prince ordered the mother and the daughter to be turned out of the
palace, and left to their choice to go where they thought fit. As soon as
ever they appeared, all persons fled from them, so great an impression
had the late prohibition made upon them all. They easily perceived that
every body shunned them; but not knowing the reason of it, they were much
surprised; and their amazement was the greater, when, coming into any
street, or among several persons, they knew some of their best friends,
who presently vanished with as much haste as the rest. What is the
meaning of this? said Ganem’s mother: do we carry the plague about us?
Must the unjust and barbarous usage we have received render us odious to
our fellow-citizens? Come, my child, added she, let us depart from
Damascus with all speed; let us not stay any longer in a city where we
are become frightful to our very friends.
The two wretched ladies, discoursing after this manner, came to one of
the ends of the city, and retired to a ruined house, to pass the night.
Thither some Mussulmen, or believers, out of charity and compassion,
resorted to them after the day was shut in. They carried them provisions,
but durst not stay to comfort them, for fear of being discovered, and
punished for disobeying the caliph’s orders.
In the mean time, king Zinebi had let fly a pigeon, to give Haroun
Alraschid an account of his exact obedience. He informed him of all that
had been done, and conjured him to direct what he would have done with
Ganem’s mother and sister. He soon received the caliph’s answer the same
way, which was, that he banished them from Damascus for ever. Immediately
the king of Syria sent men to the old house, with orders to take the
mother and the daughter, and to conduct them three days’ journey from
Damascus, and there to leave them, forbidding them ever to return to the
city.
Zinebi’s men executed their commission; but being less precise than their
master, in the strict performance of every tittle of Haroun Alraschid’s
orders, they in pity gave Alcolomb and her mother some small pieces of
money to buy them some subsistence, and each of them a bag, which they
hung about their necks, to carry their provisions.
In this miserable condition, they came to the first village. The peasants
flocked about them; and as it appeared through their disguise that they
were people of some fashion, they asked them what was the occasion of
their travelling after that manner, in a habit that did not seem properly
to belong to them. Instead of answering the question put to them, they
fell a-weeping, which only served to heighten the curiosity of the
peasants, and to move them to compassion. Ganem’s mother told them what
she and her daughter had endured; at which the good countrywomen were
sensibly afflicted, and endeavoured to comfort them. They treated them as
well as their poverty would permit; they took off their horse-hair
smocks, which were very uneasy, and put on others they gave them, with
shoes, and something to cover their heads, and save their hair.
Having expressed their gratitude to those charitable women, Alcolomb and
her mother departed that village, taking short journeys towards Aleppo.
They used at night to lie near the mosques, or in them, upon the mat, if
there was any, or else on the bare pavement; and sometimes put up in the
places appointed for the use of travellers. As for sustenance, they did
not want; for they often came to places where bread, boiled rice, and
other provisions, are distributed to all travellers who desire it.
At length they came to Aleppo, but would not stay there, and holding on
their journey towards the Euphrates, crossed that river, and entered into
Mesopotamia, which they traversed as far as Moussoul. Thence,
notwithstanding all they had endured, they proceeded to Bagdad. That was
the place they had fixed their thoughts upon, hoping to find Ganem there,
though they ought not to have fancied that he was in a city where the
caliph resided: but they hoped, because they wished it; their affection
rather increasing than diminishing, in spite of all their misfortunes.
Their discourse was generally about him, and they inquired for him of all
they met. But let us leave Alcolomb and her mother, to return to Fetnah.
She was still confined close in the dark tower, ever since the day that
had been so fatal to Ganem and her. However, disagreeable as her prison
was to her, it was much less grievous than the thoughts of Ganem’s
misfortune, the uncertainty of whose fate was a killing affliction to
her. There was scarce a moment in which she did not lament him.
