they came in to him, he

said to them, Shut the door, and search the room, lest any stranger have

followed us. When the intruder, therefore, heard what he said, he arose,

and clung to a rope that was attached to the ceiling; and the blind men

went feeling about the whole of the chamber, and, finding no one,

returned and seated themselves by my brother, and brought forth their

money, and counted it; and lo, it was more than ten thousand pieces of

silver. Having done this, they laid it in a corner of the room, and each

of them took of the surplus of that sum as much as he wanted, and they

buried the ten thousand pieces of silver in the earth; after which, they

placed before themselves some food, and sat eating; but my brother heard

the sound of a stranger by his side, and said to his friends, Is there a

stranger among us? Then stretching forth his hand, it grasped the hand

of the intruder; whereupon he cried out to his companions, saying, Here

is a stranger!--and they fell upon him with blows until they were tired,

when they shouted out, O Muslims![V_78] a thief hath come in upon

us, and desireth to take our property!--and immediately a number of

persons collected around them.

Upon this, the stranger whom they accused of being a thief shut his

eyes, feigned to be blind like themselves, so that no one who saw him

doubted him to be so; and shouted, O Muslims! I demand protection of

Allah and the Sulṭán! I demand protection of Allah and the Wálee! I

demand protection of Allah and the Emeer! for I have important

information to give to the Emeer!--and before they could collect their

thoughts, the officers of the Wálee surrounded them and took them all,

including my brother, and conducted them before their master. The Wálee

said, What is your story?--and the stranger replied, Hear my words, O

Wálee; the truth of our case will not become known to thee but by means

of beating;[V_79] and if thou wilt, begin by beating me before my

companions. The Wálee therefore said, Throw down this man, and flog him

with whips:--and accordingly they threw him down and flogged him; and

when the stripes tortured him, he opened one of his eyes; and after they

had continued the flogging a little longer, he opened his other eye;

upon which the Wálee exclaimed, What meaneth this conduct, O thou

villain?--Grant me indemnity, replied the man, and I will acquaint

thee:--and the Wálee having granted his request, he said, We four

pretend that we are blind, and, intruding among other people, enter

their houses, and see their women, and employ stratagems to corrupt

them, and to obtain money from them. We have acquired, by these means,

vast gain, amounting to ten thousand pieces of silver; and I said to my

companions, Give me my due, two thousand and five hundred; and they rose

against me and beat me, and took my property. I beg protection,

therefore, of Allah and of thee; and thou art more deserving of my share

than they. If thou desire to know the truth of that which I have said,

flog each of them more than thou hast flogged me, and he will open his

eyes.

So the Wálee immediately gave orders to flog them, and the first of them

who suffered was my brother. They continued beating him until he almost

died; when the Wálee said to them, O ye scoundrels! do ye deny the

gracious gift of God, feigning yourselves to be blind? My brother

exclaimed, Alláh! Alláh! Alláh! there is none among us who seeth!--They

then threw him down again, and ceased not to beat him until he became

insensible, when the Wálee said, Leave him until he shall have

recovered, and then give him a third flogging:--and in the meantime, he

gave orders to flog his companions, to give each of them more than three

hundred stripes; while the seeing man said to them, Open your eyes, or

they will flog you again after this time. Then addressing himself to the

Wálee, he said, Send with me some person to bring thee the property; for

these men will not open their eyes, fearing to be disgraced before the

spectators. And the Wálee sent with him a man, who brought him the

money; and he took it, and gave to the informer, out of it, two

thousand and five hundred pieces of silver, according to the share which

he claimed, in spite of the others (retaining the rest), and banished

from the city my brother and the two other men; but I went forth, O

Prince of the Faithful, and, having overtaken my brother, asked him

respecting his sufferings; and he acquainted me with that which I have

related unto thee. I then brought him back secretly into the city, and

allotted him a supply of food and drink as long as he lived.

The Khaleefeh laughed at my story, and said, Give him a present, and let

him go:--but I replied, I will receive nothing until I have declared to

the Prince of the Faithful what happened to the rest of my brothers, and

made it manifest to him that I am a man of few words:--whereupon the

Khaleefeh said, Crack our ears, then, with thy ridiculous stories, and

continue to us thy disclosure of vices and misdeeds. So I proceeded

thus:--

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BARBER'S STORY OF HIS FOURTH BROTHER.

My fourth brother, O Prince of the Faithful, was the one-eyed (named

El-Kooz el-Aṣwánee): he was a butcher in Baghdád, and both sold meat and

reared lambs; and the great and the rich had recourse to him to purchase

of him their meat; so that he amassed great wealth, and became possessor

of cattle and houses. Thus he continued to prosper for a long time; and

as he was in his shop, one day, there accosted him an old man with a

long beard, who handed to him some money, saying, Give me some meat for

it. So he took the money, and gave him the meat; and when the old man

had gone away, my brother looked at the money which he had payed him,

and, seeing that it was of a brilliant whiteness, put it aside by

itself. This old man continued to repair to him during a period of five

months, and my brother always threw his money into a chest by itself;

after which period he desired to take it out for the purpose of buying

some sheep; but on opening the chest, he found all the contents

converted into white paper, clipped round; and he slapped his face, and

cried out; whereupon a number of people collected around him, and he

related to them his story, at which they were astonished.

He then went again, as usual, into his shop, and, having killed a ram,

and hung it up within the shop, he cut off some of the meat, and

suspended it outside, saying within himself, Perhaps now this old man

will come again, and if so, I will seize him:--and very soon after, the

old man approached with his money; upon which my brother arose, and,

laying hold upon him, began to cry out, O Muslims, come to my aid, and

hear what this scoundrel hath done unto me! But when the old man heard

his words, he said to him, Which will be more agreeable to thee--that

thou abstain from disgracing me, or that I disgrace thee, before the

people?--For what wilt thou disgrace me? said my brother. The old man

answered, For thy selling human flesh for mutton.--Thou liest, thou

accursed! exclaimed my brother.--None is accursed, rejoined the old man,

but he who hath a man suspended in his shop. My brother said, If it be

as thou hast asserted, my property and blood shall be lawful to

thee:--and immediately the old man exclaimed, O ye people here

assembled! verily this butcher slaughtereth human beings, and selleth

their flesh for mutton; and if ye desire to know the truth of my

assertion, enter his shop! So the people rushed upon his shop, and

beheld the ram converted into a man, hung up; and they laid hold upon my

brother, crying out against him, Thou infidel! Thou scoundrel!--and

those who had been his dearest friends turned upon him and beat him; and

the old man gave him a blow upon his eye, and knocked it out. The people

then carried the carcass, and took with them my brother, to the chief

magistrate of the police; and the old man said to him, O Emeer, this man

slaughtereth human beings, and selleth their flesh for mutton; and we

have therefore brought him to thee: arise, then, and perform the

requisition of God, whose might and glory be extolled! Upon this, the

magistrate thrust back my brother from him, and, refusing to listen to

what he would have said, ordered that five hundred blows of a staff

should be inflicted upon him, and took all his property. Had it not been

for the great amount of his wealth, he had put him to death.[V_80]

He then banished him from the city.

My brother, therefore, went forth in a state of distraction, not knowing

what course to pursue; but he journeyed onwards until he arrived at a

great city, where he thought fit to settle as a shoemaker: so he opened

a shop, and sat there working for his subsistence. And one day he went

forth on some business, and, hearing the neighing of horses, he inquired

respecting the cause, and was told that the King was going forth to

hunt; whereupon he went to amuse himself with the sight of the

procession: but the King happening to look on one side, his eye met that

of my brother, and immediately he hung down his head, and exclaimed, I

seek refuge with God from the evil of this day! He then turned aside the

bridle of his horse, and rode back, and all his troops returned with

him; after which, he ordered his pages to run after my brother, and to

beat him; and they did so, giving him so severe a beating that he

almost died; and he knew not the cause. He returned to his abode in a

miserable plight, and afterwards went and related his misfortune to one

of the King's attendants, who laughed at the recital until he fell

backwards, and said to him, O my brother, the King cannot endure the

sight of a one-eyed person, and especially when the defect is that of

the left eye;[V_81] for in this case, he faileth not to put the

person to death.

When my brother heard these words, he determined to fly from that city;

and forthwith departed from it, and repaired to another city, where

there was no King. Here he remained a long time; and after this, as he

was meditating upon his adventure in the former city, he went out one

day to amuse himself, and heard again the neighing of horses behind him;

upon which he exclaimed, The decree of God hath come to pass! and ran

away, seeking for a place in which to conceal himself; but he found

none, until, continuing his search, he saw a door set up as a barricade:

so he pushed this, and it fell down; and, entering the doorway, he

beheld a long passage, into which he advanced. Suddenly, however, two

men laid hold upon him, and exclaimed, Praise be to God who hath enabled

us to take thee, O thou enemy of God! For these three nights thou hast

suffered us to enjoy neither quiet nor sleep, and we have found no

repose: nay, thou hast given us a foretaste of death!--O men, said my

brother, what hath happened unto you? They answered, Thou keepest a

watch upon us, and desirest to disgrace us, and to disgrace the master

of the house! Is it not enough for thee that thou hast reduced him to

poverty, thou and thy companions? Produce now the knife wherewith thou

threatenest us every night.--And so saying, they searched him, and found

upon his waist the knife with which he cut the shoe-leather.--O men, he

exclaimed, fear God in your treatment of me, and know that my story is

wonderful. They said, What then is thy story? So he related it to them,

in the hope that they would liberate him: but they believed not what he

said; and, instead of shewing him any regard, they beat him, and tore

his clothes; whereupon, his body becoming exposed to their view, they

discovered upon his sides the marks of beating with miḳra'ahs, and

exclaimed, O wretch! these scars bear testimony to thy guilt. They then

conducted him before the Wálee, while he said within himself, I am

undone for my transgressions, and none can deliver me but God, whose

name be exalted! And when he was brought before the Wálee, the

magistrate said to him, O thou scoundrel! nothing but a heinous crime

hath occasioned thy having been beaten with miḳra'ahs:--and he caused a

hundred lashes to be inflicted upon him; after which, they mounted him

upon a camel, and proclaimed before him, This is the recompense of him

who breaketh into men's houses!--But I had already heard of his

misfortunes, and gone forth, and found him; and I accompanied him about

the city while they were making this proclamation, until they left him;

when I took him, and brought him back secretly into Baghdád, and

apportioned him a daily allowance of food and drink.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BARBER'S STORY OF HIS FIFTH BROTHER.[V_82]

