the king of Persia’s passion, yet the queen could hardly forgive
his indiscretion in mentioning the princess Giauhara before him.
Your imprudence is not to be forgiven, said she to him: can you
think that the king of Samandal, whose character is so well known,
will have greater consideration for you, than the many kings he has
refused his daughter to, with such evident contempt? would you have
him send you away with the same confusion?
Madam, replied king Saleh, I have already told you it was contrary
to my intention that the king my nephew heard what I related of the
beauty of the princess Giauhara to the queen my sister. The fault is
committed, and we must consider what a violent passion he has for
this princess, and that he will die with grief and affliction, if we
do not speedily use every possible means to obtain her for him. For
my part, I shall omit nothing that can contribute to it, since I
was, though innocently, the cause of the malady; I will therefore do
all that I can to remedy it. I hope, madam, you will approve of my
resolution, to go myself and wait upon the king of Samandal, with a
rich present of precious stones, and demand the princess his
daughter of him for the king of Persia your grandson. I have some
reason to believe he will not refuse me, but will be pleased at an
alliance with one of the greatest potentates of the earth.
It were to have been wished, replied the queen, that we had not been
under a necessity of making this demand, since the success of our
attempt is not so certain as we could desire; but since my
grandson’s peace and content depend upon it, I freely give my
consent to it. But, above all, I charge you, since you well know the
humour of the king of Samandal, that you take care to speak to him
with due respect and in a manner that cannot possibly offend him.
The queen prepared the present herself, composing it of diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, and strings of pearls; all which she put into a
very neat and very rich box. Next morning king Saleh took leave of
her majesty and the king of Persia, and departed with a chosen and
small troop of officers, and other attendants. He soon arrived at
the kingdom and the palace of the king of Samandal, who delayed not
to give him audience immediately upon his arrival. He rose from his
throne as soon as he perceived him; and king Saleh, forgetting his
character for some moments, knowing whom he had to deal with,
prostrated himself at his feet, wishing him the accomplishment of
all his desires. The king of Samandal immediately stooped to take
him up, and after he had placed him by him on his left hand, he told
him he was welcome, and asked him if there was any thing he could do
to serve him.
Sir, answered king Saleh, though I should have no other motive than
that of paying my respects to the most potent, most prudent, and
most valiant prince in the world, feeble would be my expressions how
much I honour your majesty. Could you penetrate into my inmost soul,
you would be convinced of the great veneration I have for you, and
the ardent desire to testify my attachment. Having spoke these
words, he took the box of jewels from one of his servants, and
having opened it, presented it to the king, imploring him to accept
of it for his sake.
Prince, replied the king of Samandal, you would not make me such a
present without you had a request proportionable to it to propose.
If there be any thing in my power, you may freely command it, and I
shall feel the greatest pleasure in granting it. Speak, and tell me
frankly wherein I can serve you.
I must own ingenuously, replied king Saleh, I have a boon to ask of
your majesty; and I shall take care to ask nothing but what is in
your power to grant. The thing depends so absolutely on yourself,
that it would be to no purpose to ask it of any other. I ask it then
with all possible earnestness, and I beg of you not to refuse it me.
If it be so, replied the king of Samandal, you have nothing to do
but acquaint me what it is, and you shall see after what manner I
can oblige when it is in my power.
Sir, said king Saleh, after the confidence your majesty has been
pleased to encourage me to put in your good-will, I will not
dissemble any longer, that I came to beg of you to honour our house
with your alliance by the marriage of your honourable daughter the
princess Giauhara, and to strengthen the good understanding that has
so long subsisted between our two crowns.
At these words the king of Samandal burst out a laughing, falling
back in his throne against a cushion that supported him, and with an
imperious and scornful air, said to king Saleh, King Saleh, I have
always hitherto thought you a prince of great sense, wisdom, and
prudence; but what you say convinces me how much I was mistaken.
Tell me, I beseech you, where was your wit or discretion, when you
formed to yourself so great a chimera as you have but now proposed
to me? Could you conceive a thought only of aspiring in marriage to
a princess, the daughter of so great and powerful a king as I am?
You ought to have considered better beforehand the great distance
between us, and not run the risk of losing in a moment the esteem I
always had for your person.
King Saleh was extremely nettled at this affronting answer, and had
much ado to restrain his resentment; however, he replied with all
possible moderation, God reward your majesty as you deserve! I have
the honour to inform you, I do not demand the princess your daughter
in marriage for myself: had I done so, your majesty and the princess
ought to have been so far from being offended, that you should have
thought it an honour done to both. Your majesty well knows I am one
of the kings of the sea as well as yourself; that the kings my
ancestors yield not in antiquity to any other royal families; and
that the kingdom I inherit from them is no less potent and
flourishing than it has ever been. If your majesty had not
interrupted me, you had soon understood that the favour I ask of you
was not for myself, but for the young king of Persia my nephew,
whose power and grandeur, no less than his personal good qualities,
cannot be unknown to you. Every body acknowledges the princess
Giauhara to be the most beautiful person under heaven: but it is no
less true, that the young king of Persia my nephew, is the best made
and most accomplished prince on the land. Thus the favour that is
asked being likely to redound both to the honour of your majesty and
the princess your daughter, you ought not to doubt that your consent
to an alliance so equal will be unanimously approved in all the
kingdoms of the sea. The princess is worthy of the king of Persia,
and the king of Persia is no less worthy of her. No king or prince
in the world can dispute her with him.
The king of Samandal had not let king Saleh go on so long after this
rate, had not the rage he put him in deprived him of all power of
speech. He was some time longer before he could find his tongue, so
much was he transported with passion. At length, however, he broke
out into outrageous and injurious expressions, unworthy of a great
king. Dog! cried he, dare you talk to me after this manner, and so
much as mention my daughter’s name in my presence? Can you think
the son of your sister Gulnare worthy to come in competition with my
daughter? Who are you? Who was your father? Who is your sister? And
who your nephew? Was not his father a dog, and a son of a dog, like
you? Guards, seize the insolent wretch, and cut off his head!
The few officers that were about the king of Samandal were
immediately going to obey his orders, when king Saleh, who was in
the flower of his age, nimble and vigorous, got from them, before
they could draw their sabres; and having reached the palace-gate, he
there found a thousand men of his relations and friends, well armed
and equipped, who were just arrived. The queen his mother having
considered the small number of attendants he took with him, and
moreover foreseeing the bad reception he would probably have from
the king of Samandal, had sent these troops to protect and defend
him in case of danger, ordering them to make haste. Those of his
relations who were at the head of this troop had reason to rejoice
at their seasonable arrival, when they beheld him and his attendants
come running in great disorder, and pursued. Sire, cried his
friends, the moment he joined them, what is the matter? We are ready
to revenge you: you need only command us.
King Saleh related his case to them in as few words as he could, and
putting himself at the head of a large troop, he, while some seized
on the gates, re-entered the palace as before. The few officers and
guards who had pursued him, being soon dispersed, he re-entered the
king of Samandal’s apartment, who, being abandoned by his
attendants, was soon seized. King Saleh left sufficient guards to
secure his person, and then went from apartment to apartment, to
search after the princess Giauhara. But that princess, on the first
alarm, had, together with her women, sprung up to the surface of the
sea, and escaped to the desert island.
While this passed in the palace of the king of Samandal, those of
king Saleh’s attendants who had fled at the first menaces of that
king, put the queen mother into terrible consternation, upon
relating the danger her son was in. King Beder, who was by at that
time, was the more concerned, in that he looked upon himself as the
principal author of all the mischief that might ensue: therefore,
not caring to abide the queen’s presence any longer, he, while she
was giving the orders necessary at that conjuncture, darted up from
the bottom of the sea; and, not knowing how to find his way to the
kingdom of Persia, he happened to light on the same island where the
princess Giauhara had saved herself.
The prince, not a little disturbed in mind, went and seated himself
under the shade of a large tree, surrounded with divers others.
Whilst he was endeavouring to recover himself, he heard somebody
talking, but was too far off to understand what was said. He arose,
and advanced softly towards the place whence the sound came, where,
among the branches, he perceived a beauty that dazzled him.
Doubtless, said he, within himself, stopping and considering her
with great attention, this must be the princess Giauhara, whom fear
has obliged to abandon her father’s palace; or, if it be not, she
no less deserves my hearty love. This said, he came forward, and
discovering himself approached the princess with profound reverence.
Madam, said he, I can never sufficiently thank Heaven for the favour
it has done me in presenting to my eyes this day so much beauty. A
greater happiness could not have befallen me, than this opportunity
to offer you my most humble services. I beseech you, therefore,
madam, to accept them, it being impossible that a lady in this
solitude should not want assistance.
True, my lord, replied Giauhara very sorrowfully; it is not a little
extraordinary for a lady of my quality to be in this situation. I am
a princess, daughter of the king of Samandal, and my name is
Giauhara. I was at ease in my father’s palace, and my apartment,
when all of a sudden I heard a dreadful noise: news was immediately
brought me, that king Saleh, I know not for what reason, had forced
the palace, seized the king my father, and murdered all the guards
that made any resistance. I had only time to save myself, and escape
hither from his violence.
At these words of the princess, king Beder began to be concerned
that he had quitted his grandmother so hastily, without staying to
hear from her an explanation of the news that had been brought her.
But he was on the other hand, overjoyed to find that the king his
uncle had rendered himself master of the king of Samandal’s
person, not doubting but he would consent to give up the princess
for his liberty. Adorable princess, continued he, your concern is
most just, but it is easy to put an end both to that and your
father’s captivity. You will agree with me, when I shall tell you
that I am Beder king of Persia, and king Saleh is my uncle: I assure
you, madam, he has no design to seize upon the king your father’s
dominions; his only intent is to obtain of him that I may have the
honour and happiness of being his son-in-law. I had already given my
heart to you, upon the bare relation of your beauty and charms; and
now, far from repenting of what I have done, I beg of you to accept
it, and to be assured that I will love you as long as I live. I dare
flatter myself you will not refuse this favour, but be ready to
acknowledge that a king, that quitted his dominions purely on your
account, deserves some acknowledgment. Permit me, then, beauteous
princess, to have the honour to go and present you to the king my
uncle; and the king your father shall no sooner have consented to
our marriage, but king Saleh will leave him sovereign of his
dominions as before.
This declaration of king Beder did not produce the effect he
expected. It is true, the princess no sooner saw him, than his
person and air, and the good grace wherewith he accosted her, led
her to look on him as one who would not have been disagreeable to
her; but when she heard from his own mouth that he had been the
occasion of the ill treatment her father had suffered, of the grief
and fright she had endured, and especially the necessity she was
reduced to of flying her country; she looked upon him as an enemy
with whom she ought to have no manner of converse. Whatever
inclination she might have to consent to this marriage, which he
desired, she determined never to yield to it, in consideration that
one of the reasons that her father might have had against this match
might be, that king Beder was son of a king of the earth; and
therefore she resolved to submit entirely to his will in that
particular.
She would not, however, let king Beder know her resentment, and only
sought an occasion to deliver herself dexterously out of his hands;
and seeming in the mean time to have a great kindness for him: Are
you then, sir, said she, with all possible civility, son of the
queen Gulnare, so famous for her wit and beauty? I am glad of it,
and rejoice that you are the son of so worthy a mother. The king my
father was much in the wrong so strongly to oppose our union: he
could not have seen you, but he must have consented to make us both
happy. Saying so, she reached forth her hand to him as a token of
friendship.
King Beder, believing himself arrived at the very pinnacle of
happiness, held forth his hand and taking that of the princess,
stooped down to kiss it, when she, pushing him back, and spitting in
his face for want of water to throw at him, said, ‘Wretch, quit
that form of a man, and take that of a white bird, with a red bill
and feet.’ Upon her pronouncing these words, king Beder was
immediately changed into a bird of that sort, to his great surprise
and mortification. Take him, said she, to one of her women, and
carry him to the Dry Island. This island was only one frightful
rock, where there was not a drop of water to be had.
