all sides, and perceiving a peasant going into the country,
hastened after him; and when he had overtaken him, made a
proposal to him to change habits, which the man agreed to. When
they had made the exchange, the countryman went about his
business, and Alla ad Deen to the city. After traversing several
streets, he came to that part of the town where all descriptions
of merchants and artisans had their particular streets, according
to their trades. He went into that of the druggists; and going
into one of the largest and best furnished shops, asked the
druggist if he had a certain powder which he named.
The druggist, judging Alla ad Deen by his habit to be very poor,
and that he had not money enough to pay for it, told him he had
it, but that it was very dear; upon which Alla ad Deen penetrated
his thoughts, pulled out his purse, and shewing him some gold,
asked for half a dram of the powder; which the druggist weighed,
wrapped up in paper, and gave him, telling him the price was a
piece of gold. Alla ad Deen put the money into his hand, and
staying no longer in the town than just to get a little
refreshment, returned to the palace, where he waited not long at
the private door. When he came into the princess's apartment, he
said to her, "Princess, perhaps the aversion you tell me you have
for your ravisher may be an objection to your executing what I am
going to propose; but permit me to say it is proper that you
should at this juncture dissemble a little, and do violence to
your inclinations, if you would deliver yourself from him, and
give my lord the sultan your father the satisfaction of seeing
you again. "If you will take my advice," continued he, "dress
yourself this moment in one of your richest habits, and when the
African magician comes, make no difficulty to give him the best
reception; receive him with a cheerful countenance, so that he
may imagine time has removed your affliction and disgust at his
addresses. In your conversation, let him understand that you
strive to forget me; and that he may be the more fully convinced
of your sincerity, invite him to sup with you, and tell him you
should be glad to taste of some of the best wines of his country.
He will presently go to fetch you some. During his absence, put
into one of the cups you are accustomed to drink out of this
powder, and setting it by, charge the slave you may order that
night to attend you, on a signal you shall agree upon, to bring
that cup to you. When the magician and you have eaten and drunk
as much as you choose, let her bring you the cup, and then change
cups with him. He will esteem it so great a favour that he will
not refuse, but eagerly quaff it off; but no sooner will he have
drunk, than you will see him fall backwards. If you have any
reluctance to drink out of his cup, you may pretend only to do
it, without fear of being discovered; for the effect of the
powder is so quick, that he will not have time to know whether
you drink or not."
When Alla ad Deen had finished, "I own," answered the princess,
"I shall do myself great violence in consenting to make the
magician such advances as I see are absolutely necessary; but
what cannot one resolve to do against a cruel enemy? I will
therefore follow your advice, since both my repose and yours
depend upon it. "After the princess had agreed to the measures
proposed by Alla ad Deen, he took his leave, and went and spent
the rest of the day in the neighbourhood of the palace till it
was night, and he might safely return to the private door.
The princess, who had remained inconsolable at being separated
not only from her husband, whom she had loved from the first
moment, and still continued to love more out of inclination than
duty, but also from the sultan her father, who had always showed
the most tender and paternal affection for her, had, ever since
their cruel separation, lived in great neglect of her person. She
had almost forgotten the neatness so becoming persons of her sex
and quality, particularly after the first time the magician paid
her a visit; and she had understood by some of the women, who
knew him again, that it was he who had taken the old lamp in
exchange for a new one, which rendered the sight of him more
abhorred. However, the opportunity of taking the revenge he
deserved made her resolve to gratify Alla ad Deen. As soon,
therefore, as he was gone, she sat down to dress, and was attired
by her women to the best advantage in the richest habit of her
wardrobe. Her girdle was of the finest and largest diamonds set
in gold, her necklace of pearls, six on a side, so well
proportioned to that in the middle, which was the largest ever
seen, and invaluable, that the greatest sultanesses would have
been proud to have been adorned with only two of the smallest.
Her bracelets, which were of diamonds and rubies intermixed,
corresponded admirably to the richness of the girdle and
necklace.
