Zobeidè, in spite of her anger, could not help laughing inwardly at the lamentations of the porter. But without paying any attention to him, she addressed herself again to the others. “Answer me,” said she, “and tell me who you are, if not, you have only an instant to live. I cannot believe that you are honourable men, or persons of authority or distinction in whatever country you call your own. If that had been the case, you would have paid more attention and more respect to us.”
The caliph, being naturally impatient, suffered infinitely more than the rest at finding his life depended upon the commands of an offended and justly irritated woman; but he began to conceive there were some hopes when he found, that she wished to know who they all were; as he imagined she would by no means take away his life, when she should be informed of his rank. It was for this reason that he whispered to his vizier, who was near him, instantly to declare who he was. But this wise and prudent minister, wishing to preserve the honour of his master, and being unwilling to make public the great affront he had brought upon himself, answered, “We suffer only what we deserve.” When, however, in obedience to the caliph, he wished to speak, Zobeidè would not give them time. She immediately addressed herself to the three calenders, and observing that they were all three blind with one eye, she asked if they were brothers. “No, madam,” answered one of them for the rest, “we are not brothers by blood, but only in consequence of being calenders; that is, in pursuing and observing the same kind of life.”—“Have you,” said she, “speaking to one of them in particular, “lost the sight of one eye from your birth?”—“No, indeed, madam,” he answered, “I became so through a most surprising adventure, by the recital or perusal of which, were it written, every one must derive advantage. After this misfortune, I shaved my beard and eyebrows, and in taking up the habit I wear, became a calender.”
Zobeidè put the same question to the others, who returned her the same answer as the first. But the last who spoke, added, “To inform you, madam, that we are not common persons, and in order that you should have some pity for us, we must tell you, that we are all the sons of kings. Although we have never seen each other before this evening, we have had sufficient time to become acquainted with this circumstance; and I can assure you, that the kings who have given us birth have made some noise in the world!”
During this speech Zobeidè became less angry, and told the slaves to set them at liberty, but at the same time to remain where they were. “They,” said she, “who shall recount their history to me, and explain the motives which brought them to this house, shall suffer no harm, but shall have permission to go where they please; but such as shall refuse to give us that satisfaction, shall not be spared.” The three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the eunuch Mesrour, and the porter, were all on the carpet in the middle of the hall before the three ladies, who sat on a sofa, with the slaves behind them, ready to execute any orders they might receive.
The porter, understanding that he had only to relate his history in order to be delivered from so great a danger, spoke first. “You are already acquainted, madam,” he said, “with my history and what brought me to your house. What I have to relate, therefore, will soon be finished. Your sister engaged me this morning at the place where I take my stand in quality of a porter, by which I endeavour to gain a living. I followed her to a wine-merchant’s, to an herbseller’s, to an orange-merchant’s, and to those who sell almonds, nuts, and other dried fruits. We then went to a confectioner’s, and to a druggist’s, from thence with my basket on my head as full as it well could be, I came here, where you had the goodness to suffer me to remain till now, a favor I shall never forget. This is the whole of my history.”
When the porter had concluded, Zobeidè, very well satisfied with him, said, “Save thyself and begone, nor ever let us see thee again.”—“I beg of you, madam,” replied he, “to let me remain a little longer. It would be unfair that I should not hear their histories after they have had the pleasure of hearing mine.” In saying this, he took his place at the end of the sofa, truly delighted at finding himself free from the danger which so much alarmed him. One of the calenders next spoke, and addressing himself to Zobeidè, as the principal person who had commanded them to give an account of themselves, began his history as follows.
In order to inform you, madam, how I lost my right eye, and the reason that I have been obliged to take the habit of a calender, I must begin by telling you that I am the son of a king. My father had a brother, who, like himself, was a monarch over a neighbouring state. This brother had two children, a son and a daughter; the former of whom was near my age.
When I had gone through all my exercises, and the king, my father, had allowed me a proper degree of liberty, I went regularly every year to see my uncle, and passed a month or two at his court, after which I returned home. These visits produced between the prince, my cousin, and myself, the most intimate friendship. The last time I saw him he received me with demonstrations of the greatest joy and tenderness, more so indeed than ever; and wishing one day to amuse me by some great entertainment, he made extraordinary preparations for it. We remained a long time at table, and after we had both supped, “You can never, my cousin,” he said to me, “possibly imagine what has occupied my thoughts since your last journey. Since you were here last, I have employed a great number of workmen about the design I meditated. I have erected a building, which is just finished, and we shall soon be able to lodge there: you will not be sorry to see it, but you must first take an oath that you will be both secret and faithful: these two things I must require of you.”
The friendship and familiarity in which we lived, did not permit me to refuse him any thing; I took, therefore, without hesitation the oath he required. “Wait for me in this place,” he cried, “and I will be with you in a moment,” He did not in fact detain me long, but returned with a female in his hand, of very great beauty and most magnificently dressed.
He did not say who she was, nor did I think it right to inquire. We again sat down to the table with the lady, and remained there some time, talking of different things and drinking bumpers to each other’s health. The prince then said to me, “We have no time to lose; oblige me by taking this lady with you, and conduct her by such a way to a place where you will see a tomb newly erected, in the shape of a dome. You will easily know it, as the door is open. Enter there together and wait for me, I will return directly.”
Faithful to my oath, I did not wish to know more. I presented my hand to the lady, and following the instructions which the prince, my cousin, had given me, I conducted her safely by the light of the moon without any mistake. We had scarcely got to the tomb when we saw the prince, who had followed us with a small vessel full of water, a hoe or spade, and a small sack, in which there was some lime, or mortar. The spade served him to destroy the empty sepulchre which was in the middle of the tomb; he took the stones away one by one, and placed them in one corner. When he had taken them all away, he made a hole in the ground, and I perceived a trapdoor under the sepulchre. He lifted it up, and discovered the beginning of a winding stair-ease. My cousin, then addressing himself to the lady, said, “This is the way, madam, that leads to the place I have mentioned to you. At these words the lady approached and descended the stairs. The prince was just going to follow her, but first turning to me, “I am infinitely obliged to you, my cousin,” said he, “for the trouble you have had, receive my best thanks for it, and farewell.”—“My dear cousin,” I cried, “what does all this mean?”—“That is of no consequence,” he answered, “you may return by the same way you came.”
I was unable to learn any thing more from him, and was obliged to take my leave of him. In returning to my uncle’s palace, the vapour of the wine I had before drunk began to affect my head. I nevertheless reached my apartment and retired to rest. On waking the next morning, I made many reflections on the occurrences of the night before, and recalled all the circumstances of so singular an adventure to my recollection. The whole appeared to me to be a dream. I was so much persuaded of it, that I sent to know if the prince, my cousin, was yet dressed. But when they brought me word that he had not slept at home, nor did they know what was become of him, and were very much distressed at it, I concluded that the strange adventure of the tomb was too true. This afflicted me very much, and keeping myself in private, I went secretly to the public cemetery, or burial place, where there were a great many tombs similar to that which I had before seen. I passed the day in examining them all, but was unable to discover the one I searched for. I spent four days in the same useless pursuit.
