reason why his nephew did not appear; he expected him every
moment, and was impatient to receive him to his arms. After he
had waited seven days in vain, he searched through all Cairo, but
could procure no intelligence of him, which threw him into great
perplexity. "This is the strangest occurrence," said he, "that
ever happened." In order to certify it, he thought fit to draw up
in writing with his own hand an account of the manner in which
the wedding had been solemnized; how the hall and his daughter's
bed-chamber were furnished, with the other circumstances. He
likewise made the turban, the bag, and the rest of Buddir ad
Deen's raiment into a bundle, and locked them up.
After some days were past, the vizier's daughter perceived
herself pregnant, and after nine months was brought to bed of a
son. A nurse was provided for the child, besides other women and
slaves to wait upon him; and his grandfather called him Agib.
When young Agib had attained the age of seven, the vizier,
instead of teaching him to read at home, put him to school with a
master who was in great esteem; and two slaves were ordered to
wait upon him. Agib used to play with his schoolfellows, and as
they were all inferior to him in rank, they shewed him great
respect, according to the example of their master, who many times
would pass by faults in him that he would correct in his other
pupils. This indulgence spoiled Agib; he became proud and
insolent, would have his play-fellows bear all from him, and
would submit to nothing from them, but be master every where; and
if any took the liberty to thwart him, he would call them a
thousand names, and many times beat them.
In short, all the scholars grew weary of his insolence, and
complained of him to their master. He answered, "That they must
have patience." But when he saw that Agib grew still more and
more overbearing, and occasioned him much trouble, "Children,"
said he to his scholars, "I find Agib is a little insolent
gentleman; I will shew you how to mortify him, so that he shall
never torment you any more. Nay, I believe it will make him leave
the school. When he comes again to-morrow, place yourselves round
him, and let one of you call out, 'Come, let us play, but upon
condition, that every one who desires to play shall tell his own
name, and the names of his father and mother; they who refuse
shall be esteemed bastards, and not be suffered to play in our
company.'"
Next day when they were gathered together, they failed not to
follow their master's instructions. They placed themselves round
Agib, and one of them called out, "Let us begin a play, but on
condition that he who cannot tell his own name, and that of his
father and mother, shall not play at all." They all cried out,
and so did Agib, "We consent." Then he that spoke first asked
every one the question, and all fulfilled the condition except
Agib, who answered, "My name is Agib, my mother is called the
lady of beauty, and my father Shumse ad Deen Mahummud, vizier to
the sultan."
At these words all the children cried out, "Agib, what do you
say? That is not the name of your father, but your grandfather."
"A curse on you," said he in a passion. "What! dare you say that
the vizier is not my father?" "No, no," cried they with great
laughter, "he is your grandfather, and you shall not play with
us. Nay we will take care how we come into your company." Having
spoken thus, they all left him, scoffing him, and laughing among
themselves, which mortified Agib so much that he wept.
The schoolmaster who was near, and heard all that passed, came
up, and speaking to Agib, said, "Agib, do not you know that the
vizier is not your father, but your grandfather, and the father
of your mother the lady of beauty? We know not the name of your
father any more than you do. We only know that the sultan was
going to marry your mother to one of his grooms, a humpback
fellow; but a genie lay with her. This is hard upon you, but
ought to teach you to treat your schoolfellows with less
haughtiness."
Agib being nettled at this, ran hastily out of the school. He
went directly sobbing to his mother's chamber, who being alarmed
to see him thus grieved, asked the reason. He could not answer
for tears, so great was his mortification, and it was long ere he
could speak plain enough to repeat what had been said to him, and
had occasioned his sorrow.
When he came to himself. "Mother," said he "for the love of God
be pleased to tell me who is my father?" "My son," she replied,
"Shumse ad Deen Mahummud, who every day caresses you so kindly,
is your father." "You do not tell me truth," returned Agib; "he
is your father, and none of mine. But whose son am I?" At this
question, the lady of beauty calling to mind her wedding night,
which had been succeeded by a long widowhood, began to shed
tears, repining bitterly at the loss of so handsome a husband as
Buddir ad Deen.
