{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_60316/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_60316","id":"gutenberg_60316","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60316","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Historical Novels","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Romance","Persian poetry -- Translations into English"],"text":"Note: Images of the original pages are available through\n Internet Archive. See\n https://archive.org/details/cu31924026907646\n\n\nTranscriber\u2019s note:\n\n Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE BAKHTY\u0100R N\u0100MA:\n\nA Persian Romance.\n\nTranslated from a Manuscript Text,\n\nby\n\nSIR WILLIAM OUSELEY.\n\nEdited, with Introduction and Notes,\n\nby\n\nW. A. CLOUSTON,\n\nEditor of \u201cArabian Poetry for English Readers.\u201d\n\n\n Each order given by a reigning King\n Should after long reflection be expressed;\n For it may be that endless woe will spring\n From a command he paused not to digest.\n\n _Anv\u0101r-i Suhail\u012b._\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPrivately Printed.\nMDCCCLXXXIII.\n\nEdition:\n330 Copies, of which 30 are printed on hand-made paper, and numbered.\n\nWilliam Burns, Printer, Larkhall, Lanarkshire.\n\n\n\n\n\n TO\n\n GENERAL JAMES ABBOTT, C.B.,\n\n MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND,\n\n A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT\n\n FROM\n\n THE EDITOR.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n PREFACE.\n\n\nThe Romance which forms the staple of this little volume is generally\nconsidered as belonging to the _Sindib\u0101d_ cycle of tales. It has for\nages been popular in the East, though to the average English reader the\nvery name of Prince Bakhty\u0101r is unknown. Many years ago the learned\nOrientalist Sir W. Ouseley presented his countrymen with an English\ntranslation of this romance, but copies of his work have now become\nextremely scarce. Dr Johnson\u2019s dictum, that the scarcity of a book is\nevidence of its worthlessness, otherwise copies of it would have been\nmultiplied, is (like not a few of his other tea-table sayings) more\nspecious than true. Many causes, besides that of uselessness, may render\na book scarce. A book may be a very good book yet lack interest,\nexcepting for only a few readers; and such was doubtless the case of Sir\nW. Ouseley\u2019s translation; for, strange to say, considering our vast\nAsiatic possessions, the cultivation of Oriental literature in this\ncountry has hitherto met with little or no encouragement from the\nEnglish people generally.\n\nBut among the more intelligent class of readers there has lately sprung\nup considerable interest in the curious migrations and transformations\nof popular tales, the tracing of which from country to country, and from\nmodern to remote times, is not only a fascinating, but a highly\ninstructive pursuit; and the idea occurred to me that a reprint of Sir\nW. Ouseley\u2019s translation of the Romance of Prince Bakhty\u0101r, together\nwith explanatory and illustrative notes, and\u2014by way of introduction\u2014such\nparticulars as could be ascertained regarding its origin and that of\nsimilar Oriental fictions, might now find \u201creaders fit, though few.\u201d My\nlittle project has been supported by members of the Royal Asiatic\nSociety and the Folk-Lore Society. I have, moreover, been materially\nassisted by several eminent scholars: amongst others, by Mr William\nPlatt, to whom I am indebted for the substance of many of the Notes; and\nby Dr R. Rost, who not only very kindly supplied me with scarce and\nvaluable books and manuscripts from the India Office Library, but also\nfurnished me with much useful information on Eastern Fiction\u2014a subject\nupon which he is one of the highest authorities in this country.\n\nOf the present collection of Tales it is remarked by a learned and acute\nwriter that they are, for the most part, well wrought-out, probable, and\nwithout anything magical or supernatural. And those readers who do _not_\ndelight in the extravagant creations of Oriental fancy\u2014enchanted groves\nand fairy palaces beneath lakes, where carbuncles of immense size supply\nthe place of the sun\u2014will find little in this romance to shock their\n\u201ccommon sense.\u201d Nor are there\u2014except one or two expressions in the\nopening passages\u2014any of those hyperbolical descriptions of female beauty\nand the puissance of monarchs which are so characteristic of most of the\nfictions of the East. These Tales are, indeed, singularly free from such\nextravagancies, and may be considered as well adapted to check the often\nfatal impetuosity of Eastern monarchs, which was doubtless the purpose\nof the original author.\n\nThe Notes and Illustrations may seem disproportionate in bulk to that of\nthe text. They are, however, designed, not only to explain and\nillustrate allusions to Oriental manners and customs, but also to supply\ndeficiencies of Sir W. Ouseley\u2019s translation, from a comparison of other\nPersian texts, and furnish variants of the several tales as they are\nfound in other versions of the Romance. And while it is not impossible\nthat critics whose absurd shibboleth is \u201coriginality\u201d may be disposed to\nconsider my little book as \u201ca thing of mere industry, without wit or\ninvention\u2014a very toy,\u201d yet I venture to think that these Notes will\nprove to most readers not the least interesting part of the work. In the\nIntroduction will be found some curious matter regarding this romance\nand its congeners which has not before been presented to English\nreaders, the result of much research; for, however defective my share of\nthe work may be, I have spared no pains to render it as complete and\naccurate as I could: in short, I would fain hope that, as a whole, the\nvolume will be accepted as a humble contribution to the still unwritten\nHistory of Fiction; for even Dunlop\u2019s meritorious work can now only be\nregarded as a large contribution to this \u201cresearch of olde antiquitie.\u201d\n\n W. A. CLOUSTON.\n\n GLASGOW, _December, 1882_.\n\n\n\n\n CONTENTS.\n\n\n INTRODUCTION. _Page_\n\n I\u2014Oriental Fictions\u2014The Arabian Nights\u2014The Book of Sindib\u0101d xiii\n\n II\u2014The Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma and its Versions xxxi\n\n THE BAKHTY\u0100R N\u0100MA.\n\n CHAPTER I.\n\n History of King \u0100z\u0101dbakht and the Vizier\u2019s Daughter 3\n\n CHAPTER II.\n\n Story of the Ill-Fated Merchant and his Adventures 22\n\n CHAPTER III.\n\n Story of the Impatient Prince of Aleppo 33\n\n CHAPTER IV.\n\n Story of Ab\u016b Saber; or, The Patient Man 45\n\n CHAPTER V.\n\n Story of the King of Yemen and his Slave Abraha 55\n\n CHAPTER VI.\n\n Story of King D\u0101d\u012bn and his Two Viziers 62\n\n CHAPTER VII.\n\n Story of the King of Abyssinia; showing the Artifice of Women 73\n\n CHAPTER VIII.\n\n Story of the Jewel-Merchant 86\n\n CHAPTER IX.\n\n Story of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m 97\n\n CHAPTER X.\n\n Story of the King of Persia 107\n\n Conclusion 115\n\n NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.\n\n PREFATORY 121\n\n Chapter I\u2014King \u0100z\u0101dbakht 123\n\n Chapter II\u2014Ill-Fated Merchant 146\n\n Chapter III\u2014Prince of Aleppo 156\n\n Chapter IV\u2014Ab\u016b Saber 163\n\n Chapter V\u2014King of Yemen 173\n\n Chapter VI\u2014King D\u0101d\u012bn 181\n\n Chapter VII\u2014King of Abyssinia 195\n\n Chapter VIII\u2014Jewel Merchant 201\n\n Chapter IX\u2014Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m 209\n\n Chapter X\u2014King of Persia 216\n\n Conclusion 227\n\n Additional Notes 228\n\n\n\n\n INTRODUCTION.\n\n\n\n\n IF THOU PERCEIVEST ERRORS, SUPPLY THE DEFECTS\u2014GLORIOUS\n IS HE IN WHOM IS NEITHER FAULT NOR BLEMISH.\n\n\n\n\n INTRODUCTION.\n\n\n\n\n I\u2014ORIENTAL FICTIONS\u2014THE ARABIAN NIGHTS\u2014THE BOOK OF SINDIB\u0100D.\n\n\nThe Persians, like all Eastern nations, remarks Sir John Malcolm,\n\u201cdelight in Tales, Fables, and Apothegms; the reason of which appears\nobvious: for where liberty is unknown, and where power in all its shapes\nis despotic, knowledge must be veiled to be useful.\u201d The ancient\nPersians also had their Tales and Romances, the substance of many of\nwhich is probably embodied in the celebrated _Sh\u0101h N\u0101ma_, or Book of\nKings, of Firdaus\u012b. And the fondness of the old pagan Arabs for the same\nclass of compositions seems to have threatened the success of Muhammad\u2019s\ngreat mission, to win them back from their vain idolatry to the worship\nof the ONE God. For an Arabian merchant having brought from Persia the\nmarvellous stories of Rustam, Isfendiar, Ferid\u016bn, Zoh\u0101k, and other\nfamous heroes, which he recited to the tribe of Kuraysh, they were so\ndelighted with them, that they plainly told Muhammad that they much\npreferred hearing such stories to his legends and moral exhortations;\nupon which the Prophet promulgated some new passages of the Kur`\u0101n\n(chapter xxx), in which the merchant who had brought the idle tales and\nall who listened to them were consigned to perdition. This had the\ndesired effect: the converts to Isl\u0101m rejected Tales and Poetry; and it\nwas not until the brilliant series of Muslim conquests in all parts of\nthe then known world were almost completed that the Arabs began to turn\ntheir attention to literature and science, and thus preserved to the\nworld the remains of the learning and philosophy of antiquity, during\nthe long period of intellectual darkness in Europe. And it is remarkable\nthat to a people distinguished for nearly two centuries by their\nreligious bigotry and intolerance, and contempt for every species of\nliterature outside the Kur`\u0101n, Commentaries, and Traditions\u2014that to the\ndescendants of the fanatical destroyers of the library at Alexandria and\nof the literary treasures of ancient Persia are we indebted for many of\nthe pleasing fictions which have long been popular in Europe. For, while\nIndia seems to have been the cradle-land of those folk-tales, yet they\ncame to us chiefly through an Arabian medium: brought to Europe, among\nother ways by the Saracens who settled in Spain in the eighth century,\nby crusaders and pilgrims returning from the Holy Land, and also,\nperhaps, by Venetian merchants trading in the Levant and the Muslim\nprovinces of Northern Africa. However this may be, there can be no doubt\nthat, as Isaac D\u2019Israeli remarks, \u201ctales have wings, whether they come\nfrom the East or the North, and they soon become denizens wherever they\nalight. Thus it has happened, that the tale which charmed the wandering\nArab in his tent, or cheered the northern peasant by his winter\u2019s\nfireside, alike held on its journey towards England and Scotland.\u201d\n\nMany of the Fabliaux of the Trouv\u00e8res of northern France are evidently\nof Oriental origin; and their prose imitators, the early Italian\nNovelists, also drew much of their material\u2014of course indirectly\u2014from\nsimilar sources. German folk-tales comprise variants of the\never-charming Arabian story of `Al\u012b B\u0101b\u0101 and the Forty Robbers, as in\nthe tale of \u201cThe Dumberg,\u201d[1] and of Aladdin (`Al\u0101-`u-`d-D\u012bn) and the\nWonderful Lamp, as in the tale of \u201cThe Blue Light.\u201d[2] Norse Tales, too,\nabound in parallels to stories common to Arabia, Persia, and India. And\nsome of the incidents in one of them, \u201cBig Peter and Little Peter,\u201d[3]\napparently find their origin in the Hebrew Talmud. A very considerable\nproportion of old European humorous stories ascribed to Arlotto, Tyl\nEulenspiegel, Rabelais, Scogin (Andrew Borde), Skelton, Mother Bunch,\nGeorge Peele, Dick Tarlton, etc., have somehow, and at some time or\nanother, winged their way from the Far East; since they are found, with\nlittle modification save local colouring, in very old Indian works.\nGalland, well-nigh two hundred years ago, pointed out that the story of\nthe fellow in a tavern (according to our version, a blundering Irishman\nin a coffee-house), who impudently looked over a gentleman\u2019s shoulder\nwhile he was writing a letter, came from the East; and a version of it\nis given in Gladwin\u2019s _Persian Moonshee_. The prototype of the popular\nScottish song, \u201cThe Barrin\u2019 o\u2019 the Door,\u201d is an Arabian anecdote. The\njest of the Irishman who dreamt that he was invited to drink punch, but\nawoke before it was prepared, is identical with a Chinese anecdote\ntranslated by M. Stanislas Julien in vol. iv of the _Journal Asiatique_,\nand bears a close resemblance to one of the Turkish jests ascribed to\nKh\u014dja Nasru-`d-D\u012bn Efend\u012b.[4] Of stories of simpletons, such as the one\nlast cited, perhaps the largest and oldest collection extant is\ncontained in a section of that vast storehouse of tales and apologues,\naptly entitled, _Kath\u00e1 Sarit S\u00e1gara_, Ocean of the Rivers of Story,\nwhere may be found parallels to the famous\u2014the truly admirable!\u2014exploits\nof the _Wise_ Men of Gotham, and to a similar class of stories of fools\nand their follies referred to in Mr Ralston\u2019s _Russian Folk-Tales_. The\nstory of \u201cThe Elves and the Envious Neighbour,\u201d in Mr Mitford\u2019s _Tales\nof Old Japan_, is practically identical with a fairy tale of a\nhunchbacked minstrel in Mr Thoms\u2019 _Lays and Legends of France_. In the\n_Arabian Nights_ (Story of Abou Neeut and Abou Neeuteen, vol. vi of\nJonathan Scott\u2019s edition) and in the Persian romance of the Seven Faces\n(_Heft Paykar_), by Niz\u0101m\u012b, the reader will find parallels to the \u201cThree\nCrows\u201d in Grimm\u2019s German popular tales. Our favourite nursery story of\nWhittington and his Cat (also common to the folk-tales of Scandinavia\nand Russia, Italy and Spain) is related by the Persian historian Was\u0101f\nin his \u201cEvents of Ages and Fates of Cities,\u201d written A.H. 699 (A.D.\n1299). The original of the Goose that laid Eggs of Gold is a legend in\nthe great Indian epic, _Mah\u00e1bharata_, and variants exist in other Hind\u016b\nworks; but _this_ may be a \u201cprimitive myth,\u201d common to the whole Aryan\nrace. Largely, indeed, are popular European tales indebted to Eastern\nsources.\n\nFor several centuries previous to the publication of the first professed\ntranslation of a work of Eastern fiction into a European language, there\nexisted two celebrated collections of Tales, written in Latin, mainly\nderived from Oriental sources, to which may be traced many of the\npopular fictions of Europe; these are, the _Clericali Disciplina_ of\nPeter Alfonsus, a Spanish Jew, who was baptized in the twelfth century;\nand the _Gesta Romanorum_, the authorship of which is doubtful, but it\nis believed to have been composed in the 14th century. The latter work\ngreatly influenced the compositions of the early Italian Novelists, and\nits effect on English Poetry is at least equally marked. It furnished to\nGower and Chaucer their history of _Constance_; to Shakspeare his _King\nLear_, and his _Merchant of Venice_, which is an Eastern story; to\nParnell the subject of his _Hermit_\u2014primarily a Talmudic legend,\nafterwards adopted in the Kur\u2019\u0101n. The _Clericali Disciplina_,\nprofessedly a compilation from Eastern sources, contains a number of\nstories of undoubted Indian origin, which Alfonsus must have obtained\nthrough an Arabian medium in Spain, however they may have come thither.\nThese fictions of Oriental birth were, of course, filtered through the\nclerical mind of medi\u00e6val Europe, and in the process they lost all their\nnative flavour. But on the publication of Galland\u2019s _Les Mille et Une\nNuits_, the Thousand and One Nights, in the beginning of last century,\ngarbled and Frenchified as was his translation, the richness of the\nEastern fancy, as exhibited in these pleasing fictions, was at once\nrecognised, and, as the learned Baron de Sacy has remarked, in the\ncourse of a few years this work filled Europe with its fame. And its\nsuccess has continued to increase, so that there is perhaps no work of\nfiction, whether native or exotic, which is at the present day so\nuniversally popular throughout Europe: it is at once the delight of the\nschool-boy and the recreation of the sage. Shortly after its appearance\nin a French dress, Addison introduced it to English readers in the\n_Spectator_, where he presented a translation\u2014or adaptation\u2014of the now\nfamous story of Alnaschar (according to Galland\u2019s French transliteration\nof the name) and his basket of brittle wares: a story which is not only\ncalculated to please the \u201crising generation,\u201d but may also instruct\n\u201cchildren of larger growth.\u201d\n\nWhen this work was first published in England it seems to have made its\nway very rapidly into public favour; and Weber, in his Introduction to\nthe _Tales of the East_, relates, as follows, a singular instance of the\neffects they produced soon after their first appearance: \u201cSir James\nStewart, Lord Advocate for Scotland, having one Saturday evening found\nhis daughters employed in reading the volumes, he seized them, with a\nrebuke for spending the evening before the Sabbath in such worldly\namusements; but the grave advocate himself became a prey to the\nfascination of these tales, being found on the morning of the Sabbath\nitself employed upon their perusal, from which he had not risen during\nthe whole night!\u201d The popularity of the _Arabian Nights_ is due, no\ndoubt, to the peculiar charm of its descriptions of scenes and incidents\nwhich the reader is well aware could only exist and occur in the\nimagination; but we like to be taken away from our hard, matter-of-fact\nsurroundings\u2014away into a world where, if we cannot ourselves become\nendowed with supernatural powers, at least we may summon mighty spirits\nto do our will, to transport us whither we please, to bring us in an\ninstant the choicest fruits from the most distant regions, to construct\nfor us palaces of gold and silver, and precious gems, to supply us with\ndainties in dishes made of single diamonds and rubies. In this very\noutraging of probability, and even possibility, lies the strange\nfascination which some of these Tales exercise over the reader\u2019s mind.\nHe surrenders his judgment to the author, and such is the force of the\nspell, that even when it has been partly removed by closing the book, he\nwill gravely ask himself: \u201cAnd why may not such things be?\u201d It has been\njustly observed by Lord Bacon, that, \u201cas the active world is inferior to\nthe rational soul, so Fiction gives to mankind what History denies, and\nin some measure satisfies the mind with shadows when it cannot enjoy the\nsubstance.\u201d\n\nThis famous work is, of course, a compilation, and not by a single hand\nand at one time, or from a particular source, but from a variety of\nsources. Many of the Tales are found in the oldest Indian collections;\nprobably the witty and humorous are purely Arabian, while the tender and\nsentimental love-tales are derived from the Persian. The origin of the\nArabian Tales has long been (and perhaps needlessly) a vexed question\namong the learned. Baron De Sacy has stoutly contended with M. Langles\nand M. Von Hammer, on the questions of whether the work was a mere\ntranslation or adaptation of an old Persian collection, entitled the\n\u201cThousand Days,\u201d and when and where it was composed. But the general\nopinion of scholars at the present day is that the work was probably\ncompiled by different hands, in Egypt, about the 15th or 16th centuries,\nthough it is very probable that many additions were made at a later\ndate, by the insertion of romances, which formed no part of the original\ncollection, as we shall presently see.[5]\n\nA peculiarity of most collections of Eastern fictions is their being\nenclosed within a frame, so to say, or leading story; as in the _Arabian\nNights_: a plan which appears to have been introduced into Europe by a\nLatin translation of a romance of Indian origin, known in this country\nby the title of _The Seven Sages_, and which was first adopted by\nBoccaccio in his celebrated _Decameron_, where it is represented that a\nparty of ladies and gentlemen, during the prevalence of the great plague\nin Florence, retire for safety to a mansion at some distance from the\ncity, and there amuse themselves by relating stories. And our English\npoet Chaucer, after the same fashion, in his _Canterbury Tales_,\nrepresents a number of pilgrims, of different classes, as bound for the\nshrine of Thomas \u00e0 Becket, and, to alleviate the tediousness of the\njourney, reciting stories of varied character. But although this plan of\nmaking a number of stories all subordinate to a leading story was\nintroduced into Europe in the 13th century, when the Latin version of\nthe \u201cSeven Sages\u201d was published, yet in the East it had been in vogue\nmany centuries previously.\n\nThe oldest extant collection of Fables and Tales (excepting the Buddhist\nBirth-Stories, recently made known to English readers by Mr T. W. Rhys\nDavids\u2019 translation of a portion) is that called in Europe _The Fables\nof Pilpay_, or Bidpai, of which the Sanskrit prototype is entitled\n_Panchatantra_, or Five Sections, with its abridgment, _Hitopad\u00e9sa_, or\nFriendly Instruction. This work, or one very similar, existed in India\nand in the Sanskrit language as early at least as the 6th century of our\nera, when it was translated into Pahlavi, the ancient language of\nPersia, during the reign of Nush\u012brv\u0101n, surnamed the Just (A.D. 531\u2013579).\nThis Pahlavi version\u2014though no longer extant\u2014escaped the general wreck\nof Persian literature on the conquest of the country by the Arabs, and\nwas translated, during the reign of the Khal\u012bf Mansur (A.D. 753\u2013774),\ninto Arabic, from which several versions were made in modern Persian,\nand also translations into Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and most of the\nEuropean languages. Perhaps no book of mere human composition ever had\nsuch a remarkable literary history and enduring popularity. These\nFables, although arranged in sections, are sphered one within another in\na rather bewildering manner, yet all are subordinated to a leading story\nor general frame.[6] It is worthy of note that, while there is no proof\nthat this work, in its present form, existed before the sixth century,\nyet many, if not all, of the Fables themselves have been discovered in\nBuddhistic works which were certainly written about or before the\ncommencement of our era. Their translation from the Pali, which the\nlearned Benfey seems to have conclusively proved, and their arrangement\nin the form in which they exist in Sanskrit, may have been done any time\nbetween the first and the sixth centuries.\n\nBut there was another Indian work, now apparently lost, formed on the\nsame plan, which, if we may credit El-Mas\u2019\u016bd\u012b, the Arabian historian,\nwho lived in the tenth century, certainly dates before our era; namely,\nthe _Book of Sindib\u0101d_, of which there have been so many translations\nand imitations in Asiatic and European languages, and to which the\nPersian romance reproduced in the present volume is considered to bear\nsome relation. El-Mas\u2019\u016bdi, in his famous historical work, \u201cMeadows of\nGold and Mines of Gems,\u201d states very plainly that \u201cin the reign of\nKh\u016br\u016bsh (Cyrus) lived Es-Sondb\u0101d, who was the author of the Book of the\nSeven Viziers, the Teacher, the Boy, and the Wife of the King.\u201d\nAccording to another Arabian writer, Sindib\u0101d was an Indian philosopher\nwho lived about a hundred years B.C. El-Mas\u2019\u016bd\u012b does not mention the\nversion through which the work was known in his time, but it was\nprobably either in Arabic or Persian. The oldest version known to exist\nis in Hebrew, and is entitled _Mishl\u012b Sindabar_, Parables of Sindabar;\nthe change of the name from Sindib\u0101d to Sindibar, Deslongchamps\nconjectures to be a mistake of the copyist, the Hebrew letters D and R\nbeing very similar in form. This Hebrew version has been proved to date\nas far back as the end of the twelfth century. Under the title of\n_Historia Septem Sapientum Rom\u00e6_, a Latin translation was made\u2014from the\nHebrew, it is supposed\u2014by Dam Jehans, a monk of the abbey of Haute\nSelve, in the diocese of Nancy, early in the 13th century. A Greek\nversion, entitled _Syntipas_, the date of which is not known, was made\nby a Christian named Andreopulus, who states in his prologue that he\ntranslated it from the Syriac. Notwithstanding this very distinct\nstatement, several learned scholars\u2014Senglemann, among others\u2014have\ncontended that the _Syntipas_ was made from the Hebrew version; of late\nyears, however, a unique but unfortunately mutilated manuscript of the\nSyriac version, transcribed about the year 1560, was discovered by\nR\u00f6diger, and reproduced in his Syriac Chrestomathie, in 1868; and a year\nlater Baethgens published, at Leipsic, this text, together with a German\ntranslation, under the title of _Sindban, oder die Sieben wiesen\nMeister_, from which it appears certain that the Greek version of\nAndreopulus was made from the Syriac, the order of the stories being the\nsame in both. Besides the Hebrew and Syriac versions of the _Book of\nSindib\u0101d_, there exist translations or adaptations in at least two other\nOriental languages, the Arabic and the Persian. The Arabian version (to\nwhich perhaps El-Mas\u2019\u016bd\u012b alluded in his mention of the work, as above)\nnow forms one of the romances comprised in the _Book of the Thousand\nNights and One Night_ (the \u201cArabian Nights\u2019 Entertainments\u201d), under the\ntitle of \u201cThe Story of the King, his Son, his Concubine, and his Seven\nViziers;\u201d and an English translation of it was published, in 1800, by Dr\nJonathan Scott, in his _Tales, Anecdotes, and Letters, from the Arabic\nand Persian_.[7] Two poetical versions have been composed in Persian;\none of which, entitled _Sindib\u0101d Nama_,[8] by Azraki, who died, at\nHerat, A.H. 527 (A.D. 1132\u20133), is mentioned by Daulet-Sh\u0101h, in his life\nof Azraki, in these terms: \u201cAnd they say the Book of Sindib\u0101d, on\nprecepts of practical philosophy, is one of his compositions.\u201d[9] The\nother Persian version is known in Europe, I believe, only through\nProfessor Forbes Falconer\u2019s excellent analysis[10] of a unique\nmanuscript, entitled _Sindib\u0101d N\u0101ma_, composed A.H. 776 (A.D. 1374).\n\nIt was through the Latin version, _Historia Septem Sapientum Rom\u00e6_, that\nthis very remarkable work was communicated to nearly all the languages\nof Western Europe; Herbers, or Hebers, an ecclesiastic of the 13th\ncentury, made a translation, or rather imitation, of it in French verse,\nunder the title of _Dolopatos_. Many imitations in French prose\nsubsequently appeared, and from one of these the work was rendered into\nEnglish, under the title of _The Sevyn Sages_, and _The Seven Wise\nMasters_, one of which is among the reprints for the Percy Society, and\nof the other Ellis gives an analysis, with specimens in his _Early\nEnglish Metrical Romances_. In 1516 an Italian version, entitled \u201cThe\nHistory of Prince Erastus,\u201d was published, which was afterwards\ntranslated into French.\n\nIn all these works, a young prince is falsely accused by his step-mother\nof having attempted to violate her, and the King, his father, condemns\nhim to death, but is induced to defer the execution of the sentence from\nday to day, during seven days, by one of his seven counsellors, viziers,\nor wise men, relating to the King one or more stories, designed to\ncaution him against the wicked wiles of women; while the Queen, every\nnight, urges the King to put his son to death, and, in her turn, tells\nhim a story, intended to show that men are faithless and treacherous,\nand that fathers must not expect gratitude or consideration from their\nsons. In the sequel, the innocence of the Prince is established, and the\nwicked step-mother is duly punished for her gross iniquity. This is the\nleading story of most of the romances which have been derived, or\nimitated, from the _Book of Sindib\u0101d_; but the subordinate Tales vary\nmaterially in the several translations or versions.\n\nDunlop, in his _History of Fiction_, remarks that \u201cthe leading incident\nof a disappointed woman accusing the object of her passion is as old as\nthe story of Joseph, and may thence be traced through the fables of\nmythology to the Italian novelists.\u201d But surely there was nothing so\nvery peculiar in the conduct of Zulaykha (as Muslims name the wife of\nPotiphar)\u2014nothing very different from human (or woman) nature in\ngeneral, that should lead us to conclude, with Dunlop, that all the\nnumerous stories based upon a similar incident had their common origin\nin the celebrated tale of Joseph and Potiphar\u2019s wife. We have no reason\nto suppose a Hebrew origin for the well-known classical legend of\nPh\u00e6dra, who was enamoured of Hippolytus, and, unable to suppress her\npassion, made overtures to him, which were disdainfully rejected; upon\nwhich Ph\u00e6dra accused Hippolytus to her husband Theseus of attempting to\ndishonour her. And although the work ascribed to the Indian sage\nSindib\u0101d now appears to be lost, yet this \u201cleading incident\u201d of works of\nthe Sindib\u0101d-cycle forms the subject of several Indian romances, one of\nwhich is a story in verse of a Prince named S\u00e1rangdhara, whose\nstep-mother Chitr\u00e1ng\u00ed falls in love with him. He rejects her advances,\non which she accuses him to the King of attempting to violate her, and\nthe King orders him to have his feet cut off and to be exposed to wild\nbeasts in the forest. The innocence of the Prince is afterwards proved,\nand the wicked Queen is put to death.\n\nThere is yet another work usually considered as belonging to the\n_Sindib\u0101d_ class of romances, namely, the Turkish Tales of the _Forty\nViziers_, which is said to have been composed, during the reign of\nSult\u0101n Mur\u0101d II, in 1421, after an Arabian romance entitled \u201cTales of\nthe Forty Mornings and Forty Evenings,\u201d composed by Shaikh Z\u0101da. But the\nauthor of this work, as M. Deslongchamps has justly remarked, has\nborrowed little from the _Book of Sindib\u0101d_ besides the frame. The\ntales\u2014which are eighty in number, forty of which are told by the\nViziers, and forty by the Queen\u2014are quite different from, yet no whit\ninferior to, those of any version of the King and his Seven Counsellors.\nM. Petit de Lacroix, last century, made a French translation of this\nwork as far as the story of the Tenth Vizier, which was soon afterwards\nrendered into English, but divested of much of the Oriental costume and\ncolour. In 1851 Behrnauer issued a German rendering of the Turkish text.\nAnd it may interest some readers to know that Mr E. J. W. Gibb\u2014whose\nrecently published translations of Ottoman Poems, with Introduction,\nBiographical Notices, and Notes, have received the approbation of\ncompetent judges\u2014is at present engaged on a complete English translation\nof this highly entertaining romance.\n\n\n\n\n II\u2014THE BAKHTY\u0100R N\u0100MA AND ITS VERSIONS.\n\n\nHaving in the preceding section glanced at the various works of fiction\nin different languages which have been derived or imitated from the\n_Book of Sindib\u0101d_, let us now proceed to examine the degree of\nrelationship which the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_ bears to the same work. The\nlearned writer of an able and interesting analysis, in the _Asiatic\nJournal_, vol. xxx, 1839, of two different manuscripts of the _Thousand\nand One Nights_, preserved in the British Museum, has fallen into a\nsingular mistake when he says: \u201cIt is curious enough that in each of the\ntwo MSS. a tale is interpolated on the plan of the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_. A\nKing wishes to destroy his son, and his Viziers relate stories to prove\nthe malice of women, alternately with the King\u2019s concubine, who has\nfalsely accused the young man, and who tells stories of the subtlety of\nmen.\u201d This is the frame of the _Sindib\u0101d N\u0101ma_, not that of the\n_Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_, since in the former the Viziers are the defenders of\nthe innocent, and relate stories on his behalf; while the case is\nprecisely reversed in the _Bakhyt\u0101r N\u0101ma_, where the Viziers are the\naccusers, eager for the death of the innocent young man, and it is the\naccused youth himself who relates the stories. The only resemblance\nwhich the Romance of Prince Bakhty\u0101r bears to the leading story of the\n_Book of Sindib\u0101d_ (and its offspring) is the incident of a youth being\nfalsely accused of attempting to violate the Queen, as will be seen from\nthe following outline of the Bakhty\u0101r Story.\n\nA King, flying from his own kingdom, with his Queen, is obliged to\nabandon in the desert a new-born male infant, close to a well. This\ninfant is discovered by a band of robbers, the chief of whom, struck\nwith his beauty and the richness of his clothes, carries him to his\nhouse, adopts him as his own son and gives him an excellent education.\nAt the age of fifteen years the youth accompanies all the banditti on a\nplundering expedition, in which they attack a caravan, but are defeated,\nand many of their number, including the adopted son of their chief, are\ntaken prisoners and brought before the King\u2014the father of the youth, who\nhad in the meanwhile recovered his kingdom. The young man\u2019s grace and\nbeauty so win the King\u2019s heart, that he not only pardons the whole\ncompany, but takes the youth into his service, changing his name from\nKhud\u0101d\u0101d (God-given) to Bakhty\u0101r (Befriended by Fortune). Bakhty\u0101r\nacquits himself of his new duties so well that the King promotes him to\na more important position\u2014that of keeper of the royal treasury, and his\nown intimate friend and counsellor. These distinguished favours excite\nthe envy of the King\u2019s Ten Viziers, who become eager for some\nopportunity of bringing the favourite to disgrace and ruin. And it so\nchances, one evening, that Bakhty\u0101r, being muddled with wine, straggles\ninto one of the chambers of the harem, and throws himself upon the royal\ncouch, where he falls asleep. Shortly afterwards, the King enters, and,\ndiscovering his favourite in the forbidden part of the palace, his\njealousy is aroused, and he orders the attendants to seize the unhappy\nyoung man, then sends for the Queen, and accuses her of having\nintroduced Bakhty\u0101r into the harem. The Queen protests that she is\nentirely innocent of the charge, and at her suggestion the King causes\nthem both to be confined for that night in separate apartments,\nresolving to investigate the affair in the morning. Next day, the first\nof the Viziers, waiting on the King, is informed of the supposed\nviolation of the harem by Bakhty\u0101r, upon which the Vizier obtains leave\nto visit the Queen, and ascertain from her the particulars of the\naffair. The Queen, on being questioned by the Vizier, denies all\nknowledge of Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s presence in the King\u2019s chamber (it does not\nappear, indeed, that she had ever seen him before); but the Vizier\nassures her that the King would not credit her assertion, and counsels\nher, if she would save her own life, to accuse Bakhty\u0101r to the King of\nhaving presumed to make dishonourable proposals to her, which she had,\nof course, rejected with indignation. After much persuasion, she at\nlength consents, and accordingly accuses the young man of this capital\noffence. The King immediately commands Bakhty\u0101r to be brought before\nhim, and after bitterly reproaching him with ingratitude for the many\nand unprecedented favours which he had bestowed upon him, in the\nmeantime sends him back to prison. On the following day, the second\nVizier urges the King to put him to death; and the King causes him to be\nbrought into his presence, and tells him that he must forfeit his life.\nBakhty\u0101r, however, in eloquent terms, protests that he is perfectly\ninnocent of the crime of which he is accused, but expresses his\nsubmission to the will of Providence, like a certain unlucky merchant,\nwith whom no affair prospered. This arouses the King\u2019s curiosity, and\nBakhty\u0101r is permitted to relate the story, after which the King sends\nhim back to prison for that day. Every morning of the eight following\ndays one of the Viziers, in turn, presents himself before the King, and\nurges that Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s execution should be no longer delayed; but when\nthe youth is brought into the King\u2019s presence, as on the first day, he\npleads his own cause so well, and excites the King\u2019s curiosity by\nreference to some remarkable story, which he is allowed to relate, that\nhis execution is deferred from day to day, until at length the King is\nreluctantly compelled by the Viziers\u2019 complaints to give orders for the\npublic execution of the young man. It happens, however, that the\nrobber-chief who had found the royal infant at the well, and brought him\nup, is, with a party of his men, among the crowd assembled round the\nscaffold, and recognising in Bakhty\u0101r his adopted son, rescues him from\nthe guard, and hastens to the palace, where, obtaining audience of the\nKing, the secret of Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s birth is discovered; and the King resigns\nthe throne in favour of his son, and causes the Ten envious Viziers to\nbe put to death.\n\nSuch is the frame within which nine different stories are inserted; and\nalthough it was doubtless imitated from, it has but a faint likeness to,\nthat of the _Book of Sindib\u0101d_. The work which appears most closely to\nresemble the Romance of Prince Bakhty\u0101r, in the frame, is a collection\nof Tales in the Tamul language, entitled, _Alakeswara Kath\u00e1_, in which\nfour ministers of the King of Alakapur are falsely accused of violating\nthe King\u2019s private apartments, and vindicate their innocence, and disarm\nthe King\u2019s wrath, by relating a number of stories.[11]\n\nAccording to M. Deslongchamps, in his learned and elaborate _Essai sur\nles Fables Indiennes_, there exist in Oriental languages three versions\nof the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_\u2014Persian, Arabic, and Turk\u012b (_i.e._, Eastern\nTurkish\u2014Uygur). Of the Persian version it is said there are numerous\nmanuscripts in the great libraries of England and France; and besides\nthe printed text appended to Sir William Ouseley\u2019s English translation,\npublished in 1800, a lithographed text was issued, at Paris, in 1839,\nprobably from a manuscript in the Royal Library. The Arabian version,\nunder the title of \u201cThe History of the Ten Viziers,\u201d forms part of the\ntext of the _Thousand and One Nights_, in 12 volumes, of which Dr\nMaximilian Habicht edited vols. 1 to 8, published at uncertain\nintervals, at Breslau, from 1825 to 1838 inclusive, when the work was\nstopped by Habicht\u2019s death. In 1842\u20133 Professor H. L. Fleischer issued\nthe remaining vols., 9 to 12. The same year when Habicht began the\npublication of his Arabian text he issued a complete German translation,\nalso at Breslau, in 15 small square volumes, under the title of _Tausend\nund Eine Nacht: Arabische Erz\u00e4hlungen_. _Zum erstenmal aus einer\nTunesischen Handschrift, erg\u00e4nzt und vollst\u00e4ndig \u00fcbersetzt_, von Max.\nHabicht, F. H. Von der Hagen, und Karl Schall.[12] But both the number\nand the order of the tales of our romance are quite different in the\ntranslation and the text: the sixth volume of the latter, which contains\nthe romance, was not published till 1834, or nine years after the first\nissue of the translation; and it would seem that Habicht, in editing his\nTunisian manuscript, compared it with other texts, and made very\nconsiderable changes. The romance is found in a dislocated form in a\nwork, published at Paris in 1788, entitled, _Nouveaux Contes Arabice, ou\nSupplement aux Mille et Une Nuits_, &c., par M. l\u2019Abb\u00e8 * * * In this\nbook (which is of little or no value) the several tales are not placed\nwithin the frame, or leading story, which, however, appears in\nconnection with one of them. It is also included in the French\nContinuation of the _Thousand and One Nights_, translated by Dom Chavis\nand edited by M. Cazotte,[13] \u201cbut singularly disfigured,\u201d says\nDeslongchamps, \u201clike the other Oriental Tales published by Cazotte;\u201d in\nCaussin de Perceval\u2019s excellent edition of the _Nights_, published, at\nParis, in 1806, vol. viii, and in Gauttier\u2019s edition, vol. vi. The\nlearned Swede Gustav Kn\u00f6s published, at G\u0153tingen, in 1806, a\ndissertation on the Romance of Prince Bakhty\u0101r, and the year following\nthe Arabic text, with a Latin translation, under the title of _Historia\nDecem Vizirorum et filii Regis Az\u0101d-bacht_. He also issued a translation\nin the Swedish language, at Upsal, in two parts, the second of which\nappeared in 1814. Of the Turk\u012b version M. Am\u00e9d\u00e9e Jaubert has furnished,\nin the _Journal Asiatique_, Mars 1827, t. x, an interesting account,\ntogether with a translation of one of the stories,[14] from the unique\nmanuscript preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, which he\ndescribes as very beautifully written, the titles of the several tales\nand the names of the principal characters being in red ink.\nUnfortunately the manuscript is imperfect; at present it comprises 294\nfolia. M. Jaubert remarks that this Turk\u012b version is characterised by\n\u201cgreat sobriety of ornament and extreme simplicity of style, and the\nevident intention on the part of the translator to suppress all that may\nnot have appeared to him sufficiently probable, and all that might\njustly be taxed with exaggeration.\u201d\n\nThere is another Oriental rendering, of which M. Deslongchamps was\nignorant, in the language of the Malays, with whom the romance is said\nto be a great favourite, indeed they have at least two very different\nversions of its frame, if not of the subordinate stories. In Newbold\u2019s\nwork on Malacca,[15] vol. ii, an outline is given of the leading story,\nor frame, of one Malay version, which exactly corresponds with that of\nthe Persian original, excepting that for \u0100z\u0101d-bakht we find Z\u0101d-bokhtin,\nand that the minister\u2019s daughter, who is carried to the city by the King\nand in our version is nameless, is called Mahrwat. I am indebted to the\ncourtesy of the learned Dr R. Rost, Librarian to the India Office, for\nthe following particulars regarding two other Malay versions, from Van\nden Berg\u2019s account of Malay, Arabic, Javanese and other MSS., published\nat Batavia, 1877. One of these (p. 21, No. 132) is entitled \u201cThe History\nof Ghul\u0101m, son of Z\u0101d-bokht\u0101n, King of Ad\u0101n, in Persia,\u201d and the frame\nagrees with that of our version, as already sketched in the present\nsection, excepting that the robber-chief who had brought up Ghul\u0101m (our\nBakhty\u0101r),[16] \u201clearning that he had become a person of consequence,\u201d\nsays Van den Berg, \u201ccame to his residence to visit him, but finding him\nimprisoned, he was much concerned, and asked the King\u2019s pardon on his\nbehalf, telling him at the same time how he had formerly found Ghul\u0101m in\nthe jungle; from which the King knew that Ghul\u0101m was his son,\u201d and so\non. The other version (p. 32, No. 179), though similar in title to the\nPersian original, \u201cHistory of Prince Bakhty\u0101r,\u201d differs very\nconsiderably in the frame, which is thus analysed by Van den Berg: \u201cThis\nPrince, when his father was put to flight by a younger brother, who\nwished to dethrone him, was born in a jungle and abandoned by his\nparents. A merchant, Idr\u012bs (Enoch), took charge of him and brought him\nup. Later on he became one of the officers of state with his own father,\nwho had in the meanwhile found another kingdom, and decided with\nfairness the cases laid before him. He was, however, put in prison, on\naccount of a supposed attempt upon the King\u2019s life, and he would have\nbeen put to death had he not stayed the execution by telling various\nbeautiful stories. Even the King came repeatedly to listen to him. At\none of these visits Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s foster-father Idr\u012bs was likewise present,\nwho related to his adopted son how he had found him in the jungle. The\nKing, on hearing this, now perceived that it was his son who had been\nbrought up by Idr\u012bs, recognised Bakhty\u0101r as such, and made over to him\nhis kingdom.\u201d\n\nSo far as I am aware, there are but two translations of the Persian\nversion in European languages; one in English, by Sir William\nOuseley,[17] which is reproduced in the present volume; the other in\nFrench, by M. Lescallier.[18] In his Preface, Sir William Ouseley states\nthat he selected for translation a text composed in the least ornate\nstyle, and he seems to have contented himself with a rather free\nrendering (see prefatory remarks, Notes and Illustrations, page 121 of\nthe present work). M. Lescallier takes care to inform his reader that he\nadopted another plan: picking out passages from two different\nmanuscripts, and amalgamating his selections into a work which, it is\nsafe to say, does not find its original in any single Persian text\nextant: his object, indeed, seems to have been to present an\nentertaining romance to French readers, rather than to produce a\ntranslation of any particular Persian original; and it must be admitted\nthat many of the lengthy conversations which occur in his volume are\nquite as well omitted by Ouseley.