It is necessary for me to inform you, that the king, my uncle, was absent during the whole of this time. He had been for some time on a hunting party. I was very unwilling to wait for his coming back, and having requested his ministers to make my excuses for going, I set out on my return to my father’s court, from which I was not accustomed to make so long a stay. I left my uncle’s ministers very much distressed at not being able to discover what was become of the prince; but as I could not violate the oath I had taken to keep the secret, I dared not lessen their anxiety by informing them of any part of what I knew.
I arrived at the capital of my father, and contrary to the usual custom, I discovered at the gate of the palace a large guard, by whom I was immediately surrounded. I demanded the reason of this; when an officer answered, “the army, prince, has acknowledged the grand vizier as king in the room of your father, who is dead; and I arrest you as prisoner on behalf of the new king.” At these words the guards seized me and conducted me before the tyrant. Judge, madam, what was my surprise and grief.
This rebellious vizier had conceived a strong hatred against me, which he had for a long time cherished. The cause of it was as follows: when I was very young, I was fond of shooting with a cross-bow. One day I took one to the top of the palace and amused myself with it on the terrace. A bird happened to fly before me; I shot at it, but missed; and the arrow by chance struck the vizier on the eye and put it out, as he was taking the air on the terrace of his own house. As soon as I was informed of this accident, I went and made my apologies to him in person. He did not, however, fail to preserve a strong resentment against me, of which he gave every proof he could when any opportunity occurred. When he now found me in his power, he evinced it in the most barbarous manner. As soon as he saw me, he ran towards me in the utmost rage, and digging his fingers into my right eye, he tore it himself from the socket. It was in this way I became blind.
But the usurper did not confine his cruelty to this action alone. He ordered me to be imprisoned in a sort of cage, and to be carried in this manner to some distant place, where the executioner, after cutting off my head, was to leave my body exposed to the birds of prey. The executioner mounted his horse, accompanied by another man, and carried me with him. He did not stop till he came to a place proper for the execution of his order. I made, however, so good a use of entreaties, prayers, and tears, that I excited his compassion. “Go,” said he to me, “depart instantly out of the kingdom, and take care never to return; if you do, you will only encounter certain destruction, and will be the cause of mine.” I thanked him for the favour he did me: and I was no sooner alone than I consoled myself for the loss of my eye, by reflecting that I had just escaped from a greater misfortune.
In the state in which I was, I could not get on very fast. During the day, I concealed myself in unfrequented and secret places, and travelled by night as far as my strength would permit me. At length I arrived in the country belonging to the king, my uncle; and I proceeded directly to the capital.
I gave a long detail of the dreadful cause of my return, and of the miserable state in which he saw me. “Alas!” cried he, “was it not sufficient to lose my son; but must I now learn the death of a brother whom I dearly loved; and find you in the deplorable state to which you are reduced?” He informed me of the distress he had suffered from not being able to learn any tidings of his son, in spite of all the inquiries he had made, and all the diligence he had used. The tears ran from the eyes of this unfortunate father in giving me this account; and he appeared to me so much afflicted, that I could not resist his grief; nor could I keep the oath I had pledged to my cousin. I then related to the king every thing that had formerly passed.
He listened to me with some sort of consolation, and when I had finished, he said, “The recital, my dear nephew, you have given me, affords me some little hope. I well know that my son built such a tomb, and I know very nearly on what spot. With the recollection also, which you may have, I flatter myself we may discover it. But since he has done all this so secretly, and required you also to keep it unknown, I am of opinion that we two only should make the search, in order to avoid its being generally known and talked of. He had also another reason which he did not inform me of, for wishing to keep this a secret. This reason, as the conclusion of my history will show, was a very important one.
We each of us disguised ourselves and went out by a garden gate which opened into the fields. We were fortunate enough very soon to discover the object of our search. I immediately recognised the tomb, and was the more rejoiced as I had before searched for it so long to no purpose. We entered, and found the iron trap-door shut down upon the opening to the stairs. We had great difficulty in lifting it up, because the prince had cemented it down with the lime and the water which I mentioned his having carried: at last, however, we got it up. My uncle was the first who descended; and I followed. We went down about fifty steps, when we found ourselves at the bottom of the stairs in a sort of anti-room, which was full of a thick smoke, very unpleasant to the smell, and which obscured the light thrown from a very brilliant lustre.
From this anti-chamber we passed on to one much larger, the roof of which was supported by large columns, and illuminated by many lustres. In the middle there was a cistern, and on each side we observed various sorts of provisions. We were much surprised at not seeing any one. Opposite to us, there was a raised sofa, to which they ascended by some steps, and beyond this there appeared a very large bed, the curtains of which were drawn. The king went up, and undrawing them, discovered the prince, his son, and the lady in bed together, but burnt and changed into a coal, as if they had been thrown on to an immense fire, and had been taken off before they were consumed. What surprised me even more than this sight itself was, that my uncle did not evince any sorrow or regret at seeing his son in this horrid state. He spit in his face, and said in an enraged manner, “See what is the punishment of this world, but that of the next will be eternal.” Not satisfied with saying this, he pulled off his slipper and gave his son a great blow on his cheek.
I cannot express the astonishment I felt at seeing the king, my uncle, treat his son in that manner after his death. “Sire,” said I to him, “however violent my grief may be at seeing so heart-rending an object, yet I cannot yield to it without first inquiring of your majesty, what crime the prince, my cousin, can have committed to deserve such treatment of his lifeless corpse.” The king thus replied: “Nephew, I must inform you that my son, unworthy such a title, loved his sister from his earliest years, and was equally beloved by her. I rather encouraged their rising friendship, because I did not foresee the danger that was to ensue. And who could have foreseen it? This affection increased with their years, and reached to such a pitch, that I dreaded the consequences. I applied the only remedy then in my power. I severely reprimanded my son for his conduct, and represented to him the horrors that would arise if he persisted in it; and the eternal shame that would tarnish our family, if he indulged himself in so criminal a passion.
“I talked to his sister in the same terms, and confined her, that she should have no further communication with her brother. But the unhappy girl had tasted of the poison, and all the obstacles that my prudence suggested, only irritated their passion.
“My son, well persuaded that his sister continued to love him, prepared this subterraneous asylum, under pretence of building a tomb, hoping some day to find an opportunity of getting access to the object of his flame, and concealing her in this place. He chose the moment of my absence, to force the retreat of his sister, which is a circumstance that my honour will not allow me to publish. After this criminal deed, he shut himself up with her in this building, which he furnished, as you perceive, with all sorts of provisions, to be able to enjoy for a length of time his detestable amours; which must create horror in all who hear of them. But God would not suffer such an abominable crime; and has justly punished each of them.” He wept bitterly on finishing these words, and I mingled my tears with his.