Whilst the lady of beauty and Agib were both weeping, the vizier
entered, who demanded the reason of their sorrow. The lady told
him the shame Agib had undergone at school, which so much
affected the vizier that he joined his tears with theirs, and
judging from this that the misfortune which had happened to his
daughter was the common discourse of the town, he was mortified
to the quick.
Being thus afflicted, he went to the sultan's palace, and falling
prostrate at his feet, most humbly intreated permission to make a
journey in search of his nephew Buddir ad Deen Houssun. For he
could not bear any longer that the people of the city should
believe a genie had disgraced his daughter.
The sultan was much concerned at the vizier's affliction,
approved his resolution, and gave him leave to travel. He caused
a passport also to be written for him, requesting in the
strongest terms all kings and princes in whose dominions Buddir
ad Deen might sojourn, to grant that the vizier might conduct him
to Cairo.
Shumse ad Deen, not knowing how to express his gratitude to the
sultan, fell down before him a second time, while the floods of
tears he shed bore sufficient testimony to his feelings. At last,
having wished the sultan all manner of prosperity, he took his
leave and returned to his house, where he disposed every thing
for his journey; and the preparations were carried on with so
much diligence, that in four days after he left the city,
accompanied with his daughter the lady of beauty, and his
grandson Agib.
They travelled nineteen days without intermission; but on the
twentieth, arriving at a pleasant mead, a small distance from the
gate of Damascus, they halted, and pitched their tents upon the
banks of a river which fertilizes the vicinity, and runs through
the town, one of the pleasantest in Syria, once the capital of
the caliphs; and celebrated for its elegant buildings, the
politeness of its inhabitants, and the abundance of its
conveniences.
The vizier declared he would stay in that pleasant place two
days, and pursue his journey on the third. In the mean time he
gave his retinue leave to go to Damascus; and almost all of them
made use of it: some influenced by curiosity to see a city they
had heard so much of, and others by the opportunity of vending
the Egyptian goods they had brought with them, or buying stuffs,
and the rarities of the country. The beautiful lady desiring her
son Agib might share in the satisfaction of viewing that
celebrated city, ordered the black eunuch, who acted in quality
of his governor, to conduct him thither.
Agib, in magnificent apparel, went with the eunuch, who had a
large cane in his hand. They had no sooner entered the city, than
Agib, fair and glorious as the day, attracted the eyes of the
people. Some got out of their houses to gain a nearer and
narrower view of him; others put their heads out of the windows,
and those who passed along the street were not satisfied in
stopping to look upon him, but kept pace with him, to prolong the
pleasure of the agreeable sight: in fine, there was not a person
that did not admire him, and bestow a thousand benedictions on
the father and mother that had given being to so fine a child. By
chance the eunuch and he passed by the shop of Buddir ad Deen
Houssun, and there the crowd was so great, that they were forced
to halt.
The pastry-cook who had adopted Buddir ad Deen Houssun had died
some years before, and left him his shop and all his property,
and he conducted the pastry trade so dexterously, that he had
gained great reputation in Damascus. Buddir ad Deen seeing so
great a crowd before his door, who were gazing so attentively
upon Agib and the black eunuch, stepped out to see them himself.
Having cast his eyes upon Agib, Buddir ad Deen found himself
moved, he knew not how, nor for what reason. He was not struck
like the people with the brilliant beauty of the boy; another
cause unknown to him gave rise to the uneasiness and emotion he
felt. It was the force of blood that wrought in this tender
father; who, laying aside his business, made up to Agib, and with
an engaging air, said to him: "My little lord, who hast won my
soul, be so kind as to come into my shop, and eat a bit of such
fare as I have; that I may have the pleasure of admiring you at
my ease." These words he pronounced with such tenderness, that
tears trickled from his eyes. Little Agib was moved when he saw
his emotion; and turning to the eunuch, said, "This honest man
speaks in such an affectionate manner, that I cannot avoid
complying with his request; let us step into his house, and taste
his pastry." "It would be a fine thing truly," replied the slave,
"to see the son of a vizier go into a pastry-cook's shop to eat;
do not imagine that I will suffer any such thing." "Alas! my
lord," cried Buddir ad Deen, "it is cruelty to trust the conduct
of you in the hands of a person who treats you so harshly." Then
applying himself to the eunuch, "My good friend," continued he,
"pray do not hinder this young lord from granting me the favour I
ask; do not put such mortification upon me: rather do me the
honour to walk in along with him, and by so doing, you will let
the world know, that, though your outside is brown like a
chestnut, your inside is as white. Do you know," continued he,
"that I am master of the secret to make you white, instead of
being black as you are?" This set the eunuch a laughing, and then
he asked what that secret was. "I will tell you," replied Buddir
ad Deen, who repeated some verses in praise of black eunuchs,
implying, that it was by their ministry that the honour of
princes and of all great men was secured. The eunuch was so
charmed with these verses, that, without further hesitation, he
suffered Agib to go into the shop, and went in with him himself.