My fifth brother (El-Feshshár[V_83]) was cropped of his ears, O

Prince of the Faithful. He was a pauper, who begged alms by night, and

subsisted upon what he thus acquired by day: and our father was a very

old man, and he fell sick and died, leaving to us seven hundred pieces

of silver, of which each of us took his portion; namely, a hundred

pieces. Now my fifth brother, when he had received his share, was

perplexed, not knowing what to do with it; but while he was in this

state, it occurred to his mind to buy with it all kinds of articles of

glass, and to sell them and make profit; so he bought glass with his

hundred pieces of silver, and put it in a large tray, and sat upon an

elevated place, to sell it, leaning his back against a wall. And as he

sat, he meditated, and said within himself, Verily my whole stock

consisteth of this glass: I will sell it for two hundred pieces of

silver; and with the two hundred I will buy other glass, which I will

sell for four hundred; and thus I will continue buying and selling until

I have acquired great wealth. Then with this I will purchase all kinds

of merchandise and essences and jewels, and so obtain vast gain. After

that, I will buy a handsome house, and memlooks, and horses, and gilded

saddles; and I will eat and drink; and I will not leave in the city a

single female singer but I will have her brought to my house that I may

hear her songs.--All this he calculated with the tray of glass lying

before him.--Then, said he, I will send all the female betrothers to

seek in marriage for me the daughters of Kings and Wezeers; and I will

demand as my wife the daughter of the chief Wezeer;[V_84] for I

have heard that she is endowed with perfect beauty and surprising

loveliness: and I will give as her dowry a thousand pieces of gold. If

her father consent, my wish is attained; and if he consent not, I will

take her by force, in spite of him: and when I have come back to my

house, I will buy ten young eunuchs, and I will purchase the apparel of

Kings and Sulṭáns, and cause to be made for me a saddle of gold set with

jewels: after which I will ride every day upon a horse, with slaves

behind me and before me,[V_85] and go about through the streets and

markets to amuse myself, while the people will salute me and pray for

me.[V_86] Then I will pay a visit to the Wezeer, who is the father

of the maiden, with memlooks behind me and before me, and on my right

hand and on my left; and when he seeth me, he will rise to me, in

humility, and seat me in his own place; and he himself will sit down

below me,[V_87] because I am his son-in-law. I will then order one

of the servants to bring a purse containing the pieces of gold which

compose the dowry; and he will place it before the Wezeer; and I will

add to it another purse, that he may know my manly spirit and excessive

generosity, and that the world is contemptible in my eye: and when he

addresseth me with ten words, I will answer him with two. And I will

return to my house; and when any person cometh to me from the house of

the Wezeer, I will clothe him with a rich dress: but if any come with a

present, I will return it: I will certainly not accept it.[V_88]

Then, on the night of the bridal display, I will attire myself in the

most magnificent of my dresses, and sit upon a mattress covered with

silk; and when my wife cometh to me, like the full moon, decked with her

ornaments and apparel, I will command her to stand before me as stands

the timid and the abject; and I will not look at her, on account of the

haughtiness of my spirit and the gravity of my wisdom; so that the maids

will say, O our master and our lord, may we be thy sacrifice! This thy

wife, or rather thy handmaid, awaiteth thy kind regard, and is standing

before thee: then graciously bestow on her one glance; for the posture

hath become painful to her.[V_89]--Upon this, I will raise my

head, and look at her with one glance, and again incline my head

downwards; and thus I will do until the ceremony of displaying her is

finished; whereupon they will conduct her to the sleeping-chamber; and I

will rise from my place, and go to another apartment, and put on my

night-dress, and go to the chamber in which she is sitting, where I will

seat myself upon the deewán; but I will not look towards her. The

tire-women will urge me to approach her; but I will not hear their

words, and will order some of the attendants to bring a purse containing

five hundred pieces of gold for them, and command them to retire from

the chamber.[V_90] And when they have gone, I will seat myself by

the side of the bride; but with averted countenance, that she may say,

Verily this is a man of a haughty spirit. Then her mother will come to

me, and will kiss my hands, and say to me, O my master, look upon thy

handmaid with the eye of mercy; for she is submissively standing before

thee. But I will return her no answer. And she will kiss my feet, again

and again, and will say, O my master, my daughter is young, and hath

seen no man but thee; and if she experience from thee repugnance, her

heart will break: incline to her, therefore, and speak to her, and calm

her mind. And upon this I will look at her through the corner of my eye,

and command her to remain standing before me, that she may taste the

savour of humiliation, and know that I am the Sulṭán of the age. Then

her mother will say to me, O my master, this is thy handmaid: have

compassion upon her, and be gracious to her:--and she will order her to

fill a cup with wine, and to put it to my mouth. So her daughter will

say, O my lord, I conjure thee by Allah that thou reject not the cup

from thy slave; for verily I am thy slave. But I will make her no

reply; and she will urge me to take it, and will say, It must be

drunk:--and will put it to my mouth: and upon this, I will shake my hand

in her face, and spurn her with my foot, and do thus.--So saying, he

kicked the tray of glass, which, being upon a place elevated above the

ground, fell, and all that was in it broke: there escaped nothing: and

he cried out and said, All this is the result of my pride! And he

slapped his face, and tore his clothes; the passengers gazing at him,

while he wept, and exclaimed, Ah! O my grief!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The people were now repairing to perform the Friday-prayers; and some

merely cast their eyes at him, while others noticed him not: but while

he was in this state, deprived of his whole property, and weeping

without intermission, a female approached him, on her way to attend the

Friday-prayers: she was of admirable loveliness; the odour of musk was

diffused from her; under her was a mule with a stuffed saddle covered

with gold-embroidered silk; and with her was a number of servants; and

when she saw the broken glass, and my brother's state and his tears, she

was moved with pity for him, and asked respecting his case. She was

answered, He had a tray of glass, by the sale of which to obtain his

subsistence and it is broken, and he is afflicted as thou seest:--and

upon this, she called to one of the servants, saying, Give what thou

hast with thee to this poor man. So he gave him a purse, and he took it,

and when he had opened it, he found in it five hundred pieces of gold,

whereupon he almost died from excessive joy, and offered up prayers for

his benefactress.

He returned to his house a rich man, and sat reflecting, and lo, a

person knocked at the door: he rose, therefore, and opened it; and

beheld an old woman whom he knew not, and she said to him, O my son,

know that the time of prayer hath almost expired, and I am not prepared

by ablution; wherefore I beg that thou wilt admit me into thy house,

that I may perform it. He replied, I hear and obey;--and, retiring

within, gave her permission to enter; his mind still wandering from joy

on account of the gold; and when she had finished the ablution, she

approached the spot where he was sitting, and there performed the

prayers of two rek'ahs. She then offered up a supplication for my

brother; and he thanked her, and offered her two pieces of gold; but

when she saw this, she exclaimed, Extolled be God's perfection! Verily I

wonder at the person who fell in love with thee in thy beggarly

condition! Take back thy money from me, and if thou want it not, return

it to her who gave it thee when thy glass broke.--O my mother, said he,

how can I contrive to obtain access to her? She answered, O my son, she

hath an affection for thee; but she is the wife of an affluent man; take

then with thee all thy money, and when thou art with her be not

deficient in courteousness and agreeable words; so shalt thou obtain of

her favours and her wealth whatever thou shalt desire. My brother,

therefore, took all the gold, and arose and went with the old woman,

hardly believing what she had told him; and she proceeded, and my

brother behind her, until they arrived at a great door, at which she

knocked; whereupon a Greek damsel came and opened the door, and the old

woman entered, ordering my brother to do the same. He did so, and found

himself in a large house, where he beheld a great furnished chamber,

with curtains hung in it; and, seating himself there, he put down the

gold before him, and placed his turban on his knees;[V_91] and

scarcely had he done so, when there came to him a damsel, the like of

whom had never been seen, attired in most magnificent apparel. My

brother stood up at her approach; and when she beheld him, she laughed

in his face, and rejoiced at his visit: then going to the door, she

locked it; after which she returned to my brother, and took his hand,

and both of them went together into a private chamber, carpeted with

various kinds of silk, where my brother sat down, and she seated herself

by his side, and toyed with him for a considerable time. She then rose,

saying to him, Move not from this place until I return to thee;--and was

absent from him for a short period;--and as my brother was waiting for

her, there came in to him a black slave, of gigantic stature, with a

drawn sword, the brightness of which dazzled the sight; and he exclaimed

to my brother. Wo to thee! Who brought thee to this place? Thou vilest

of men! Thou misbegotten wretch, and nursling of impurity!--My brother

was unable to make any reply; his tongue was instantly tied; and the

slave laid hold upon him, and stripped him, and struck him more than

eighty blows with the flat of his sword, until he fell sprawling upon

the floor; when he retired from him, concluding that he was dead, and

uttered a great cry, so that the earth trembled, and the place resounded

at his voice, saying, Where is El-Meleeḥah?[V_92]--upon which a

girl came to him, holding a handsome tray containing salt; and with this

she forthwith stuffed the flesh-wounds with which my brother's skin was

gashed until they gaped open; but he moved not, fearing the slave would

discover that he was alive, and kill him. The girl then went away, and

the slave uttered another cry, like the first, whereupon the old woman

came to my brother, and, dragging him by the feet to a deep and dark

vault, threw him into it upon a heap of slain.[V_93] In this place

he remained for two whole days; and God (whose perfection be extolled!)

made the salt to be the means of preserving his life, by stanching the

flow of blood from his veins; so, when he found that he had strength

sufficient to move, he arose, and, opening a shutter in the wall,

emerged from the place of the slain; and God (to whom be ascribed all

might and glory!) granted him his protection. He therefore proceeded in

the darkness, and concealed himself in the passage until the morning,

when the old woman went forth to seek another victim, and my brother,

going out after her, without her knowledge, returned to his house.