The waiting-woman took the bird, and in executing her princess’s
orders, had compassion on king Beder’s destiny. It would be great
pity, said she to herself, to let a prince, so worthy to live, die
of hunger and thirst. The princess, so good and gentle, will, it may
be, repent of this cruel order when she comes to herself: it were
better that I carried him to a place where he may die a natural
death. She accordingly carried him to a well-frequented island, and
left him in a charming plain, planted with all sorts of fruit-trees,
and watered by divers rivulets.
Let us return to king Saleh. After he had sought a good while for
the princess Giauhara, and ordered others to seek for her to no
purpose, he caused the king of Samandal to be shut up in his own
palace, under a strong guard; and having given the necessary orders
for governing the kingdom in his absence, he returned to give the
queen his mother an account of what he had done. The first thing he
asked upon his arrival was, Where the king his nephew was? and he
learned with great surprise and vexation that he had disappeared.
News being brought me, said the queen, of the danger you was in at
the palace of the king of Samandal, whilst I was giving orders to
send you other troops to avenge you, he disappeared. He must have
been frightened at hearing of your being in so great danger, and did
not think himself in sufficient security with us.
This news exceedingly afflicted king Saleh, who now repented of his
being so easily wrought upon by king Beder as to carry him away with
him without his mother’s consent. He sent every where after him,
but whatever diligence was used, he could hear no tidings of him;
and instead of the joy he conceived at having carried on so far the
marriage, which he looked upon as his own work, his grief for this
accident was more mortifying. Whilst he was under this suspense
about his nephew, he left his kingdom under the administration of
his mother, and went to govern that of the king of Samandal, whom he
continued to keep with great vigilance, though with all due respect
to his character.
The same day that king Saleh returned to the kingdom of Samandal,
queen Gulnara, mother to king Beder, arrived at the court of the
queen her mother. The princess was not at all surprised to find her
son did not return the same day he set out; it being not uncommon
for him to go farther than he proposed in the heat of the chase; but
when she saw he neither returned the next day, nor the day after,
she began to be alarmed, as may easily be imagined from her
affection for him. This alarm was augmented, when the officers, who
had accompanied the king, and were obliged to return after they had
for a long time sought in vain both for him and his uncle, came and
told her majesty they must of necessity have come to some harm, or
must be together in some place which they could not guess, since,
whatever diligence they had used, they could hear no tidings of
them. Their horses indeed they had found, but as for their persons,
they knew not where to look for them. The queen, hearing this, had
resolved to dissemble and conceal her affliction, bidding the
officers to search once more with their utmost diligence; but in the
mean time, saying nothing to any body, she plunged into the sea, to
satisfy herself as to the suspicion she had that king Saleh must
have carried away his nephew along with him.
This great queen would have been more affectionately received by the
queen her mother, had she not, upon first sight of her, guessed the
occasion of her coming. Daughter, said she, I plainly perceive you
are not come hither to visit me; you come to inquire after the king
your son; and the only news I can tell you will augment both your
grief and mine. I no sooner saw him arrive in our territories, but I
rejoiced; yet, when I came to understand he had come away without
your knowledge, I began to participate with you in the concern you
must needs suffer. Then she related to her with what zeal king Saleh
went to demand the princess Giauhara in marriage for king Beder, and
what happened upon it, till her son disappeared. I have sent
diligently after him, added she, and the king my son, who is but
just gone to govern the kingdom of Samandal, has done all that lay
in his power. All our endeavours have hitherto proved unsuccessful,
but we must hope nevertheless to see him again, perhaps when we
least expect it.
Queen Gulnare was not satisfied with this hope: she looked upon the
king her dear son as lost, and she lamented him bitterly, laying all
the blame upon the king his uncle. The queen her mother made her
consider the necessity of her not yielding too much to her grief.
The king your brother, said she, ought not, it is true, to have
talked to you so inconsiderately about that marriage, nor ever have
consented to carry away the king my grandson, without acquainting
you before; yet since it is not certain that the king of Persia is
absolutely lost you ought to neglect nothing to preserve his kingdom
for him: lose, then, no more time, but return to your capital; your
presence there will be necessary, and it will not be hard for you to
preserve the public peace, by causing it to be published that the
king of Persia was gone to visit his grandmother.
This was sufficient to oblige queen Gulnare to yield to it. She took
leave of the queen her mother, and got back to the palace of the
capital of Persia before she had been missed. She despatched
immediately persons to recall the officers she had sent after the
king, and to tell them she knew where his majesty was, and that they
should soon see him again. She also caused the same report to be
spread throughout the city; and governed, in concert with the prime
minister and council, with the same tranquillity as if the king had
been present.
To return to king Beder, whom the princess Giauhara’s
waiting-woman had taken and left in the island before mentioned;
that monarch was not a little surprised when he found himself alone,
and under the form of a bird. He esteemed himself yet more unhappy,
in that he knew not where he was, nor in what part of the world the
kingdom of Persia lay. But if he had known, and sufficiently knew
the force of his wings, to hazard the traversing so extensive watery
regions, and had reached it, what could he have gained, but the
mortification to continue still in the same ill plight, not to be
accounted so much as a man, in lieu of being acknowledged for king
of Persia. He was forced to remain where he was, and live upon such
food as birds of his kind were wont to have, and to pass the night
on a tree.
A few days after, a peasant that was skilled in taking birds with
nets chanced to come to the place where he was; when perceiving so
fine a bird, the like of which he had never seen, though he had
followed that sport for a long while, he began greatly to rejoice.
He employed all his art to become master of him; and at length
succeeded and took him. Overjoyed at so great a prize, which he
looked upon to be of more worth than all the other birds he commonly
took, by reason of its being so great a rarity, he shut it up in a
cage, and carried it to the city. As soon as he was come into the
market, a citizen stopt him, and asked him how much he would have
for that bird.
Instead of answering, the peasant demanded of the citizen, what he
would do with him in case he should buy him? What wouldst thou have
me to do with him, answered the citizen, but roast and eat him? If
that be the case, replied the peasant, I suppose you would think me
very well paid, if you should give me the smallest piece of silver
for him. I set a much higher value upon him, and you should not have
him for a piece of gold. Although I am advanced in years, I never
saw such a bird in my life. I intend to make a present of him to the
king; he will know the value of him better than you.
Without staying any longer in the market the peasant went directly
to the palace, and placed himself exactly before the king’s
apartment. His majesty being at a window where he could see all that
passed in the court, no sooner cast his eyes on this beautiful bird,
than he sent an officer of his eunuchs to buy it for him. The
officer going to the peasant, demanded of him how much he would have
for that bird? If it is for his majesty, answered the peasant, I
humbly beg of him to accept it of me as a present and I desire you
to carry it to him. The officer took the bird to the king, who found
it so great a rarity, that he ordered the same officer to take ten
pieces of gold, and carry them to the peasant, who departed very
well satisfied. The king ordered the bird to be put into a
magnificent cage, and gave it corn and water in rich vessels.
His majesty being then ready to mount on horseback to go a hunting,
had not time to consider the bird, therefore had it brought to him
as soon as he came back. The officer brought the cage, and the king,
that he might the better view the bird, took it out himself, and
perched it upon his hand. Looking earnestly upon it, he demanded of
the officer, if he had seen it eat. Sir, replied the officer, your
majesty may observe the vessel with his food is still full, and I
have not observed that he has touched any of it. Then the king
ordered him meat of divers sorts, that he might take what he liked
best.
The table being spread, and dinner served up just as the king had
given these orders, as soon as the plates were placed, the bird
clapping his wings, leaped off the king’s hand, flew upon the
table, where he began to peck the bread and victuals, sometimes on
one plate, and sometimes on another. The king was so surprised, that
he immediately sent the officer of the eunuchs to desire the queen
to come and see this wonder. The officer related it to her majesty,
and she came forthwith: but she no sooner saw the bird, than she
covered her face with her veil, and would have retired. The king,
surprised at her proceeding, as there were none present in the
chamber but the eunuchs and the women that followed her, asked the
reason of it.
Sir, answered the queen, your majesty will no longer be surprised,
when you understand this bird is not, as you take it, a bird, but a
man. Madam, said the king, more astonished than before, you mean to
banter me; but you shall never persuade me that a bird can be a man.
Sir, replied the queen, far be it from me to banter your majesty;
nothing is more certain than what I have had the honour to tell you.
I can assure your majesty, it is the king of Persia, named Beder,
son of the celebrated Gulnare, princess of one of the largest
kingdoms of the sea, nephew of Saleh, king of that kingdom, and
grandson of queen Farasche, mother of Gulnare and Saleh: and it was
the princess Giauhara, daughter of the king of Samandal, who thus
metamorphosed him into a bird. That the king might no longer doubt
of what she affirmed, she told him the whole story, how and for what
reason the princess Giauhara had thus revenged herself for the ill
treatment which king Saleh had used towards the king of Samandal her
father.
The king had the less difficulty to believe this assertion of the
queen, in that he knew her to be a skilful magician, one of the
greatest in the world. And as she knew every thing which passed in
it, he was always by her means timely informed of the designs of the
kings his neighbours against him, and prevented them. His majesty
had compassion on the king of Persia, and earnestly besought his
queen to break the enchantment, that he might return to his own form.
The queen consented to it with great willingness. Sir, said she to
the king, be pleased to take the bird into your closet, and I will
show you a king worthy of the consideration you have for him. The
bird, which had ceased eating, and attended to what the king and
queen said, would not give his majesty the trouble to take him, but
hopped into the closet before him; and the queen came in soon after,
with a vessel full of water in her hand. She pronounced over the
vessel some words unknown to the king, till the water began to boil;
when she took some of it in her hand, and sprinkling a little upon
the bird, said, ‘By virtue of these holy and mysterious words I
have just pronounced, and in the name of the Creator of heaven and
earth, who raises the dead, and supports the universe, quit that
form of a bird, and re-assume that which thou hast received from thy
Creator.’
The words were scarce out of the queen’s mouth, but, instead of a
bird, the king saw a young prince of good shape, air, and mien. King
Beder immediately fell upon his knees, and thanked God for the
favour that had been bestowed upon him. Then he took the king’s
hand, who helped him up, and kissed it in token of gratitude; but
the king embraced him with great joy, and testified to him the
satisfaction he had to see him. He would then have made his
acknowledgments to the queen, but she was already retired to her
apartment. The king made him sit at the table with him, and after
dinner was over, he prayed him to relate to him how the princess
Giauhara could have the inhumanity to transform into a bird so
amiable a prince as he was; and the king of Persia immediately
satisfied him. When he had done, the king, provoked at the
proceeding of the princess, could not help blaming her. It was
commendable, said he, in the princess of Samandal not to be
insensible of the king her father’s ill treatment; but to carry
her vengeance so far, and especially against a prince who was not
culpable, was what she could never be able to justify herself for.
But let us have done with this discourse, and tell me, I beseech
you, in what I can farther serve you.
Sir, answered king Beder, my obligation to your majesty is so great,
that I ought to remain with you all my life to testify my gratitude;
but since your majesty sets no limits to your generosity, I entreat
you to grant me one of your ships to transport me to Persia; where I
fear my absence, which has been but too long, may have occasioned
some disorder, and that the queen my mother, from whom I concealed
my departure, may be dead of grief, under the uncertainty whether I
am alive or dead.
The king granted what he desired with the best grace imaginable, and
immediately gave orders for equipping one of his largest ships, and
the best sailer in his numerous fleet. The ship was soon furnished
with all its complement of men, provisions, and ammunition; and as
soon as the wind became fair, King Beder embarked, after having
taken leave of the king, and thanked him for all his favours.