Some time after, he cast his eyes on me; “But, dear nephew,” resumed he, embracing me, “if I lose an unworthy son, I may find in you a happy reparation of my loss.” The reflections which arose on the untimely end of the prince and the princess, his daughter, again drew tears from us both.
We ascended the same staircase, and quitted this dismal abode. We put the iron trap-door in its place, and covered it with earth and the rubbish of the building, to conceal, as much as possible, so dreadful an example of the anger of God.
We returned to the palace before our absence had been observed, and shortly after, we heard a confused noise of trumpets, cymbals, drums, and other warlike instruments. A thick dust, which obscured the air, soon informed us what it was, and announced the arrival of a formidable army. It was the same vizier who had dethroned my father, and taken possession of his dominions, and who came now with a large number of troops to seize those of my uncle.
This prince, who had only his usual guard, could not resist so many enemies. They invested the city, and as the gates were opened to them without resistance, they soon took possession of it. They had not much difficulty to penetrate to the palace of the king, who attempted to defend himself, but he was killed, after having dearly sold his life. On my part, I fought for some time, but seeing that I must surrender if I continued, I retired, and had the good fortune to escape, and take refuge in the house of an officer of the king, on whose fidelity I could depend.
Overcome with grief, and persecuted by fortune, I had recourse to a stratagem, which was the last resource to preserve my life. I shaved my beard and my eyebrows, and put on the habit of a calender, under which disguise I left the city without being recognised. After that, it was no difficult matter to quit the dominions of the king, my uncle, by unfrequented roads. I avoided the towns, till I arrived in the empire of the powerful sovereign of all believers, the glorious and renowned caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I ceased to fear. I considered what was my best plan, and I resolved to come to Bagdad, and throw myself at the feet of this great monarch, whose generosity is every where admired. I shall obtain compassion, thought I, by the recital of a history so surprising as mine; he will no doubt commisserate the fate of an unhappy prince, and I shall not implore his assistance in vain.
At length, after a journey of several months, I arrived to-day at the gates of the city: when the evening came on, I entered, and having rested a little time to recover my spirits, and deliberate which way I should turn my steps, this other calender, who is next me, arrived also. He saluted me, and I returned the compliment; “You appear,” said I, “a stranger like myself.”—“You are not mistaken,” returned he. At the very moment he made this reply the third calender, whom you see, came towards us. He saluted us, and acquainted us, that he too was a stranger and just arrived at Bagdad. Like brothers we united together and resolved never to separate.
But it was late, and we did not know where to go for a lodging, in a city where we never had been before. Our good fortune, however, having conducted us to your door, we took the liberty of knocking; you have received us with so much benevolence and charity that we cannot sufficiently thank you. This, madam, is what you desired me to relate; this was the way in which I lost my right eye; this was the reason I have my beard and eyebrows shaved, and why I am at this moment in your company.
“Enough,” said Zobeidè, “we thank you, and you may retire whenever you please.” The calender excused himself, and entreated the lady to allow him to stay and hear the history of his two companions, whom he could not well abandon, as well as that of the three other persons of the party.
The history of the first calender appeared very surprising to the whole company, and particularly to the caliph. The presence of the slaves armed with their scimitars did not prevent him from saying in a whisper to the vizier, “As long as I can remember, I never heard any thing to compare with this history of the calender, though I have been all my life in the habit of hearing similar narratives.” He had no sooner finished, than the second calender began; and addressing himself to Zobeidè spoke as follows:
To obey your commands, madam, and to inform you by what strange adventure I lost my right eye, is to give you an account of my whole life.
I was scarcely more than an infant, when the king, my father, (for I too am a prince by birth,) observing that I possessed great quickness of intellects, spared no pains in its cultivation. He collected from every part of his dominions whoever was famous for science and a knowledge of the fine arts, for the purpose of instructing me. I no sooner knew how to read and write, than I learnt by art the whole of the Koran, that admirable book, in which we find the basis, precepts, and regulations of our religion. That my knowledge might not be shallow and superficial, I perused the works of the most approved authors who have written on the same subject, and both explained and illustrated that book by their commentaries. To this study I added an acquaintance with all the traditions received from the mouth of our prophet, by those illustrious men who were his contemporaries. Not satisfied with possessing a deep and extensive knowledge of our religion, I made also a particular study of our histories, and became master of polite literature, of poetry and versification. I then applied myself to geography and chronology, and became anxious to attain a knowledge of our own language in its greatest purity; and all this without neglecting those exercises which are so suited to a prince. There was, however, one thing in which I most delighted, and at length excelled, and that was in forming the characters of our Arabic language; and I surpassed all the writing-masters of our kingdom, who had acquired the greatest reputation.
Fame bestowed upon me even more honour than I deserved. She was not satisfied with spreading a report of my talents throughout the dominions of the king, my father, but even carried the account of them to the court of the Indies, whose powerful monarch became so curious to see me, that he sent an ambassador, accompanied with the richest presents to my father, to request me of him. This embassy, for many reasons, delighted him. He was persuaded that it was the best possible thing for a prince of my age to travel to foreign courts; and he was, also, very well satisfied at forming a friendship with the sultan of India. I set out with the ambassador, but with very few attendants and little baggage, on account of the length and difficulties of the way.
We had been about a month on our journey, when we saw in the distance an immense cloud of dust, and soon after we discovered fifty horsemen, well armed. They were robbers, who approached us at full speed. As we had ten horses laden with our baggage and the presents which I was to make to the sultan, in my father’s name, and as our party consisted but of very few, you may easily imagine that the robbers attacked us without hesitation. Not being able to repel force by force, we told them we were the ambassadors of the sultan of India, and we hoped they would do nothing contrary to the respect they owed to him. By this we thought we should preserve both our equipage and our lives; but the robbers insolently answered, “Why do you wish us to respect the sultan your master? We are not his subjects, nor even within his realm.” Having said this, they immediately surrounded and attacked us on all sides. I defended myself as long as I could, but finding that I was wounded, and seeing the ambassador and all our attendants overthrown, I took advantage of the remaining strength of my horse, who was also wounded, and escaped from them. I pushed him on as far as he would carry me; he then suddenly fell under my weight, quite dead from fatigue and the blood he had lost. I disentangled myself as fast as possible; and observing that no one pursued me, I supposed the robbers did not choose to neglect the plunder they had acquired.
Imagine me then, madam, alone, wounded, destitute of every help, and in a country where I was an entire stranger. I was afraid of regaining the great road from the dread of falling once more into the hands of the robbers. After having bound up my wound, which was not dangerous, I walked on the rest of the day, and in the evening I arrived at the foot of a mountain, on one side of which I discovered a sort of cave. I went in, and passed the night without any disturbance, after having eaten some fruits which I had gathered as I came along.