\n\nThe name of the author of this romance and the precise time when it was\ncomposed are not known. Ouseley states that none of the manuscripts of\nthe work which he had seen appeared to be much older than the end of the\n17th century. But we are now able to place the date of its composition\nat least three centuries earlier, since the manuscript of the Turk\u012b\nversion, already referred to, bears to have been transcribed A.H. 838,\nor A.D. 1434; and it is not unlikely that the translation was made\nseveral years before that date. And as well-known or popular works are\nusually selected for translation, we may reasonably conclude that the\nPersian Romance of Prince Bakhty\u0101r was composed not later than the end\nof the 14th century. That it is posterior to the end of the 13th century\nmight be supposed from the circumstance that the author in two\ninstances[19] employs maxims which are found in the writings of the\ngreat Persian poet Sa`d\u012b, if we were sure that these maxims are really\nSa`d\u012b\u2019s own.[20] It has struck me as rather singular that I can\nrecognise only two of the nine stories which Bakhty\u0101r relates as\nexisting in another Eastern work, namely, the _T\u016bt\u012b N\u0101ma_, or Tales of a\nParrot, of Nakshab\u012b. This work, according to Pertsch, was written in\nA.D. 1330, and was preceded by another Persian book on the same subject,\nby an unknown writer, which was based on an older Sanskrit book (now\nlost), of which the _Suka Saptati_, or Seventy Tales of a Parrot, is\nonly an abstract. Nakshab\u012b\u2019s work (adds Pertsch), copies of which are\nrare, has been greatly superseded by K\u0101der\u012b\u2019s abridgment, which was\nwritten in India, probably about the middle of the 17th century.[21] The\n\u201cStory of the King of Abyssinia\u201d (pp. 74\u201385 of the present work) is\nidentical with the story told by the Parrot on the 50th Night in the\n_T\u016bt\u012b N\u0101ma_ of Nakshab\u012b (India Office MS. 2573), where it bears the\ntitle of \u201cStory of the Daughter of the Kaisar of R\u016bm, and her trouble by\nreason of her Son;\u201d and the \u201cStory of the King of Abyssinia\u201d (pp. 62\u201372)\ncorresponds with the 51st Night, \u201cStory of the Daughter of the Vizier\nKh\u0101ssa, and how she found safety through the blessing of her own purity\u201d\n(for King D\u0101d\u012bn, and his Viziers K\u0101mk\u0101r and K\u0101rd\u0101r of our story,\nNakshab\u012b has King Bahr\u0101m, and the Viziers Kh\u0101ssa and Khal\u0101ssa). Here the\nquestion naturally suggests itself: did Nakshab\u012b take these two stories\nfrom the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_, or did the author of the latter borrow them\nfrom Nakshab\u012b? It is at least a rather curious coincidence that in the\nPersian romance of the \u201cFour Dervishes\u201d (_Cheh\u0101r Darv\u012bsh_), ascribed to\nAm\u012br Khusr\u016b (about A.D. 1300), a work which is best known by its\nHindustan\u012b version, _B\u0101gh o B\u0101har_, or Garden and Spring, occur the\nnames of three of the persons who figure in the Bakhty\u0101r romance: the\nKing, as in our work, is called \u0100z\u0101dbakht, his son Bakhty\u0101r, and Bihz\u0101d\nis the name of a third.\n\nLescallier, in the Preface to his translation, makes a very\nextraordinary statement: he says that although nothing is known\nregarding the authorship and date of the romance, yet the work appears\nto be very ancient; and remarks that there is nothing found in the book\nto announce the institution of Muhammadanism\u2014the invocation of the Deity\nand salutation of the Prophet, at the opening of the work, he thought\nlikely to be an interpolation of the copyists. Now the fact is, that\neven in his own translation allusions to the rites of Isl\u0101m, if they are\nnot of frequent occurrence, are yet sufficiently numerous to prove\nbeyond question that the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_, as it exists at present in\nPersian, has been written, or modified, by a Muslim. To cite a few\ninstances: At page 17 of Lescallier\u2019s volume, we find the King, when he\nhad abandoned his child in the desert, represented as comparing his\ncondition to that of Jacob the Hebrew patriarch when he believed that\nhis son Joseph was dead. M. Lescallier could never suppose that the\nromance was written either by a Jew or a Christian; therefore this\npassage clearly came from a Muslim pen. At page 27 mention is made of\nthe \u201chour of mid-day prayer,\u201d one of the five times of obligatory prayer\nprescribed to Muslims. At page 94 (p. 52 of the present volume) the two\nsons of Ab\u016b Saber are represented as having said to the merchant who\npurchased them of the robbers: \u201cWe are free-born and Mussulmans.\u201d At\npage 140 (p. 70 of this work) the cameleer and the lady reach the city\n\u201cat the hour of evening prayer.\u201d Nevertheless M. Lescallier could not\nfind anything in the work \u201cqui annonce l\u2019\u00e9tablissement du Mahom\u00e9tisme!\u201d\n\nSince the Arabian version of the Romance of the Ten Viziers given in the\nFrench Continuation of the _Thousand and One Nights_, translated, as\nalready stated, by Dom Chavis and edited by M. Cazotte, is not mentioned\nby M. Lescallier, we must conclude, either that he did not know of it,\nor that he deemed it beneath his notice. Dom Chavis and M. Cazotte have,\nin truth, received rather hard treatment at the hands of their critics.\nDr Jonathan Scott, amongst others, must gird at Cazotte, though without\nthe shadow of reason. In his edition of the _Arabian Nights_, published\nin 1811,[22] Appendix to vol. vi, referring to the English translation\nof the \u201cContinuation\u201d (see foot-note, page xxxvii), he says that \u201cthe\ntwelve first stories in the third volume had undoubtedly an Oriental\nfoundation: they exist, among many others, in a Persian manuscript,\nlately in my possession, entitled _Jam\u012b\u2019u-\u2019l-Hik\u0101y\u0101t_, or a Collection\nof Narratives. Sir William Ouseley has published a liberal[23]\ntranslation of them, with the Persian text, by reading which the\nliberties M. Cazotte has taken in the tale of \u2018Bohetz\u0101d and his Ten\nViziers\u2019 may be fairly seen, and a reasonable conjecture formed of his\namplification of all others. Sir William Ouseley\u2019s hero is named\nBakht-y\u0101r, _i.e._, Befriended by Destiny, as in my manuscript, in that\nof M. Cazotte it is probably Bakht-z\u0101d, _i.e._, Born under a Fortunate\nPlanet.\u201d In this last sentence Scott has strangely blundered: the _hero_\nof the Persian Tale is certainly called Bakhty\u0101r, but in Cazotte\u2019s\nversion it is the King who is called Bohetz\u0101d (or Bakht-z\u0101d), and the\nhero, Aladdin. From these strictures of his it is very obvious that he\nwas not aware of the existence of an Arabian version of this romance.\nAccording to Lowndes\u2019 _Bibliographer\u2019s Manual_, \u201ca valuable edition of\nthe Arabian Nights was published, in 1798, by Richard Gough,\nconsiderably enlarged, from the Paris edition, with notes of\nillustration, and a preface, in which the supplementary tales published\nby Dom Chavis are proved to be a palpable forgery.\u201d Gough\u2019s name has not\ncome down to us in connection with the _Arabian Nights_\u2014except through\nLowndes, where it is but a name. And Habicht\u2019s Arabian text has very\nconclusively disproved all Gough\u2019s absurd \u201cproofs;\u201d and, what is more, a\ncomparison of the Romance as given by M. Cazotte with Habicht\u2019s text\nwill not only show that in both are the Tales of the same number and\nplaced in the same order, but the incidents are almost invariably\nidentical. The following is a comparative table of the order of the\nTales in the \u201cHistory of the Ten Viziers,\u201d as they are found in\nHabicht\u2019s Arabian text, Cazotte, Caussin de Perceval, the German\ntranslation, and the Persian version\u2014of the last the order and number of\nthe tales are alike in Ouseley, Lescallier, and the lithographed text:\n\n \u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510\n \u2502 HABICHT\u2019S ARABIAN TEXT. \u2502 Cazotte\u2019s \u2502 C. de \u2502 German \u2502Persian\u2502\n \u2502 \u2502Translation.\u2502Perceval.\u2502Translation.\u2502Texts. \u2502\n \u251c\u2500\u2500\u252c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u253c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u253c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u253c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u253c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2524\n \u2502 1\u2502Introductory Story (King \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 \u0100z\u0101dbakht) \u2502 1\u2502 1\u2502 1\u2502 1\u2502\n \u2502 2\u2502History of the Merchant \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 pursued by Ill-Fortune \u2502 2\u2502 4\u2502 2\u2502 2\u2502\n \u2502 3\u2502History of the Jewel Merchant \u2502 3\u2502 8\u2502 8\u2502 8\u2502\n \u2502 4\u2502History of Ab\u016b Saber \u2502 4\u2502 7\u2502 4\u2502 4\u2502\n \u2502 5\u2502History of Prince Bihz\u0101d \u2502 5\u2502 3\u2502 3\u2502 3\u2502\n \u2502 6\u2502History of King D\u0101db\u012bn and his\u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 Two Viziers \u2502 6\u2502 10\u2502 6\u2502 6\u2502\n \u2502 7\u2502History of Bakhtzam\u0101n \u2502 7\u2502 6\u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 8\u2502History of King B\u012bhkard \u2502 8\u2502 5\u2502 5\u2502 5\u2502\n \u2502 9\u2502History of \u012alan Sh\u0101h and Ab\u016b \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 Tem\u0101m \u2502 9\u2502 [24]\u2502 9\u2502 9\u2502\n \u250210\u2502History of King Ibrah\u012bm and \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 his Son \u2502 10\u2502 9\u2502 \u2502 10\u2502\n \u250211\u2502History of Sulaym\u0101n Sh\u0101h, his \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 Sons, his Niece, and their \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502 \u2502\n \u2502 \u2502 Children \u2502 11\u2502 2\u2502 7\u2502 7\u2502\n \u2514\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2534\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518\n\nIt will be observed from this table that in Habicht\u2019s Arabian text, in\nCazotte, and C. de Perceval there are eleven stories, including the\nIntroductory Tale, which forms part of the frame; and this arrangement\nis more in accordance with what was evidently the original plan of the\nromance than is our Persian version, in which there is no story to\ncounteract the arguments employed by the First Vizier against Bakhty\u0101r.\nIn all other romances of the Sindib\u0101d cycle, where the sages, or\ncounsellors, relate stories in behalf of the accused, the narrators\nappear in regular succession, from the first to the seventh (or, in the\ncase of the _Forty Viziers_, from the first to the fortieth); and there\ncan be little doubt, I think, that in the original Persian\nromance\u2014probably no longer extant\u2014the First Vizier, as in the Arabian\nversion, was represented as appearing before the King on the first day\nafter Bakhty\u0101r was committed to prison, urging his immediate execution,\nand the youth, on being brought into the King\u2019s presence, as relating\none of the tales included in Habicht\u2019s text, but omitted in our present\nversion. On the Eleventh Day in Cazotte (reckoning the day of our hero\u2019s\nunhappy adventure as one) the young man relates two stories, that of\n\u201cSulaym\u0101n Sh\u0101h and his Family,\u201d which exactly agrees with Habicht\u2019s\ntext; and a rather pointless story, entitled \u201cThe King of Haram and his\nSlave,\u201d which is probably identical with the eleventh tale in C. de\nPerceval, entitled \u201cThe Freed Slave,\u201d which takes the place of the story\nof Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, omitted. The titles of the several stories as given in the\nabove table are those in Habicht\u2019s text. No. 3 in Cazotte is entitled\n\u201cIlage Mahomet and his Sons.\u201d No. 8 is \u201cBaharkan, or the Intemperate\n(_i.e._, hasty-tempered) Man\u201d\u2014our \u201cKing of Yemen\u201d and in the German\ntranslation \u201cThe Prince of Zanz\u012bb\u0101r.\u201d No. 10 is in Cazotte also \u201cIbrah\u012bm\nand his Son,\u201d and the incidents are the same in both. No. 7, \u201cThe\nHistory of Bakht-zam\u0101n,\u201d also in Cazotte and C. de Perceval, but omitted\nin the Persian version, treats of the vain attempts of a man to succeed\nin war or peace without God\u2019s help\u2014utterly vain, unless prayers are\noffered up for His assistance. No. 11 (our \u201cKing of Abyssinia\u201d) has the\nsame title in Cazotte, and in both the story is very differently told\nfrom the Persian narrative; it is, however, an excellent tale, and I\nregret that I have not space here for an analysis of it. In the German\ntranslation our tenth story (\u201cKing of Persia\u201d) is omitted, although it\nis found in the Arabian text.\n\nTo conclude: I am disposed to believe that the Turk\u012b translation was\nmade from the Arabic, because the story of \u201cKing D\u0101d\u012bn and his Two\nViziers,\u201d given in pages 189\u2013194, corresponds with Habicht\u2019s text and\nwith Cazotte\u2019s translation, but varies materially from the Persian text,\nin which the cameleer, who discovers the pious daughter of the murdered\nVizier, is represented as being in the service of King D\u0101d\u012bn, who, when\ninformed of the lady\u2019s wonderful sanctity, visits her at the cameleer\u2019s\nhouse and becomes reconciled to her; while in the Turk\u012b version, in\nHabicht\u2019s text, and in Cazotte (who probably knew nothing of the Turk\u012b\ntranslation) the cameleer is in the service of the King of Persia, who\nvisits the maiden, marries her, and punishes King D\u0101d\u012bn and the wicked\nVizier. If, then, the Turk\u012b version, which dates as far back as A.D.\n1434, was made from the Arabic, and if the latter was translated, or\nadapted, from the Persian, it is not unlikely that the History of the\nTen Viziers in its Arabian dress existed some time before the _Book of\nthe Thousand Nights and One Night_ was composed in its present form; and\ntherefore the Persian version may be, as Lescallier conjectured, \u201cvery\nancient.\u201d And since we have discovered that two of the stories exist in\na work which is of Sanskrit origin (see pp. xliii and xliv\u2014and in line 6\nof the latter _for_ \u201cKing of Abyssinia\u201d _read_ \u201cKing D\u0101d\u012bn,\u201d), we may go\na step farther, and suppose the other stories in the Romance of Bakhty\u0101r\nto have been also derived from Indian sources.\n\n\n\n\n THE BAKHTY\u0100R N\u0100MA.\n\n\n\n\n THE BAKHTY\u0100R N\u0100MA.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER I.\n\n\n HISTORY OF KING \u0100Z\u0100DBAKHT AND THE VIZIER\u2019S DAUGHTER.\n\nThus it is recorded by the authors of remarkable histories, and the\nnarrators of delightful tales, that there was once in the country of\nS\u012bst\u0101n, a certain King, possessing a crown and a throne, whose name was\n\u0100z\u0101dbakht; and he had a Vizier entitled Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r, a person of such\nbravery and skill that the moon concealed herself among the clouds from\nfear of his scimitar. This Vizier had a daughter endowed with such\nexquisite beauty that the rose of the garden and the moon of the\nheavenly spheres were confounded at the superior lustre of her cheeks.\nSipahs\u0101l\u0101r loved this daughter with excessive fondness, so that he could\nscarcely exist an hour without her. Having gone on an expedition to\ninspect the state of the country, it happened that he found himself\nunder a necessity of passing some time from home. He immediately\ndespatched confidential persons with orders to bring his daughter to him\nfrom the capital. These persons, having arrived at the Vizier\u2019s palace,\npaid their obeisance to the damsel, who ordered her attendants to\nprepare for the journey to her father. The horses were instantly\ncaparisoned, and a litter provided with magnificence suitable to a\nprincely traveller. The damsel, seated in this, commenced her journey,\nand went forth from the city.\n\nIt happened that the King, who had gone on a hunting-party, was at that\nmoment returning from the chase. He beheld the litter with its ornaments\nand splendid decorations; and, whilst he gazed, it was borne quite out\nof the town. He sent to inquire about it; and the attendants said that\nit belonged to the daughter of Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r, who was going to her father.\nWhen the King\u2019s servants returned and reported to him this intelligence,\nhe rode up to the litter that he might send his compliments to\nSipahs\u0101l\u0101r. On his approach the attendants alighted from their horses,\nand kissed the ground of respectful obedience. The King, having desired\nthat they would bear his salutations to the Vizier, and they having\npromised punctually to do so, was preparing to turn back, when suddenly,\nthe wind lifting up a corner of the hangings which covered the litter,\nhis eyes were fixed by the fascinating beauty of the damsel; and he who\nin the chase had sought for game became now the captive prey of this\nlovely maid, and fell into the snares of love. At length he ordered the\nattendants to despatch a messenger to the north, where Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r was,\nand to inform him that the King would accept his daughter as a wife,\nhoping that he might not be esteemed an unworthy son-in-law.\n\nWhen the attendants heard this, they kissed the ground of obedience,\nsaying: \u201cLong be the King\u2019s life!\u2014the sovereign of the earth and of the\nage, and the ruler of the world! If Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r could even dream of this\nhonour, he would be supreme in happiness. But, if the King permit, we\nwill proceed with the damsel to her father, and inform him of what has\nhappened, that he may prepare everything necessary for the occasion, and\nthen send her back to the city.\u201d When the servant of the damsel had thus\nspoken, the King, who was displeased with his discourse, exclaimed: \u201cHow\ndarest thou presume to counsel or advise me?\u201d He would have punished the\nservant on the spot, but he feared lest the tender heart of his fair\nmistress should be distressed thereby. He accordingly remitted the\npunishment; and taking the reins into his own hands, he conducted the\nlitter back towards the city, which he entered at the time when the\nshades of evening began to fall.\n\nThe next day he assembled the magistrates and chief men; and, having\nasked the damsel\u2019s consent to the marriage, he caused the necessary\nceremonies to be performed. The secretaries were employed in writing\nletters of congratulation; and Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r was informed of the insult\noffered to him during his absence, which caused the tears to flow from\nhis eyes whilst he perused the letters of congratulation. He dissembled,\nhowever; and, concealing his vexation, wrote letters to the King, and\naddressed him in language of the strongest gratitude, declaring himself\nat a loss for words whereby to express his sense of the honour conferred\nupon him.\n\nSuch was the purport of his letters; but in his mind he cherished hopes\nof revenge, and day and night were employed in devising stratagems by\nmeans of which he might obtain it.\n\nAfter two or three months spent in this manner, Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r assembled all\nthe chief officers of the army, and informed them that, confiding in\ntheir secrecy and fidelity, he would communicate to them an affair of\nconsiderable importance. They all assured him of their attachment and\nregard; and declared that the flourishing state of the empire was the\nresult of his wisdom, prudent management, and bravery. To this\nSipahs\u0101l\u0101r replied: \u201cYou all know what actions I have performed, and\nwhat troubles I have undergone, to raise the empire to its present state\nof glory and prosperity: but what has been my recompense? You have seen\nhow the ungrateful monarch carried off my daughter.\u201d Having thus spoken,\na shower of tears fell from his eyes; and the chiefs who were assembled\nabout him said: \u201cWe have been acquainted with this matter for some time,\nand it has given us great concern. But now the moment is arrived when we\nmay depose this king.\u201d\n\nThen Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r threw open the doors of his treasury, and distributed\nconsiderable sums of money amongst the soldiers; so that in a little\ntime he assembled a multitude of troops, almost innumerable. He then\nresolved to attack the King, and, with that intention, seized, during\nthe night, upon all the avenues of the city, both on the right hand and\non the left.\n\nThe King, astonished and alarmed at the tumult, consulted with the\nQueen, saying: \u201cWhat can we do in this misfortune? For it is a night to\nwhich no morning shall succeed, and a war in which there is not any hope\nof peace.\u201d\u2014The Queen replied: \u201cOur only remedy for this evil is to fly\nand seek protection in the dominions of some other prince, and solicit\nhis assistance.\u201d\u2014\u0100z\u0101dbakht approved of this counsel, and resolved to\nseek an asylum from the King of Kirm\u0101n, who was renowned for his\ngenerosity throughout the world.\n\nIn the palace there was a certain door which opened into a subterraneous\npassage leading towards the desert. The King gave orders that two horses\nshould be instantly saddled; and having put on his armour, and taken\nfrom the royal treasury many precious jewels and fastened them in his\ngirdle, he placed the Queen on one of the horses, and mounting the other\nhimself, they went forth privately through the door above-mentioned, and\ndirected their course towards the desert.\n\nNow it happened that the Queen had been for nine months in a state of\npregnancy; and, after travelling during a whole day and night in the\ndesert, they arrived at the side of a well, whose waters were more\nbitter than poison, and unpleasant as the revolutions of inconstant\nFortune. Here the Queen was affected by the pains of labour; whilst heat\nand thirst reduced both the King and her to despair: their mouths were\nparched up for want of water, and they had no hopes of saving their\nlives; for the sword of the enemy was behind them, and before them the\nsand of the desert. In this forlorn situation the Queen said: \u201cAs it is\nimpossible for me to proceed any farther, I entreat you to save your own\nlife, and find out some place where water may be obtained. Though I must\nperish here, you may be saved; and a hundred thousand lives such as mine\nare not in value equal to a single hair of the King\u2019s head.\u201d\u2014\u0100z\u0101dbakht\nreplied: \u201cSoul of the world! I can relinquish riches and resign a\nthrone; but it is impossible to abandon my beloved: her who is dearer to\nme than existence itself.\u201d\n\nThus were they engaged in conversation, when suddenly the Queen brought\nforth a son; in beauty he was lovely as the moon, and from the lustre of\nhis eyes the dreary desert was illumined. The Queen, pressing the infant\nto her bosom, began to perform the duties of a mother, when the King\ntold her that she must not fix her affections on the child, as it would\nbe impossible to take him with them: \u201cWe must, therefore,\u201d added the\nKing, \u201cleave the infant on the brink of this well, and commit him to the\nprovidence of the Almighty, whose infinite kindness will save him from\ndestruction.\u201d\u2014They accordingly wrapped up the child in a cloak\nembroidered with gold and fastened a bracelet of ten large pearls round\nhis shoulders; then, leaving him on the brink of the well, they both\nproceeded on their journey to Kirm\u0101n, whilst their hearts were afflicted\nwith anguish on account of their helpless infant. When they approached\nthe capital of Kirm\u0101n, the King of that place was informed of their\narrival. He sent his servants to welcome them, and received them with\nthe greatest respect and hospitality; he provided a princely banquet,\nand assembled all the minstrels, and sent his own son and two attendants\nto wait on \u0100z\u0101dbakht.\n\nDuring the feast, whilst the musicians were employed in singing and\nplaying, and the guests in drinking, whenever the wine came round to\n\u0100z\u0101dbakht, his eyes were filled with tears. The King of Kirm\u0101n,\nperceiving this, desired him to banish sorrow, and to entertain a hope\nthat Heaven might yet be propitious to him. \u0100z\u0101dbakht replied: \u201cO King\nof the world! how can I be cheerful, whilst thus an exile from my home,\nand whilst my kingdom and my treasures are in the possession of my\nenemies?\u201d\n\nThe King of Kirm\u0101n then inquired into the particulars of \u0100z\u0101dbakht\u2019s\nmisfortunes, which he related from beginning to end. The heart of the\nKing of Kirm\u0101n was moved with compassion; and during that whole day he\nendeavoured, by every sort of amusement, to divert the mind of his guest\nfrom dwelling on the past misfortunes. The next day he ordered a\npowerful army to be led forth, and placed it under the command of\n\u0100z\u0101dbakht, who marched immediately towards the capital of his own\ndominions. On the King\u2019s approach, Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r, who had usurped his\nauthority, fled in confusion, and all the troops, the peasants, and\nother inhabitants paid homage to \u0100z\u0101dbakht, and entreated his\nforgiveness. He pardoned them; and again ascending the royal throne,\ngoverned his people with justice and generosity; and having liberally\nrewarded the King of Kirm\u0101n\u2019s soldiers, he sent them back with many rare\nand valuable presents for that monarch.\n\nAfter these transactions, \u0100z\u0101dbakht and his Queen passed their time in a\nstate of tranquillity, interrupted only by the remembrance of the child\nwhom they had left in the desert, and whom, they were persuaded, wild\nbeasts must have devoured the same hour in which they abandoned him: but\nthey little knew the kindness which Providence had shown him.\n\nIt happened that the desert in which they had left the infant was\nfrequented by a gang of robbers, the chief of whom was named\nFarrukhsuw\u0101r; and very soon after the King and Queen had departed, these\nrobbers came to the well; there they discovered a beautiful infant\ncrying bitterly. Farrukhsuw\u0101r alighted from his horse and took up the\nchild; and his extraordinary beauty induced them to believe him the son\nof some prince or illustrious personage. In this opinion they were\nconfirmed by the ten valuable pearls which were fastened on his\nshoulders. As Farrukhsuw\u0101r had not any child, he resolved to adopt this\ninfant as his own, and accordingly bestowed on him the name of Khud\u0101d\u0101d;\nand having taken him to his home, committed him to the care of a nurse.\nWhen he was of a proper age, Farrukhsuw\u0101r instructed him in all\nnecessary accomplishments, and in horsemanship and the use of arms,\nwhich rendered him, with his natural bravery, when fifteen years of age,\nable to fight, alone, five hundred men. Farrukhsuw\u0101r loved this youth\nwith such affection that he could not exist one moment without him, and\ntook him along with him wheresoever he went. Whenever it happened that\nthe robbers were proceeding to attack a caravan, Khud\u0101d\u0101d, who felt\ncompassion for the merchants and travellers, and at all times disliked\nthe profession of a robber, requested that Farrukhsuw\u0101r might dispense\nwith his attendance, and leave him to guard the castle. Farrukhsuw\u0101r\nconsented that he should not join in attacking the caravan; but\nentreated him to accompany the robbers to the scene of action. It\nhappened, however, one day, that they attacked a caravan consisting of\nsuperior numbers, and of such brave men that they fought against the\nrobbers with success, and took several of them prisoners. In this action\nFarrukhsuw\u0101r received a wound, and was near falling into the hands of\nhis enemies, when Khud\u0101d\u0101d, mounting his charger, galloped into the\nmidst of the battle, and put many of them to death.\n\nBut it was so ordained that he should fall from his horse; in\nconsequence of which, he was taken prisoner, and with many of the\nrobbers, led in chains to the capital.\n\nThe chief of the caravan having brought them all before the tribunal of\n\u0100z\u0101dbakht, the King\u2019s eyes were no sooner fixed upon the countenance of\nKhud\u0101d\u0101d, than paternal affection began to stir his heart: he wept, and\nsaid: \u201cAlas! if the infant whom I abandoned in the desert were now\nalive, he would probably appear such a youth as this!\u201d He continued to\ngaze involuntarily upon him, and, desiring him to approach, inquired his\nname, and said: \u201cArt thou not ashamed to have abused the favours of\nHeaven, which has endowed thee with so much beauty and strength, by\nplundering travellers, and seizing on the property to which thou hadst\nnot any right?\u201d\u2014Khud\u0101d\u0101d, with tears, replied: \u201cThe Lord knows my\ninnocence, and that I have never partaken of the plunder.\u201d\u2014\u0100z\u0101dbakht\nthen granted him a free pardon, and took him into his service, desiring\nthat his chains might be taken off; he also put on him his own robe, and\nsaid: \u201cI now give you the name of Bakhty\u0101r; from this time forth Fortune\nshall be your friend.\u201d[25] The King then dismissed the other robbers; to\nwhom, on condition that they would never again commit any depredations,\nhe granted not only their lives, but a pension, by which he engaged them\nin his service.\n\nAfter this Bakhty\u0101r continued day and night in attendance on the King,\nwhose affection for him hourly increased. To his care were entrusted the\nroyal stables, which he superintended with such skill and good\nmanagement that in a few months the horses became fat and sleek; and the\nKing, one day remarking their improved condition, understood that it was\nthe result of Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s care and attention, and conceiving that a\nperson who evinced such abilities was capable of managing more important\nmatters, he sent for Bakhty\u0101r, at his return to the palace, and ordered\nthat the keys of the treasury should be presented to him, and thus\nconstituted him keeper of the treasures. Bakhty\u0101r, having kissed the\nground, was invested with a splendid robe of honour. He discharged the\nduties of his high station with such fidelity and attention that he\nevery day increased in favour with the King, and at length was consulted\non every measure, and entrusted with every secret of his royal master.\nIf on any day it happened that Bakhty\u0101r absented himself from the\npalace, on that day the King would not give audience to any person: and\nthe advice of Bakhty\u0101r was followed on every occasion of importance. In\nshort, he was next in power to the King, and his conduct was discreet\nand skilful.\n\nBut there were Ten Viziers, who became envious of his exaltation, and\nconspired against him, resolving to devise some stratagem whereby they\nmight deprive him of the King\u2019s esteem, and effect his degradation.\n\nIt happened one day that Bakhty\u0101r, having indulged in the pleasures of\nwine beyond the bounds of moderation, lost the power of his reason, and\ncontinued in a state of sleepy intoxication until night came on and the\nworld became dark; the porters fastened the gates, and the sentinels\nrepaired to their respective stations. Bakhty\u0101r, after some time, came\nforth from the treasury, but knew not whither he went, so completely had\nthe wine deprived him of recollection: he wandered on, however, until he\nfound himself in one of the King\u2019s private apartments, where he saw\ntapers burning, a couch with pillows and cushions, a splendid throne, or\nseat, and various embroidered robes and silken coverings. This was the\napartment in which the King used to sleep. Here, from excessive\nintoxication, Bakhty\u0101r flung himself upon the throne: after a little\nwhile the King entered, and discovering the unfortunate young man,\ninquired, with violent anger, his business in that place. Bakhty\u0101r,\nroused by the noise, threw himself from the throne, and crept beneath\nit, where again he fell asleep.\n\nThe King, having called some attendants, ordered them to seize him, and,\ndrawing his sword, hastened to the Queen, of whom he asked how Bakhty\u0101r\nfound admittance to the private apartments of the palace; and added,\nthat he could not have come there without her knowledge. The Queen,\nshocked at such an imputation, declared herself ignorant of the whole\ntransaction but desired the King, if he still entertained any\nsuspicions, to confine her that night, and inquire into the matter on\nthe next morning, when her innocence would appear, and the guilty might\nbe punished. The King accordingly ordered her to be confined, and\nsuspended the execution of vengeance during that night.\n\nWhen morning came, being seated on the royal throne, he gave audience to\nhis ten Viziers. The first of these, having paid his respects to the\nKing, inquired into the transactions of the preceding night, and was\ninformed of all that had occurred. The enmity which this Vizier had long\ncherished in his heart against Bakhty\u0101r induced him to conceive that a\nfair opportunity now offered of destroying that unfortunate young man;\nand he said within himself: \u201cThough he may have a thousand lives, he\nshall not be able to save one of them.\u201d He then addressed the King, and\nsaid: \u201cHow could a person bred up in the desert, and by profession a\nrobber and assassin, be fit for the service of a King? I well knew that\nhis wickedness would appear, but durst not say so; now, however, that it\nis manifest, let the King ordain for him such a punishment as may be a\nlesson to all the world.\u201d\u2014The King gave orders that Bakhty\u0101r should be\nbrought before him. \u201cUngrateful wretch!\u201d said he, \u201cI forgave your\noffences; I spared your life; I raised you to dignities almost equal to\nmy own; and you requite these favours by treason and perfidy: you have\nentered into the recesses of my harem, and have presumed to occupy my\nplace.\u201d\u2014Bakhty\u0101r on hearing this began to weep; declared himself\nignorant of all those transactions, and that if he had been found in the\nroyal apartments, he must have wandered there unconsciously.\n\nThe first Vizier solicited the King\u2019s permission that he might go to the\nharem, and inquire from the Queen all that she knew concerning this\naffair. Having obtained permission, he went to the Queen, and told her,\nthat there were various reports on the subject of that young robber\nBakhty\u0101r, in which she was implicated; that, as the King was exceedingly\nenraged against her, the only means whereby she could appease his anger\nwould be to accuse Bakhty\u0101r, and to say,\u2014\u201cO King! thou hast brought\nhither the son of a robber; thou hast bestowed on him the name of\n\u2018Fortune\u2019s Favourite,\u2019 and hast exalted him to honours; but his baseness\nhas at length appeared: he has presumed to make amorous proposals to me,\nand has threatened, should I not comply with his licentious desires, to\nuse violence with me, to kill the King, and to seize upon the throne.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis declaration,\u201d said the Vizier to the Queen, \u201cwill induce the King\nto order the immediate execution of Bakhty\u0101r, and you will at the same\ntime reestablish yourself in his good opinion.\u201d\u2014The Queen was\nastonished, and replied: \u201cHow can I, even to save myself, thus destroy\nthe life of an innocent person by a false testimony?\u201d\n\n\u201cThe life of Bakhty\u0101r,\u201d said the Vizier, \u201chas long been forfeited to the\nlaws, since he exercised the profession of a robber and a murderer;\ntherefore, any scruples on that subject are vain; and I\u2019ll answer at the\nday of judgment for your share in this transaction.\u201d\n\nThe Queen at last consented to follow the Vizier\u2019s advice; and he\nreturned to the presence of the King, who desired to know the result of\nhis conference with the Queen. The artful Vizier replied: \u201cThat which I\nhave heard, I have not the power of relating; but the Queen herself will\ntell it.\u201d The King, having retired, sent for the Queen, and she repeated\nto him all that the Vizier had instructed her to say. The King,\nacknowledging that he was himself to blame, as having bestowed favours\non the base-born son of a robber, gave orders that heavy irons should be\nput on the feet of Bakhty\u0101r, and sent him to prison; declaring that in\ndue time he should suffer such a punishment as would strike terror into\nall men.\n\nIn the meantime, Bakhty\u0101r languished in the prison, appealing to God for\nrelief; and the Viziers returned to their homes, devising means whereby\nthey might induce the King to hasten the execution of the young man.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER II.\n\n\nOn the following day the second Vizier came before the King, and, having\npaid his respects, recommended that Bakhty\u0101r should be no longer kept in\nprison, but led out to execution. The King approved of this advice, and\ngave orders that Bakhty\u0101r and the executioner should be brought before\nhim. When they were come, he addressed the young man, and told him that\nhe had directed the tree of his existence to be rooted out from the soil\nof his empire. Bakhty\u0101r replied: \u201cLong be the King\u2019s life! Such is my\nprayer, as I stand here on the eve of departure from this world; yet, as\nit is every man\u2019s duty to endeavour by honest means to save himself, I\nappeal to the Almighty, who knows my innocence. But alas! my situation\nis like that of the Merchant, whom good fortune constantly avoided, and\nevil fortune incessantly pursued, so that all his exertions ended in\ndisappointment, and all his projects failed of success.\u201d\u2014The King\ndesired to hear the story of this ill-fated Merchant, and Bakhty\u0101r,\nafter the usual compliments, began to relate it as follows:\n\n\n STORY OF THE ILL-FATED MERCHANT, AND HIS ADVENTURES.\n\nIn the city of Basra there was a certain man, a merchant, who possessed\nimmense riches; but it was decreed that the light of prosperity should\nbe changed into the darkness of misfortune, so that in a short space of\ntime very little of all his wealth remained, and whatsoever commercial\nprojects he tried invariably terminated in loss.\n\nIt happened one year, that the price of corn was increased, and the\nMerchant thought that, by laying out what remained of his money in\npurchasing some loads of corn and keeping it till the next year, he\nmight profit considerably. He therefore hired a granary, purchased some\ncorn, and laid it by, in expectation that the price would rise.\n\nBut corn became more abundant, and consequently more cheap, the\nfollowing season. When the Merchant perceived this, he resolved to keep\nthat which he had in store until the next year, thinking it probable\nthat a barren season might succeed a plentiful one. But it happened that\nthe next year, so much rain fell, that most of the houses were washed\naway, and the water found its way into the Merchant\u2019s granary, where it\nspoiled all his corn, and caused it to send forth a smell so\nintolerable, that the people of the city compelled him to throw it away.\n\nHe was confounded by this misfortune; but after some time, finding that\nhe could not derive any profit from idleness or inactivity, he sold his\nhouse, and joined a company of merchants, who were setting out on a\nvoyage by sea. With them, he embarked on board a vessel, and after three\ndays and three nights, the world became dark, the tempest arose, the\nbillows rolled: at length the ship was wrecked, and many of the crew\nperished. The Merchant, with a few others, was saved on a plank, and\ncast on dry land.\n\nHungry and naked, he wandered into a desert, when, after advancing some\nleagues, he discovered a man at a little distance. Delighted to find\nthat the country was inhabited, and hoping to be relieved from hunger\nand thirst, which had now become almost insupportable, he directed his\ncourse towards that man, and soon perceived an extensive and populous\nvillage, with trees and running streams. At the entrance to this village\nhe stopped. The chief man, or _dihk\u0101n_, of the place was a person of\nconsiderable wealth, and of great generosity; he had erected in the\noutlets of this village, a summer-house, in which he happened to be when\nthe Merchant arrived. As soon as he discovered the stranger, he ordered\nhis servants to bring him into the summer-house. The stranger paid his\nrespects, and was entertained by the dihk\u0101n with politeness and\nhospitality. Having satisfied his hunger and thirst, he related, at the\ndesire of his host, all the circumstances of his past life, and all the\nmisfortunes he had undergone. The story excited compassion in the breast\nof the generous dihk\u0101n, who gave the Merchant a suit of his own clothes,\nand bade him not despair, for he would keep him with himself until his\naffairs should be again in a prosperous condition.\n\nAfter this, the dihk\u0101n gave into the Merchant\u2019s charge the account of\nhis property and possessions, and said that he would allow him, for his\nown share, the eleventh part of all the corn. The Merchant, much\ndelighted, was very diligent in superintending the concerns of his\nemployer; and as the harvest proved very abundant, when the corn was\ngathered in, he found his portion so considerable, that he said within\nhimself: \u201cThe dihk\u0101n most probably will not consent to allow me such a\nshare; I shall therefore take it and conceal it, until the settlement of\naccounts, when, if he think proper to bestow so much on me, I shall give\nback this.\u201d He accordingly took this quantity of the corn, and concealed\nit in a cavern; but it happened that a thief discovered what he had\ndone, and stole the corn away by night.\n\nWhen the dihk\u0101n inspected the accounts of the harvest, and had made his\ncalculation of the produce, he assigned to the Merchant the eleventh\npart of the corn. The Merchant returned him thanks, and acknowledged the\ndoubts which he had entertained, and told him how he had set apart a\ncertain portion of the corn, \u201cwhich,\u201d said he, \u201cI shall now go and cause\nto be deposited in the granary.\u201d The dihk\u0101n sent two of his people with\nhim to the place where he had concealed the corn, but none could be\nfound. They were astonished, and bit the finger of amazement. When the\ndihk\u0101n was informed of this circumstance, he became angry, and ordered\nthat the Merchant should be driven forth out of the village.\n\nIn melancholy plight, the unlucky Merchant turned his face towards the\nroad which led to the sea-shore. There he chanced to meet six of those\npersons who gain a livelihood by diving for pearls. They knew him, and\ninquired into his situation. He related to them all that had happened,\nand his story so much excited their compassion that they agreed to\nbestow on him, for the sake of God, whatsoever their next descent to the\nbottom of the sea should produce. They accordingly, with this charitable\nintention, plunged all six into the sea, and each brought up from the\nbottom a pearl of such exquisite beauty that its equal could not be\nfound amongst the treasures of any monarch. The Merchant received from\nthe divers those six precious pearls, and set forward with a joyful\nheart.\n\nIt happened that after some time he fell into company with certain\nrobbers, whom he much feared, and he resolved to save part, at least, of\nhis property, by concealing three of the pearls in his mouth, and the\nother three among his clothes; hoping that, if they should search him,\nthey might be contented with these, and that he might save those\nconcealed within his mouth. He accordingly put three of the pearls among\nhis clothes, and the other three into his mouth, and went on for some\ntime without exciting any suspicion, or attracting the notice of the\nrobbers. But unluckily opening his mouth to address them, the pearls\nfell on the ground; and when the robbers saw them, they seized the\nMerchant, and so terrified him with their threats and violence that he\nbecame senseless. The robbers, perceiving this, took up the three pearls\nand went away. After some time the Merchant recovered his senses, and\nwas overjoyed to find that he had still three of the pearls left.\n\nProceeding on his journey, he arrived by night at a certain city, where\nhe slept; and next morning went to the shop of a jeweller, to whom he\noffered the pearls for sale. The jeweller, on beholding them, was\nastonished; for they far exceeded anything he had ever seen: then\ncasting his eyes on the mean and squalid garments of the Merchant, he\nimmediately seized him by the collar, and exclaimed with a loud voice,\naccusing the unfortunate stranger of having stolen the pearls from his\nshop: a violent struggle and dispute ensued, and at length they both\nproceeded to the tribunal of the King.