[Illustration]

He now occupied himself with the treatment of his wounds until he was

restored; and continued to watch for the old woman, and constantly saw

her taking men, one after another, and conducting them to the same

house. But he uttered not a word on the subject; and when his health

returned, and his strength was completely renewed, he took a piece of

rag, and made of it a purse, which he filled with pieces of glass: he

then tied it to his waist, and disguised himself so that no one would

know him, in the dress of a foreigner; and, taking a sword, placed it

within his clothes; and as soon as he saw the old woman, he said to her,

in the dialect of a foreigner, Old woman, hast thou a pair of scales fit

for weighing nine hundred pieces of gold? The old woman answered, I have

a young son, a money-changer, and he hath all kinds of scales; therefore

accompany me to him before he go forth from his abode, that he may weigh

for thee thy gold. So my brother said, Walk on before me:--and she went,

and my brother followed her until she arrived at the door, and knocked;

upon which the girl came out, and laughed in his face; and the old woman

said to her, I have brought you to-day some fat meat. The girl then took

my brother's hand, and conducted him into the house (the same which he

had entered before), and after she had sat with him a short time, she

rose, saying to him, Quit not this place until I return to thee:--and

she retired; and my brother had remained not long after when the slave

came to him with the drawn sword, and said to him, Rise, thou unlucky!

So my brother rose, and, as the slave walked before him, he put his hand

to the sword which was concealed beneath his clothes, and struck the

slave with it, and cut off his head; after which he dragged him by his

feet to the vault, and called out, Where is El-Meleeḥah? The slave-girl,

therefore, came, having in her hand the tray containing the salt; but

when she saw my brother with the sword in his hand, she turned back and

fled: my brother, however, overtook her, and struck off her head. He

then called out, Where is the old woman?--and she came; and he said to

her, Dost thou know me, O malevolent hag? She answered, No, O my

lord.--I am, said he, the man who had the pieces of gold, and in whose

house thou performedst the ablution and prayedst; after which, devising

a stratagem against me, thou betrayedst me into this place.--The old

woman exclaimed, Fear God in thy treatment of me!--but my brother,

turning towards her, struck her with the sword, and clove her in twain.

He then went to search for the chief damsel, and when she saw him, her

reason fled, and she implored his pardon; whereupon he granted her his

pardon, and said to her, What occasioned thy falling into the hands of

this black? She answered, I was a slave to one of the merchants, and

this old woman used to visit me; and one day she said to me, We are

celebrating a festivity, the like of which no one hath seen, and I have

a desire that thou shouldst witness it. I replied, I hear and obey:--and

arose, and clad myself in the best of my attire, and, taking with me a

purse containing a hundred pieces of gold,[V_94] proceeded with her

until she entered this house, when suddenly this black took me, and I

have continued with him in this state three years, through the stratagem

of the old witch.--My brother then said to her, Is there any property of

his in the house?--Abundance, she answered; and if thou canst remove it,

do so:--and upon this, he arose and went with her, when she opened to

him chests filled with purses, at the sight of which he was confounded;

and she said to him, Go now, and leave me here, and bring some person to

remove the property. So he went out, and, having hired ten men,

returned; but on his arrival at the door, he found it open, and saw

neither the damsel nor the purses; he found, however, some little money

remaining, and the stuffs. He discovered, therefore, that she had

eluded him; and he took the money that remained, and, opening the

closets, took all the stuffs which they contained, leaving nothing in

the house.

He passed the next night full of happiness; but when the morning came,

he found at the door twenty soldiers, and on his going forth to them,

they laid hold upon him, saying, The Wálee summoneth thee. So they took

him, and conducted him to the Wálee, who, when he saw him, said to him,

Whence obtainedst thou these stuffs?--Grant me indemnity, said my

brother:--and the Wálee gave him the handkerchief of indemnity;[V_95]

and my brother related to him all that had befallen him with the old

woman from first to last, and the flight of the damsel; adding,--and of

that which I have taken, take thou what thou wilt; but leave me

wherewith to procure my food. The Wálee thereupon demanded the whole of

the money and the stuffs; but fearing that the Sulṭán[V_96] might become

acquainted with the matter, he retained a portion only, and gave the

rest to my brother, saying to him, Quit this city, or I will hang thee.

My brother replied, I hear and obey:--and went forth to one of the

surrounding cities. Some robbers, however, came upon him, and stripped

and beat him, and cut off his ears; and I, having heard of his

situation, went forth to him, taking to him some clothes; and brought

him back privily into the city, and supplied him with daily food and

drink.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE BARBER'S STORY OF HIS SIXTH BROTHER

My sixth brother (Shaḳáliḳ), O Prince of the Faithful, had his lips cut

off. He was in a state of extreme poverty, possessing nothing of the

goods of this perishable world; and he went forth one day to seek for

something with which to stay his departing spirit, and on his way he

beheld a handsome house, with a wide and lofty vestibule, at the door of

which were servants, commanding and forbidding; whereupon he inquired of

one of the persons standing there, who answered, This house belongeth to

a man of the sons of the Barmekees.[V_97] My brother, therefore,

advanced to the door-keepers, and begged them to give him something; and

they said, Enter the door of the house, and thou wilt obtain what thou

desirest of its master. So he entered the vestibule, and proceeded

through it a while until he arrived at a mansion of the utmost beauty

and elegance, having a garden in the midst of it, unsurpassed in beauty

by anything that had ever been seen: its floors were paved with marble,

and its curtains were hanging around. He knew not in which direction to

go; but advanced to the upper extremity, and there he beheld a man of

handsome countenance and beard, who, on seeing my brother, rose to him,

and welcomed him, inquiring respecting his circumstances. He accordingly

informed him that he was in want; and when the master of the house heard

his words, he manifested excessive grief, and, taking hold of his own

clothes, rent them, and exclaimed, Am I in the city, and thou in it

hungry? It is a thing that I cannot endure!--Then promising him every

kind of happiness, he said, Thou must stay and partake of my salt. But

my brother replied, O my master, I have not patience to wait; for I am

in a state of extreme hunger.

Upon this, the master of the house called out, Boy, bring the basin and

ewer!--and he said, O my guest, advance, and wash thy hand. He then

performed the same motions as if he were washing his hand; and called to

his attendants to bring the table; whereupon they began to come and go

as though they were preparing it; after which the master of the house

took my brother, and sat down with him at this imaginary table, and

proceeded to move his hands and lips as if he were eating; saying to my

brother, Eat, and be not ashamed, for thou art hungry, and I know how

thou art suffering from the violence of thy hunger. My brother,

therefore, made the same motions, as if he also were eating, while his

host said to him, Eat, and observe this bread and its whiteness. To

this, my brother at first made no reply; but observed in his own mind,

Verily this is a man who loveth to jest with others:--so he said to him,

O my master, in my life I have never seen bread more beautifully white

than this, or any of sweeter taste:--on which the host rejoined, This

was made by a female slave of mine whom I purchased for five hundred

pieces of gold. He then called out, Boy, bring to us the

sikbáj,[V_98] the like of which is not found among the dishes of

Kings!--and, addressing my brother, he said, Eat, O my guest; for thou

art hungry, vehemently so, and in absolute want of food. So my brother

began to twist about his mouth, and to chew, as in eating. The master of

the house now proceeded to demand different kinds of viands, one after

another; and, though nothing was brought, he continued ordering my

brother to eat. Next he called out, Boy, place before us the chickens

stuffed with pistachio-nuts:--and said to his guest, Eat of that which

thou hast never tasted the like.--O my master, replied my brother,

verily this dish hath not its equal in sweetness of flavour:--and the

host, thereupon, began to put his hand to my brother's mouth as though

he were feeding him with morsels; and proceeded to enumerate to him the

various different kinds of viands, and to describe their several

excellencies; while his hunger so increased that he longed for a cake of

barley-bread. The master of the house then said to him, Hast thou tasted

anything more delicious than the spices in these dishes?--No, O my

master, answered my brother.--Eat more then, resumed the host; and be

not ashamed.--I have eaten enough of the meats, replied the guest. So

the man of the house called to his attendants to bring the sweets; and

they moved their hands about in the air as if they were bringing them;

whereupon the host said to my brother, Eat of this dish; for it is

excellent; and of these ḳaṭáïf,[V_99] by my life! and take this one

before the sirup runs from it.--May I never be deprived of thee, O my

master! exclaimed my brother, proceeding to inquire of him respecting

the abundance of musk in the ḳaṭáïf.--This, answered the host, is my

usual custom in my house: they always put for me, in each of the ḳaṭáïf,

a mithḳál[V_100] of musk, and half a mithḳál of ambergris.--All

this time my brother was moving his head and mouth, and rolling about

his tongue between his cheeks, as if he were enjoying the sweets. After

this, the master of the house called out to his attendants, Bring the

dried fruits!--and again they moved about their hands in the air as

though they were doing what he ordered; when he said to my brother, Eat

of these almonds, and of these walnuts, and of these raisins;--and so

on; enumerating the various kinds of dried fruits; and added again, Eat,

and be not ashamed.--O my master, replied my brother, I have had enough,

and have not power to eat anything more:--but the host rejoined, If thou

desire, O my guest, to eat more, and to delight thyself with

extraordinary dainties, by Allah! by Allah! remain not hungry.

My brother now reflected upon his situation, and upon the manner in

which this man was jesting with him, and said within himself, By Allah,

I will do to him a deed that shall make him repent before God of these

actions! The man of the house next said to his attendants, Bring us the

wine:--and, as before, they made the same motions with their hands in

the air as if they were doing what he commanded; after which he

pretended to hand to my brother a cup, saying, Take this cup, for it

will delight thee:--and his guest replied, O my master, this is of thy

bounty:--and he acted with his hand as though he were drinking it.--Hath

it pleased thee? said the host.--O my master, answered my brother, I

have never seen anything more delicious than this wine.--Drink then,

rejoined the master of the house, and may it be attended with benefit

and health:--and he himself pretended to drink, and to hand a second cup

to my brother, who, after he had affected to drink it, feigned himself

intoxicated, and, taking his host unawares, raised his hand until the

whiteness of his arm-pit appeared, and struck him such a slap upon his

neck that the chamber rang at the blow; and this he followed by a second

blow; whereupon the man exclaimed, What is this, thou vilest of the

creation?--O my master, answered my brother, I am thy slave, whom thou

hast graciously admitted into thine abode, and thou hast fed him with

thy provisions, and treated him with old wine, and he hath become

intoxicated, and committed an outrage upon thee; but thou art of too

exalted dignity to be angry with him for his ignorance.