When the princess Buddir al Buddoor was completely dressed, she
consulted her glass and women upon her adjustment; and when she
found she wanted no charms to flatter the foolish passion of the
African magician, she sat down on a sofa expecting his arrival.
The magician came at the usual hour, and as soon as he entered
the great hall where the princess waited to receive him, she rose
with an enchanting grace and smile, and pointed with her hand to
the most honourable place, waiting till he sat down, that she
might sit at the same time which was a civility she had never
shown him before.
The African magician, dazzled more with the lustre of the
princess's eyes than the glittering of the jewels with which she
was adorned, was much surprised. The smiling and graceful air
with which she received him, so opposite to her former behaviour,
quite fascinated his heart.
When he was seated, the princess, to free him from his
embarrassment, broke silence first, locking at him all the time
in such a manner as to make him believe that he was not so odious
to her as she had given him to understand hitherto and said, "You
are doubtless amazed to find me so much altered to-day; but your
surprise will not be so great when I acquaint you, that I am
naturally of a disposition so opposite to melancholy and grief,
sorrow and uneasiness, that I always strive to put them as far
away as possible when I find the subject of them is past. I have
reflected on what you told me of Alla ad Deen's fate, and know my
father's temper so well, that I am persuaded with you he could
not escape the terrible effects of the sultan's rage; therefore,
should I continue to lament him all my life, my tears cannot
recall him. For this reason, since I have paid all the duties
decency requires of me to his memory, now he is in the grave I
think I ought to endeavour to comfort myself. These are the
motives of the change you see in me; I am resolved to banish
melancholy entirely; and, persuaded that you will bear me company
tonight, I have ordered a supper to be prepared; but as I have no
wines but those of China, I have a great desire to taste of the
produce of Africa, and doubt not your procuring some of the
best."
The African magician, who had looked upon the happiness of
getting so soon and so easily into the princess Buddir al
Buddoor's good graces as impossible, could not think of words
expressive enough to testify how sensible he was of her favours:
but to put an end the sooner to a conversation which would have
embarrassed him, if he had engaged farther in it, he turned it
upon the wines of Africa, and said, "Of all the advantages Africa
can boast, that of producing the most excellent wines is one of
the principal. I have a vessel of seven years old, which has
never been broached; and it is indeed not praising it too much to
say it is the finest wine in the world. If my princess," added
he, "will give me leave, I will go and fetch two bottles, and
return again immediately." "I should be sorry to give you that
trouble," replied the princess; "you had better send for them."
"It is necessary I should go myself," answered the African
magician; "for nobody but myself knows where the key of the
cellar is laid, or has the secret to unlock the door." "If it be
so," said the princess, "make haste back; for the longer you
stay, the greater will be my impatience, and we shall sit down to
supper as soon as you return."
The African magician, full of hopes of his expected happiness,
rather flew than ran, and returned quickly with the wine. The
princess, not doubting but he would make haste, put with her own
hand the powder Alla ad Deen had given her into the cup set apart
for that purpose. They sat down at the table opposite to each
other, the magician's back towards the sideboard. The princess
presented him with the best at the table, and said to him, "If
you please, I will entertain you with a concert of vocal and
instrumental music; but, as we are only two, I think conversation
maybe more agreeable." This the magician took as a new favour.
After they had eaten some time, the princess called for some
wine, drank the magician's health, and afterwards said to him,
"Indeed you had a full right to commend your wine, since I never
tasted any so delicious." "Charming princess," said he, holding
in his hand the cup which had been presented to him," my wine
becomes more exquisite by your approbation." "Then drink my
health," replied the princess; "you will find I understand
wines." He drank the princess's health, and returning the cup,
said, "I think myself fortunate, princess, that I reserved this
wine for so happy an occasion; and own I never before drank any
in every respect so excellent."
When they had each drunk two or three cups more, the princess,
who had completely charmed the African magician by her civility
and obliging behaviour, gave the signal to the slave who served
them with wine, bidding her bring the cup which had been filled
for her, and at the same time bring the magician a full goblet.