\n\nThe jeweller was a man of some repute in the city, and that which he\nsaid was believed by the inhabitants. He accused the Merchant of having\ncontrived a hole through which he stole away a casket of gold and jewels\nfrom his shop, and those three pearls were part of the contents of the\ncasket. The Merchant declared himself innocent; but the King ordered him\nto deliver the pearls to the jeweller, and he was loaded with chains and\nthrown into prison.\n\nThere he pined in misery and affliction, until after some time those\ndivers who had given him the pearls arrived in that city; and going to\nvisit the prison, that they might benefit by seeing the punishment of\nvice and wickedness, they distributed some money among those who were\nconfined, and at last discovered the Merchant in a corner, loaded with\nchains. They were astonished, and inquired into the occasion of his\ndisgrace. He related the whole affair, and they, feeling great\nindignation on account of the injurious treatment which their friend had\nsuffered, desired him not to despair, as they would soon procure him his\nliberty. They immediately hastened from the prison to the palace. The\nchief of them was a man whom the King much respected; and when he had\nrelated the story of the Merchant, and of the pearls which they had\ngiven him, the King became convinced of the jeweller\u2019s guilt, and\ninstantly ordered him to be seized and brought before him, and at the\nsame time that the Merchant should be released from prison. When the\njeweller appeared before the King, his confusion and trembling betrayed\nhis guilt. The King asked him why he had thus injured a stranger; but he\nremained silent; and was then led away to execution. The King caused to\nbe proclaimed throughout the city: \u201cSuch is to be the punishment of\nthose who shall injure or do wrong to strangers.\u201d\n\nHe directed also, that the property of the jeweller should be\ntransferred to the Merchant. Supposing that a man who had seen so much\nof the world, both of prosperity and adversity, must be well qualified\nfor the service of a King, he ordered a splendid robe to be given to the\nMerchant; and desired that he should be purified from the filth of a\nprison in a warm bath, and appointed him keeper of the treasury.\n\nThe Merchant employed himself diligently in the duties of his station;\nbut there was a vizier who became envious of his good fortune, and\nresolved to devise some stratagem whereby to effect his ruin.\n\nThe King\u2019s daughter had a summer-house adjoining the treasury, and it\nwas her custom to visit this summer-house during six months of the year,\nonce every month. It happened that a mouse had made a hole quite through\nthe wall of the treasury; and one day the Merchant having reason to\ndrive a nail into the wall, it entered into the hole which the mouse had\nmade, and went through and caused a brick to fall out on the road which\nled to the Princess\u2019s summer-house. The Merchant went immediately and\nstopped up the hole with clay.\n\nThe malicious vizier, having discovered this circumstance, hastened to\nthe King, and informed him that he had seen the Merchant making a hole\nthrough the wall of the summer-house, and that, when he had found\nhimself detected, he had, in shame and confusion, stopped it up with\nclay. The King was astonished at this information: he arose and\nproceeded to the treasury, where finding the Merchant\u2019s hands yet dirty\nfrom the clay, he believed what the vizier had told him; and on\nreturning to his palace, ordered his attendants to put out the\nMerchant\u2019s eyes, and to turn him out at the palace-gate. After this the\nKing went to the summer-house, that he might pay a visit to his\ndaughter; but he found that she had not been there for some time, having\ngone to amuse herself in the gardens. On proceeding to the treasury, the\nKing discovered the hole, which had evidently been the work of a mouse.\nFrom these circumstances he began to suspect the truth of the vizier\u2019s\ninformation, and at last being convinced that the Merchant was innocent,\nhe ordered the vizier to be punished. He lamented exceedingly the hard\nfate of the Merchant, and was much grieved at his own precipitancy; but\nhis condolence and his sorrow were of no avail.\n\n * * * * *\n\nHaving related this story, Bakhty\u0101r observed, that the King would have\nprevented all this distress had he taken some time to inquire into the\naffair, and entreated a further respite, that he might be enabled to\nprove his innocence.\u2014The King, being pleased with the recital of this\nstory, complied with Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s request, and ordered him to be taken\nback to prison for that day.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER III.\n\n\nOn the following morning the third Vizier presented himself before the\nKing, and, having paid his respects, expressed many apprehensions that\nthe indulgence shown to Bakhty\u0101r might prove of dangerous consequences,\nby encouraging other criminals, and strongly advised his speedy\nexecution. The King, having sent for Bakhty\u0101r, the executioner prepared\nto blindfold him; but he petitioned for mercy, and said: \u201cThe\nimprisonment of suspected persons is certainly a just measure, as the\nguilt or innocence of the prisoner will probably be ascertained in the\ncourse of time; but if a King will not have patience, but punish without\ndue investigation of the offence, what can result from such precipitancy\nbut affliction and repentance? Thus it happened to a son of the King of\nAleppo, whose impatience occasioned the loss of that kingdom, and\ninfinite misery.\u201d\n\nThe King\u2019s curiosity being excited, he desired Bakhty\u0101r to relate the\nstory of the Impatient Prince of Aleppo; and Bakhty\u0101r, having kissed the\nground of obedience, thus began:\n\n\n STORY OF THE IMPATIENT PRINCE OF ALEPPO.\n\nThe King of Aleppo was an upright and generous monarch, who protected\nstrangers and permitted not any person to oppress or insult another; and\nhe had a son named Bihz\u0101d, a young man of excellent genius, polite\naccomplishments, and many good qualities; but so very impatient, that he\nwould not admit a moment\u2019s delay in the gratification of any desire,\nwhatsoever might be the consequences of his rash haste.\n\nIt happened once, that, being seated with several of his companions, he\ndesired one of them to relate his adventures. The young man accordingly\nbegan his story in the following words:\n\n\u201cAbout two years ago, being in possession of considerable wealth, I\npurchased several beasts of burthen, and, having loaded them with\nvarious commodities, I undertook a journey, but on the way was attacked\nby robbers, who plundered me of all my property, and I proceeded with a\ndisconsolate heart until night came on, and I found myself in a place\nwithout any vestige of inhabitants. I took shelter beneath a great tree,\nand had remained there for some time, when I perceived a light, and\nseveral persons who passed by with much festivity and mirth. After them\ncame some who held vessels full of burning incense, so very fragrant,\nthat the desert was perfumed by its delightful odour. When they had\npassed on, a magnificent litter appeared, before which walked several\ndamsels holding torches, scented with ambergris. In this litter was\nseated a fair one, of such exquisite beauty, that the radiance of her\ncharms far exceeded the light of the torches, and quite dazzled my\nfascinated eyes.\u201d\n\nWhen the young man had advanced thus far in his narrative, Bihz\u0101d began\nto show symptoms of impatience, having fallen in love with the lady,\nthough unseen. The young man continued his story, and said:\n\n\u201cThe next morning I proceeded on my journey, and arrived at the city of\nR\u016bm, the capital and residence of the Kaisar, or Greek Emperor; and\nhaving made inquiries, I was informed that the beautiful damsel whom I\nhad seen was the Princess Nig\u0101r\u012bn, daughter of the Kaisar, who had a\nvilla at a little distance from the city, to which she sometimes went\nfor recreation.\u201d\n\nHere the young man concluded his narrative, and Prince Bihz\u0101d\nimmediately arose and hastened to the house of the vizier, and said:\n\u201cYou must go this moment to my father, and tell him that if he is\nsolicitous about my happiness, he will provide me a wife without delay.\u201d\nThe vizier accordingly went to the palace and informed the King of\nBihz\u0101d\u2019s wishes. The King desired the vizier to assure the Prince that\nhe only waited to find a suitable match for him; but that, if he had\nfixed his affections on any fair object, he would do everything in his\npower to obtain her for him.\n\nThis being reported to Bihz\u0101d, he sent back the vizier with another\nmessage to the King, informing him that the object of his choice was the\nPrincess Nig\u0101r\u012bn, the lovely daughter of the Kaisar of R\u016bm, and\nrequesting that ambassadors might be sent to ask her in marriage for\nhim. The King replied to this message, and said: \u201cTell Bihz\u0101d that it\nwere in vain for me to send ambassadors on such an errand to the Kaisar:\nhe is the powerful Emperor of R\u016bm, and I am only a petty sovereign of\nAleppo; we are of different religions and of different manners; and\nthere is not any probability that he would comply with our demand.\u201d\n\nThe vizier returned to Bihz\u0101d, and delivered him this message from his\nfather. The impatient Prince immediately declared that, if the King\nwould not send ambassadors to solicit the Kaisar\u2019s daughter in marriage\nfor him, he would set out on that errand himself.\n\nThe King, being informed of his son\u2019s resolution, sent for the Prince,\nwhom he loved with a tender affection, and at last consented that\nambassadors should be despatched to R\u016bm. The Kaisar received with due\nrespect the ambassadors from the King of Aleppo; but when they disclosed\nthe object of their mission, he replied, with great indignation, and\ninformed them, that no one should obtain his daughter without paying the\nsum of one hundred lacs of d\u012bnars (or pieces of gold); and that whoever\nshould consent to pay that sum might become her husband.\n\nThe ambassadors returned to Aleppo, and related to the King all that the\nKaisar had said. \u201cDid I not tell you,\u201d said the King to Bihz\u0101d, \u201cthat\nthe Greek Emperor would refuse his consent to so unequal a match?\u201d\u2014\u201cHe\nhas not refused his consent,\u201d replied Bihz\u0101d; \u201cbut he requires money,\nwhich must be immediately sent.\u201d\u2014The King declared that he could not\nmake up so considerable a sum; but, at Bihz\u0101d\u2019s request, having\ncollected all his wealth, he found he possessed thirty lacs. Bihz\u0101d then\nurged him to sell his male and female slaves, and all his household\ngoods. Having done so, he found that they produced twenty lacs.\n\nThen Bihz\u0101d advised the King to make up the requisite sum, by compelling\nhis subjects to contribute their money; but the King was not willing to\ndistress his people. However, by the persuasion of Bihz\u0101d, he extorted\nfrom them an additional sum of twenty lacs. Having thus collected\nseventy lacs of d\u012bnars, Bihz\u0101d proposed that they should be immediately\ntransmitted to the Kaisar of R\u016bm. Letters were accordingly written, and\nmessengers despatched with the money, who were instructed to say, that\nthe remaining sum of thirty lacs should speedily be sent after. When\nthese messengers arrived at R\u016bm, they presented the letters and gifts to\nthe Kaisar, with the money. He treated the messengers with great\nrespect, accepted the money, and agreed to the proposed conditions;\nafter which they returned to Aleppo, and reported their success. Bihz\u0101d\nthen urged his father to collect by any means the thirty lacs of d\u012bnars\nstill deficient, either by a forced loan from the merchants, or by\ntaxing the peasants of the country; but the King advised him to be\npatient, and wait until they should recover from the effects of the late\nexactions; and said: \u201cYou have already rendered me poor, and now you\nwish to complete my ruin, and occasion the loss of my kingdom.\u201d\n\nBihz\u0101d desired his father to keep his kingdom, and declared his\nintention of setting out immediately. The King, much afflicted at the\nthought of his son\u2019s departure, entreated him to wait one year, that the\npeople might forget the sums they had already paid; but Bihz\u0101d would not\nconsent. The King then begged that he would be patient for six months;\nthis also he refused.\u2014\u201cWait even three months,\u201d said his father.\u2014\u201cI\ncannot wait three days,\u201d said the impatient youth. On which the King,\ndisgusted with such obstinacy, desired his son to go wherever he\npleased. Bihz\u0101d immediately retired; and, having clothed himself in\narmour, with two confidential servants set out upon his journey.\n\nIt happened that one morning they overtook a caravan, consisting of a\nhundred camels loaded with valuable commodities, proceeding on the way\nto R\u016bm. The chief of this caravan was a man of considerable wealth, with\na numerous train of attendants, and he was held in great esteem by the\nKaisar. When Bihz\u0101d and his two companions espied the caravan, they\nrushed forward with loud shouts, but were instantly seized, and their\nhands and feet bound: they were then brought before the chief, who\nordered that they should be flung upon a camel. When they arrived at\nR\u016bm, the chief took Bihz\u0101d to his own house, and kept him confined for\nthree days.\n\nOn the third day, having looked attentively at his prisoner, he\ndiscovered in his air and manner something that bespoke his princely\norigin and education. He inquired into the circumstances of his\nadventure, but Bihz\u0101d answered only with tears. The chief then said: \u201cIf\nyou tell me the truth of this affair, I will set you free; and if you do\nnot, I shall inform the Kaisar of your offence, and he will cause you to\nbe hanged.\u201d\n\nBihz\u0101d, not knowing what else to do, related his whole history to the\nchief of the caravan, who, moved with compassion, desired him not to\ndespair, for he would lend him the thirty lacs of d\u012bnars, and procure\nhim the Kaisar\u2019s daughter, on condition of his being repaid whenever\nBihz\u0101d should become king.\n\nTo this Bihz\u0101d gladly consented; and the chief, having unloosed his\nfetters, clothed him in royal garments, and dressed his servants also in\nsplendid attire; and having given him thirty lacs of d\u012bnars, he led him\nto the palace: then he left Bihz\u0101d at the door, whilst he himself went\nin and informed the Kaisar that the Prince of Aleppo was waiting for the\nhonour of presenting to his Majesty the thirty lacs of d\u012bnars, which he\nhad brought sealed up.\n\nThe Kaisar consented to receive Bihz\u0101d, who, on being introduced, paid\ndue homage, and was treated with great kindness, and placed by the\nKaisar\u2019s side. After much conversation, the Kaisar desired him to\ndeclare the object of his wishes, and promised that, whatever it might\nbe, he would endeavour to procure it for him. Bihz\u0101d replied, that his\nonly desire in this world was to obtain the Princess for his wife. The\nKaisar begged that he would wait ten days; but to this delay he would\nnot consent. The Kaisar then entreated that he would be patient for five\ndays; and this also he refused to do.\u2014\u201cAt least,\u201d said the Kaisar, \u201cwait\nthree days, that the women may have time to make the necessary\npreparations.\u201d But Bihz\u0101d would not consent.\u2014\u201cThis one day, however,\u201d\nthen said the Kaisar, \u201cyou must be patient, and to-morrow you shall\nespouse my daughter.\u201d\u2014\u201cSince it must be so,\u201d replied Bihz\u0101d, \u201cI\u2019ll wait\nthis day, but no longer.\u201d\n\nThe Kaisar gave orders that the Princess should be brought to the garden\nof the palace, and all the nobles assembled, and banquets provided for\nthe entertainment of Bihz\u0101d. When night came, Bihz\u0101d, having indulged in\nwine, became impatient to behold the Princess, and, going to the\nsummer-house, in which she was, he discovered an aperture in the wall,\nto which he applied his eye. The Princess at that moment happened to\nperceive the aperture, and found that some person was looking at her\nthrough it. She immediately ordered her attendants to burn out his eyes\nwith red-hot irons.\n\nThis order was put in execution without delay. The unhappy Bihz\u0101d,\ncrying aloud, fell on the ground, deprived of sight. His voice being at\nlength recognised, the servants ran out and beheld him rolling in agony\non the ground. They exclaimed, and tore their hair, but all in vain. The\nnews was brought to the Kaisar, who said: \u201cWhat can be done? This silly\nyouth has brought the evil on himself by his own impatience, and has\noccasioned the loss of his own eyes.\u201d He then directed that Bihz\u0101d\nshould be sent back to Aleppo, as he could not give his daughter to a\nperson deprived of sight.\n\nWhen the unhappy youth returned to Aleppo, his father and mother, and\nthe inhabitants of the city, all wept at his misfortunes; but their\ncompassion was of no avail. After some time the King died; but the\npeople introduced a stranger, and placed him on the throne, saying that\na blind man was not capable of governing. And the remainder of Bihz\u0101d\u2019s\nlife passed away in misery, and in repentance for his rashness and\nimpatience.\n\n\u201cNow,\u201d added Bakhty\u0101r, \u201chad that unfortunate young man waited until\nnight, the Princess Nig\u0101r\u012bn would have been his, and he would have saved\nhis eyes and his kingdom, and not have had occasion to repent of\nimpatience. If the King will send me back to prison, he will not be\nsorry for the delay, as my innocence will hereafter appear; and if he\nhasten my execution, any future repentance will not avail.\u201d\n\nThe King ordered Bakhty\u0101r to go back to prison for that day.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER IV.\n\n\nOn the following day, the fourth Vizier presented himself before the\nKing, and, having paid his respects, advised him not to defer any longer\nthe execution of Bakhty\u0101r. The King immediately gave orders that the\nyoung man should be brought from the prison; the executioner with a\ndrawn sword stood ready to perform his part, when Bakhty\u0101r exclaimed:\n\u201cLong be the King\u2019s life! Let him not be precipitate in putting me to\ndeath; but as I have, in the story of Bihz\u0101d, described the fatal\nconsequences of rashness, let me be permitted to celebrate the blessings\nattendant on forbearance, and recount the adventures of Ab\u016b Saber, the\nPatient Man.\u201d\n\nThe King\u2019s curiosity being excited, he desired Bakhty\u0101r to relate the\nstory, which he accordingly began in the following words:\n\n\n STORY OF AB\u016a SABER; OR, THE PATIENT MAN.\n\nThere lived in a certain village, a worthy man, whose principal riches\nconsisted in a good understanding and an inexhaustible stock of\npatience. On account of those qualifications he was so much respected by\nall his neighbours, that his advice was followed on every occasion of\nimportance.\n\nIt happened once that a tax-gatherer came to this village, and extorted\nfrom the poor peasants their miserable pittance, with such circumstances\nof cruelty and injustice that they could not any longer submit to the\noppression: a number of the young men, having assembled in a body, slew\nthe tax-gatherer and fled.\n\nThe other inhabitants, who had not been concerned in this transaction,\ncame to Ab\u016b Saber, and begged that he would accompany them to the King,\nand relate to his Majesty the circumstances as they had happened; but\nAb\u016b Saber told them, that he had drank of the sherbet of patience, and\nwould not intermeddle in such affairs. When the King was informed of the\ntax-gatherer\u2019s death, he ordered his servants to punish the people of\nthat village, and to strip them of all their property.\n\nAfter two years it happened that a lion took up his abode in the\nneighbourhood, and destroyed so many children that no person would\nventure to cultivate the ground, or attend the harvest, from fear of\nbeing devoured. In this distress the villagers went to Ab\u016b Saber, and\nentreated him to associate with them in some measure for their relief;\nbut he replied, that patience was his only remedy.\n\nIt happened soon after, that the King, being on a hunting-party, arrived\nin the vicinity of this place; and the inhabitants, presenting\nthemselves before him, related the story of the tax-gatherer, the\nconsequences of the King\u2019s anger, and their dread of the lion. The King\npitying them, asked why they had not sent some person to inform him of\ntheir distresses. They replied, that Ab\u016b Saber, the chief man of the\nvillage, whose assistance they solicited, had declined interfering in\nthe matter. The King, hearing this, was enraged, and gave orders that\nAb\u016b Saber should be driven forth from the village. These orders were\ninstantly put in execution, and the King sent people to destroy the\nlion.\n\nWith a heavy heart, Ab\u016b Saber commenced his journey, accompanied by his\nwife and two sons. It happened that they were soon overtaken by some\nrobbers, who, not perceiving any thing more valuable of which they might\nstrip him, resolved to carry off the two boys and sell them; they\naccordingly seized the poor children and bore them away. The wife began\nto cry and weep most bitterly; but Ab\u016b Saber recommended patience. They\nthen proceeded on their journey, and travelled all night and all day,\ntill, faint from hunger and thirst, weary and fatigued, they at length\napproached a village, in the outlets of which Ab\u016b Saber left his wife,\nwhilst he went to procure some food. He was employed on this business in\nthe village, when a robber happened to discover the woman, and seeing\nthat she was a stranger, handsome, and unprotected, he seized her with\nviolence, and declared that he would take her as his wife. After many\ntears and supplications, finding the robber determined to carry her\naway, she contrived to write upon the ground with blood, which she had\nprocured by biting her own finger. When Ab\u016b Saber returned from the\nvillage, and sought his wife in the spot where he had left her, the\nwords which she had written sufficiently explained the occasion of her\nabsence.\n\nHe wept at this new misfortune, and implored the Almighty to bestow\npatience on his wife, and enable her to bear whatever should befall her.\n\nWith a disconsolate heart, Ab\u016b Saber proceeded on his solitary journey,\nuntil he came to the gate of a certain city where a King resided, who\nwas very tyrannical and impious. And it happened at this time that he\nhad ordered a summer-house to be erected, and every stranger who\napproached the city was by his command seized and compelled to work,\nguarded day and night, and fed with a scanty portion of coarse black\nbread.\n\nAb\u016b Saber was immediately seized and dragged to the building; when a\nheavy load was placed upon his shoulders, and he was obliged to ascend a\nladder of seventy steps. In this distress he consoled himself by\nreflections on the advantages of patience, the only remedy within his\npower, for the evils which had occurred.\n\nIt happened on this day, that the King was sitting in a corner of the\nbuilding, superintending the work, when he overheard Ab\u016b Saber inquire\nof another man, what time they might expect to be relieved from this\nexcessive fatigue. The man informed Ab\u016b Saber that it was three months\nsince he had been thus laboriously employed, and languishing for a sight\nof his beloved wife and children. \u201cDuring this space of time,\u201d added he,\n\u201cI have not had any intelligence of them; and I long for permission to\nvisit them, were it but for one night.\u201d Ab\u016b Saber desired him to be\npatient; for Providence would relieve him at last from the oppression\nunder which he suffered.\n\nAll this conversation the King overheard. After some time Ab\u016b Saber,\nbeing faint from excessive fatigue, fell senseless from the steps of the\nladder, by which accident his legs and arms were dislocated. The King,\nhowever, provoked to anger by what he had heard, ordered that Ab\u016b Saber\nshould be brought before him, and, having upbraided him with\ninconsistency in recommending patience to another person, when he\nhimself could not practise it, he ordered him to be punished with fifty\nstripes and thrown into prison. This sentence was immediately put into\nexecution, and Ab\u016b Saber, supporting his head on the knees of patience,\nimplored the protection of the Almighty, with perfect submission to His\ndivine dispensations.\n\nAfter some time had elapsed, it happened that the King was affected one\nnight by a violent cholic, of which he died in excessive agony; and as\nhe did not leave any heir to the crown, the people of the city assembled\nin order to elect a King.\n\nIt was resolved that they should go to the prison, and propose three\nquestions to the criminals confined there; and that whoever gave the\nbest answer should be chosen King. In consequence of this resolution,\nthey proceeded to the prison, and asked the three questions, to which\nnone of the prisoners replied, except Ab\u016b Saber, whose answers were so\ningenious, that he was borne triumphantly away, washed in a warm bath,\nclothed in royal garments, and placed upon the throne; after which all\nthe inhabitants came and paid him homage. And he governed with such\nmildness and wisdom, that the people night and day offered up their\nprayers for him; and the fame of his justice and liberality was spread\nall over the world.\n\nOne day it happened that two men attended at his tribunal and demanded\nan audience. Ab\u016b Saber caused them to be brought before him. One of\nthose men was a merchant, and the other the robber who had carried off\nthe sons of Ab\u016b Saber. The robber he immediately recognised, but was\nsilent. The merchant then addressed him, and said: \u201cLong be the King\u2019s\nlife! This man sold to me two boys; and after some time these boys began\nto say, \u2018We are freemen\u2014we are the sons of a Mussulman; and that man\ncarried us away by force, and sold us, at which time, from fear of him,\nwe were afraid to say that we were freemen.\u2019 Now,\u201d added the merchant,\n\u201clet the King order this man to return me the money, and take back the\nboys.\u201d\n\nAb\u016b Saber then asked the robber what he had to say. The man answered,\nthat it was the merchant\u2019s fault, who had not taken good care of the\nboys; but that for his own part he had always treated them well, which\ninduced them to make this complaint, in order that he might take them\nback. Ab\u016b Saber then sent for the two boys, who proved to be his own\nsons. He knew them, but they had not any recollection of him. He desired\nthem to explain this matter; and they declared that the robber had\ncarried them away from their father and mother to his own dwelling, and\nhad desired them not to say, on any account, that they were freemen; but\nthat when sold as slaves they could not any longer suppress their\ncomplaints. Ab\u016b Saber, much affected by their story, ordered them to\ntell their names, and then sent them to his own apartments; after which\nhe caused the robber to be imprisoned, and the merchant\u2019s money to be\ndeposited in the public treasury.\n\nOn another day it happened that two persons in like manner solicited an\naudience of the King. When they were admitted, one proved to be the wife\nof Ab\u016b Saber, and the other the man who had taken her away by force. But\nAb\u016b Saber did not know his wife, because she wore her veil. The robber,\nhaving paid his respects, informed the King that this woman, who had\nlived with him for some time, would not consent to perform the duties of\na wife. Ab\u016b Saber addressed the woman, and asked her why she refused to\nobey her husband. She immediately answered, that this man was not her\nhusband; that she was the wife of a person named Ab\u016b Saber; and that\nthis man had taken her to his house against her inclination.\n\nAb\u016b Saber ordered his servants to take the woman to his harem; and,\nhaving made a proclamation and assembled all the inhabitants of the\ncity, caused the robber who had taken away his sons and the man who had\ncarried off his wife to be brought before them; and, having explained\nthe nature of their offences and related the circumstances of his own\nstory, he gave orders for their execution.\n\nAfter this he passed the remainder of his life in peaceful enjoyment of\nthe supreme power, which at his death devolved upon his son, and\ncontinued for many generations in the family, as the reward of his\npatience.\n\n * * * * *\n\nHere Bakhty\u0101r concluded his story, and by order of the King was sent\nback to prison.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER V.\n\n\nWhen the next morning arrived, the fifth Vizier waited upon the King,\nand represented the danger that might attend any further delay in the\nexecution of Bakhty\u0101r, as the indulgence which had been shown to him\nwould be an encouragement to others, and induce them to commit offences,\nby giving them hopes of impunity. In consequence of this, the King\nordered everything to be prepared for the execution of the young man,\nwho, being brought before him, entreated his Majesty for a longer\nrespite, and assured him that he would, on a future day, be as rejoiced\nat having spared his life, as a certain King of Yemen was at having\npardoned the offence of his slave.\n\nThe King desired Bakhty\u0101r to relate the particular circumstances of this\nstory; and he accordingly began it in the following manner:\n\n\n STORY OF THE KING OF YEMEN AND HIS SLAVE ABRAHA.\n\nIn former times the kingdom of Yemen was governed by a very powerful but\ntyrannical Prince, who, for the slightest offences, inflicted the most\nsevere punishments. He had, however, a certain slave, named Abraha, of\nwhom he was very fond. This young man was the son of the King of\nZang\u012bb\u0101r, who by chance had fallen into slavery, and never disclosed the\nsecret of his birth.\n\nAbraha used frequently to attend the King of Yemen on his hunting\nparties. During one of these excursions, it happened that a deer bounded\nbefore the King\u2019s horse: he discharged some arrows at it without effect;\nwhen Abraha, who was close behind him, spurred on his horse, and aimed a\nbroad-bladed arrow at the deer; but it so happened that the arrow passed\nby the side of the King\u2019s head, and cut off one of his ears. The King,\nin the first impulse of anger, ordered his attendants to seize Abraha;\nbut afterwards declared that he pardoned his offence.\n\nThey then returned to the city; and, after some time had elapsed, having\ngone on board a vessel and sailed into the ocean, a tempest arose, and\nthe ship was wrecked, and the King saved himself by clinging to a plank,\nand was driven on the coast of Zang\u012bb\u0101r.\n\nHaving returned thanks to Providence for his preservation, he proceeded\ntill he reached the chief city of that country. As it was night, the\ndoors of the houses and all the shops were shut; and, not knowing where\nhe might find a better place of repose, he sheltered himself under the\nshade of a merchant\u2019s house. It happened that some thieves, in the\ncourse of the night, broke open the house, and having murdered the\nmerchant and his servants, plundered it of everything that was valuable.\nThe King of Yemen, overcome by fatigue, had slept the whole time,\nunconscious of this transaction; but some of the blood had by accident\nfallen on his clothes.\n\nWhen morning came, everybody was employed in endeavouring to discover\nthe murderers of the merchant; and the stranger, being found so near the\nhouse, with blood upon his clothes, was immediately seized and dragged\nbefore the tribunal of the King.\n\nThe King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r asked him why he had chosen his capital as the\nscene of such an infamous murder; and desired him to acknowledge who\nwere his accomplices, and how he had disposed of the merchant\u2019s\nproperty. The King of Yemen declared that he was innocent, and perfectly\nignorant of the whole transaction; that he was of a princely family;\nand, having been shipwrecked, was driven on the coast, and had by\naccident reposed himself under the shade of that house when the murder\nwas committed. The King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r then inquired of him by what means\nhis clothes had become stained with blood, and finding that the stranger\ncould not account for that circumstance, he ordered the officers of\njustice to lead him away to execution. The unfortunate King of Yemen\nentreated for mercy, and asserted that his innocence would on some\nfuture day become apparent. The King consented to defer his execution\nfor a while, and he was sent to prison.\n\nOn one side of the prison there was an extensive plain, with a running\nstream, to which every day the prisoners were brought, that they might\nwash themselves; and it was the custom that once every week the King\nresorted to that plain, where he gave public audience to persons of all\nranks. On one of those days the King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r was on the plain,\nsurrounded by his troops, and the prisoners were sitting by the side of\nthe stream, along which ran a wall of the prison. It happened that\nAbraha, who had been the King of Yemen\u2019s slave, was standing near this\nwall, but his former master did not recognise him, as they had been\nseparated for some time, Abraha having found means to return to\nZang\u012bb\u0101r, his native country.\n\nAt this moment a crow chanced to light upon the wall, which the King of\nYemen perceived, and taking up a large flat bone, he threw it with his\nutmost strength, and exclaimed, \u201cIf I succeed in hitting that crow, I\nshall obtain my liberty,\u201d but he missed his aim; the bone passed by the\ncrow, and striking the cheek of Abraha, cut off one of his ears. Abraha\nimmediately caused an inquiry to be made, and the person who had thrown\nthe bone to be brought before the King, who called him a base-born dog,\nand ordered the executioner to cut off his head. The King of Yemen sued\nfor mercy, and requested that at most he might be punished according to\nthe law of retaliation, which would not award a head for an ear. The\nKing gave orders that one of his ears should be cut off; and the\nexecutioner was preparing to fulfil this sentence when he perceived that\nthe prisoner had already lost an ear.\n\nThis circumstance occasioned much surprise, and excited the King\u2019s\ncuriosity. He told the prisoner that he would pardon him, on condition\nof his relating the true story of his adventures.\n\nThe King of Yemen immediately disclosed his real name and rank,\ndescribed the accident by which he lost his ear, the shipwreck which he\nsuffered, and the circumstances which occasioned his imprisonment.\n\nAt the conclusion of his narrative, Abraha, having recognised his former\nmaster, fell at his feet, embraced him, and wept. They mutually forgave\neach other; and the King of Yemen, being taken to a warm bath, was\nclothed in royal garments, mounted on a noble charger, and conducted to\nthe palace; after which he was furnished with a variety of splendid\nrobes and suits of armour, horses, slaves, and damsels. During two\nmonths he was feasted and entertained with the utmost hospitality and\nmagnificence, attended constantly by Abraha. In the course of this time,\nthe robbers who had murdered the merchant were discovered and punished;\nand after that the King of Yemen returned to his own country.\n\n * * * * *\n\nBakhty\u0101r having thus demonstrated that appearances might be very strong\nagainst an innocent person, the King resolved to defer his execution for\nanother day, and he was accordingly led back to prison.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VI.\n\n\nOn the following day the sixth Vizier, having paid his respects to the\nKing, represented the danger of letting an enemy live when in one\u2019s\npower, and, by many artful speeches, induced his Majesty to order the\nexecution of Bakhty\u0101r, who was immediately brought from the prison. When\nhe came before the King, he persisted in declaring his innocence, and\nadvised him not to be precipitate, like King D\u0101d\u012bn, in putting to death\na person on the malicious accusation of an enemy. The King, desirous of\nhearing the story to which Bakhty\u0101r alluded, ordered him to relate it;\nand he began as follows:\n\n\n STORY OF KING D\u0100D\u012aN AND HIS TWO VIZIERS.\n\nThere was a certain King named D\u0101d\u012bn, who had two viziers, K\u0101rd\u0101r and\nK\u0101mg\u0101r; and the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r was the most lovely creature of the\nage. It happened that the King, proceeding on a hunting excursion, took\nalong with him the father of this beautiful damsel, and left the charge\nof government in the hands of K\u0101rd\u0101r.\n\nOne day, during the warm season, K\u0101rd\u0101r, passing near the palace of\nK\u0101mg\u0101r, beheld this fair damsel walking in the garden, and became\nenamoured of her beauty; but having reason to believe that her father\nwould not consent to bestow her on him, he resolved to devise some\nstratagem whereby he might obtain the object of his desires. \u201cAt the\nKing\u2019s return from the chase,\u201d said he, \u201cI\u2019ll represent the charms of\nthis damsel in such glowing colours, that he will not fail to demand her\nin marriage; and I\u2019ll then contrive to excite his anger against her, in\nconsequence of which he shall deliver her to me for punishment; and thus\nmy designs shall be accomplished.\u201d\n\nOne day after the King\u2019s return from the hunting party, he desired\nK\u0101rd\u0101r to inform him of the principal events which had occurred during\nhis absence. K\u0101rd\u0101r replied that his Majesty\u2019s subjects had all been\nsolicitous for his prosperity; but that he had himself seen one of the\nmost astonishing objects of the universe. The King\u2019s curiosity being\nthus excited, he ordered K\u0101rd\u0101r to describe what he had seen; and K\u0101rd\u0101r\ndwelt with such praises on the fascinating charms of K\u0101mg\u0101r\u2019s daughter,\nthat the King became enamoured of her, and said: \u201cBut how is this damsel\nto be obtained?\u201d\u2014K\u0101rd\u0101r replied: \u201cThere is not any difficulty in this\nbusiness; it is not necessary to employ either money or messengers: your\nMajesty needs only to acquaint her father with your wishes.\u201d\n\nThe King approved of this counsel, and having sent for K\u0101mg\u0101r, mentioned\nthe affair to him accordingly. K\u0101mg\u0101r, with due submission, declared\nthat if he possessed a hundred daughters they should all be at his\nMajesty\u2019s command; but begged permission to retire and inform the damsel\nof the honour designed for her. Having obtained leave, he hastened to\nhis daughter, and related to her all that had passed between the King\nand him. The damsel expressed her dislike to the proposed connection;\nand her father, dreading the King\u2019s anger in case of a refusal, knew not\nhow to act. \u201cContrive some delay,\u201d said she; \u201csolicit leave of absence\nfor a few days, and let us fly from this country!\u201d K\u0101mg\u0101r approved of\nthis advice; and having waited on the King, obtained leave to absent\nhimself from court for ten days, under pretence of making the\npreparations necessary for a female on the eve of matrimony; and when\nnight came on, he fled from the city with his daughter.\n\nNext day the King was informed of their flight; in consequence of which\nhe sent off two hundred servants to seek them in various directions, and\nthe officious K\u0101rd\u0101r set out also in pursuit of them. After ten days\nthey were surprised by the side of a well, taken and bound, and brought\nbefore the King, who, in his anger, dashed out the brains of K\u0101mg\u0101r;\nthen looking on the daughter of the unfortunate man, her beauty so much\naffected him, that he sent her to his palace, and appointed servants to\nattend her, besides a cook, who, at his own request, was added to her\nestablishment. After some time K\u0101rd\u0101r became impatient, and enraged at\nthe failure of his project; but he resolved to try the success of\nanother scheme.\n\nIt happened that the encroachments of a powerful enemy rendered the\nKing\u2019s presence necessary among the troops; and on setting out to join\nthe army, he committed the management of affairs and the government of\nthe city to K\u0101rd\u0101r, whose mind was wholly filled with stratagems for\ngetting the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r into his power.\n\nOne day he was passing near the palace, and discovered her sitting alone\non the balcony; to attract her attention, he threw up a piece of brick\nor tile, and on her looking down to see from whence it came she beheld\nK\u0101rd\u0101r. He addressed her with the usual salutation, which she returned.\nHe then began to declare his admiration of her beauty, and the violence\nof his love, which deprived him of repose both day and night; and\nconcluded by urging her to elope with him, saying that he would take as\nmuch money as they could possibly want; or, if she would consent, he was\nready to destroy the King by poison, and seize upon the throne himself.\n\nThe daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r replied to this proposal by upbraiding K\u0101rd\u0101r\nwith his baseness and perfidy. When he asked her how she could ever fix\nher affections on the man who had killed her father, she answered, that\nsuch had been the will of God, and she was resolved to submit\naccordingly. Having spoken thus, she retired. K\u0101rd\u0101r, fearing lest she\nshould relate to the King what had passed between them, hastened to meet\nhim as he returned in triumph after conquering his enemies; and whilst\nwalking along by the side of the King\u2019s horse, began to inform his\nMajesty of all that had happened in his absence. Having mentioned\nseveral occurrences, he added, that one circumstance was of such a\nnature that he could not prevail on himself to relate it, for it was\nsuch as the King would be very much displeased at hearing.\n\nThe King\u2019s curiosity being thus excited, he ordered K\u0101rd\u0101r to relate\nthis occurrence; and he, declaring that it was a most ungrateful task,\ninformed him that it was a maxim of the wise men: \u201cWhen you have killed\nthe serpent, you should also kill its young.\u201d He then proceeded to\nrelate that, one day during the warm season, being seated near the door\nof the harem, he overheard some voices, and his suspicions being\nexcited, he concealed himself behind the hangings, and listened\nattentively, when he heard the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r express her affection\nfor the cook, who, in return, declared his attachment; and they spoke of\npoisoning the King in revenge for his having killed her father. \u201cI had\nnot patience,\u201d added K\u0101rd\u0101r, \u201cto listen any longer.\u201d\u2014At this\nintelligence the King changed colour with rage and indignation, and on\narriving at the palace, ordered the unfortunate cook to be instantly cut\nin two. He then sent for the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r, and upbraided her with\nthe intention of destroying him by poison. She immediately perceived\nthat this accusation proceeded from the malevolence of K\u0101rd\u0101r, and was\ngoing to speak in vindication of herself, when the King ordered her to\nbe put to death; but being dissuaded by an attendant from killing a\nwoman, he revoked the sentence of death; and she was tied hands and\nfeet, and placed upon a camel, which was turned into a dreary\nwilderness, where there was neither water nor shade, nor any trace of\ncultivation.\n\nHere she suffered from the intense heat and thirst, to such a degree\nthat, expecting every moment to be her last, she resigned herself to the\nwill of Providence, conscious of her own innocence. Just then the camel\nlay down, and on that spot where they were a fountain of delicious water\nsprang forth; the cords which bound her hands and feet dropped off: she\nrefreshed herself by a hearty draught of the water, and fervently\nreturned thanks to Heaven for this blessing and her wonderful\npreservation. On this the most verdant and fragrant herbage appeared\naround the borders of the fountain; it became a blooming and delightful\nspot, and the camel placed himself so as to afford his lovely companion\na shade and shelter from the sunbeams.\n\nIt happened that one of the King\u2019s camel-keepers was at this time in\npursuit of some camels which had wandered into the desert, and without\nwhich he dared not return to the city. He had sought them for several\ndays amidst hills and forests without any success. At length on coming\nto this spot he beheld the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r and the camel, which at\nfirst he thought was one of those he sought, and the clear fountain with\nthe verdant banks, where neither grass nor water had ever been seen\nbefore. Astonished at this discovery, he resolved not to interrupt the\nlady, who was engaged in prayer; but when she had finished, he addressed\nher, and was so charmed by her gentleness and piety, that he offered to\nadopt her as his child, and expressed his belief that, through the\nefficacy of her prayers, he should recover the strayed camels.\n\nThis good man\u2019s offer she thankfully accepted; and having partaken of a\nfowl and some bread which he had with him, at his request she prayed for\nthe recovery of his camels. As soon as she had concluded her prayer, the\ncamels appeared on the skirts of the wilderness, and of their own accord\napproached the camel-keeper.