When the master of the house heard these words of my brother, he uttered

a loud laugh, and said to him, Verily for a long time have I made game

of men, and jested with all persons accustomed to joking and rudeness,

but I have not seen among them any who could endure this trick, nor any

who had sagacity to conform to all my actions, except thee: now,

therefore, I pardon thee; and be thou my companion in reality, and never

relinquish me. He then gave orders to bring a number of the dishes above

mentioned, and he and my brother ate together to satisfaction; after

which they removed to the drinking-chamber, where female slaves like so

many moons sang all kinds of melodies, and played on all kinds of

musical instruments. There they drank until intoxication overcame them:

the master of the house treated my brother as a familiar friend, became

greatly attached to him, and clad him with a costly dress; and on the

following morning they resumed their feasting and drinking. Thus they

continued to live for a period of twenty years: the man then died, and

the Sulṭán[V_101] seized upon his property, and took possession of

it.

My brother, upon this, went forth from the city, a fugitive; and upon

his way, a party of Arabs[V_102] came upon him. They made him a

captive; and the man who captured him tortured him with beating, and

said to him, By Allah, purchase thyself of me by wealth, or I will kill

thee:--but my brother, weeping, replied, By Allah, I possess nothing, O

Sheykh of the Arabs; nor do I know the means of obtaining any property:

I am thy captive; I have fallen into thy hands, and do with me what thou

wilt. And immediately the tyrannical Bedawee drew forth from his girdle

a broad-bladed knife (such as, if plunged into the neck of a camel,

would cut it across from one jugular vein to the other), and, taking it

in his right hand, approached my poor brother, and cut off with it his

lips; still urging his demand.--Now this Bedawee had a handsome wife,

who, when he was absent, used to manifest a strong affection for my

brother; though he observed a proper decorum towards her, fearing God

(whose name be exalted!); and it happened, one day, that she had called

him, and seated him with her; but while they were together, lo, her

husband came in upon them; and when he beheld my brother, he exclaimed,

Wo to thee, thou base wretch! Dost thou desire now to corrupt my

wife?--Then drawing his knife, he inflicted upon him another cruel

wound; after which he mounted him upon a camel, and, having cast him

upon a mountain, left him there, and went his way. Some travellers,

however, passed by him, and when they discovered him, they gave him food

and drink, and acquainted me with his case: so I went forth to him, and

conveyed him back into the city, and allotted him a sufficient

maintenance.

[Illustration]

Now I have come unto thee, O Prince of the Faithful, continued the

barber, and feared to return to my house without relating to thee these

facts; for to neglect doing so had been an error. Thus thou hast seen

that, although having six brothers, I am of a more upright character

than they.--But when the Prince of the Faithful had heard my story, and

all that I had related to him respecting my brothers, he laughed, and

said, Thou hast spoken truth, O Ṣámit (O silent man); thou art a person

of few words, and devoid of impertinence; now, however, depart from this

city, and take up thine abode in another. So he banished me from

Baghdád; and I journeyed through various countries, and traversed many

regions, until I heard of his death, and of the succession of another

Khaleefeh; when, returning to my city, I met with this young man, unto

whom I did the best of deeds, and who, had it not been for me, had been

slain: yet he hath accused me of that which is not in my character; for

all that he hath related of me, with respect to impertinence, and

loquacity, and dulness, and want of taste, is false, O people.

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY TOLD BY THE TAILOR.

The tailor then proceeded thus:--When we heard the story of the barber,

and were convinced of his impertinence and loquacity, and that the young

man had been treated unjustly by him, we seized hold upon him, and put

him in confinement, and, seating ourselves to keep watch over him, ate

and drank; and the feast was finished in the most agreeable manner. We

remained sitting together until the call to afternoon-prayers, when I

went forth, and returned to my house; but my wife looked angrily at me,

and said, Thou hast been all the day enjoying thy pleasure while I have

been sitting at home sorrowful; now if thou go not forth with me and

amuse me for the remainder of the day, thy refusal will be the cause of

my separation from thee. So I took her and went out with her, and we

amused ourselves until nightfall, when, returning home, we met this

humpback, full of drink, and repeating verses; upon which I invited him

to come home with us, and he consented. I then went forth to buy some

fried fish, and having bought it and returned, we sat down to eat; and

my wife took a morsel of bread and a piece of fish, and put them into

his mouth, and choked him, so that he died; whereupon I took him up, and

contrived to throw him into the house of this physician, and he

contrived to throw him into the house of the steward, and the steward

contrived to throw him in the way of the broker.--This is the story of

what happened to me yesterday. Is it not more wonderful than that of the

humpback?

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF THE HUMPBACK.

When the King had heard this story, he ordered certain of his

chamberlains to go with the tailor, and to bring the barber; saying to

them, His presence is indispensable, that I may hear his talk, and it

may be the cause of the deliverance of you all: then we will bury this

humpback decently in the earth, for he hath been dead since yesterday;

and we will make him a monument around his grave, since he hath been the

occasion of our acquaintance with these wonderful stories.

The chamberlains and the tailor soon came back, after having gone to the

place of confinement and brought the barber, whom they placed before the

King; and when the King beheld him, he saw him to be an old man, passed

his ninetieth year, of dark countenance, and white beard and eyebrows,

with small ears, and long nose, and a haughty aspect. The King laughed

at the sight of him, and said to him, O silent man, I desire that thou

relate to me somewhat of thy stories.--O King of the age, replied the

barber, what is the occasion of the presence of this Christian and this

Jew and this Muslim, and this humpback lying dead among you; and what is

the reason of this assembly?--Wherefore dost thou ask this? said the

King. The barber answered, I ask it in order that the King may know me

to be no impertinent person, nor one who meddleth with that which doth

not concern him, and that I am free from the loquacity of which they

accuse me: for I am fortunate in my characteristic appellation, since

they have surnamed me Eṣ-Ṣámit; and, as the poet hath said,--

Seldom hast thou seen a person honoured with a surname,

but thou wilt find, if thou search, that his character

is expressed by it.

The King therefore said, Explain to the barber the case of this

humpback, and what happened to him yesterday evening, and explain to him

also what the Christian hath related, and the Jew and the steward and

the tailor. So they repeated to him the stories of all these persons.

The barber, thereupon, shook his head, saying, By Allah, this is a

wonderful thing! Uncover this humpback, that I may examine him.--And

they did so. He then seated himself at his head, and, taking it up,

placed it upon his lap, and looked at his face, and laughed so violently

that he fell backwards, exclaiming, For every death there is a cause;

and the death of this humpback is most wonderful: it is worthy of being

registered in the records, that posterity may be instructed by this

event!--The King, astonished at his words, said, O Ṣámit, explain to us

the reason of thy saying this.--O King, replied the barber, by thy

beneficence, life is yet in the humpback! He then drew forth from his

bosom a pot containing some ointment, and with this he anointed the neck

of the humpback; after which he covered it up until it perspired; when

he took forth an iron forceps, and put it down his throat, and extracted

the piece of fish with its bone, and all the people saw them. The

humpback now sprang upon his feet, and sneezed, and, recovering his

consciousness, drew his hands over his face, and exclaimed, There is no

Deity but God! Moḥammad is God's Apostle! God bless and save him!--and

all who were present were astonished at the sight, and the King laughed

until he became insensible; as did also the other spectators. The King

exclaimed, By Allah, this accident is wonderful! I have never witnessed

anything more strange!--and added, O Muslims! O assembly of soldiers!

have ye ever in the course of your lives seen any one die and after

that come to life? But had not God blessed him with this barber, the

humpback had been to-day numbered among the people of the other world;

for the barber hath been the means of restoring him to life.--They

replied, This is indeed a wonderful thing!

The King then gave orders to record this event; and when they had done

so, he placed the record in the royal library; and he bestowed dresses

of honour upon the Jew and the Christian and the steward; upon each of

them, a costly dress: the tailor he appointed to be his own tailor,

granting him regular allowances, and reconciling him and the humpback

with each other: the humpback he honoured with a rich and beautiful

dress, and with similar allowances, and appointed him his cup-companion;

and upon the barber also he conferred the like favours, rewarding him

with a costly dress of honour, regular allowances, and a fixed salary,

and appointing him state-barber, and his own cup-companion: so they all

lived in the utmost happiness and comfort until they were visited by the

terminator of delights and the separator of friends.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

NOTES TO CHAPTER FIFTH.

NOTE 1. As the story of the Humpback is one of the best in this

collection, and purely Arab, I have been glad to find, in the Calcutta

edition of the first two hundred nights, authority for deviating here

from my usual standard copy, by substituting "El-Baṣrah" for a city of

China. The Breslau edition, in the opening of the story, lays the scene

at "El-Baṣrah _and_ Ḳajḳár." By the latter, I suppose Káshghar to be

meant.

NOTE 2. In my original, they are said to have gone out early in the

morning; but this is contradicted by the sequel.

NOTE 3. The appeal to Ezra's ass, which alludes to a tradition believed

by the Muslims, as it is mentioned in the Ḳur-án, is omitted in the

Cairo edition. The story is this:--'Ozeyr, or Ezra, "riding on an ass by

the ruins of Jerusalem, after it had been destroyed by the Chaldeans,

doubted in his mind by what means God could raise the city and its

inhabitants again; whereupon God caused him to die, and he remained in

that condition a hundred years; at the end of which, God restored him to

life, and he found a basket of figs and a cruise of wine that he had

with him, not in the least spoiled or corrupted; but his ass was dead,

the bones only remaining; and these, while the Prophet looked on, were

raised and clothed with flesh, becoming an ass again, which, being

inspired with life, began immediately to bray."[323]

NOTE 4. Most Arab cities abound with cats, which are much favoured by

the inhabitants. These animals are often seen leaping across from the

terrace of one house to that of another on the opposite side of a narrow

street; and often has my kitchen in Cairo been robbed by them. They are

said to contribute greatly to the spreading of the plague.