The ship sailed before the wind for ten days together, which made it
advance considerably without interruption: the eleventh day the wind
changed, and, becoming very violent, there followed a furious
tempest. The ship was not only driven out of its course, but so
violently tossed, that all its masts were brought by the board; and
driving along at the pleasure of the wind, it at length struck
against a rock and bulged.
The greatest part of the people were instantly drowned. Some few
were saved by swimming, and others by getting on pieces of the
wreck. King Beder was among the latter, when after having been
tossed about for some time by the waves and currents, under great
uncertainty of his fate, he at length perceived himself near the
shore, and not far from a city that seemed large. He exerted his
remaining strength to reach the land, and was at length so fortunate
to come so near as to be able to touch the ground with his feet. He
immediately abandoned his piece of wood, which had been of so great
service to him; but when he came pretty near the shore, he was
greatly surprised to see horses, camels, mules, asses, oxen, cows,
bulls, and other animals crowding to the shore, and putting
themselves in a posture to oppose his landing. He had the utmost
difficulty to conquer their obstinacy and force his way; but at
length he succeeded, and sheltered himself among the rocks till he
had recovered his breath, and dried his clothes in the sun.
When the prince advanced to enter the city, he met with the same
opposition from these animals, who seemed to intend to make him
forego his design, and give him to understand it was dangerous to
proceed.
King Beder, however, got into the city soon after, and saw many fair
and spacious streets, but was surprised to find no man there. This
made him think it was not without cause that so many animals had
opposed his passage. Going forward, nevertheless, he observed divers
shops open; which gave him reason to believe the place was not so
destitute of inhabitants as he imagined. He approached one of these
shops, where several sorts of fruits were exposed to sale, and
saluted very courteously an old man that was sitting there.
The old man, who was busy about something, lifted up his head, and
seeing a youth who had an appearance of grandeur in his air,
started, and asked him whence he came, and what business had brought
him there. King Beder satisfied him in a few words; and the old man
further asked him if he had met any body on the road. You are the
first person I have seen, answered the king; and I cannot comprehend
how so fine and large a city comes to be without inhabitants. Come
in, sir; stay no longer upon the threshold, replied the old man, or
peradventure some misfortune may happen to you. I will satisfy your
curiosity at leisure, and give you a reason why it is necessary you
should take this precaution.
King Beder would not be bid twice: he entered the shop, and sat down
by the old man. The latter, who had learnt from him an account of
his misfortunes, knew he must want nourishment, therefore
immediately presented him what was necessary to recover his
strength; and although king Beder was very earnest to know why he
had taken the precaution to make him enter the shop, he would
nevertheless not be prevailed upon to tell him any thing till he had
done eating, for fear the sad things he had to relate might balk his
appetite. In a word, when he found he eat no longer, he said to him,
You have great reason to thank God you got hither without any ill
accident. Alas! why? replied king Beder, very much surprised and
alarmed.
Because, answered he, this city is called the _City of
Enchantments_, and governed not by a king but a queen; who is not
only one of the finest of her sex, but likewise a notorious and
dangerous sorceress. You will be convinced of this, added he, when
you know that these horses, mules, and other animals that you have
seen, are so many men, like you and me, whom she has transformed by
her diabolical art. And when young men like you enter the city, she
has persons planted to stop and bring them, either by fair means or
force, before her. She receives them in the most obliging manner;
she caresses them, regales them, and lodges them magnificently, and
gives them so many reasons to believe that she loves them, that she
never fails of success. But she does not suffer them long to enjoy
this happiness. There is not one of them but she has transformed
into some animal or bird at the end of forty days. You told me all
these animals presented themselves to oppose your landing, and
hinder your entering the city. This was the only way they could make
you comprehend the danger you were going to expose yourself to, and
they did all in their power to divert you.
This account exceedingly afflicted the young king of Persia. Alas!
cried he, to what extremities has my ill fortune reduced me! I am
hardly freed from one enchantment, which I look back upon with
horror, but I find myself exposed to another much more terrible.
This gave him occasion to relate his story to the old man more at
length, and to acquaint him of his birth, quality, his passion for
the princess of Samandal, and her cruelty in changing him into a
bird the very moment he had seen her and declared his love to her.
When the prince came to speak of his good fortune in finding a queen
who broke the enchantment, the old man, to encourage him, said,
Notwithstanding all I have told you of the magic queen be true, that
ought not to give you the least disquiet, since I am generally
beloved throughout the city, and am not unknown to the queen
herself, who has much respect for me; therefore it was your peculiar
happiness led you to address yourself to me rather than elsewhere.
You are secure in my house, where I advise you to continue, if you
think fit; and provided you do not stray from hence, I dare assure
you, you will have no just cause to complain of my insincerity; so
that you are under no sort of constraint whatsoever.
King Beder thanked the old man for his kind reception, and the
protection he was pleased so readily to afford him. He sat down at
the entrance of the shop; where he no sooner appeared, but his youth
and good person drew the eyes of all that passed that way. Many
stopped and complimented the old man on his having acquired so fine
a slave, as they imagined the king to be; and they were the more
surprised, as they could not comprehend how so beautiful a youth
could escape the queen’s knowledge. Believe not, said the old man,
this is a slave; you all know that I am not rich enough, nor of rank
to have one of this consequence. He is my nephew, son of a brother
of mine that is dead; and as I had no children of my own, I sent for
him to keep me company. They congratulated his good fortune in
having so fine a young man for his relation; but could not help
telling him they feared the queen would take him from him. You know
her well, said they to him, and you cannot be ignorant of the danger
to which you are exposed, after all the examples you have seen. How
grieved would you be, if she should serve him as she has done so
many others that we know of!
I am obliged to you, replied the old man, for your good-will towards
me, and I heartily thank you for the care you seem to take of my
interest; but I shall never entertain the least thought that the
queen will do me any injury, after all the kindness she has
professed for me. In case she happens to hear of this young man, and
speaks to me about him, I doubt not she will cease to think of him,
as soon as she comes to know he is my nephew.
The old man was exceedingly glad to hear the commendations they
bestowed on the young king of Persia. He was as much affected with
them as if he had been his own son; and he conceived such a kindness
for him, as augmented every day during the stay he made with him.
They had lived about a month together, when king Beder sitting at
the shop door, after his ordinary manner, queen Labe (so was this
magic queen named) happened to come by with great pomp. The young
king no sooner perceived the guards coming before her, but he arose,
and going into the shop, asked the old man what all that show meant.
The queen is coming by, answered he; but stand still, and fear
nothing.
The queen’s guards, clothed in purple uniform, and well armed and
mounted, marched in four files, with their sabres drawn, to the
number of a thousand, and every one of their officers, as they
passed by the shop, saluted the old man: then followed a like number
of eunuchs, habited in brocaded silk, and better mounted, whose
officers did the old man the like honours. Next came as many young
ladies on foot, equally beautiful, richly dressed, and set off with
precious stones. They marched gravely, with half pikes in their
hands; and in the midst of them appeared queen Labe, on a horse
glittering with diamonds, with a golden saddle, and a housing of
inestimable value. All the young ladies saluted the old man as they
passed by him; and the queen, struck with the good mien of king
Beder, stopped as soon as she came before the shop. Abdallah, (so
was the old man named,) said she to him, tell me, I beseech thee,
does that beautiful and charming slave belong to thee? and is it
long that thou hast been in possession of him?
Abdallah, before he answered the queen, threw himself on the ground,
and rising again, said, Madam, it is my nephew, son of a brother I
had, who has not long been dead. Having no children, I look upon him
as my son, and sent for him to come and comfort me, intending to
leave him what I have when I die.
Queen Labe who had never yet seen any one to compare with king
Beder, and began to conceive a mighty passion for him, thought
immediately of getting the old man to abandon him to her. Father,
quoth she, will you not oblige me so far as to make me a present of
this young man? Do not refuse me, I conjure you; and I swear by the
fire and the light, I will make him so great and powerful, that no
individual in the world ever arrived at such good fortune. Although
my purpose were to do evil to all mankind, yet he shall be the sole
exception. I trust you will grant me what I desire, more on the
account of the friendship I know you have for me, than for the
esteem you know I always had, and shall ever have, for your person.
Madam, replied the good Abdallah, I am infinitely obliged to your
majesty for all the kindness you have for me, and the honours you
propose to do my nephew. He is not worthy to approach so great a
queen, and I humbly beseech your majesty to excuse him.
Abdallah, replied the queen, I all along flattered myself you loved
me; and I could never have thought you would have given me so
evident a token of your slighting my request. But I here swear once
more by the fire and light, and even by whatsoever is most sacred in
my religion, that I will pass on no farther till I have conquered
your obstinacy. I understand very well what raises your
apprehensions; but I promise you shall never have occasion to repent
having obliged me in so sensible a manner.
Old Abdallah was exceedingly grieved, both on his own account and
king Beder’s, for being in a manner forced to obey the queen.
Madam, replied he, I would not willingly have your majesty entertain
an ill opinion of the respect I have for you, and my zeal always to
contribute whatever I can to oblige you. I put an entire confidence
in your royal word, and I do not in the least doubt but you will
keep it. I only beg of your majesty to delay doing this great honour
to my nephew till you shall again pass this way. That shall be
to-morrow, said the queen; who inclined her head, as a token of her
being pleased, and so went forward towards her palace.
When queen Labe and all her attendants were out of sight, the good
Abdallah said to king Beder, Son (for so he was wont to call him,
for fear of some time or other discovering him when he spoke of him
in public,) it has not been in my power, as you may have observed,
to refuse the queen what she demanded of me with so great
earnestness, to the end I might not force her to employ her magic
both against you and myself openly or secretly, and treat you, as
much from resentment to you as to me, with more signal cruelty than
all those she has had in her power till now, as I have already told
you. But I have some reason to believe she will use you well, as she
promised me, on account of that particular esteem she professes for
me. This you may have seen by the respect shewn, and the honours
paid me by all her court. She would be a cursed creature indeed, if
she should deceive me; but she shall not deceive me unrevenged, for
I know how to be even with her.
These assurances, which appeared very doubtful, were not sufficient
to support king Beder’s spirits. After all you have told me of
this queen’s wickedness, replied he, you cannot wonder if I am
somewhat fearful to approach her: I should, it may be, slight all
you could tell me of her, and suffer myself to be dazzled by the
lustre of grandeur that surrounds her, did I not know by experience
what it is to be at the mercy of a sorceress. The condition I was
in, through the enchantment of the princess Giauhara, and from
whence I was delivered only to enter almost immediately into
another, has made me look upon such a fate with horror. His tears
hindered him from going on, and sufficiently showed with what
repugnance he beheld himself in a manner under a fatal necessity of
being delivered to queen Labe.
Son, replied old Abdallah, do not afflict yourself; for though I
must own there is no great stress to be laid upon the promises and
oaths of so perfidious a queen, yet I must withal acquaint you, her
power extends not to me. She knows it full well herself; and that is
the reason, and no other, that she pays me so great respect. I can
quickly hinder her from doing you the least harm, if she should be
perfidious enough to attempt it. You may depend upon me; and,
provided you follow exactly the advice I shall give you, before I
abandon you to her, she shall have no more power over you than she
has over me.
The magic queen did not fail to pass by the old man’s shop the
next day, with the same pomp as the day before, and Abdallah waited
for her with great respect. Father, cried she, stopping just against
him, you may judge of my impatience to have your nephew with me, by
my punctual coming to put you in mind of your promise. I know you
are a man of your word, and I cannot think you will break it with me.
