_Twenty-eighth Trial of the Ring._
Olympia.
"Rejoice, madam," says Mangogul, coming in to the favorite's
appartment. "I bring you an agreeable piece of news. The Toys are a
parcel of little fools, who know not what they say. Cucufa's ring can
indeed make them speak, but not extort the truth from them." "And
how has your highness caught them in a lye?" says the favorite. "You
shall hear," answered the Sultan. "Selim promised you an account of
all his adventures, and you make no doubt but that he has kept his
word. Well then, I am just come from consulting a Toy, who accuses him
of a naughty trick, which he has not confessed to you, and which most
certainly he has not play'd, as it is quite contrary to his character.
To tyrannize over a pretty woman, to lay her under contribution, on
pain of military execution: can you discover Selim in this proceeding?"
"Pray, why not, Sir?" replied the favorite. "There is no malice of this
sort, of which Selim has not been capable: and if he has concealed
the adventure which you have discovered, possibly it is, that he is
reconciled to this Toy, that they are well together, and that he
thought he might keep that peccadillo from me, without swerving from
his promise."
"The perpetual falsity of your conjectures," replied Mangogul, "ought
to cure you of the disease of ever making any. There is nothing of what
you imagine in the affair: it is one of the first flights of Selim's
youthful days. It regards one of those women, who are gained in a
minute, but are never kept long."
"Madam," says Selim to the favorite, "in vain do I examine my self,
I can recal nothing more to my memory; and at present I find my
conscience quite clear."
"Olympia," says Mangogul--"Ah! Prince," interrupted Selim, "I know the
thing; but this little story is so old, that it is no wonder that it
has escaped me."
"Olympia," continued Mangogul, "wife of the chief cashier of Hasna,
had coiffed herself with a young officer, captain in Selim's regiment.
Her lover came to her one morning in deep concern, to inform her that
orders were issued for all the officers to set out and join their
respective corps. My grandfather Kanaglou had resolved that year
to open the campaign early: and an admirable project, which he had
formed, miscarried, purely through the making these orders too publick.
The politicians murmured, the women exclaimed, each party had their
reasons. I have told you those of Olympia. This woman took the party of
seeing Selim, and, if possible, to prevent the departure of Gabalis:
for that was her lover's name. Selim already passed for a dangerous
man. Olympia thought it was proper to have an escort: and two of her
female friends, as handsome as her self, offered to accompany her.
Selim was at home when they came. He received Olympia, who appeared
alone, with that easy politeness, which you know he is master of, and
asked what had procured him this agreeable visit? 'Sir,' says Olympia,
'I interest my self for Gabalis: he has some important affairs on his
hands, which make his presence necessary at Banza, and I come to you to
beg six months leave of absence for him.'
"'Six months leave, Madam? You do not consider,' replied Selim: 'the
Sultan's orders are precise: I am heartily concerned, that I cannot
make a merit towards you of a favour, which would infallibly ruin
me.' New instances on Olympia's side: on Selim's new refusals--'The
Grand Vizir has promised me, that I should be comprehended in the
next promotion. Can you desire me, madam, to drown my self, in order
to oblige you?' 'No, Sir, you may oblige me, without drowning your
self'--'Madam, it is impossible: but if you go to the Visir'--'Alas!
Sir, to whom do you send me, that man never did any thing for the
ladies'--'I rack my brain to no purpose: for I should be highly
rejoiced in being able to render you service, and I can see but one
way.' 'And which is that?' asked Olympia with eagerness.--'Your
intention,' answered Selim, 'would be to make Gabalis happy for six
months: but, madam, could you not dispose of one quarter of an hour
of those pleasures which you design for him?' Olympia understood him
wonderfully well, blushed, stammered; and concluded by exclaiming at
the severity of the condition. 'Let us say no more of the affair,'
replied the colonel with a cold air, 'Gabalis shall join his regiment:
the prince's service must be done. I might venture to take somewhat on
my self: but you are inflexible. At least, madam, if Gabalis departs,
it is you that send him away.' 'I,' cry'd Olympia sharply: 'Ah! Sir,
make out his warrant quickly, and let him remain here.' The essential
preliminaries of the treaty were ratified on a sopha, and the lady
thought she had made sure of Gabalis; when the traitor, who stands
before you, took it into his head to ask her, who those two ladies
were, who came with her, and whom she left in the next appartment.