Buddir ad Deen Houssun was overjoyed at having obtained what he
had so passionately desired, and, falling again to the work he
had discontinued "I was making," said he, "cream-tarts; and you
must, with submission, eat of them. I am persuaded you will find
them good; for my own mother, who made them incomparably well,
taught me, and the people send to buy them of me from all
quarters of the town." This said, he took a cream-tart out of the
oven, and after strewing upon it some pomegranate kernels and
sugar, set it before Agib, who found it very delicious.
Another was served up to the eunuch, and he gave the same
judgment.
While they were both eating, Buddir ad Deen viewed Agib very
attentively; and after looking upon him again and again, it came
into his mind that possibly he might have such a son by his
charming wife, from whom he had been so soon and so cruelly
separated; and the very thought drew tears from his eyes. He
intended to have put some questions to little Agib about his
journey to Damascus; but the child had no time to gratify his
curiosity, for the eunuch pressing him to return to his
grandfather's tent, took him away as soon as he had done eating.
Buddir ad Deen Houssun, not contented with looking after him,
shut up his shop immediately, and followed him.
Buddir ad Deen Houssun ran after Agib and the eunuch, and
overtook them before they had reached the gate of the city. The
eunuch perceiving he followed them, was extremely surprised: "You
impertinent fellow," said he, with an angry tone, "what do you
want?" "My dear friend," replied Buddir ad Deen, "do not trouble
yourself; I have a little business out of town, and I must needs
go and look after it." This answer, however, did not at all
satisfy the eunuch, who turning to Agib, said, "This is all owing
to you; I foresaw I should repent of my complaisance; you would
needs go into the man's shop; it was not wisely done in me to
give you leave." "Perhaps," replied Agib, "he has real business
out of town, and the road is free to every body." While this
passed they kept walking together, without looking behind them,
till they came near the vizier's tents, upon which they turned
about to see if Buddir ad Deen followed them. Agib, perceiving he
was within two paces of him, reddened and whitened alternately,
according to the different emotions that affected him. He was
afraid the grand vizier his grandfather should come to know he
had been in the pastry shop, and had eaten there. In this dread,
he took up a large stone that lay at his foot and throwing it at
Buddir ad Deen, hit him in the forehead, and wounded him so that
his face was covered with blood. The eunuch gave Buddir ad Deen
to understand, he had no reason to complain of a mischance that
he had merited and brought upon himself.
Buddir ad Deen turned towards the city staunching the blood of
the wound with his apron, which he had not put off. "I was a
fool," said he within himself, "for leaving my house, to take so
much pains about this brat; for doubtless he would never have
used me after this manner, if he had not thought I had some ill
design against him." When he got home, he had his wound dressed,
and softened the sense of his mischance by the reflection that
there was an infinite number of people upon the earth, who were
yet more unfortunate than he.
Buddir ad Deen kept on the pastry-trade at Damascus, and his
uncle Shumse ad Deen Mahummud went from thence three days after
his arrival. He went by way of Emaus, Hanah, and Halep; then
crossed the Euphrates, and after passing through Mardin,
Moussoul, Singier, Diarbeker, and several other towns, arrived at
last at Bussorah. Immediately after his arrival he desired
audience of the sultan, who was no sooner informed of his quality
than he admitted him to his presence, received him very
favourably, and inquired the occasion of his journey to Bussorah.
"Sire," replied the vizier "I come to know what is become of the
son of my brother, who has had the honour to serve your majesty."
