Bostana, who after this event did not wish to return to her father’s, whose house was razed to the ground the very same day, and did not leave prince Assad till he arrived at the palace, was sent to an apartment belonging to the queen. The old man, her father, and Behram, as well as all their families, being brought the next day before the king, he ordered them all to lose their heads. On this, they threw themselves at his feet, and implored his mercy. “You shall have no mercy shown you,” replied the king, “unless you renounce the adoration of fire, and embrace the mussulman religion.” By adopting this conduct, they saved their lives; and so also did Cavama, the sister of Bostana, and all their families.
In consideration of Behram’s being converted to a mussulman, and in order to give him some recompense for the loss he had before suffered, Amgiad made him one of his principal officers, and lodged him at his own house. A few days after, when Behram was made acquainted with the adventures of his benefactor Amgiad and his brother Assad, he proposed to fit out a vessel, and to carry them back to their father Camaralzaman. “There is no doubt,” he said, “but that the king is by this time convinced of your innocence, and is impatient to see you again. Should, however, that not be the case, it is very easy to be informed of it before you land, and then, should he still continue in his unjust prepossession, you will find no difficulty in returning.”
The two brothers accepted Behram’s offer. They mentioned their design to the king, who not only approved of it, but gave orders for the immediate equipment of a vessel. Behram hastened the preparations as much as possible; and when he was ready to set sail, the princes went and took leave of the king on the morning before they embarked. While they were paying their compliments, and thanking the monarch for all his kindness to them, they heard a great bustle and tumult through the whole city; and at the same moment an officer came, and said, that a very large army was approaching, and that no one could tell to whom it belonged.
Observing the alarm that this bad news gave the king, Amgiad said to him, “Although, Sire, I am now come for the purpose of resigning the office of grand vizier, with which you have honored me, I am, notwithstanding, ready to take upon myself the charge of rendering you any service in my power; and I entreat you to suffer me to go and see who this enemy is, that comes thus to attack you, in your very capital, without having first declared war.” The king begged he would, and he instantly set out with very few attendants.
It was not long before prince Amgiad discovered the army, which appeared so formidable, and continued to approach. The advanced guards, who had received their orders, gave him a favorable reception, and conducted him before a princess, who stopped, with her whole army, to hold a conference with him. Prince Amgiad made her a most profound reverence; and asked her, if she came as a friend or an enemy, and if she was an enemy, he requested to be informed what cause of complaint she had against the king, his master. “I come as a friend,” she replied, “and have no cause whatever for complaint against the king of the Magi. His dominions and mine are situated in such a manner, that it is almost impossible we can ever have any dispute together. I come only to require a slave, whose name is Assad, and who has been taken away from me by a captain belonging to this city, who is called Behram, and is the most insolent of men. And I trust your king will afford me justice, when he shall know that my name is Margiana.”
“Powerful queen,” replied Amgiad, “I am the brother of that slave whom you seem to search after with so much interest and concern. I had lost him, and have now recovered him. Come with me, and I will give him up to you, and will likewise have the honor to inform you of every other particular. The king, my master, will be delighted to see you.”
Queen Margiana then ordered her army to encamp in the spot where it then was, and accompanied prince Amgiad through the city to the palace, where he presented her to the king. When the monarch had received her in the way she deserved, prince Assad, who was present, and who knew her the moment she appeared, came and paid his compliments to her. She expressed great joy at seeing him again; when, at this very instant, some one entered, and announced to the king, that another army, much more powerful than the first, had made its appearance on the other side of the city. The king of the Magi seemed more alarmed now than he was when that belonging to Margiana came in sight, as the present appeared much the most numerous, if he might judge from the clouds of dust which its approach occasioned, and which seemed to spread itself through the whole air. “What will become of us, Amgiad?” he cried; “there is a fresh army approaching to overwhelm us.” The prince knew what the king meant; he therefore mounted his horse, and rode as fast as possible to meet this second army. He demanded of the first part of it which he encountered, to speak to their commander, and they conducted him before a king, as he instantly conjectured, from a crown, which he had upon his head. As soon as he perceived him, although at some distance, he alighted, and when he was come nearer, he prostrated himself on the ground, and asked what he wished of the king, his master.
