_First Trial of the Ring._
Alcina.
Mangogul arrived before her at the great Sultana's, and found all the
ladies very busy at cards. He survey'd all those, whose reputation was
established, fully resolved to try his ring on one of them, and his
only difficulty was in the choice. While, he was in suspence by whom
to begin, he spied a young lady of the household of the Manimonbanda
in a window. She was toying with her husband; which appear'd singular
to the Sultan, inasmuch as they had been married above eight days.
They had made their appearance in the same box at the Opera, in the
same coach at the Bois de Boulogne, they had finished their visits;
and the fashion of the times exempted them from loving or even meeting
each other. "If this Toy," says Mangogul, "is as silly as its mistress,
we shall have a diverting soliloquy." At this instant the favorite
appear'd. "Welcome," said the Sultan to her in a whisper. "I have cast
my lead, waiting for you." "And on whom?" ask'd Mirzoza. "On that
couple which you see sporting in that window," answer'd Mangogul with a
wink. "Well set out," replied the favorite.
Alcina, for that was the young lady's name, was sprightly and pretty.
The Sultan's court had few women more amiable, and not one of a gayer
disposition. One of the Sultan's Emirs had filled his head with her.
He was not left in ignorance of what the chronicle had published
concerning Alcina: the report alarm'd him, but he followed the custom:
he consulted his mistress about it. Alcina swore, that it was pure
calumny invented by some coxcombs, who would have been silent, if
they had had any reason for talking; but however, that there was no
harm done, and that he was at full liberty to believe it or not, as
he thought proper. This answer, delivered with an air of confidence,
convinced the amorous Emir of his mistress's innocence. He closed
the affair, and assumed the title of Alcina's husband with all its
prerogatives.
The Sultan levelled his ring at her. A loud burst of laughter, which
seized Alcina at some comical saying of her husband, was suddenly cut
short by the operation of the ring; and immediately a murmuring noise
was heard under her petticoats. "Well, now I am titled. Truly I am
glad on't. Nothing like having a rank. If my first advices had been
heeded, I should have been provided with something better than an
Emir: but yet an Emir is better than nothing." At these words all the
ladies quitted the game, to seek from what quarter the voice issued.
This movement made a great noise. "Silence," says Mangogul, "this
deserves attention." They obeyed, and the Toy continued. "One would be
apt to think, that a husband is a guest of great importance, by the
precautions which are taken to receive him. What preparatives! What
profusion of myrtle water! Another fortnight of this regimen would
have demolished me. I had disappear'd, and the Emir might have sought
lodgings elsewhere, or have shipped me off for the island Jonquille."
Here my author says, that all the ladies grew pale, look'd at each
other in deep silence, and grew vastly serious; which he ascribes to
their fear, lest the conversation should grow warm, and become general.
"Yet," continued Alcina's Toy, "in my opinion the Emir did neither
require nor stand in need of so many formalities: but I must still
acknowledge the prudence of my mistress. She guarded against the worst,
and I was treated for the great lord as for his little page."
The Toy was on the point of continuing its extravagant harangue, when
the Sultan, observing that this strange scene shock'd the modest
Manimonbanda, interrupted the orator by turning off the ring. The Emir
had vanish'd at the first words of his wife's Toy. Alcina, without
being disconcerted, pretended to take a nap: mean while the ladies
whispered that she had the vapours. "Yes," says a _Petit-maitre_, "----
Vapours: Ch----y calls them hysterics, as much as to say, things which
come from the lower region. For this case he has a divine elixir; it is
a principle, principiating, principiated, which revives----which----I
will propose it to the lady." The company laugh'd at this gibberish,
and our Cynic resumed. "Nothing more true, ladies: I, who speak, have
used it for a deperdition of substance." "A deperdition of substance,
good marquiss," said a young person, "pray what is that?" "Madam,"
replied the marquiss, "it is one of those casual accidents which
happen----but every body knows it."
By this time the pretended drowziness went off. Alcina sat down to play
with as much intrepidity as if her Toy either had not spoken a word,
or had made the finest speech in the world. Nay, she was the only lady
that play'd without distraction. This sitting was worth a considerable
sum to her. The rest did not know what they were about, could not count
the dots on the cards, forgot their reckonings, neglected their good
luck, dealt wrong, and committed a hundred other mistakes, of which
Alcina took the advantage. In fine, they broke up play, and every one
withdrew.
This adventure made great noise not only at court and in town, but
all over Congo. Epigrams were handed about on it. The discourse of
Alcina's Toy was published, revised, corrected, enlarged and commented
by the Agreeables of the court. The Emir was lampoon'd, and his wife
immortalized. She was pointed at in the play-house, and followed in the
public walks. People flock'd about her, and she heard them buzzing:
"Yes, 'tis she: her Toy made a discourse two hours long." Alcina bore
her new reputation with admirable tranquillity. She listened to these
expressions, and many more, with a serenity, which the rest of the
women could not shew. They were every moment under apprehensions of
some indiscretions being committed by their Toys: but the adventure of
the following chapter compleated their confusion.
As soon as the company had broke up, Mangogul gave his hand to the
favorite, and conduced her to her appartment. She was far from having
that lively chearful air, which seldom quitted her. She had lost
considerably at play, and the effect of the dreadful ring had plunged
her into a pensiveness, out of which she was not yet thoroughly
recovered. She knew the Sultan's curiosity, and she had not sufficient
confidence in the promises of a man less amorous than despotic, to
be free from uneasiness. "What ails you, my soul's delight?" said
Mangogul. "You are pensive." "I played with bad luck without example,"
answered Mirzoza. "I lost the possibility. I had twelve tableaux, and
I don't think I mark'd three times." "That is vexatious," replied
Mangogul; "but what think you of my secret?" "Prince," said the
favorite, "I persist in deeming it diabolical. Doubtless it will amuse
you, but that amusement will be attended with dismal consequences. You
are going to spread discord in every family, undeceive husbands, throw
lovers into despair, ruin wives, dishonour daughters, and raise a
thousand other hurly-burlys. Ah! Prince, I conjure you.----" "By the
light," said Mangogul, "you moralize like Nicole! I would be glad to
know why the concern for your neighbour touches you so to the quick.
No, no, madam; I will keep my ring. And what do I matter those husbands
undeceived, those lovers thrown into despair, those wives ruined, those
daughters dishonoured, provided I amuse myself. Am I then a Sultan
for nothing? Good night, madam, we must hope that future scenes will
be more comic than the first, and that you will take more pleasure in
them by degrees." "I do not believe it, sir," replied Mirzoza. "And
for my part, I promise you, that you will find pleasant Toys, nay, so
pleasant, that you cannot refuse giving them audience. And what would
you do, if I sent them to you in quality of ambassadors? I will if you
desire it, spare you the trouble of their harangues; but as to the
recital of their adventures, you shall hear it either from their own
mouths or mine. 'Tis a determined point; and I can abate nothing of it.
Resolve to familiarize yourself with these new speech-makers." At these
words he embraced her, and went into his closet, reflecting on the
trial he had made, and devoutly thanking the Genius Cucufa.