"Noor ad Deen Ali," said the sultan, "has been long dead; as for
his son, all I can tell you of him is, that he disappeared
suddenly, about two months after his father's death, and nobody
has seen him since, notwithstanding all the inquiry I ordered to
be made. But his mother, who is the daughter of one of my
viziers, is still alive." Shumse ad Deen Mahummud desired leave
of the sultan to take her to Egypt; and having obtained
permission, without waiting till the next day, inquired after her
place of abode, and that very hour went to her house, accompanied
with his daughter and his grandson.
The widow of Noor ad Deen Ali resided still in the same place
where her husband had lived. It was a stately fabric, adorned
with marble pillars: but Shumse ad Deen did not stop to view it.
At his entry he kissed the gate, and the piece of marble upon
which his brother's name was written in letters of gold. He asked
to speak with his sister-in-law, and was told by her servants,
that she was in a small building covered by a dome, to which they
directed in the middle of a very spacious court. This tender
mother used to spend the greatest part of the day and night in
that room which she had built as a representation of the tomb of
her son Buddir ad Deen Houssun, whom she supposed to be dead
after so long an absence. She was pouring tears over his memorial
when Shumse ad Deen entering, found her buried in the deepest
affliction.
He made his compliment, and after beseeching her to suspend her
tears and sighs, informed her he had the honour to be her
brother-in-law, and acquainted her with the reason of his journey
from Cairo to Bussorah.
Shumse ad Deen Mahummud, after acquainting his sister-in-law with
all that had passed at Cairo on his daughter's wedding-night, and
informing her of the surprise occasioned by the discovery of the
paper sewed up in Buddir ad Deen's turban, presented to her Agib
and the beautiful lady.
The widow of Noor ad Deen, who had still continued sitting like a
woman dejected, and weaned from the affairs of this world, no
sooner understood by his discourse that her dear son, whom she
lamented so bitterly, might still be alive, than she arose, and
repeatedly embraced the beautiful lady and her grandchild Agib;
and perceiving in the youth the features of Buddir ad Deen, drops
tears different from what she had been so long accustomed to
shed. She could not forbear kissing the youth, who, for his part,
received her embraces with all the demonstrations of joy he was
capable of shewing. "Sister," said Shumse ad Deen, "it is time to
dry your tears, and suppress your sighs; you must think of going
with us to Egypt. The sultan of Bussorah gives me leave to carry
you thither, and I doubt not you will consent. I am in hopes we
shall at last find out your son my nephew; and if we do, the
history of him, of you, of my own daughter, and of my own
adventures, will deserve to be committed to writing, and
transmitted to posterity."
The widow of Noor ad Deen heard this proposal with pleasure, and
ordered preparations to be made for her departure. While they
were making, Shumse ad Deen desired a second audience, and after
taking leave of the sultan, who dismissed him with ample marks of
respect, and gave him a considerable present for himself, and
another of great value for the sultan of Egypt, he set out from
Bussorah once more for the city of Damascus.
When he arrived in the neighbourhood of Damascus, he ordered his
tents to be pitched without the gate, at which he designed to
enter the city; and gave out he would tarry there three days, to
give his suit rest, and buy up curiosities to present to the
sultan of Egypt.
While he was employed in selecting the finest stuffs which the
principal merchants had brought to his tents, Agib begged the
black eunuch his governor to carry him through the city, in order
to see what he had not had leisure to view before; and to inquire
what was become of the pastry cook whom he had wounded. The
eunuch complying with his request, went along with him towards
the city, after leave obtained of the beautiful lady his mother.
They entered Damascus by the Paradise-gate, which lay next to the
tents of the vizier They walked through the great squares and the
public places where the richest goods were sold, and took a view of
the superb mosque at the hour of prayer, between noon and sun-set.
When they passed by the shop of Buddir ad Deen Houssun, whom they
still found employed in making cream tarts, "I salute you sir," said
Agib; "do you know me? Do you remember you ever saw me before?" Buddir
ad Deen hearing these words, fixed his eyes upon him, and recognizing
him (such was the surprising effect of paternal love!), felt the same
emotion as when he saw him first; he was confused, and instead of
making any answer, continued a long time without uttering a word. At
length, recovering himself, "My lord," said he, "be so kind as to come
once more with your governor into my house, and taste a cream-tart. I
beg your lordship's pardon, for the trouble I gave you in following
you out of town; I was at that time not myself, I did not know what I
did. You drew me after you, and the violence of the attraction was so
soft, that I could not withstand it."