One night when the caliph was walking by himself within the enclosure of
his palace, as he frequently did; for he was the most prying prince in
the world, and sometimes, by means of those night-walks, he came to the
knowledge of things that happened in his palace, which would otherwise
never have come to his ear: one of these nights, in his walk, he happened
to pass by the dark tower, and fancying he heard somebody talk, he
stopped, and drew near the door to listen, and distinctly heard these
words, which Fetnah, whose thoughts were always on Ganem, uttered with a
loud voice: O Ganem! too unfortunate Ganem! where are you at this time?
whither has thy cruel fate led thee? Alas! it is I that have made you
miserable! Why did you not let me perish unhappily, rather than afford me
your generous relief? What a dismal reward have you received for your
care and respect! The commander of the faithful, who ought to have
requited, persecutes you; and in return for having always looked upon me
as a person reserved for his bed, you lose all your goods, and are
obliged to seek for safety in flight. O caliph! barbarous caliph! what
will you say for yourself when you shall appear with Ganem before the
tribunal of the Supreme Judge, and the angels shall testify the truth
before your face! All the power you are now invested with, and which
makes the best part of the world quake, will not prevent your being
condemned and punished for your violent and unjust proceedings. Here
Fetnah ceased her complaint, her sighs and tears putting a stop to her
tongue.
This was enough to bring the caliph to himself. He plainly perceived,
that if what he had heard was true, his favourite must be innocent, and
that he had been too rash in giving orders against Ganem and his family.
Being resolved to be rightly informed in an affair which so nearly
concerned him, in point of equity, on which he valued himself, he
immediately returned to his apartment, and that moment ordered Mesrour to
repair to the dark tower and bring Fetnah to him.
By this command, and much more by the caliph’s way of delivery, the chief
of the eunuchs guessed that his master designed to pardon his favourite,
and take her to him again. He was overjoyed at it, for he loved Fetnah,
and had been much concerned at her disgrace; and therefore flying to the
tower, Madam, said he to the favourite, with such an air as expressed his
satisfaction, be pleased to follow me: I hope you will never more return
to this vile dark tower: the commander of the faithful has a mind to
speak with you, and I have reason to hope for a happy issue.
Fetnah followed Mesrour, who conducted her into the caliph’s closet. She
prostrated herself before that prince, and so continued, letting fall a
shower of tears. Fetnah, said the caliph, without bidding her rise, I
think you charge me with violence and injustice. Who is he, who,
notwithstanding the regard and respect he had for me, is in a miserable
condition? Speak freely; you know how good-natured I am, and that I love
to do justice.
By these words the favourite conceived that the caliph had heard what she
had said; and laying hold on so favourable an opportunity to clear her
dear Ganem, she said, Commander of the true believers, if I have let fall
any word that is not agreeable to your majesty, I most humbly beseech you
to forgive me; but he whose innocence and misfortune you desire to be
acquainted with, is Ganem, the unhappy son of Abou Ayoub, merchant in
Damascus. He is the man that saved my life, and afforded me a safe
sanctuary in his house. I must own, that, from the first moment he saw
me, he perhaps designed to devote himself to me, and conceived hopes of
engaging me to admit of his service. I guessed at this, by the eagerness
he showed in entertaining, and giving me all the attendance which was
requisite under the circumstances I was then in; but as soon as he heard
that I had the honour to belong to you, Alas, madam, said he, ‘That which
belongs to the master is forbidden to the slave.’ From that moment, I owe
this justice to his virtue, his behaviour was always suitable to his
words. However, you well know with what rigour you have treated him, and
you will answer for it before the tribunal of God.
The caliph was not displeased with Fetnah for the freedom of those words.
But may I, answered he, rely on the assurances you give me of Ganem’s
virtue? Yes, replied Fetnah, you may; I would not for the world conceal
the truth from you: and to make out to you that I am sincere, I must own
one thing to you, which perhaps may displease you; but I beg pardon of
your majesty beforehand. Speak, child, said Haroun Alraschid; I forgive
all, provided you conceal nothing from me. Well then, replied Fetnah, let
me inform you, that Ganem’s respectful behaviour, together with all the
good offices he did me, gained him my esteem. I went farther yet: you
know the tyranny of love; I felt some tender inclination growing in my
breast. He perceived it, but was still far from taking an advantage of my
frailty: and notwithstanding the flame which consumed him, he still
remained steady in his duty; and all his passion could force from him,
were those words I have already told your majesty, ‘That which belongs to
the master is forbidden to the slave.’