For some days following I continued my journey, without meeting with any place where I could rest; but at the end of about a month I arrived at a very large city, well inhabited, and most delightfully and advantageously situated; as several rivers flowed round it and caused a perpetual spring. The number of agreeable objects which presented themselves to my eyes, excited so great a joy that it suspended for a moment the poignant regret I felt at finding myself in such a miserable situation. My whole face as well as my hands and feet were of a brown tawny colour, for the sun had quite burnt me: and my slippers were so completely worn out by walking, that I was obliged to travel bare-foot; besides this, my clothes were all in rags.
I entered the town in order to learn the language spoken, and thence to find out where I was. I addressed myself to a tailor, who was at work in his shop. On account of my youth, and a certain manner about me, which intimated I was something better than I appeared, he made me sit down near him. He asked me who I was, where I came from, and what had brought me to that place. I concealed nothing from him, but informed him of every circumstance that had happened to me, and did not even hesitate at discovering even my name. The tailor listened to me very attentively, but when I had finished my narration, instead of giving me any consolation, he augmented my troubles. “Take care,” said he to me, “that you do not place the same confidence in any one else that you have in me, for the prince who reigns in this kingdom is the greatest enemy of the king, your father; and if he should be informed of your arrival in this city, I doubt not but he will inflict some evil upon you.” I readily believed the sincerity of the tailor, when he told me the name of the prince; but as the enmity between my father and him has no connection with my adventures, I shall not, madam, enter into any detail of it.
I thanked the tailor for the advice he had given me; and told him that I placed implicit faith in his good counsel, and should never forget the favour I received from him. As he supposed I was not deficient in appetite, he brought me something to eat, and offered me even an apartment at his house, which I accepted.
Some days after my arrival, the tailor remarking that I was tolerably recovered from the effects of my long and painful journey, and being aware that most of the princes of our religion had the precaution, in order to guard against any reverse of fortune, to make themselves acquainted with some art or trade to assist them in case of want, asked me if I knew any thing by which I could acquire a livelihood, without being chargeable to any body. I told him, that I was well versed in the science of laws, both human and divine, that I was a grammarian, a poet, and above all, that I wrote remarkably well. “With all this,” he replied, “you will not in this country procure a morsel of bread; nothing is more useless here than this kind of knowledge. If you wish to follow my advice,” he added, “you will procure a short jacket, and as you are strong and of a good constitution, you may go into the neighbouring forest and cut wood for fuel. You may then go and expose it for sale in the market; and I assure you, that you may acquire a sufficient small income so as to live independently of every one. By these means you will be enabled to wait till heaven shall become favourable to you, and till the cloud of bad fortune which hangs over you, and obliges you to conceal your birth, shall have blown over. I will furnish you with a cord and hatchet.”
The fear of being known, and the necessity of supporting myself, determined me to pursue this plan, in spite of the degradation and pain which were attached to it.
The next day the tailor bought me a hatchet and a cord, and also a short jacket; and recommending me to some poor people who obtained their livelihood in the same manner, he requested them to take me with them. They conducted me to the forest, and from this time I regularly brought back upon my head a large bundle of wood, which I sold for a small piece of gold money, current in that country: for although the forest was not far off, wood was nevertheless dear in that city, because there were few men who gave themselves the trouble of going to cut it. I soon acquired a considerable sum, and was enabled to repay the tailor what he had expended on my account.
I had passed more than a year in this mode of life, when having one day gone deeper into the forest than usual, I came to a very pleasant spot, where I began to cut my wood. In cutting up the root of a tree, I discovered an iron ring fastened to a trap-door of the same materials. I immediately cleared away the earth that covered it, and on lifting it up I perceived a stair-case, by which I descended with my hatchet in my hand. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I found myself in a vast palace, which struck me very much, by the great brilliancy with which it was illuminated; as much so indeed as if it had been built on the most open spot above ground. I went forward along a gallery supported on columns of jasper, the bases and capitals of which were of massive gold, but stopt suddenly on beholding a lady, who appeared to have so noble and graceful an air, and to possess such extraordinary beauty, that my attention was taken off from every other object, and my eyes fixed on her alone.
To prevent this beautiful lady from having the trouble of coming to me, I made haste towards her; and while I was making a most respectful reverence, she said to me, “Who are you; a man or a Genius?”—“I am a man, madam,” I answered, getting up, “nor have I any commerce with Genii.”—“By what adventure,” replied she, with a deep sigh, “have you come here? I have remained here more than twenty-five years, and during the whole of that time I have seen no other man than yourself.”
Her great beauty, which had already made a deep impression on me, together with the mildness and good humour with which she received me, made me bold enough to say: “Before, madam, I have the honour of satisfying your curiosity, permit me to tell you, that I feel highly delighted at this unexpected interview, which offers me the means, both of consoling myself under the affliction in which I am, and perhaps of making you happier than you now are.” I then faithfully related to her by what strange accident she saw in me the son of a king, why I appeared to her in that condition, and how accident had discovered to me the entrance into the magnificent prison in which I found her; and of which, from all appearance, she was heartily tired. “Alas, prince,” she replied, again sighing, “you may truly say this rich and superb prison is unpleasing and wearisome. The most enchanting spots cannot afford delight, when we are there against our wills. Is it possible, you have never heard any one speak of the great Epitimarus, king of the Ebony Isle, a place so called from the great quantity of that precious wood, which it produces. I am the princess, his daughter.
“The king, my father, had chosen for my husband a prince, who was my cousin; but on the very night of our nuptials, in the midst of the rejoicings of the court and capital of the Isle of Ebony, and before I had been given to my husband, a Genius took me away. I fainted almost the same moment, and lost all recollection: and when I recovered my senses, I found myself in this place. For a long time I was inconsolable; but habit and necessity have reconciled me to the sight and company of the Genius. Twenty-five years have passed, as I have already told you, since I first was brought to this place, in which I must own, that I have, even by wishing, not only every thing necessary for life, but whatever can satisfy a princess, who is fond of decoration and dress.
“Every ten days,” continued the princess, “the Genius comes and passes the night here; he never sleeps here oftener, and gives as a reason, that he is married to another, who would be jealous of the infidelity of which he was guilty, should it come to her knowledge. In the mean time, if I have any occasion for him, I have only to touch a talisman, which is placed at the entrance of my chamber, and he appears. It is now four days since he was here, and I have therefore to wait six days more before he again makes his appearance. You therefore may remain five with me, if it be agreeable to you, in order to keep me company; and I will endeavour to regale and entertain you equal to your merit and quality.”
I should have thought myself too happy to obtain so great a favour by asking it, not to accept it after so obliging an offer. The princess then conducted me to a bath, the most elegant, convenient, and at the same time sumptuous you can possibly imagine. When I came out, I found instead of my own dress, another very rich one, which I put on, less for its magnificence than to render myself more worthy of her notice.
