Fable of the Two Cats--Preamble to Persian Treaty--Apologues from
Sâdee---Letter from Nizâm-ool-Moolk to Mahomed Shâh--Death of Yezdijird.
The preceding chapter concluded with an episode upon the life and
opinions of the favoured physician of Noosheerwân. I must in this
return to my subject, the elucidation of the rise and progress of
apologues and fables.
It will be admitted by all, that the Persians, in the luxuriance of
their imaginations, have embellished wonderfully the less artificial
writings of the Hindus. The lowest animal they introduce into a
fable speaks a language which would do honour to a king. All nature
contributes to adorn the metaphorical sentence; but their perfection
in that part of composition called the Ibâret-e-Rengeen, or Florid
Style, can only be shown by example, and for that purpose I have made
a literal translation of the fable of the "Two Cats;" from which I
suspect we have borrowed ours, of the "Town and Country Mouse."
"In former days there was an old woman, who lived in a hut more
confined than the minds of the ignorant, and more dark than the
tombs of misers. Her companion was a cat, from the mirror of whose
imagination the appearance of bread had never been reflected, nor had
she from friends or strangers ever heard its name. It was enough that
she now and then scented a mouse, or observed the print of its feet on
the floor; when, blessed by favouring stars, or benignant fortune, one
fell into her claws,
'She became like a beggar who discovers a treasure of gold;
Her cheeks glowed with rapture, and past grief was consumed
by present joy.'[34]
This feast would last for a week or more; and while enjoying it she was
wont to exclaim--
'Am I, O God! when I contemplate this, in a dream or awake?
Am I to experience such prosperity after such adversity?'
"But as the dwelling of the old woman was in general the mansion of
famine to this cat, she was always complaining, and forming extravagant
and fanciful schemes. One day, when reduced to extreme weakness, she
with much exertion reached the top of the hut; when there, she observed
a cat stalking on the wall of a neighbour's house, which, like a fierce
tiger, advanced with measured steps, and was so loaded with flesh that
she could hardly raise her feet. The old woman's friend was amazed to
see one of her own species so fat and sleek, and broke out into the
following exclamation:
'Your stately strides have brought you here at last;
pray tell me from whence you come?
From whence have you arrived with so lovely an appearance?
You look as if from the banquet of the Khan of Khatâi.
Where have you acquired such a comeliness?
and how came you by that glorious strength?'
The other answered, 'I am the Sultan's crum-eater. Each morning,
when they spread the convivial table, I attend at the palace, and
there exhibit my address and courage. From among the rich meats and
wheat-cakes I cull a few choice morsels; I then retire and pass my time
till next day in delightful indolence.'
"The old dame's cat requested to know what rich meat was, and what
taste wheat-cakes had? 'As for me,' she added, in a melancholy tone,
'during my life, I have neither eat nor seen any thing but the old
woman's gruel and the flesh of mice.' The other, smiling, said, 'This
accounts for the difficulty I find in distinguishing you from a spider.
Your shape and stature is such as must make the whole generation of
cats blush; and we must ever feel ashamed while you carry so miserable
an appearance abroad.
'You certainly have the ears and tail of a cat,
But in other respects you are a complete spider.'
Were you to see the Sultan's palace, and to smell his delicious
viands, most undoubtedly those withered bones would be restored; you
would receive new life; you would come from behind the curtain of
invisibility into the plain of observation:
'When the perfume of his beloved passes over the tomb of a lover,
Is it wonderful that his putrid bones should be re-animated?'
"The old woman's cat addressed the other in the most supplicating
manner: 'Oh, my sister!' she exclaimed, 'have I not the sacred claims
of a neighbour upon you; are we not linked in the ties of kindred? what
prevents your giving a proof of friendship, by taking me with you when
next you visit the palace? Perhaps from your favour plenty may flow to
me, and from your patronage I may attain dignity and honour.
'Withdraw not from the friendship of the honourable;
Abandon not the support of the elect.'
"The heart of the sultan's crum-eater was melted by this pathetic
address; she promised her new friend should accompany her on the next
visit to the palace. The latter overjoyed went down immediately from
the terrace, and communicated every particular to the old woman, who
addressed her with the following counsel:
"'Be not deceived, my dearest friend, with the worldly language you
have listened to; abandon not your corner of content, for the cup of
the covetous is only to be filled by the dust of the grave; and the eye
of cupidity and hope can only be closed by the needle of mortality and
the thread of fate.
'It is content that makes men rich;
Mark this, ye avaricious, who traverse the world:
He neither knows nor pays adoration to his God,
Who is dissatisfied with his condition and fortune.'