When they both had their cups in their hands, she said to him, "I
know not how you express your loves in these parts when drinking
together? With us in China the lover and his mistress
reciprocally exchange cups, and drink each other's health." At
the same time she presented to him the cup which was in her hand,
and held out her hand to receive his. He hastened to make the
exchange with the more pleasure, because he looked upon this
favour as the most certain token of an entire conquest over the
princess, which raised his rapture to the highest pitch. Before
he drank, he said to her, with the cup in his hand, "Indeed,
princess, we Africans are not so refined in the art of love as
you Chinese: and your instructing me in a lesson I was ignorant
of, informs me how sensible I ought to be of the favour done me.
I shall never, lovely princess, forget my recovering, by drinking
out of your cup, that life, which your cruelty, had it continued,
must have made me despair of."
The princess, who began to be tired with this impertinent
declaration of the African magician, interrupted him, and said,
"Let us drink first, and then say what you will afterwards;" at
the same time she set the cup to her lips, while the African
magician, who was eager to get his wine off first, drank up the
very last drop. In finishing it, he had reclined his head back to
shew his eagerness, and remained some time in that state. The
princess kept the cup at her lips, till she saw his eyes turn in
his head, when he fell backwards lifeless on the sofa.
The princess had no occasion to order the private door to be
opened to Alla ad Deen; for her women were so disposed from the
great hall to the foot of the staircase, that the word was no
sooner given that the African magician was fallen backwards, than
the door was immediately opened.
As soon as Alla ad Deen entered the hall, he saw the magician
stretched backwards on the sofa. The princess rose from her seat,
and ran overjoyed to embrace him; but he stopped her, and said,
"Princess, it is not yet time; oblige me by retiring to your
apartment; and let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour
to transport you back to China as speedily as you were brought
from thence."
When the princess, her women and eunuchs, were gone out of the
hall, Alla ad Deen shut the door, and going directly to the dead
body of the magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp, which
was carefully wrapped up, as the princess had told him, and
unfolding and rubbing it, the genie immediately appeared.
"Genie," said Alla ad Deen, "I have called to command thee, on
the part of thy good mistress this lamp, to transport this palace
instantly into China, to the place from whence it was brought
hither." The genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and
disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China,
and its removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when
it was lifted up, the other when it was set down, and both in a
very short interval of time.
Alla ad Deen went to the princess's apartment, and embracing her,
said, "I can assure you, princess, that your joy and mine will be
complete tomorrow morning." The princess, guessing that Alla ad
Deen must be hungry, ordered the dishes, served up in the great
hall, to be brought down. The princess and Alla ad Deen ate as
much as they thought fit, and drank of the African magician's old
wine; during which time their conversation could not be otherwise
than satisfactory, and then they retired to their own chamber.
>From the time of the transportation of Alla ad Deen's palace,
the princess's father had been inconsolable for the loss of her.
He could take no rest, and instead of avoiding what might
continue his affliction, he indulged it without restraint. Before
the disaster he used to go every morning into his closet to
please himself with viewing the palace, he went now many times in
the day to renew his tears, and plunge himself into the deepest
melancholy, by the idea of no more seeing that which once gave
him so much pleasure, and reflecting how he had lost what was
most dear to him in this world.
The very morning of the return of Alla ad Deen's palace, the
sultan went, by break of day, into his closet to indulge his
sorrows. Absorbed in himself, and in a pensive mood, he cast his
eyes towards the spot, expecting only to see an open space; but
perceiving the vacancy filled up, he at first imagined the
appearance to be the effect of a fog; looking more attentively,
he was convinced beyond the power of doubt it was his son-in-
law's palace. Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow and grief. He
returned immediately into his apartment, and ordered a horse to
be saddled and brought to him without delay, which he mounted
that instant, thinking he could not make haste enough to the
palace.
