beauteous a form so ignorant of the world. He attributed this to
the narrowness of her education, and the little care that had
been taken to instruct her in the first rules of civility. He
went to her at the window, where, notwithstanding the coldness
and indifference with which she had received him, she suffered
herself to be admired, caressed, and embraced, as much as he
pleased.
In the midst of these amorous embraces and tender endearments,
the king paused awhile, to gaze upon, or rather to devour her
with his eyes. "My lovely fair one! my charmer!" exclaimed he;
"whence came you, and where do those happy parents live who
brought into the world so surprising a masterpiece of nature? How
do I love thee, and shall always continue to do. Never did I feel
for a woman what I now feel for you; and though I have seen, and
every day behold a vast number of beauties, yet never did my eyes
contemplate so many charms in one person--charms which have so
transported me, that I shall entirely devote myself to you. My
dearest life," continued he, "you neither answer, nor by any
visible token give me the least reason to believe that you are
sensible of the demonstrations I have given you of the ardour of
my passion; neither will you turn your eyes on me, to afford mine
the pleasure of meeting them, and to convince you that it is
impossible to love in a higher degree than I do you. Why will you
still preserve this obstinate silence, which chills me, and
whence proceeds the seriousness, or rather sorrow, that torments
me to the soul? Do you mourn for your country, your friends or
your relations? Alas! Is not the king of Persia, who loves and
adores you, capable of comforting you, and making you amends for
every loss?"
Notwithstanding all the protestations of love the king of Persia
made the fair slave, and all he could say to induce her to speak
to him, she remained unaltered; and keeping her eyes still fixed
upon the ground, would neither look at him, nor utter a word.
The king of Persia, delighted with the purchase he had made of a
slave that pleased him so well, pressed her no farther, in hopes
that by treating her kindly he might prevail upon her to change
her behaviour. He clapped his hands; and the women who waited in
an outward room entered: he commanded them to bring in supper.
When it was arranged, "My love," said he to the slave, "come
hither and sup with me." She rose from her seat; and being seated
opposite the king, his majesty helped her, before he began eating
himself; and did so of every dish during supper. The slave ate as
well as the king, but still with downcast eyes, and without
speaking a word; though he often asked her how she liked the
entertainment, and whether it was dressed according to her taste.
The king, willing to change the conversation, asked her what her
name was, how she liked the clothes and the jewels she had on,
what she thought of her apartment and the rich furniture, and
whether the prospect of the sea was not very agreeable? But to
all these questions she made no reply; so that the king was at a
loss what to think of her silence. He imagined at first, that she
might perhaps be dumb: "But then," said he to himself, "can it be
possible that heaven should forge a creature so beautiful, so
perfect, and so accomplished, and at the same time with so great
an imperfection? Were it however so, I could not love her with
less passion than I do." When the king of Persia rose, he washed
his hands on one side, while the fair slave washed hers on the
other. He took that opportunity to ask the woman who held the
basin and napkin, if ever they had heard her speak. One of them
replied, "Sire, we have neither seen her open her lips, nor heard
her speak any more than your majesty has; we have rendered her
our services in the bath; we have dressed her head, put on her
clothes, and waited upon her in her chamber; but she has never
opened her lips, so much as to say, that is well, or I like this.
We have often asked her, "Madam, do you want anything? Is there
anything you wish for? Do but ask, and command us," but we have
never been able to draw a word from her. We cannot tell whether
her sorrow proceeds from pride, sorrow, stupidity, or dumbness."
The king was more astonished at hearing this than he had been
before: however, believing the slave might have some cause of
sorrow, he was willing to endeavour to divert and amuse her.
Accordingly he appointed a very splendid assembly, which all the
ladies of the court attended; and those who were skilful in
playing upon musical instruments performed their parts, while
others sung or danced, or did both together: they played at all
sorts of games, which much diverted the king. The fair slave was
the only person who took no pleasure in these attempts to amuse
her; she never moved from her place, but remained with her eyes
fixed on the ground with so much indifference, that all the
ladies were not less surprised than the king. After the assembly
was over, every one retired to her apartment; and the king was
left alone with the fair slave.