Abdallah, who fell on his face as soon as he saw the queen
approaching, rose up when she had done speaking; and as he would
have nobody hear what he had a mind to say to her, he advanced with
great respect as far as her horse’s head and then said softly,
Puissant queen! I am persuaded your majesty will not be offended at
my seeming unwillingness to trust my nephew with you yesterday,
since you cannot be ignorant of the reasons I had for it; but I
conjure you to lay aside the secrets of that art which you possess
in so wonderful a degree. I regard my nephew as my own son; and your
majesty would reduce me to despair, if you should deal with him as
you have done with others.
I promise you I will not, replied the queen; and I once more repeat
the oath I made yesterday, that neither you nor your nephew shall
have any cause to be offended at me. I see plainly, added she, you
are not yet well enough acquainted with me: you never saw me yet but
through a veil; but as I find your nephew worthy of my friendship, I
will show you I am not any way unworthy of his. With that she threw
on her veil, and discovered to king Beder, who came near her with
Abdallah, an incomparable beauty. But king Beder was little charmed.
It is not enough, said he within himself, to be beautiful; one’s
actions ought to correspond in regularity with one’s features.
Whilst king Beder was making these reflections, with his eyes fixed
on queen Labe, the old man turned towards him, and taking him by the
arm, presented him to her majesty. Here he is, madam, said he; and I
beg of your majesty once more to remember he is my nephew, and to
let him come and see me sometimes. The queen promised he should; and
to give a farther mark of her gratitude, she caused a bag of a
thousand pieces of gold to be given him. He excused himself at first
from receiving them, but she insisted absolutely upon it, and he
could not refuse her. She had caused a horse to be brought as richly
harnessed as her own, for the king of Persia. Whilst he was mounting
him, I forgot, said the queen to Abdallah, to ask you your
nephew’s name: pray how is he called? He answered, his name was
Beder (the full moon:) her majesty replied, Sure your ancestors were
mistaken; they ought to have given you the name of Shems (the sun.)
When king Beder was mounted, he would have taken his post behind the
queen, but she would not suffer him, and made him ride on her left
hand. She looked upon Abdallah, and after having made him an
inclination with her head, she set forward on her march.
Instead of observing a satisfaction in the people’s faces at the
sight of their sovereign, king Beder took notice that they looked at
her with contempt, and even cursed her. The sorceress, said some,
has got a new subject to exercise her wickedness upon: will Heaven
never deliver the world from her tyranny? Poor stranger! cried out
others, thou art much deceived if thou thinkest thine happiness will
last long. It is only to render thy fall more terrible, that thou
art raised so high. This talk gave king Beder to understand Abdallah
had told him nothing but the truth of queen Labe: but as it now
depended no longer on himself to escape the mischief, he committed
himself to divine Providence, and the will of Heaven respecting his
fate.
The magic queen arrived at her palace; whither she was no sooner
come, out she alighted, and giving her hand to king Beder, entered
with him, accompanied by her women and the officers of her eunuchs.
She herself showed him all her apartments, where there was nothing
to be seen but massy gold, precious stones, and furniture of
wonderful magnificence. When she had carried him into her closet,
she led him out into a balcony, from whence he observed a garden of
surprising beauty. King Beder commended all he saw with a great deal
of wit, but nevertheless so that he might not be discovered to be
any other than old Abdallah’s nephew. They discoursed of
indifferent matters, till the queen was informed that dinner was
upon table.
The queen and king Beder arose, and went to place themselves at the
table, which was of massy gold, and the dishes of the same metal.
They began to eat, but drank hardly at all till the dessert came,
when the queen caused a cup to be filled for her with excellent
wine. She took it and drank to king Beder’s health; and then,
without putting it out of her hand, caused it to be filled again,
and presented it to him. King Beder received it with profound
respect, and by a very low bow signified to her majesty that he in
return drank to her health.
At the same time ten of queen Labe’s women entered with musical
instruments, with which and their voices they made an agreeable
concert, while they continued drinking till late at night. At length
both began so to be heated with wine, that king Beder insensibly
forgot he had to do with a magic queen, and looked upon her only as
the most beautiful queen he ever saw. As soon as the queen perceived
she had wrought him to the pitch she desired, she made a sign to her
eunuchs and women to retire. They obeyed, and king Beder and she lay
together.
Next morning the queen and king Beder, as soon as they rose, went to
the bath; and when they came out, the women who had served the king
there presented him with fine linen and a magnificent habit. The
queen likewise, who was more splendidly dressed than the day before,
came to receive him; and they went together to her apartments, where
they had a good repast brought them, and spent the remainder of the
day in walking in the garden, and in various other amusements.
Queen Labe treated king Beder after this manner for forty days, as
she had been accustomed to do all her lovers. The fortieth night, as
they were in bed together, she, believing he was really asleep,
arose without making any noise; but he was awake, and, perceiving
she had some design upon him, watched all her motions. Being up, she
opened a chest, from whence she took a little box full of a certain
yellow powder; taking some of the powder, she laid a train of it
across the chamber, and it immediately flowed in a rivulet of water,
to the great astonishment of king Beder. He trembled with fear, but
still pretended to sleep, that he might not discover to the
sorceress he was awake.
Queen Labe next took up some of the water in a vessel, and poured it
into a basin, where there was flour; with which she made a paste,
and kneaded it for a long time; then she mixed with it certain
drugs, which she took from different boxes, and made a cake, which
she put into a covered baking-pan. --As she had taken care first of
all to make a good fire, she took some of the coals and set the pan
upon them; and while the cake was baking, she put up the vessels and
boxes in their places again; and on her pronouncing certain words,
the rivulet, which run along the end of the room, appeared no more.
When the cake was baked, she took it off the coals, and carried it
into her closet, and afterwards returned to bed again to king Beder,
who dissembled so well, that she had not the least suspicion that he
had seen any thing of what she had done.
King Beder, whom the pleasures and amusements of a court had made to
forget his good host Abdallah, began now to think of him again, and
believed he had more than ordinary occasion for his advice, after
all he had seen the queen do that night. As soon as he was up,
therefore, he expressed a great desire to go up and see his uncle,
and begged of her majesty to permit him. What! my dear Beder, cried
the queen, are you then already tired, I will not say with living in
so superb a palace as mine is, where you must find so many
pleasures, but with the company of a queen, who loves you so
passionately as I do, and has given you many marks of affection?
Great queen, answered king Beder, how can I be tired of so many
favours and graces as your majesty perpetually heaps upon me? So far
from it, that I desire this permission, madam, purely to go and give
my uncle an account of the mighty obligations I have to your
majesty. I must own likewise, it is partly for this farther reason,
that my uncle, loving me so tenderly, as I well know he does, and I
having been absent from him now forty days, without once seeing him,
I would not give him reason to think that I consent to remaining
longer without seeing him. Go, said the queen, you have my consent;
but you will not be long before you return, if you consider I cannot
possibly live without you. This said, she ordered him a horse richly
caparisoned, and he departed.
Old Abdallah was overjoyed to see king Beder. Without regard to his
quality, he embraced him tenderly, and king Beder returned the like,
that nobody might doubt but that he was his nephew. As soon as they
were sat down, Well, said Abdallah to the king, how have you done,
and how have you passed your time with that infidel sorceress?
Hitherto, answered king Beder, I must needs own she has been
extraordinary kind to me, and has done all she could to persuade me
that she loves me entirely; but I observed something last night,
which gives me just reason to suspect that all her kindness hitherto
is but dissimulation. Whilst she thought me asleep, although I was
really awake, she stole from me with a great deal of precaution,
which made me suspect her intention, and therefore I resolved to
watch her, still feigning myself asleep. Going on with his
discourse, he related to Abdallah how and after what manner he had
seen her make the cake; and then added, Hitherto, said he, I must
needs confess, I had almost forgotten, not only you, but all the
advice you gave me concerning the wickedness of this queen; but this
last action of hers gives me reason to fear she neither intends to
observe any of her promises or solemn oaths to you. I thought of you
immediately, and I esteem myself happy in that I have obtained
permission to come to you.
You are not mistaken, replied old Abdallah, with a smile, which
showed he did not himself believe she would have acted otherwise;
nothing is capable of obliging a perfidious woman to amend. But fear
nothing; I know the way to make the mischief she intends you fall
upon herself. You are alarmed in time; and you could not have done
better than to have recourse to me. It is her ordinary practice to
keep her lovers only forty days; and after that time, instead of
sending them home, to turn them into animals, to stock her forests
and parks; but I thought of measures yesterday to prevent her doing
you the same harm. The earth has borne this monster long enough, and
it is now high time she should be treated as she deserves.
So saying, Abdallah put two cakes into king Beder’s hands, bidding
him to keep them to make use of as he should direct. You told me,
continued he, the sorceress made a cake last night; it was for you
to eat, depend upon it; but take great care you do not touch it.
Nevertheless, do not refuse to receive it when she offers it to you;
but, instead of tasting it, break off part of one of the two I shall
give you unobserved, and eat that. As soon as she thinks you have
swallowed it, she will not fail to attempt transforming you into
some animal, but she shall not succeed; which when she sees, she
will immediately turn the thing into pleasantry, as if what she had
done was only out of joke to frighten you; but she will conceal a
mortal grief in her heart, and think she omitted something in the
composition of her cake. As for the other cake, you shall make a
present of it to her, and press her to eat it; which she will not
refuse to do, were it only to convince you she does not mistrust
you, though she has given you so much reason to mistrust her. When
she has eat of it, take a little water in the hollow of your hand,
and throwing it in her face, say, ‘Quit that form you now wear,
and take that of such or such animal,’ as you shall think fit;
which done, come to me with the animal, and I will tell you what you
shall do afterward.
King Beder told Abdallah, in the most expressive terms, the great
obligations he had to him, for his endeavours to defend him from the
power of a pestilent sorceress; and after some farther discourse,
took his leave of him, and returned to the palace. --Upon his
arrival, he understood that the queen waited for him with great
impatience in the garden. He went to her, and she no sooner
perceived him, but she came in great haste to meet him. My dear
Beder, said she, it is said, with a great deal of reason, that
nothing shows more the force and excess of love than absence from
the object beloved. I have had no quiet since I saw you, and it
seems ages since I have been separated from you. If you had stayed
ever so little longer, I was preparing to come and fetch you once
more to my arms.
Madam, replied king Beder, I can assure your majesty I was no less
impatient to rejoin you; but I could not refuse to stay a little
longer with an uncle that loves me, and had not seen me for so long
time. He would have kept me still longer, but I tore myself away
from him, to come where love calls me. Of all the collations he
prepared for me, I have only brought away this cake, which I desire
your majesty to accept. --King Beder had wrapped up one of the two
cakes in a handkerchief very neatly, took it out and presented it to
the queen, saying, I beg your majesty to accept of it.
I do accept it with all my heart, replied the queen, receiving it,
and will eat it with pleasure for yours and your good uncle’s
sake; but before I taste of it, I desire you for my sake will eat a
piece of this, which I have made for you during your absence. Fair
queen, answered king Beder, receiving it with great respect, such
hands as your majesty’s can never make any thing but what is
excellent; and I cannot sufficiently acknowledge the favour you do
me.
King Beder then artfully substituted in the place of the queen’s
cake the other which old Abdallah had given him; and having broken
off a piece, he put it in his mouth, and cried while he was eating,
Ah! queen, I never tasted any thing so charming in my life. They
being near a cascade, the sorceress seeing him swallow one bit of
the cake, and ready to eat another, took a little water in the palm
of her hand, and throwing it in the king’s face, said, ‘Wretch!
quit that form of a man, and take that of a vile horse, blind and
lame.’
These words not having the desired effect, the sorceress was
strangely surprised to find king Beder still in the same form, and
that he only started for fear. Her cheeks reddened; and as she saw
that she had missed her aim, Dear Beder, cried she, this is nothing,
recover yourself. I did not intend you any harm; I only did it to
see what you would say. I should be the most miserable and most
execrable of women, should I attempt so black a deed; I do not only
say, after all the oaths I have sworn, but even after so many
testimonies of love as I have given you.