Alla ad Deen, who foresaw what would happen, rose that morning by
day-break, put on one of the most magnificent habits his wardrobe
afforded, and went up into the hall of twenty-four windows, from
whence he perceived the sultan approaching, and got down soon
enough to receive him at the foot of the great staircase, and to
help him to dismount. "Alla ad Deen," said the sultan, "I cannot
speak to you till I have seen and embraced my daughter."
He led the sultan into the princess's apartment. The happy father
embraced her with his face bathed in tears of joy; and the
princess, on her side, shewed him all the testimonies of the
extreme pleasure the sight of him afforded her.
The sultan was some time before he could open his lips, so great
was his surprise and joy to find his daughter again, after he had
given her up for lost; and the princess, upon seeing her father,
let fall tears of rapture and affection.
At last the sultan broke silence, and said, "I would believe,
daughter, your joy to see me makes you seem as little changed as
if no misfortune had befallen you; yet I cannot be persuaded but
that you have suffered much alarm; for a large palace cannot be
so suddenly transported as yours has been, without causing great
fright and apprehension I would have you tell me all that has
happened, and conceal nothing from me."
The princess, who took great pleasure in giving the sultan the
satisfaction he demanded, said, "If I appear so little altered, I
beg of your majesty to consider that I received new life
yesterday morning by the presence of my dear husband and
deliverer Alla ad Deen, whom I looked upon and bewailed as lost
to me; and the happiness of seeing and embracing of whom has
almost recovered me to my former state of health. My greatest
suffering was only to find myself forced from your majesty and my
dear husband; not only from the love I bore my husband, but from
the uneasiness I laboured under through fear that he, though
innocent, might feel the effects of your anger, to which I knew
he was left exposed. I suffered but little from the insolence of
the wretch who had carried me off; for having secured the
ascendant over him, I always put a stop to his disagreeable
overtures, and was as little constrained as I am at present.
"As to what relates to my transportation, Alla ad Deen had no
concern in it; I was myself the innocent cause of it." To
persuade the sultan of the truth of what she said, she gave him a
full account of how the African magician had disguised himself,
and offered to change new lamps for old ones; how she had amused
herself in making that exchange, being entirely ignorant of the
secret and importance of the wonderful lamp; how the palace and
herself were carried away and transported into Africa, with the
African magician, who was recognised by two of her women and the
eunuch who made the exchange of the lamp, when he had the
audacity, after the success of his daring enterprise, to propose
himself for her husband; how he persecuted her till Alla ad
Deen's arrival; how they had concerted measures to get the lamp
from him again, and the success they had fortunately met with by
her dissimulation in inviting him to supper, and giving him the
cup with the powder prepared for him. "For the rest," added she,
"I leave it to Alla ad Deen to recount."
Alla ad Deen had not much to tell the sultan, but only said,
"When the private door was opened I went up into the great hall,
where I found the magician lying dead on the sofa, and as I
thought it not proper for the princess to stay there any longer,
I desired her to go down into her own apartment, with her women
and eunuchs. As soon as I was alone, and had taken the lamp out
of the magician's breast, I made use of the same secret he had
done, to remove the palace, and carry off the princess; and by
that means the palace was re-conveyed to the place where it stood
before; and I have the happiness to restore the princess to your
majesty, as you commanded me. But that your majesty may not think
that I impose upon you, if you will give yourself the trouble to
go up into the hall, you may see the magician punished as he
deserved."
The sultan, to be assured of the truth, rose instantly, and went
into the hall, where, when he saw the African magician dead, and
his face already livid by the strength of the poison, he embraced
Alla ad Deen with great tenderness, and said, "My son, be not
displeased at my proceedings against you; they arose from my
paternal love; and therefore you ought to forgive the excesses to
which it hurried me." "Sir," replied Alla ad Deen, "I have not
the least reason to complain of your majesty's conduct, since you
did nothing but what your duty required. This infamous magician,
the basest of men, was the sole cause of my misfortune. When your
majesty has leisure, I will give you an account of another
villanous action he was guilty of towards me, which was no less
black and base than this, from which I was preserved by the
providence of God in a very miraculous way." "I will take an
opportunity, and that very shortly," replied the sultan, "to hear
it; but in the mean time let us think only of rejoicing, and the
removal of this odious object."