But the expected feast had taken such possession of poor puss's
imagination that the medicinal counsel of the old woman was thrown away.
'The good advice of all the world is like wind in a cage,
Or water in a sieve, when bestowed on the headstrong.'
"To conclude, next day, accompanied by her companion, the half-starved
cat hobbled to the Sultan's palace. Before this unfortunate wretch
came, as it is decreed that the covetous shall be disappointed, an
extraordinary event had occurred, and, owing to her evil destiny,
the water of disappointment was poured on the flame of her immature
ambition. The case was this; a whole legion of cats had, the day
before, surrounded the feast, and made so much noise, that they
disturbed the guests, and in consequence the Sultan had ordered that
some archers, armed with bows from Tartary, should, on this day, be
concealed, and that whatever cat advanced into the field of valour,
covered with the shield of audacity, should, on eating the first
morsel, be overtaken with their arrows. The old dame's puss was not
aware of this order. The moment the flavour of the viands reached her,
she flew, like an eagle to the place of her prey.
"Scarcely had the weight of a mouthful been placed in the scale to
balance her hunger, when a heart-dividing arrow pierced her breast.
'A stream of blood rushed from the wound.
She fled, in dread of death, after having exclaimed,
Should I escape from this terrific archer,
I will be satisfied with my mouse and the miserable hut
of my old mistress.
My soul rejects the honey if accompanied by the sting.
Content, with the most frugal fare, is preferable.'"
This fable is a fair specimen of the style of such compositions; but it
is in the deebâchehs, or introductions to letters or books, that "The
fiery steed of the two-tongued pen" (meaning a split reed) is allowed
to run wild amidst the rich pasture of the verdant field of imagination.
A better proof of the latitude taken on such occasions cannot be given
than in the preamble to the treaty concluded by the Elchee on his first
mission to Persia, of which the following is a literal translation:--
"After the voice is raised to the praise and glory of the God of the
world, and the brain is perfumed with the scent of the saints and
prophets, to whom be health and glory; whose rare perfections are
perpetually chanted by birds[35] of melodious notes, furnished with
two, three, and four pairs of wings; and to the Highest, seated in the
heavens, for whom good has been predestinated; and the perfume mixed
with musk, which scenteth the celestial mansions of those that sing
hymns in the ethereal sphere, and to the light of the flame of the Most
High, which gives radiant splendour to the collected view of those who
dwell in the heavenly regions; the clear meaning of the treaty, which
has been established on a solid basis, is fully explained on this
page; and as it is fixed as a principle of law, that, in this world of
existence and trouble, in this universe of creation and concord, there
is no action among those of mankind which tends more to the perfection
of the human race, or to answer the end of their being and existence,
than that of cementing friendship, and of establishing intercourse,
communication, and connexion betwixt each other. The image reflected
from the mirror of accomplishment is a tree fruitful and abundant,
and one that produces good both now and hereafter. To illustrate the
allusions that it has been proper to make, and explain these metaphors,
worthy of exposition at this happy period of auspicious aspect, a
treaty has been concluded between the high in dignity, the exalted in
station, attended by fortune, of great and splendid power, the greatest
among the high viziers in whom confidence is placed, the faithful of
the powerful government, the adorned with greatness, power, glory,
splendour, and fortune, Hajee Ibrahim Khan; on being granted leave, and
vested with authority from the porte of the high king, whose court is
like that of Solomon; the asylum of the world; the sign of the power
of God; the jewel in the ring of kings; the ornament in the cheek of
eternal empire; the grace of the beauty of sovereignty and royalty;
the king of the universe, like Caherman; the mansion of mercy and
justice; the phoenix of good fortune; the eminence of never-fading
prosperity; the king powerful as Alexander, who has no equal among the
princes, exalted to majesty by the Heavens on this globe; a shade from
the shade of the Most High; a Khoosroo, whose saddle is the moon, and
whose stirrup is the new moon; a prince of great rank, before whom the
sun is concealed. * * * * * * * And the high in dignity; the great
and mighty in power; the ornament of those acquainted with manners
******; delegated from the sublime quarter of the high in power seated
on a throne; the asylum of the world; the chief jewel in the crown
of royalty and sovereignty; the anchor of the vessel of victory and
fortune; the ship on the sea of glory and empire; the blazing sun in
the sky of greatness and glory; lord of the countries of England and
India; may God strengthen his territories, and establish his glory and
command upon the seas, in the manner explained in his credentials!
which are sealed with the seal of the most powerful, and most glorious,
possessing fortune, the origin of rank, splendour, and nobility; the
ornament of the world; the accomplisher of the works of mankind; the
Governor-General of India!"