We seated ourselves on a sofa, covered with superb drapery; the cushions of which were of the richest Indian brocade; she then set before me a variety of the most delicate and rare dishes. We eat together, and having passed the remainder of the day very agreeably, she received me at night in her chamber.
The next day, in order to devise every method of entertaining me, she produced, at dinner, a flask of very old wine, the finest I ever tasted; and to please me, she drank several glasses with me. I no sooner found my head rather heated with this agreeable liquor, than I said, “Beautiful princess, you have been buried here alive much too long; follow me, and go and enjoy the brightness of the genuine day, of which for so many years you have been deprived. Abandon this false though brilliant light you have here.”—“Let us talk no more, prince,” she answered, smiling, “on this subject. I value not the most beautiful day in the world, if you will pass nine with me here, and give up the tenth to the Genius.”—“Princess,” I replied, “I see very well that it is the dread you have of the Genius, which makes you hold this language. As for myself, I fear him so little, that I am determined to break his talisman in pieces, with the magic spell that is inscribed upon it. Let him then come; I will wait for him; and however brave, however formidable, he may be, I will make him feel the weight of my arm. I have taken an oath to exterminate all the Genii in the world, and he shall be the first.” The princess, who knew the consequence of this conduct, conjured me not to touch the talisman. “It will be the means,” she said, “of destroying both you and myself. I am better acquainted with the nature of Genii than you can be.” The wine I had drank, prevented me from acknowledging the propriety of her reasons, I kicked down the talisman, and broke it in pieces.
This was no sooner done than the whole palace shook, as if ready to fall to atoms, accompanied with a most dreadful noise like thunder, and flashes of lightning, which heightened still more the intermediate gloom. This formidable adventure in a moment dissipated the fumes of the wine, and made me own, though too late, the fault I had committed. “Princess,” I exclaimed, “what does all this mean?” Without thinking of her own misfortune, and alarmed only for me, she, in a fright, answered, “Alas, it is all over with you, unless you save yourself by flight.”
I followed her advice; and my fear was so great, that I forgot my hatchet and my cord. I had hardly gained the stair-case, by which I descended, than the enchanted palace opened to afford a passage to the Genius. “What has happened to you, and why have you called me?” he demanded of the princess, in an angry tone. “A violent pain,” replied the princess, “obliged me to search after the bottle which you see; I drank two or three glasses, and unfortunately making a false step I fell upon the talisman, which I thus broke. There is no other cause.” At this answer the Genius, in the utmost rage, exclaimed; “you are both impudent and deceitful, how came this hatchet and this cord here then?” “I have never seen them,” replied she, “till this instant. Perhaps, in the haste and impetuosity with which you came, you have taken them up in passing through some place, and have brought them here, without observing them.”
The Genius replied only by reproaches, and by blows, which I could plainly distinguish the sound of. It distressed me, beyond measure, to hear the cries and sobbing of the princess, who was thus cruelly used. I had already taken off the habit, which she had made me put on, and resumed my own, which I had carried to the stair-case the day before, after I had been in the bath. I proceeded therefore up the stairs, as I was the more penetrated with grief and compassion on account of having been the cause of such a misfortune: and as I should become the most criminal and ungrateful of men in thus sacrificing the most beautiful princess on earth to the barbarity of an implacable Genius. “It is true,” said I to myself, “that she has been a prisoner for five and twenty years; but, excepting liberty, she had nothing to wish for, in order to be happy. My conduct has put an end to her happiness, and raised the cruelty of a merciless demon to its very summit. I then shut down the trap-door, covered it over with the earth, and returned to the city with a load of wood, which I collected, without even knowing what I was about, so much was I absorbed and afflicted at what had happened.
My host, the tailor, expressed great joy at my return. “Your absence,” said he, “has caused me much uneasiness on account of the secret of your birth, with which you have entrusted me. I knew not what to think, and began to fear some one might have recognized you. God be praised that you are come back.” I thanked him much for his zeal and affection, but did not inform him of any thing that had happened; nor of the reason why I returned without my hatchet and cord. I retired to my chamber, where I reproached myself a thousand times for my great imprudence. “Nothing,” I cried, “could have equalled the mutual happiness of the princess and myself, if I had been satisfied, and had not broken the talisman.”
While I was abandoning myself to these afflicting thoughts, the tailor entered my apartment, and said, that an old man, whom he did not know, had brought my hatchet and cord, which he had found on his way. “He has been informed by your companions,” added the tailor, “who went to cut wood with you, that you live here. Come and speak to him, as he wishes to deliver them into your own hands.” At this speech, I changed colour, and trembled from head to foot. The tailor inquired the cause, when suddenly the floor of my chamber opened. The old man, who had not the patience to wait, appeared, and presented himself to us with the hatchet and cord. This was in fact the Genius, who had ravished the beautiful princess of the Isle of Ebony, and who had thus come in disguise, after having treated her with the greatest barbarity. “I am a Genius,” he said to us, “a son of the daughter of Eblis, prince of the Genii. Is not this thy hatchet?” added he, addressing me, “and is not this thy cord?”
The Genius gave me no time to answer these questions; nor indeed should I have been able to do so, as his dreadful presence made me entirely forget myself. He took me by the middle of my body, and dragging me out of the chamber, sprang into the air, and carried me up towards heaven with so much force and celerity, that I was sensible of the great height to which I had ascended, before I was aware of the distance I had travelled in so short a space of time. He then descended towards the earth; and having caused it to open, by striking his foot against it, he sunk into it, and I instantly found myself in the enchanted palace, and in the presence of the beautiful princess of the Isle of Ebony. But alas! what a sight! It pierced my very inmost heart. This princess was naked and covered with blood, and lying along the ground more dead than alive, with her face bathed in tears.
“Perfidious wretch,” said the Genius, showing me to her, “is not this thy lover?” She cast her languid eyes upon me, and in a sorrowful tone, answered, “I know him not, nor have I ever seen him till this instant.”—“What,” cried the Genius, “dare you affirm you do not know him, although he is the cause of your being treated, and justly, in the manner you have been?”—“If I am ignorant of him,” replied she, “do you wish I should utter a falsehood, which would prove his destruction?”—“Well then,” exclaimed the Genius, drawing his scimitar, and presenting it to the princess, “if you have never seen him, take this scimitar and cut off his head.” “How, alas!” she answered, “can I execute what you require of me? My strength is so exhausted, that I cannot lift up my arm; and even were I able, do you think I could put to death an innocent person, whom I do not know?”—“This refusal, then,” added the Genius, “completely proves to me your crime.” And then turning to me, he said, “Are you too unacquainted with her?”