“I am called Gaiour,” replied the monarch, “and am king of China. The desire of learning some intelligence of a daughter, named Badoura, whom many years since I gave in marriage to prince Camaralzaman, son of Schahzaman, king of the Islands of the Children of Khaledan, has been the cause of my leaving my dominions. I gave this prince leave to go and see his father, with the charge of coming to spend every other year with me, and bringing my daughter with him. I have, however, for a great length of time, been unable to hear any thing of them. Your king, therefore, will much oblige an afflicted father, if he can give him the least information on the subject.”
Prince Amgiad, who instantly knew by this speech, that it was his grandfather, kissed his hand with great tenderness, and said to him, “Your majesty will pardon this liberty, when you shall know, that I behave thus in order to pay my respects to you as mygrandfather. I am the son of Camaralzaman, at this time king of the Island of Ebony, and of queen Badoura, on whose account you are so much distressed; and I do not doubt, but that they are at this time in their dominions, in perfect health.” The king of China instantly embraced him in the most affectionate manner, so much was he delighted at thus seeing his grandson. And this very unexpected and happy meeting drew tears from the eyes of both. On asking what was the reason of his being thus inaforeign country, prince Amgiad related his history, and that of his brother Assad. When it was finished, “My son,” replied the king of China, “it is not just, that two princes, so innocent as you are, should experience any further bad effects from your ill-treatment. Console yourself; I will carry back both you and your brother, and will make your peace. Go, and make my arrival known to your brother.”
While the king of China was ordering his army to encamp in the place, where prince Amgiad encountered him, the latter went back to give an account to the king of the Magi, who was waiting for him with the greatest impatience. The king was extremely surprised to hear that so powerful a monarch as the king of China had undertaken such a long and painful journey through the desire of gaining some intelligence of his daughter, and that he should be so near his capital. He immediately gave orders to have him handsomely treated, and made preparations to go and receive him in person.
In this interval, considerable clouds of dust seemed to arise from a third side of the city, and the news soon came, that a third army was approaching. This circumstance obliged the king to stop, and request Amgiad again to go and see what was the cause of it. The prince departed, and this time he took his brother Assad with him. They discovered, that thiswas the army of Camaralzaman, their father, whowas come to search after them. He had shown signs of the greatest grief at having destroyed them, when the emir Giondar at last informed him in what manner he had preserved their lives. This made the king resolve to go and discover them, in whatever country they might be.
This afflicted father embraced the two princes with tears of joy, the first he had for a long time shed, which had not been tinged with the deepest affliction. The princes had no sooner informed him of the arrival of his father-in-law, the king of China, on the very same day, than he went with them, accompanied by a very few attendants, to see him in his camp. They had not proceeded far on their road, before they perceived a fourth army, which seemed to advance in perfect order, and to come from the side towards Persia. Camaralzaman desired his sons to go and see to whom that army belonged; and said that he would wait for them where he was. They departed immediately, and when they got up to it, they presented themselves to the king who commanded it. After saluting him with the greatest respect, they asked him his motive for coming thus near to the capital of the king of the Magi.
The grand vizier, who was present, took upon himself to return an answer. “The monarch, to whom you have addressed yourself,” he replied, “is called Schahzaman, king of the Islands of the Children of Khaledan, who has travelled for a great length of time, with all the attendants you see, in search of his son, prince Camaralzaman, who left his dominions many years ago, without making him acquainted with it. If you should happen to know any thing relative to him, you will afford the king the greatest possible pleasure by giving him the information.” To this speech the princes made no other reply than that they would come back in a little time with an answer. They then set off at full speed to Camaralzaman, to announce to him the cause of the arrival of the last army, and that it belonged to king Schahzaman, who was there in person.