This ingenuous confession might have provoked any other man than the
caliph; but it was the very thing which quite appeased that prince. He
commanded her to rise, and making her sit by him, Tell me your story,
said he, from the beginning to the end. She did so with much art and wit,
slightly passing over what regarded Zobeide, and dilating on the
obligations she owed Ganem, the expense he had been at for her; and,
above all, she highly extolled his discretion, endeavouring by that means
to make the caliph sensible that she had been under the necessity of
lying concealed in Ganem’s house, to deceive Zobeide. She concluded with
the young merchant’s escape, which she plainly told the caliph she had
compelled him to, that he might avoid his indignation.
When she had done speaking, the caliph said to her, I believe all you
have told me; but why was it so long before you let me hear from you? Was
there any need of staying a whole month after my return, before you sent
me word where you were? Commander of the true believers, answered Fetnah,
Ganem went abroad so very seldom, that you need not wonder that we were
none of the first that heard of your return. Besides that, Ganem, who
took upon him to deliver the letter I wrote to Nouron Nihar, was a long
time before he could find an opportunity of putting it into her own
hands.
It is enough, Fetnah, replied the caliph; I own my fault, and would
willingly make amends for it by heaping favours on that young merchant of
Damascus; therefore consider what I can do for him: ask what you think
fit, and I will grant it. Hereupon the favourite fell down at the
caliph’s feet, with her face flat on the ground; and then rising again,
said, Commander of the true believers, after returning your majesty
thanks for Ganem, I most humbly entreat you to cause it to be published
throughout all your dominions, that you pardon the son of Abou Ayoub, and
that he may safely come to you. I will do more, rejoined that prince, in
requital for having saved your life, and the respect he has bore to me,
and to make amends for the loss of his goods; and, in short, to repair
the wrong I have done to his family, I give him to you for a husband.
Fetnah had not words expressive enough to thank the caliph for his
generosity. She then withdrew into the apartment she had before her
dismal adventure. The same furniture was still in it; nothing had been
removed; but that which pleased her most, was, to find there Ganem’s
chests and packs, which Mesrour had taken care to convey thither.
The next day Haroun Alraschid ordered the grand vizier to cause
proclamation to be made throughout all his dominions, that he pardoned
the son of Abou Ayoub; but this proved of no effect, for a long time
elapsed without any news of that young merchant. Fetnah concluded for
certain, that he had not been able to survive the pain of losing her. A
dreadful uneasiness seized her; but as hope is the last thing which
forsakes lovers, she entreated the caliph to give her leave to seek for
Ganem herself; which being granted, she took a purse with a thousand
pieces of gold out of her basket, and one morning went out of the palace,
mounted on a mule she had out of the caliph’s stables, very richly
accoutred. Black eunuchs attended her, with their hands on each side upon
the mule’s buttocks.
Thus she went from mosque to mosque, bestowing her alms among the
devotees of the Mahometan religion, desiring their prayers for obtaining
the accomplishment of an affair on which the happiness of two persons, as
she told them, depended. She spent the whole day and the thousand pieces
of gold, in giving alms at the mosques, and returned to the palace in the
evening.