The next morning the king of Persia rose more pleased than he had
been with all the women he had seen before, and more enamoured
with the fair slave than ever. Indeed, he soon made it appear, by
resolving henceforth to attach himself to her alone; and
performed his resolution. On the same day he dismissed all his
other women, giving every one of them their jewels, and other
valuables, besides a considerable fortune, with free leave to
marry whom they thought fit; and only kept the matrons and a few
other elderly women to wait upon the fair slave. However, for a
whole year together, she never afforded him the pleasure of one
single word; yet the king continued his assiduities to please
her, and to give her the most signal proofs of sincere love.
After the expiration of the year, the king sitting one day by his
mistress, protested to her that his love, instead of being
diminished, grew every day more violent. "My queen," said he, "I
cannot divine what your thoughts are; but nothing is more true,
and I swear to you, that having the happiness of possessing you,
there remains nothing for me to desire. I esteem my kingdom,
great as it is, less than an atom, when I have the pleasure of
beholding you, and of telling you a thousand times that I adore
you. I desire not that my words alone should oblige you to
believe me. Surely you can no longer doubt of my devotion to you
after the sacrifice which I have made to your beauty of so many
women, whom I before kept in my palace. You may remember it is
about a year since I sent them all away; and I as little repent
of it now, as I did the moment of their departure; and I never
shall repent. Nothing would be wanting to complete my happiness
and crown my joy, would you but speak one single word to me, by
which I might be assured that you thought yourself at all
obliged. But how can you speak to me if you are dumb? and alas! I
feel but too apprehensive that this is the case. How can I doubt,
since you still torment me with silence, after having for a whole
year in vain supplicated you to speak? If it is possible for me
to obtain of you that consolation, may heaven at least grant me
the blessing of a son by you, to succeed me. I every day find
myself growing old, and I begin already to want one to assist me
in bearing the weight of my crown. Still I cannot conceal the
desire I have of hearing you speak; for something within me tells
me you are not dumb: and I beseech, I conjure you, dear madam, to
break through this long silence, and speak but one word to me;
after that I care not how soon I die."
At this discourse the fair slave, who, according to her usual
custom, had hearkened to the king with downcast eyes, and had
given him cause to believe not only that she was dumb, but that
she had never laughed, began to smile. The king of Persia
perceived it with a surprise that made him break forth into an
exclamation of joy; and no longer doubting but that she was going
to speak, he waited for that happy moment with an eagerness and
attention that cannot easily be expressed.
At last the fair slave thus addressed herself to the king: "Sire,
I have so many things to say to your majesty, that, having once
broken silence, I know not where to begin. However, in the first
place, I think myself bound to thank you for all the favours and
honours you have been pleased to confer upon me, and to implore
heaven to bless and prosper you, to prevent the wicked designs of
your enemies, and not suffer you to die after hearing me speak,
but to grant you a long life. After this, sire, I cannot give you
greater satisfaction than by acquainting you that I am with
child; and I wish, as you do, it may be a son. Had it never been
my fortune to be pregnant, I was resolved (I beg your majesty to
pardon the sincerity of my intention) never to have loved you,
and to have kept an eternal silence; but now I love you as I
ought to do."
The king of Persia, ravished to hear the fair slave not only
speak, but tell him tidings in which he was so nearly concerned,
embraced her tenderly. "Staining light of my eyes," said he, "it
is impossible for me to receive greater delight than you have now
given me: you have spoken to me, and you have declared your being
with child, which I did not expect. After these two occasions of
joy I am transported out of myself."
The king of Persia, in the transport of his feelings, said no
more to the fair slave. He left her, but in such a manner as made
her perceive his intention was speedily to return: and being
willing that the occasion of his joys should be made public, he
declared it to his officers, and sent for the grand vizier. As
soon as he came, he ordered him to distribute a thousand pieces
of gold among the holy men of his religion, who made vows of
poverty; as also among the hospitals and the poor, by way of
returning thanks to heaven: and his will was obeyed by the
direction of that minister.
