In the mean time, OMAR, to whom HAMET had from time to time disclosed
the minutest particulars of his situation and design, kept his eye
almost continually upon ALMORAN; and observed him with an attention and
sagacity, which it was difficult either to elude or deceive. He
perceived, that he was more than usual restless and turbulent; that in
the presence of HAMET he frequently changed countenance; that his
behaviour was artificial and inconsistent, frequently shifting from
gloomy discontent and furious agitation, to forced laughter and noisy
merriment. He had also remarked, that he seemed most discomposed after
he had been with HAMET to ALMEIDA, which happened generally once in a
week; that he was become fond of solitude, and was absent several days
together from the apartment of his women.
OMAR, who from this conduct of ALMORAN had begun to suspect his
principles, determined to introduce such topics of discourse, as might
lead him to discover the state of his mind; and enable him to enforce
and confirm the principles he had taught him, by new proofs and
illustrations.
ALMORAN, who, since the death of his father, had nothing to apprehend
from the discovery of sentiments which before he had been careful to
conceal; now urged his objections against religion, when OMAR gave him
opportunity, without reserve. 'You tell me,' says he, 'of beings that
are immortal, because they are immaterial; beings which do not consist
of parts, and which, therefore, can admit no solution, the only natural
cause of corruption and decay: but that which is not material, can have
no extension; and what has no extension, possesses no space; and of such
beings, the mind itself, which you pretend to be such a being, has no
conception.'
'If the mind,' says OMAR, 'can perceive that there is in itself any
single, property of such a being, it has irrefragable evidence that it
is such a being; though its mode of existence, as distinct from matter,
cannot now be comprehended.' 'And what property of such a being,' said
ALMORAN, 'does the mind of man perceive in itself?' 'That of _acting_,
said OMAR, 'without _motion_. You have no idea, that a material
substance can act, but in proportion as it moves: yet to _think_, is to
_act_; and with the idea of thinking, the idea of motion is never
connected: on the contrary, we always conceive the mind to be fixed, in
proportion to the degree of ardour and intenseness with which the power
of thinking is exerted. Now, if that which is material cannot act
without motion; and if man is conscious, that to think, is to act and
not to move; it follows, that there is, in man, somewhat that is not
matter; somewhat that has no extension, and that possesses no space;
somewhat which, having no contexture or parts that can be dissolved or
separated, is exempted from all the natural causes of decay.'
OMAR paused; and ALMORAN having stood some moments without reply, he
seized this opportunity to impress him with an awful sense of the power
and presence of the Supreme and Eternal Being, from whom his own
existence was derived: 'Let us remember,' said he, 'that to every act of
this immaterial and immortal part, the Father of spirits, from whom it
proceeds, is present: when I behold the busy multitudes that crowd the
metropolis of Persia, in the persuit of business and projects infinitely
complicated and various; and consider that every idea which passes over
their minds, every conclusion, and every purpose, with all that they
remember of the past, and all that they imagine of the future, is at
once known to the Almighty, who without labour or confusion weighs every
thought of every mind in His balance, and reserves it to the day of
retribution; my follies cover me with confusion, and my soul is humbled
in the dust.'
ALMORAN, though he appeared to listen with attention, and offered
nothing against the reasoning of OMAR, yet secretly despised it as
sophistry; which cunning only had rendered specious; and which he was
unable to confute, merely because it was subtil, and not because it was
true: he had been led, by his passions, first to love, and then to adopt
different opinions; and as every man is inclined to judge of others by
himself, he doubted, whether the principles which OMAR had thus laboured
to establish; were believed even by OMAR himself.
Thus was the mind of ALMORAN to the instructions of OMAR, as a rock
slightly covered with earth, is to the waters of heaven: the craggs are
left bare by the rain that washes them; and the same showers that
fertilize the field can only discover the sterility of the rock.
OMAR, however, did not yet disclose his suspicions to HAMET, because he
did not yet see that it could answer any purpose. To remove ALMEIDA from
her apartment, would be to shew a distrust, for which there would not
appear to be any cause; and to refuse ALMORAN access to her when he
desired it, might precipitate such measures as he might meditate, and
engage him in some desperate attempt: he, therefore, contented himself
with advising HAMET, to conceal the time of his marriage till the
evening before he intended it should take place, without assigning the
reason on which his advice was founded.
To the council of OMAR, HAMET was implicitly obedient, as to the
revelations of the Prophet; but, like his instructions, it was neglected
by ALMORAN, who became every moment more wretched. He had a graceful
person, and a vigorous mind; he was in the bloom of youth, and had a
constitution that promised him length of days; he had power which
princes were emulous to obey, and wealth by which whatever could
administer to luxury might be bought, for every passion, and every
appetite, it was easy for him to procure a perpetual succession of new
objects: yet was ALMORAN, not only without enjoyment, but without peace;
he was by turns pining with discontent, and raving with indignation; his
vices had extracted bitter from every sweet; and having exhausted
nature for delight in vain, he was repining at the bounds in which he
was confined, and regretting the want of other powers as the cause of
his misery.
Thus the year of mourning for Solyman was compleated, without any act of
violence on the part of ALMORAN, or of caution on the part of HAMET: but
on the evening of the last day, HAMET, having secretly prepared every
thing for performing the solemnity in a private manner, acquainted
ALMORAN by a letter, which OMAR, undertook to deliver, that he should
celebrate his marriage on the morrow. ALMORAN, who never doubted but he
should have notice of this event much longer before it was to happen,
read the letter with a perturbation that it was impossible to conceal:
he was alone in his private apartment, and taking his eye hastily from
the paper, he crushed it together in his hand, and thrusting it into his
bosom, turned from OMAR without speaking; and OMAR, thinking himself
dismissed, withdrew.