Astonishment and joy, mixed with regret at having left the king, his father, without taking leave of him, had so powerful an effect upon Camaralzaman, that he absolutely fainted, as soon as he learnt that his father was so near him. He, at length, through the assistance of Amgiad and Assad, who did all they could to comfort him, returned to his senses: and when he thought he had acquired sufficient strength, he went and threw himself at his father’s feet. A more tender or affecting interview between a parent and son had hardly ever been witnessed. Schahzaman affectionately chided Camaralzaman for his unkindness in leaving him in so unfeeling and cruel a manner: and the latter showed the deepest regret and compunction at the fault, which love alone had been the cause of.
The three kings and queen Margiana continued three days at the court of the king of the Magi, who entertained them in the most magnificent and splendid manner. These three days were also remarkable for the marriage of prince Assad with queen Margiana, and prince Amgiad with Bostana, in consideration of the essential service she had afforded prince Assad. At length, the three kings and queen Margiana with her husband, each retired to their separate dominions. With respect to prince Amgiad, the king of the Magi, who was at a very advanced age, felt so strong an attachment to him, that he placed his crown upon his head. Amgiad then used all his endeavors to abolish the idolatrous worship of fire, and instead of it to establish the mussulman religion throughout his kingdom.
NOTES TO VOL. II.
Note 1. The Arabian author diverts himself in this place, at the expence of the Jews. This is the ass, which, according to the Mahometans, Esdras rode upon, when he returned from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem.
Note 2. In the French translation, which was adhered to in the text, there seems to be an error; 150 measures (the quantity the young man had) sold for 110 drachms, a measure, according to the Christian merchant, must amount to 16,500 drachms, whereas it is said to be only 5000; consequently the merchant’s profit, which is there stated to be only 500, at ten drachms the measure, is in fact 1500; so also the 4,530 drachms mentioned a little farther on, ought to be 15,000 drachms.
Note 3. The bezestein is a sort of covered marketplace for merchants, where the most valuable stuffs, jewels, &c. are sold.
Note 4. The fountain of Zemsem is at Mecca; and, according to the Mahometans, it is the very spring which God made to flow in favor of Hagar, when Abraham compelled her to go and find one. This water was drank through religious motives, and was frequently sent as presents to different princes, and their favorites.
Note 5. A scherif is the same as a sequin, each of which is nearly equal to ten shillings of our money.
Note 6. The year 653, means that year of the Hegira; an epoch, from which all the Mahometans reckon, and which corresponds to the year 1255 of the Christian æra. We may from hence conjecture, at least, that these tales were in existence in Arabic at that time.
Note 7. The Arabian author seems here to be in an error respecting the year 7320. The 653d year of the Hegira and the 1255 after the birth of Christ, corresponds with the 1557 of the epoch of the Seleucides, which is the same as that of Alexander the Great, and which is here denominated Iskander with the two horns, according to the Arabic mode of expression.
Note 8. The inns, or public places, where travellers and foreigners lodge, are called, “khans,” in most of the eastern nations: sometimes “caravanseras,” but these are chiefly, as their name seems to import, for the use of the caravans.
Note 9. Mostanser Billah was raised to the dignity of caliph in the 623d year of the Hegira, that is, in the year 1226 of the Christian æra. He was the 36th caliph of the race of the Abassides.
Note 10. See note 8 of the first volume.
Note 11. Almost all the eastern nations, and particularly all the Mahometans, are forbidden to drink wine after their meals.
Note 12. The Bedouins are a tribe of wandering Arabs, who live in the desert, and who constantly attack and plunder the caravans on their journey, if they are not sufficiently numerous and strong to resist them.
Note 13. The word “Schemselnihar,” in Arabic, signifies the Sun of the Day.
Note 14. The name of “Camaralzaman,” in Arabic, means the Moon of the Time, or the Moon of the Age.
END OF VOL. II.