After the king of Persia had given this order, he returned to the
fair slave again. "Madam," said he, "pardon me for leaving you so
abruptly, since you have been the occasion of it; but I hope you
will indulge me with some conversation, since I am desirous to
know of you several things of much greater consequence. Tell me,
my dearest soul, what were the powerful reasons that induced you
to persist in that obstinate silence for a whole year together,
though every day you saw me, heard me talk to you, ate and drank
with me, and every night slept with me? I shall pass by your not
speaking; but how you could carry yourself so as that I could
never discover whether you were sensible of what I said to you or
no, I confess, surpasses my understanding; and I cannot yet
comprehend how you could contain yourself so long; therefore I
must conclude the occasion of it to be very extraordinary."
"To satisfy the king of Persia's curiosity," replied the lady,
"think whether or no to be a slave, far from my own country,
without any hopes of ever seeing it again, to have a heart torn
with grief, at being separated forever from my mother, my
brother, my friends, and my acquaintance, are not these
sufficient reasons for the silence your majesty has thought so
strange and unaccountable?"
"The love of our native country is as natural to us as that of our
parents; and the loss of liberty is insupportable to everyone who
is not wholly destitute of common sense, and knows how to set a
value on it. The body indeed may be enslaved, and under the
subjection of a master, who has the power and authority in his
hands; the will can never be conquered, but remains free and
unconfined, depending on itself alone, as your majesty has found
in my case; and it is a wonder that I have not followed the
example of many unfortunate wretches, whom the loss of liberty
has reduced to the melancholy resolution of procuring their own
deaths in a thousand ways, by a liberty which cannot be taken
from them."
"Madam," replied the king, "I am convinced of the truth of what
you say; but till this moment I was of opinion, that a person
beautiful, of good understanding, like yourself, whom her evil
destiny had condemned to be a slave, ought to think herself very
happy in meeting with a king for her master."
"Sire," replied the lady, "whatever the slave be, as I have
already observed to your majesty, there is no king on earth can
tyrannize over her will. When indeed you speak of a slave
mistress of charms sufficient to captivate a monarch, and induce
him to love her; if she be of a rank infinitely below him, I am
of your opinion, she ought to think herself happy in her
misfortunes: still what happiness can it be, when she considers
herself only as a slave, torn from a parent's arms, and perhaps
from those of a lover, her passion for whom death only can
extinguish; but when this very slave is in nothing inferior to
the king who has purchased her, your majesty shall judge yourself
of the rigour of her destiny, her misery and her sorrow, and to
what desperate attempts the anguish of despair may drive her."
The king of Persia, astonished at this discourse, "Madam," said
he, "can it be possible that you are of royal blood, as by your
words you seem to intimate? Explain the whole secret to me, I
beseech you, and no longer augment my impatience. Let me
instantly know who are the happy parents of so great a prodigy of
beauty; who are your brothers, your sisters, and your relations;
but, above all, tell me your name?"
"Sire," said the fair slave, "my name is Gulnare of the Sea: and
my father, who is dead, was one of the most potent monarchs of
the ocean. When he died, he left his kingdom to a brother of
mine, named Saleh, and to the queen, my mother, who is also a
princess, the daughter of another puissant monarch of the sea. We
enjoyed profound peace and tranquillity through the whole
kingdom, till a neighbouring prince, envious of our happiness,
invaded our dominions with a mighty army; and penetrating as far
as our capital, made himself master of it; and we had but just
time to save ourselves in an impenetrable and inaccessible place,
with a few trusty officers, who did not forsake us in our
distress.