I should have been the most ungrateful and most perfidious of men, if I had not preserved the same fidelity towards her, which she had done for me; I therefore said, “how should I know her, when this is the first time I have ever set eyes upon her?”—“If that be true,” he replied, “take the scimitar and cut off her head. It is the price I set on your liberty, and the only way to convince me you have never seen her before, as you affirm.”—“With all my heart,” I answered, and took the scimitar in my hand. Do not, however, imagine, that I approached the beautiful princess of the Isle of Ebony, for the purpose of becoming the instrument of the barbarity of the Genius. I did it only to show her by my actions, as well as I could, that as she had the courage to sacrifice her life from love of me, neither could I refuse to immolate myself also from the same motive. The princess comprehended my meaning; and in spite of her pains and sufferings, gave me to understand by her looks, that she should willingly die, and was well satisfied with knowing that I was equally ready. I then drew back, and throwing the scimitar on the ground, said to the Genius, “I should be eternally condemned by all men, if I had the cowardice to murder, I will not say a person whom I do not know, but a lady, such as I now see, in the state in which she is, ready to expire. You may treat me as you please, since I am in your power, but I will never obey your barbarous commands.”
“I am well aware,” said the Genius, “that both of you brave my rage, and insult my jealousy; but you shall find what I am capable of by the manner in which I shall treat you. At these words, the monster took up the scimitar, and cut off one of the hands of the princess, who had barely time to bid me an eternal farewell with the other, before the great loss of blood from her other wounds, added to what flowed from the present, extinguished her life, not two moments after the perpetration of this last cruelty; the sight of which made me faint.
When I returned to my senses, I complained to the Genius for suffering me to remain in expectation of death. “Strike,” I cried, “I am ready to receive the mortal wound, and expect it from you as the greatest favour you can bestow.” Instead, however, of doing so, he said, “Observe in what manner Genii treat women, whom they suspect of infidelity. She received you here; and if I were convinced that she had done me any farther wrong, I would this instant annihilate you; but I shall content myself with changing you into a dog, an ass, a lion, or a bird. Make your choice; I wish not to control you.” These words gave me some hopes of softening him; I said, “Moderate, O powerful Genius, your wrath, and since you wish not to take my life, grant it me in a generous manner. If you pardon me, I shall always remember your clemency, as one of the best of men pardoned his neighbour, who bore him a most deadly envy.” The Genius then asked me, what had passed between these two neighbours, when I told him, if he would have the patience to listen to me, I would relate the history.
In a town of no inconsiderable importance, there were two men, who lived next door to each other. One of them was so excessively envious of the other, that the latter resolved to change his abode, and go and reside at some distance from him; supposing, that nearness of residence alone was the cause of his neighbour’s animosity; for although he was continually doing him some friendly office, he perceived that he was not the less hated. He therefore sold his house, and the small estate he had there, and went to the capital of the kingdom, which was at no great distance: and bought a small piece of ground about half a league from the town, on which there stood a very convenient house. He had also a good garden, and a moderate court, in which there was a deep cistern, that was not now used.
The good man having made this purchase, put on the habit of a dervise, in order to pass his life more quietly; and made also many cells in his house, where he soon established a small community of dervises. The report of his virtue was soon more generally spread abroad, and failed not to attract the attention and visits of great numbers of the principal inhabitants, as well as common people. At length he became honoured and noticed by almost every one. They came from a great distance to request him to offer up his prayers for them; and all, who remained in retirement with him, published an account of the blessings they thought they received from Heaven through his means.
The great reputation of this man at length reached the town from whence he came; and the envious man was so vexed, that he left his house and all his affairs, with the determination to go and destroy him. For this purpose, he went to the convent of dervises, whose chief, his former neighbour, received him with every possible mark of friendship. The envious man told him, that he was come for the express design of communicating an affair of great importance to him, and which he could only inform him of in private. “In short,” said he, “in order that no one may hear us, let us, I beg of you, walk in your court; and when night comes on, order all the dervises to their cells.” The chief of the dervises did as he requested.
When the envious man found himself alone with the good man, he began to relate to him whatever came into his thoughts, while they walked from one end of the court to the other, till observing they were just at the edge of the well, he gave him a push, and threw him into it; without there being any witness of so wicked an act. Having done this, he directly went away, got to the gate of the house, passed out unseen, returned home well satisfied with his journey, and highly pleased that the object of his envy was at length no more. In this, however, he was deceived.
It was a most fortunate thing for the dervise, that this well was inhabited by fairies and genii, who were ready to assist him. They both caught and supported him in their arms in such a way, that he received not the least injury. He naturally supposed there was something very extraordinary in having had such a fall, as ought to have cost him his life; and yet he could neither see nor perceive any thing. He soon after, however, heard a voice say, “Do you know any thing of this man, to whom we have been so serviceable?” when some other voices answered, “No.” The first then replied, “I will inform you. This man, with the most charitable and benevolent intentions in the world, left the town where he lived, and came to fix himself in this place, with the hopes of being able to cure one of his neighbours of the envy and hatred he had conceived against him. He soon became so universally esteemed, that the envious man could not endure it, and determined, therefore, to put an end to his existence. This design he would have executed, had it not been for the assistance we afforded this good man, whose reputation is so great, that the sultan, who resides in the neighbouring town, was coming to visit him to-morrow, in order to recommend the princess, his daughter, to his prayers.”
Another voice then asked what occasion the princess had for the prayers of the dervise, to which the first answered; “Are you ignorant then, that she is possessed by the power of the Genius Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, who has fallen in love with her? But I know how this good dervise can cure her. The thing is by no means difficult, as I will inform you. In his monastery there is a black cat, which has a white spot at the end of her tail, about the size of a small piece of money. Let him only pull out seven hairs from this while spot, and burn them; and then with the smoke perfume the head of the princess. From that moment she will be so thoroughly cured, and free from Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, that he will never again be able to come near her.”
The chief of the dervises did not lose a single syllable of this conversation between the Fairies and Genii, who, from this time, remained silent the whole night. The next morning, as soon as the day began to break, and the different objects became discernible, the dervise perceived, as the wall was decayed in many places, a hole, by which he could get out without any difficulty.
The other dervises, who were seeking after him, were delighted at his appearance. He related to them, in a few words, the cunning and wickedness of the guest he had entertained the day before, and then retired to his cell. It was not long before the black cat, which had been mentioned in the discourse of the Fairies and Genii, came to him to be taken notice of as usual. He then took it up, and plucked out seven hairs from the white spot in its tail, and put them aside, in order to make use of whenever he should have occasion for them.
The sun had not long risen above the horizon, when the sultan, who wished to neglect nothing, from which he thought there was any chance of curing the princess, arrived at the gate. He ordered his guards to stop, and went in with the principal officers who accompanied him. The dervises received him with the greatest respect. The sultan directly took the chief aside, and said to him, “Worthy sheik, you are perhaps already acquainted with the cause of my visit.”—“If, Sire,” the dervise modestly answered, “I do not deceive myself, it is the malady of the princess that has been the occasion of my seeing you; an honour of which I am unworthy.”—“It is so,” replied the sultan, “and you will restore almost my life to me, if, by means of your prayers, I shall obtain the re-establishment of my daughter’s health.”—“If your majesty,” answered the worthy man, “will have the goodness to suffer her to come here, I flatter myself, that with the help and favor of God she shall return in perfect health.”