The next day she took another purse of the same value, and, in the like
equipage as the day before, went to the place where all the jewellers’
shops were; and stopping at the door without alighting, sent one of her
black eunuchs for the syndic, or chief of them. That syndic, who was an
extraordinary charitable man, and spent above two-thirds of his income in
relieving poor strangers, whether they happened to be sick or in
distress, made not Fetnah stay, knowing by her dress that she was a lady
belonging to the palace. I apply myself to you, said she, putting the
purse into his hands, as a person whose piety is cried up throughout the
city. I desire you to distribute that gold among the poor strangers you
relieve, for I know you make it your business to assist poor strangers
who have recourse to your charity. I am also satisfied that you prevent
their wants, and that nothing is more agreeable to you than to have an
opportunity of easing their misery. Madam, answered the syndic, I shall
obey your commands with pleasure; but if you desire to exercise your
charity in person, and will be pleased to step to my house, you will
there see two women worthy of your compassion: I met them yesterday as
they were coming into the city; they were in a deplorable condition, and
it moved me the more, because I thought they were persons of some
quality. Through all the rags that covered them, and notwithstanding the
impression the sun has made on their faces, I discovered a noble air, not
to be commonly found in those poor people I relieve. I carried them both
to my house, and delivered them to my wife, who was of the same opinion
with me. She caused her slaves to provide them good beds, whilst she
herself washed their faces, and gave them clean linen. We know not as yet
who they are, because we will let them take some rest before we trouble
them with our questions.
Fetnah, without being able to give any reason for it, had a curiosity to
see them. The syndic would have conducted her to his house, but she would
not give him the trouble, and was satisfied that a slave of his should go
and show her the way. She alighted at the door, and followed the syndic’s
slave, who was gone on before to give notice to his mistress, she being
then in the chamber with Alcolomb and her mother, for they were the
persons the syndic had been talking of to Fetnah.
The syndic’s wife, being informed by the slave that a court-lady was in
her house, was going out of the room to meet her; but Fetnah, who had
followed close to the slave’s heels, did not give her so much time, and
coming into the chamber, the syndic’s wife fell down before her, to
express the respect she had for all that belonged to the caliph. Fetnah
took her up, and said, My good lady, I desire you would let me speak with
those two strangers that arrived at Bagdad last night. Madam, answered
the syndic’s wife, they lie in those two little beds you see close by
each other. The favourite immediately drew near the mother’s, and viewing
her carefully, Good woman, said she, I come to offer you my assistance: I
have a considerable interest in this city, and may be assisting to you
and your companion. Madam, answered Ganem’s mother, I perceive by your
obliging offers that Heaven has not quite forsaken us, though we have
cause to believe it, after so many misfortunes as have befallen us.
Having uttered these words, she wept so bitterly that Fetnah and the
syndic’s wife could not forbear letting fall some tears.
The caliph’s favourite, having dried up hers, said to Ganem’s mother, Be
so kind as to tell us your misfortunes, and recount your story. You
cannot give the relation to any persons better disposed than we are to
use all possible means to comfort you. Madam, replied Abou Ayoub’s
disconsolate widow, a favourite of the commander of the true believers, a
lady whose name is Fetnah, is the occasion of all our misfortunes. These
words were like a thunderbolt to the favourite: but suppressing her
concern and uneasiness, she suffered Ganem’s mother to proceed, who did
it after this manner: I am the widow of Abou Ayoub, a merchant of
Damascus; I had a son, called Ganem, who, coming to trade at Bagdad, has
been accused of having debauched that Fetnah. The caliph has caused
search to be made for him every where, to put him to death; and not
finding him, wrote to the king of Damascus, to cause our house to be
plundered and razed, and to expose my daughter and me three days
successively, stark naked, to be seen by the people, and then to banish
us out of Syria for ever.
But how unworthy soever our usage has been, I should still be comforted,
were my son alive, and I could meet with him. What a pleasure would it be
for his sister and me to see him again! Embracing him, we should forget
the loss of our goods, and all the evils we have suffered for him. Alas!
I am fully persuaded he is the innocent cause of them; and that he is no
more guilty towards the caliph, than his sister and I.