"In this retreat my brother was not negligent in contriving means
to drive the unjust invaders from our dominions. One day taking
me into his closet, 'Sister,' said he, 'the events of the
smallest undertakings are always dubious. For my own part, I may
fail in the attempt I design to make to recover my kingdom; and I
shall be less concerned for my own disgrace than what may
possibly happen to you. To secure you from all accident, I would
fain see you married. But in the present miserable condition of
our affairs, I see no probability of matching you to any of the
princes of the sea; and therefore I should be glad if you would
concur in my opinion, and think of marrying one of the princes of
the earth. I am ready to contribute all that lies in my power
towards accomplishing this; and am certain there is not one of
them, however powerful, but, considering your beauty, would be
proud of sharing his crown with you.'
"At this discourse of my brother's, I fell into a violent
passion. 'Brother,' said I, 'you know that I am descended, as
well as you, from the kings and queens of the sea, without any
mixture of alliance with those of the earth; therefore I do not
design to marry below myself, and I have taken an oath to that
effect. The condition to which we are reduced shall never oblige
me to alter my resolution; and if you perish in the execution of
your design, I am prepared to fall with you, rather than follow
the advice I so little expected from you.'
"My brother, who was still earnest for my marriage, however
improper for me, endeavoured to make me believe that there were
kings of the earth who were no ways inferior to those of the sea.
This put me into a more violent passion, which occasioned him to
say several bitter reflecting things, that nettled me to the
quick. He left me, as much dissatisfied with myself as he could
possibly be with me; and in this peevish mood I gave a spring
from the bottom of the sea up to the Island of the Moon.
"Notwithstanding the violent discontent that made me cast myself
upon that island, I lived content in retirement. But in spite of
all my precautions, a person of distinction, attended by his
servants, surprised me sleeping, and carried me to his own house.
He expressed much love to me, and omitted nothing which he
thought might induce me to return his passion. When he saw that
fair means would not prevail upon me, he attempted to use force:
but I soon made him repent of his insolence. He resolved to sell
me, which he did to the merchant who brought me hither, and sold
me to your majesty. He was a prudent, courteous, humane man; and
during the whole of the long journey, never gave me the least
reason to complain.
"As for your majesty," continued the princess Gulnare, "if you
had not shown me all the respect you have hitherto done (for
which I am extremely obliged to your goodness), and given me such
undeniable marks of your affection, that I can no longer doubt of
it; if you had not immediately sent away your women; I hesitate
not to tell you, that I should not have remained with you. I
would have thrown myself into the sea out of this window, where
you accosted me when you first came into this apartment; and have
gone in search of my mother, my brother, and the rest of my
relations. I should have persisted in that design, and would have
put it in execution, if after a certain time I had found myself
deceived in the hopes of being with child; but in the condition I
am in, all I could say to my mother or my brother would never
convince them that I have been a slave to a king like your
majesty. They would never believe it, but would for ever upbraid
me with the crime I have voluntarily committed against my honour.
However, sire, be it a prince or princess that I may bring into
the world, it will be a pledge to engage me never to be parted
from your majesty; and therefore I hope you will no longer regard
me as a slave, but as a princess worthy your alliance."
In this manner the Princess Gulnare discovered herself to the
king of Persia, and finished her story. "My charming, my adorable
princess," cried he, "what wonders have I heard! and what ample
matter for my curiosity, to ask a thousand questions concerning
those strange and unheard of things which you have related! But
first, I ought to thank you for your goodness and patience in
making trial of the truth and constancy of my passion. I thought
it impossible for me to love you more than I did; but since I
know you to be a princess, I love you a thousand times more.
Princess! did I say, madam? you are no longer so; but you are my
queen, the queen of Persia; and by that title you shall soon be
proclaimed throughout the whole kingdom. To-morrow the ceremony
shall be performed in my capital with a pomp and magnificence
never yet beheld; which will plainly shew that you are my queen
and my lawful wife. This should long ago have been done, had you
sooner convinced me of my error: for from the first moment of my
seeing you, I have been of the same opinion as now, to love you
always, and never to place my affections on any other.