Puissant queen, replied king Beder, persuaded as I am that what your
majesty did was only to divert yourself, yet I could not help being
surprised. What could hinder me from being a little moved at the
pronouncing of so strange a transformation? But, madam, continued
he, let us drop this discourse; and since I have eat of your cake,
would you do me the favour to taste mine?
Queen Labe, who could not better justify herself than by showing
this mark of confidence in the king of Persia, broke off a piece of
his cake, and eat it. She had no sooner swallowed it, but she
appeared much troubled, and remained, as it were, motionless. King
Beder lost no time, but took water out of the same basin, and
throwing it in her face, cried, ‘Abominable sorceress! quit that
form of a woman, and be turned instantly into a mare.’
The same instant queen Labe was transformed into a very beautiful
mare; and her confusion was so great to find herself in that
condition, that she shed tears in great abundance, which perhaps no
mare before had ever been known to do. She bowed her head to the
feet of king Beder, thinking to move him to compassion; but though
he could have been so moved, it was absolutely out of his power to
repair the mischief he had done. He led her into the stable
belonging to the palace, and put her into the hands of a groom, to
bridle and saddle; but of all the bridles which the groom tried upon
her, not one would fit her. This made him cause two horses to be
saddled, one for the groom, and the other for himself; and the groom
led the mare after him to old Abdullah’s.
Abdallah, seeing at a distance king Beder coming with the mare,
doubted not but he had done what he advised him. Cursed sorceress!
said he immediately to himself, in a transport of joy, Heaven has at
length punished thee as thou deservest. King Beder alighted at
Abdallah’s door, and entered with him into the shop, embracing and
thanking him for all the signal services he had done him. He related
to him the whole matter, with all its circumstances, and moreover
told him he could find no bridle fit for the mare. Abdallah, who had
one for every horse, bridled the mare himself; and as soon as king
Beder had sent back the groom with the two horses, he said to him,
My lord, you have no reason to stay any longer in this city; mount
the mare, and return to your kingdom. I have but one thing more to
recommend to you, and that is, if you should ever happen to part
with the mare, be sure not to give up the bridle. King Beder
promised to remember it; and having taken leave of the good old man,
he departed.
The young king of Persia no sooner got out of the city, but he began
to reflect with joy on the deliverance he had had, and that he had
the sorceress in his power, who had given him so much cause to
tremble. Three days after he arrived at a great city, where,
entering the suburbs, he met a venerable old man, walking on foot
towards a pleasure house he had there. Sir, said the old man,
stopping him, may I presume to ask from what part of the world you
come? The king stopped to satisfy him; and as they were discoursing
together, an old woman came up, who, stopping likewise, wept and
sighed bitterly at the sight of the mare.
King Beder and the old man left off discoursing to look on the old
woman, whom the king asked what cause she had to lament so much?
Alas! sir, replied she, it is because your mare resembles so
perfectly one my son had, and which I still mourn the loss of on his
account, and should think your’s were the same, did I not know she
was dead. Sell her to me, I beseech you; I will give you more than
she is worth, and thank you too.
Good woman, replied king Beder, I am heartily sorry I cannot comply
with your request; my mare is not to be sold. Alas! sir, continued
the old woman, do not refuse me this favour for the love of God. My
son and I shall certainly die with grief if you do not grant it.
Good woman, replied the king, I would grant it with all my heart,
ill was disposed to part with so good a beast; but if I were so
disposed, I believe you would hardly give a thousand pieces of gold
for her, and I could not sell her for less. Why should I not give so
much? replied the old woman; if that be the lowest price, you need
only say you will take it, and I will fetch you the money.
King Beder, seeing the old woman so poorly dressed, could not
imagine she could find the money; therefore to try her, he said, Go
fetch the money, and the mare is yours. The old woman immediately
unloosed a purse she had fastened to her girdle, and desiring him to
alight, bid him tell over the money; and in case he found it came
short of the sum demanded, she said her house was not far off, and
she could quickly fetch the rest.
The surprise king Beder was in at the sight of this purse was not
small. Good woman, said he, do you not perceive I have bantered you
all this while? I will assure you the mare is not to be sold.
The old man who had been witness to all that was said, now began to
speak. Son, quoth he to king Beder, it is necessary you should know
one thing, which I find you are ignorant of, and that is, that in
this city it is not permitted to any one to tell a lie, on any
account whatsoever, on pain of death. You cannot refuse taking this
good woman’s money, and delivering your mare, when she gives you
the sum according to the agreement; and this you had better do
without any noise, than expose yourself to what may ensue.
King Beder, sorely afflicted to find himself thus trapped by his
rash proffer, alighted with great regret. The old woman stood ready
to seize the bridle, and immediately unbridled the mare; and taking
some water in her hand from the stream that ran in the middle of the
street, she threw it in the mare’s face, uttering these words:
‘Daughter, quit that strange shape, and re-assume thy own.’ The
transformation was effected in a moment; and king Beder, who swooned
as soon as he saw queen Labe appear, would have fallen to the
ground, if the old man had not hindered him.
The old woman, who was mother to queen Labe, and had instructed her
in all her magic secrets, had no sooner embraced her daughter, but
to show her fury, in an instant she, by whistling, caused to rise a
genie of a gigantic form and stature. This genie immediately took
king Beder on one shoulder, and the old woman with the magic queen
on the other, and transported them in a few minutes to the palace of
queen Labe in the city of Enchantments.
The magic queen immediately fell upon king Beder, reproaching him
grievously in the following manner: is it thus, ungrateful wretch,
that thy unworthy uncle and thou repay me for all the kindnesses I
have done for you? I shall soon make you both feel what you deserve.
She said no more, but taking water in her hand, threw it in his face
with these words: ‘Come out of that shape, and take that of a vile
owl.’ These words were soon followed by the effect; and
immediately she commanded one of her women to shut up the owl in a
cage, and give him neither meat nor drink.
The woman took the cage, and, without regarding what the queen
ordered, gave him both meat and drink; and being old Abdallah’s
friend, she sent him word privately how the queen had treated his
nephew, and her design to destroy both him and king Beder, that he
might give orders to prevent it, and secure himself.
Abdallah knew no common measures would do with queen Labe: he
therefore did but whistle after a certain manner, and there
immediately arose a vast giant, with four wings, who, presenting
himself before him, asked what he would have with him? Lightning,
said Abdallah to him, (for so was the genie called,) I command you
to preserve the life of king Beder, son of queen Gulnare. Go to the
palace of the magic queen, and transport immediately to the capital
of Persia the compassionate woman who has the cage in custody, to
the end she may inform queen Gulnare of the danger the king her son
is in, and the occasion he has for her assistance. Take care not to
frighten her when you come before her, and acquaint her from me what
she ought to do.
Lightning immediately disappeared, and got in an instant to the
palace of the magic queen. He instructed the woman, lifted her up
into the air, and transported her to the capital of Persia, where he
placed her on the terrace that was near the apartment where queen
Gulnare was. She went down stairs to the apartment, and she there
found queen Gulnare and queen Farasche, her mother, lamenting their
mutual misfortunes. She made them a profound reverence; and by the
relation she gave them, they soon understood the great need king
Beder was in of their assistance.
Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at the news, that, rising from her
seat, she went and embraced the good woman, telling her how much she
was obliged to her for the service she had done her.
Then going immediately out, she commanded the trumpets to sound and
the drums to beat, to acquaint the city that the king of Persia
would suddenly return safe to his kingdom. She then went again, and
found king Saleh her brother, whom Farasche had caused to come
speedily thither by a certain fumigation. Brother, said she to him,
the king your nephew, my dear son, is in the city of Enchantments,
under the power of queen Labe. Both you and I must go to deliver
him, for there is no time to be lost.
King Saleh forthwith assembled a puissant body of his marine troops,
who soon rose out of the sea. He also called to his assistance the
genies his allies, who appeared with a much more numerous army than
his own. As soon as the two armies were joined, he put himself at
the head of them with queen Farasche, queen Gulnare, and the
princesses, who would all have their share in this action. They then
lifted themselves up into the air, and soon poured down on the
palace and city of Enchantments, where the magic queen, her mother,
and all the adorers of fire, were destroyed in an instant.
Queen Gulnare had ordered the woman who brought her the news of
queen Labe’s transforming and imprisoning her son to follow her
close, and bid her, in the confusion, only go and seize the cage,
and bring it to her. This order was executed as she wished; and
queen Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage, but she
opened it, and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little
water upon him, ‘My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume
thy natural one of a man.’
In a moment, queen Gulnare no more saw the hideous owl, but king
Beder her son. She immediately embraced him with an excess of joy,
her tears supplying more forcibly the place of words. She could not
find in her heart to let him go; and queen Farasche was obliged to
force him from her in her turn. After her, he was likewise embraced
by the king his uncle and his relations.
Queen Gulnare’s first care was to look out for old Abdallah, to
whom she had been obliged for the recovery of the king of Persia,
and who being brought to her, she said to him, My obligations to
you, sir, have been so great, that there is nothing within my power
but I would freely do for you as a token of my acknowledgment. Do
but satisfy me in what I can serve you. Great queen, replied
Abdallah, if the lady whom I sent to your majesty will but consent
to the marriage I offer her, and the king of Persia will give me
leave to reside at his court, I will spend the remainder of my days
in his service. Then the queen turned to the lady, who was present,
and finding by her modest shame that she was not averse to the match
proposed, she caused them to join hands, and the king of Persia and
she took care of their fortune.
This marriage occasioned the king of Persia to speak thus to the
queen: Madam, said he, I am heartily glad of this match which his
majesty has just made. There remains one more which I desire you to
think of. Queen Gulnare did not at first comprehend what marriage he
meant; but after a little considering, she said, Of yours, you mean,
son? I consent to it with all my heart. Then turning, and looking on
her brother’s sea attendants, and the genies who were still
present, Go, said she, and traverse both sea and land, to find out
the most lovely and amiable princess, worthy of the king my son, and
come and tell us.
Madam, replied king Beder, it is to no purpose for them to take all
that pains. You have no doubt heard that I have already given my
heart to the princess of Samandal, upon the bare relation of her
beauty. I have seen her, and do not repent of the present I then
made her. In a word, neither earth nor sea, in my opinion, can
furnish a princess like her. It is true, upon my declaring my love
to her, she treated me in a way that would have extinguished any
flame less strong than mine. But I hold her excused; she could not
treat me with less rigour, after imprisoning the king her father, of
which I was the innocent cause. But, it may be, the king of Samandal
may have changed his resolution; and his daughter the princess may
consent to love me, when she sees her father has agreed to it.
Son, replied queen Gulnare, if only the princess Giauhara can make
you happy, it is not my design to oppose you. The king your uncle,
need only have the king of Samandal brought, and we shall soon see
whether he be still of the same untractable temper.
Strictly as the king of Samandal had been kept during his captivity
by king Saleh’s orders, yet he always had great respect shown him,
and was become very familiar with the officers who guarded him. King
Saleh caused a chafing-dish of coals to be brought, into which he
threw a certain composition, uttering at the same time some
mysterious words. As soon as the smoke began to arise, the palace
shook, and immediately the king of Samandal, with king Saleh’s
officers, appeared. The king of Persia cast himself at the king of
Samandal’s feet, and kneeling said, It is no longer king Saleh
that demands of your majesty the honour of your alliance for the
king of Persia; it is the king of Persia himself that humbly begs
that boon; and I persuade myself your majesty will not persist in
being the cause of the death of a king, who can no longer live if he
does not share life with the amiable princess Giauhara.