\n\nHe then represented to the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r the danger of remaining\nall night in the wilderness, which was the haunt of many wild beasts;\nand proposed that she should return with him to the city, and dwell with\nhim in his house, where he would provide for her a retired apartment, in\nwhich she might perform her devotions without interruption. To this\nproposal she consented, and being mounted on her camel, she returned to\nthe city, and arrived at the house of her companion at the time of\nevening prayer. Here she resided for some time, employing herself in\nexercises of piety and devotion.\n\nOne day the camel-keeper, being desired by the King to relate his past\nadventures, mentioned, among other circumstances, the losing of his\ncamels, the finding them through the efficacy of a young woman\u2019s\nprayers, the discovery of a spring where none had been before, and his\nadopting the damsel as his daughter: he concluded by telling the King\nthat she was now at his house, and employed day and night in acts of\ndevotion.\n\nThe King, on hearing this, expressed an earnest wish that he might be\nallowed to see this young woman, and prevail on her to intercede with\nProvidence in his behalf. The camel-keeper, having consented, returned\nat once to his house accompanied by the King, who waited at the door of\nthe apartment where the daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r was engaged in prayer. When\nshe had concluded he approached, and with astonishment recognised her.\nHaving tenderly embraced her, he wept, and entreated her forgiveness.\nThis she readily granted, but begged that he would conceal himself in\nthe apartment whilst she should converse with K\u0101rd\u0101r, whom she sent for.\n\nWhen he arrived, and beheld her with a thousand expressions of fondness,\nhe inquired the means whereby she had escaped; and he told her that on\nthe day when the King had banished her into the wilderness, he had sent\npeople to seek her, and to bring her to him. \u201cHow much better would it\nhave been,\u201d added he, \u201chad you followed my advice, and agreed to my\nproposal of poisoning the King, who, I said, would endeavour to destroy\nyou, as he had killed your father! But you rejected my advice, and\ndeclared yourself ready to submit to whatsoever Providence should\ndecree. Hereafter,\u201d continued he, \u201cyou will pay more attention to my\nwords. But now let us not think of what is past: I am your slave, and\nyou are dearer to me than my own eyes!\u201d So saying, he attempted to clasp\nthe daughter of K\u0101mg\u0101r in his arms, when the King, who was concealed\nbehind the hangings, rushed furiously on him, and put him to death.\nAfter this he conducted the damsel to his palace, and constantly\nlamented his precipitancy in having killed her father.\n\n * * * * *\n\nHere Bakhty\u0101r concluded the story; and having requested a further\nrespite, that he might have an opportunity of proving his innocence, he\nwas sent back to prison by order of the King.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VII.\n\n\nThe Seventh Vizier, on the following day, approached the King, and\nhaving told him that his lenity towards Bakhty\u0101r was made the subject of\npublic conversation, added many arguments to procure an order for the\nexecution of that unfortunate young man. The King, changing colour with\nanger, sent immediately for the Queen, and asked her advice concerning\nBakhty\u0101r. She declared that he deserved death; in consequence of which\nthe King ordered his attendants to bring him from the prison. When he\ncame into the royal presence, he begged for mercy, saying: \u201cMy innocence\nwill appear hereafter; and though your Majesty can easily put to death a\nliving man, you cannot restore a dead man to life.\u201d\u2014\u201cHow,\u201d said the\nKing, \u201ccan you deny your guilt, since the women of the harem all bear\nwitness against you?\u201d\u2014Bakhty\u0101r replied: \u201cWomen, for their own purposes,\noften devise falsehoods, and are very expert in artifice and fraud, as\nappears from the story of the daughter of the King of `Ir\u0101k and her\nadventures with the King of Abyssinia, which, if your Majesty permit, I\nshall briefly relate.\u201d\u2014Having obtained permission, he began the story as\nfollows:\n\n\n STORY OF THE KING OF ABYSSINIA, SHOWING THE ARTIFICE OF WOMEN.\n\nIt is related that Abyssinia was once governed by a certain monarch,\nwhose armies were very numerous, and his treasury well filled; but not\nhaving any enemy to engage him in war, he neglected his troops, and\nwithheld their pay, so that they were reduced to great distress, and\nbegan to murmur, and at last made their complaints to the Vizier. He,\npitying their situation, promised that he would take measures for their\nrelief, and desired them to be patient for a little while. He then\nconsidered within himself what steps he should take; and at length,\nknowing the King\u2019s inclination to women, and understanding that the\nPrincess of `Ir\u0101k was uncommonly beautiful, he resolved to praise her\ncharms in such extravagant language before the King, as to induce him to\ndemand her from her father, who, from his excessive fondness, would not\nprobably consent to bestow her on him, and thus a war would ensue, in\nwhich case the troops should be employed, and their arrears paid off.\n\nPleased with the ingenuity of this stratagem, the vizier hastened to the\nKing, and after conversing for some time on various subjects, he\ncontrived to mention the King of `Ir\u0101k, and immediately described the\nbeauty of his daughter in such glowing colours, that the King became\nenamoured, and consulted the vizier on the means whereby he might hope\nto obtain possession of that lovely Princess. The vizier replied, that\nthe first step was to send ambassadors to the King of `Ir\u0101k, soliciting\nhis daughter in marriage. In consequence of this advice, some able and\ndiscreet persons were despatched as ambassadors to `Ir\u0101k. On their\narrival in that country, the King received them courteously; but when\nthey disclosed the object of their mission he became angry, and declared\nthat he would not comply with their demand.\n\nThe ambassadors returned to Abyssinia, and having reported to the King\nthe unsuccessful result of their negotiation, he vowed that he would\nsend an army into `Ir\u0101k, and lay that country waste, unless his demands\nwere complied with.\n\nIn consequence of this resolution, he ordered the doors of his treasury\nto be thrown open, and caused so much money to be distributed among the\nsoldiers that they were satisfied. From all quarters the troops\nassembled, and zealously prepared for war. On the other hand, the King\nof `Ir\u0101k levied his forces, and sent them to oppose the Abyssinians, who\ninvaded his dominions; but he did not lead them to the field himself,\nand they were defeated and put to flight. When the account of this\ndisaster reached the King of `Ir\u0101k, he consulted his vizier, and asked\nwhat was next to be done. The vizier candidly declared that he did not\nthink it necessary to prolong the war on account of a woman, and advised\nhis Majesty to send ambassadors with overtures of peace, and an offer of\ngiving the Princess to the King of Abyssinia. This advice the King of\n`Ir\u0101k followed, although reluctantly. Ambassadors were despatched to the\nenemy with offers of peace, and a declaration of the King\u2019s consent to\nthe marriage of his daughter.\n\nThese terms being accepted, the Princess was sent with confidential\nattendants to the King of Abyssinia, who retired with her to his own\ndominions, where he espoused her; and some time passed away in festivity\nand pleasure. But it happened that the King of `Ir\u0101k had some years\nbefore given his daughter in marriage to another man, by whom she had a\nson; and this boy was now grown up, and accomplished in all sciences,\nand such a favourite with the King of `Ir\u0101k, that he would never permit\nhim to be one hour absent from him. The Princess, when obliged to leave\nhim, felt all the anxiety of a mother, and resolved to devise some\nstratagem whereby she might enjoy his society in Abyssinia.\n\nOne day the King of Abyssinia, on some occasion, behaved harshly to the\nQueen, and spoke disrespectfully of her father. She in return said:\n\u201cYour kingdom, it is true, is most fertile and abundant; but my father\npossesses such a treasure as no other monarch can boast of\u2014a youth sent\nto him by the kindness of Heaven, skilled in every profound science, and\naccomplished in every manly exercise; so that he rather seems to be one\nof the inhabitants of Paradise than of this earth.\u201d These praises so\nexcited the curiosity of the King, that he vowed he would bring this boy\nto his court, were he even obliged to go himself for him. The Queen\nreplied: \u201cMy father would be like a distracted person were he deprived,\neven for an hour, of this boy\u2019s society; but some intelligent person\nmust be sent to `Ir\u0101k in the character of a merchant, and endeavour by\nevery means to steal him away.\u201d\n\nThe King approved of this advice, and chose a person well skilled in\nbusiness, who had experienced many reverses of fortune, and seen much of\nthe world. To this man he promised a reward of a hundred male slaves and\na hundred beautiful damsels, if he should succeed in bringing away this\nboy from the King of `Ir\u0101k\u2019s court. The man inquired the name of the\nboy, which was Farrukhz\u0101d, and, disguised as a merchant, set out\nimmediately for `Ir\u0101k.\n\nHaving arrived there, he presented various offerings to the King; and\none day found an opportunity of conversing with the boy. At last he\nsaid: \u201cWith such accomplishments as you possess, were you in Abyssinia\nfor one day, you would be rendered master of slaves and damsels, and\nriches of every kind.\u201d He then described the delights of that country,\nwhich made such an impression on Farrukhz\u0101d, that he became disgusted\nwith `Ir\u0101k, and attached himself to the merchant, and said: \u201cI have\noften heard of Abyssinia, and have long wished to enjoy the pleasures\nwhich it yields. The King\u2019s daughter is now in that country, and if I\ncould contrive to go there, my happiness would be complete. But I know\nnot how to escape from this place, as the King will not permit me to be\none hour absent from him.\u201d\n\nThe merchant gladly undertook to devise some means for the escape of\nFarrukhz\u0101d; and at last having put him into a chest, and placed him upon\na camel, he contrived one evening to carry him off unnoticed. The next\nday the King of `Ir\u0101k sent messengers in all directions to seek him.\nThey inquired of all the caravans and travellers, but could not obtain\nany intelligence concerning him. At last the merchant brought him to\nAbyssinia, and the King, finding that his accomplishments and talents\nhad not been over-rated, was much delighted with his society; and as he\nhad not any child, he bestowed on him a royal robe and crown, a horse, a\nsword, and a shield, and adopted him as his son, and brought him into\nthe harem.\n\nWhen the Queen beheld Farrukhz\u0101d, she wept for joy, embraced him, and\nkissed him with all the fondness of a mother. It happened that one of\nthe servants was a witness, unperceived, of this interview. He\nimmediately hastened to the King, and represented the transaction in\nsuch a manner as to excite all his jealousy and rage. However, he\nresolved to inquire into the matter; but Farrukhz\u0101d did not acknowledge\nthat the Queen was his mother; and when he sent for her she answered his\nquestions only by her tears. From these circumstances he concluded that\nthey were guilty; and accordingly he ordered one of his attendants to\ntake away the young man to a burying-ground without the city, and there\nto cut off his head.\n\nThe attendant led Farrukhz\u0101d away, and was preparing to put the King\u2019s\nsentence into execution, but when he looked in the youth\u2019s face, his\nheart was moved with compassion, and he said, \u201cIt must have been the\nwoman\u2019s fault, and not his crime;\u201d and he resolved to save him. When he\ntold Farrukhz\u0101d that he would conceal him in his own house, the boy was\ndelighted, and promised that if ever it was in his power he would reward\nhim for his kindness. Having taken him to his house, the man waited on\nthe King, and told him that he had, in obedience to his orders, put\nFarrukhz\u0101d to death.\n\nAfter this the King treated his wife with the utmost coldness; and she\nsat melancholy, lamenting the absence of her son. It happened that an\nold woman beheld the Queen as she sat alone, weeping, in her chamber.\nPitying her situation, she approached, and humbly inquired the occasion\nof her grief. The Queen made no reply; but when the old woman promised,\nnot only to observe the utmost secrecy, if entrusted with the story of\nher misfortunes, but to find a remedy for them, she related at length\nall that had happened, and disclosed the mystery of Farrukhz\u0101d\u2019s birth.\n\nThe old woman desired the Queen to comfort herself, and said: \u201cThis\nnight, before the King retires to rest, you must lay yourself down, and\nclose your eyes, as if asleep; he will then place something, which I\nshall give him, on your bosom, and will command you, by the power of the\nwriting contained in that, to reveal the truth. You must then begin to\nspeak, and, without any apprehension, repeat all that you have now told\nme.\u201d\n\nThe old woman, having then found that the King was alone in his\nsummer-house, presented herself before him, and said: \u201cO King, this\nsolitary life occasions melancholy and sadness!\u201d The King replied that\nit was not solitude which rendered him melancholy, but vexation on\naccount of the Queen\u2019s infidelity, and the ingratitude of Farrukhz\u0101d, on\nwhom he had heaped so many favours, and whom he had adopted as his own\nson. \u201cYet,\u201d added he, \u201cI am not convinced of his guilt; and since the\nday that I caused him to be killed, I have not enjoyed repose, nor am I\ncertain whether the fault was his or the Queen\u2019s.\u201d\n\n\u201cLet not the King be longer in suspense on this subject,\u201d said the old\nwoman, \u201cI have a certain talisman, one of the talismans of Solomon,\nwritten in Grecian characters, and in the Syrian language; if your\nMajesty will watch an opportunity when the Queen shall be asleep, and\nlay it on her breast, and say: \u2018O thou that sleepest! by virtue of the\ntalisman, and of the name of God, which it contains, I conjure thee to\nspeak to me, and to reveal all the secrets of thy heart,\u2019 she will\nimmediately begin to speak, and will declare everything that she knows,\nboth true and false.\u201d\n\nThe King, delighted at the hopes of discovering the truth by means of\nthis talisman, desired the old woman to fetch it. She accordingly went\nhome, and taking a piece of paper, scrawled on it some unmeaning\ncharacters, folded it up, and tied it with a cord, and sealed it with\nwax; then hastened to the King, and desired him to preserve it carefully\ntill night should afford an opportunity of trying its efficacy.\n\nWhen it was night, the King watched until he found that the Queen was in\nbed; then gently approaching, and believing her to be asleep, he laid\nthe talisman on her breast, and repeated the words which the old woman\nhad taught him. The Queen, who had also received her lesson, still\naffecting the appearance of one asleep, immediately began to speak, and\nrelated all the circumstances of her story.\n\nOn hearing this the King was much affected, and tenderly embraced the\nQueen, who started from her bed as if perfectly unconscious of having\nrevealed the secrets of her breast. He then blamed her for not having\ncandidly acknowledged the circumstance of Farrukhz\u0101d\u2019s birth, who, he\nsaid, should have been considered as his own son.\n\nAll that night they passed in mutual condolence, and on the next morning\nthe King sent for the person to whom he had delivered Farrukhz\u0101d, and\ndesired him to point out the spot where his body lay, that he might\nperform the last duty to that unfortunate youth, and ask forgiveness\nfrom his departed spirit. The man replied: \u201cIt appears that your Majesty\nis ignorant of Farrukhz\u0101d\u2019s situation: he is at present in a place of\nsafety; for although you ordered me to kill him, I ventured to disobey,\nand have concealed him in my house, from whence, if you permit, I shall\nimmediately bring him.\u201d At this information the King was so delighted\nthat he rewarded the man with a splendid robe, and sent with him several\nattendants to bring Farrukhz\u0101d to the palace.\n\nOn arriving in his presence, Farrukhz\u0101d threw himself at the King\u2019s\nfeet, but he raised him in his arms and asked his forgiveness, and thus\nthe affair ended in rejoicing and festivity.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\u201cNow,\u201d said Bakhty\u0101r, having concluded his story, \u201cit appears that women\nare expert in stratagems; and if Farrukhz\u0101d had been put to death,\naccording to the King\u2019s command, what grief and sorrow would have been\nthe consequence! To avoid such,\u201d added he, \u201clet not your Majesty be\nprecipitate in ordering my execution.\u201d\n\nThe King resolved to wait another day, and Bakhty\u0101r was sent back to\nprison.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER VIII.\n\n\nOn the next morning, the Eighth Vizier, having paid his compliments to\nthe King, addressed him on the subject of Bakhty\u0101r, and said:\n\u201cGovernment resembles a tree, the root of which is legal punishment.\nNow, if the root of a tree become dry, the leaves will wither: why then\nshould the punishment of Bakhty\u0101r be any longer deferred?\u201d\n\nIn consequence of this discourse, the King ordered the executioner to\nprepare himself, and Bakhty\u0101r was brought from prison. When the\nunfortunate young man came before the King, he addressed him, and said:\n\u201cIf your Majesty will consider the consequences of haste and\nprecipitancy, it will appear that they are invariably sorrow and\nrepentance; as we find confirmed in the Story of the Jewel-Merchant.\u201d\n\nThe King expressed his desire of hearing the story to which he alluded;\nand Bakhty\u0101r began it accordingly, in the following manner:\n\n\n STORY OF THE JEWEL-MERCHANT.\n\nThere was a certain jewel-merchant, a very wealthy man, and eminently\nskilled in the knowledge of precious stones. His wife, a very prudent\nand amiable woman, was in a state of pregnancy when it happened that the\nKing sent a messenger to her husband, desiring his attendance at court,\nthat he might consult him in the choice of jewels. The merchant received\nthe King\u2019s messenger with all due respect, and immediately prepared to\nset out on his journey to the capital. When taking leave of his wife, he\ndesired her to remember him in her prayers; and, in case she should\nbring forth a boy, to call his name Bihr\u016bz.\n\nAfter this injunction he departed from his house, and at length arrived\nin the capital, where he waited on the King, and having paid his\nrespects, was employed in selecting from a box of pearls those that were\nmost valuable. The King was so much pleased with his skill and\ningenuity, that he kept him constantly near his own person, and\nentrusted to him the making of various royal ornaments, crowns, and\ngirdles studded with jewels.\n\nAt length the wife of this jewel-merchant was delivered of two boys; one\nof whom, in compliance with her husband\u2019s desire, she called Bihr\u016bz, the\nother R\u016bzbih; and she sent intelligence of this event to the father, who\nsolicited permission from the King that he might return home for a while\nand visit his family; but the King would not grant him this indulgence.\nThe next year he made the same request, and with the same success. Thus\nduring eight years he as often solicited leave to visit his wife and\nsons, but could not obtain it.\n\nIn the course of this time the boys had learned to read the Qur\u2019\u0101n, and\nwere instructed in the art of penmanship and other accomplishments; and\nthey wrote a letter to their father, expressing their sorrow and anxiety\non account of his absence. The jewel-merchant, no longer able to resist\nhis desire of seeing his family, represented his situation to the King\nin such strong colours that he desired him to send for his wife and\nchildren, and allowed him an ample sum of money to defray the expenses\nof their journey.\n\nA trusty messenger was immediately despatched to the jewel-merchant\u2019s\nwife, who, on receipt of her husband\u2019s letter, set out with her two sons\non their way to the capital. One evening, after a journey of a month,\nthey arrived at the sea-side. Here they resolved to wait until morning;\nand, being refreshed with a slight repast, the boys amused themselves in\nwandering along the shore.\n\nIt happened that the jewel-merchant, in expectation of meeting his wife\nand children, had come thus far on the way; and having left his clothes\nand money concealed in different places, he bathed himself in the sea,\nand on returning to the shore put on his clothes, but forgot his gold.\nHaving taken some refreshment, he was proceeding on his journey, when he\nthought of his money, and went back to seek it, but could not find it.\nAt this moment he perceived the two boys, who had wandered thus far,\namusing themselves playing along the shore. He immediately suspected\nthat these boys had discovered and taken the gold, and accused them\naccordingly. They declared their ignorance of the matter, which so\nenraged the jewel-merchant, that he seized them both, and cast them\nheadlong into the sea.\n\nAfter this he proceeded on his way; whilst the wife was so unhappy at\nthe long absence of her sons, that the world became dark in her eyes,\nand she raised her voice and called upon the boys. When the\njewel-merchant heard the voice of his wife, he hastened to meet her, and\ninquired after his two sons, expressing his eager desire of seeing them.\nThe wife told him that they had left her some time before, and had\nwandered along the sea-side. At this intelligence the jewel-merchant\nbegan to lament, and tore his clothes, and exclaimed: \u201cAlas, alas, I\nhave drowned my sons!\u201d He then related what had happened, and proceeded\nwith his wife along the shore in search of the boys, but they sought in\nvain. Then they smote their breasts and wept. And when the next morning\ncame, they said: \u201cFrom this time forth, whatsoever happens must be to us\na matter of indifference;\u201d and they set out on their journey towards the\ncity, with afflicted bosoms and bleeding hearts, being persuaded that\ntheir sons had perished in the water.\n\nBut they were ignorant of the wonderful kindness of Providence, which\nrescued the two boys from destruction; for it happened that the King of\nthat country, being on a hunting excursion, passed along the shore on\nthat side where Bihr\u016bz had fallen. When he perceived the boy, he ordered\nhis attendants to take him up, and finding him of a pleasing\ncountenance, although pale from the terror of the water and the danger\nhe had escaped, he inquired into the circumstances which had befallen\nhim. The boy informed him, that with his brother he had been walking on\nthe shore, when a stranger seized upon them, and flung them into the\nwater. The King, not having any child, inquired the name of the boy; and\nwhen he answered, that his name was Bihr\u016bz, he exclaimed: \u201cI accept it\nas a favourable omen,[26] and adopt you as my own son.\u201d After this,\nBihr\u016bz, mounted on a horse, accompanied the King to his capital, and all\nthe subjects were enjoined to obey him as heir to the crown. After some\ntime the King died, and Bihr\u016bz reigned in his place, with such wisdom,\nliberality, and uprightness, that his fame resounded through all\nquarters of the world.\n\nIt happened in the meantime, that the other boy, whose name was R\u016bzbih,\nhad been rescued from the water by some robbers, who agreed to sell him\nas a slave, and divide the price amongst them. The jewel-merchant and\nhis wife had reached the city and purchased a house, where they resolved\nto pass the remainder of their lives in prayer and exercises of\ndevotion. But finding it necessary to procure an attendant, the\njewel-merchant purchased a young boy at the slave-market, whom he did\nnot know, but whom natural affection prompted him to choose. On bringing\nhome the young slave, his wife fainted away, and exclaimed: \u201cThis is\nyour son R\u016bzbih!\u201d The parents as well as the child wept with joy, and\nreturned thanks to Heaven for such an unexpected blessing.\n\nAfter this the jewel-merchant instructed R\u016bzbih in his own profession,\nso that in a little time he became perfectly skilled in the value of\nprecious stones; and having collected a very considerable number, he\nexpressed a wish of turning them to profit, by selling them to a certain\nKing in a distant country, one who was celebrated for his generosity and\nkindness to strangers.\n\nThe father consented that he should visit the court of this monarch, on\ncondition that he would not afflict his parents by too long an absence.\nR\u016bzbih accordingly set out, and arrived at the capital of that King, who\nhappened to be his own brother Bihr\u016bz. Him, however, after the lapse of\nmany years, he did not recognise. The King, having graciously received\nthe present which R\u016bzbih offered, purchased of him all the jewels, and\nconceived such an affection for him that he kept him constantly in the\npalace, day and night.\n\nAt this time a foreign enemy invaded the country; but the King thought\nthe matter of so little importance, that he contented himself with\nsending some troops to the field, and remained at home carousing and\ndrinking with R\u016bzbih. At length, one night, at a very late hour, all the\nservants being absent, the King became intoxicated, and fell asleep.\nR\u016bzbih, not perceiving any of the guards or attendants, resolved that he\nwould watch the King until morning; and accordingly, taking a sword, he\nstationed himself near the King\u2019s pillow.\n\nAfter some time had elapsed, several of the soldiers who had gone to\noppose the enemy returned, and, entering the palace, discovered R\u016bzbih\nand the King in this situation. They immediately seized R\u016bzbih; and when\nthe King awoke, they told him that, by their coming, they had saved his\nMajesty from assassination, which the jeweller, with a drawn sword, had\nbeen ready to perpetrate. The King, at first, ordered his immediate\nexecution; and as day was beginning to dawn, and the approach of the\nenemy required his presence at the head of his troops, he sent for the\nexecutioner, who, having bound the eyes of R\u016bzbih and drawn his sword,\nexclaimed: \u201cSay, King of the world, shall I strike or not?\u201d\n\nThe King, considering that it would be better to inquire more\nparticularly into the affair, and, knowing that, although it is easy to\nkill, it is impossible to restore a man to life, resolved to defer the\npunishment until his return, and sent R\u016bzbih to prison.\n\nAfter this he proceeded to join the army, and having subdued his\nenemies, returned to the capital; but, during the space of two years,\nforgot the unfortunate R\u016bzbih, who lingered away his life in\nconfinement. In the meantime his father and mother, grieving on account\nof his absence, and, ignorant of what had befallen him, sent a letter of\ninquiry by a confidential messenger to the money-changers (or bankers)\nof that city. Having read this, they wrote back, in answer, that R\u016bzbih\nhad been in prison for two years.\n\nOn receiving this information, the jewel-merchant and his wife resolved\nto set out and throw themselves at the feet of this King, and endeavour\nto obtain from him the pardon and liberty of their son. With heavy\nhearts they accordingly proceeded on their journey, and having arrived\nat the capital, presented themselves before the King, and said: \u201cBe it\nknown unto your exalted Majesty, that we are two wretched strangers,\noppressed by the infirmities of age, and overwhelmed by misfortune. We\nwere blessed with two sons, one named Bihr\u016bz, the other R\u016bzbih; but it\nwas the will of Heaven that they should fall into the sea, where one of\nthem perished, but the other was restored to us. The fame of your\nMajesty\u2019s generosity and greatness induced our son to visit this\nimperial court; and we are informed that, by your orders, he is now in\nprison. The object of our petition is, that your Majesty might take\ncompassion on our helpless situation, and restore to us our long-lost\nson.\u201d\n\nThe King on hearing this was astonished, and for a while imagined that\nit was all a dream. At length, when convinced that the old man and woman\nwere his own parents, and that R\u016bzbih was his own brother, he sent for\nhim to the prison, embraced them and wept, and placed them beside him on\nthe throne; and for the sake of R\u016bzbih, set at liberty all those who had\nbeen confined with him. After this he divided the empire with his\nbrother, and their time passed away in pleasure and tranquillity.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThis story being concluded, Bakhty\u0101r observed, that the jewel-merchant,\nby his precipitancy, had nearly occasioned the death of his two sons;\nand that Bihr\u016bz, by deferring the execution of his brother, had\nprevented an infinity of distress to himself and his parents. This\nobservation induced the King to grant Bakhty\u0101r another day\u2019s reprieve,\nand he was taken back to prison.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER IX.\n\n\nWhen the next morning came, the Ninth Vizier appeared before the King\nand said, that his extraordinary forbearance and lenity in respect to\nBakhty\u0101r had given occasion to much scandal; as every criminal, however\nheinous his offence, began to think that he might escape punishment by\namusing the King with idle stories.\n\nThe King, on hearing this, sent to the prison for Bakhty\u0101r, and desired\nthe executioner to attend. When the unfortunate young man came before\nthe King, he requested a respite only of two days, in the course of\nwhich he hoped his innocence might be proved; \u201calthough,\u201d said he, \u201cI\nknow that the malice of one\u2019s enemies is a flame from which it is almost\nimpossible to escape: as appears from the story of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, who, on\nthe strength of a false accusation, was put to death by the King, and\nhis innocence acknowledged when too late.\u201d\n\n\u201cWho was that Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m?\u201d demanded the King, \u201cand what were those\nmalicious accusations which prevailed against him?\u201d\n\n\n STORY OF AB\u016a TEM\u0100M.\n\nAB\u016a TEM\u0100M (said Bakhty\u0101r) was a very wealthy man, who resided in a city,\nthe King of which was so tyrannical and unjust, that whatever money any\none possessed above five direms he seized on for his own use. Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\nwas so disgusted and terrified by the oppressions and cruelties of this\nKing, that he never enjoyed one meal in peace or comfort, until he had\ncollected all his property together and contrived to escape from that\nplace. After some time he settled in the capital of another King, a city\nadorned with gardens, and well supplied with running streams. This King\nwas a man of upright and virtuous principles, renowned for hospitality\nand kindness to strangers. In this capital Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m purchased a\nmagnificent mansion, in which he sumptuously entertained the people of\nthe city, presenting each of them, at his departure, with a handsome\ndress suited to his rank. The inhabitants were delighted with his\ngenerosity, and his hospitality was daily celebrated by the strangers\nwho resorted to his house. He also expended considerable sums in the\nerection of bridges, caravanseries, and mosques. At last the fame of his\nliberality and munificence reached the King, who sent to him two\nservants with a very flattering message and an invitation to court. This\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m thankfully accepted; and having prepared the necessary\npresents for the King, he hastened to the palace, where he kissed the\nground of obedience and was graciously received.\n\nIn a short time he became so great a favourite that the King would not\npermit him to be one day absent, and heaped on him so many favours that\nhe was next in power to his royal master; and his advice was followed in\nall matters of importance.\n\nBut this King had ten viziers, who conceived a mortal hatred against Ab\u016b\nTem\u0101m, and said, one to another: \u201cHe has robbed us of all dignity and\npower, and we must devise some means whereby we may banish him from this\ncountry.\u201d The chief vizier proposed that, as the King was a very\npassionate admirer of beauty, and the Princess of Turkest\u0101n one of the\nloveliest creatures of the age, they should so praise her charms before\nhim as to induce him to send Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m to ask her in marriage; and as it\nwas the custom of the King of Turkest\u0101n to send all ambassadors who came\non that errand to his daughter, who always caused their heads to be cut\noff, so the destruction of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m would be certain.\n\nThis advice all the other viziers approved of; and, having proceeded to\nthe palace, they took an opportunity of talking on various subjects,\nuntil the King of Turkest\u0101n was mentioned, when the chief vizier began\nto celebrate the charms of the lovely Princess.\n\nWhen the King heard the extravagant praises of her beauty, he became\nenamoured, and declared his intention of despatching an ambassador to\nthe court of Turkest\u0101n, and demanding the Princess in marriage. The\nviziers immediately said, that no person was so properly qualified for\nsuch an embassy as Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m. The King accordingly sent for him, and,\naddressing him as his father and friend, informed him that he had now\noccasion for his assistance in the accomplishment of a matter on which\nhis heart was bent. Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m desired to know what his Majesty\u2019s\ncommands might be, and declared himself ready to obey them. The King\nhaving communicated his design, all the necessary preparations were\nmade, and Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m set out on his journey to the court of Turkest\u0101n. In\nthe meantime the viziers congratulated one another on the success of\ntheir stratagem.\n\nWhen the King of Turkest\u0101n heard of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\u2019s arrival, he sent proper\nofficers to receive and compliment him, and on the following day gave\nhim a public audience; and when the palace was cleared of the crowd, and\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m had an opportunity of speaking with the King in private, he\ndisclosed the object of his mission, and demanded the Princess for his\nmaster. The King acknowledged himself highly honoured by the proposal of\nsuch an alliance, and said: \u201cI fear that my daughter is not qualified\nfor so exalted a station as you offer; but if you will visit her in the\nharem, and converse with her, you may form an opinion of her beauty and\naccomplishments; and if you approve of her, preparations for the\nmarriage shall be made without delay.\u201d\n\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m thanked his Majesty for this readiness in complying with his\ndemands; but said that he could not think of profaning the beauty of her\nwho was destined for his sovereign by gazing on her, or of allowing his\nears to hear the forbidden sounds of her voice;\u2014besides, his King never\nentertained a doubt on the subject of her charms and qualifications: the\ndaughter of such a monarch must be worthy of any King, but he was not\nsent to make any inquiry as to her merits, but to demand her in\nmarriage.\n\nThe King of Turkest\u0101n, on hearing this reply, embraced Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, and\nsaid: \u201cWithin this hour I meditated thy destruction; for of all the\nambassadors who have hitherto come to solicit my daughter, I have tried\nthe wisdom and talents, and have judged by them of the Kings who\nemployed them, and finding them deficient, I have caused their heads to\nbe cut off.\u201d On saying this, he took from under his robe a key, with\nwhich he opened a lock, and going into another part of the palace, he\nexhibited to Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m the heads of four hundred ambassadors.\n\nAfter this the King directed the necessary preparations for the\ndeparture of his daughter, and invested Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m with a splendid robe\nof honour, who, when ten days had elapsed, embarked in a ship with the\nPrincess, her damsels, and other attendants. The news of his arrival\nwith the fair Princess of Turkest\u0101n being announced, the King, his\nmaster, was delighted, and the viziers, his mortal enemies, were\nconfounded at the failure of their stratagems. The King, accompanied by\nall the people, great and small, went two stages to meet Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m and\nthe Princess, and, having led her into the city, after three days\ncelebrated their marriage by the most sumptuous feasts and rejoicings,\nand bestowed a thousand thanks on Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, who every day became a\ngreater favourite.\n\nThe ten viziers, finding, in consequence of this, their own importance\nand dignity gradually reduced, consulted one with another, saying: \u201cAll\nthat we have hitherto done only tends to the exaltation of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m; we\nmust devise some other means of disgracing him in the King\u2019s esteem, and\nprocuring his banishment from this country.\u201d\n\nAfter this they concerted together, and at length resolved to bribe two\nboys, whose office was to rub the King\u2019s feet every night after he lay\ndown on his bed; and they accordingly instructed these boys to take an\nopportunity, when the King should close his eyes, of saying that Ab\u016b\nTem\u0101m had been ungrateful for the favours bestowed on him; that he had\nviolated the harem, and aspired to the Queen\u2019s affections, and had\nboasted that she would not have come from Turkest\u0101n had she not been\nenamoured of himself. This lesson the viziers taught the boys, giving\nthem a thousand d\u012bnars, and promising five hundred more.\n\nWhen it was night the boys were employed as usual in their office of\nrubbing the King\u2019s feet; and when they perceived his eyes to be closed,\nthey began to repeat all that the viziers had taught them to say\nconcerning Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m.\n\nThe King, hearing this, started up, and dismissing the boys, sent\nimmediately for Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, and said to him: \u201cA certain matter has\noccurred, on the subject of which I must consult you; and I expect that\nyou will relieve my mind by answering the question that I shall\nask.\u201d\u2014Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m declared himself ready to obey.\u2014\u201cWhat, then,\u201d demanded\nthe King, \u201cdoes that servant merit, who, in return for various favours,\nungratefully attempts to violate the harem of his sovereign?\u201d\u2014\u201cSuch a\nservant,\u201d answered Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, \u201cshould be punished with death: his blood\nshould expiate his offence.\u201d When Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m had said this, the King drew\nhis scimitar, and cut off his head, and ordered his body to be cast into\na pit.\n\nFor some days he gave not audience to any person, and the viziers began\nto exult in the success of their stratagem; but the King was melancholy,\nand loved to sit alone, and was constantly thinking of the unfortunate\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m.\n\nIt happened, however, that one day the two boys who had been bribed by\nthe viziers were engaged in a dispute one with the other on the division\nof the money, each claiming for himself the larger share. In the course\nof their dispute they mentioned the innocence of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, and the\nbribe which they had received for defaming him in the King\u2019s hearing.\n\nAll this conversation the King overheard; and trembling with vexation,\nrage, and sorrow, he compelled the boys to relate all the circumstances\nof the affair; in consequence of which the ten viziers were immediately\nseized and put to death, and their houses levelled with the ground;\nafter which the King passed his time in fruitless lamentation for the\nloss of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\u201cThus,\u201d said Bakhty\u0101r, \u201cdoes unrelenting malice persecute unto\ndestruction; but if the King had not been so hasty in killing Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m,\nhe would have spared himself all his subsequent sorrow.\u201d\n\nThe King, affected by this observation, resolved to indulge Bakhty\u0101r\nwith another day, and accordingly sent him back to prison.\n\n\n\n\n CHAPTER X.\n\n\nEarly on the next morning the Tenth Vizier sent a woman to the Queen\nwith a message, urging her to exert her influence over the King, and\ninduce him to give orders for the execution of Bakhty\u0101r. The Queen, in\nconsequence of this, addressed the King on the subject before he left\nthe palace, and he replied, that Bakhty\u0101r\u2019s fate was now decided, and\nthat his execution should not be any longer deferred. The King then went\nforth, and the Viziers attended in their proper places. The Tenth Vizier\nwas rising to speak, when the King informed him of his resolution to\nterminate the affair of Bakhty\u0101r by putting him to death on that day.\n\nHe was brought accordingly from the prison; and the King on seeing him\nsaid: \u201cYou have spoken a great deal of your innocence, yet have not been\nable to make it appear; therefore no longer entertain any hopes of\nmercy, for I have given orders for your execution.\u201d\u2014On hearing this,\nBakhty\u0101r began to weep, and said: \u201cI have hitherto endeavoured to gain\ntime, conscious of my innocence, and hoping that it might be proved, and\na guiltless person saved from an ignominious death; but I now find it\nvain to struggle against the decrees of Heaven. Thus the King of Persia\nfoolishly attempted to counteract his destiny, and triumph over the will\nof Providence, but in vain.\u201d\n\nThe King expressed a desire of hearing the story to which Bakhty\u0101r\nalluded, and the young man began to relate it as follows:\n\n\n STORY OF THE KING OF PERSIA.\n\nThere was a certain King of Persia, a very powerful and wealthy monarch,\nwho, not having any child, employed all the influence of prayers and of\nalms to procure the blessing of a son from Heaven. At length one of his\nhandmaids became pregnant, and the King was transported with joy; but\none night, in a dream, he was addressed by an old man, who said: \u201cThe\nLord has complied with your request, and to-morrow you shall have a son;\nbut in his seventh year a lion shall seize and carry off this son to the\ntop of a mountain, from which he shall fall, rolling in blood and clay.\u201d\nWhen the King awoke, he assembled the viziers, and related to them the\nhorrors of his dream. They replied: \u201cLong be the King\u2019s life! If Heaven\nhas decreed such a calamity who can oppose or control it?\u201d\u2014The King\npresumptuously declared that he would struggle against and counteract\nit; but one of his viziers, eminently skilled in astrology, discovered\none day, by the power of his science, that the King would, after twenty\nyears, perish by the hand of his own son. In consequence of this, he\nimmediately waited on the King, and informed him that he had to\ncommunicate a certain matter, for the truth and certainty of which he\nwould answer with his life. The King desired him to reveal it; and he,\nfalling on the knees of obedience, related all that he had discovered in\nthe stars. \u201cIf it happens not according to what you predict,\u201d said the\nKing, \u201cI shall certainly put you to death.\u201d\n\nIn the meantime, however, he caused a subterraneous dwelling to be\nconstructed, to which he sent the boy, with a nurse. There they remained\nduring the space of seven years, when, in compliance with the heavenly\ndecree, a lion suddenly rushed into the cave, and devoured the nurse,\nand having wounded the child, carried him up to the summit of a\nneighbouring mountain, from which he let him fall to the bottom, covered\nwith blood and earth. It happened that one of the King\u2019s secretaries\ncame by, in pursuit of game, and perceived the boy in this situation,\nand the lion standing on the summit of the mountain. He immediately\nresolved to save the child; and having taken him to his own house, he\nhealed his wounds, and instructed him in various accomplishments.\n\nOn the day after the nurse had been devoured and the child carried away\nby the lion, the King resolved to visit the cave, and finding it\ndeserted, he concluded that the nurse had escaped to some other place.\nHe instantly despatched messengers to seek her in every quarter, but in\nvain.