"But that I may satisfy myself, and pay you all the respect that
is your due, I beseech you, madam, to inform me more particularly
of the kingdom and people of the sea, who are altogether unknown
to me. I have heard much talk, indeed, of the inhabitants of the
sea, but I always looked upon such accounts merely as tales or
fables; by what you have told me, I am convinced there is nothing
more true; and I have a proof of it in your own person, who are
one of them, and are pleased to condescend to be my wife; which
is an honour no other inhabitant on the earth can boast. There is
one point however which yet perplexes me; therefore I must beg
the favour of you to explain it; that is, I cannot comprehend how
it is possible for you to live or move in water without being
drowned. There are few amongst us who have the art of staying
under water; and they would surely perish, if, after a certain
time, according to their activity and strength, they did not come
up again."
"Sire," replied the Queen Gulnare, "I shall with pleasure satisfy
the king of Persia. We can walk at the bottom of the sea with as
much ease as you can upon land; and we can breathe in the water
as you do in the air; so that instead of suffocating us, as it
does you, it absolutely contributes to the preservation of our
lives. What is yet more remarkable is, that it never wets our
clothes; so that when we wish to visit the earth, we have no
occasion to dry them. Our language is the same with that of the
writing engraved upon the seal of the great prophet Solomon the
son of David.
"I must not forget to inform you further, that the water does not
in the least hinder us from seeing: for we can open our eyes
without any inconvenience: and as we have quick, piercing sight,
we can discern any objects as clearly in the deepest part of the
sea as upon land. We have also there a succession of day and
night; the moon affords us her light; and even the planets and
the stars appear visible to us. I have already spoken of our
kingdoms; but as the sea is much more spacious than the earth, so
there are a great number of them, and of great extent. They are
divided into provinces; and in each province are several great
cities well peopled. In short there is an infinite number of
nations differing in manners and customs, as they do on the
earth.
"The palaces of the kings and princes are sumptuous and
magnificent. Some of them are constructed of marble of various
colours; others of rock-crystal, with which the sea abounds,
mother of pearl, coral, and of other materials more valuable;
gold, silver, and all sorts of precious stones are more plentiful
there than on earth. I say nothing of the pearls, since the
largest that ever were seen upon earth would not be valued
amongst us; and none but the very lowest rank of citizens would
wear them.
"As we have a marvellous and incredible agility to transport
ourselves whither we please in the twinkling of an eye, we have
no occasion for carriages or horses; not but the king has his
stables and his stud of sea horses; but they are seldom used,
except upon public feasts or rejoicing days. Some, after they
have trained them, take delight in riding and shewing their skill
and dexterity in races; others put them to chariots of mother of
pearl, adorned with an infinite number of shells of all sorts, of
the liveliest colours. These chariots are open; and in the middle
is a throne on which the king sits, and shows himself to the
public view of his subjects. The horses are trained to draw by
themselves; so that there is no occasion for a charioteer to
guide them. I pass over a thousand other curious particulars
relating to these submarine countries, which would be very
entertaining to your majesty; but you must permit me to defer
them to a future opportunity, to speak of something of much
greater consequence, which is, that the method of delivering, and
the way of managing the women of the sea in their lying-in, is
very different from those of the women of the earth; and I am
afraid to trust myself in the hands of the midwives of this
country: therefore, since my safe delivery equally concerns us
both, with your majesty's permission, I think it proper, for
greater security, to send for my mother and my cousins, to assist
at my labour; at the same time to desire the king my brother's
company, to whom I have a great desire to be reconciled. They
will be glad to see me again, when they understand I am wife to
the mighty king of Persia. I beseech your majesty to give me
leave to send for them. I am sure they will be happy to pay their
respects to you; and I venture to say you will be pleased to see
them."
"Madam," replied the king of Persia, "you are mistress; do
whatever you please; I will endeavour to receive them with all
the honours they deserve. But I would fain know how you will
acquaint them with what you desire, and when they will arrive,
that I may give orders to make preparation for their reception,
and go myself in person to meet them." "Sire," replied the Queen
Gulnare, "there is no need of these ceremonies; they will be here
in a moment; and if your majesty will but step into the closet,
and look through the lattice, you shall see the manner of their
arrival."