The king of Samandal did not long suffer the king of Persia to
remain at his feet. He embraced him, and obliging him to rise, said,
I should be very sorry to have contributed in the least to the death
of a monarch who is so worthy to live. If it be true that so
precious a life cannot be preserved without the possession of my
daughter, live, sir, said he; she is yours. She has always been
obedient to my will, and I cannot think she will now oppose it.
Speaking these words, he ordered one of his officers, whom king
Saleh had permitted to be about him, to go and look for the princess
Giauhara, and bring her to him immediately.
The princess continued where the king of Persia had left her. The
officer perceived her, and brought her soon with her women. The king
of Samandal embraced her, and said, Daughter, I have provided a
husband for you; it is the king of Persia you see there, the most
accomplished monarch at present in the universe. The preference he
has given you to all other princesses, obliges us both to express
our gratitude.
Sir, replied the princess Giauhara, your majesty well knows I never
have presumed to disobey your will in any thing: I shall always be
ready to obey you; and I hope the king of Persia will forget my
ill-treatment of him, and consider it was duty, not inclination,
that forced me to it.
The nuptials were celebrated in the palace of the City of
Enchantments, with the greater solemnity, that all the lovers of the
magic queen, who resumed their pristine forms, as soon as ever that
queen ceased to live, assisted at them, and came to return their
thanks to the king of Persia, queen Gulnare, and king Saleh. They
were all sons of kings or princes, or persons of high rank.
King Saleh at length conducted the king of Samandal to his
dominions, and put him in possession of them. The king of Persia, at
the height of his wishes, returned to his capital with queen
Gulnare, queen Farasche, and the princesses; and queen Farasche and
the princesses continued there till king Saleh came to re-conduct
them to his kingdom under the waves of the sea.
The History of Ganem, Son to Abou Ayoub, and known by the surname of
Love’s Slave.
Sir, said Scheherazade to the sultan of the Indies, there was
formerly at Damascus a merchant, who had by care and industry
acquired great wealth, on which he lived in a very honourable
manner. His name was Abou Ayoub, and he had one son and a daughter.
The son was at first called Ganem, but afterwards surnamed _Love’s
Slave_. His person was graceful, and the excellent natural qualities
of his mind had been improved by able masters, whom his father had
taken care to provide him. The daughter’s name was Alcolomb,
signifying _Ravisher of Hearts_, because her beauty was so perfect,
that whoever saw her could not but love her.
Abou Ayoub died, and left immense riches: a hundred loads of
brocades and other silks that lay in his warehouse were the least
part of it. The loads were ready made up, and on every bale was
written in large characters, ‘For Bagdad.’
Mahommed, the son of Soliman, surnamed Zinebi, reigned at that time
at Damascus, the capital of Syria. His kinsman Haroun Alraschid,
whose residence was at Bagdad, had bestowed that kingdom on him as
his tributary.
Soon after the death of Abou Ayoub, Ganem discoursing with his
mother about their domestic affairs, and amongst the rest concerning
the loads of merchandize in the warehouse, asked her the meaning of
what was written upon each bale. My son, answered his mother, your
father used to travel sometimes into one province, and sometimes
into another; and it was customary with him, before he set out, to
write the name of the city he designed to repair to on every bale.
He had provided all things to take a journey to Bagdad, and was upon
the point of setting out, when death --She had not power to finish;
the lively remembrance of the loss of her husband would not permit
her to say more, and drew from her a shower of tears.
Ganem could not see his mother so sensibly affected, without being
himself equally so. They continued some time silent: but at length
he recovered himself, and as soon as he found his mother calm enough
to listen to him, he directed his discourse to her; and said, Since
my father designed these goods for Bagdad, and is no longer in
being, to put his design into execution, I will prepare myself to
perform that journey; and I am of opinion it will be proper for me
to hasten my departure, for fear those commodities should perish, or
that we lose the opportunity of selling them to the best advantage.
Abou Ayoub’s widow, who tenderly loved her son, was much surprised
at this resolution, and replied, My dear child, I cannot but commend
you for designing to follow your father’s example; but consider
that you are too young, inexperienced, and unaccustomed to the
fatigue of travelling. Besides, can you think of leaving me, and
adding to that sorrow with which I am already oppressed? Is it not
better to sell those goods to the merchants of Damascus, and take up
with a moderate profit, than to expose yourself to the danger of
perishing?
It was in vain for her to oppose Ganem’s resolution by the
strongest arguments; they had no weight with him. An inclination to
travel, and to accomplish himself by a thorough knowledge of the
world, urged him to set out, and prevailed over all his mother’s
remonstrances, her entreaties, and even her tears. He went to the
market where the slaves are sold, and bought such as were
able-bodied, hired a hundred camels, and having provided all other
necessaries, he entered upon his journey with five or six merchants
of Damascus, who were going to trade at Bagdad.
Those merchants, attended by all their slaves, and accompanied by
several other travellers, made up such a considerable caravan, that
they had nothing to fear from the Bedouin Arabs, who make it their
only profession to range the country, and to attack and plunder the
caravans when they are not strong enough to repulse them. They had
no other difficulty to encounter, but the usual fatigues of a long
journey, which were easily forgotten when they came in sight of the
city of Bagdad, where they arrived in safety.
They alighted at the most magnificent and most frequented khan in
the city; but Ganem, who chose to be lodged conveniently, and by
himself took no apartment there. He only left his goods there in a
warehouse for their greater security, and hired a very fine house in
the neighbourhood, richly furnished, having a garden which was very
delightful, on account of the many water-works and shady groves that
were in it.
Some days after this young merchant had been settled in his house,
and perfectly recovered of the fatigue of his journey, he dressed
himself genteelly, and repaired to the public place, where the
merchants met to buy and sell. A slave followed him, carrying a
parcel of fine stuffs and silks.
The merchants received Ganem very courteously, and their syndic, or
chief, to whom he first made application, took and bought all his
parcel, at the price set down in the ticket annexed to every piece
of stuff. Ganem continued his trade so successfully, that he sold
all the goods he exposed daily.
He had but one bale left, which he had caused to be carried from the
warehouse to his own house, and then went to the public rendezvous,
where he found all the shops shut. This seemed somewhat
extraordinary to him, and having asked the cause of it, was told
that one of the first merchants whom he knew, was dead, and that all
his brother traders were gone to his funeral.
Ganem inquired for the mosque where the prayer was to be made, and
whence the body was to be conducted to the grave; and having been
told, sent back his slave with the goods, and walked towards the
mosque. He got thither before the prayers were ended, which were
said in a hall hung with black satin. The corpse was taken up, and
followed by the kindred, the merchants, and Ganem, to the place of
burial, which was at a great distance without the city. It was a
stone structure, in form of a dome, purposely built to receive the
bodies of all the family of the deceased; and being very small, they
had pitched tents all about it, that all the company might be
sheltered during the ceremony. The monument was opened, and the
corpse laid into it, after which it was shut up again. Then the
iman, and other ministers of the mosque, sat down in a ring on
carpets, in the largest tent, and said the rest of the prayers. They
also read the chapter of the Koran appointed for the burial of the
dead. The kindred and merchants sat round, in the same manner,
behind the ministers.
It was near night before all was ended: Ganem, who had not expected
such a long ceremony, began to be uneasy, and the more so, when he
saw meat served up in memory of the deceased, according to the
custom of Bagdad. He was also told that the tents had not been set
up only against the heat of the sun, but also against the evening
dew, because they should not return to the city before the next
morning. Those words perplexed Ganem; I am a stranger, said he to
himself, and have the reputation of being a rich merchant; thieves
may take the opportunity of my absence, and go rob my house. My
slaves may be tempted by so favourable an opportunity; they may run
away with all the gold I have received for my goods, and whither
shall I go to look for them? Full of these thoughts, he eat a few
mouthfuls hastily, and dexterously slipped away from the company.
He made all possible haste; but, as it often happens that the more a
man puts on, the less he advances, he mistook his way, and went
astray in the dark, so that it was near midnight when he came to the
city gate; which, to add to his misfortune, was shut. That
disappointment was a fresh affliction to him, and he was obliged to
look for some convenient place to pass the rest of the night in, and
wait till the gate was opened. He went into a burial-place, so
spacious, that it reached from the city to the very place he was
come from. He advanced to some high walls, which enclosed a small
field, being the peculiar burial-place of a family, and in which
there was a palm-tree. There was an infinite number of other
particular burial-places, the doors whereof they did not take care
to fasten. Ganem, finding that the burial-place where the palm-tree
grew was open, went into it, and shut the door after him. He lay
down on the grass, and did all he could to sleep; but the uneasiness
at being absent from home would not permit him. He got up, and after
having passed before the door several times, he opened it, without
knowing why, and immediately perceived at a distance a light, which
seemed to come towards him. He was startled at that sight, put to
the door, which had nothing to secure it but a latch, and got up as
fast as he could to the top of the palm-tree; looking upon that as
the safest retreat under his present apprehensions.
No sooner was he got up, than by the help of the light, which had
frightened him, he plainly perceived three men, whom, by their
habit, he knew to be slaves, come into the burial-place. One of them
went foremost with a lanthorn, and the two others followed him,
being loaded with a chest, between five and six feet long, which
they carried on their shoulders. They set it down, and then one of
the three slaves said to his comrades, Brothers, if you will be
advised by me, we will leave the chest here, and return to the city.
--No, no, replied another, that is not executing our mistress’s
orders; we may have cause to repent not doing as we were commanded.
Let us bury the chest, since we are so enjoined to do. The two other
slaves complied. They began to break ground with the tools they had
brought for that purpose. When they had made a deep trench, they put
the chest into it, and covered it with the earth they had taken out;
then departed, and returned home.
Ganem, who from the top of the palm-tree had heard every word the
slaves had spoken, could not tell what to think of that adventure.
He concluded that the chest must contain something of value, and
that the person to whom it belonged had some particular reasons for
causing it to be buried in that cemetery. He resolved immediately to
satisfy his curiosity, came down from the palm-tree, the departure
of the slaves having dissipated his fear, and fell to work upon the
pit, plying his hands and feet so well, that in a short time he
uncovered the chest, but found it secured with a great padlock. This
new obstacle to the satisfying of his curiosity was no small
mortification to him, yet he was not discouraged; but the day
beginning then to appear, he saw several great pebbles about the
burial-place. He picked out one, with which he easily knocked off
the padlock, and then with much impatience opened the chest. Ganem
was strangely surprised, when, instead of finding money in it, he
discovered a young lady of incomparable beauty. Her fresh and rosy
complexion, and her gentle regular breathing, satisfied him she was
alive; but he could not conceive why, if she were only asleep, she
had not waked at the noise he made in forcing off the padlock. Her
habit was so costly, with bracelets and pendants of diamonds, and a
necklace of true pearl, so large, that he made not the least doubt
of her being one of the principal ladies about the court. At the
sight of so beautiful an object, not only compassion and natural
inclination to relieve persons in danger, but something more
powerful, which Ganem could not then account for, prevailed on him
to afford that young beauty all the assistance in his power.
He first shut the gate of the burial-place, which the slaves had
left open; then returning, took the lady in his arms out of the
chest, and laid her on the soft earth he had thrown off the said
chest. As soon as the lady was laid down, and exposed to the air,
she sneezed, and by the motion in turning her head, there came from
her mouth a liquor, with which her stomach seemed to have been
loaded; then opening and rubbing her eyes, she with such a voice as
charmed Ganem, whom she did not see, cried out, Zohoreb Bostan,
Schagrom Margian, Casabos Souccar, Nouron Nihar, Naginatos Sohi,
Nouzetos Zaman, why do you not answer? where are you? These were the
names of six female slaves, that used to wait on her, and signified,
Flower of the Garden, Branch of Coral, Sugar Cane, Light of the Day,
Morning Star, and Delight of the Season. She called them, and
wondered that nobody answered; but at length looking about, and
perceiving she was in a burial-place, she was seized with fear.