This preamble is not less remarkable for its flowery diction than for
the art by which it saves the dignity of the king of Persia from the
appearance of treating with any one below the rank of a monarch. It is
also curious to observe, that after introducing the king of England,
how skilfully he is limited to an undisputed sovereignty of the seas,
that his power may not clash with that of the mighty Khoosroo of the
day, "whose saddle is the moon, and whose stirrup is the new moon," in
his dominion over the earth!
Speaking on the above subjects to Aga Meer, I asked him if their
monarchs were as much delighted with this hyperbolical style as the
Meerzâs or Secretaries. "Not at all," said he: "the late king, Aga
Mahomed, who was remarkable for his hatred of ornament and show
in every form, when his secretaries began with their flattering
introductions, used to lose all temper, and exclaim, 'To the contents,
you scoundrel.'"[36] "Flowery introductions," said the Meer, "if he
had lived long enough, would have gone out of fashion; but the present
king prides himself upon being a fine writer, both in prose and verse,
and the consequence is, as you see in the preamble of this treaty, a
composition which I know was honoured by his particular approbation."
It is but justice to some of the most distinguished Persian authors
to add, that there are many exceptions to this redundant style of
composition. In the pages of their greatest poets, Firdousee, Nizâmee,
Sâdee, and Anwerree, we meet with many passages as remarkable for the
beauty and simplicity of the expression, as the truth and elevation
of the sentiments; and many of their historians have given us plain
narrations of facts, unencumbered with those ornaments and metaphors
which are so popular with the generality of their countrymen.
How simply and beautifully has Sâdee depicted the benefit of good
society in the following well-known apologue!
"One day as I was in the bath, a friend of mine put into my hand a
piece of scented clay. I took it, and said to it, 'Art thou musk or
ambergris, for I am charmed with thy perfume?' It answered, 'I was
a despicable piece of clay, but I was some time in the company of
the rose; the sweet quality of my companion was communicated to me,
otherwise I should be only a bit of clay, as I appear to be!'"
And in another[37] he has given, with equal force and simplicity, the
character of true affection:--
"There was an affectionate and amiable youth who was betrothed to a
beautiful girl. I have read, that as they were sailing in the great
sea they fell together into a whirlpool: when a mariner went to the
young man, that he might catch his hand, and save him from perishing
in that unhappy juncture, he called aloud, and pointed to his mistress
from the midst of the waves: 'Leave me, and save my beloved!' The whole
world admired him for that speech; and when expiring, he was heard
to say--'Learn not the tale of love from that wretch who forgets his
beloved in the hour of danger.'"
We often meet with Persian letters written in a style at once clear and
nervous. Of these there cannot be a better example than that addressed
by Nizâm-ool-Moolk, the predecessor of the present Soobâh, or ruler
of the Deccan, to Mahomed Shâh, the weak and luxurious Emperor of
Delhi. This letter, besides the merit of its style, possesses that of
conveying a just idea of what Mahomedans conceive to be the duties and
pursuits of a good and great monarch, a character which is with them
invariably associated with that of a military conqueror.
The following extracts from this well-known production are very
literal:
"It is the duty of princes to see that the laws are strictly obeyed;
that the honour of their subjects be preserved inviolate; that justice
be rendered to all men; and that loyal nobles and ancient pillars of
the state, whose claims to reward are established and acknowledged,
be distinguished according to their merits. It is their duty, too, to
seek for pleasure in woods and deserts;[38] to labour unremittingly in
the chastisement of the seditious and refractory; to watch over the
rights and happiness of the lower order of their subjects; to shun the
society of the mean, and to abstain from all prohibited practices, to
the end that none of their people may be able to transgress against the
precepts of religion or morality.
"It is also the duty of princes to be constantly employed in enlarging
their dominions, and in encouraging and rewarding their soldiery; it
being in the seat of his saddle alone that a king can properly repose.
It was in conformity to this opinion the ancestors[39] of your majesty
established it as a domestic rule, that their wives should be delivered
on their saddle-cloths, although the moment of child-birth is of all
others the one wherein convenience and comfort are most consulted. And
they ordained that this usage should invariably be observed by their
descendants, to the end that these might never forget the hardy and
manly character of their progenitors, or give themselves up to the
slothful and enervating luxury of palaces.
"It is not in the melodious notes of the musician, or the soft tones of
the mimic singer, that true and delightful harmony consists; but it is
in the clash of arms, the thunder of cannon, and in the piercing sound
of the trumpet, which assembles together the ranks in the field of
battle. It is not by decking out the charms of a favourite female that
power and dominion are to be maintained, but by manfully wielding the
sword; nor is it in celebrating the Hoolee[40] with base eunuchs, that
men of real spirit are seen to sprinkle each other with red, but it is
in the conflict of heroes with intrepid enemies.