\n\nIn process of time the boy grew up, and acted as keeper [of pen and ink]\nto the secretary. In this situation, having been employed at the palace,\nit happened that the King saw and was much pleased with him, and felt\nwithin his bosom the force of paternal affection. In consequence of this\nhe demanded him of the secretary, and clothed him in splendid garments;\nand after some time, when an enemy invaded the country, and required the\nKing\u2019s presence with his army, he appointed the young man to be his\narmour-bearer; and, accompanied by him, proceeded to battle.\n\nAfter a bloody conflict, the troops of the enemy were victorious, and\nthose of the King began to fly; but he, in the impulse of rage and fury,\nthrew himself into the midst of his adversaries, fighting with the most\ndesperate valour. In this state of confusion it was impossible to know\none person from another; the young armour-bearer, who fought also with\nthe utmost bravery, no longer distinguishing the King, rushed into a\ncrowd of combatants, and striking furiously on all sides, cut off the\nhand of one man whom he supposed to be of the enemy\u2019s side; but this\nperson was the King, who, on recognising the armour-bearer, upbraided\nhim with this attempt upon his life, and being unable to remain any\nlonger in the field, he retired, with his troops, to the capital, and\nthe next day concluded a peace with the enemy, on condition of paying a\nconsiderable sum of money. He then gave orders that the armour-bearer\nshould be arrested, and although he persevered in declarations of\ninnocence, they availed him not; he was thrown into prison, and loaded\nwith chains.\n\nIn the meantime the King was reposing on the pillow of death; and when\nhe found that all hopes of recovery were vain, he resolved to punish the\nvizier who had told him that his son should be torn by a lion, and that\nhe should fall by the hand of that son. \u201cNow,\u201d said the King, \u201cmy son\nhas been carried away to some other country by his nurse, and I have\nbeen wounded by the hand of a different person.\u201d Having said this, he\nsent for the vizier, and desired him to prepare for death. \u201cThis\narmour-bearer,\u201d added he, \u201cand not my own son, has wounded me, contrary\nto your prediction; and, as you consented to be punished in case your\nprediction should not be accomplished, I have resolved to put you to\ndeath.\u201d\u2014\u201cBe it so,\u201d replied the vizier; \u201cbut let us first inquire into\nthe birth of this young armour-bearer.\u201d\n\nThe King immediately sent for the young man, and asked him concerning\nhis parents and his country. He answered that of the country which gave\nhim birth he was ignorant; but that he had been with his mother in a\nsubterraneous place, and that she had informed him of his father\u2019s being\na king, but he had never seen his father; that one day a lion carried\nhim away to the summit of a mountain, from which he fell, and was taken\nup by the secretary, by whom he was instructed in various\naccomplishments, and from whose service he passed into that of the King.\n\nWhen the King heard this, he was amazed, and his hair stood on end; and\nhe sent for the viziers and secretary, who confirmed what the young man\nhad said.\n\nHaving thus ascertained that the armour-bearer was his own son, he\nresigned to him the crown and throne; and having invested the vizier\nwith the robe of prime-minister, he expired in the course of three days.\n\n * * * * *\n\nHere Bakhty\u0101r concluded his narrative, and observed, that he had\nstruggled against his evil destiny, like that king, but in vain. Having\nsaid this, the King wished to send him back to prison; but the Ten\nViziers unanimously declared that they would leave the country if\nBakhty\u0101r\u2019s punishment was any longer deferred.\n\nThe King then acknowledged that he could not bear to behold the\nexecution of the young man; in consequence of which the Viziers led him\naway, and assembled all the people by proclamation, that they might see\nhim put to death.\n\n\n\n\n CONCLUSION.\n\n\nIt happened at this time that Farrukhsuw\u0101r, who had found Bakhty\u0101r at\nthe side of the well, came, with some of his companions, to the city,\nand was wrapped in that embroidered cloak which the King and Queen had\nleft with the infant. In passing by the place of execution he beheld the\nguards leading out Bakhty\u0101r to punishment, on which he rushed amongst\nthem with his companions, and rescued the young man from their hands,\nand then solicited an audience of the King.\n\nOn coming into the royal presence Farrukhsuw\u0101r exclaimed: \u201cThis young\nman is my son; I cannot bear to see him executed: if he must perish, let\nme also be put to death.\u201d\u2014\u201cYour wish in this respect,\u201d said the King,\n\u201cmay be easily gratified.\u201d\u2014\u201cAlas!\u201d cried Farrukhsuw\u0101r, \u201cif the father of\nthis youth, who was a king, or his mother, who was a queen, were\ninformed of his situation, they would save him from this ignominious\ndeath!\u201d The King laughed at the seeming inconsistency of Farrukhsuw\u0101r,\nand said: \u201cYou told me at one time that Bakhty\u0101r was your son, yet now\nyou describe him as the child of royal parents.\u201d\n\nFarrukhsuw\u0101r, in reply, told all the circumstances of his finding\nBakhty\u0101r near the well, and showed the cloak in which he had been\nwrapped. The King immediately knew it to be the same which he had left\nwith the infant, and asked whether Farrukhsuw\u0101r had found anything\nbesides. He produced the bracelet of pearls, and the King, now convinced\nthat Bakhty\u0101r was not the son of Farrukhsuw\u0101r, but his own, took the\ncloak and the bracelets to the Queen, and asked her if she had ever\nbefore seen them. She instantly exclaimed: \u201cThey were my child\u2019s!\u2014what\ntidings do you bring of him?\u201d\u2014\u201cI shall bring himself,\u201d replied the King;\nand he immediately sent an order to the Viziers that they should conduct\nBakhty\u0101r to the palace.\n\nWhen he arrived, the King, with his own hands, took off his chains,\nplaced a royal turban on his head, and covered him with the embroidered\ncloak, and then led him to the Queen, saying: \u201cThis is our son, whom we\nleft on the brink of the well.\u201d When the Queen heard this, and beheld\nBakhty\u0101r, the tears gushed forth from her eyes, and she embraced him\nwith the greatest emotion. Bakhty\u0101r then asked the Queen why she had\nendeavoured to destroy him by a false accusation, and she confessed that\nthe Viziers had induced her; on which the King ordered their immediate\nexecution, and then resigned the throne to Bakhty\u0101r, who was\nacknowledged sovereign by all the people. Farrukhsuw\u0101r was invested with\nthe dignity of chief Vizier, and his companions rewarded with honourable\nappointments; and Bakhty\u0101r continued for many years to govern with\njustice, wisdom, and generosity.\n\n\n\n\n NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.\n\n\n\u2042 In the Preface to his translation and text of the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_, Sir\nWilliam Ouseley states, that \u201cas this work is chiefly designed for the\nuse of those who begin to study the Persian language,\u201d he selected for\ntranslation, from among three manuscripts in his own possession and five\nor six others in the collections of several friends, \u201cthat which seemed\nwritten in the most pure and simple style; for several copies, in\npassing through the hands of ignorant or conceited transcribers, have\nsuffered a considerable depravation of the original text, and one, in\nparticular, is so disguised by the alterations and augmented by the\nadditions of some Indian Munsh\u012b, that it appears almost a different\nwork. These additions, however, are only turgid amplifications and\nflorid exuberancies, according to the modern corrupt style of Hind\u016bst\u0101n,\nwhich distinguishes the compositions of that country from the chaste and\nclassical productions of \u012ar\u0101n.\u201d Regarding his own translation, he says\nthat, while it will be found sufficiently literal, he has \u201cnot retained\nthose idioms which would not only be uncouth, but perhaps\nunintelligible, in English: some repetitions I have taken the liberty of\nomitting; and as most of the stories begin and end nearly in the same\nmanner, I have on such occasions compressed into a few lines the subject\nof a page.\u201d But since the translation was mainly designed to aid\nlearners of Persian, it seems strange that he should have deemed it\nadvisable to take any \u201cliberties\u201d such as he mentions; and an\nexamination of the text appended to his translation shows that he has\noccasionally done something more than omit mere \u201crepetitions\u201d: in\nseveral instances he has omitted whole passages, of which many are\nrequisite to the proper connection of the incidents related in the\nstories; and this, too, in dealing with a text which is itself evidently\nabridged from \u201cthe original\u201d\u2014if indeed an original Persian text now\nexists.\n\nThe more important deficiencies of Sir William Ouseley\u2019s\ntranslation\u2014arising, as has been already explained, from his imperfect\ntext as well as from his own omissions\u2014which will be found included in\nthe following Notes, have been supplied by my obliging friend Mr William\nPlatt, the veteran scholar, who has taken the trouble of comparing the\ntranslation with the carefully edited lithographed text of the _Bakhty\u0101r\nN\u0101ma_, published, at Paris, in 1839; and has, besides these notes of\nomissions, &c., kindly furnished me with other valuable materials, of\nwhich I have gladly availed myself, with the view of rendering this\ncurious and in many respects unique work more complete and interesting\nto general English readers.\n\n W. A. C.\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER I.\n\nIt is customary for Muslim authors to place at the beginning of all\ntheir compositions the Arabic invocation\u2014\n\n _bi \u2019smi \u2019ll\u0101hi \u2019r-rahm\u0101n\u012b \u2019r-rah\u012bm\u012b_\n\nwhich Sale renders: \u201cIn the name of the most merciful God!\u201d but which is\nmore correctly translated: \u201cIn the name of God, the Merciful, the\nCompassionate!\u201d The _`Ulama_, or professors of religion and law,\ninterpret \u201cthe merciful\u201d to signify \u201cmerciful in small things,\u201d and \u201cthe\ncompassionate,\u201d as \u201cmerciful in great things.\u201d This invocation, which is\nplaced at the head of each chapter of the Kur\u2019\u0101n, except the ninth, is\nnot only also prefixed to every Muhammadan book or writing, but is\npronounced by Muslims on their undertaking every lawful act. It is said\nthat Muhammad borrowed it from a similar practice of the Magians and\nRabbins. Following the invocation are usually praise and blessings on\nthe Prophet, his Family, and his Companions. In Sir William Ouseley\u2019s\nprinted text only the customary invocation appears, which he does not\ngive in his English version. The following is a translation of the\nintroduction as given in the lithographed text:\n\n\n \u201cIN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE!\n\nThanksgiving and praise without end, and salutation and eulogium without\nstint, to the Supreme Benefactor, who is above all commendation\u2014the\nHoly-One, beyond our imagination! May He be ever exalted on high, the\nwell-furnished table of whose generosity is spread over the surface of\nthe earth, and on the table of whose bounty every ant finds its food in\nsafety! And salutation and praise to all the prophets, and, above all,\nto our Prophet, who is the Apostle, and the Director of the Path [of\nGod], and the Prince of Creation, and the purest of created\nbeings\u2014Muhammad, the Elect! May God be propitious and vouchsafe\nsalvation to him, his Family, and Companions, one and all!\u2014After this\nintroduction [be it known], this work and composition is divided into\nten chapters [gates], and each chapter affords to the intelligent moral\nexamples, and to the wise recognised forewarnings.\u201d\n\n\n_Page 3._ \u201cThe country of S\u012bst\u0101n,\u201d or Sijist\u0101n (the ancient Drangiana),\nlies to the east of Farsist\u0101n, or Persia proper. The Governor is\nentitled Shah-i-n\u012bmr\u016bz (Sa`d\u012b\u2019s _Gulist\u0101n_, iii, 27). The famous Rustam,\nthe Hercules of Persia, held this country as a fief under the Kings of\nPersia (see Ranking\u2019s _Wars and Sports of the Mongols_, p. 93).\n\n_Page 3._ \u0100z\u0101d-bakht: \u201cFree-Fortune\u201d\u2014\u201cFortunate.\u201d\n\n_Page 3._ Sipah-s\u0101l\u0101r, here employed as a proper name, signifies a\ngeneral, a commander of an army, especially a chief of cavalry: from\nasp, a horse, and _s\u0101l\u0101r_, a leader. _S\u0101l\u0101r-i-jung_, a leader in war, is\none of the titles given by Eastern princes to their nobles.\n\n_Page 3._ \u201cThe rose of the garden and the moon of the heavenly spheres\nwere confounded at the superior lustre of her cheeks.\u201d\u2014The comparison of\na beautiful woman\u2019s face to the moon, however absurd it may appear to\nsome readers, is a very favourite one with Orientals, from Solomon\ndownwards; it is, moreover, employed by several of our own admired\nEnglish poets, as Spenser, Shakspeare, and Pope. In the Notes to my\n_Arabian Poetry for English Readers_ many parallel passages on this\nsimilitude are cited from Eastern and Western poets.\n\n_Page 4._ \u201cA litter was provided.\u201d\u2014Several kinds of litters are used in\nPersia and India. Garcin de Tassy, in a note to his French translation\nof the Persian romance of _K\u0101marupa_ (chap. xxiii), quotes the following\ninteresting account of the palanquins and carriages of India, from the\n_Ar\u0101ish-i-Mahfil_:\n\n\u201cIt is known that the _g\u0101ri_ is an invention of the people of India.\nThey who use them are sheltered from heat, cold, wind, or rain. The\nBayad\u012bres [or dancing-girls], who employ these carriages drawn by oxen,\nput silver ornaments on their horns, hang small bells on the axle-tree,\nand place negroes on the pole. In this sumptuous carriage they frequent\nfairs, the shrines visited by pilgrims, and public gardens. The\nastonished lookers-on are inclined to regard them as strolling fairies,\ntravelling on thrones to the sound of cymbals; ... but the carriages of\ndiscreet females, named _rath_, are covered with awnings, so closely\nfastened that the opening of the breadth of a hair cannot be seen.\nUnfortunately the wheeled carriages jolt, yet in other respects are\ncomfortable. Three or four men seated can travel without fatigue,\nchatting the meanwhile, and perform the journey, enjoying the advantage\nof repose. Some of the _g\u0101ri_ have curtains, some are without. The small\nand light are called _manjhal\u012b_, the very light and diminutive, _gain\u012b_,\nand the oxen drawing them are of a peculiarly small breed, and are\ndistinguished by the name of _gaina_. These small carriages are\npreferable to the _rath_, which has four wheels. In fact, they jolt but\nlittle, and are of sufficient importance to carry the Am\u012br. There are\nsome so well constructed, and adorned with such beautiful paintings,\nthat they throw into a frenzy those who behold them; and the blinds are\nto such a degree pleasing and elegant that, if the Sun shone as they\nwere passing along, he would descend from his car and mount thereon; and\nif the god Indra [King of Heaven] should see them, he would quit his\nthrone and place himself therein. So that persons of high rank, who do\nnot disdain to use them, vary the furniture according to the seasons:\nduring hot weather the blinds are made of veti-ver;[27] in the rainy\nseason, of oiled silk; and in winter, of wool. Those, however, who use\nthem most frequently are traders, bankers, government servants, and\nMuslim and Hind\u016b women.\u2014Besides the carriages just described there is a\nkind of throne, called _n\u0101lk\u012b_, for sovereigns; and for the Am\u012br,\npalanquins with trimmings of fringe, termed _p\u0101lk\u012b_. The palanquins of\nladies are the _mah\u0101dol_, _ch\u0101ndol_, _sukhp\u016bl_, and _mi\u0101na_; and for the\nfemale poor, _dol\u012b_. So that a lady, _comme il faut_, need never walk,\nand no individual who is not _mahram_ [who is not privileged to visit\nthe harem] can ever see her figure.\u201d\n\nAmong the other kinds of litters or carriages used in the East are: the\n_imari_, carried by elephants and camels, so named from Imar, the\ninventor, also called _hodaj_, or _hawdaj_ (howdah), made of wood, or\ncloth stretched over a frame, and either open or covered at the top; and\nthe _takht-i-ravan_, usually carried by mules within shafts before and\nbehind: it is the Armamaxa, in which the children of Darius and their\nattendants were carried. (_Quintus Curtius_, b. iii, c. 3.)\n\n_Page 4._ \u201cThe King ... was at that moment returning from the\nchase.\u201d\u2014Hunting the antelope, wild-ass, &c., has been the favourite\npastime of the kings and nobles of Persia from the most ancient times.\nThe modern kings of Persia have palaces in many parts of their\ndominions, whither they resort for the climate or for the chase. To\nthese palaces are attached villages, in which provisions are collected\nfor the use of the court as soon as the motions of the King are\ndecided.[28]\u2014For a graphic description of the Persian mode of hunting\nthe antelope, with hawks as well as dogs, see Sir John Malcolm\u2019s\n_Sketches of Persia_.\n\n_Page 4._ \u201cKissed the ground of respectful obedience.\u201d\u2014The Persians in\ntheir salutations and acts of submission so prostrate themselves as\nalmost to place their faces on the ground. This prostration, called _r\u016by\nzam\u012bn_ (\u201cthe face on the ground\u201d), is made by bowing the body at right\nangles, the hands placed on the knees, and the legs a little apart.\u2014In\nallusion to this mode of salutation, the Persian poet H\u0101fiz declares\nthat, in the presence of his fair enslaver, he would _make besoms of his\neyelashes_; as Richardson paraphrases it:\n\n O for one heavenly glance of that dear maid,\n How would my raptured heart with joy rebound!\n Down to her feet I\u2019d lowly bend my head,\n And with my eyebrows sweep the hallowed ground.[29]\n\nLane, in the Notes to his translation of the _Thousand and One Nights_,\nthus describes the Arabian (or modern Egyptian) mode of paying respect\nto superiors: touching the ground, and then the lips and forehead, or\nturban, with the right hand.\u2014The Khalif Hakim Biamri \u2019llah (11th\ncentury) issued an order that no one in future should kiss the ground in\nhis presence, or salute him in the highway, or kiss his hand or stirrup;\nbecause to prostrate oneself before a human being was an act of worship\nintroduced by the Greeks; and the only formula of salutation should be:\n\u201cMay protection be vouchsafed to the Prince of the Faithful! May the\nmercy and blessings of God rest upon him!\u201d\n\n_Page 5._ \u201cFixed by the fascinating beauty of the damsel,\u201d &c.\u2014The\nlithographed text says: \u201cFrom the effect of her glance the heart became\nlost, and the bird of his soul began to take flight in the atmosphere of\nlove.... He pushed forward his courser, and recited this _gazal_ [or\node]:\n\n My heart has fallen into the hand of a sprightly lover, of marvellous\n beauty;\n This intelligent countenance, bright as the moon, has stolen my heart\n from the hand of the Creator;\n So that when I beheld the cypress form my unhappy heart began to bleed.\n Her rose-like countenance has placed in a sorrowful soul a rankling\n thorn!\u201d\n\n_Page 5._ \u201cRuler of the world.\u201d The text gives the address of the\nlitter-attendants to the King as follows:\n\n\u201cWhatever may be the advice of the P\u0101dish\u0101h who adorns the world, it is\nthe eye [_i.e._ the essence] of correct judgment.\n\n _Quatrain._\n\n O mighty King of the chief city,\n Thy counsel is always good;\n How can any one oppose thy command\u2014\n Who would dare to express himself otherwise?\n\nThy command [will be] the support of the life and the happiness of the\nfather and the daughter. If they had seen in a dream this happiness,\nthey would not be able to contain themselves in this world, especially\nin a state of wakefulness. But for every transaction there is custom and\npropriety, [so that] if they [_i.e._ the litter attendants] escort at\nthis moment the daughter to the city, people will raise doubts, and\nfoster a suspicion touching the King, [on the score] of undue haste and\nimpatience, and will assert that the King had carried off this lady by\nforce and abuse of power, and [thus] would arise [tittle-tattle\nrespecting] the question and answer of the lovers, and the exulting\ntriumph[30] of the enemies. This is the right course to pursue: if the\nKing grant permission, we will convoy the daughter to Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r, that\nhe may do for this discharge of duty whatever is the custom; and, having\nprovided suitable paraphernalia, send back the daughter to the P\u0101dish\u0101h;\nand thus both the vizier\u2019s dignity would be maintained, and also the\n[love] affair of the P\u0101dish\u0101h be accomplished in a becoming manner.\u201d\n\nThe giving of a dowry is indispensable, and without it no marriage is\nlegal. According to the rank in life of the bride, it consists of a\nwardrobe, jewels, furniture, slaves, eunuchs, and a sum of money varying\nin amount. No portion of the dowry can be taken away by the husband\nagainst the wife\u2019s wish. She remains absolute mistress of the whole of\nher own property, inherited, or otherwise acquired. (_Voyages de M.\nChardin en Perse, &c.; Lane\u2019s Modern Egyptians._)\n\n_Page 6._ \u201cHe caused the necessary ceremonies to be performed.\u201d\u2014Here\nagain the text is fuller than our translation:\n\n\n\u201cAnd the marriage-knot was tied in strict conformity with the law. And\nwhen the ceremony was concluded, all the secretaries of the government\nwrote letters of congratulation, and apprised Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r of the\nsubmission to this insult. When Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r read the letters a flood of\ntears poured down from his eyes, and the fire of enmity kindled a flame\nin his heart. And although the King had settled the matter religiously\nand according to the law, yet when all that had transpired reached his\nears, his heart bled to overflowing, by reason of the excess of\naffection for his daughter. Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r, considering it good policy,\nwrote a letter of thanks to his Excellency the P\u0101dish\u0101h, replete with\nall kinds of expressions, evincing joy and felicity: \u2018This is indeed\nhappiness, that such powerful support should be extended towards me! I\nam utterly unable to quit myself of the obligation I am under for this\nhigh honour, now that his Majesty has placed this crown of glory on the\nhead of his slave. As soon as I arrive in the royal presence, I will\nkiss the ground of felicity.\u2019\n\n\u201cDissembling, he penned these phrases, and concealed the [evil]\nintention of his wrath, and day and night was devising deceit and\nstratagem.\u201d\n\n\nThe Vizier of \u0100z\u0101dbakht could ill brook his rights as a father being set\nat naught. The parent, or nearest adult relation, is always the deputy\nof the future bride to effect the marriage contract. Moreover,\nSipahs\u0101l\u0101r considered this tyrannical proceeding as an ungrateful return\nfor his services with the army. Notwithstanding the King\u2019s rather\nbrusque manner of wooing, however, the lady is represented as being\ndevotedly attached to him, and she braved the perils of the desert for\nhis sake.\n\n_Page 8._ \u201cTo seek an asylum from the King of Kirm\u0101n.\u201d\u2014The text has also\nthe following quatrain:\n\n The King of Kirm\u0101n is a great dispenser of justice;\n On our behalf he will bestow a look of indulgence\n He will furnish troops, gold, and silver:\n Unless this course be pursued, there is no other remedy.\n\nKirm\u0101n (Carmania) is a province of Persia (the ancient Gedrasia), having\nto the north Khurasan, to the east Afghanist\u0101n and Bil\u016bchist\u0101n, to the\nsouth the Persian Gulf, to the west Fars and Lurist\u0101n. _Carmanicus\nSinus_: the Gulf of Ormuz. Kirm\u0101n is the plural of _kirm_, a worm, and\nthe province where silkworms were originally bred. It is celebrated for\nthe cultivation of the white rose, from which _`itr-i-gul_ (attar of\nroses) is distilled; and also for a peculiar breed of sheep, called\n_dumbad\u0101r_, small, short-legged, with a long bushy tail.\n\n_Page 9._ \u201cDirected their course towards the desert,\u201d _i.e._ of\nKirm\u0101n.\u2014The text has this quatrain:\n\n Behold to what misery misfortune has thrown me!\n Owing to breach of good faith, she has cast me into a sea of troubles;\n For adverse Fortune has devised an evil design against me,\n Inasmuch as she has separated friends from each other.\n\n_Page 9._ \u201cA hundred thousand lives such as mine are not in value equal\nto a single hair of the King\u2019s head.\u201d\u2014In less extravagant terms does a\ndistressed damsel in another romance express herself: \u201cOf a truth, noble\nman, you have displayed your compassionate nature; but I cannot consent\nto save my body at the cost of yours: for who ought to save a common\nstone by the sacrifice of a gem?\u201d\u2014_Vet\u0101la Panchavinsati_, or Twenty-five\nTales of a Demon.\n\n_Page 10._ \u201cThe Queen brought forth a son; in beauty he was lovely as\nthe moon,\u201d &c.\u2014The Orientals compare beautiful youths, as well as\ndamsels, to the moon: Hafiz styles Joseph the Hebrew patriarch\u2014who is\nthroughout the Muhammadan world regarded as the type of youthful\nbeauty\u2014\u201cthe Moon of Canaan.\u201d Morier remarks, in his _Second Journey to\nPersia, &c._: \u201cThe Eastern women suffer little from parturition, for the\nbetter sort of them are frequently on foot the day after delivery, and\nout of all confinement on the third day [this on the authority of\nHarmer, vol. iv, p. 434]. They are sometimes \u2018delivered ere the midwives\ncome in unto them\u2019: Exodus, i, 19; and the lower orders often deliver\nthemselves. I knew an instance where a peasant\u2019s wife, in Turkey, who\nwas at work in a vineyard, stepped behind the hedge, delivered herself,\nand carried the child home slung behind her back.\u201d\n\n_Page 10._ \u201cThey wrapped up the child in a cloak embroidered with gold,\nand fastened a bracelet of large pearls,\u201d &c.\u2014In the legend of Pope\nGregory, the child is exposed with gold at his head and silver at his\nfeet (see the English _Gesta Romanorum_, chapter 51; edited by\nHerrtage); and in one of the Tales of the _Vet\u0101la_, a child is similarly\nexposed, with a sum of gold, at the gate of a royal palace, and the King\nadopts him as his son and successor (_Kath\u0101 Sarit S\u0101gara_, Ocean of the\nRivers of Narrative).\n\n_Page 10._ \u201cHe sent his servants to welcome them, and received them with\nthe greatest respect and hospitality;\u201d that is, by a deputation\n(_istikb\u0101l_), one of the principal modes among the Persians of doing\nhonour to their guests. Those sent in advance to meet the guests are\ncalled _p\u012bsh v\u0101z_, \u201copeners of the way.\u201d In the ninth chapter we find\nthe approaching guests met at the distance of two days\u2019 journey[31] from\nthe city. \u201cOn the day of our entry,\u201d says Morier, in his _Second\nJourney_, \u201cwe were met by the youngest son of the Am\u012bnu-\u2019d-Dawla, a boy\nof about thirteen years of age, who received the ambassador [Sir Gore\nOuseley] with all the ease of an old courtier.\u201d So, too, the King of\nKirm\u0101n \u201csent his own son and two attendants to wait on \u0100z\u0101dbakht.\u201d\n\n_Page 11._ \u201cThe musicians singing and playing, and the guests\ndrinking.\u201d\u2014Music contributes as much as wine to the pleasures of an\nEastern carousal. \u201cWine,\u201d they say, \u201cis as the body, music is the soul,\nand joy is their offspring.\u201d The gamut, or scale of musical notes, is\ncalled in the East, _durr-imafassal_, \u201cseparate pearls.\u201d The musical\ninstruments commonly employed are: the _K\u0101n\u016bn_, the dulcimer or harp;\nthe _sit\u0101r_, a three-stringed instrument (from _si_, three, and _t\u0101r_,\nstring), whence cithara and guitar; and the _argh\u0101n_ or _orghan\u016bn_, the\norgan. Old Persian writers describe the _argh\u0101n_ as invented by\n_Iflat\u016bn_ (Plato), and as superior to all psalteries (_mazam\u012br_), and\nused in Y\u016bnan (Ionia or Greece) and in R\u016bm (Iconium). Also the _chang_\n(Arabic, _junk_), the harp; the _rab\u0101b_, rebeck; the _tamb\u016br_,\ntambourine; and the _barbat_, or barbitan.\u2014Morier, in his Second Journey\n(p. 92), was treated with a concert of four musicians; \u201cone of whom\nplayed on the _Kam\u0101ncha_ [viol]; a second sang, fanning his mouth with a\npiece of paper to aid the undulations of his voice; the third was a\ntambourine-player; and the last beat two little drums placed on the\nground before him.\u201d Gentius, in a note to the _Gulist\u0101n_ of Sa`d\u012b, says\nthat \u201cmusic is in such consideration [in Persia], that it is a maxim of\ntheir sages, that when a king is about to die, if he leaves for his\nsuccessor a very young son, his aptitude for reigning should be proved\nby some agreeable songs; and if the child is pleasurably affected, then\nit is a sign of his capacity and genius, but if the contrary, he should\nbe declared unfit.\u201d\u2014It would appear that the old Persian musicians, like\nTimotheus, know the secret art of swaying the passions. The celebrated\nphilosopher Alfarabi (who died about the middle of the tenth century),\namong his other accomplishments, excelled in music, in proof of which a\ncurious anecdote is told. Returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca, he\nintroduced himself, though a stranger, at the court of Sayfu-\u2019d-Dawla,\nSultan of Syria, when a party of musicians chanced to be performing, and\nhe joined them. The prince admired his skill, and desiring to hear\nsomething of his own, Alfarabi unfolded a composition, and distributed\nthe parts among the band. The first movement threw the prince and his\ncourtiers into violent and inextinguishable laughter, the next melted\nall into tears, and the last lulled even the performers to sleep.\u2014At the\nretaking of Bagd\u0101d by the Turks, in 1638, when the springing of a mine,\nwhereby eight hundred janissaries perished, was the signal for a general\nmassacre, and thirty thousand Persians were put to the sword, \u201ca Persian\nmusician, named Sh\u0101h K\u016bl\u012b, who was brought before Mur\u0101d, played and sang\nso sweetly, first a song of triumph, and then a dirge, that the Sultan,\nmoved to pity by his music, gave orders to stop the massacre.\u201d[32]\n\n_Page 11._ \u201cHis eyes were filled with tears.\u201d\u2014Although Muslims are\nremarkably calm and resigned under the heaviest afflictions, yet they do\nnot consider the shedding of tears as either evidence of effeminacy or\ninconsistent with a heroic mind.\u2014_Lane._ In the old Badaw\u012b _Romance of\n`Antar_ (of which an epitome is given in my _Arabian Poetry for English\nReaders_) the hero is frequently represented as weeping.\n\n_Page 11._ \u201cThe King of Kirm\u0101n then inquired into the particulars of\n\u0100z\u0101dbakht\u2019s misfortunes.\u201d\u2014It thus appears that, in accordance with the\ntime-honoured rules of Eastern hospitality, the King received \u0100z\u0101dbakht\nas his guest without subjecting him to any preliminary questioning; and\nonly diffidently \u201cinquired into the particulars\u201d after the unhappy\nmonarch had informed him that he was a fugitive from his kingdom. The\nold Arabs, like the old Scottish Highlanders, were scrupulous in\nabstaining from inquiring the name and tribe of a chance guest, lest he\nshould prove an enemy; and if, after the guest had eaten of their bread\nand salt, he was found to belong to a hostile tribe or clan, he would be\nentertained during three days, should he so desire, and then be\ndismissed unharmed.\n\n_Page 12._ Farrukhsuw\u0101r: from _farrukh_, fortunate, happy, and _suw\u0101r_,\na cavalier, a horseman; especially a Persian chief, as being skilled in\nhorsemanship and archery. Suw\u0101r-i-S\u012bst\u0101n: Rustam, the famous Persian\nhero.\n\n_Page 13._ \u201cHe resolved to adopt the infant as his own.\u201d\u2014The Muhammadan\nlaw (says Lane) allows the adoption of sons, provided that the person to\nbe adopted consents to the act, if of age to judge for himself; also\nthat he has been deprived of his parents by death or other means; and\nthat there be such a difference of age between the two parties as might\nsubsist between a natural father and son. The adopted son enjoys the\nsame right of inheritance as the natural son.\u2014Farrukhsuw\u0101r, we see,\nthough a chief of banditti, yet took care that his adopted son should be\n\u201cinstructed in all the necessary accomplishments.\u201d The adoption of sons\nis universal throughout the East\u2014in Persia, India, Japan; in the latter\ncountry, \u201cthe principle of adoption,\u201d says Mr Mitford, in his _Tales of\nOld Japan_, \u201cprevails among all classes, from the Emperor down to his\nmeanest subject; nor is the family line considered to have been broken\nbecause an adopted son has succeeded to the estate.\u201d\n\n_Page 13._ Khud\u0101-d\u0101d, _i.e._, \u201cgranted by God\u201d: Deodatus; Theodore.\n\n_Page 13._ \u201cAble to fight, alone, five hundred men.\u201d This is one of the\nfew instances of Oriental hyperbole which occur in the work; and since\nwe do not find our hero represented subsequently as distinguishing\nhimself by his prowess, except on the occasion which led to his capture,\nit must be considered as introduced by the author conventionally, or by\nway of embellishment. The heroes of Eastern romance, for the most part,\nare not only beautiful as the moon, and accomplished in all the arts and\nsciences, but also strong and courageous as a lion. In the romance of\n_D\u016bshwanta and Sak\u016bntal\u0101_, an episode of the great Indian epic poem,\n_Mah\u0101bharata_, the son of the beautiful heroine is thus described:\n\u201cSak\u016bntal\u0101 was delivered of a son, of inconceivable strength, bright as\nthe God of Fire, the image of D\u016bshwanta, endowed with personal beauty\nand generosity of soul.... This mighty child seemed as if he could\ndestroy lions with the points of his white teeth. He bore on his hand\nthe mark of a wheel, which is the sign of sovereignty. His person was\nbeautiful, his head capacious, he possessed great bodily strength, and\nhis appearance was that of a celestial. During the short time that he\nremained under the care of Kanwa, he grew exceedingly; and when he was\nonly six years old, his strength was so great that he was wont to bind\nsuch beasts as lions, tigers, elephants, wild boars, and buffaloes to\nthe trees about the hermitage. He would even mount them, ride them\nabout, and play with them to tame them; whence the inhabitants of\nKanwa\u2019s hermitage gave him a name: \u2018Let him,\u2019 said they, \u2018be called\nSarva-damana, because he tameth all;\u2019 and thus the child obtained the\nname of Sarva-damana.\u201d\u2014And the Arabian hero `Antar, while yet a mere\nstripling, slew a wolf, and carried home its paws to his slave-mother as\na trophy. (Compare with this the youthful exploit of David with a lion\nand a bear, 1 Sam. xvii, 34, 35.) So, too, in the Early English Romance\nof Sir Bevis of Hampton;\u2014when only seven years old, Bevis knocked down\ntwo stout men with his cudgel; and while still in his \u201cteens\u201d he slew\nsingle-handed sixty Saracen knights.\n\n_Page 14._ \u201cThe chief of the caravan.\u201d\u2014The _Mihtar K\u0101rw\u0101n_, or _K\u0101rw\u0101n\nBash_, held a position of responsibility and importance. By the payment\nof armed attendants he took precautions against the attack of brigands,\nas the merchants who formed a caravan were, it is said, on most\noccasions, so devoid of courage that they cried \u201cquarter\u201d at the mere\nsight of a drawn sword.\n\n_Page 15._ \u201cHe also put on him his own robe\u201d (_Kab\u0101-i Kh\u0101ss_).\u2014The\n_Kab\u0101_ is a tunic, or long cloth coat, of any colour, quite open in\nfront, and worn over the shirt, and is the special garment of the rich,\nand so distinguished by Sa`d\u012b (_Gulist\u0101n_, ch. ii, story 17) from the\n_aba_, or _abaya_, a kind of woollen cloak, either black or striped\nbrown and white, the garment of the poor.\n\n_Page 15._ \u201cThe name of Bakhty\u0101r,\u201d that is, \u201che whom Fortune assists,\u201d\nor, \u201cFortune-befriended.\u201d\n\n_Page 16._ \u201cThe keys of the treasury\u201d were of gold.\n\n_Page 16._ \u201cA splendid robe of honour.\u201d\u2014A _Khil`at_, or dress of honour,\nis bestowed by Eastern monarchs on men of learning and genius, as well\nas on tributary princes on their accession to their principalities, and\non viceroys and governors of provinces. The custom is very ancient; see\nEsther vi, 8, 9. \u201cA common _Khil`at_,\u201d says Morier, \u201cconsists of a K\u0101ba,\nor coat; a _Kemerbend_, or zone; a _g\u016bch p\u012bch_, or shawl for the head:\nwhen it is intended to be more distinguishing, a sword or a dagger is\nsuperadded. To persons of distinction rich furs are given, such as a\n_Katab\u012b_, or a _Koord\u012b_; but when the _Khal`at_ is complete it consists\nexactly of the same articles as the present which Cyrus made to\nSyennesis, namely: a horse with a golden bridle; a golden chain; a\ngolden sword[33]; besides the dress, which is complete in all its\nparts.\u201d[34]\u2014In India an elephant and a palanquin splendidly decorated\nare added to the dress, sword, &c. Dr Forbes, in a note to his\ntranslation of the _B\u0101gh o Bah\u0101r_ (Garden and Spring), the Hindustani\nversion of the entertaining Persian romance, _Kissa Chehar Dervish_, or\nTale of the Four Dervishes, remarks that \u201cin the zenith of the Mogul\nempire Khil`ats were expensive honours, as the receivers were obliged to\nmake presents for the Khil`ats they received. The perfection of these\nOriental dresses,\u201d he adds, \u201cis to be so stiff with embroidery as to\nstand on the floor unsupported.\u201d\u2014After Rustam\u2019s Seven Adventures in\nreleasing Kai Kaus from the power of the White Giant, we read in\nFirdaus\u012b\u2019s _Sh\u0101h N\u0101ma_ (or Book of Kings) that he received from Kaus a\nsplendid Khil`at besides other magnificent presents. And in the _Romance\nof `Antar_, King Zuhayr causes a great feast to be prepared to celebrate\nthe defeat of the tribe of Ta\u00ef, which was chiefly due to the hero; at\nwhich he presents `Antar with a robe worked with gold, girds on him a\ntrusty sword, and placing in his hand a pike of Kh\u0101ta, and mounting him\non a fine Arab horse, proclaims him champion of the tribes of `Abs and\n`Adn\u0101n.\n\n_Page 16._ \u201cThere were Ten Viziers.\u201d\u2014\u201cWezeer,\u201d says Lane, \u201cis an Arabic\nword, and is pronounced by the Arabs as I have written it, but the Turks\nand Persians pronounce the first letter _V_. There are three opinions\nrespecting the etymology of this word. Some derive it from _wizr_ (a\nburden), because the Wezeer bears the burden of the King; others, from\n_wezer_ (a refuge), because the King has recourse to the counsels of his\nWezeer, and his knowledge and prudence; others, again, from _azr_ (back,\nor strength), because the King is strengthened by his Wezeer, as the\nhuman frame is strengthened by the back. The proper and chief duties of\na Wezeer are explained by the above, and by a saying of the Prophet:\n\u2018Whosoever is in authority over Muslims, if God would prosper him, He\ngiveth him a virtuous Wezeer, who when he forgetteth his duty remindeth\nhim, and when he remembereth assisteth him; but if He would do\notherwise, He giveth him an evil Wezeer, who when he forgetteth doth not\nremind him, and when he remembereth doth not assist him.\u2019\u201d\u2014The Kur\u2019\u0101n\nand the S\u016bnna (or Traditions) both distinctly authorise a sovereign to\nselect a Vizier to assist him in the government. The Prophet makes Moses\nsay (_Kur._ xx, 30): \u201cGive me a counsellor [Ar. _Wezeer_] of my family,\nnamely Aaron my brother;\u201d and again, in ch. xxv, 37: \u201cWe appointed him\n[Moses] Aaron his brother for a counsellor.\u201d Wahidi, in his commentary\non the Kur\u2019\u0101n, says: \u201cWezeer signifies _refuge_ and _assistance_.\u201d In\nthe fourth year of his mission Muhammad assumed the prophetic office,\nwhen \u201che prepared a banquet, a lamb, as it is said, and a bowl of milk,\nfor the entertainment of forty guests of the race of Hashem. \u2018Friends\nand kinsmen,\u2019 said Muhammad to the assembly, \u2018I offer you, and I alone\ncan offer, the most precious of gifts, the treasures of this world and\nof the world to come. God has commanded me to call you to His service.\nWho among you will _support my burthen_? Who among you will _be my\ncompanion and my vizier_?\u2019\u201d\u2014_Gibbon_, chap. 1.\n\nKing \u0100z\u0101dbakht, we see, had no fewer than _ten_ of such\n\u201cburden-bearers\u201d; in chapter ix there is another King with ten viziers;\nand in an ancient Indian romance referred to by El-Mas\u2019\u016bd\u012b in his\n_Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems_, the same number of viziers is given\nto a king: \u201cShelkand and Shimas, or the Story of an Indian King and his\nTen Viziers\u201d; in what is probably a modernised version of the same\nromance, included in the _Thousand and One Nights_, under the title of\n\u201cKing Jil\u0101a, the Vizier Shimas, and their Sons,\u201d there are however but\nSeven Viziers\u2014the number in most of the romances of the _Sindib\u0101d_\ncycle. According to the learned Imam El-Jara\u2019\u012b, cited by Lane, _ten_ is\nthe proper number of counsellors for any man: \u201cIt is desirable,\u201d says\nhe, \u201cfor a man, before he enters upon any important undertaking, to\nconsult ten intelligent persons among his particular friends; or if he\nhave not more than five such friends, let him consult each of them\ntwice; or if he have not more than one friend, he should consult him ten\ntimes, at ten different visits[35];\u2014if he have not one to consult, let\nhim return to his wife and consult her, and whatever she advises him to\ndo, _let him do the contrary_, so shall he proceed rightly in his affair\nand attain his object.\u201d\u2014This reminds me of a story told of Kh\u014dja\nNasru-\u2019d-D\u012bn Efend\u012b, the Turkish joker, who, wishing to make Tim\u016br a\npresent of some fruit, consulted his wife as to whether he should take\nhim figs or quinces, and on her answering, \u201cOh, quinces, of course,\u201d the\nKh\u014dja, reflecting that a woman\u2019s advice is never good, took Tim\u016br a\nbasket of figs; and when the emperor ordered his attendants to pelt the\nKh\u014dja on his bald pate with the ripe, juicy figs, he thanked Heaven that\nhe had not taken his wife\u2019s advice: \u201cfor had I, as she advised, brought\nquinces instead of figs, my head had surely been broken!\u201d[36] This most\nunjust estimate of women, so generally held by Muslims and giving rise\nto such proverbial sayings as \u201cwomen have long hair and short wits,\u201d is\nin accordance with the atrocious saying ascribed (falsely, let us hope)\nto the Prophet: \u201cI stood at the gate of Paradise, and lo! most of its\ninmates were poor; and I stood at the gate of Hell, and lo! most of its\ninmates were _women_!\u201d Contrast this with the following passage from the\n_Mah\u0101bharata_: \u201cThe wife is half the man; a wife is man\u2019s dearest\nfriend; a wife is the source of his religion, his worldly profit, and\nhis love. He who hath a wife maketh offerings in his house. Those who\nhave wives are blest with good fortune. Wives are friends, who by their\ngentle speech soothe ye in your retirement. In the performance of\nreligious duties they are as fathers; in your distresses they are as\nmothers[37]; and they are a refreshment to those who are travellers in\nthe rugged paths of life.\u201d\n\n_Page 16._ \u201cIndulged in the pleasures of wine.\u201d\u2014The Kur\u2019\u0101n prohibits the\nuse of wine and all other intoxicating liquors: \u201cThey will ask thee\nconcerning wine and lots; answer, in both there is great sin\u201d (ch. ii,\n216). Some of the early followers of the Prophet held this text as\ndoubtful, and continued to indulge in wine; but another text enjoins\nthem not to come to prayer while they are drunk, until they know what\nthey would say (ch. iv, 46). From this it would appear that Muhammad\n\u201cmeant merely to restrain his followers from unbecoming behaviour, and\nother evil effects of intoxication;\u201d serious quarrels, however,\nresulting from drinking wine, a text in condemnation of the practice was\nissued: \u201cYe who have become believers! verily wine, and lots, and\nimages, and divining arrows are an abomination of the work of the Devil;\ntherefore avoid them that ye may prosper\u201d (ch. v, 92).\u2014Mills was\ncertainly in error in stating that \u201cfor ages before the preaching of the\nProphet of Mecca, wine was but little drunk either in Egypt or\nArabia.