The prince, transported with joy, immediately sent for his daughter, who soon appeared, accompanied by a numerous train of females and eunuchs; and veiled in such a manner, that her face could not be seen. The chief of the dervises made them hold a shovel over the head of the princess; and he no sooner threw the seven white hairs upon some burning coals, which he had ordered to be brought in it, than the Genius Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, uttered a violent scream, and left the princess quite at liberty. In the mean time nothing at all could be seen. The first thing she did was to put her hand to the veil, which covered her face, and lift it up to see where she was. “Where am I?” she cried; “Who has brought me here?” At these words the sultan could not conceal his joy; he embraced his daughter; he kissed her eyes: and then took the hand of the dervise and kissed that. “Give me,” said he to his officers, “your opinion; what return does he deserve, who has cured my daughter.”—They all answered that he was worthy of her hand.—“This is the very thing I was meditating,” he cried, “and from this moment I claim him for my son-in-law.”
Soon after this the first vizier died, and the sultan immediately advanced the dervise to the situation. The sultan himself afterwards dying without any male issue, this excellent man was proclaimed sultan by the general voice of the different religious and military orders.
The good dervise, being thus raised to the throne of his father-in-law, observed one day, as he was walking with his courtiers, the envious man among the crowd, who were in the road. He called one of his viziers, who accompanied him, told him in a whisper to bring that man, whom he pointed out to him, and to be sure not to alarm him. The vizier obeyed; and when the envious man was in the presence of the sultan, the latter addressed him in these words; “I am very happy, my friend, to see you: go,” said he, speaking to an officer, “and count out directly from my treasury a thousand pieces of gold. Nay more, deliver to him twenty bales of the most valuable merchandize my magazines contain; and let a sufficient guard escort him home.” After having given the officer this commission, he took his leave of the envious man, and continued his walk.
When I had told this history to the Genius, who had assassinated the princess of the Isle of Ebony, I made the application to myself, “O Genius,” I said to him, “you may observe how this benevolent monarch acted towards the envious man, and was not only satisfied in forgetting that he had attempted his life, but even sent him back with every benefit and advantage I have mentioned.” In short, I employed all my eloquence to persuade him to imitate so excellent an example, and to pardon me. But to alter his resolution was impossible.
“All that I can do for you,” he said, “is to spare your life; yet do not flatter yourself that I shall suffer you to return safe and well. I must at least make you feel what I can do by means of my enchantments.” At these words he violently seized me, and carrying me through the vaulted roof of the subterranean palace, which opened at his approach, he elevated me so high, that the earth appeared to me only like a small white cloud. From this height he again descended as quick as lightning, and alighted on the top of a mountain. On this spot he took up a handful of earth, and pronouncing, or rather muttering, certain words, of which I could not comprehend the meaning, threw it over me: “Quit,” he cried, “the figure of a man, and assume that of an ape.” He immediately disappeared, and I remained quite alone, changed into an ape, overwhelmed with grief, in an unknown country, and ignorant whether I was near the dominions of the king, my father.
I descended the mountain, and came to a flat level country, the extremity of which I did not reach till I had travelled a month; when I arrived at the sea-coast. There was at this time a profound calm, and I perceived a vessel about half a league from the shore. That I might not omit taking advantage of so fortunate a circumstance, I broke off a large branch from a tree, and dragged it after me to the sea-side. I then got astride it, with a stick in each hand by way of oar. In this manner I rowed myself along towards the vessel, and when I was sufficiently near to be seen, I presented a most extraordinary sight to the sailors and passengers, who were upon deck. They looked at me with the greatest admiration and astonishment. In the mean time I got along-side, and taking hold of a rope, I climbed up to the deck. But as I could not speak, I found myself in the greatest embarrassment. And in fact, the danger I now ran was not less imminent than what I had before experienced, when I was in the power of the Genius.
The merchants, who were on board, were both scrupulous and superstitious, and thought that I should be the cause of some misfortunes happening to them during their voyage, if they received me. “I will kill him,” cried one, “with a blow of this handspike.”—“Let me shoot an arrow through his body,” exclaimed another: “and then let us throw him into the sea,” said a third. Nor would they have desisted from executing their different threats, if I had not run to the captain, and thrown myself prostrate at his feet. In this supplicating posture I laid hold of the bottom of his dress; and he was so struck with this action, as well as with the tears that fell from my eyes, that he took me under his protection, declaring he would make any one repent, who should offer me the least injury. He even caressed and encouraged me. In order to make up for the loss of speech, I in return showed him, by means of signs, how much I was obliged to him.
The wind which succeeded this calm was not a strong, but it was a favourable one. It did not change for fifty days; and we then happily arrived in the harbour of a large, commercial, well-built, and populous city. Here we cast anchor. This city was of still more considerable importance, as it was the capital of a powerful kingdom. Our vessel was immediately surrounded with a multitude of small boats, filled with those who came either to congratulate their friends on their arrival, or to enquire of whom and what they had seen in the country they had come from; or simply from mere curiosity to see a ship which had arrived from a distance.
Among the rest some officers came on board, who desired, in the name of the sultan, to speak to the merchants that were with us. “The sultan, our sovereign,” said one of them to the merchants, who immediately appeared, “has charged us to express to you how much pleasure your arrival gives him, and entreats each of you to take the trouble of writing upon this roll of paper a few lines. In order to make you understand his motive for this, I must inform you, that he had a first vizier, who, besides his great abilities in the management of affairs, wrote in the greatest perfection. This minister died a few days since. The sultan is very much afflicted at it, and as he values perfection in writing beyond every thing, he has taken a solemn oath to appoint any person to the same situation, who shall write as well. Many have presented specimens of their abilities, but he has not yet found any one throughout the empire whom he has thought worthy to occupy the vizier’s place.
Each of those merchants who thought they could write well enough to aspire to this high dignity, wrote whatever they thought proper. When they had done, I advanced and took the paper from the hands of him who held it. Every body, and particularly the merchants who had written, thinking that I meant either to destroy it or throw it into the water, instantly called out; but they were soon satisfied, when they saw me hold the paper very properly, and make a sign, that I also wished to write in my turn. Their fears were now changed to astonishment. Yet as they had never seen an ape that could write, and as they could not believe I was more skilful than others, they wished to take the roll from my hands; but the captain still continued to take my part. “Suffer him to try,” he said, “let him write; if he only blots the paper, I promise you I will instantly punish him: but if, on the contrary, he writes well, as I hope he will, for I have never seen any ape more clever and ingenious, nor one who seemed so well to understand every thing, I declare that I will acknowledge him as my son. I once had one, who did not possess half so much ability as he does.”