NOTE 5. Occurrences of this kind are said to have often happened in Arab

towns, where dogs, though esteemed unclean by the Muslims, are, like

cats, generally very numerous. Few of them have masters; but they

compose distinct tribes; those of each tribe confining themselves to a

particular quarter or district of the town, and suffering no strange dog

to intrude among them and share with them in the offal thrown out from

the butchers' shops and from private houses; or prowling about the

mounds of rubbish in the environs, and, like the vultures, feeding upon

the carcasses of camels, asses, and other beasts, thrown out by the

inhabitants. I was once told that the master of an English

merchant-vessel, having fallen asleep in a state of intoxication on the

shore of the harbour of Alexandria, at night, was devoured by dogs.

NOTE 6. The snatching of turbans by night is still a frequent practice

of Arab rogues, and one which is often very lucrative; many a turban

being composed of a costly Kashmeer shawl wound round a ṭarboosh, which

latter alone is worth eight or nine shillings, or more, and some also

having money or other valuables secreted in them.

NOTE 7. Watchmen are generally employed to guard by night the sooḳs, or

market-streets, and other districts, in Arab towns. Those in Cairo carry

a nebboot, or long staff, but no lantern. Their usual cries are of a

religious nature; as, "I extol the perfection of the Living King, who

sleepeth not nor dieth!" When they see a passenger approaching, they

call out to him, "Attest the unity of God!" or merely, "Attest the

unity!" and the reply is, "There is no deity but God!" It is supposed

that a person bound on any unlawful undertaking would not dare to utter

these words.

NOTE 8. At the period when this work was composed, the Christians were

distinguished from the Muslims by a black or blue turban, and this was

wound in a peculiar manner.

NOTE 9.--_On the Title and Office of_ Wálee. "Wálee" is the title given

to the chief magistrate of the police, and was so employed in the time

of El-Maḳreezee, instead of the older appellation of "Ṣáḥeb

esh-Shurṭah." The same officer was also called "Mutawellee." It was the

duty of this magistrate to perambulate the streets at night, attended by

a body of his officers, including an executioner; for he often inflicted

capital punishment on criminals immediately after their detection. He

was invested with a degree of despotic power, and often put to death

persons accused of capital crimes without the formalities required by

the law. It was also his duty to superintend the infliction of the

punishments of criminals legally condemned. An officer was employed to

perform the nightly rounds in El-Medeeneh in the reign of Aboo-Bekr; but

it appears that the first regular guard for this purpose was appointed

in the reign of 'Othmán.[324]

NOTE 10. The ardebb, thus commonly pronounced, but properly written

irdebb, varies in different places. In Cairo it is very nearly

equivalent to five English bushels.

NOTE 11. In the original, this building is called the Khán of

El-Jawálee; but it evidently should be----of El-Jáwalee; and the error

is to be attributed to a copyist. The Khán of El-Jáwalee is mentioned by

El-Maḳreezee,[325] as being situate at a short distance within the

present gate called Báb en-Naṣr, and by the site of the older gate so

called; and as existing in his time, in the former half of the ninth

century of the Flight. [El-Maḳreezee also informs us, in his account of

the Medreseh el-Jáwaleeyeh, that El-Jáwalee's full name was

'Alam-ed-Deen Senjer, and that he was originally a memlook of one

Jáwalee (whence his surname), an Emeer of El-Melik eẓ-Ẓáhir Beybars. He

died in the year of the Flight 745.--ED.]

NOTE 12. Báb en-Naṣr (the Gate of Victory, or----of Aid) is the name

of the easternmost of the northern gates of Cairo. It was built in the

reign of the Khaleefeh El-Mustanṣir, in the year of the Flight 480 (A.

D. 1087-8).

NOTE 13. The words "besides my brokerage," I have inserted as necessary

to make the account correct.

NOTE 14. It has been shewn in a former note that the Arabs consider it

indecorous to eat with the left hand.

NOTE 15. As it is held impolite to shew the hands, unless unavoidably,

in the presence of a person of rank, the sleeve of the cloth coat, or

that of the silk vest which is worn beneath it, is made sufficiently

long to extend a little beyond the ends of the fingers; and so also, in

general, is the sleeve of the shirt worn by persons of the lower orders.

NOTE 16. This building is first called, in the Cairo edition, the Khán

of Suroor; and afterwards,----of Mesroor: the latter is the

appellation given to it in the edition of Breslau; and is the correct

name. The Khán of Mesroor is mentioned by El-Maḳreezee,[326] as situate

at the southern extremity of Beyn el-Ḳaṣreyn (respecting which see the

next note), adjacent to the site of the Great Palace of the Khaleefehs.

There were two Kháns of this name near each other. El-Maḳreezee says,

that, in his earlier days, the greater of these, which appears to be

that here alluded to, was one of the finest and largest Kháns in Cairo,

in a most flourishing state, the resort of the chief Syrian merchants,

and the dépôt of their goods; but that latterly it had declined, and

some portions of it were ruined.

NOTE 17. Beyn el-Ḳaṣreyn (which signifies "Between the Two Palaces") is

the name still applied to that part of the principal street of Cairo

which intervenes between the sites of the two famous palaces of the

Khaleefehs.

NOTE 18. A Ḳeysáreeyeh is a superior kind of sooḳ, consisting of ranges

of shops facing each other. That which is here mentioned (called in the

Cairo edition, the Ḳeysereeyeh of Jirjis; in the edition of Breslau, the

Ḳeysáreeyeh of Jarkash; and in the old English version, erroneously, the

Circassian bezestein) is the Ḳeysáreeyeh of Jahárkas, which, as I learn

from El-Maḳreezee,[327] was situate near the centre of what constituted

the old city, on the east of the principal street. It existed in his

time, and was built by the Emeer Fakhr-ed-Deen Jahárkas, in the year of

the Flight 502 (A.D. 1108-9). Ibn-Khallikán,[328] as quoted by

El-Maḳreezee, says of it, "I have seen a number of merchants who have

traversed various countries, and who say, 'We have not seen in any

country its equal in beauty and greatness, and compactness of

construction.'" He explains also the orthography of the name of

"Jahárkas," and states that it is Persian (Chahár-kas), and signifies

"four persons."

NOTE 19. The Egyptian fowls are much smaller than those of our country,

and one is not too much for one man's breakfast. The eggs are usually

hatched in ovens.

NOTE 20. The appellation of "the Gardener" is here to be understood as a

mere surname derived from the occupation of some ancestor of the

merchant; it being a common custom of the Arabs to retain an appellation

of this kind, however humble.

NOTE 21. El-Maḳreezee[329] mentions a "sooḳ of the money-changers" as

near to the Khán of Mesroor; and it seems to be the place here alluded

to: the word "sooḳ" being often omitted.

NOTE 22. The lady having offered up a prayer that the young merchant

might be her husband, I have taken the liberty of inserting here a

slight interpolation, which does not detract from the probability or

consistency of the story; but rather the contrary.

NOTE 23.--_On one of the Passages in this Work indicating a very late

Date._ The Ḥabbáneeyeh is the name now applied to a portion of a main

street, a little to the west of the lake called Birket el-Feel, in the

southern part of Cairo. It is evidently thus applied in the passage to

which this note relates; but El-Maḳreezee, writing in the former half of

the ninth century of the Flight,[330] says, "In this our time, bordering

upon it [the Birket el-Feel] is a _garden_ called by the name of the

Ḥabbáneeyeh, who were a family of Darmà the son of 'Amr the son of 'Owf

the son of Thaạlebeh the son of Baạl the son of 'Amr the son of El-Ghóth

the son of Ṭeiyi: so Darmà was a minor family of [the tribe of] Ṭeiyi,

and the Ḥabbáneeyoon [or Ḥabbáneeyeh--for the terms are synonymous] were

a family of Darmà; and the people have made a road between the garden of

the Ḥabbáneeyeh and the lake." He proceeds to say, that on the _east_ of

the Birket el-Feel there _were_ gardens; but that _houses_ and _streets_

had been built _there_.--Now, in the work before us, the tract which was

a _garden_ in the time of El-Maḳreezee is mentioned as occupied by

_houses_ and _streets_. Many years must have elapsed since that period

before such could have been the case; and surely at least a century

before the houses could have presented such an appearance as would lead

a writer to imagine them of "ancient times." It may be objected against

an argument drawn from this passage, that it is perhaps an interpolation

of a copyist; but it agrees with many evidences of a late date, and

occurs in at least one other copy (that from which the Breslau edition

is printed), with only this slight difference--that "Ḥabbáneeyeh," by

the erroneous addition of a point beneath the first letter, is converted

into "Jebbáneeyeh;" and it should be remarked that the latter copy

varies considerably in other points from that of Cairo. It would imply

that Cairo was almost as extensive a city at the time when this work was

composed or modernized as it is at present; and would account for its

being here called Miṣr, or Maṣr; a name which was retained by El-Fusṭáṭ

at least as late as the commencement of the tenth century of the Flight,

and probably until the year 1517 of our era or a little later, as I have

remarked in a former note.

NOTE 24. "Ḳá'ah" is a term generally signifying "a lofty saloon;" but

also often applied to an elegant house.

NOTE 25. "Naḳeeb" signifies "a chief," "a leader," &c., and has various

applications. In the present instance, the office which it designates is

doubtful, but is evidently of high dignity, as Naḳeeb of the Shereefs,

the Chief, or Syndic, of the Descendants of the Prophet.

NOTE 26. Báb Zuweyleh (the Gate of Zuweyleh, or, more properly, of

Zaweeleh, which is the name of a tribe) is a gate that was built at the

same period as Báb en-Naṣr, before mentioned. It marked the southern

limit of Cairo; but is now in the heart of the metropolis. With two

round-fronted towers, each surmounted by a lofty and elegant mád'neh, or

menaret, pertaining to the adjoining great mosque of El-Mueiyad, it

presents a very noble appearance.

NOTE 27. "Imperial gypsum" is a name given to the best kind of plaster

used in Cairo. I have often admired the smoothness of its surface upon

the walls of chambers in some of the older houses in that city; but, I

need hardly say, never saw any that reflected like a mirror.

NOTE 28. In the Cairo edition, "with pearls and jewels at its corners."

The deficiency I have supplied from the edition of Breslau: but I may

here remark, that it would have been more proper to describe the snakes

as _gilt_.

NOTE 29.--_On the Crowns worn by Arab Ladies._ From Eastern drawings and

descriptions, it appears that the kind of crown here mentioned was

generally a circle of jewelled gold (the lower edge of which was

straight; and the upper, fancifully heightened to four or more points)

surrounding the lower part of a dome-shaped cap with a jewel or some

other ornament at the summit. This crown was worn by many Arab ladies of

high rank or great wealth, probably until about two centuries ago.