\u201d[38] In the _Mu`allaq\u0101t_, or Seven Poems suspended in the Temple\nat Mecca, which present true pictures of Arabian manners and customs\nduring the century immediately preceding the time of Muhammad,\nwine-drinking is frequently mentioned. Thus the poet `Amru calls for his\nmorning draught of rich hoarded wine, saying that it is the liquor which\ndiverts the lover from his passion, and even causes the miser to forget\nhis pelf; Lebeid says that he often goes to the shop of the\nwine-merchant, when he spreads his flag in the air, and sells his wine\nat a high price; and the poet-hero `Antar quaffs old wine when the\nnoontide heat is abated. However this may be, the law of the Kur\u2019\u0101n is\nclear\u2014believers are not allowed to drink intoxicating liquors. Yet it\nwould appear, from the tales of the _Thousand and One Nights_, that wine\nwas extensively drunk by the higher classes of Muslims in all countries\nuntil a comparatively recent date; and assuredly the wine there\nmentioned was not the harmless beverage which the Prophet indulged in\nand permitted to his followers\u2014\u201cprepared by putting grapes or dry dates\nin water to extract their sweetness, and suffering the liquor to ferment\nslightly until it acquired a little sharpness or pungency\u201d\u2014since we read\nin the story, for instance, of \u201cThe Three Ladies of Bagd\u0101d and the\nPorter,\u201d that wine was drunk to intoxication. The modern Persians\njustify their occasional excessive wine-drinking by the remark: \u201cthere\nis as much sin in a flagon as in a glass;\u201d[39] and the Turks despise the\nsmall glasses commonly used by Europeans in their potations.[40]\nCantemir, in his _History of the Othman Empire_, relates a curious story\nof how Mur\u0101d IV, the seventeenth Turkish Sultan (1622\u20131639), became a\ndrunkard:\n\n\nNot content to drink wine in private, Mur\u0101d compelled even the Muftis\nand other ministers to drink with him, and also, by a public edict,\nallowed wine to be sold and drunk by men of all ranks. It is said Mur\u0101d\nwas led into this degrading vice by a man named Bakr\u012b Mustafa. As the\nSultan was one day going about the market-place in disguise, he chanced\nto see this man wallowing in the mud, almost dead drunk. Wondering at\nthe novelty of the thing, he inquired of his attendants what was the\nmatter with the man, who seemed to him a lunatic. Being told that the\nfellow was drunk with wine, he wanted to know what sort of liquor that\nwas, of whose effects he was yet ignorant. Meanwhile Mustafa gets up,\nand with opprobrious words bids the Sultan stand off. Astonished at the\nman\u2019s boldness, \u201cRascal!\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cdost thou bid me, who am the\nSultan Mur\u0101d, be gone?\u201d\u2014\u201cAnd I,\u201d answered the fellow, \u201cam Bakr\u012b [_i.e._\nthe Drunkard] Mustafa, and if thou wilt sell me this city, I will buy\nit, and then I shall be Sultan Mur\u0101d, and thou Bakr\u012b Mustafa.\u201d\u2014Mur\u0101d\ndemanding where he would get the money to purchase such a city, Mustafa\nreplied: \u201cDon\u2019t trouble thyself about that; for, what is more, I will\nbuy, too, the son of a bond-woman.\u201d[41] Mur\u0101d agreed to this, and\nordered Mustafa to be taken to the palace. After some hours, the fumes\nof the wine being dispersed, Mustafa came to his senses, and finding\nhimself in a gilded and sumptuous room, he inquired of those who\nattended him: \u201cWhat does this mean?\u2014am I dreaming?\u2014or do I taste of the\npleasures of Paradise?\u201d They told him of what had passed, and of his\nbargain with the Sultan. Upon this he fell into a great fright, well\nknowing Mur\u0101d\u2019s fierce disposition. But necessity abetting his\ninvention, he declared himself on the point of death, unless he could\nhave some wine to restore his spirits. The keepers, that he might not\ndie before being brought into the Sultan\u2019s presence, gave him a pot full\nof wine, which he concealed in his bosom. On being ushered into the\naudience-chamber, the Sultan commanded him to pay so many millions as\nthe price of the city. Taking the pot of wine from his bosom, Mustafa\nsaid: \u201cThis, O Sultan, is what would yesterday have purchased Istambol.\nAnd were you likewise possessed of this wealth, you would think it\npreferable to the sovereignty of the universe.\u201d Mur\u0101d asked how that\ncould be. \u201cBy drinking of this divine liquor,\u201d answered Mustafa,\noffering the cup to the Sultan, who, from curiosity, took a large\ndraught, which, as he was unused to wine, immediately made him so drunk\nthat he fancied the world could not contain him. Afterwards growing\ngiddy, he was seized with sleep, and in a few hours waking with a\nheadache, sent for Mustafa, in a great passion. Mustafa instantly\nappeared, and perceiving the case, \u201cHere,\u201d said he, \u201cis your remedy,\u201d\nand gave him a cup of wine, by which his headache was presently removed,\nand his former gladness restored. When this had been repeated two or\nthree times, Mur\u0101d was by degrees so addicted to wine that he was drunk\nalmost every day. Bakr\u012b Mustafa, his tutor in drunkenness, was admitted\namong the privy-counsellors, and was always near the Sultan. At his\ndeath Mur\u0101d ordered the whole court to go into mourning, but caused his\nbody to be buried with great pomp in a tavern among the wine-casks.\nAfter his decease the Sultan declared he never enjoyed one merry day;\nand when Mustafa chanced to be mentioned he was often seen to burst into\ntears, and to sigh from the bottom of his heart. \u201cSeldom, if ever,\u201d\nmoralises Cantemir, \u201chas so much favour been obtained by the precepts of\nvirtue as Mustafa acquired by the dictates of vice.\u201d\n\n\nTo return to the quotation at the beginning of this long note; that the\nwine in which our young hero Bakhty\u0101r indulged to such an extent as to\ndeprive him of his senses was _not_ a mild beverage, admits of no\nquestion: again, in chapter viii, page 93, we find a King and his\nfavourite companion carousing together, until the former falls into a\ndrunken sleep.\n\n_Page 18._ \u201cHow could a person bred up in a desert, and by profession a\nrobber, be fit for the society of a king?\u201d\u2014Sa`d\u012b, the celebrated Persian\npoet, in his _Gulist\u0101n_, or Rose-Garden, says: \u201cNo one whose origin is\nbad ever catches the reflection of the good\u201d (ch. i, tale 4); and again:\n\u201cHow can we make a good sword out of bad iron? A worthless person cannot\nby education become a person of worth;\u201d and yet again: \u201cEvil habits,\nwhich have taken root in one\u2019s nature, will only be got rid of at the\nhour of death.\u201d Firdaus\u012b, the Homer of Persia, in his scathing satire on\nthe Sultan Mahm\u016bd of Ghazni, has the following remarks on the same\nsubject:\n\n To exalt the head of the unworthy,\n To look for anything of good from them,\n Is to lose the thread which guideth your purpose,\n And to nourish a serpent in your bosom.\n The tree which is by nature bitter,\n Though thou shouldst plant it in the Garden of Paradise,\n And spread honey about its roots\u2014yea the purest honey-comb,\n And water it in its season from the Fountain of Eternity,\n Would in the end betray its nature,\n And would still produce bitter fruit.\n If thou shouldst pass through the shop of the seller of amber\n Thy garments will retain its odour;\n If thou shouldst enter the forge of the blacksmith,\n Thou wilt there see nothing but blackness.\n That evil should come of an evil disposition is no wonder,\n For thou canst not sponge out the darkness from the night.\n Of the son of the impure man entertain no hope,\n For the Ethiopian by washing will never become white.[42]\n\n_Page 19._ \u201cYou have entered the recesses of my harem.\u201d\u2014Only husbands,\nfathers, brothers, uncles, fathers-in-law, and very young boys are\n_mahram_, or privileged to enter the apartments of women in Muslim\ncountries. The fact of the chief Vizier visiting the Queen in the harem\n(page 19) should lead us to conclude, either that the story is of Indian\norigin, or that the worthy minister was \u201ca neutral personage\u201d\u2014not to put\ntoo fine a point on it.\n\n_Page 20._ \u201cBy a false testimony.\u201d\u2014Among the Muslims falsehood in\ncertain cases is not only allowed but commended. Even oaths of different\nkinds are more or less binding. Expiation is permitted by law for an\ninconsiderate oath, and, according to some, even for the violation of a\ndeliberate oath. The expiation consists in once feeding or clothing ten\npoor men, liberating a slave or captive, or fasting three days. An\nunintentional oath requires no expiation; but the swearing to a\nfalsehood can only be expiated by deep repentance.\u2014_Lane._\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn Cazotte\u2019s French rendering\u2014or rather, adaptation\u2014of the Arabian\nversion of this work, under the title of \u201cThe Story of King Bohetzad and\nhis Ten Viziers,\u201d the name of the young hero is not Bakhty\u0101r, but\nAladdin\u2014properly, `Ala`u-\u2019d-D\u012bn, \u201cExaltation of the Faith\u201d; for\nSipahs\u0101l\u0101r there is a prime minister whose name is Asphand, and his\ndaughter, Baherjoa, was being conveyed, not to the Vizier, as in our\nversion, but to the Prince of Babylon, to whom she was to be married.\nThe order of the tales varies from that in the Persian work and two\nadditional tales are interpolated. There is one point, however, in which\nthis rendering, or version, is, I think, superior to the Persian,\nnamely, that while in the Bakhty\u0101r-story we are told that after the King\nrecovered his throne and kingdom, he and the Queen \u201cpassed their days in\ntranquillity, interrupted only by the remembrance of their child, whom\nthey had left in the desert, and whom, they were persuaded, wild beasts\nmust have devoured the same hour in which they abandoned him,\u201d but they\ndo not appear to have taken any steps to ascertain his fate;\u2014in\nCazotte\u2019s version trusty messengers are despatched far and wide to\nlearn, if possible, tidings of the child, though without success. This\nis but natural, and what we should expect, particularly on the part of\nan Eastern monarch, from the well-known affection of Asiatics for their\nmale offspring, which are considered as the light or splendour of the\nhouse; and if it be an interpolation by Cazotte\u2014one of the\n\u201cdisfigurements\u201d of which he is accused by Deslongchamps[43]\u2014it is very\ndecidedly an improvement on his original.\u2014Bohetz\u0101d\u2019s kingdom is called\nDineroux, \u201cwhich comprehends all Syria, and the Isles of India lying at\nthe mouth of the Persian Gulf;\u201d his capital is Issessara. One or two\nother points of difference may also find a place here. In our\ntranslation, when the royal fugitives abandoned their infant in the\ndesert, \u201ctheir hearts were afflicted with anguish;\u201d but in Lescallier\u2019s\nFrench rendering, the King is represented as exclaiming, on this\noccasion: \u201cO my dear infant! thy father sheds rivers of tears from his\neyes, because of thy absence, like the father of Joseph the Egyptian,\nwhen his son was departed from the land of Canaan!\u201d\u2014while according to\nCazotte: \u201cGreat God!\u201d cried the afflicted mother, bedewing her babe with\nher tears, \u201cwho didst watch over the safety of young Ishmael, preserve\nthis innocent babe!\u201d The reference to Ishmael is possibly an alteration\nby the Arabian translator.\u2014It is not, as in the Persian work, the King\nof Kirm\u0101n of whom the fugitive pair seek protection and assistance, but\nKassera, King of Persia\u2014no doubt, meaning Khusr\u016b (called by the Greeks\nChosroes), the general title of the Persian Kings of the Sassanian\ndynasty, thus, Khusr\u016b Parv\u012bz, Khusr\u016b Nushirv\u0101n. He furnishes Bohetz\u0101d\nwith an immense army for the recovery of his kingdom, and the Queen\n(Baherjoa) remains under his protection until Bohetz\u0101d should have\npunished his rebellious Vizier. But meanwhile the King of Persia becomes\ndeeply enamoured of the beauteous Baherjoa; and when envoys arrive from\nBohetz\u0101d to bring back the Queen, Khusr\u016b\u2019s first impulse is to refuse to\ndeliver her up, but at length better feelings prevail over his passion,\nand he restores her to the envoys in a magnificent litter, and with\nnumerous female attendants.\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER II.\n\n_Page 22._ \u201cRooted out of the soil of his empire;\u201d the text adds, \u201cas an\nexample to evil-doers.\u201d\n\n_Page 22._ \u201cOn the eve of my departure from this world,\u201d &c. The text\nreads: \u201cBut the law of God hath commanded that an innocent person should\nexculpate and exert himself in his own defence. God, the Most Holy and\nthe Most High (_hakk subh\u0101n\u0101hu wa ta`\u0101la_), knows that I am innocent of\nthese suspicions\u201d [or allegations].\n\n_Page 23._ Bakhty\u0101r saluted the P\u0101dish\u0101h, and spoke out with fluency and\neloquence.\n\n_Page 23._ Basra.\u2014Situated on the Shattu-\u2019l-`Arab (the river of the\nArabs\u2014the united stream of the Tigris and the Euphrates), Basra is the\nprincipal port in the Persian Gulf, and is so named from the white\nstones (_basra_) near and around it. Renowned for its school of grammar,\nthe Arabic dual _al-basrat\u0101n_ (the Two Basras) denotes the rival seats\nof learning, Basra and K\u016bfa.\u2014See D\u2019Herbelot, art. _Coufeh._\u2014Built by the\ncommand of the pious Khalif `Omar, A.H. 15 (A.D. 636), it was called\n\u201cthe land of purity,\u201d never having been polluted by any idolatrous\nworship. Irrigated by the river Ayla, which falls into the Tigris close\nto it, its gardens are so fruitful that it is reckoned one of the four\nearthly paradises of Asia\u2014the other three being the valleys of Sh\u012br\u0101z,\nDamascus, and Samarkand.\n\n_Page 23._ \u201cAnd the Merchant thought\u201d\u2014the text has \u201cthat a voyage by sea\nand land might jeopardise life and property, but by laying out what\nremained,\u201d &c.\u2014The antipathy of the Persians to a sea-voyage is well\nknown, and very distinctly professed by the poet H\u0101fiz. \u201cHe had heard of\nthe munificent encouragement which Sultan Mahm\u016bd Sh\u0101h Baham\u012b, an\naccomplished prince then reigning in the Dek\u2019han, afforded to poets and\nlearned men, and became desirous of visiting his court. Hearing of this\nwish, and desirous himself of forming an acquaintance with H\u0101fiz, Sult\u0101n\nMahm\u016bd sent him, through the hands of his vizier, M\u012br Fazlu\u2019ll\u0101h Anj\u016b,\nan invitation and a handsome sum of money to defray the expenses of his\njourney. Thereupon he set out and advanced on his expedition as far as\nL\u0101r. There he encountered a friend who had been plundered by robbers, on\nwhom he bestowed a part of his money, and not having left himself\nsufficient to prosecute his journey, was compelled to accept the\nassistance of two merchants whom he fortunately met with there, and who\nkindly took him with them to Hurmuz. There he found a ship ready to sail\nto the Dek\u2019han, and took his passage in her. But a storm having arisen,\nhe was so terrified by it, that he abandoned his intention, and sending\na letter of excuse to the vizier, with an ode to the King, returned\nhimself to Sh\u012br\u0101z. He says:\n\n \u201cThe splendour of a Sultan\u2019s diadem, within which, like a casket\n enclosed, are fears for one\u2019s life,\n May be heart-attracting as a cap, but is not worth the loss of the head\n it covers.\n\n \u00b7 \u00b7 \u00b7 \u00b7 \u00b7\n\n The sufferings of the sea may appear easy to bear in the prospect of its\n pearls;\n But I have erred, for its waves are not worth one hundred munns of\n gold.\u201d[44]\n\n_Page 24._ \u201cMost of the houses were washed away.\u201d\u2014Probably owing to the\nnon-adhesive qualities of the mortar generally employed in the\nconstruction of Persian houses: a mixture, half of mud, one fourth of\nlime, and the rest ashes of burnt straw and rubbish.\n\n_Page 25._ \u201cTrees and running streams.\u201d\u2014The dryness of the Persian\nclimate and the deficiency of rivers have exercised in ancient\n(_Polybius_, lib. 10, 25) as in modern times the ingenuity of the\nnatives in the discovery of springs.\u2014In the Story of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m (page 98)\na city is also described as \u201cadorned with gardens and running streams.\u201d\nIt was a saying of Muhammad that \u201cthree things fortify the sight:\nlooking at verdure, at running water, and at a handsome face.\u201d\n\n_Page 25._ Dihk\u0101n is a compound word, from _dih_, a village, and _kh\u0101n_,\nlord, or chief.\n\n_Page 25._ \u201cErected a summer-house\u201d\u2014the text adds, \u201cand on it a lofty\nwatch-tower.\u201d\n\n_Page 25._ \u201cThe stranger was entertained with politeness and\nhospitality.\u201d\u2014The Kur\u2019\u0101n (iv, 40) enjoins the believer to \u201cserve God ...\nand show kindness unto ... your neighbour who is a _stranger_ ... and\nthe traveller\u201d (_ibnu-\u2019s sab\u012bl_: son of the road). The practice of\nhospitality among the pre-Islamite Arabs is too well known to require\nmore than passing mention, and reference to Professor Lee\u2019s note on Job\nxxi, 16.\n\n_Page 25._ \u201cA suit of his clothes\u201d; his own _jubba_ and _dast\u0101r_. The\n_jubba_ is a vest with cotton quilted between the outside and the\nlining; the _dast\u0101r_ is the sash, or fine muslin cloth, wrapped round\nthe turban.\n\n_Page 25._ \u201cAccount of his property\u201d &c.\u2014signet, chattels, and\nledger\u2014\u201cand said, \u2018you must manifest your zeal in the seasons of sowing\nand of harvest, and become the _mushrif_ of my property.\u2019\u201d A _mushrif_\nis an officer of the treasury, who authenticates accounts and writings.\nThe _dihk\u0101n_ gave him his signet, in order that he might transact his\nbusiness with full authority. \u201cSeals, or signets,\u201d says Dr H. H. Wilson,\n\u201cwere from the earliest periods commonly used in the East. Ahasuerus\ntakes his signet off his hand and gives it, first to Haman, and again to\nMordecai; and Herodotus notices that each of the Babylonians wore a\nseal-ring. The Greeks and Romans had their rings curiously engraved with\ndevices, and that cast by Polycrates into the sea was the work of an\nengraver whose name the historian has thought not unworthy of\ncommemoration. The use of the seal amongst the Orientals at the present\nday is not, as with us, to secure an envelope, but to verify letters and\ndocuments in place of a written signature. Amongst the natives of\nHind\u016bst\u0101n, both Muhammadan and Hind\u016b, the seal is engraved with the name\nof the wearer, and the surface being smeared superficially only with\nink, the application of the seal to the paper leaves the letters which\nare cut in the stone white on a black ground. Such also was the manner\nin which the seals of the Greeks and Romans were applied.\u201d Lane, in his\n_Modern Egyptians_, says: \u201cOn the little finger of the right hand is\nworn a seal-ring (_Kh\u0101tim_), which is generally of silver, with a\ncornelian, or other stone, upon which is engraved the wearer\u2019s name; the\nname is accompanied by the words \u2018his servant\u2019\u2014signifying the servant,\nor worshipper, of God\u2014and often by other words expressive of the\nperson\u2019s trust in God, &c. (see St. John\u2019s Gospel iii, 33, and Exodus\nxxxix, 30). The Prophet disapproved of gold; therefore few Muslims wear\ngold rings; but the women have various ornaments (rings, bracelets &c.)\nof that precious metal. The impression of the seal-ring is considered as\nmore valid than the sign-manual. Therefore giving the ring to another\nperson is the utmost mark of confidence.\u2014See Genesis xli, 42.\u201d\n\n_Page 27._ \u201cBit the finger of amazement.\u201d\u2014Biting the hand or finger is a\ncommon mode in the East of manifesting surprise, grief, or anger. Thus\nin the Kur\u2019\u0101n, xxv, 29: \u201cOn that day the unjust person shall bite his\nhands for anguish;\u201d and iii, 119: \u201cWhen they assemble together privately\nthey bite their fingers\u2019-ends out of wrath against you.\u201d In the\n_Gulist\u0101n_ of Sa`d\u012b, i, 4: \u201cThe King seized the hand of amazement with\nhis teeth;\u201d again, v, 19: \u201cThine enemy bites the back of his hand\nthrough vexation;\u201d and again, vii, 19: \u201cThe fingers of astonishment were\nbetween their teeth.\u201d In one of the beautiful poems of Bah\u0101u-\u2019d-D\u012bn\nZuhayr, of Egypt (A.D. 1186\u20131258), elegantly translated by Professor E.\nH. Palmer:\n\n When she passed me without speaking, I declare,\n I could almost bite my hand off with despair.\n\nAnd in the Turkish poem of _Khusrev and Sh\u012br\u012bn_, by Shayki, _ob._ A.D.\n1426 (Mr Gibb\u2019s _Ottoman Poems_, p. 6):\n\n No power was left him, neither sport nor pleasure,\n He bit his finger, wildered beyond measure.\n\n_Page 27._ \u201cDriven forth from the village\u201d; the text adds; \u201cand they\ndeprived him of whatever they had given.\u201d\n\n_Page 27._ \u201cFor the sake of God:\u201d a common phrase among Muslims. A\nrather humorous example of its use occurs in the _Gulist\u0101n_ (chap, iv,\ntale 14): A harsh-voiced man was reading the Kur\u2019\u0101n in a loud tone. A\npious man passed by him, and said: \u201cWhat is thy monthly\nstipend?\u201d\u2014\u201cNothing,\u201d he replied.\u2014\u201cWhy then,\u201d he inquired, \u201cdost thou\ngive thyself all this trouble?\u201d\u2014\u201cI read _for the sake of God_,\u201d he\nreplied.\u2014\u201cFor God sake, then, _don\u2019t read_,\u201d said he.\n\n_Page 27._ \u201cA pearl of such exquisite beauty,\u201d &c.\u2014In the East it is\npopularly believed that the pearl is formed in the oyster from a\nrain-drop: Sa\u2019d\u012b, in the fourth book of his _Bust\u0101n_, has some beautiful\nverses on this notion, in which he inculcates the practice of humility.\nPearls are called _marv\u0101r\u012bd_, \u201cproduction of light,\u201d and, usually when\nthey are unpierced, _l\u016b\u2019l\u016b\u2019_, \u201cluminous,\u201d \u201cbrilliant.\u201d They are divided\ninto twelve classes, each having a distinctive name, according to their\n\u201cwater\u201d or lustre; the first class being called _shahv\u0101r_, \u201cthe regal,\u201d\nthe clearest, purest, and most lustrous. Pearls are also divided into\ntwelve classes, according to shape. They are further divided, in respect\nof size, into fifteen classes, according to the number of holes in the\ndifferent sieves through which they are passed, from the smallest, of\nwhich twelve hundred weigh a _miskal_, up to the largest, of which forty\nweigh a _miskal_. The best pearl-fisheries are at Ceylon, and in the\nPersian Gulf, at Bahrayn, K\u012bsh, and Sharak; but the Arabian pearls are\nless prized than the Indian. Their colour and quality are said to depend\non the bottom of the sea where they are produced: in black slime they\nare dark; in shallow waters, yellowish.\u2014Tavernier mentions a remarkable\npearl found at Katifa, in Arabia, the fishery probably alluded to by\nPliny (_Nat. Hist._ b. ix, c. 54), which he purchased for \u00a310,000 of our\nmoney! It is said to be now in the possession of the Shah of Persia.\n\n_Page 28._ \u201cHe put three of the pearls into his mouth and the other\nthree among his clothes.\u201d\u2014It is customary for travellers and others in\nthe East to conceal their money and valuables about their clothes and in\nthe folds of their turbans. Many Oriental stories illustrate this\npractice. For example, in the tale of the Poor Ropemaker (_Arabian\nNights_\u2014vol. vi, of Jonathan Scott\u2019s edition), he receives a sum of\nmoney from a benevolent stranger, and having laid out a moiety of it in\nmaterial for his trade, he places the remainder within the folds of his\nturban-cloth, but unluckily a bird snatches it off his head and flies\naway with it. And in the Talmud there is a story of a poor Hebrew, named\nJoseph, who paid great respect to the Sabbath. This man had a wealthy\nneighbour, who was a firm believer in judicial astrology, and having\nbeen told by a sagacious professor of the science that all his riches\nshould one day become the property of the Sabbath-observing Joseph, he\nstraightway sold his estate and invested the proceeds in a large\ndiamond, which he secretly sewed within his turban, and departed in a\nvessel for some distant country\u2014thus preventing, as he fondly imagined,\nthe verification of the astrologer\u2019s prediction. But his precautions\nwere of no avail, for while standing on the deck of the vessel, a sudden\ngust of wind carried his turban, with all his wealth, into the sea. What\nbecame of the ruined man after this misfortune we are not informed. But\nwe are told that, some time after this accident, the pious Joseph went\nto the market and bought a fish to furnish his table on the Sabbath eve.\nOn opening the fish, the diamond which his old neighbour had lost with\nhis turban was found in its stomach\u2014and thus was the good man\u2019s strict\nobservance of the Sabbath rewarded, and the astrologer\u2019s prediction\nfulfilled to the letter.\n\n_Page 28._ The unlucky Merchant\u2019s adventure with the covetous and\ndishonest jeweller finds a curious parallel in an incident in the \u201cStory\nof the Jackal, the Barber, and the Br\u0101hman,\u201d one of the charming fairy\ntales in Miss Frere\u2019s _Old Deccan Days_. The poor Br\u0101hman, however,\nthough robbed of the precious stones he offers to the jeweller for sale,\nescapes home all safe, unlike the Merchant of our story. Possibly the\nincident in both tales had a common origin;\u2014yet the \u201croguery of\nvillanous man\u201d (to employ _honest_ Jack Falstaff\u2019s phrase) is pretty\nmuch alike in all ages and countries!\n\n_Page 29._ \u201cThey distributed some money among those who were\nconfined.\u201d\u2014Alms are recommended in many passages of the Kur\u2019\u0101n: \u201cPay\nyour legal alms,\u201d ii, 43; \u201calms are to be distributed to the poor and\nthe needy ... for the redemption of captives, insolvent debtors, and,\nfor religion\u2019s sake, unto the traveller,\u201d ix, 53, 60. Alms are of two\nkinds: (1) obligatory (or _zak\u0101t_), ii, 172; and (2) voluntary (or\n_sadak\u0101t_), as in the present instance. In scripture we find a trace of\nthe same doctrine: see Daniel iv, 27. The Khalif `Omar Ibn\n`Abdu-\u2019l-`Az\u012bz used to say: \u201c_Prayer_ carries us half-way to God;\n_Fasting_ brings us to the door of the palace; and _Alms_ procure us\nadmission.\u201d And assuredly no Eastern moralist has more frequently or\nmore impressively and beautifully inculcated the duty of alms-giving and\nof liberality than Sa`d\u012b. He tells us in the _Gulist\u0101n_, ii, 49, that on\nthe monument of Bahr\u0101m G\u016br, a famous Persian King, was written: \u201cThe\nliberal hand is better than the strong arm;\u201d and adds: \u201cDistribute in\nalms the tithe of thy wealth; for the more the husbandman loppeth off\nthe exuberance of the vine, the more it will yield of grapes.\u201d And in\nhis _Bust\u0101n_, or Fruit-Garden, b. ii, he says: \u201cBestow thy gold and thy\nwealth while they are thine; for when thou art gone they will be no\nlonger in thy power.... Distribute thy treasure readily to-day, for\nto-morrow the key may no longer be in thy hand.... Exert thyself to cast\na covering over the poor, that God\u2019s own veil may be a covering for\nthee.\u201d[45]\n\n_Page 30._ \u201cWhen he had related the story of the Merchant and of the\npearls which they had given him\u201d\u2014the text adds, \u201cand the other five\ndivers had confirmed what he said.\u201d\n\n_Page 30._ \u201cHe was then led away to execution; and the King caused to be\nproclaimed throughout the city,\u201d &c. So, too, in the _Thousand and One\nNights_, the Barber relates how his Fourth Brother was punished with a\nhundred lashes, \u201cafter which they mounted him upon a camel, and\nproclaimed before him: \u2018This is the recompense of him who breaketh into\nmen\u2019s houses.\u2019\u201d Morier, in his _Second Journey_, gives a graphic\ndescription of the punishment of Muhammad Zam\u0101n Kh\u0101n, governor of\nAstr\u0101b\u0101d, who, in 1814, \u201centered into a league with the Turkm\u0101ns,\ndisavowed the King\u2019s authority, and even made pretensions to the royal\npower and prerogative.\u201d The King offered a reward for his capture; and\nthe people of Astr\u0101b\u0101d surrounded the traitor\u2019s palace, forced their way\ninto the room where he was seated, seized and bound him, and carried him\nbefore the King. \u201cWhen he had reached the camp, the King ordered the\nchief of his camel-artillery to put a mock-crown upon the rebel\u2019s head,\narmlets on his arms, a sword by his side; to mount him upon an ass, with\nhis face towards the tail and the tail in his hand; then to parade him\nthroughout the camp, and to proclaim: \u2018This is he who wished to be\nKing!\u2019 After this was over, and the people had mocked and insulted him,\nhe was brought before the King, who called for the looties and ordered\nthem to turn him into ridicule by making him dance and perform antics\nagainst his will. He then ordered that whoever chose might spit in his\nface. After this he received the bastinado on the soles of his feet,\nwhich was administered by the chiefs of his own tribe; and some time\nafter he had his eyes put out.\u2014The strong coincidence,\u201d adds Morier,\n\u201cbetween these details and the most awfully affecting part of our own\nscripture history is a striking illustration of the permanence of\nEastern manners.\u201d\n\n_Page 30._ \u201cAppointed him keeper of the treasury.\u201d\u2014The sudden elevation\nof persons from a humble and even distressed condition to places of\ngreat dignity and wealth has ever been a characteristic of the absolute\nmonarchs of Eastern countries, as well as the degradation and ruin,\nfrequently from mere caprice, and seldom with any justification, of men\nof the highest rank. The most remarkable instance of the many which\nOriental history presents is the execrable conduct of the Khalif\nH\u0101r\u016bnu-\u2019r-R\u0101sh\u012bd, so undeservedly celebrated in the _Thousand and One\nNights_, in murdering his principal Vizier Ja`far and utterly ruining\nthe other members of the noble house of Barmak (the Barmecides of our\ncommon translation of the _Arabian Nights_), all of whom were as famed\nfor their unbounded liberality as for their brilliant abilities. An\ninteresting account of the Barmakis and their ruin is given in Dr\nJonathan Scott\u2019s _Tales, Anecdotes, &c., from the Arabic and Persian_.\n\n_Page 32._ \u201cPut out the Merchant\u2019s eyes.\u201d\u2014A too common and barbarous\npunishment in the East. In Turkey a needle was used for this purpose in\nthe case of state prisoners. The Arabian poet-hero `Antar is said to\nhave blinded his implacable and treacherous enemy Wez\u0101r by passing a\nred-hot sword-blade close before his eyes. Years afterwards the blinded\nchief executed poetical justice by slaying `Antar with a poisoned arrow,\nwhich he shot at him on the bank of the Euphrates.\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn Cazotte\u2019s version this story is entitled \u201cThe Obstinate Man,\u201d perhaps\nmore appropriately than our \u201cIll-fated Merchant,\u201d since his own\nwrong-headedness was the main cause of his misfortunes. His place of\nabode is Bagd\u0101d, not Basra. The divers give him _ten_ pearls. The\njeweller, having been lately robbed of some pearls, believes Kaskas\n(such is the man\u2019s name) to be the thief, and accordingly he accuses\nhim; and when the latter is proved to be innocent, the jeweller is\npunished with two hundred blows of the bastinado. The catastrophe is\nvery differently related: One day he observed in the apartment which had\nbeen assigned to him, a door walled-up and concealed by a slight\ncovering of mastic, which was now so much wasted by the effects of time\nthat it crumbled into dust on the slightest touch. Without any exertion\nof strength, he opened this door and entered unthinkingly into a rich\napartment entirely unknown to him, but which he found to be in the\ninterior of the palace. Hardly had he advanced two or three steps when\nhe was perceived by the chief of the eunuchs, who instantly reported\nwhat he had seen to the King. The monarch came immediately to the spot.\nThe fragments of the mastic remained upon the ground to show that the\ndoor had been forced open, and the stupid amazement of Kaskas completed\nthe appearance of his guilt. \u201cWretch!\u201d said the King, \u201cdost thou thus\nrepay my favours? My justice saved thee, when I believed thee innocent;\nnow thou art guilty, and I condemn thee to lose thy sight.\u201d The\nimprudent Kaskas durst not even attempt to justify himself, but was\nimmediately delivered into the hands of the executioner, of whom the\nonly favour he asked was, that he would give him his eyes when he had\ntorn them from their sockets.[46] He went groping through the streets of\nthe capital with them in his hands, crying: \u201cBehold, all ye good people\nwho hear me, what the unfortunate Kaskas has gained by striving against\nthe decrees of Destiny, and despising the advice of his friends!\u201d\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER III.\n\n_Page 33._ \u201cExpressed many apprehensions.\u201d\u2014The text gives the address of\nthe Third Vizier as follows: \u201cI am apprehensive lest the affair of\nBakhty\u0101r should be known in the out-lying provinces of the world\n[kingdom], and reaching the ears of sovereigns, occasion scandal, an\nevil repute arise therefrom. Before this story of Bakhty\u0101r become the\ncommon talk, it is expedient to put him to death.\u201d\n\n_Page 33._ \u201cHe petitioned for mercy:\u201d he cried,\n_al-am\u0101n!_\u2014quarter!\u2014pardon! Byron\u2019s couplet in the _Giaour_ has rendered\nthis word familiar to English readers:\n\n Resigned carbine or atagh\u0101n,\n Nor ever raised the craven cry, _Amaun!_\n\n_Page 33._ \u201cIf a king punish without due investigation.\u201d\u2014A Hind\u016b\ndramatist says:\n\n Though the commands of royalty pervade\n The world, yet sovereigns should remember,\n The light of justice must direct their path.\n\nAnd Sa`di, in his _Bust\u0101n_, b. I, regarding the duties of a king, says:\n\u201cIf thou sheddest blood, it must not be done without a decree.\u201d But\nthere is too much reason to believe that Eastern monarchs have seldom\nbeen guided by the law in administering punishment. Many of the Muslim\nprinces of Northern Africa, in particular, have slain even favourite\nattendants, from sheer wantonness and love of bloodshed.\n\n_Page 34._ Aleppo.\u2014The Berica of the Greeks; Aleppo is the Italian form\nof _H\u0101lab_, the native name. On the fall of Palmyra, H\u0101labu-\u2019s-Shabha\n(H\u0101lab the ash-coloured) became the grand emporium for the productions\nof Persia and India, conveyed by caravans from Bagd\u0101d and Basra to be\nshipped at Iskender\u016bn, or Latakia, for the different ports of Europe.\nUnder the Greek sovereigns of Syria, Aleppo acquired great wealth and\nconsequence, and flourished still more under the Roman Emperors. An\naqueduct, constructed before the time of Constantine, conveys a\nplentiful supply of water from the springs; and the mosques J\u0101m\u012b,\nZachar\u012b, and Halaw\u00e9, originally Christian churches, are fine specimens\nof the ancient Roman style, the latter built by the Empress Helena. To\nthe peculiar quality of the water of the Kuwayk (ancient Chalus), which\nirrigates its far-famed gardens, is ascribed the ring-worm\n(_h\u0101bala-\u2019s-sina_), which attacks the natives once in their lives, and\nleaves an indelible scar, which distinguishes an Aleppine throughout the\nEast. In 1797 Aleppo was the victim of the plague, and of earthquakes in\n1822 and 1830.\n\n_Page 34._ \u201cProtected strangers.\u201d\u2014The text reads: \u201cA friend of the\nstranger; who never at any time injured any person, deemed all injustice\nimproper, and never deprived any one of aught.\u201d\n\n_Page 34._ \u201cA son named Bih-z\u0101d,\u201d meaning \u201cwell-born,\u201d \u201clegitimate.\u201d\n\n_Page 35._ \u201cA magnificent litter\u201d\u2014the text adds, \u201cand the curtains of\nthe litter were thrown back;\u201d\u2014thus the youth was able to obtain a view\nof the lady\u2019s beauty.\n\n_Page 35._ \u201cWhen the young man had advanced thus far in his narrative;\u201d\nthe lithographed text says, \u201cwhen the boon companion had described the\nlady.\u201d\u2014Readers familiar with Oriental fictions will probably recollect\nmany instances of princes and others becoming enamoured, not only at\nsight of the portrait of a beautiful woman, but at the mere description\nof her charms: in such celebrated collections of tales as the _Arabian\nNights_, the Persian Tales ascribed to the Dervish Mokles of Isfah\u0101n,\nand the _Bah\u0101r-i-Danish_ (Spring of Knowledge) of `In\u0101yatu-\u2019llah of\nDihli. In the Bedaw\u012b _Romance of `Antar_, a noble `Absian named Amara,\n\u201ca conceited coxcomb, very particular in his dress, fond of perfumes,\nand always keeping company with women and young girls,\u201d having heard of\nthe beauty of Abla, sends a female slave to the tents of her family to\ndiscover whether the damsel was as beautiful as was reported of her; and\nthe girl returning with a glowing account of Abla\u2019s charms, the Bedaw\u012b\nexquisite immediately conceives a violent passion for her\u2014\u201chis ears fell\nin love before his eyes.\u201d\u2014There is at least one instance on record of a\nEuropean becoming enamoured from imagination; in the case of Geoffrey\nRudel, the gallant troubadour, who fell desperately in love with the\nCountess of Tripoli, from a description of her beauty and\naccomplishments: but see the story in Warton\u2019s _History of English\nPoetry_.\n\n_Page 35._ \u201cThe city of R\u016bm, the capital and residence of the Kaisar, or\nGreek Emperor\u201d: Constantinople.\u2014The signification of \u201cR\u016bm\u201d is very\nvague, as it may denote Rome, the Turkish Empire, Greece, or Rumelia\n(R\u016bm Eyli). The Persians called the chief of the Seljuk\u012b dynasty at\nKonia (_i.e._ Iconium), Kaisar-i-R\u016bm. D\u2019Herbelot defines the term R\u016bm as\napplicable to the countries which the Romans, and afterwards the Greeks\nand Turks, subdued under their domination. \u201cRoumy [R\u016bm\u012b],\u201d observes\nBurckhardt, \u201cis a word applied by the Arabs to the Greeks of the Lower\nEmpire, and afterwards to all Christians.\u201d (_Travels in Nubia_, App. n.\niii.) The Persian proverb, _Ez R\u016bm ta Sh\u0101m_, \u201cfrom R\u016bm to Syria,\u201d is\nquoted to indicate an extent of territory. Kaisar (C\u00e6sar, whence Czar)\nwas the general title of the sovereigns of the Lower Empire, as Khusr\u016b\nwas that of the Persian Kings of the Sassanian dynasty.\n\n_Page 36._ \u201cPrince Bihz\u0101d immediately arose, and hastened to the house\nof the Vizier, and said,\u201d &c.\u2014The following is a close translation of\nthis passage as given in the lithographed text:\n\n\u201cYou must go this moment and tell my father, Bihz\u0101d says thus: \u2018Thou\ndost not turn thine eye upon me and hast not any care for me. There is\nno mortal in the world to whom a wife should not be given; if thou\ncarest for me, you would bestow on me a help-mate.\u2019\u201d The Vizier replied:\n\u201cYour order I obey;\u201d then rose up and went to the King\u2019s palace, asked\nfor an audience, and reported to the King all that Bihz\u0101d had said. The\nKing said: \u201cBihz\u0101d has fallen in love; say to him, \u2018This wish is in my\nthoughts; but I have paused until I could discover some companion for\nthy sake; but if there be a longing for any one, speak out that I may\ngive it my attention\u2014that I may effect a settlement, and bring this thy\ndesire within thy embrace.\u2019\u201d\u2014The Vizier returned, and repeated to Bihz\u0101d\nwhat the King had said, to which Bihz\u0101d replied: \u201cGo and tell my father\nthat the Kaisar of R\u016bm has a daughter, Nig\u0101r\u012bn[47] by name; he must send\nambassadors and demand the daughter on my behalf.\u201d The Vizier returned\nand told the King, who became unhappy.\n\n_Page 37._ \u201cThe Vizier returned to Bihz\u0101d, and delivered him this\nmessage from his father.\u201d\u2014The lithographed text says:\n\nWhen Bihz\u0101d perceived that the King showed no eagerness in asking for\nthe lady, he said to the Vizier: \u201cIf the King will not demand the\ndaughter for me, I will leave the country.\u201d The Vizier said: \u201cI will go\nand speak to the King to that effect.\u201d He went, and repeated according\nto Bihz\u0101d\u2019s words. The King loved his son to excess, and seeing no\nresource, sent ambassadors to the Kaisar of R\u016bm. When the ambassadors\narrived at the capital of R\u016bm, and the news reached the King, he\ncommanded an _istikb\u0101l_, and that they should enter the city with all\ndue honours and respect. The next day the Kaisar invited the ambassadors\nto a _durbar_. When they came before the King and had bowed their faces\nto the ground, they delivered the message of the Sh\u0101h of Aleppo. The\nKing said: \u201cMaybe the wealth [dominion, power?] of the Kaisar does not\nenter into your [mind\u2019s] eye;\u2014you must be brief and laconic, and utter\nthis reply: \u2018One hundred lacs of d\u012bnars is the covenant of my daughter\u2019s\nhand; whoever will give one hundred lacs of d\u012bnars, to him will I give\nmy daughter.\u2019 Thus he spake; then rising up, dismissed the ambassadors.\u201d\n\n_Page 37._ \u201cOne hundred lacs of d\u012bnars.\u201d\u2014The value of the _d\u012bnar_\n(originally _din-\u0101r_, \u201cbrought into circulation by the law\u201d) varied\nconsiderably at different periods, but the average value is about ten\nshillings. As a _lac_ is one hundred thousand, and the Kaisar demanded a\nhundred lacs; taking the value of the d\u012bnar at ten shillings, this would\namount to five million pounds of our money: but Oriental romancers are\nfond of dealing with immense sums of money\u2014on paper! \u201cThe Persians,\u201d\nsays Chardin, \u201cexpress silver money by the term _dirhem_, or _dragme_,\nand that of gold by that of _d\u012bnar_, or _denier_. They reckon by\n_d\u012bnar-bisty_ and _tom\u0101ns_, although they have not any pieces of money\nso called. There is the common d\u012bnar, and the legal d\u012bnar (or chemy) and\nthe d\u012bnar-chemy signify the weight and the value of a d\u012bnar of gold, or\nof a gold crown. A bisty makes ten d\u012bnars, or deniers, and a tom\u0101n ten\nthousand d\u012bnars.\u201d (_Voyage en Perse, &c._, ii, 91\u20132.)\n\n_Page 38._ \u201cThey produced twenty lacs.\u201d\u2014Bihz\u0101d said: \u201cMake a forced\ncontribution throughout the land, and [demand] one-eighth of the garden\n[produce].\u201d The P\u0101dish\u0101h replied: \u201cThis I will never do, for the city is\nsmall and the people have not the means; every one would take flight and\nbe ruined.\u201d Bihz\u0101d said: \u201cA portion of the sum [required] exact by a\nforced contribution; after that, about the remainder let us not concern\nourselves\u201d [_lit._ eat anxiety]. The P\u0101dish\u0101h was incapable [of further\nopposition]; he commanded that the land [owners] should make a present\nof twenty lacs of d\u012bnars.\n\n_Page 40._ \u201cSet out upon his journey.\u201d\u2014For what purpose? Surely not to\ngo and demand the Kaisar\u2019s daughter in marriage, without payment of the\nbalance of the stipulated hundred lacs? Sir William Ouseley has omitted\nto add that _loot_ was the object of Bihz\u0101d\u2019s expedition. The text says\nthat, with two confidential attendants Bihz\u0101d set out upon his journey,\n\u201c_until he should fall in with a caravan, and make up the total sum\nrequired_.\u201d The \u201cgood old rule\u201d of our own famous Scottish freebooter\nRob Roy\u2014\n\n the simple plan,\n That they should take, who have the power,\n And they should keep, who can\u2014\n\nwas very commonly put into practice in former times by Arabian lovers in\norder to procure the dowry. Thus, in the _Romance of `Antar_, which Von\nHammer says presents true pictures of Arabian life about the age of\nNushirv\u0101n the Just, King of Persia (sixth century), Malik, the father of\nthe beauteous Abla, requires `Antar to procure for her dowry a thousand\nAsaf\u012br camels by plundering the owner, Mundzir, King of H\u012bra; and when\nKhalid demands his cousin Jaida in marriage of her father, the heroic\ndamsel consents, on condition that he provide for slaughter at her\nwedding-feast a thousand camels belonging to the \u201cBrandisher of Spears,\u201d\nwhich he does by plundering the tribe of `\u0100mir; and when Malik the\nperfidious father of Abla betrothes her to the Bedaw\u012b exquisite Amara\n(mentioned in a previous note), he collects a party of his followers and\nsets out on a looting expedition to procure her dowry.\u2014Prince Bihz\u0101d,\nhowever, appears to have \u201ccaught a Tartar\u201d in attacking the caravan\nwhich he and his comrades overtook\u2014\u201cin the morning,\u201d according to our\ntranslation\u2014\u201cat the hour of mid-day prayer,\u201d says the lithographed text.\nThe old Arabs always made their attacks on the tents of a hostile tribe,\nand on caravans, in the early morning\u2014on the first gray streaks of dawn\nappearing, and this is frequently alluded to in their poetry. Thus in\nthe _Mu`allaqa_ of Hareth: \u201cThey assembled their forces at night, and as\nsoon as the dawn appeared, there was nothing heard among them but a\ntumultuous noise, of those who called and those who answered; the\nneighing of horses, and, among the rest, the lowing of camels.\u201d In the\n_Romance of `Antar_, the heroic Prince Malik is represented as being\nslain in one of those morning raids, when his bridal party were attacked\nby Hadifa and his tribesmen: \u201cby morning their joys were converted into\nsorrows, and shots were precipitated at them from arrows for which there\nis no surgeon.