Alla ad Deen ordered the magician's corpse to be removed and
thrown upon a dunghill, for birds and beasts to prey upon. In the
mean time, the sultan commanded the drums, trumpets, cymbals, and
other instruments of music to announce his joy to the public, and
a festival of ten days to be proclaimed for the return of the
princess and Alla ad Deen.
Thus Alla ad Deen escaped once more the almost inevitable danger
of losing his life; but this was not the last, since he ran as
great a hazard a third time.
The African magician had a younger brother, who was equally
skilful as a necromancer, and even surpassed him in villany and
pernicious designs. As they did not live together, or in the same
city, but oftentimes when one was in the east, the other was in
the west, they failed not every year to inform themselves, by
their art, each where the other resided, and whether they stood
in need of one another's assistance.
Some time after the African magician had failed in his enterprise
against Alla ad Deen, his younger brother, who had heard no
tidings of him, and was not in Africa, but in a distant country,
had the wish to know in what part of the world he sojourned, the
state of his health, and what he was doing; and as he, as well as
his brother, always carried a geomantic square instrument about
him, he prepared the sand, cast the points, and drew the figures.
On examining the planetary mansions, he found that his brother
was no longer living, but had been poisoned; and by another
observation, that he was in the capital of the kingdom of China;
also that the person who had poisoned him was of mean birth,
though married to a princess, a sultan's daughter.
When the magician had informed himself of his brother's fate, he
lost no time in useless regret, which could not restore him to
life; but resolving immediately to revenge his death, departed
for China; where, after crossing plains, rivers, mountains,
deserts, and a long tract of country without delay, he arrived
after incredible fatigues.
When he came to the capital of China, he took a lodging. The next
day he walked through the town, not so much to observe the
beauties, which were indifferent to him, as to take proper
measures to execute his pernicious designs. He introduced himself
into the most frequented places, where he listened to everybody's
discourse. In a place where people resort to divert themselves
with games of various kinds, and where some were conversing,
while others played, he heard some persons talk of the virtue and
piety of a woman called Fatima, who was retired from the world,
and of the miracles she wrought. As he fancied that this woman
might be serviceable to him in the project he had conceived, he
took one of the company aside, and requested to be informed more
particularly who that holy woman was, and what sort of miracles
she performed.
"What!" said the person whom he addressed, "have you never seen
or heard of her? She is the admiration of the whole town, for her
fasting, her austerities, and her exemplary life. Except Mondays
and Fridays, she never stirs out of her little cell; and on those
days on which she comes into the town she does an infinite deal
of good; for there is not a person that has the headache but is
cured by her laying her hand upon them."
The magician wanted no further information. He only asked the
person in what part of the town this holy woman's cell was
situated. After he had informed himself on this head, he
determined on the detestable design of murdering her and assuming
her character. With this view he watched all her steps the first
day she went out after he had made this inquiry, without losing
sight of her till evening, when he saw her re-enter her cell.
When he had fully observed the place, he went to one of those
houses where they sell a certain hot liquor, and where any person
may pass the night, particularly in the great heats, when the
people of that country prefer lying on a mat to a bed. About
midnight, after the magician had satisfied the master of the
house for what little he had called for, he went out, and
proceeded directly to the cell of Fatima. He had no difficulty to
open the door, which was only fastened with a latch, and he shut
it again after he had entered, without any noise. When he entered
the cell, he perceived Fatima by moonlight lying in the air on a
sofa covered only by an old mat, with her head leaning against
the wall. He awakened her, and clapped a dagger to her breast.
The pious Fatima opening her eyes, was much surprised to see a
man with a dagger at her breast ready to stab her, and who said
to her, "If you cry out, or make the least noise, I will kill
you; but get up, and do as I shall direct you."