Another kind of crown is now more generally worn, called a "ḳurṣ." This

is a round, convex ornament, generally about five inches in diameter,

composed of gold set with a profusion of diamonds, of open work,

representing roses, leaves, &c. It is sewed upon the top of the

ṭarboosh; and is worn by most of the ladies of Cairo, at least in full

dress. An engraving of a crown of this description, and another of one

of a more common kind, may be seen in my work on the Modern Egyptians,

vol. ii. Appendix A.

NOTE 30. It is a common custom of the Arabs to give a present of money

tied up in a corner of an embroidered handkerchief.

NOTE 31. The mace is a weapon still used in the East; but not so

commonly as it was in former times. There was a petty governor in Upper

Egypt during my first visit to that country, who, in his daily rides,

indulged a frequent habit of striking persons with a weapon of this

kind, a tolerably-heavy steel mace; but he did it with a happy knack, so

as never, I believe, to inflict a dangerous wound, unless intentionally.

Maces, like other arms of steel, are often tastefully inlaid with

arabesque ornaments and inscriptions in gold.

NOTE 32.--_On the Punishment of Theft._ The Mohammadan law ordains that

a person who is adult and of sound mind, if he steals an article of the

value of a quarter of a deenár (or piece of gold) from a place to which

he has not ordinary or free access, shall lose his right hand; but this

punishment is not to be inflicted for stealing a free child, or anything

which, in the eye of the law, is of no pecuniary value; as wine, or a

musical instrument; and there are some other cases in which the thief is

not to be so punished. For the second offence, the left foot is to be

cut off; and for the third and subsequent offences, according to the

Ḥanafee code, the culprit is to be punished by a long imprisonment; or,

by the Sháfe'ee law, for the third offence, he is to lose his left hand;

for the fourth, his right foot; and for further offences, he is to be

flogged or beaten. The punishment is the same for a woman as for a

man.--This law induced a freethinking Muslim to ask, "If the hand is

worth five hundred deenárs, [this being the fine for depriving a man of

that member,] why should it be cut off for a quarter of a deenár?" He

was answered, "An honest hand is of great value; but not so is the hand

that hath stolen."--Amputation for theft is now seldom practised:

beating, or some other punishment, is usually inflicted in its stead for

the first, second, and third offence; and, frequently, death for the

fourth.

NOTE 33. Capital punishment in this case would be contrary to the law;

but it is often inflicted upon highway-robbers.

NOTE 34. The meaning is, that the doer is God. An allusion is here

conveyed to a verse (the 17th) in the Soorat el-Anfál (the eighth

chapter of the Ḳur-án)--"Thou didst not cast [the gravel into their

eyes] when thou didst [seem to] cast [it]; but God cast [it]."[331]

NOTE 35. The honour that is due to the human body requires that any

portion disunited from it be decently deposited in the earth.

NOTE 36. As a hair, for instance, is drawn from paste.[332]

NOTE 37. These verses are founded on a tradition of the Prophet.[333]

NOTE 38. _On_ Khatmehs, _or Recitations of the whole of the_ Ḳur-án _at

Private Festivities._ The most approved and common mode of entertaining

guests at modern private festivities among the Arabs is by a Khatmeh,

which is the recitation of the whole of the Ḳur-án. Three or more

persons of the inferior class of the professors of religion and law, who

are called faḳeehs (vulgarly, fiḳees), are usually hired for this

purpose. Schoolmasters, and students of the collegiate mosques who

devote themselves to religion and law, are the persons most commonly

thus employed. Their mode of recitation is a peculiar kind of

chanting,[334] which, when well executed, I found very agreeable, at

least for an hour or so: but the guests seldom have to listen to the

chanting of the whole of the Ḳur-án: the reciters usually accomplish the

greater portion of their task, in a somewhat hurried manner, before the

guests have assembled, each of them chanting, in turn, a certain

portion, as a thirtieth part of the whole (called a "juz"), or half of

one of these sections (a "ḥezb"), or, more commonly, a quarter (rubạ).

Afterwards they chant more leisurely, and in a more musical manner; but

still by turns.--These recitations of the whole of the Ḳur-án are

performed on various festive occasions, but are most usual after a

death; the merit of the performance being transferred to the soul of the

deceased.

NOTE 39. The mess termed "zirbájeh," by some called "zurbájeh," from the

Persian "zeerbáj," is a kind of spoon-meat. Some of its ingredients are

described in the sequel of the present story.

NOTE 40.--_On Atonements and other Services for the Dead._ As filial

piety is a general characteristic of the Arabs, and various services are

believed by them to atone for the minor sins of the deceased, and thus

to diminish his misery, or to increase his happiness, it is natural, and

not uncommon, for a son to act in the manner here related. Recitations

of the Ḳur-án are performed for the dead, to whom the merit of these

works is transferred, and a sacrifice is often offered at the tomb after

the burial; the flesh of the victim being distributed to the poor. But a

more important service for the deceased is the payment of his debts; for

it is affirmed by the Prophet, that even martyrdom will not atone for a

debt unpaid.

NOTE 41. A money-changer is very frequently employed to examine the

money which a purchaser offers; and if it be old, to weigh it. The

money-changers are mostly Jews and Christians.

NOTE 42. Some mosques (as the Azhar, for instance, the principal mosque

of Cairo) remain open all night; and many houseless persons sleep in

them, upon the matting which covers the paved floor. Men are also often

seen, at other times, but not at the hours of prayer, lounging, eating,

or working, in the mosques; such practices not being deemed inconsistent

with the high respect which the Muslims pay to these buildings.

NOTE 43. The remainder of this paragraph, and the whole of the next two

paragraphs, being omitted in the edition of Cairo, I translate from the

Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights, and the edition of

Breslau; but almost entirely from the former.

NOTE 44. The water of the well of Zemzem, in the temple of Mekkeh, is

believed to possess miraculous virtues, and is therefore brought away in

bottles or flasks by many of the pilgrims, to be used when occasion may

require as medicine, or to be sprinkled on grave-linen. A bottle of it

is a common and acceptable present from a pilgrim, and a guest is

sometimes treated with a sip of this holy water.

NOTE 45. A whip is sometimes used in the ḥareem of a great man; and its

being attached to the waist of the damsel here mentioned marks her

authority. It is generally formed of a strip of hippopotamus' hide,

hammered into a round shape; and this kind is called a "kurbáj." I

believe it is seldom used in the ḥareem with severity; but usually for

intimidation. [I once saw some of the ladies of Názlee Khánim (thus

vulgarly pronounced for Názloo Khánum) struck with a kurbáj, for too

curiously looking in at the window of an apartment in that lady's

palace, in which I and some friends happened to be, and which overlooked

the private garden. They were speedily driven away by two or three black

eunuchs, who appeared to use their heavy whips indiscriminately and

severely; their excuse for this conduct undoubtedly being, that these

ladies were guilty of a great impropriety in thus shewing themselves to

men; for when riding abroad, it is usual for passengers in the streets

to turn their faces to the wall on the approach of the women of a great

man's household. Moreover, the ḥareem of Názlee Khánim was well known to

be ruled with an iron hand, and its mistress herself to have acquired

the character of her brutal husband, Moḥammad Bey, the Defterdár, whose

cruelties are mentioned in the "Modern Egyptians."--ED.]

NOTE 46. It is a universal custom of the Arabs, on visiting the sick, to

say, "May our Lord restore thee!" or, "No evil befall thee!" &c.

NOTE 47. The first hospital built by a Muslim was that of Damascus,

founded by El-Weleed the son of 'Abd-El-Melik, in the eighty-eighth year

of the Flight (A. D. 706-7). The Arabs would deprive St. Ephrem Syrus of

the honour of having been the author of the first institution of this

kind; one of their historians ascribing it to an early Pharaoh, named

Menáḳiyoosh; another, to Hippocrates.[335]

NOTE 48. The remainder of the paragraph is translated from the Calcutta

edition of the first two hundred nights.

Note 49. "The metropolis of the world," or literally, "the mother of the

world" ("umm ed-dunyà"), is a title given to several cities, as well as

to Cairo, by their respective inhabitants. This passage, therefore, and

others of a similar kind, in which even _foreigners_ are made to rank

Egypt and Cairo as superior to every other country and city, strongly

favour the opinion that some of its tales were written, or altered, by

an Egyptian.

NOTE 50. A more ample eulogium upon Egypt and the Nile, but abounding

with such gross errors that I could not confidently offer a translation,

is found in the Breslau edition. It agrees better with the old

translation; which, however, in this place, presents considerable

unauthorized amplifications, and some misconceptions: "Birket el-Ḥabash"

(for instance), the name of a lake on the south of Cairo, being mistaken

for Ethiopia.

NOTE 51. For this monthly rent (or about a guinea of our money), a large

and handsome house may be hired at the present day in Cairo.

NOTE 52. After the amputation of the hand for theft, the stump is

usually plunged in boiling pitch or tar, or oil, to stanch the blood.

NOTE 53.--_On Retaliation and Fines for Wounds and Mutilations._

Retaliation for intentional wounds and mutilations is allowed by the

Mohammadan law, like as for murder; "eye for eye," &c.:[336] but a fine

may be accepted instead, which the law allows also for unintentional

injuries. The fine for a member that is single (as the nose) is the

whole price of blood, as for homicide; namely a thousand deenárs (about

500_l._) from him who possesses gold; or, from him who possesses

silver, twelve thousand dirhems (about 300_l._); for a member of which

there are two, and not more (as a hand), half the price of blood; for

one of which there are ten (a finger or toe), a tenth of the price of

blood: but the fine of a man for maiming or wounding a woman is half of

that for the same injury to a man; and that of a free person for

injuring a slave varies according to the value of the slave. The fine

for depriving a man of any of his five senses, or dangerously wounding

him, or grievously disfiguring him for life, is the whole price of

blood.

NOTE 54. See No. 20 of the notes to Chapter ii.--"The women of Egypt

have the character of being the most licentious in their feelings of all

females who lay any claim to be considered as members of a civilized

nation; and this character is freely bestowed upon them by their

_countrymen_, even in conversation with foreigners."[337]--In the work

from which the above passage is quoted, I have expatiated upon this

subject more than I need do in the present case.