'They are two of my intimate friends,' replied Olympia; 'and of Gabalis
too,' added Selim, 'beyond all doubt. This supposed, I do not believe
they will refuse to execute each a third part of the articles of the
treaty. Yes, this to me seems just: and to you, madam, I commit the
care of disposing them to it.' 'Indeed, Sir,' says Olympia, 'you are a
strange man. I protest, these ladies have no pretentions to Gabalis:
but in order to extricate them and my self from this _embarras_, if
you think me responsible, I will endeavour to discharge the bill of
exchange, which you draw on them.' Selim accepted the offer. Olympia
did honour to her word: and there, madam, is what Selim ought to have
informed you of."
"I excuse him," says the favorite: "Olympia was not so good an
acquaintance, that I should condemn him for having forgot her. I cannot
imagine whither you go to hunt out that sort of women: indeed, prince,
your conduct is that of a man, who has no desire to lose a castle."
"Madam, to me it seems, as if you had entirely changed your notions
within these few days," answered Mangogul: "do me the favour to
recollect the first trial of my ring, which I proposed to you; and you
will see, it was not my fault that I have not lost it ere now."
"Yes," replied the Sultana, "I know, you have sworn to me, that I
should be excepted out of the number of speaking Toys; and that since
that time you have applied to such women only as have forfeited
their character; to an Amina, a Zobeida, a Thelis, a Zulica, whose
reputations were already pretty well settled."
"I grant," says Mangogul, "that it would be ridiculous indeed to rely
on those Toys: but for want of others, I was necessitated to confine
myself to them. I have already told you, and I now repeat it: good
company with respect to Toys is scarcer than you think; and if you
will not resolve to gain yourself----"
"I," interrupted Mirzoza smartly, "I shall never have a castle while I
live, if I must use those means for obtaining one. A speaking Toy! Fy!
That is so indecent.----Prince, in one word, you know my reasons, and
with great seriousness I now reiterate my menaces."
"But, either do not complain of my trials, or at least hint at some
persons, to whom you think we may have recourse: for I am quite uneasy
that the affair is not terminated. Libertin Toys, and what next?
Libertin Toys, and always Libertin Toys."
"I have great confidence," says Mirzoza, "in Egle's Toy; and I wait
with impatience for the end of the fortnight which you demanded of me."
"Madam," replied Mangogul, "that term expired yesterday; and while
Selim was telling you stories of the old court, I learnt from Egle's
Toy, that, thanks to the ill humor of Celebi, and the constant
attendance of Almanzor, it's mistress can do you no service."
"Ah! Prince," cry'd the favourite, "what have you said?" "'Tis fact,"
replied the Sultan; "I will regale you with that story some other time:
but in the mean while seek another string to your bow."
"Egle, the virtuous Egle, has at length given herself the lye," says
the favorite in a surprize; "indeed I cannot recover myself." "I see
you are quite unhinged," replies Mangogul, "and know not whither to
turn yourself."
"Not so," says the favorite; "but I own to you that I depended much on
Egle." "Pray think no more about it," added Mangogul; "only tell us if
she was the only virtuous woman that you know."
"No, Prince, there are a hundred others, and amiable women too, whom
I will name to you," replied Mirzoza. "I will answer, as much as for
myself, for----for----"
Mirzoza stop'd short, without having pronounced any one name. Selim
could not refrain from smiling, and the Sultan from bursting out into
laughter, at the favorite's embarrassment, who knew so many virtuous
women, and could not recollect any one.
Mirzoza, piqued at this, turned to Selim, and said: "pray, Selim, help
me out, you, who are so great a connoisseur. Prince," continued she
directing her discourse to the Sultan, "apply to----whom shall I name?
prithee, Selim, assist me." "To Mirzoza," says Selim. "You make your
court to me very ill," replied the favorite. "I am not afraid of the
trial, but I abhor it. Name some one else quickly, if you would have
me pardon you."
"One may try," says Selim, "if Zaide has found the reality of the ideal
lover, which she formed to herself, and to whom she was formerly wont
to compare all those who made love to her."
"Zaide?" replys Mangogul. "I must own that she is a very proper subject
to make me lose." "She is," added the favorite, "perhaps the only
woman, whose reputation has been spared by the prude Arsinoe and the
coxcomb Janeki."
"This is strong," says Mangogul: "but the trial of my ring is a better
argument. Let us go directly to her Toy.
"_That Oracle is surer much than Calchas._"
"How," adds the favorite smiling: "you retain your Racine, like a
player."