\u201d To wish peace in the morning was therefore among the\nArabs a most appropriate salutation. So `Antar, in his famous\n_Mu`allaqa_ (verse 2), exclaims: \u201cO bower of Abla, in the valley of\nJiw\u0101, give me tidings of my love! O bower of Abla, may the morning rise\non thee with prosperity and health!\u201d And Zuhayr, also author of a\n_Mu`allaqa_, on viewing the traces of his mistress\u2019 former abode: \u201cHail,\nsweet bower! may thy morning be fair and auspicious!\u201d\n\n * * * * *\n\nThis story is the fourth in Cazotte\u2019s version, in which it presents so\nfew points of resemblance to the tale as given in the Persian work that\nwe must conclude it has been thus altered by the Arabian translator.\nBihz\u0101d is the son of King Cyrus, founder of the Syrian empire; and the\nbeautiful lady with whom he falls in love from the description of her\ncharms is the daughter of one of his father\u2019s vassals. He avows his\npassion to the King his father, who immediately sends messengers to his\nvassal, demanding his daughter in marriage to his son. The dowry of\nthree hundred thousand pieces of gold is agreed upon, but the lady\u2019s\nfather stipulates that the marriage should be delayed for the space of\nnine months. This seemed an eternity to the impatient Prince, so he\nmounts his best horse, and sets out to claim his bride at once. On the\nway he falls into the hands of a gang of robbers and is compelled to\njoin them. They attack a caravan and are defeated, the Prince, among\nothers, being taken prisoner. The merchants present Bihz\u0101d to their\nKing, who recognises him from the description of his person in a\ncircular letter which he had received from King Cyrus. This King\ndespatches some troops along with Bihz\u0101d to the young lady\u2019s father. On\nhis arrival preparations are made for the celebration of the marriage:\nonly three days have now to pass; but Bihz\u0101d, impatient to behold his\nbride, looks through a small grated window in her pavilion; and a\neunuch, placed there on guard, not knowing the Prince, struck him with\nthe point of his scimitar, which ran through both his eyes.\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER IV.\n\n_Page 45._ According to the lithographed text: \u201cThe Fourth Vizier\npresented himself before the King and said: \u2018Of all the admirable\nqualities [becoming] a King forbearance is the most praiseworthy, and\noccasions general tranquillity; but inasmuch as the forbearance\n[towards] Bakhty\u0101r exceeds all bounds, it brings evil repute to the King\nand kingdom, just as the [moderate] tasting of meat is legitimate, but\nto eat to excess produces violent fever.\u2019\u201d\n\n_Page 45._ \u201cLet him not be precipitate in putting me to death.\u201d\u2014The text\ngoes on to say: \u201cFor precipitation in the end leads only to repentance.\nThrough impatience a man falls from sovereignty, but whoever practises\npatience obtains it, and is free from calamity. If the King would\npermit, just as his servant has described [the career of] the Impatient\nBihz\u0101d, he would also, at the service of the King, make known Ab\u016b\nSaber\u2019s patience, and thus shed light on the illumined mind of the King,\n[showing] how by patience extensive dominion accrues to a human being.\u201d\nThe King said: \u201cAb\u016b Saber, who was he? And practising what degree of\npatience, and in what manner, did he acquire dominion and sovereignty?\nRelate.\u201d\n\n_Page 46._ Ab\u016b Saber (_Sabr_), literally, \u201cFather of Patience.\u201d\u2014This\nstory offers a striking example of the practice of patience, a virtue\nenjoined by the Kur\u2019\u0101n (ii, 148): \u201cO true believers, beg assistance with\npatience (_bi-\u2019s-sabri_) and prayer, for God is with the patient\n(_inna-\u2019ll\u0101ha ma`a-\u2019s-sabir\u012bn_).\u201d\u2014Travellers in the East are daily\nreminded of this text: you engage camels; at the time appointed, they\nare not ready; you seek, and find the owner smoking in a coffee-shop; to\nyour remonstrances he replies: \u201cHave patience, Efend\u012b\u2014_inna-\u2019ll\u0101ha\nma`a-\u2019s-sabir\u012bn_.\u201d An Egyptian friend visits you while you are still\nagitated, and his only words are: _Sabr kun\u2014inna-\u2019ll\u0101ha\nma`a-\u2019s-sabir\u012bn_: Have patience\u2014God is with the patient. In a flutter of\nindignation you bring your complaint before my Lord Judge (_M\u0101vl\u0101na\nKaz\u012b_), who summons and expostulates with the offender, and then, with a\nsmile, assures you, _inna-\u2019ll\u0101ha ma`a-\u2019s-sabir\u012bn_!\u2014Persian authors are\nprofuse in their praise of patience. Sa`d\u012b (_Gulist\u0101n_, i, 27)\nillustrates the double meaning of _Sabr_, which signifies the \u201caloe\u201d as\nwell as \u201cpatience:\u201d\n\n Rest not sour because of the turns of Fortune, for Patience [or the\n Aloe],\n Although it is bitter, bringeth forth sweet fruit.\n\nAnd in the same excellent work (iii, 1) he says: \u201cThe treasure chosen by\nLukm\u0101n was patience; without patience there is no such thing as wisdom.\u201d\n\n_Page 46._ \u201cA tax-gatherer\u201d\u2014_`Amil_\u2014is inferior to an _Am\u012bn_, who\nregulates the revenues of a district, and to a _Zamin-d\u0101r_, a landed\nproprietor.\n\n_Page 46._ \u201cExtorted (_Khar\u0101j_) tribute from the poor\npeasants.\u201d\u2014_Khar\u0101j-guz\u0101r_, \u201ca tribute-paying subject,\u201d differs from\n_dhim\u012b_ (_zimmiy_), who pays an annual tribute, and is entitled to the\nprotection of the Muslims and to most of the civil rights which they\nenjoy; but he has also\u2014in Egypt, at least\u2014to pay the income-tax in\ncommon with Muslims. (See Lane\u2019s _Modern Egyptians_.)\n\n_Page 46._ \u201cWith cruelty and injustice,\u201d &c.\u2014\u201cMost of the governors of\nprovinces and districts,\u201d says Lane (_Modern Egypt._), \u201ccarry their\noppression far beyond the limits to which they are authorised to proceed\nby the Pasha; and even the Shaikh of a village, in executing the\ncommands of his superiors, abuses his lawful power: bribes and the ties\nof relationship and marriage influence him and them; and by lessening\nthe oppression of some, who are more able to bear it, greatly increase\nthat of others.\u201d The peasants of Egypt only pay taxes after a severe\nbastinading: \u201cthe more easily the peasant pays, the more he is made to\npay;\u201d they are \u201cproud of the stripes they receive for withholding their\ncontributions; and are often heard to boast of the number of blows which\nwere inflicted upon them before they would give up their money.... It\nmay be hardly necessary to add, that few of them engage with assiduity\nin the labours of agriculture, unless compelled to do so by their\nsuperiors.\u201d\n\n_Page 47._ \u201cHe replied, that patience was his only remedy.\u201d\u2014The\nlithographed text thus proceeds:\n\n\nThe peasants retired void of hope, and remained [quiet] in the village\nuntil the day when the King of the territory came in that direction for\nthe chase. The peasants hastened out of the village, and raised a cry\n[of lamentation], saying: \u201cWe are peasants, the tributaries and\nwell-wishers of his Majesty. At the time when the collector, entering\nthis village, executed his duties cruelly towards us, and had no mercy\nupon us poor people, a party of evil-doers slew the tax-gatherer and\nfled. This news reaching the ears of the King, he commanded the village\nto be laid waste, and we, the guiltless, were set aside. After this we\nwere in misery and affliction, and could do but little seed-sowing and\nharvest. Three years afterwards a lion formed his lair in the\nneighbouring district of the village, and he killed many children and\ncamels; and from dread of the lion we were unable to go out of doors,\nand were reduced to [a state of] starvation and nakedness.\u201d Thus did\nthey speak, and, with lamentations and groans, shed tears. Pity for them\ncame over [the mind of] the King, who asked: \u201cWhy, at the time of the\nmurder of the collector, did you not come before me, and represent your\nown state of affairs, and beg me to forbear from the command to lay your\nvillage waste?\u201d The peasants replied: \u201cIn the village there is a man who\nis our chief; whatever affair we undertake, we confer with him, [that]\nhe may devise the proper course [to pursue]. We told him of this state\nof affairs, and he was not one with us, and he did not think it\nadvisable we should come into the presence of the King.\u201d At these words\nthe King became angry, and commanded they should expel this man from the\nvillage.\n\n\n_Page 48._\u2014\u201cAb\u016b Saber recommended patience.\u201d\u2014According to the\nlithographed text: Have patience (_sabr kun_); since by patience that\nwhich was obscure becomes manifest, [even as] a lamp lights up\n[darkness].\n\n_Page 48._ \u201cShe contrived to write upon the ground with blood.\u201d\u2014Of what\nservice blood could be in tracing letters in the sand is not very\nobvious: the lithographed text simply says, that \u201cwhen she perceived\nthere was no remedy, she wrote on the ground: \u2018A robber has carried me\noff!\u2019\u201d\n\n_Page 49._ \u201cEvery stranger ... was by his command seized and compelled\nto work,\u201d &c.\u2014No doubt many of the magnificent palaces and other\nedifices in Eastern countries, like the famous Pyramids near Cairo, were\nthus raised by forced labour. M\u016bl\u012b Isma`\u012bl, emperor of Morocco, who\ndied, after a long reign, in 1714, was a great lover of architecture and\nemployed many people on his buildings; if he did not approve of the plan\nor the performance, it was usual for him to show the delicacy of his\ntaste by demolishing the whole structure and putting to death all who\nhad a hand in it.\n\n_Page 50._ \u201cProvidence would relieve him from the oppression under which\nhe suffered.\u201d\u2014Ab\u016b Saber said: \u201cBe patient, since the Almighty (may He be\nhonoured and glorified!) is a friend of the patient, and quickly will\nrelease thee from this oppression.\u201d\u2014Here, it will be observed, Ab\u016b Saber\nrefers to the text from the Kur\u2019\u0101n quoted in the third note to this\nchapter, as above, \u201cGod is with the patient.\u201d\n\n_Page 51._ \u201cSupporting his head on the knees of patience, implored the\nprotection of the Almighty.\u201d\u2014Ab\u016b Saber may be supposed to have assumed\nan attitude of prayer (_reka_), by an inclination of the body, so that\nthe hands rested on the knees, saying (_tawakkal bar Khud\u0101_), \u201cput thy\ntrust in God,\u201d Kur\u2019\u0101n xxxvii, 3; and recalling to mind: \u201cwhoso ...\npersevereth with patience shall at length find relief.\u201d\u2014Kur\u2019\u0101n xii, 90.\n\n_Page 51._ \u201cIt was resolved that they should go to the prison, and\npropose three questions to the criminals confined there; and that\nwhoever gave the best answers should be chosen King.\u201d\u2014This will probably\nstrike most readers as a rather curious, not to say hap-hazard, mode of\nelecting a King; yet it goes, I think, to prove the antiquity of the\noriginal story; and, moreover, if the \u201cquestions\u201d were of such a subtle\nnature as to require superior sagacity for their solution, it may have\nbeen perhaps as good a way of choosing a sovereign as many that have\nbeen adopted either in ancient or modern times. The circumstance that\nthe test-questions were proposed to _prisoners_ may seem still more\nabsurd; but the late King is represented as very tyrannical and impious,\n\u201cone who did not fear God, an infidel;\u201d and the chiefs of the city were\ndoubtless aware that the prisoners were not really criminals, but the\ninnocent victims of a wicked tyrant. It is very tantalising that neither\nin the lithographed text nor in those texts which Lescallier made use of\nfor his French translation, nor in Sir William Ouseley\u2019s, are the\nquestions and Ab\u016b Saber\u2019s answers given. One is naturally curious to\nknow whether they were of the nature of ingenious riddles or subtle\nquestions involving profound moral truths. The practice (apparently a\nvery ancient one) of proposing to certain kinds of candidates and\naccused persons, riddles or \u201chard questions\u201d to expound or answer is\ncommon to the popular fictions of Europe as well as of Asia. In more\nthan one of the Arabian Tales a lady chooses for her husband him who\nanswers her \u201cquestions.\u201d In the Scottish ballad of \u201cRoslin\u2019s Daughter\u201d\nthe lady proposes a number of riddles or questions to her lover, which\nhe must answer before she will \u201cgang to his bed.\u201d In Mr Ralston\u2019s\nextremely entertaining and valuable _Russian Folk-Tales_, on the other\nhand, a Princess makes it her rule, that \u201cany one whose riddles she\ncannot guess, him must she marry; but any one whose riddles she can\nguess, him she may put to death.\u201d In Chapter 70 of Swan\u2019s translation of\nthe _Gesta Romanorum_, a collection of Latin stories, largely derived\nfrom Eastern sources, very popular in the Middle Ages, a King\u2019s daughter\nvows that she will never marry except the man who answers three\nquestions. In the old English version of the _Gesta_, edited by Sir\nFrederick Madden, Chapter 19, a certain good and righteous knight is\nfalsely accused of some crime, and the Emperor gives him the option of\nanswering six questions or forfeiting his life. The same story, with\nvariations of local colouring, &c., is found in the 4th novel of\nSacchetti, one of the early Italian novelists; in Tyl Eulenspiegel, the\ncelebrated German folk-book; and in our old English ballad of \u201cKing John\nand the Abbot of Canterbury.\u201d In an Indian work of fiction, said to have\nbeen written in the 7th century, _Dasa Kumara Charita_ (Adventures of\nTen Princes),[48] Mitragupta meets with a terrible Rakshasa\u2014a species of\ndemon in human form\u2014who threatens to devour him if he cannot answer four\nquestions. These, with Mitragupta\u2019s answers, are as follows: (1) What is\ncruel? _Ans._ A wicked woman\u2019s heart. (2) What is most to the advantage\nof a householder? _Ans._ Good qualities in a wife. (3) What is love?\n_Ans._ Imagination. (4) What best accomplishes difficult things? _Ans._\nCunning. Mitragupta then relates four stories in illustration of his\nanswers. In the Persian romance of _Hatim Ta`\u012b_\u2014the author of which has\nbeen greatly indebted to Hind\u016b fiction for his materials\u2014a young lady,\nnamed Husn B\u0101n\u016b, makes it the condition of her bestowing her hand on any\nof her numerous suitors, that he shall answer seven questions\u2014or rather,\nperform seven difficult and dangerous tasks in order to solve her\nquestions.\u2014In the 14th of Mr Ralston\u2019s _Tibetan Tales_,[49] the Dumb\nCripple, who does _not_ wish to succeed to the throne, is permitted to\nrenounce the world on condition of his answering three questions.\u2014And\nVoltaire, in his _Zadig_\u2014imitating this feature of Oriental romance, as\nhe did others\u2014represents a contention for the throne of Babylon, first\nby a tournament, and finally by the champions attempting to solve a\nnumber of enigmas.\n\nWhether it was ever a custom in any Eastern land to choose a King from\namong prisoners to whom certain difficult questions were proposed, is\nitself a \u201cdifficult question.\u201d But it is remarkable that in legendary\nIndian stories, both those preserved in writing and by oral tradition,\nmention is frequently made of the election of a King by the _elephant_\nof the deceased monarch. For instance: in _Sivandhi Sthala Purana_, a\nlegendary account of the famous temple at Trinchinopoli, of which a\npalm-leaf manuscript is described by Dr H. H. Wilson, in his Catalogue\nof the Mackenzie Collection, it is related that a certain King having\nmortally offended a holy Muni, his capital and all the inhabitants were,\nin consequence of an imprecation pronounced on him by the enraged saint,\nburied beneath a shower of dust. \u201cOnly the Queen escaped, and in her\nflight she was delivered of a male child. After some interval, the\nchiefs of the Chola kingdom, proceeding to elect a King, determined, by\nadvice of the Muni [the same whose curse had worked the mischief\naforesaid], to crown whomsoever the late monarch\u2019s elephant should pitch\nupon. Being turned loose for that purpose, the elephant discovered and\nbrought to Trisira-m\u0101l\u012b the child of his former master, who accordingly\nbecame the Chola King.\u201d[50]\u2014And in the Manipuri Story of the Two\nBrothers, Turi and Basanta (translated by G. H. Damant, in the _Indian\nAntiquary_, 1875), Turi, in the course of his wanderings, is chosen King\nin a similar manner by an elephant, who meets the youth in the forest,\ntakes him up, and brings him to the palace, where he is immediately set\nupon the throne.\u2014A very singular custom in the election of a Kh\u0101n seems\nto have been once observed by the Kalmuks, if we may credit the\n_Relations of Ssidi K\u00fcr_,[51] a Tartar version of the Sanskrit _Vet\u00e1la\nPanchavinsati_, or 25 Tales of a Demon: A sacred figure, of dough or\npaste, usually in the shape of a pyramid, called a _baling_, was thrown\nhigh into the air, and the person upon whose head it fell was proclaimed\nKh\u0101n.\u2014Still more curious, and savouring somewhat of the supernatural;\u2014in\nMr Ralston\u2019s _Tibetan Tales_, a king called Ananda, being attacked by\nillness, considered which of his five sons he should invest with the\nsovereign power. His four elder sons were rash, rude, and hot-tempered;\nhis youngest, Prince Adarsamukha, was the most suitable; but Ananda\u2019s\nkinsmen would probably reproach him should he pass over the elder sons,\nand give his crown to the youngest. Then said he to his ministers: \u201cGive\near, O chieftains! After my death ye are to test each of the princes in\nturn. Him among them whom the jewel-shoes fit when they are tried on;\nunder whom the throne remains steadfast when he is upon it; on whom the\ndiadem rests unshaken when it is placed upon his head; whom the women\nrecognise; and who guesses the six objects to be divined by his insight,\nnamely: the inner treasure, the outer treasure, the inner and outer\ntreasure, the treasure of the tree-top, the treasure of the hill-top,\nand the treasure of the river-shore: him by whom all these conditions\nare fulfilled shall ye invest with the sovereign power.\u201d As is almost\ninvariably the case in the folk-tales of all countries, the youngest son\nis the successful competitor.\u2014In the good old times, when kings and\nchiefs were chosen for their physical strength and prowess in battle,\none can see some propriety in rival candidates for the supreme power\nsettling their claims by a hand-to-hand contest; but surely only in such\ncountries as China and Japan could we conceive it possible for a dispute\nof this kind to be settled _by proxy_. Mr Mitford, in his _Tales of Old\nJapan_ (vol. i, 203, 204), tells us: \u201cIn the year 858 the throne of\nJapan was _wrestled for_. The Emperor Buntoker had two sons, called\nKor\u00e9shito and Kor\u00e9taka, both of whom aspired to the throne. Their claims\nwere decided in a wrestling match, in which one Yoshir\u00f4 was the champion\nof Kor\u00e9shito, and Natora the champion of Kor\u00e9taka. Natora having been\ndefeated, Kor\u00e9shito ascended his father\u2019s throne, under the style of\nSiewa.\u201d\n\n_Page 52._ \u201cThe robber he immediately recognised, but _was silent_.\u201d\u2014In\nkeeping with the Persian saying: _sina pur j\u016bsh o lab kham\u016bsh_,\n\u201ctroubled breast and silent lip.\u201d\n\n_Page 52._ \u201cWe are freeborn, we are the sons of a Mussulm\u0101n\u2014Slaves,\namong the Muslims, are either captives in war (_saq\u0101y\u0101_) or by purchase\n(_mav\u0101l\u0101t_).\u201d One of the fundamental points of the Muhammadan religion\nconsists in the ransom of slaves: \u201cAlms should buy the freedom of\nslaves\u201d\u2014Kur\u0101n ix, 60.\n\n_Page 53._ \u201cThe merchant\u2019s money to be deposited in the public\ntreasury.\u201d\u2014This, if correctly rendered, would have been an act of gross\ninjustice, not at all in accordance with the character of Ab\u016b Saber;\nsince the merchant had been guilty of nothing unlawful in purchasing the\nboys, whom he did not know were freeborn and the sons of a Muslim. The\nlithographed text says: \u201cHe sent the robber to prison, and _re-imbursed_\nthe merchant from the public treasury;\u201d\u2014and Lescallier (p. 96): \u201cIl\nordonna au voleur de _restituer_ au marchand l\u2019argent qu\u2019il en avait\nre\u00e7u, et le fit arr\u00eater et jeter en prison.\u201d\n\n_Page 53._ \u201cBecause she wore a veil (_sitr_).\u201d\u2014Muslim women are\nprescribed by their religion to conceal from all men whatever may be\nattractive in their appearance, and the men are not permitted to see any\nunveiled women save their wives, or slaves, and those women with whom\nthey are prohibited by law from marrying\u2014see Kur\u2019\u0101n xxiv, 31. \u201cThe curse\nof God,\u201d said the Prophet, \u201cis on the seer and the seen.\u201d Lane, in his\n_Modern Egyptians_, gives a very minute description, with numerous\nengravings, of the veils worn by Muslim women, and remarks that \u201cthe\nveil is of very remote antiquity\u201d\u2014see Genesis xxiv, 65, and Isaiah iii,\n23.\n\n_Page 53._ \u201cWould not consent to perform the duties of a wife.\u201d\u2014When a\nwife disobeys her husband\u2019s lawful commands, he may take her (or two\nMuslim witnesses) before the K\u0101z\u012b. Should the complaint preferred be\njust and proved, a certificate is written, declaring her _nashiza_,\nrebellious, and the husband is then quite free from the obligation of\nlodging, clothing, and maintaining her.\n\n_Page 53._ \u201cThis man was not her husband.\u201d\u2014The 4th sura of the Kur\u2019\u0101n\n(v. 20 _et seq._) treats of lawful and unlawful marriages. \u201cYe are all\nforbidden to take to wife free women who are married\u201d (v. 22); that is,\nsays Sale, whether they be Muslim women or not, unless they be legally\ndivorced from their husbands.\u2014This incident, if the story be fictitious\n(but it probably had some foundation in fact), is very ingeniously\nconceived: Ab\u016b Saber\u2019s happiness is rendered complete by the recovery of\nhis wife, with such a _credential_ of her purity!\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe Arabian version of this story, according to Cazotte\u2019s French\nrendering (and Habicht\u2019s German translation agrees with it in this\nrespect), gives a very different account of the circumstances of Ab\u016b\nSaber\u2019s elevation to the supreme power. Ab\u016b Saber, it seems, had been\ncast by the wicked King into a deep, dry well in the palace-yard. Now it\nhappened that this impious and cruel King \u201chad a brother whom he had\nalways concealed from every eye, in a secret part of the palace; but\nsuspicion and uneasiness made him afraid lest he should one day be\ncarried off and placed upon the throne. Some time before he had\nprivately let him down into this well. This unhappy victim of politics\nsoon sank under so many distresses: he died; but this event was not\nknown, although the other parts of the secret had transpired. The\ngrandees of the realm, and the whole nation, shocked at a capricious\ncruelty which exposed them all to the same danger, rose, with one\naccord, against the tyrant, and assassinated him. The adventure of Ab\u016b\nSaber had been long since forgotten. One of the officers of the palace\nreported that the King went every day to carry bread to a man who was in\nthe well, and to converse with him.[52] This idea led their thoughts to\nthe brother who had been so cruelly used by the tyrant. They ran to the\nwell, went down into it, and found there Ab\u016b Saber, whom they took for\nthe presumptive heir to the crown. Without giving him time to speak, or\nto make himself known, they conducted him to a bath; and he was soon\nclothed in the royal purple, and placed upon the throne.\u201d\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER V.\n\n_Page 56._ \u201cThe King of Yemen.\u201d\u2014As the Kings of Egypt were named\nPharaoh, those of the Sassanian dynasty of Persia, Khusr\u016b, those of\nAbyssinia, Negashi, so were the Kings of Yemen distinguished by the\ntitle of Tobba, from being the paramount sovereign of a number of tribes\nor _followers_ (_t\u0101bi`\u012bn_). Some of the ancient Kings, having\nconsiderably enlarged their dominions by conquest, became proverbial for\ngreat power.\n\nYemen (or _Arabia Felix_) in the time of Strabo was divided into five\nkingdoms (l. 16, p. 112), and has been successively subdued by the\nAbyssinians, the Persians, the Sultans of Egypt, and the Turks.\u2014On the\nwest Yemen has the Red Sea; on the south the Straits of Babu-\u2019l-Mandab\nand the Indian Ocean; on the east Hadramaut, and the north Nejed and the\nHij\u0101z. The inhabitants plume themselves on their country being \u201cthe\nbirth-place of the sciences and religion\u201d (_Biladu-\u2019l-`Ulm o\nBiladu-\u2019d-D\u012bn_).\u2014_Niebuhr_, par. ii, p. 247.\n\n_Page 56._ \u201cA certain slave named Abraha.\u201d\u2014Influenced, probably, by a\nmalevolent feeling towards the _Mushriks_ (those who attribute partners\nto God\u2014Christians), the Muslim author\u2014or, more likely, translator and\nadapter\u2014gives the name of Abraha to an Ethiopian slave, disparaging, as\nit were, the historical fame of Abraha Ebnu-\u2019s-Sab\u0101, the 46th King of\nYemen, surnamed Sahibu-\u2019l-F\u012bl (Lord of the Elephant), an Ethiopian by\nbirth, and of the Christian religion, who in paynim times built a\nmagnificent church in the citadel of Grandam, at Sana\u0101, with the design\nof inducing pilgrims to resort thither, instead of to the Ka`ba at\nMecca. (See Kur\u2019\u0101n cv, and Sale\u2019s _note_.)\n\n_Page 56._ \u201cThe arrow cut off one of his ears.\u201d\u2014According to Lescallier,\nonly a piece of his ear.\n\n_Page 56._ \u201cThe King\u2019s first impulse,\u201d &c.\u2014In Lescallier\u2019s French\nrendering this passage is to the following effect: \u201cThe King of Yemen at\nonce ordered that Abraha should be seized and beheaded. Abraha said to\nthe King: \u2018Your Majesty knows that I am not blamable in this unfortunate\naffair; I shot the arrow intending to wound the deer. If you pardon me\nthis time, you, in your turn, will be pardoned when you sin.\u2019 The King\nof Yemen, having heard these words, received him favourably, pardoned\nhim, and cancelled the order which he had given. Abraha was overjoyed at\nthis, and they re-entered the town together.\u201d\n\n_Page 57._ \u201cThey then returned to the city\u201d\u2014_i.e._ Sana\u0101 in Yemen, so\ncalled to distinguish it from another Sana\u0101, a village of Damascus,\nanciently called Az\u0101l, from its founder. The city is supposed to have\nacquired its name from the Ethiopians, who conquered the country, and on\nbeholding its beauty, exclaimed: \u201cThis is Sana!\u201d which in Ethiopic\nmeans, \u201ccommodious,\u201d \u201ccomfortable.\u201d\u2014At an elevation of 4000 feet above\nthe sea-level, near the source of the river Sh\u0101b, it is celebrated for\nits trees and waters, and compared by `Abu-\u2019l-Feda to Damascus. The city\nis walled, as also the suburb, Bir\u016b-\u2019l-Az\u0101b. At present it is a large\nmercantile town, the residence of an Im\u0101m. A handsome bridge is thrown\nover the principal street, down which flows a stream of water, and all\nthe private dwellings of the higher classes have glass windows,\nbeautifully stained, and are furnished with fountains. At the eastern\nand western extremities is a castle, having each a palace, built of hewn\nstone, covered with gray-coloured plaster. Situated in the heart of the\ncoffee country, the principal trade is in that useful berry, which is\nrarely used for home consumption, the common beverage being _keshr_, an\ninfusion of the husk. About twenty mosques, elaborately decorated, and\nwith gilt domes, adorn the city; and the public baths, numerous and\ngood, are the favourite resort of the merchants, who meet to discuss the\nstate of trade, and to listen to the news of the day, over a cup of\n_keshr_ and the indispensable _h\u016bkka_.\n\n_Page 57._ \u201cWas driven on the coast of Zang\u012bb\u0101r (or Zanzibar).\u201d\u2014Probably\nthe ancient island of Menuthias, southward of the Sea of Babu-\u2019l-Mandab.\nThis is the island of the \u201cZon\u016bj\u201d mentioned in the _Arabian Nights_, and\nthey are also called \u201czinj\u201d \u201czenj\u201d\u2014an Ethiopian nation of the country\nknown to us as Zang\u012bb\u0101r. (See Lane\u2019s _1001 Nights_: \u201cAb\u016b Muhammad the\nLazy,\u201d chap. xiv, text, p. 413, note 5.)\u2014Zeng\u012b signifies \u201cblack,\u201d and\n_b\u0101r_, country or territory: Zang\u012bb\u0101r, \u201cthe country of blacks.\u201d\n\n_Page 57._ The reader can hardly fail to observe very considerable\nindistinctness (to say the least) in the narrative of the incidents\nwhich immediately follow the return of the King of Yemen and his slave\nAbraha to the capital. We are told, \u201c_they_ then returned to the city;\nand after some time had elapsed, _having gone on board a vessel_,\u201d &c.;\nfrom which it may be naturally supposed that Abraha and the King were\nstill in company, although no mention is made of Abraha when the vessel\nwent to pieces. He turns up, however, very oddly, at page 59: \u201cIt\nhappened that Abraha, who had been the King of Yemen\u2019s slave, was\nstanding near this wall, but his former master did not recognise him, as\nthey had been separated for some time, _Abraha having found means to\nreturn to Zang\u012bb\u0101r, his native country_.\u201d These last words, in italics,\nseem to represent a passage, which the translator has strangely omitted\nin its proper place, explaining the cause of the King of Yemen\u2019s\nundertaking a voyage by sea. The following is a translation of the\nevents which occurred after \u201cthey returned to the city\u201d (p. 57),\naccording to the lithographed text:\n\nA few days having elapsed, the King continued to be satisfied with\nAbraha.\u2014To return to the story.[53] Ever since Abraha had been absent\nfrom his father, messengers had been despatched in every direction, and\nthey had pursued [to] such [an extent] research and inquiry, that it\nbecame known to them that Abraha was in Yemen, and in the service of the\nKing. The Sh\u0101h of Zang\u012bb\u0101r was overjoyed, and took counsel of the\nVizier, saying, \u201cWhat is the prudent plan [or proper policy\u2014_tadb\u012br_] in\nthis affair?\u201d The Vizier replied: \u201cIf the report should reach the King\nof Yemen that he [Abraha] is the son of the Sh\u0101h of Zangib\u0101r, the affair\nwould be difficult.\u201d In a word, this conversation resulted in this\nresolve, that they should send an intelligent person to bring back\nAbraha. This individual having turned his face towards Yemen, arrived in\nthe capital. He employed considerable exertions in search of Abraha.\nWhen he happened to meet with him, and the Kh\u014dja[54] explained the cause\nof his coming to Yemen, they both agreed to sally forth at once from the\ncity; and as soon as they were outside they set their faces in the\ndirection of Zang\u012bb\u0101r. Abraha had arrived only a short time near his\nfather, when the King of Yemen was informed of the departure of Abraha,\nand he became morosely pensive, and could take no rest. One day he\ncommanded they should equip vessels, [as] he wished to pass over the sea\nfor the purpose of being free from anxiety [or, of enjoying social\nintercourse]. When he was aboard the ship, and at some distance from\nland, a hurricane sprang up suddenly, and shivered the vessel to pieces.\nA portion of a plank was thrown against the King of Yemen. Six days and\nnights he floated over the surface of the sea, until he was cast ashore\non the territory of Zangist\u0101n;[55] [certain] pearl-divers saw him; they\napproached near him; they spoke a few words to him; he gave no\nresponse\u2014he was senseless. They sprinkled over his throat [and neck] a\nquantity of oil of balsam; he opened his eyes, and his speech came back\nto him. He asked them: \u201cWhat territory is this?\u201d The divers replied:\n\u201cThis territory is Zangist\u0101n.\u201d He then asked: \u201cHow far is it to the\ncapital?\u201d They answered: \u201cFour parasangs.\u201d[56] The King of Yemen\nproceeded onwards, until the hour of evening prayer, when he entered the\ncity.\n\nManuscripts of the _Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma_ vary so much in detail that probably\nno two are exactly the same. Those used by M. Lescallier would appear to\nhave been more diffuse than the lithographed text of 1839. According to\nhis rendering, after the King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r\u2019s messenger had been some time\nin Yemen, \u201che chose a fitting occasion and place to see Abraha, and\nconverse with him. He spoke to him of his country, of his father, and of\nthe love which he had for his dear son, like that which Jacob bore to\nhis beloved son, Joseph.[57] Abraha, hearing news of his country and his\nfather, felt his sensibility re-awaken; his eyes shed gentle tears, like\nthe showers of spring, and he spoke these words, interrupted by sobs:\n\u2018Whence come you, my dear sir? How and for what purpose are you arrived\nin this country?\u2019 The messenger then confided to him the secret reason\nof his journey,[58] undertaken for the sole purpose of bringing him back\nto his father. Abraha asked him urgently to take him away from that\ntown. The messenger, who was a very intelligent and clever man, took his\nmeasures and time so well that he carried off Abraha, and made him start\nwith him for that capital, and they arrived without accident at\nZang\u012bb\u0101r. As soon as they were near the outskirts of the capital of\nZang\u012bb\u0101r, the King, being informed of the arrival of his son, sent some\npeople to meet him, and caused him to be escorted with pomp, and he\nreceived him with demonstrations of the greatest joy.\u201d\n\nAccording to M. Cazotte\u2019s rendering (_King Bohetzad_, &c.) of this\nstory, under the rather misleading title of \u201cBaharkan, or the\nIntemperate Man,\u201d Abraha was not a slave but an officer, and his name\nwas Tirkan. \u201cHe was,\u201d we read, \u201ca young prince who had fled from his\nfather\u2019s court in order to escape the punishment of a fault which he had\ncommitted. After having wandered unknown from country to country, he at\nlength settled at the Court of King Baharkan, where he obtained\nemployment. He still remained there some time after the accident which\nhad befallen him [to wit, the accident to the King\u2019s ear]. But his\nfather, having discovered the place of his retreat, sent him his pardon,\nand conjured him to return to him. He did this in such affectionate and\npaternal terms that Tirkan, trusting in his father\u2019s goodness,\nimmediately departed. His hopes were not deceived, and he was\nre-established in all his rights.\u201d The sequel agrees for the most part\nwith that of the Persian text; only we are told that the King\u2019s object\nin going over sea was pearl-fishing for amusement.\n\n_Page 57._ \u201cSheltered himself under the shade (_s\u0101yab\u0101n_) of a\nmerchant\u2019s house.\u201d\u2014_S\u0101yab\u0101n_, a canopy; an umbrella; a shade formed by\nfoliage, or any other projection. Against the front of shops in Eastern\ncountries is a raised bench, or rather a stone or brick platform\n(_mastaba_), two feet from the ground, upon which the tradesman sits,\nand a little above it is a covering (_sak\u012bfat_) of matting; and\nsometimes planks supported by beams, affording shelter and shade. (See\nLane\u2019s _Modern Egyptians_, vol. ii, pp. 9, 10.)\n\n_Page 58._ \u201cHe was sent to prison\u201d\u2014Lescallier\u2019s rendering adds, \u201cwhere\nhe passed his time praising God, and submitting to His will.\u201d\n\n_Page 59._ \u201cHe gave public audience to persons of all ranks\u201d _kh\u0101ss o\n`amin_\u2014noble and plebeian.\n\n_Page 59._ \u201cIf I succeed in hitting that crow (properly, _raven_),\u201d\n&c.\u2014The superstitious belief in divination from the flight, motions, and\npositions of birds (_ez-zijr_, _el-\u012byafa_), which prevailed so much\namong the Arabs at the time when the Prophet began his great mission,\nalthough it is denounced by the Kur\u2019\u0101n, prevails even now in the East,\nwhere the raven is called the \u201cFather of Omens\u201d (_Ab\u016b-Z\u0101jir_), and the\n\u201cBird of Separation\u201d (_ghurabi-\u2019l-bain_); its appearance betokening a\nchange of circumstances, which for the King of Yemen denoted liberty\nfrom a state of slavery. According to an author cited by Bochart\n(_Hier._ i, p. 20), Noah sent forth from the ark a raven, to observe\nwhether the water had abated, and it did not return, hence it is called\n\u201cthe bird of separation.\u201d In the _Gulist\u0101n_, iv, 12, an execrable voice\nis compared to the croak of the Raven of Separation, or, as some render\nthe passage, \u201cthe raven of ill omen\u201d (see Lane\u2019s Arabic Lexicon, vol.\ni). Ravens in many countries have been considered as birds of ill omen.\nThus, in Dryden\u2019s _Virgil_:\n\n The hoarse raven on the blasted bough,\n By croaking to the left, presaged the coming blow;\n\nand in Gay\u2019s _Fables_ (xxxvii, 27, 28):\n\n That raven on yon left-hand oak,\n Curse on his ill-betiding croak.\n\n_Page 59._ \u201cThe law of retaliation, which would not award a head for an\near.\u201d\u2014In accordance with the text of the Kur\u2019\u0101n, v, 49: \u201cWe have therein\ncommanded them that they should give life for life, and eye for eye, and\n_ear for ear_, and tooth for tooth; and that wounds should also be\npunished by retaliation,\u201d &c. (compare Exod. xxi, 24; Levit. xxiv, 20;\nDeut. xix, 21). For unintentional mutilation the Muhammadan law permits\nthe payment of half the price of blood, as for homicide; for a member of\nwhich there are two, from the rich man 500 d\u012bnars (\u00a3250), from the less\nopulent 6000 direms (\u00a3150). The delinquent in the present instance,\nbeing penniless, the King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r had no choice but to exact \u201cear\nfor ear.\u201d (Sale\u2019s _Kur\u2019\u0101n_, Prel. Disc., sec. vi; Mills\u2019 _History of\nMuhammedanism_, ed. 1817, pp. 319, 320.)\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER VI.\n\n_Page 62._ \u201cRepresented the danger of letting an enemy live when in\none\u2019s power.\u201d\u2014This unmerciful suggestion[59] ill accords with the humane\nprecept of H\u016bshung, an early King of Persia, surnamed P\u012bshd\u0101d (the First\nDistributor of Justice), and dictated by him to Tahmuras, the heir\napparent: \u201cThe sovereign extends the skirt of pardon and the robe of\nclemency over those who have erred; ... acting according to this\ninjunction: When thou hast prevailed over thy foe, pardon him, in\ngratitude for the power obtained over him. \u2018Bind him,\u2019 says the poet,\n\u2018with the chains of forgiveness, that he may become your slave.\u2019\u201d\n\n_Page 62._ \u201cAdvised him not to be precipitate.\u201d\u2014With more eloquence does\na falsely accused lady plead to her husband in the _Anv\u0101r-i Suhail\u012b_ (p.\n243 of Eastwick\u2019s translation): \u201cThe wise think deliberation requisite\nin all affairs, especially in shedding blood, since if it be necessary\nto take life, the opportunity of doing so is left; and if\u2014which God\nforbid!\u2014they should, through precipitation, put an innocent person to\ndeath, and it should afterwards be known that he did not deserve to be\nslain, the remedy would be beyond the circle of possibility, and the\npunishment thereof would hang to all eternity on the neck of the guilty\nparty.\u201d And elsewhere in the same charming work we are told that \u201cthe\nheart of a King ought to be like the billowy sea, so as not to be\ndiscoloured by the dirt and rubbish of calumny; and the centre of his\nclemency should be like the stately mountain, firm in a position of\nstability, so that the furious wind of anger cannot move it.\u201d\n\n_Page 62._ King D\u0101d\u012bn, or D\u0101diy\u0101n\u2014a title formerly given to the Persian\nKings of the first, or P\u012bshd\u0101dian, dynasty, and in a later age assumed\nalso by the Princes of Mingrelia. (_Chardin_, vol. i, p. 82.)\n\n_Page 62._ K\u0101rd\u0101r signifies busy, a money lender, a prime minister, and\nis a compound of _k\u0101r_, work, occupation, and _d\u0101r_, possessing, lord,\nmaster.\u2014K\u0101mg\u0101r is composed of _k\u0101m_, desire, wish, and _g\u0101r_, a particle\nwhich, subjoined to a word, denotes agency.\n\n_Page 63._ \u201cHaving reason to believe her father would not consent to\nbestow her on him.\u201d\u2014The text runs thus: \u201cHe said to himself, \u2018K\u0101mg\u0101r is\nan ascetic (_z\u0101hid_) and a religious man (_p\u0101rs\u0101_), and would not give\nme his daughter.\u2019\u201d\n\n_Page 64._ \u201cBegged permission to inform his daughter\u201d\u2014the text adds,\n\u201cand, in conformity with the law of Muhammad (_shar\u012b`at_), obtain her\nconsent.\u201d\u2014This is a proof that the lady had attained marriageable age,\nas the consent of a girl not arrived at the age of puberty is not\nrequired.\n\n_Page 64._ \u201cRelated to her all that had passed.\u201d\u2014The text: \u201cThe daughter\nsaid, \u2018I am not worthy of the King; besides, once in the King\u2019s service,\nI cannot [devote myself to the] worship [of] God the Most High; and for\nthe least fault the King would punish me.\u2019\u201d\n\n_Page 65._ \u201cSent her to his palace (_sar\u0101y-harem_), and appointed\nservants\u2014_besides a cook_.\u201d Here there is a very remarkable difference\nbetween Ouseley\u2019s and the lithographed texts, and between these again\nand Lescallier and Habicht. This is what the lithographed text says:\n\u201cAnd in the service _i.e._ [of the late vizier K\u0101mg\u0101r] there was a\ngood man (_khayyir_) who had acted as a spiritual guide (_buzurg_),\nwhom the King did not admit in the harem. This holy person, who had\nbeen constantly at the side of the daughter, wrote a letter [to this\neffect]: \u2018Do thou confirm the reward of service, and speak to the King\nabout my wish [in order] that he may admit me into thy service,\n[seeing] that I should perish from disappointment.\u2019 ... (the King gave\nhis consent) ... and the daughter continued her devotions in peace and\ntranquillity.\u201d Thus, in place of a _cook_, as in our version, the\nlithographed text has, more appropriately, _a holy man_: but in\nLescallier and in Habicht, this person is, strange to say, a jester,\nor merry-andrew\u2014_bouffon_\u2014_lustigmacher!_\u2014while in Cazotte\u2019s rendering\nof the Arabic version, and in the Turk\u012b version of this story (a\ntranslation of which is appended to the present notes), he is simply\ndescribed as a _slave_.\n\n_Page 66._ Discovered her sitting alone on the balcony (_b\u0101lkh\u0101na_),\nviz. a latticed window on the _upper storey_ of the harem\u2014hence our word\n\u201cbalcony.\u201d\n\n_Page 66._ \u201cK\u0101rd\u0101r, fearing lest she should relate to the King what had\npassed,\u201d &c.\u2014Although many Oriental stories\u2014Indian, Persian, Arabian\u2014are\ndesigned to show the malice and craft of women, there are yet some, and\nthe present tale is an example, in which men, when foiled in their\nattempts upon the chastity of women, are exhibited as equally adroit and\nunscrupulous. Another instance occurs in the _Anvar-iSuhail\u012b_, ii, 10,\nwhere a beautiful and virtuous wife is described in verses which are\nalso applicable to the Vizier\u2019s daughter of our story:\n\n To worldly matters she had closed her eye,\n Sate curtained by the veil of chastity;\n E\u2019en to the glass her form would not display,\n And from her shadow sank, alarmed, away.\n\nThis lady\u2019s husband had a slave, who cast the eye of desire upon her,\nand \u201cwhen he despaired of success, as is the wont of evil men, he\ndetermined to assail her reputation, and employ a stratagem to secure\nher disgrace.\u201d So he buys two parrots, and teaches them to say that the\nlady had been unfaithful to her husband; but he fails in his diabolical\nscheme.\n\n_Page 67._ \u201cHe addressed her with the usual salutation, which she\nreturned.\u201d\u2014That is: _Es-sal\u0101mu `alaykum_, \u201cPeace be on you!\u201d to which\nshe replied: _`Alaykum es-sal\u0101m_. But the lady devotee would probably\n\u201csalute with a better salutation,\u201d in accordance with the Kur\u2019\u0101n, iv,\n88: \u201cWhen ye are saluted with a salutation, salute the person with a\nbetter salutation, or at least, return the same.\u201d \u201cA better\nsalutation\u201d\u2014that is, by adding _rahmatu-`ll\u0101hi wa barak\u0101tuh_, \u201cand the\nmercy of God and His blessings!\u201d In saluting a co-religionist, this\naddition is obligatory.\n\n_Page 67._ \u201cIt was a maxim of the wise men: When you have killed the\nserpent, you should also kill its young.\u201d\u2014Can this \u201cmaxim\u201d have been\nborrowed from Sa`di, who says (_Gulist\u0101n_, i, 4): \u201cTo extinguish a fire\nand leave the embers, or to kill a viper and preserve its young, is not\nthe act of wise men?\u201d If so, this work, in its present form, must have\nbeen composed after the 13th century.\n\n_Page 68._ \u201cOrdered the unfortunate cook to be instantly cut in two.\u201d\u2014A\nhorrible mode of putting a culprit to death, and peculiar, it is said,\nto the criminal law of Persia.