Finding that no one any longer opposed my design, I took the pen, and did not leave off till I had given an example of six different sorts of writing used in Arabia. Each specimen contained a distich, or impromptu stanza of four lines, in praise of the sultan. My writing not only excelled that of the merchants, but I dare say they had never seen any so beautiful, even in that country. When I had finished, the officers took the roll and carried it to the sultan.
The monarch paid no attention to any of the writing, except mine, which pleased him so much, that he said to the officers, “Take the finest and most richly caparisoned horse from my stable, and also the most magnificent robe of brocade possible, in order to adorn the person of him who has written these six varieties, and bring him to me.” At this order of the sultan the officers could not forbear laughing, which irritated him so much, that he would have punished them, had they not said, “We entreat your majesty to pardon us; these were not written by a man, but by an ape.”—“What do you say?” cried the sultan, “are not these wonderful specimens of writing from the hand of a man?”—“No sire,” answered one of the officers, “we assure your majesty that we saw an ape write them.” This matter appeared too wonderful to the sultan, for him not to be desirous of seeing me. “Do as I command you,” said he to them, “and hasten to bring me this extraordinary ape.”
The officers returned to the vessel, and showed their order to the captain, who said the sultan should be obeyed. They immediately dressed me in a robe of very rich brocade, and carried me on shore; where they set me on the horse of the sultan, who was waiting in his palace for me, with a considerable number of people belonging to the court, whom he had assembled to do me the more honour. The march commenced: while the gate, the streets, public buildings, windows, and terraces of both the palaces and houses, were all filled with an immense number of persons of every age and sex, whom curiosity had drawn together from all quarters of the town to see me: for the report was spread in an instant, that the sultan had chosen an ape for his grand vizier. After having afforded so uncommon a sight to all these people, who ceased not to express their surprise by violent and continued shouting, I arrived at the sultan’s palace.
I found the prince seated on his throne, in the midst of the nobles of his court; I made him three low bows, and the last time I prostrated myself, kissed the earth by his feet. I then got up, and seated myself exactly like an ape. No part of the assembly could withhold their admiration; nor did they comprehend how it was possible for an ape to be so well acquainted with the form and respect attached to sovereigns; nor was the sultan the least astonished. The whole ceremony of audience would have been complete, if I had only been able to add speech to my actions; but apes never speak; and the advantage of having once been a man, did not now afford me that privilege.
The sultan took leave of the courtiers, and there remained with him only the chief of his eunuchs, a little young slave, and myself. He went from the hall of audience into his own apartment, where he ordered some food to be served up. While he was at table, he made me a sign to come and eat with him. As a mark of my obedience, I got up, kissed the ground, and then seated myself at table; I eat, however, with much modesty and forbearance.
Before they cleared the table, I perceived a writing-desk, which, by a sign, I requested them to bring me: as soon as I had got it, I wrote upon a large peach some lines of my own composition, which evinced my gratitude to the sultan. His astonishment at reading them, after I presented the peach to him, was still greater than before. When the things were taken away, they brought a particular sort of liquor, of which he desired them to give me a glass. I drank it, and then wrote some fresh verses, which explained the state in which I now found myself after so many sufferings. The sultan, having read these also, exclaimed, “A man who should be capable of doing thus, would be one of the greatest men that ever lived.” The prince then ordered a chess-board to be brought, and asked me, by a sign, if I could play, and would engage with him. I kissed the ground, and putting my hand on my head, I shewed him I was ready to receive that honour. He won the first game, but the second and third were in my favour; perceiving that this gave him some little pain, I wrote a stanza to amuse him, and presented it to him; in which I said, that two powerful armed bodies fought the whole day with the greatest ardour, but that they made peace in the evening, and passed the night together very tranquilly upon the field of battle.
All these circumstances appearing to the sultan much beyond what he had ever seen or heard of the address and ingenuity of apes, he wished to have more witnesses of these prodigies. He had a daughter, who was called the Queen of Beauty, he therefore desired the chief of the eunuchs to fetch her. “Go,” said he to him, “and bring your lady here, I wish her to partake of the pleasure I enjoy.” The chief of the eunuchs went, and brought back the princess with him. On entering, her face was uncovered, but she was no sooner within the apartment, than she instantly threw her veil over her, and said to the sultan, “Your majesty must have forgotten yourself. I am surprised that you order me to appear before men.”—“What is this, my daughter?” answered the sultan, “it seems that you are the person who has forgotten herself. There is no one here; but the little slave, the eunuch, your governor, and myself; and we are always at liberty to see your face. Why then do you put down your veil, and assert, that I have done wrong, in ordering you to come here?”—“Sire,” replied the princess, “your majesty will be convinced I am not mistaken. The ape which you see there, although under that form, is not an ape, but a young prince, the son of a great king. He has been changed into an ape by enchantment. A Genius, the son of the daughter of Eblis, has been guilty of this malicious action, after having cruelly killed the princess of the Isle of Ebony, daughter of king Epitimarus.”
The sultan was astonished at this speech; and turning to me, asked, but no longer by signs, whether what his daughter said was true. As I could not speak, I put my hand upon my head to show, that she had spoken the truth. “How came you to know, daughter,” said the king, “that this prince had been transformed into an ape by means of enchantment?”—“Sire,” replied the princess, “your majesty may recollect, that when I first came from the nursery, I had an old woman as one of my attendants. She was very well skilled in magic; and taught me seventy rules of that science; by virtue of which, I could instantly cause your capital to be transported to the middle of the ocean, nay beyond mount Caucasus. By means of this science, I know every person who is enchanted, the moment I behold them; not only who they are, but by whom also they were enchanted. Be not, therefore, surprised, that I have at first sight discovered this prince, in spite of the charm, which prevented him from appearing in your eyes such as he really is.”—“My dear daughter,” answered the sultan, “I did not think you were so skilful.”—“Sire,” added the princess, “these things are curious, and worthy of being known, but I do not think it becomes me to boast of them.”—“Since this is the case,” replied the sultan, “you can then dissolve the enchantment of this prince.”—“I can, sire,” said, she “and restore him to his own form.”—“Do so then,” interrupted the sultan, “for you cannot give me greater pleasure, as I wish to have him for my grand vizier and bestow you upon him for a wife.”—“I am ready, sire,” answered the princess, “to obey you in all things you please to command.”
The Queen of Beauty then went to her apartment, and returned with a knife which had some Hebrew characters engraved on the blade. She desired the sultan, the chief of the eunuchs, the little slave, and myself, to go down into a secret court of the palace; and then leaving us under a gallery which surrounded the court, she went into the middle of it, where she described a large circle, and traced several words both in the ancient Arabic characters, and those which are called the characters of Cleopatra.
When she had done this, and prepared the circle in the manner she wished, she went and placed herself in the midst of it, where she began making her abjurations, and repeating some verses from the koran. By degrees the air became obscure as if night was coming on, and the whole world was vanishing. We were seized with the greatest fright, and this was the more increased when we saw the Genius, the son of the daughter of Eblis, suddenly appear in the shape of a large dreadful lion.