No doubt of it, said Fetnah, interrupting her there; he is no more guilty
than you are; I can assure you of his innocence, for I am that very
Fetnah you so much complain of, who, through some fatality in my stars,
have occasioned so many misfortunes. To me you must impute the loss of
your son, if he is no more; but if I have occasioned your misfortune, I
can in some measure relieve it. I have already cleared Ganem to the
caliph, who has caused it to be proclaimed throughout his dominions, that
he pardons the son of Abou Ayoub; and I do not question but that he will
do you as much good as he has done you harm. You are no longer his
enemies: he expects Ganem to requite the service he has done me by
uniting our fortunes: he gives me to him for his consort; therefore look
on me as your daughter, and permit me to vow an eternal friendship to
you. Having so said, she bowed down on Ganem’s mother, who was so
astonished that she could return no answer. Fetnah held her a long time
in her arms, and only left her to run to the other bed to Alcolomb, who,
sitting up, held out her arms to receive her.
When the caliph’s charming favourite had given the mother and daughter
all the tokens of affection they could expect from Ganem’s wife, she said
to them, Cease both of you to afflict yourselves: the wealth Ganem had in
this city is not lost; it is in my apartment in the palace; but I know
all the treasure in the world cannot comfort you without Ganem: I judge
so of his mother and sister, if I may judge of them by myself; blood is
no less powerful than love in great minds. But why should we despair of
seeing him again? We shall find him: the good fortune of meeting with you
makes me conceive fresh hopes: and perhaps this is the last day of your
sufferings, and the beginning of a greater felicity than you enjoyed in
Damascus when Ganem was with you.
Fetnah would have gone on, when the syndic of the jewellers came in,
saying, Madam, I am come from seeing a very moving object; it is a young
man, a camel-driver, who was carrying to the hospital of Bagdad: he was
bound with cords on a camel, because he had not strength enough to sit
him. They had already unbound, and were carrying him into the hospital,
when I happened to be passing by. I went close up to the young man,
viewed him carefully, and fancied his countenance was not altogether
unknown to me. I asked him some questions concerning his family and his
country; but all the answer I could get, consisted only in sighs and
tears. I took pity on him, and perceiving, by being so much used to sick
people, that he had great need to have particular care taken of him, I
would not permit him to be put into the hospital; for I am too well
acquainted with their way of looking to the sick, and am sensible of the
incapacity of the physicians. I have caused him to be brought home to my
house by my slaves; and they are now, by my orders, putting on some of my
own linen, and serving him as they would do me, in a chamber for that
purpose.
Fetnah’s heart leaped at these words of the jeweller, and she felt a
sudden emotion, for which she could not account. Show me, said she to the
syndic, into that sick man’s room; I would gladly see him. The syndic
conducted her, and whilst she was going thither, Ganem’s mother said to
Alcolomb, Alas! daughter, as wretched as that sick stranger is, your
brother, if he be living, is not perhaps in a more happy condition.
The caliph’s favourite, coming into the chamber where the sick man was,
drew near the bed, into which the syndic’s slaves had already laid him.
She saw a young man whose eyes were closed, his countenance pale,
disfigured, and bathed in tears. She gazed earnestly on him, her heart
beat, and she fancied she beheld Ganem; but yet she would not believe her
eyes. Though she found something of Ganem in the object she beheld, yet,
in other respects, he appeared so different, that she durst not imagine
it was he that lay before her. However, not being able to withstand the
earnest desire of being satisfied, Ganem, said she, with a quivering
voice, is it you I behold? Having spoken these words, she stopped to give
the young man time to answer; but observing that he seemed insensible,
Alas! Ganem, added she, it is not you that I talk to! My imagination
being overcharged with your image, has given this stranger a deceitful
resemblance: the son of Abou Ayoub, though ever so sick, would know the
voice of Fetnah. At the name of Fetnah, Ganem (for it was really he)
opened his eyes, and turned his face towards the person that spoke to
him, and knowing the caliph’s favourite, Ah! madam, said he, what
miracle?——He could say no more; such a sudden transport of joy seized him
that he fell into a swoon. Fetnah and the syndic did all they could to
bring him to himself; but as soon as they perceived he began to revive,
the syndic desired the lady to withdraw, for fear lest the sight of her
should heighten Ganem’s distemper.