What! cried she, much louder than before, are the dead raised? Is
the day of judgment come? What a wonderful change is this from
evening to morning!
Ganem did not think fit to leave the lady any longer in her
perplexity, but presented himself before her with all possible
respect, and in the most courteous manner. Madam, said he, I am not
able to express my joy for having happened to be here to do you the
service I have done, and to offer you all the assistance you may
stand in need of under your present circumstances.
In order to persuade the lady to repose a confidence in him, he, in
the first place, told her who he was, and what accident had brought
him into that place. Next he acquainted her with the coming of the
three slaves, and how they had buried the chest. The lady, who had
covered her face with her veil as soon as Ganem appeared, was
extremely sensible of the obligations she owed him. I return thanks
to God, said she, for having sent so worthy a person as you are to
deliver me from death, but since you have begun so charitable a
work, I conjure you not to leave it imperfect. Let me beg of you to
go into the city, and provide a muleteer, to come with his mule, and
carry me to your house in this chest; for, should I go with you on
foot, my dress being different from that of the city ladies, some
one might take notice of it, and follow me, which it highly concerns
me to prevent. When I shall be in your house, I will give you an
account of myself; and in the mean time be assured that you have not
obliged an ungrateful person.
Before the young merchant left the lady, he drew the chest out of
the pit, which he filled up with earth, laid her again in the chest,
and shut it in such a manner, that it did not look as if the padlock
had been forced off; but for fear of stifling her, he did not put it
quite close, leaving room for the air to get in. Going out of the
burial-place, he drew the door after him; and the city gate being
then open, soon found what he sought for. He returned with speed to
the burial-place, and helped the muleteer to lay the chest across
his mule, telling him, to remove all cause of suspicion, that he
came to that place the night before, with another muleteer, who,
being in haste to return home, had laid down the chest in the
burial-place.
Ganem, who, since his arrival at Bagdad, had minded nothing but his
business, was still unacquainted with the power of love, and now
felt the first attacks of it. It had not been in his power to look
upon the young lady without being dazzled; and the uneasiness he
felt at following the muleteer at a distance, and the fear lest any
accident might happen by the way, that should deprive him of his
conquest, taught him to unravel his thoughts. It was an
extraordinary satisfaction to him, when, being arrived safe at home,
he saw the chest unloaded. He dismissed the muleteer, and having
caused a slave to shut the door of his house, he opened the chest,
helped the lady out, gave her his hand, and conducted her to his
apartment, lamenting how much she must have endured in that close
confinement. If I have suffered, said she, I have satisfaction
sufficient in what you have done for me, and in the pleasure of
seeing myself out of danger.
Though Ganem’s apartment was very richly furnished, the lady did
not so much regard that as she did the handsome presence and
engaging mien of her deliverer, whose politeness and obliging
behaviour heightened her gratitude. She sat down on a sofa, and to
begin to give the merchant to understand how sensible she was of the
service done her, she took off her veil. Ganem, on his part, was
sensible of the favour so lovely a lady did in uncovering her face
to him, or rather felt he had already a most violent passion for
her. Whatever obligations she owed him, he thought himself more than
requited by so singular a favour.
The lady dived into Ganem’s thoughts, yet was not at all alarmed,
because he appeared very respectful. He, judging she might have
occasion to eat, and not willing to trust any but himself with the
care of entertaining so charming a guest, went out with a slave to
an eating-house, to give directions for a treat. From thence he went
to a fruiterer, where he chose the finest and best fruit; buying
also the choicest wine, and the same bread that was eaten at the
caliph’s table.
As soon as he returned home, he, with his own hands, made a pyramid
of the fruit he had bought, and serving it up himself to the lady in
a large dish of the finest china-ware. Madam, said he, be pleased to
make choice of some of this fruit, while a more solid entertainment,
and more worthy yourself, is made ready. He would have continued
standing before her, but she declared she would not touch any thing,
unless he sat down and eat with her. He obeyed; and when they had
eaten some small matter, Ganem observing that the lady’s veil,
which she laid down by her on a sofa, was embroidered along the edge
with golden letters, begged her leave to look on that embroidery.
The lady immediately took up the veil, and delivered it to him,
asking him whether he could read. Madam, replied he, with a modest
air, a merchant would be ill qualified to manage his business if he
could not at least read and write. Well, then, said she, read the
words which are embroidered on that veil, which gives me an
opportunity of telling you my story.
Ganem took the veil, and read these words, ‘I am yours, and you
are mine, thou descendant from the prophet’s uncle.’ That
descendant from the prophet’s uncle was the caliph Haroun
Alraschid, who then reigned, and was descended from Abbas,
Mahomet’s uncle.
When Ganem perceived the meaning of these words, Alas! madam, said
he in a melancholy tone, I have just saved your life, and this
writing is my death! I do not comprehend all the mystery; but it
convinces me I am the most unfortunate of men. Pardon, madam, the
liberty I take of telling you this. It was impossible for me to see
you without giving you my heart. You are not ignorant yourself, that
it was not in my power to refuse it you, and that makes my
presumption excusable. I proposed to myself to touch your heart by
my respectful behaviour, my care, my complaisance, my assiduity, my
submission, my constancy; and no sooner had I formed the flattering
design, than I am robbed of all my hopes. I cannot long survive so
great a misfortune. But, be that as it will, I shall have the
satisfaction of dying entirely yours. Proceed, madam, I conjure you,
and give me full information of my unhappy fate.
He could not utter those words without letting fall some tears. The
lady was moved, but was so far from being displeased at the
declaration he made, that she felt secret joy; for her heart began
to yield. However, she concealed it, and as if she had not regarded
what Ganem said, I should have been very cautious, answered she, of
showing you my veil, had I thought it would have given you so much
uneasiness; and I do not perceive that what I have to say to you can
make your condition so deplorable as you imagine.
You must understand, proceeded she, in order to acquaint you with my
story, that my name is Fetnah (which signifies _torments_,) which
was given me at my birth, because it was judged that the sight of me
would one day occasion many calamities. You cannot be a stranger to
it, since there is nobody in Bagdad but knows that the caliph Haroun
Alraschid, my sovereign lord and yours, had a favourite so called.
I was carried into his palace in my tenderest years, and I have been
brought up there with all the care that is usually taken with such
persons of my sex as are destined to reside there. I made no little
progress in all they took the pains to teach me; and that, with some
share of beauty, gained me the affection of the caliph, who allotted
me a particular apartment adjoining to his own. That prince was not
satisfied with such a mark of distinction; he appointed twenty women
to wait on me, and as many eunuchs; and ever since he has made me
such considerable presents, that I saw myself richer than any queen
in the world. You may judge by what I have said, that Zobeide, the
caliph’s wife and kinswoman, could not but be jealous of my
happiness. Though Haroun has all the regard imaginable for her, she
has taken every possible opportunity to ruin me.
Hitherto I had secured myself against all her snares, but at length
I fell under the last effort of her jealousy, and, were it not for
you, I had now been exposed to inevitable death. I question not but
she had corrupted one of my slaves, who last night, in some
lemonade, gave me a drug, which causes such a dead sleep, that it is
easy to dispose of those who have taken it; for that sleep is so
profound, that nothing can dispel it for the space of seven or eight
hours. I have the more reason to judge so, because naturally I am a
very bad sleeper, and apt to wake at the least noise.
Zobeide, the better to put her design in execution, has laid hold of
the opportunity of the absence of the caliph, who went lately to put
himself at the head of his troops, to chastise some neighbouring
kings, who have formed a league to make war on him. Were it not for
this opportunity, my rival, outrageous as she is, durst not have
presumed to attempt any thing against my life. I know not what she
will do to conceal this action from the caliph, but you see it
highly concerns me that you should keep my secret. My life depends
on it I shall be safe in your house, as long as the caliph is from
Bagdad. It concerns you to keep my adventure private; for should
Zobeide know the obligation I owe you, she would punish you for
having saved me.
When the caliph returns I shall not need to be so much upon my
guard. I shall find means to acquaint him with all that has
happened, and I am fully persuaded he will be more earnest than
myself to requite a service which restores me to his love.
As soon as Haroun Alraschid’s beautiful favourite had done
speaking, Ganem began, and said, Madam, I return you a thousand
thanks for having given me the information I took the liberty to
desire of you; and I beg of you to believe, that you are here in
safety; the sentiments you have inspired in me are a pledge of my
secrecy.
As for my slaves, I own there is cause to suspect them; they may
perhaps fail of the fidelity they owe me, should they know by what
accident, and in what place I had the happiness to find you; but it
is impossible they should guess at that. Nay, I dare assure you,
that they will not have the curiosity to inquire after it. It is so
natural for young men to purchase beautiful slaves, that it will be
no way surprising to them to see you here, as believing you to be
one, and that I have bought you. They will also believe that I had
some particular reasons for bringing you home as they saw I did. Set
your heart, therefore, at rest, as to that point, and remain
satisfied that you shall be served with all the respect that is due
to the favourite of so great a monarch as ours is. But how great
soever he is, give me leave, madam, to declare, that nothing will be
capable of making me recall the present I have made you of my heart.
I know, and shall never forget, that ‘what belongs to the master
is forbidden to the slave,’ but I loved you before you told me
that you were engaged to the caliph; it is not in my power to
overcome a passion which, though now in its infancy, has all the
force of a love strengthened by a perfect correspondence. I wish
your august and most fortunate lover may avenge you of the malice of
Zobeide, by calling you back to him; and when you shall be restored
to his wishes, that you may remember the unfortunate Ganem, who is
no less your conquest than the caliph. Powerful as that prince is, I
flatter myself he will not be able to blot me out of your
remembrance. He cannot love you more passionately than I do; and I
shall never cease to sigh for you, into whatever part of the world I
go to expire, after having lost you.
Fetnah perceived that Ganem was under the greatest of afflictions,
and it affected her; but considering the uneasiness she was likely
to bring upon herself, by prosecuting the discourse upon that
subject, which might insensibly lead her to discover the inclination
she felt in herself for him; I perceive, said she, that this
conversation gives you too much uneasiness; let us change the
discourse, and talk of the infinite obligation I owe you. I can
never sufficiently express my satisfaction, when I reflect that,
without your assistance, I should never again have beheld the light
of the sun.
It was happy for them both that somebody just then knocked at the
door: Ganem went to see who it was, and found it was one of his
slaves, to acquaint him that the entertainment was ready. Ganem, who
by way of precaution, would have none of his slaves come into the
room where Fetnah was, took what was brought, and served it up
himself to his beautiful guest, whose soul was ravished to behold
what attention he paid her.
When they had eaten, Ganem took away as he covered the table; and
having delivered all things at the chamber-door to his slaves,
Madam, said he to Fetnah, you may now perhaps desire to take some
rest; I will leave you, and when you have reposed yourself, you
shall find me ready to receive your commands.
Having spoken these words, he left her, and went to purchase two
women-slaves. He also bought two parcels, one of fine linen, and the
other of all such things as were proper to make up a toilet fit for
the caliph’s favourite. Having conducted home the two
women-slaves, he presented them to Fetnah, saying, Madam, a person
of your quality cannot be without two waiting maids, at least, to
serve you; be pleased to accept of these.
Fetnah admiring Ganem’s attention, My lord, said she, I perceive
you are not one that will do things by halves: you add by your
courtesy, to the obligations I owe you already: but I hope I shall
not die ungrateful, and that Heaven will soon put me into a
condition to return all your acts of generosity.
When the women-slaves were withdrawn into a chamber adjoining, where
the young merchant sent them, he sat down on the sofa where Fetnah
was, but at some distance from her, in token of the greater respect.