NOTE 55. The Arabs are generally of opinion that the innate dispositions

of a child are inherited more from the mother than from the father. They

believe that a daughter commonly resembles, in good or evil qualities,

her mother; and a son, his maternal uncle. Hence they often address a

man, "Yá ṭeiyib el-khál!"--"O thou who hast a good maternal uncle!"

NOTE 56. 'Abd-Allah Ibn-'Abbás was one of the most learned of the

companions of his cousin Moḥammad, and one of the most celebrated of the

relaters of his sayings and actions. He has received the titles of

"Interpreter of the Ḳur-án" and "Sulṭán of Commentators." He died in the

year of the Flight 68. His father, 'Abbás, the son of 'Abd-El-Muṭṭalib,

was paternal uncle of Moḥammad, and ancestor of the 'Abbásee Khaleefehs.

NOTE 57.--_On the Astrolabe._ The astrolabe is more commonly used by the

Arabs than any other instrument for astronomical observations. It is

generally between four and six inches in diameter. It consists of a

circular plate with a graduated rim, within which fit several thinner

plates, and of a limb, moving on a pivot in the centre, with two sights.

The plates are engraved with complicated diagrams, &c., for various

calculations. The instrument is held by a ring, or by a loop of cord

attached to the ring, during an observation; and thus its own weight

answers the same purpose as the plumb-line of the quadrant (which the

Arabs sometimes use in its stead); the position of the moveable limb

with the sights marking the required altitude.

NOTE 58. Ṣafar is the second mouth of the Mohammadan year.

NOTE 59. As different copies vary here as to the date, I have taken the

liberty of putting 263 instead of 763 or 653, in order to avoid a

glaring anachronism. It is probable, however, that the last of these is

the author's date, as it is found both in the old translation, and in

the Breslau edition. The date in the Cairo edition is 763.

NOTE 60. A degree is four minutes; it would have been more proper,

therefore, to have said, eight degrees and two minutes, than seven

degrees and six minutes.

NOTE 61. "Eṣ-Ṣámit" signifies "the Silent."

NOTE 62. This and the two following names, or rather, surnames, convey

the same meaning. Baḳbooḳ, Heddár, and Baḳbaḳ (here, in my original,

erroneously written Yaḳyaḳ), signify "Chatterer." "El-Kooz el-Aṣwánee"

(not to be mistaken for "---- ---- Aswánee," with a _soft_ s) seems to

imply that the person thus named was always like a mug, with open mouth,

and insensible as flint to rebuke. The two remaining names are different

in different copies: "Shaḳáliḳ" is perhaps put erroneously for some

other word, as "Shiḳáḳ," "Discord."

NOTE 63. Ḳur-án, ch. iii. v. 128.

NOTE 64. The Arabs generally carry their young children in this manner,

seated astride upon the shoulder.

NOTE 65. This expression is borrowed from the Ḳur-án, ch. xlviii. v. 10.

The meaning is, "there is no power of man, but God's power is superior

to it."

NOTE 66. The Prophet (Moḥammad) is always alluded to when this form of

benediction is used and the name of the person to whom it is applied is

not mentioned.

NOTE 67. "Nedd" is a perfume composed of ambergris, musk, and aloes

wood; or simply ambergris.

NOTE 68. Two khuṭbehs are recited on the occasion of the congregational

Friday-prayers. It is the first of these which is here alluded to. See

the next note.

NOTE 69.--_On the Congregational Friday-prayers._ The Selám (or

Salutation) of Friday is a form of blessing on the Prophet and his

family and companions, which is chanted by the muëddins from the

mád'nehs (or towers) of the congregational mosques half an hour before

noon. The worshippers begin to assemble in the mosque as soon as they

hear it, and, ranging themselves in rows parallel to, and facing, that

side in which is the niche, that marks the direction of Mekkeh, each

performs, by himself, the prayers of two rek'ahs, which are

supererogatory, and then sits in his place while a reader recites part

or the whole of the 18th chapter of the Ḳur-án. At the call of noon,

they all stand up, and each again performs, separately, the prayers of

two rek'ahs, ordained by the Prophet. A minister, standing at the foot

of the pulpit-stairs, then proposes to bless the Prophet: and

accordingly, a second Selám is chanted by one or more other ministers

stationed on an elevated platform. After this, the former minister, and

the latter after him, repeat the call of noon (which the muëddins have

before chanted from the mád'nehs); and the former enjoins silence. The

chief minister (Khaṭeeb, or Imám,) has already seated himself on the top

step or platform of the pulpit. He now rises, and recites a khuṭbeh of

praise to God and exhortation to the congregation; and if in a country

or town acquired by arms from unbelievers, he holds a wooden sword,

resting its point on the ground.[338] Each of the congregation next

offers up some private supplication; after which, the Khaṭeeb recites a

second khuṭbeh, which is always the same, or nearly so; part, of a

similar nature to the first, but chiefly, prayer for the Prophet and his

family, &c., and for the general welfare of the Muslims. This finished,

the Khaṭeeb or Imám descends from the pulpit, and, stationed before the

niche, after a form of words[339] differing slightly from the call to

prayer has been chanted by the ministers on the elevated platform before

mentioned, recites the divinely-ordained prayers of Friday (two

rek'ahs), while the people do the same silently, keeping time with him

exactly in the various postures. Thus are completed the Friday-prayers;

but some of the congregation remain, and perform the ordinary

divinely-ordained prayers of noon.[340]

NOTE 70. So in the Cairo edition. El-Muntaṣir bi-lláh was the

great-grandson of Hároon Er-Rasheed, and acceded to the throne in the

year of the Flight 247 (A.D. 861). A slight anachronism, therefore, is

here presented, unless we suppose that the hero of the story told by

the Sulṭán's steward was an old man at the period of the misfortune of

the humpback. The reign of El-Muntaṣir was somewhat less than six

months. The copy from which the old translation was made, and the

edition of Breslau, date the adventure of the barber, here related, more

than three centuries and a half later, in the reign of El-Mustaṣir

bi-lláh.

NOTE 71. The practice of spunging, or the intrusion of strangers at

entertainments, has long been very prevalent in Arab towns. An instance

has been given towards the close of Note 22 to Chapter iii.

NOTE 72. I have altered the order in which the brothers are described,

and omitted two particulars, to agree with the sequel.

NOTE 73. The next paragraph is translated from the Calcutta edition of

the first two hundred nights; being omitted in the Cairo edition. An

equal portion, later, is wanting in the old translation.

NOTE 74.--_On Augurations with respect to Marriage._ This passage

alludes to an astrological calculation made with the view of determining

by what sign of the zodiac the two persons are influenced who

contemplate becoming man and wife, and thence ascertaining whether they

will agree. This is often done in the present day by adding together the

numerical values of the letters composing his or her name and that of

the mother, and, if I remember right, subtracting from 12 the whole sum

if this is less than 12, or what remains after subtracting, or dividing

by, 12. Thus is obtained the number of the sign. The twelve signs,

commencing with Aries, correspond respectively with the elements of

fire, earth, air, water, fire, earth, and so on; and if the signs of the

two parties indicate the same element, it is inferred that they will

agree; but if they indicate different elements, the inference is, that

the one will be affected by the other in the same manner as the element

of the one is by that of the other: thus, if the element of the man is

fire, and that of the woman, water, he will be subject to her rule.

Among other calculations of the same kind is the following, which my

sheykh has mentioned in a marginal note on this passage, in the copy

from which I translate.--The numerical values of the letters composing

the name of each of the two parties are added together, and one of these

two sums is subtracted from the other: if the remainder is an uneven

number, the inference is unfavourable; but if even, the reverse.

In the present instance, the dupe, knowing that there are various modes

of divining whether he will be happy with his wife, is made to believe

that his fortune depends upon the mode, instead of the result, of the

calculation.

NOTE 75. Here, in my original, "Baḳbaḳ;" but this, as before mentioned,

was the name of the _third_ brother.

NOTE 76. "Ḳuffeh," signifying "a basket of palm-leaves," and "a dry

gourd," seems to be here equivalent to "empty-head."

NOTE 77. The blind in Egypt are notorious for their impudence.--It is

related that Moses, while bathing one day in the Nile, saw a blind man

pass by, and, being moved with pity, prayed that God would restore his

sight. His prayer was answered; but as soon as the eyes of the blind man

were opened, he seized the clothes of his benefactor, which were lying

on the bank, and protested that they were his own. Moses, therefore, now

prayed that the thief might be struck blind again; and God, answering

his prayer, said, O Moses, know that I am wiser than thou with respect

to my creatures.--This tradition was related to me in Cairo.

NOTE 78. It is generally thus that an injured Muslim calls others to his

aid.

NOTE 79. Like the natives of Egypt in the period of the Roman

domination,[341] its modern inhabitants, and the Arabs of other

countries (though, I believe, in a less degree), are notorious for their

obstinacy in refusing to pay their taxes until they have been severely

beaten. They well know that, the more readily they pay, the more will be

exacted from them; and are often heard to boast of the number of stripes

which they have received before yielding their money. The same obstinacy

is generally displayed by an Arab accused of any offence; and often,

even by a witness: in either case the man fears that, should he tell at

once all he can, the judge will try whether the stick or the kurbáj[342]

will elicit a further confession.

NOTE 80.--_On the general Corruptness of Muslim Judges._ Khiḍr Bey

(whether he was a judge I do not know), conversing one day with his

friends on the difficulties experienced in the exercise of judicature,

one of the company remarked, "In my opinion, the greatest difficulty

that is met with is, when one of the parties is rich, and the other,

poor."--"In that case," replied Khiḍr Bey, "I find none; for it is clear

that the rich will gain his cause, and the poor will lose: but the great

difficulty is, when the two parties are equally rich and powerful. If

thou, he continued, being a poor man, have a suit against one who is

rich and powerful, beware of applying to the Ḳáḍee; for he will not fail

to condemn thee: my advice is, that thou desist altogether from thy

suit, and rather throw thyself at the feet of thine adversary; for thou

wilt obtain more justice from him than from the Ḳáḍee."[343]--For a

justification of the opinion here expressed, see my work on the Modern

Egyptians, vol. i. ch. iv.