The passions which ALMORAN could no longer suppress, now burst out, in a
torrent of exclamation: 'Am I then, said he, 'blasted for ever with a
double curse, divided empire and disappointed love! What is dominion, if
it is not possessed alone? and what is power, which the dread of rival
power perpetually controuls? Is it for me to listen in silence to the
wrangling of slaves, that I may at last apportion to them what, with a
clamorous insolence, they demand as their due! as well may the sun
linger in his course, and the world mourn in darkness for the day, that
the glow-worm may still be seen to glimmer upon, the earth, and the
owls and bats that haunt the sepulchres of the dead enjoy a longer
night. Yet this have I done, because this has been done by HAMET: and my
heart sickens in vain with the desire of beauty, because my power
extends not to ALMEIDA. With dominion undivided and ALMEIDA, I should be
ALMORAN; but without them, I am less than nothing.'
OMAR, who, before he has passed the pavilion, heard a sound which he
knew to be the voice of ALMORAN, returned hastily to the chamber in
which he left him, believing he had withdrawn too soon, and that the
king, as he knew no other was present, was speaking to him: he soon drew
near enough to hear what was said; and while he was standing torpid in
suspense, dreading to be discovered, and not knowing how to retire,
ALMORAN turned about.
At first, both stood motionless with confusion and amazement; bus
ALMORAN'S pride soon surmounted his other passions, and his disdain of
OMAR gave his guilt the firmness of virtue.
'It is true,' said he, 'that thou hast stolen the secret of my heart;
but do not think, that I fear it should be known: though my poignard
could take it back with thy life; I leave it with thee. To reproach, or
curse thee, would do thee honour, and lift thee into an importance which
otherwise thou canst never reach.' ALMORAN then turned from him with a
contemptuous frown: but OMAR caught him by the robe; and prostrating
himself upon the ground, intreated to be heard. His importunity at
length prevailed; and he attempted to exculpate himself, from the charge
of having insiduously intruded upon the privacy of his prince, but
ALMORAN sternly interrupted him: 'And what art thou,' said he, 'that I
should care, whether thou art innocent or guilty?' 'If not for my
sake,' said OMAR, 'listen for thy own; and though my duty is despised,
let my affection be heard. That thou art not happy, I know; and I now
know the cause. Let my lord pardon the presumption of his slave: he that
seeks to satisfy all his wishes, must be wretched; he only can be happy,
by whom some are suppressed.' At these words ALMORAN snatched his robe
from the hand of OMAR, and spurned him in a transport of rage and
indignation: 'The suppression of desire,' said he, 'is such happiness,
as that of the deaf who do not remember to have heard. If it is virtue,
know, that, as virtue, I despise it; for though it may secure the
obedience of the slave, it can only degrade the prerogative of a prince.
I cast off all restraint, as I do thee: begone, therefore, to HAMET, and
see me no more.'
OMAR obeyed without reply; and ALMORAN being again alone, the conflict
in his mind was renewed with greater violence than before. He felt all
that he had disguised to OMAR, with the keenest sensibility; and
anticipated the effects of his detection, with unutterable anguish and
regret. He walked backward and forward with a hasty but interrupted
pace; sometimes stopping short, and pressing his hand hard upon his
brow; and sometimes by violent gestures showing the agitation of his
mind: he sometimes stood silent with his eyes, fixed upon, the ground,
and his arms folded together; and sometimes a sudden agony of thought
forced him into loud and tumultuous exclamations: he cursed the
impotence of mind that had suffered his thoughts to escape from him
unawares; without reflecting that he was even then repeating the folly;
and while he felt himself the victim of vice, he could not suppress his
contempt of virtue: 'If I must perish,' said he, 'I will at least perish
unsubdued: I will quench no wish that nature kindles in my bosom; nor
shall my lips utter any prayer, but for new powers to feed the flame.'
As he uttered this expression, he felt the palace shake; he heard a
rushing, like a blast in the desart; and a being of more than human
appearance stood before him. ALMORAN, though he was terrified, was not
humbled; and he stood expecting the event, whether evil or good, rather
with obduracy than courage.
'Thou seest,' says the Appearance, 'a Genius, whom the daring purpose of
thy mind has convoked from the middle region, where he was appointed to
wait the signal; and who is now permitted to act in concert with thy
will. Is not this the language of thy heart?--"Whatever pleasure I can
snatch from the hand of time, as he passes by me, I will secure for
myself: my passions shall be strong, that my enjoyments may be great;
for what is the portion allotted to man, but the joyful madness that
prolongs the hours of festivity, the fierce delight that is extorted
from injury by revenge, and the sweet succession of varied pleasures
which the wish that is ever changing prepares for love?"'
'Whatever thou art,' said ALMORAN, 'whose voice has thus disclosed the
secret of my soul, accept my homage; for I will worship thee: and be
thou henceforth my wisdom and my strength.'
'Arise,' said the Genius, 'for therefore am I sent. To thy own powers,
mine shall be superadded: and if, as weak only, thou hast been wretched;
henceforth thou shalt be happy. Take no thought for to-morrow;
to-morrow, my power shall be employed in thy behalf. Be not affrighted
at any prodigy; but put thy confidence in me.' While he was yet speaking
and the eyes of ALMORAN were fixed upon him, a cloud gathered round him;
and the next moment dissolving again into air, he disappeared.