He then began again to discourse of his passion, and said very
moving things on the invincible obstacles which robbed him of all
his hopes. I dare not so much as hope, said he, by my passion, to
excite the least sensibility in a heart like yours, destined for the
greatest prince in the world. Alas! it would be a comfort to me in
my misfortunes, if I could flatter myself that you have not looked
upon the excess of my love with indifference. My lord, answered
Fetnah --Alas! madam, said Ganem, interrupting her at the word lord,
this is the second time you have done me the honour to call me lord:
the presence of the women-slaves hindered me the first time from
taking notice of it to you: in the name of God, madam, do not give
me this title of honour; it does not belong to me: treat me, I
beseech you, as your slave: I am, and shall never cease to be so.
No, no, replied Fetnah, interrupting him in her turn, I shall be
cautious how I treat after that manner a man to whom I owe my life.
I should be ungrateful, could I say or do any thing that did not
become you. Leave me, therefore, to follow the dictates of my
gratitude, and do not require it of me that I misbehave myself
towards you, in return for the benefits I have received. I shall
never be guilty of it; I am too sensible of your respectful
behaviour to abuse it; and I will not hesitate to own, that I do not
look upon all your care with indifference. You know the reasons that
condemn me to silence.
Ganem was ravished at that declaration; he wept for joy, and not
being able to find expressions significant enough, in his own
opinion, to return Fetnah thanks, was satisfied with telling her,
that as she knew what she owed to the caliph, he, on his part, was
not ignorant that ‘what belongs to the master is forbidden to the
servant.’
Night drawing on, he rose up to fetch a light, which he brought in
himself, as also some collation, as is the custom in the city of
Bagdad, where, having made a good meal at noon, they passed the
evening with eating some fruit, and drinking a glass of wine, and
agreeable conversation till bed-time.
They both sat down at table, and at first complimented each other on
the fruit as they presented it reciprocally. The excellency of the
wine insensibly drew them both on to drink; and having drank two or
three glasses, they agreed that neither should take another glass
without singing some air first. Ganem sung verses he composed
_extempore_, expressive of the vehemence of his passion; and Fetnah,
encouraged by his example, composed and sung verses relating to her
adventure, and always containing something which Ganem might take in
a sense favourable to him; except this, she most exactly observed
the fidelity due to the caliph. The collation held till very late,
and the night was far advanced before they thought of parting. Ganem
then withdrew to another apartment, leaving Fetnah where she was,
the women-slaves he had bought coming in to wait upon her.
They lived together after this manner several days. The young
merchant went not abroad, unless upon business of the utmost
consequence, and even for that took the time when the lady was at
her rest; for he could not prevail upon himself to lose a moment
that might be spent in her company. All his thoughts were taken up
with his dear Fetnah, who, on her side, giving way to her
inclination, confessed she had no less affection for him than he had
for her. However, fond as they were of each other, their respect for
the caliph kept them within due bounds, which still heightened their
passion.
Whilst Fetnah, thus snatched from the jaws of death, passed her time
so agreeably with Ganem, Zobeide was not without some apprehensions
in Haroun Alraschid’s palace.
No sooner had the three slaves, entrusted with the execution of her
revenge, carried away the chest, without knowing what was in it, or
having the least curiosity to inquire into it (as being used to pay
a blind obedience to her commands), than she was seized with a
tormenting uneasiness; a thousand perplexing thoughts disturbed her
rest; sleep fled from her eyes, and she spent the night in
contriving how to conceal her crime. My consort, said she, loves
Fetnah more than ever he did any of his favourites. What shall I say
to him at his return, when he inquires of me after her? Many
contrivances occured to her, but none were satisfactory. Still she
met with difficulties, and knew not where to fix. There lived with
her an ancient lady, who had bred her up from her infancy. As soon
as it was day she sent for her, and having entrusted her with the
secret, said, My good mother, you have always assisted me with your
advice; if ever I stood in need of it, it is now, when the business
before you is to still my thoughts, distracted by a mortal anxiety,
and to show me some way to satisfy the caliph.
My dear mistress, replied the old woman, it had been much better not
to have run yourself into the difficulties you labour under; but
since the thing is done, the best is to say no more of it. All that
must now be thought of is how to deceive the commander of the
believers; and I am of opinion, that you immediately cause a wooden
image resembling a dead body to be carved. We will shroud it up in
old linen, and when shut up in a coffin, it shall be buried in some
part of the palace; then shall you immediately cause a marble
monument to be built, in the form of a dome, over the burial-place,
and erect a figure, which shall be covered with a black cloth, and
set about with great candlesticks and large wax tapers. There is
another thing, added the old lady, which ought not to be forgot: you
must put on mourning, and cause the same to be done by all your own
and Fetnah’s women, your eunuchs, and all the officers of the
palace. When the caliph returns, and sees you all and the palace in
mourning, he will not fail to ask the occasion of it. Then will you
have an opportunity of insinuating yourself into his favour, by
saying it was out of respect to him that you paid the last honours
to Fetnah, snatched away by sudden death. You may tell him you have
caused a mausoleum to be built, and in short, that you have paid all
the last honours to his favourite, as he would have done himself had
he been present. His passion for her being extraordinary, he will
certainly go to shed tears upon her grave; and perhaps, added the
old woman, he will not believe she is really dead. He may, perhaps,
suspect you have turned her out of the palace through jealousy, and
look upon all the mourning as an artifice to deceive him, and
prevent his making search after her. It is likely he will cause the
coffin to be taken up and opened, and it is certain he will be
convinced of her death, as soon as he shall see the figure of a dead
body buried. He will be pleased with all you shall have done, and
express his gratitude. As for the wooden image, I will undertake to
have it cut myself by a carver in the city, who shall not know what
use it is to be put to. As for your part, madam, order Fetnah’s
woman, who yesterday gave her the lemonade, to give out, among her
companions, that she has just found her mistress dead in her bed;
and to the end that they may only think of lamenting, without
offering to go into her chamber, let her add, she has already
acquainted you with it, and that you have ordered Mesrour to cause
her to be buried.
As soon as the old lady had spoken these words, Zobeide took a rich
diamond ring out of her casket, and putting it on her finger, and
embracing her in a transport of joy, said, How infinitely am I
beholden to you, my good mother! I should never have thought of so
ingenious a contrivance. It cannot fail of success, and I begin to
recover my peace of mind. I leave the care of the wooden figure to
you, and will go myself to order the rest.
The wooden image was got ready with as much expedition as Zobeide
could have wished, and then conveyed by the old lady herself into
Fetnah’s bed-chamber, where she dressed it like a dead body, and
put it into a coffin. Then Mesrour, who was himself deceived by it,
caused the coffin and the representation of Fetnah to be carried
away, and buried with the usual ceremonies, in the place appointed
by Zobeide, the favourite’s women weeping and lamenting, she who
had given her the lemonade setting them an example by her cries and
howlings.
That very day Zobeide sent for the architect of the palace and of
the caliph’s other houses, and, according to the orders he
received from her, the mausoleum was finished in a very short time.
Such potent princesses as the consort of a monarch, whose power
extended from east to west, are always punctually obeyed in
whatsoever they command. She soon put on mourning with all the
court; so that the news of Fetnah’s death was quickly spread all
over the city.
Ganem was one of the last who heard of it, for, as I have before
observed, he hardly ever went abroad. Being, however, at length
informed of it, Madam, said he to the caliph’s fair favourite, you
are believed in Bagdad to be dead, and I do not question but that
Zobeide herself believes it. I bless Heaven that I am the cause, and
the happy witness of your being alive: and would to God, that,
taking the advantage of this false report, you would share my
fortune, and go far from hence to reign in my heart! But whither
does this pleasing transport carry me? I do not consider that you
are born to make the greatest prince in the world happy; and that
only Haroun Alraschid is worthy of you. Supposing you could resolve
to give him up for me, and that you would follow me, ought I to
consent to it? No, it is my part always to remember, that ‘what
belongs to the master is forbidden to the slave.’
The lovely Fetnah, though moved by the tenderness of the passion he
expressed, yet prevailed with herself not to answer it. My lord,
said she to him, we cannot obstruct Zobeide’s triumphing. I am not
at all surprised at the artifice she makes use of to conceal her
guilt: but let her go on; I flatter myself that sorrow will soon
follow her triumph. The caliph will return, and we shall find the
means privately to inform him of all that has happened. In the mean
time, let us be more cautious than ever, that she may not know I am
alive. I have already told you the consequences.
At the end of three months the caliph returned to Bagdad with glory,
having vanquished all his enemies. He entered the palace with
impatience to see Fetnah, and to lay all his new laurels at her
feet; but was amazed to see all the officers he had left behind him
in mourning. He was struck without knowing the cause; and his
concern was redoubled, when coming into the apartment of Zobeide, he
espied that princess coming to meet him in mourning, with all her
women. He immediately asked her the cause of it with much agitation.
Commander of the believers, answered Zobeide, I am in mourning for
your slave Fetnah; who died so suddenly, that it was impossible to
apply any remedy for her distemper. She would have proceeded, but
the caliph did not give her time, being so surprised at the news,
that he cried out, and fainted in the arms of Giafar, his grand
vizier, who attended him. But soon recovering himself, he with a
feeble voice, which sufficiently expressed his extreme grief, asked
where his dear Fetnah had been buried. Sir, said Zobeide, I myself
took care of her funeral, and spared no cost to make it magnificent.
I have caused a marble mausoleum to be built over her grave, and
will attend you thither, if you desire it.
The caliph would not permit Zobeide to take that trouble, but
contented himself to have Mesrour conduct him. He went thither just
as he was, that is, in his camp dress. When he saw the figure
covered with a black cloth, the wax lights round it, and the
magnificence of the mausoleum, he was amazed that Zobeide should
have performed the obsequies of her rival with so much pomp; and
being naturally of a jealous temper, he suspected his wife’s
generosity, and fancied his mistress might perhaps be yet alive;
that Zobeide, taxing the advantage of his long absence, might have
turned her out of the palace, ordering those she had entrusted to
conduct her, to convey her so far off that she might never more be
heard of. This was all he suspected; for he did not think Zobeide
wicked enough to have attempted the life of his favourite.
The better to discover the truth himself, this prince ordered the
figure to be removed, and caused the grave and the coffin to be
opened in his presence; but when he saw the linen wrapped round the
wooden image, he durst not proceed any farther. This religious
caliph thought it would be an irreligious act to suffer the body of
the dead lady to be touched; and this scrupulous fear prevailed over
his love and curiosity. He doubted not of Fetnah’s death. He
caused the coffin to be shut up again, the grave to be filled, and
the figure to be placed as it was before.
The caliph, thinking himself obliged to pay some respect to the tomb
of his favourite, sent for the ministers of religion, the officers
of the palace, and the readers of the Koran; and, whilst they were
collecting together, he remained in the mausoleum, moistening with
his tears the earth that covered the phantom of his mistress. When
all the persons he had sent for were come, he stood before the
figure, and they about it recited long prayers; after which, the
readers of the Koran read several chapters.
The same ceremony was performed every day for a whole month, morning
and evening, the caliph being always present, with Giafar the grand
vizier, and the principal officers of the court, all of them in
mourning, as well as the caliph himself, who all the time ceased not
to honour the memory of Fetnah with his tears, and would not hear of
any business.
The last day of the month, the prayers and reading of the Koran
lasted from morning till break of day the next morning; and at
length, when all was done, every man returned home. Haroun
Alraschid, being tired with sitting up so long, went to take some
rest in his apartment, and fell asleep on a sofa, between two of the
court ladies, one of them sitting at the bed’s head, and the other
at the feet, who, whilst he slept, were working some embroidery, and
observed a profound silence.