NOTE 81.--_On good and evil Omens._ Of omens I have already treated, in

Note 15 to Chapter i.: but a few words on this subject must be here

added.--It is common to draw a lucky or unlucky omen from the first

object seen on going out in the morning; and according as that object is

pleasant or the contrary, the person says, "my morning is good," or

"---- bad." A one-eyed man is regarded as of evil omen; and especially

one who is blind of the _left_ eye. Many a person is related to have

suffered for having an unlucky countenance.

NOTE 82. The portion of this story comprised in the first paragraph

having been the subject of a specimen of the present publication,

translated from the Calcutta edition of the first two hundred nights,

and printed and distributed when I had not in my possession the copy of

the original which I have taken as my general standard, it is here given

nearly in the same words: I have only made a few slight additions and

alterations derived from a comparison of the two editions. Some of the

notes inserted in the specimen I omit in this place, as they relate to

matters already explained.--Hole remarks (in page 223), that this part

of the Barber's story of his Fifth Brother is derived "from an Indian

fable of the remotest antiquity ... found in the Heeto-pades of

Veeshnoo-Sarma," in which a Brahman "inadvertently breaks his pottery

ware ... with a walking-stick ... in the act of suppressing the

outrageous jealousy of four beautiful but turbulent wives."

NOTE 83. "El-Feshshár" signifies "the Foolish Talker," or "Vain

Boaster." I have substituted this name for "El-'Ashshár," the reading in

my original. In the Arabic characters, the latter differs from the

former in little more than the want of a point, and has no appropriate

meaning. It appears that, in most copies of the original, the barber's

Fifth Brother is surnamed "En-Neshshár," or "the Sawyer," perhaps in

allusion to his incessant loquacity: but this, also, in the Arabic

characters, very nearly resembles "El-Feshshár," which I doubt not to be

the right name.

NOTE 84. There is nothing very extravagant in this hope of the barber's

brother; for in the East, persons frequently rise from very low to very

high stations; and it is remarkable that, notwithstanding their usual

pride, they generally retain the appellation of the trade or craft which

they or their fathers pursued, however ignoble, before their elevation.

It is common for a great man to distinguish himself by adding to his

name the appellation of "the druggist or perfumer," or "the grocer,"

&c.; and he is not a whit the less respected on this account.

NOTE 85. The Eastern grandee rides not at the head or rear of his

attendants, but in the midst of them.

NOTE 86. Persons distinguished by rank or wealth or learning are saluted

by many of the shopkeepers and passengers as they pass through the

streets of Eastern cities, and often greeted with a short ejaculatory

prayer for the continuance of their life and happiness. When a very

great man rides through the streets, most of the shopkeepers rise to

him, and pay their respect to him by inclining the head, and touching

the lips and forehead or turban with the fingers of the right hand.

NOTE 87. See Note 12 to Chapter iii.

NOTE 88. He could scarcely shew his pride more strongly; for it is an

affront to reject a present.

NOTE 89. An Arab lady of high rank seldom makes use of her feet but to

move from one chamber to another; when she goes abroad, she always

rides: to stand for many minutes together is, therefore, fatiguing to

her.

NOTE 90. See the close of Note 39 to Chapter iv.

NOTE 91. This is said either to shew his vulgarity or that the weather

was sultry.

NOTE 92. "El-Meleeḥah" signifies "the Beautiful:" it is derived from

"milḥ" (salt, &c.).

NOTE 93. An occurrence of a similar nature, which happened a few years

ago in Cairo, was related to me by one of my friends there.--An old

woman frequented the tomb of a saint in that city, near the eastern gate

called the Báb el-Maḥrooḳ, to which many women afflicted with disease or

barrenness often resorted to offer up prayers, believing their petitions

would be effectual through the saint's intercession; and she was in the

habit of enticing ladies from this tomb to the house of her husband,

which was near by, under pretence of his serving them with medicines or

with charms. The unsuspecting victim, being desired to go thither alone,

was conducted by the old woman to an upper room, at the end of which the

man was seated; and in walking over the matted floor to approach him,

suddenly fell through a trap-door into a place so deep that the fall

rendered her senseless. In this state, she was put to death; and as

ladies in Cairo always wear valuable ornaments and costly clothes, the

murderers were sure of obtaining considerable spoil.

NOTE 94. This money, we are to understand, was prepared for the purpose

of giving those presents which are customary from a guest at a

marriage-festivity; but the mention of a smaller sum would have been

more proper. It is given to the singing-women and tire-women who, in

great houses, parade the bride through the different apartments, and

display her in different rich suits of attire before the bridegroom.

NOTE 95.--_On the Handkerchief, and Signet, of Indemnity._ Sometimes,

the handkerchief, and sometimes, the signet, or seal-ring, is given as a

pledge of indemnity.--It was a frequent custom of many a chief of the

Memlooks of Egypt (there commonly called "the Ghuzz"), to bastinade men

in the court of his mansion (when he desired to make a show of strict

justice), in order that one of the women of the family, hearing the

cries, might drop a handkerchief from a window, and so the punishment

might soon cease, in respect for the ḥareem, whose protection is often

appealed to by offenders.

NOTE 96. The title of "Sulṭán" is here, and afterwards, given to the

Khaleefeh; and it has been so employed by a celebrated historian,

El-Maḳreezee.[344]

NOTE 97. So, apparently, in most copies; but in the Cairo edition, "of

the sons of the Kings." It is said to have been a custom of some of the

Barmekees (the family so renowned for their generosity) to keep open

house during the hours of meals, and to allow no one who applied at such

times for admission to be repulsed.

NOTE 98. "Sikbáj" is a dish composed of meat, wheat-flour, and vinegar.

NOTE 99. "Ḳaṭáïf" is a name applied to various kinds of sweet pastry:

particularly to a kind of small pancakes, made of a thin paste of fine

flour and water, about three inches broad, and a sixth of an inch or

less in thickness, baked upon a copper tray over a fire, like kunáfeh

(the composition of which is the same), and eaten with honey or sugar:

also to cakes composed of fine flour, treacle or honey, and sesame-oil.

The sirup mentioned in the same sentence is (as my sheykh states in a

marginal note) treacle thickened over the fire.--The proper singular of

ḳaṭáïf, namely, "ḳaṭeefeh," is seldom used; one of these cakes being

generally called "fard ḳaṭáïf." Sometimes, it appears, they were

perfumed with musk.

NOTE 100. The "mithḳál" is the weight of a deenár, or a dirhem and a

half,--in Cairo, about 71-1/2 or 72 English grains.

NOTE 101. See above, Note 96.

NOTE 102. By "Arabs," we are here to understand Bedawees, or Arabs of

the Desert, who are termed, by the older writers, "Aạráb," or

"Aạrábees;" but in my original, as in other late works, "'Arab," which

was the _old_ appellation of the _townspeople_ and _villagers_.

[Illustration]

[323] Sale's Korán; note near the close of chap. ii.

[324] See De Sacy, Relation de l'Egypte par Abd-allatif, pp.

381 et seq.; and Quatremère, Histoire des Sultans Mamlouks,

vol. i. pp. 109 et seq., a work of very great value, especially

for the notes.

[325] In his "Khiṭaṭ;" description of the principal street of

Cairo, and its branches (MS. in my possession).

[326] In his "Khiṭaṭ;" description of the principal street of

Cairo, and its branches; and account of the Kháns.

[327] Idem; account of the Ḳeysáreeyehs; and description of the

principal street of Cairo, and its branches.

[328] The orthography of this celebrated name is disputed; and

I may therefore mention that I have found it written Khall'kán

in an Arabic MS. of the year of the Flight 843; and in many

MSS. in which the reduplication of the _l_ is not marked, the

vowel _a_ is given to the first syllable. According to the

general opinion of the learned in Cairo, it is Khillikán.

[329] In his "Khiṭaṭ;" description of the principal street of

Cairo.

[330] In his "Khiṭaṭ;" description of the suburbs or environ

(ḍawáḥee) of Cairo--[The latest date in that work, as far as I

am aware, is found in the account of the mosques, in two

separate places. It is that of the year of the Flight 843 (in

the edition recently printed at Cairo); and, as El-Maḳreezee

died in the year 845, its occurrence is curious as shewing the

likelihood that he continued the composition of his most

celebrated work until very near his death. Indeed, it is

probable that he never finished it; the seventh and last

section, which is mentioned in the Preface, being wanting in

all the MSS. This date, in each instance, may be an insertion

by a later hand; but the author's History of the Sulṭáns of

Egypt was brought down, it is said by himself, to the year

preceding his death.--ED.]

[331] Marginal note, in my copy of the original, by the sheykh

Mohammad 'Eiyád.

[332] Marginal note, in my copy of the original, by the sheykh

Moḥammad 'Eiyád.

[333] Idem.

[334] A specimen of this mode of chanting is given in my work

on the Modern Egyptians, vol. ii. end of chap. v.

[335] El-Maḳreezee's "Khiṭaṭ;" account of the hospitals.

[336] Ḳur-án, ch. v. v. 49.

[337] "Modern Egyptians," vol. i. ch. xiii.

[338] It would not be necessary to remark on this explanation

of a curious custom if it had not been lately contradicted. Mr.

Lane derived his information from Arab authors, and from his

friends in Cairo; but D'Ohsson, also, says, in his Tableau

Général de l'Empire Othoman, Code Religieux, livre ii. ch. iv.

(and the authority of the works from which he translated will

hardly be questioned), that the Khaṭeeb "est même tenu de

réciter tout le _Khouthbé_ sur la chaire, _Minnber_, en

s'appuyant de la main sur la garde d'un sabre, dans tous les

temples qui ont été pris avec la ville par la force des armes."

The writer alluded to thinks that the use of the sword at

Mekkeh proves Mr. Lane to be in error; whereas the custom is

observed at Mekkeh because it was taken in war; but not at

El-Medeeneh because this city was not so taken.--ED.

[339] The iḳámeh see Note 24 to Chapter iv.

[340] For a more full account of the Friday-prayers, see my

work on the Modern Egyptians, vol. i. ch. iii.

[341] Ammianus Marcellinus, lib. xxii.

[342] See Note 6 to Chapter iv.

[343] D'Herbelot, Bibl. Or., article "Cadhi."

[Illustration]