"It being solely with the view of correcting the errors of your
Majesty's government, and of restoring its ancient splendour, that
the meanest of your servants has been moved, by the warmth of his
zeal and attachment, to impart his sentiments to your Majesty, he has
made up his mind to the consequences of this well-meant freedom, and
will cheerfully submit to his fate; being in the mean time, however,
determined (God willing) to persevere in the design which he has
formed, of endeavouring to re-establish the affairs of the empire by
every means that may be consistent with his duty and with propriety."
The affecting death of Yezdijird, the last of the Kaiânian race of
kings, affords a fair specimen of that plain and distinct style in
which some of the best histories of Persia are written. It is as
follows:
"When the inhabitants of Merv heard that Yezdijird had fled from
Persia, and was within their territory, they were anxious to apprehend
and destroy him. They accordingly addressed a letter to Tanjtâkh, the
King of Tartary, stating, 'The King of Persia has fled from the Arabs
and taken refuge with us; we are not inclined to be his adherents,
we are more favourably inclined towards you, whose approach we
desire, that we may be freed from him, and place ourselves under your
protection.'
"As soon as Tanjtâkh received this letter he desired to gain possession
of Merv, and marched with a considerable army towards that city.
Yezdijird, hearing of his near approach, and of the force by which he
was accompanied, departed from the Câravânserâi where he had alighted,
at midnight, unattended and undetermined where to go. As he walked
straight forward, he saw a light on the side of a stream, to which he
directed his footsteps. He found a miller engaged in the labours of
his mill, to whom he said, 'I am a man in desperate circumstances, and
have an enemy whom I have every reason to dread; afford me an asylum
for this one night; to-morrow I will give you what may make you easy
for life.' The miller replied, 'Enter that mill, and remain there.'
Yezdijird went into the mill, and laying sorrow aside, went composedly
to sleep. When the miller's servants observed that he was gone to rest,
and entirely off his guard, they armed themselves with clubs, and
falling upon him slew him. Having done this they stripped the body of
the gold and silver ornaments, the imperial robe, and the crown: then
taking the corpse by the feet, they dragged it along, and threw it into
the mill-dam.
"Next day Tanjtâkh arrived at Merv, and the inhabitants sought
Yezdijird in every direction. By chance the miller being met, was
interrogated. He denied having any knowledge of him; but one of his
servants, who was dressed in a woollen garment, having come before
them, they, discovering that he smelt strongly of perfume, tore open
his garment, and found Yezdijird's imperial robe, scented with ottar
and other essences, hid in his bosom. They now examined all the other
servants, and found that each had some article secreted about his
person; and after being put to the torture they confessed the whole
transaction.
"Tanjtâkh immediately sent people to search the mill-dam for the body,
which they soon found and laid before him. When he saw the corpse of
the king he wept bitterly, and ordered it to be embalmed with spices
and perfumes; and he further directed, that after it was wrapt,
according to the usage of the Kaiânian monarchs, in a shroud, and
placed in a coffin, it should be sent to Persia to be interred in the
same place, and with the same ceremonies, as other sovereigns of the
race of Kaiân.
"Tanjtâkh also commanded that the miller and his servants should be put
to death."
What has been said in this chapter, and the examples of the various
styles with which my opinions have been illustrated, will satisfy the
reader that the mine of Persian literature contains every substance,
from the dazzling diamond to the useful granite, and that its materials
may be employed with equal success to build castles in the air or
upon the earth. My prejudices are, I confess, in favour of the former
fabrics, which in the East are constructed with a magnificence unknown
to the graver spirits of our Western hemisphere.
FOOTNOTES:
[34] This, with some other verses in the fable, are from Persian poets
of celebrity, whose stanzas it is an invariable usage to introduce in
such compositions.
[35] A metaphorical name for angels.
[36] Be-mezmoon Badbakht.
[37] Both these Apologues have been translated by Sir W. Jones.
[38] Alluding to hunting and other field sports.
[39] The Princes of Tartary. The country we term Tartary is by the
Asiatics called Tûrkistan. We have given the name of a small tribe of
Moghuls to the whole region inhabited by that and other races, in the
same manner as the Oriental nations called Europe Faringastân, or the
country of the Franks, because they first became acquainted with the
people of France.
[40] A remarkable festival held in India to celebrate the commencement
of the new year, in which they fling red powder at one another: it
commences at the vernal equinox.