Agib, astonished at what Buddir ad Deen said, replied: "There is
an excess in the kindness you express, and unless you engage
under oath not to follow me when I go from hence, I will not
enter your house. If you give me your promise, and prove a man of
your word, I will visit you again to-morrow, since the vizier my
grandfather, is still employed in buying up rarities for a
present to the sultan of Egypt." "My lord," replied Buddir ad
Deen, "I will do whatever you would have me." This said, Agib and
the eunuch went into the shop.
Presently after, Buddir ad Deen set before them a cream-tart,
that was full as good as what they had eaten before; "Come," said
Agib, "sit down by me, and eat with us." Buddir ad Deen sat down,
and attempted to embrace Agib, as a testimony of the joy he
conceived upon sitting by him. But Agib pushed him away, desiring
him not to be too familiar. Buddir ad Deen obeyed, and repeated
some extempore verses in praise of Agib: he did not eat, but made
it his business to serve his guests. When they had done, he
brought them water to wash, and a very white napkin to wipe their
hands. Then he filled a large china cup with sherbet, and put
snow into it; and offering it to Agib, "This," said he, "is
sherbet of roses; and I am sure you never tasted better." Agib
having drunk of it with pleasure, Buddir ad Deen took the cup
from him, and presented it to the eunuch, who drank it all off at
once.
In fine, Agib and his governor having fared well, returned thanks
to the pastry-cook for their good entertainment, and moved
homewards, it being then late. When they arrived at the tents of
Shumse ad Deen Mahummud, Agib's grandmother received him with
transports of joy: her son ran always in her mind, and in
embracing Agib, the remembrance of him drew tears from her eyes.
"Ah, my child!" said she, "my joy would be perfect, if I had the
pleasure of embracing your father as I now embrace you." She made
Agib sit by her, and put several questions to him, relating to
the walk he had been taking with the eunuch; and when he
complained of being hungry, she gave him a piece of cream-tart,
which she had made for herself, and was indeed very good: she
likewise gave some to the eunuch.
Agib no sooner touched the piece of cream-tart that had been set
before him, than he pretended he did not like it, and left it uncut;
and Shubbaunee (which was the eunuch's name) did the same. The widow
of Noor ad Deen Ali observed with regret that her grandson did not
like the tart. "What!" said she, "does my child thus despise the work
of my hands? Be it known to you, no one in the world can make such
besides myself and your father, whom I taught." "My good mother,"
replied Agib, "give me leave to tell you, if you do not know how to
make better, there is a pastry-cook in this town that outdoes you. We
were at his shop, and ate of one much better than yours."
On hearing this, the grandmother, frowning upon the eunuch, said,
"How now, Shubbaunee, was the care of my grandchild committed to
you, to carry him to eat at pastry-shops like a beggar?" "Madam,"
replied the eunuch, "it is true, we did stop a little while and
talked with the pastry-cook, but we did not eat with him."
"Pardon me," said Agib, "we went into his shop, and there ate a
cream-tart." Upon this, the lady, more incensed against the
eunuch than before, rose in a passion from the table, and running
to the tent of Shumse ad Deen, informed him of the eunuch's
crime; and that in such terms, as tended more to inflame the
vizier than to dispose him to excuse it.
The vizier who was naturally passionate, did not fail on this occasion
to display his anger. He went forthwith to his sister-in-law's tent,
and said to the eunuch, "Wretch, have you the impudence to abuse the
trust I repose in you?" Shubbaunee, though sufficiently convicted by
Agib's testimony, denied the fact still. But the child persisting in
what he had affirmed, "Grandfather," said he, "I can assure you we not
only ate, but that so very heartily, that we have no occasion for
supper: besides, the pastry-cook treated us also with a great bowl of
sherbet." "Well," cried Shumse ad Deen, "after all this, will you
continue to deny that you entered the pastry-cook's house, and ate
there?" Shubbaunee had still the impudence to swear it was not true.
"Then you are a liar," said the vizier "I believe my grandchild; but
after all, if you can eat up this cream-tart I shall be persuaded you
have truth on your side."