\n\n_Page 69._ \u201cBeing dissuaded by an attendant from killing a woman.\u201d\u2014The\nPersians seldom put women to death, as the shedding of their blood is\nsupposed to bring misfortune on the country. But when found guilty and\ncondemned, the injunction prescribed by the law, of another man\u2019s wife\nnever being seen unveiled, is strictly respected, by conducting the\nculprit, enveloped in the veil habitually worn by her, to the summit of\na lofty tower, and throwing her thence headlong.\n\n_Page 68._ \u201cWas turned into the dreary wilderness.\u201d\u2014In Indian Fairy\nTales daughters who offend their fathers are frequently sent into the\ndesert. For instance, in the Romance of the Four Dervishes (the Hind\u016b\nversion, _B\u0101gh o Bah\u0101r_), a king has seven daughters, and one day he\nimpiously tells them that all their good fortune depends upon his life.\nSix of them profess to agree with him in this sentiment; but the\nseventh, and youngest, who has more sense and judgment than the others,\ndissents, saying that the destinies of every one are with oneself. The\nking, on hearing this, became angry. The reply displeased him highly,\nand he said in wrath: \u201cWhat great words issue from a little mouth! Now\nlet this be your punishment, that you strip off whatever jewels she has\non her hands and feet, and let her be placed in a litter and set down in\na wilderness, where no human traces are found; then shall we see what is\nwritten in her destinies.\u201d She is accordingly carried into the desert,\nwhere she offers up fervent prayers to Heaven, and falls asleep. In this\nway, praying and sleeping, she passed three days without food or water,\nuntil on the fourth day a hermit appears, who relieves her wants, and,\nto be brief, she discovers a hidden treasure, causes a magnificent\npalace to be erected, and sends for her parents and sisters, who are\nnaturally confounded at her good fortune. In like manner, Husn B\u0101n\u016b, in\nthe _Romance of Hatim Ta`\u012b_, having justly accused a Dervish, who was a\nfavourite of the King, of robbing her house, is expelled from the city,\nand in the desert she discovers, through a dream, the hidden treasure of\nthe Seven Regions, underneath a tree.\n\n_Page 68._ \u201cResigned herself to the will of Providence, conscious of her\nown innocence.\u201d\u2014The text states that she said this prayer: \u201cO God!\nCreator! thou knowest I am innocent; if Thou hast foreordained[60] that\nI should die, vouchsafe at least a little water [inflow] in my mouth,\nthat my tongue may testify to thine incomparable unity.\u201d The text also\nsays that when the fountain of water sprang up, she \u201cperformed the\nablution\u201d (prescribed by the Kur\u2019\u0101n), and \u201cstood up in prayer.\u201d This\nseems to imply that she turned her face towards the _Kibla_ (that is,\nMecca), and went through the different postures of prayer.\u2014See Lane\u2019s\n_Modern Egyptians_, chapter iii.\n\n_Page 69._ \u201cThe camel placed himself so as to afford her a shade from\nthe sunbeams.\u201d\u2014Although our author was, no doubt, a pious believer in\nthis miracle, including the part that was played in it by the camel, yet\nit can only appear ludicrous to Europeans, and those who have had the\ngood fortune to read, either in the original Tel\u016bg\u016b, or in Babington\u2019s\ntranslation, the _Adventures of the G\u016br\u016b Paramartan_, will probably be\nreminded by this of the story of the G\u016br\u016b, who, having hired an ox to\nride upon, reposed under the shade of the animal during the heat of the\nday, and the owner demanded additional pay, alleging that he did not\nlend his ox as an umbrella against the sun\u2019s rays. The case was referred\nto the head-man of a village, who, after relating a somewhat similar\ncase within his own experience, decided as follows: \u201cFor journeying\nhither on the ox, the proper hire is money; and for remaining in the\nox\u2019s shadow, the _shadow of the hire-money_ is sufficient.\u201d[61]\n\n_Page 69._ \u201cIt happened that one of the King\u2019s camel-keepers,\u201d\n&c.\u2014According to the text, \u201chad lost a _katar_ of camels,\u201d that is,\nseveral linked together, and following one another.\n\n_Page 69._ \u201cAt his request she prayed for the recovery of the\ncamels.\u201d\u2014The text says: \u201cThe daughter, having raised her face towards\nheaven, said, \u2018O God! Creator! thou knowest that these camels are not\nhis own, and that he is a hired labourer (_muzdar_), but now is without\nresource and afflicted, through thy loving kindness and bounty, [be\npleased to] restore to him the camels.\u2019\u201d Muhammadans often implore the\nintercession of saints (and the cameleer, of course, believed the lady\nto be nothing short of a saint), both living and dead, on their behalf.\nTo be worthy of the dignity of a true saint requires self-denial,\nmortification, a perfect reliance on Providence, and the keeping aloof\nfrom the habitations of men; above all, that, while professing the unity\nof God (_l\u0101 il\u0101ha illa-\u2019ll\u0101h_), no living creature should see their lips\nmove. Lane, in a note to his translation of the _Thousand and One\nNights_ (ch. xi, n. 37) states that \u201cthe Sayyida Naf\u012bsa, the\ngreat-grandaughter of the Im\u0101m El-Hasan, was a very celebrated saint;\nand many miracles are related to have been performed by her. Her tomb,\nwhich is greatly venerated, is in a mosque in the southern suburb of\nCairo.\u201d\n\n_Page 70._ \u201cHe would provide for her a retired apartment,\u201d &c.\u2014The text\nreads: \u201cI will prepare an oratory (_sawma`\u0101_), and make ready for thy\nsake the means (_asb\u0101b_: furniture) for devotion (_asb\u0101b-i-`\u012bb\u0101da_);\u201d\nsuch as a prayer-carpet (_sajj\u0101da_), having a mark upon it pointing\ntowards Mecca, the _Kibla_ of Muslims, or point to which they direct\ntheir faces in saying their prayers, as Jerusalem is that of the Jews\nand Christians: within the mosque it is shown by a niche, and is called\n_El-Mihr\u0101b_. The hypocritical saint is thus described by Sa`d\u012b\n(_Gulist\u0101n_ ii, 17):\n\n Devotees who fix their eyes on the world,\n Say their prayers with their backs to the Kibla.\n\nThere should also be a fountain of running water (for ceremonial\nablution) and a copy of the Kur\u2019\u0101n.\n\n_Page 70._ \u201cArrived at the city at the time of evening prayer.\u201d\u2014It is\nincumbent on every good Muslim (says Dr Forbes, in a note to his\ntranslation of _B\u0101gh o Bah\u0101r_) to pray five times in the 24 hours. The\nstated periods are rather capriciously settled: (1) The morning prayer\nis to be repeated between daybreak and sunrise; (2) The prayer of noon,\nwhen the sun shows a sensible declination from the meridian; (3)\nafternoon prayer, when the sun is so near the horizon that the shadow of\na perpendicular object is twice its length; (4) evening prayer, between\nsunset and close on twilight; (5) the prayer of night, any time during\ndarkness.\n\n_Page 71._ \u201cShe begged that he would conceal himself in the apartment\nwhilst she should converse with K\u0101rd\u0101r.\u201d\u2014This, it seems to me, is quite\nafter the manner of a modern European play or novel\u2014when the \u201cvillain\u201d\nis made to unmask himself, by a pious _ruse_ of \u201cinjured innocence.\u201d I\ncannot call to mind a similar scene in any other Eastern romance which I\nhave read.\n\n_Page 72._ \u201cConcealed behind the hangings\u201d (see also p. 67, line 8 from\nfoot).\u2014The use of hangings, pictured tapestry, and various coloured\ncarpets has been from the earliest ages prevalent in the East. We read\nin the Book of Esther, chapter i, &c., of the magnificence of a Persian\nmonarch, who made a feast unto his nobles of Persia and Media, and in\nhis palace had hangings, white, green, and red, fastened with purple\ncords to silver rings, with beds of gold and silver; and Plutarch, in\nThemistocles, speaks of the rich Persian carpets, with highly-coloured\nfigures; and in his life of Cato the Censor, he mentions some Babylonian\ntapestry sent to Rome as a present. The manufacture passed in very early\ntimes from Asia into Greece, part of which, indeed, was itself Asiatic.\nIris found Helen employed on figured tapestry, and the web of Penelope\nis sufficiently known (_Iliad iii_).\u2014Sir William Ouseley\u2019s _Persian\nMiscellanies_.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThis story of King D\u0101d\u012bn and his Two Viziers is, perhaps, the best of\nthe whole series; and it will doubtless interest the general reader to\nsee a Turk\u012b version of it, according to a unique manuscript, preserved\nin the Bodleian Library at Oxford, written, in 1434, in the Uygur\nlanguage and characters,[62] of which mention is made in the Second\nSection of the INTRODUCTION. M. Jaubert, who wrote an account of this\nmanuscript in the _Journal Asiatique_, tom. x, 1827, remarks, that,\n\u201capart from the interest which the writing and phraseology of the work\nmight possess for those who study the history of languages, it is rather\ncurious for the history of manners to see how a T\u0101t\u0101r translator sets to\nwork to bring within the range of his readers stories embellished in the\noriginal with descriptions and images familiar, doubtless, to a learned\nand refined nation like the Persians, but foreign to shepherds.\u201d The\nfollowing rendering of M. Jaubert\u2019s translation of the Turk\u012b version of\n\u201cKing D\u0101d\u012bn and his Two Viziers\u201d is, I believe, the first that has yet\nappeared in English.\n\n\n HISTORY OF THE FIFTH DAY.\n\nOne of the Vez\u012brs advanced and said: \u201cO King! command that they put this\nslave to death, for all the people murmur, indignant at his crime, and\nwe ourselves are grieved at such a rumour.\u201d Then the King commanded, and\nthey made Bakhty\u0101r approach, and he said to him: \u201cSlave, wherefore\nmadest thou that attempt? Of a truth I will not spare thee this day.\u201d\nBakhty\u0101r replied: \u201cO King, I am innocent, and I look from the Divine\npity that thou deliver me from these bonds, in like manner as the\nguiltless bride of the King D\u0101d\u012bn was delivered from hers.\u201d The King\nsaid: \u201cWhat befell that woman?\u201d\n\nThere was in T\u0101t\u0101ristan (answered Bakhty\u0101r), a King who had a beautiful\nwife and two Vez\u012brs.[63] One of these Vez\u012brs was called Kerd\u0101r, the\nother K\u0101rd\u0101n.[64] Kerd\u0101r was father of a maiden of beauty so perfect\nthat one could not find in the whole world anything to vie with it; and\nshe was so pious that not only did she recite the Kur\u2019\u0101n all day, but\nshe passed the nights in prayer. Impressed by the greatness of her\ndevotion, King D\u0101d\u012bn became enamoured of this maiden without having seen\nher, and he demanded her of her father in marriage, and he promised to\nadvise her. He did so, but she replied: \u201cPassing my life in prayer, I\ncannot agree to become a great lady, and my ambition is limited to the\nservice of God.\u201d The Vez\u012br reported these words to the King, who, in the\ngreatness of his anger, put him to death. Then he caused the maiden to\nbe brought to the palace, and he said to her: \u201cI desire to raise thee to\nthe dignity of a princess; during the day thou shalt pray to God here,\nduring the night thou shalt serve me.\u201d Just then there arrived a\ncourier, bearing important letters. The King ordered the maiden to pray\nfor him; he confided the care of his city to his Vez\u012br K\u0101rd\u0101n; and\nhaving mounted his horse, with a party of his nobles, went forth.\n\nOne day, when the Vez\u012br was repeating his prayers, his eyes fell upon\nthe maiden. Dazzled by the splendour of her beauty, he became suddenly\nenamoured of her, and approached her and said: \u201cO maiden, I am enamoured\nof thee; if thou fearest God have pity on my sufferings and reward my\nlove!\u201d The lady replied: \u201cThe King, in his trust, has left thee in his\nhouse, and thou seekest to make me betray him! Take heed that thou\ncommit not this evil deed;\u2014suffer not thyself to be taken in the snares\nof Satan for a woman, and think not that all of my sex are in nature\nalike. I pardon thee thy sin\u2014beware of rushing on thy ruin.\u201d When the\nVez\u012br heard these words he perceived that he could not succeed in his\ndesign. Then he repented of his conduct, and said within himself: \u201cIf\nthe King learns of this event, he will kill me; so let me invent some\nstratagem which will bring about the maiden\u2019s ruin instead of mine.\u201d\n\nNow the Vez\u012br, father of the lady, had brought from his native country a\nslave who had been brought up with her, and in whose company she was\naccustomed to live.[65] When the King had finished his campaign, and\nreturned [to his capital], he called the Vez\u012br before him, and asked of\nall that had happened during his absence, and particularly about the\nlady. The Vez\u012br said: \u201cO King! I have something to say, and yet I dare\nnot.\u201d \u201cSpeak,\u201d replied the King: \u201cI know that thou art a good and\nfaithful minister, and that thou canst not betray the truth.\u201d Then the\nVez\u012br replied: \u201cSome one told me that a slave, brought from his native\ncountry by the father of that maiden, had had guilty connection with\nher. At first I regarded this imputation as a slander. \u2018What is that?\u2019\nsaid I to myself. \u2018The King loves that lady, so that with her the\nsorrows of this world seem light to him. Besides, if the fault had been\ncommitted, there would be witnesses\u2014the thing cannot be.\u2019 One day,\nhowever, an [other] individual sought me out, to bring me to see what\nwas being done by the favourite of the King. I went, I listened, I\nrecognised the maiden\u2019s voice, and that of the slave. She was saying to\nhim: \u2018In thus dishonouring me as thou hast done, thou hast put me in\ndanger of perishing like my father, whose death I [involuntarily]\ncaused. I must be thy portion.\u2019 The slave replied: \u2018But what is thy\nintention concerning the King?\u2019 The maiden answered: \u2018He must be killed\nby means of some stratagem; if we work well together we shall succeed in\nour design. Take thou measures concerning the King;\u2014kill him, for he has\nslain my father unjustly, and I am bound to take vengeance.\u2019 When I\nheard these words,\u201d continued the Vez\u012br, \u201cI felt my body tremble. The\nreality of the fact was made clear to me, as it was to the person who\nhad informed me. Now it is yours, O King, to know what ought to be\ndone.\u201d\n\nWhen the King heard this story he was very angry. He caused the slave\u2019s\nhead to be cut off. He called the maiden before him, and asked what\nwords she had used, and cruelly reproached her, for that, after being\noverwhelmed with honours, she had dared to conceive so guilty a design.\nShe replied: \u201cO King, deign to give full trust to my words, and if thou\nfearest God, slay me not on the report of my most cruel enemies.\u201d But\nfar from believing her sincerity, the King ordered his favourite to be\nput to death. Happily, this Prince had a faithful slave, who showed to\nhim how the murder of a woman were a shameful deed; that it was enough\nto have killed her accomplice; that it were better to banish that\nunhappy woman to some wilderness far from the dwellings of man, where\nshe must inevitably perish; and that at least by refraining from\nstaining his hands with her blood, he should be doing an action pleasing\nto God. So the King ordered an old woman to mount the maiden upon a\ncamel, to take her to a lonely desert and leave her there, and this was\nforthwith done. And so that hapless one was left in the wilderness, with\nno other aid than the Divine compassion.\n\nThis desert lay on the boundaries of the realms of the King of Persia,\none of whose cameleers[66] had lost a camel. He was seeking it vainly on\nevery side, when suddenly he perceived a beautiful lady praying to God.\nFearing to disturb her, the cameleer waited till she had finished her\nprayers, when he went up to her, saluted her, and asked her who she was.\n\u201cI am,\u201d said she, \u201ca poor, weak handmaid of God.\u201d \u201cWho has brought thee\nhere?\u201d continued the cameleer. She replied: \u201cGod.\u201d Then the cameleer\nsaid within himself: \u201cThis lady is indeed favoured with the grace of the\nMost High.\u201d He said to her: \u201cI am in the service of the King of Persia;\nif thou desirest, I shall marry thee, and have for thee the greatest\nregard.\u201d \u201cI cannot consent thereto,\u201d replied she; \u201cbut for the love of\nGod, lead me to some inhabited spot, where I may find water, and I will\nremember thee in my prayers.\u201d The cameleer complied with her request; he\nmounted the maiden upon his camel, led her to a village, confided her to\nthe care of the head-man of the village till he should return; and set\nout in quest of the camel he had lost, which he immediately found\u2014a good\nfortune which he attributed to the maiden\u2019s prayers.\n\nHe gave thanks therefor to God, and returned to the King of Persia, to\nwhom he spoke of the maiden\u2019s beauty, piety, and of all the perfections\nwith which she was adorned. \u201cSuch a lady,\u201d said the King, \u201cwould suit\nwell to be my wife.\u201d Thereupon he mounted his horse, and with a great\nnumber of his servants proceeded to the village. When he saw the lady he\nwas filled with admiration, and he said to her: \u201cMaiden, I am the King\nof Persia; be my bride, and I will care for thee with the greatest of\ncare.\u201d \u201cO King!\u201d replied she, \u201cmay the Divine favour increase thy\nprosperity! Thou possessest a great number of women; and as for me, I\nhave no need of a husband; for the love of God appears to me more\ndesirable than the whole world.\u201d And she continued her prayers. Then the\nKing gave orders that his tents should be erected in that spot, and that\nthey should cut there channels of running water; and he remained there\nsome days. At the end of that time, moved by the sweet words and piety\nof the maiden, but hurried by the affairs of state, he mounted her in a\nlitter, led her to his capital, gave her apartments in his own kiosk,\nand having ordered preparations for a brilliant nuptial feast, he\nmarried her. After that he gave her great riches, beautiful clothes,\nmany servants, and a splendid palace. One night this lady related her\nadventures to the King of Persia; and on the morrow that prince\nassembled a vast army, set out, and took prisoner the King D\u0101d\u012bn, the\nVez\u012br K\u0101rd\u0101n, and also the faithful servant to whom the lady owed her\nlife. She called King D\u0101d\u012bn before her, and said to him: \u201cThough I was\ninnocent and true, thou sentest me into a desert to die; but God has had\ncompassion upon me, and has brought thee hither to me, loaded with\nchains.\u201d Then addressing the Vez\u012br K\u0101rd\u0101n, she said: \u201cHow is it that\nthou hast allowed thyself to be taken in the snare which thou didst\nprepare for me?\u201d The Vez\u012br replied: \u201cO maiden! thou wast not guilty, and\nall that I said was a lie; therefore hath God punished me!\u201d \u201cPraise be\nto Him!\u201d replied the lady, \u201cfor He has granted that I should live, and\nthat people should know my innocence! For the rest, I desire that they\nwho slew my father should receive their due reward.\u201d So the King of\nPersia ordered the Vez\u012br to be taken to the same desert whither the\nmaiden had been sent. There he died of hunger and thirst. King D\u0101d\u012bn was\nbeheaded as a punishment for the murder he had committed; and his\ndominions were given to the faithful servant [whose good advice aided\nthe safety, the innocence, and the triumph of virtue].\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER VII.\n\n_Page 72._ \u201cYour Majesty can easily put to death a living man, but you\ncannot restore a dead man to life.\u201d\u2014Here again (see note on page 184) we\nhave what seems to be an instance of borrowing from Sa`d\u012b, who, in his\n_Gulist\u0101n_, viii, maxim 54, thus finely expresses this sentiment\n(Professor Eastwick\u2019s translation):\n\n \u2019Tis very easy one alive to slay;\n Not so to give back life thou tak\u2019st away:\n Reason demands that archers patience show,\n For shafts once shot return not to the bow.[67]\n\nWere it possible, we might suppose that our English poet Cowley had\nsimply paraphrased these couplets of Sa`d\u012b in the following verses:\n\n Easy it was the living to have slain,\n But bring them, if thou canst, to life again:\n The arrow\u2019s shot\u2014mark how it cuts the air,\n Try now to bring it back, or stay it there:\n That way impatience sent it; but thou\u2019lt find\n No track of it, alas! is left behind.\n\n_Page 74._ \u201cWomen, for their own purposes, often devise falsehoods, and\nare very expert in artifice and fraud.\u201d\u2014It was a saying of Muhammad that\n\u201cwomen are deficient in judgment and religion,\u201d which induces their\nco-religionists of the other sex to believe that they are more inclined\nthan men to practise whatever is unlawful. When woman was created, the\nDevil, we are told, was delighted, and said: \u201cThou art half of my host,\nand thou art the depositary of my secret, and thou art my arrow, with\nwhich I shoot, and miss not.\u201d[68] The Turkish Tales of the Forty Viziers\n(another romance of the _Sindib\u0101d_ cycle\u2014see INTRODUCTION) chiefly refer\nto the craft and malice of women. In the present story, however, female\nartifice is not employed for wicked ends.\n\n_Page 74._ \u201cThe King of `Ir\u0101k.\u201d\u2014There are two `Ir\u0101ks; one is a division\nof Arabia to the south of the Tigris and the Euphrates. Towards the\nnorth-east it is watered by the branches of the Euphrates, and is\nconsequently fertile and well inhabited, having many cities and towns,\nof which Basra is the principal; to the south-west it is a barren\ndesert. By Orientals it is called `Ir\u0101k `Arabi, to distinguish it from\nthe other `Ir\u0101k, (`Ir\u0101k `Ajami) a province of Persia, bounded on the\nnorth by Ghil\u0101n and Mazinder\u0101n, on the east by Khur\u0101s\u0101n, on the south by\nFarsist\u0101n, and on the west by `Ir\u0101k `Arabi. This province contains part\nof ancient Media and Parthia. It is nearly a hundred and fifty leagues\nin length, and one hundred and twenty in breadth; partly mountainous and\nsterile, having vast sandy plains; but the greater part fruitful and\npopulous. Isfah\u0101n is the capital.[69] It is of Persian `Ir\u0101k that the\npoet Niz\u0101m\u012b thus speaks:\n\n `Ir\u0101k, the delightful, be thy darling,\n For great is the fame of its redundancy;\n And every rose which enraptureth the soul\n Distilleth its balmy drops upon `Ir\u0101k!\n\n_Page 74._ Abyssinia, or Habashat (that is, \u201ca mixture,\u201d or\n\u201cconfusion\u201d), forms an extensive country of Eastern Africa, the\nboundaries of which are not well defined. The natives call their country\nManghesta Ityopia, or Kingdom of Ethiopia.\n\n_Page 75._ \u201cWhen they disclosed the object of their mission, he became\nangry\u201d\u2014at the presumption of an unbeliever (who attributed partners to\nGod) asking in marriage the daughter of one of the faithful. The\nconversion of Abyssinia to Christianity was prior to the fourth and\ncontinued even as late as the twelfth century. The Coptic patriarch of\nCairo is still the nominal head of the Church, but the episcopal office\nis confined to the Ab\u016bn\u0101, the resident head, and author, of the\nAbyssinian priesthood.\u2014_Gibbon._\n\n_Page 76._ \u201cCaused so much money to be distributed among the soldiers\nthat they were satisfied.\u201d\u2014So says Sa`d\u012b, _Gulist\u0101n_ i, 14 (Eastwick\u2019s\ntranslation):\n\n Soldiers, from whom the State withholds its gold,\n Will from the scimitar their hands withhold:\n What valour in war\u2019s ranks will he display,\n Whose hand is empty on the reckoning day?\n\n_Page 77._ \u201cThe King of `Ir\u0101k had some years previously given his\ndaughter in marriage to another man, by whom she had a son.\u201d\u2014This\nconcealment of a former marriage is incomprehensible. Lescallier\u2019s\nFrench rendering, made from other Persian texts, gives a different\naccount of this affair: \u201cShe had had previously a lover, with whom,\n_unknown to her father_, she had intimate relations, and had given birth\nto a beautiful boy, whose education she secretly confided to some trusty\nservants.\u201d Afterwards the Princess of `Ir\u0101k contrived to introduce him\nto her father, who was so charmed with his beauty, grace of manner, and\nvaried accomplishments, that he at once took him into his service.\nHabicht\u2019s Breslau edition of the Arabian version agrees with Lescallier\non this point. In the version of this story in the _T\u016bt\u012b N\u0101ma_ (Tales of\na Parrot) of Nakshab\u012b,[70] the lady is the daughter of the Emperor of\nR\u016bm (see Note, p. 158), and, as in our text, had a son by a former\nmarriage, about whose existence her father charges her not to say a word\nto her second husband.\n\n_Page 78._ \u201cThe name of the boy was Farrukh-z\u0101d\u201d\u2014that is,\n\u201cfortunately-born\u201d; from _farrukh_, happy, fortunate, and _z\u0101d_, born.\n\n_Page 81._ \u201cAn old woman beheld the Queen, as she sat alone,\nweeping.\u201d\u2014In Eastern fiction old women\u2014and especially hypocritical\ndevotees\u2014are useful go-betweens for lovers, and excellent, prudent\nprocuresses. In the present case, however, the old woman plays an\nunusual _r\u00f4le_: employing her sage experience and skill in reconciling\nhusband and wife.\n\n_Page 82._ \u201cI have a certain talisman,\u201d &c.\u2014The word _talism_ is not in\nthe lithographed text; the sentence is to this effect: \u201cI have that\nwhich is precious, and possesses the same magical power as the precious\nthings of Solomon, written in Greek characters and in the Syrian\nlanguage\u201d\u2014which means, Syrian words disguised under the letters of the\nGreek alphabet. Among the Arabs and Persians it is a common belief that\nSolomon, the son of David, by virtue of a seal-ring (_Muhr-i-Sulaym\u0101ni_)\nsent down from heaven, had unlimited control over the good and evil\nspirits (_jinn_), and over birds, the winds, and beasts.[71]\n\nThe origin of Solomon\u2019s magical signet-ring, which is so often mentioned\nin Oriental poetry and romance, according to Muslim legends\u2014borrowed or\nadapted from the Talmudic writers\u2014is as follows: Eight angels appeared\nto Solomon in a vision, saying that Allah had sent them to surrender to\nhim the power over them and the eight winds at their command. The most\nexalted of the angels presented him with a jewel with this inscription:\n_To Allah belong greatness and might_. Whenever he raised the stone\ntowards heaven, they would appear and do his bidding. Next four others\nappeared, differing from each other in form and name. One resembled an\nimmense whale, another an eagle, the third a lion, and the fourth a\nserpent. These were lords of all creatures living in the earth and in\nthe water. The angel representing the kingdom of birds gave him a jewel\non which was inscribed: _All created things praise the Lord_. An angel\nthen appeared, whose upper part looked like the earth, and the lower\nlike water, having power over both earth and sea, and gave him a jewel\nwith the inscription: _Heaven and Earth are servants of Allah_. A third\nangel surrendered to him power over the kingdom of spirits, with a jewel\non which was inscribed: _There is no God but one, and Muhammad is His\nMessenger_.[72] Solomon caused the four jewels to be set in a\nsignet-ring, and the first purpose to which he applied its wondrous\npowers was the subjugation of the demons and jinn\u2014all but the mighty\nSakhr, who was concealed in an unknown island of the ocean, and Ibl\u012bs\n(Satan), the monster of all evil spirits, to whom God had promised the\nmost perfect independence till the Day of Judgment.[73] In Oriental\nfictions the most solemn and binding oath with Fairies is to swear by\nthe Seal of Solomon. Readers familiar with the _Arabian Nights_ will\nrecollect the Story of the Fisherman and the Genie (_jinn\u012b_). A\nconfidence in the virtue of Talismans, whether for the protection of\npersons, treasures, or cities, may be traced up to the earliest ages,\nwhen so many Eastern nations were of the Sabean faith, and adored the\n\u201chost of heaven,\u201d or the celestial bodies; and notwithstanding the\nchange of religion and the prohibition of magic, even Muhammadans can\nreconcile to their consciences the preparation of certain amulets, after\nrules transmitted through the Chaldeans and Nabatheans.[74] The magic of\nBabylon is frequently alluded to by Muslim writers; the poets speak of\nthe \u201cBabylonian witchery\u201d of a beautiful woman\u2019s eyes; and it is\nbelieved that the two wicked angels Har\u016bt and Mar\u016bt, mentioned in the\nKur\u2019\u0101n (see chap. ii, and Sale\u2019s _note_), are still hanging, head\ndownwards, in a well at Babel, and will instruct any one in magic who is\nbold enough to go and solicit them. Setting idle legends aside, it is\nhighly probable, as Sir William Ouseley remarks, in his _Persian\nMiscellanies_, that at Babylon the Persians learnt the arts of magical\nincantation from the conquered Chaldeans. \u201cTime,\u201d says Dr Jonathan\nScott, \u201chas not eradicated in Asia belief in the magical powers of\ncabalistical characters engraven on gems, or embroidered on standards,\nor written upon small rolls of paper, which, enclosed in small boxes of\ngold and silver, and strung on silken cord, are worn round the arm or\nwrist, and sometimes as a pendant from the neck.\u201d[75] The charms to\nwhich the greatest efficacy is ascribed are those consisting of passages\nof the Kur\u2019\u0101n; and Morier tells that such was Muhammad Riza Bey\u2019s faith\nin this species of talisman that he always wore the whole of the Kur\u2019\u0101n\nabout his person; half of it tied on one arm, and half on the other,\nrolled up in small silver cases.[76] Next in estimation as potent charms\nare passages transcribed from the celebrated _Burda_ (or Mantle-Poem) of\nEl-Bus\u012br\u012b, in praise of the Prophet, written in the 13th century; which\nare framed and suspended on the walls of rooms, or, in cases, on the\nperson. The whole poem is also recited in times of sickness and during\nthe funeral procession.[77]\n\n_Page 83._ \u201cScrawled on it some unmeaning characters.\u201d\u2014The word in the\ntext here rendered by \u201cunmeaning\u201d literally signifies \u201cnot known,\u201d and\nshould be translated \u201cmysterious.\u201d\n\n_Page 84._ \u201cDesired him to point out the spot where his body lay,\u201d\n&c.\u2014_ziy\u0101rat_, a visit, a pilgrimage. During the period of the great\nfestivals, and also on other occasions, it is customary to visit the\ntomb of a relation, and place on it the leaves or broken branches of the\npalm-tree, also sweet-basil and other flowers. On arriving at the tomb\nthe opening chapter of the Kur\u2019\u0101n, and sometimes a longer chapter, the\nxxxvi, is recited.\u2014See Lane\u2019s _Modern Egyptians_, ii, pp. 209, 241, 253.\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER VIII.\n\n_Page 86._ \u201cGovernment resembles a tree, the root of which is legal\npunishment\u201d\u2014_siy\u0101zat_, that is, discretional punishment, such as the law\nhas not provided, but may be inflicted.\u2014The lithographed text thus\nproceeds: \u201cAnd its extremity [_i.e._ of the root] is justice, and its\nbough, mercy, and its flower, wisdom, and its leaf, liberality, and its\nfruit, a degree of kindness, and the leaf of every tree, of which the\nroot becomes dry, assumes a yellow [tint], and does not produce fruit.\nAnd as the root of government is legal punishment, delay on this point\nis not permissible; and as in this legal punishment there is\npostponement, I am apprehensive lest the root of the tree has become\ndry; after which reparation is impossible.\u201d\n\n_Page 87._ \u201cIn case she should give birth to a boy, to call his name\nBihr\u016bz\u201d\u2014an appropriate name for a jeweller\u2019s son, since it denotes \u201ca\nspecies of blue crystal,\u201d as well as \u201cgood day.\u201d The lithographed text\nadds: \u201cIf it should be a daughter, give her a name suitable and proper;\u201d\nalluding to the privilege accorded to a mother of naming her own\ndaughter; the name of a son is given by the father.\n\n_Page 88._ \u201cThe boys had learned to read the Kur\u2019\u0101n\u201d (properly, as I\nhave spelt it in the translation, Qur\u2019\u0101n).\u2014Muslim children are not only\ntaught to read the whole, but commit to memory portions, of the Kur\u2019\u0101n.\nAfter learning by heart the first chapter[78]\u2014which is to the Muslim\nwhat the Lord\u2019s Prayer is to the Christian\u2014the remaining chapters are\nlearnt in their inverse order, and those who have learnt to repeat the\nwhole of the Kur\u2019\u0101n may then claim the title of _H\u0101fiz_, or _H\u0101fizu\nkal\u0101mi \u2019ll\u0101h_, \u201crememberer of the Word of God,\u201d or \u201cone who knows God\u2019s\nWord by heart.\u201d\u2014\u201cMuch merit,\u201d says Torrens, \u201cis attributed by the\nMuslims to recitations of the Kur\u2019\u0101n. On occasions of festivity persons\nare hired to repeat either the whole or the principal parts of it. These\nare _fickees_, a term usually applied to schoolmasters by modern Arabs,\nbut signifying, \u2018a person learned in the law.\u2019 They know by heart the\nwhole, or particular parts, of the Kur\u2019\u0101n, which each in turn recites.\nThese recitations are introduced among the Egyptians as an entertainment\nat parties.\u201d[79]\n\n_Page 88._ \u201cWere instructed in the art of penmanship.\u201d\u2014\u201cBeautiful\nwriting,\u201d says Sir John Malcolm, \u201cis considered as a high\naccomplishment. It is carefully taught in schools, and those who excel\nin it are almost classed with literary men. They are employed to\ntranscribe copies of books, and some have attained such an eminence in\nthis art that a few lines written by one of these celebrated penmen are\noften sold for a considerable sum. I have known seven pounds to have\nbeen given for four lines written by Dervish Musj\u012bd, a famous Persian\nscribe.\u201d[80] And a story is told of a celebrated Indian penman, in the\ncourse of his walks one day, being solicited for alms by a beggar,\n\u201cMoney,\u201d he replied, \u201cI have not;\u201d but taking his pen and ink from his\ngirdle, he wrote a few words on a small slip of paper, and handed it to\nthe poor man, who received it with expressions of gratitude, and sold it\nto the first wealthy person he met for a gold mohur\u2014about ten shillings.\n\n_Page 88._ \u201cAnd other accomplishments\u201d: _adab_, that is, \u201cgood manners;\u201d\na decent and becoming behaviour at meals, a proper degree of respect to\nbe shown to the father, greeting him affectionately in the morning by\nkissing his hand, and\u2014as a well-bred son seldom sits in his father\u2019s\npresence\u2014standing before him in a submissive attitude (_Lane_).\nReverence for parents, which is still a marked characteristic of Eastern\nraces, has ever been strongly inculcated by the Hebrew Rabbins; and the\nnoble conduct of one Dama, the son of Nethuna, towards both his father\nand mother is adduced in the Talmud as an example for all times and\nevery condition of life. \u201cHis mother was unfortunately insane, and would\nfrequently not only abuse him, but strike him, in the presence of his\ncompanions; yet would this dutiful son not suffer an ill word to escape\nhis lips, and all he used to say on such occasions was, \u2018Enough, dear\nmother, enough.\u2019 One of the precious stones attached to the High\nPriest\u2019s sacerdotal garments was once, by some means or other, lost.\nLearning that the son of Nethuna had one like it, the priests went to\nhim, and offered him a very large price for it. He consented to take the\nsum offered, and went into the adjoining room to fetch the jewel. On\nentering the room he found his father asleep, his foot resting on the\nchest wherein the gem was deposited. Without disturbing his father, he\nwent back to the priests, and told them that he must for the present\nforego the large profit he might make, as his father was asleep. The\ncase being urgent, and the priests, thinking that he only said so to\nobtain a larger price, offered him more money. \u2018No,\u2019 said he, \u2018I would\nnot, even for a moment, disturb my father\u2019s rest for all the treasures\nin the world.\u2019 The priests waited till the father awoke, when Dama\nbrought them the jewel. They then presented to him the sum they had last\noffered, but the good man refused to take it. \u2018I will not,\u2019 said he,\n\u2018barter for gold the satisfaction of having done my duty. Give me what\nyou offered at first, and I shall be satisfied.\u2019 This they did, and left\nhim with a blessing.\u201d\n\n_Page 89._ \u201cHis clothes and money _concealed in different places_\u201d\u2014the\nwords here printed in italics are not in the lithographed text.\n\n_Page 90._ \u201cWith afflicted bosoms and bleeding hearts\u201d\u2014_ba dil-i kab\u0101b,\nwa s\u012bna-i khar\u0101b_, a jingle of words, of which Orientals are very fond,\nas previously noticed, _foot_-note, p. 128.\n\n_Page 91._ \u201cI accept it as a favourable omen.\u201d\u2014Muslims are always on the\nwatch for lucky or unlucky omens. On first going out of a morning, the\nlooks and countenances of those who cross their path are scrutinised,\nand a frown or a smile is deemed favourable or the reverse. To encounter\na person blind of the left eye, or with one eye, forebodes sorrow and\ncalamity. While Sir John Malcolm was in Persia, as British Ambassador,\nhe was told the following amusing story: When `Abb\u0101s the Great was\nhunting, he met, one morning as the day dawned an uncommonly ugly man,\nat the sight of whom his horse started. Being nearly dismounted, and\ndeeming it a bad omen, he called out in a rage to have his head struck\noff. The poor peasant, whom they had seized and were on the point of\nexecuting, prayed that he might be informed of his crime. \u201cYour crime,\u201d\nsaid the King, \u201cis your unlucky countenance, which is the first object I\nsaw this morning, and which has nearly caused me to fall from my horse.\u201d\n\u201cAlas!\u201d said the man, \u201cby this reckoning, what term must I apply to your\nMajesty\u2019s countenance, which was the first object my eyes met this\nmorning, and which is to cause my death?\u201d The King smiled at the wit of\nthe reply, ordered the man to be released, and gave him a present\ninstead of taking off his head.[81] Another Persian story to the same\npurpose: A man said to his servant, \u201cIf you see two crows together early\nin the morning, apprise me of it, that I may also behold them, as it\nwill be a good omen, whereby I shall pass the whole day pleasantly.\u201d[82]\nThe servant did happen to see two crows sitting in one place, and\ninformed his master; but when he came he saw only one, the other having\nin the meantime flown away. He was very angry, and began to beat the\nservant, when a friend sent him a present of choice viands. Upon this\nthe servant exclaimed: \u201cO my lord, you saw only one crow, and have\nreceived a fine present: had you seen _two_, you would have met with my\nfare.\u201d[83] The old pagan Arabs never set out upon any important\nexpedition before consulting their fortune, either by divining arrows or\nby the flight of birds; if a bird flew to the right, it was a good omen,\nbut if to the left, they would postpone their intended enterprise. In\nallusion to this superstition the celebrated poet Bah\u0101 \u2019u-\u2019d D\u012bn Zuhayr,\nof Egypt, says:\n\n My love is like a young gazelle,\n Appearing on the huntsman\u2019s _right_;\n And oh! the bargain prospered well,\n When she and I our troth did plight.\n\n_Page 91._ \u201cHeir to the crown.\u201d\u2014Bihr\u016bz, no doubt, on being raised to the\nthrone, assumed another name, or the imperial title.\n\n_Page 92._ \u201cPurchased a young boy at the slave-market.\u201d\u2014Repellent as\neven the name of slavery is to a European, and especially to a Briton,\nit must not be supposed that the condition of slaves in Muhammadan\ncountries bears any resemblance to that of the slaves in the Southern\nStates of North America, before their emancipation, with which such\nworks as _Uncle Tom\u2019s Cabin_ used to harrow up our souls. On the\ncontrary, Muslims are enjoined by their religion to be, and, as a\ngeneral rule, really are (all things considered), kind and even\nindulgent to their slaves. Sir John Malcolm (an excellent authority)\nremarks: \u201cSlaves are not numerous [in Persia], and cannot be\ndistinguished by any peculiar habits or usages from the other classes,\nfurther than that they are generally more trusted and more favoured by\ntheir superiors. The name of slave in this country may be said to imply\nconfidence on one part and attachment on the other. They are mostly\nGeorgians or Africans; and being obtained or purchased when young, they\nare usually brought up in the Muhammadan religion. Their master, who\ntakes the merit of their conversion, appropriates the females to his own\nharem, or to the service of his wives; and when the males are at a\nproper age, he marries them to female slaves in the family, or to free\nwomen. Their children are brought up in the house, and have a rank only\nbelow relations. In almost every family of consequence the person in\nwhom the greatest trust is reposed is a house-born slave; and instances\nof their betraying their charge, or abusing the confidence that is\nplaced in them, are very rare.\u201d[84] A curious story is related in the\nTalmud, of a man making his will in favour of his slave, although he had\na son whom he loved fondly. This man, residing at some distance from\nJerusalem, had sent his son to the Holy City to \u201ccomplete his education\u201d\n(to employ an absurd colloquial phrase for the nonce); and dying during\nhis son\u2019s absence, he bequeathed his entire estate to one of his slaves,\non the condition that he should allow his son to select any one article\nwhich pleased him for an inheritance. Surprised and naturally angry at\nsuch gross injustice on the part of his father, in preferring a slave\nfor his heir instead of himself, the young man sought counsel of his\npreceptor, who, after carefully considering the terms of the will, thus\nexplained its meaning and effect: \u201cBy this action thy father has simply\nsecured thy inheritance to thee. To prevent his slaves from plundering\nthe estate before thou couldst formally claim it, he left it to one of\nthem, who, believing himself to be the owner, would take good care of\nthe property. Now, what a slave possesses belongs to his master; choose,\ntherefore, the slave for thy portion, and then possess all that was thy\nfather\u2019s.\u201d The young man followed this advice, took possession of the\nslave, and thus of his father\u2019s wealth, and then gave the slave his\nfreedom, together with a considerable sum of money.[85]\u2014\u201cThe manners of\nAsia,\u201d says Richardson, \u201cseem in all ages to have pointed to domestic\nslavery; and Muhammad, in Arabia, made that an article of religion which\nhad anciently been only a custom. The captives of war were, in\nconsequence, with few exceptions, constantly reduced to a state of\nservitude; and little distinction seems in general to have been made\nbetween a princess and her slave; excepting what she derived from a\nsuperiority of personal accomplishments. These ideas the Arabians\nentertained amidst their extensive conquests. Many instances might be\ngiven, but two will suffice, as they were daughters of the two greatest\nprinces in the world. In an action after the siege of Damascus, in A.D.\n635, amongst other prisoners was the daughter of Heraclius, emperor of\nGreece, and widow of the governor of that city. Rasi, the Arabian\ncommander, to whose lot she fell, presented her without ceremony as a\nslave to Jonas, a Grecian, who had embraced the Muhammadan religion; but\nJonas, from a principle of honour, returned her, with all her jewels,\nunransomed to her father. When the Arabians conquered Persia, Sh\u012br\u012bn\nB\u0101n\u016b, the daughter of the King Yazdejird, was one of the captives, and\nwas publicly exposed to sale in the city of Mad\u012bna; but the\nliberal-minded `Al\u012b thought differently from his countrymen on this\noccasion; he declared that the offspring of princes ought not to be\nsold, and married her immediately to his son.\u201d[86]\u2014The lot of women in\nArabia before the time of Muhammad was at the best a hard one, and it\ncertainly underwent no improvement when they happened to be taken\ncaptive in any of the frequent tribal wars. (The brutal treatment of the\nbeauteous Abla, in the _Romance of `Antar_, when she fell into the hands\nof the chief of a tribe hostile to that of `Abs, is doubtless a faithful\npicture of Arabian life in those times.) And there can be no question\nthat the cruel and unnatural practice which prevailed among the\npre-Islamite Arabs of burying alive their new-born female children had\nits origin in a desire to save them from the hardships they were so\nlikely to encounter when grown up. This practice seems to have been at\none time common to most of the nations of antiquity.\n\n_Page 93._ \u201cSeveral of the soldiers returned.\u201d\u2014They probably came to\nreport to the King that the enemy were in superior force, and that more\ntroops must be despatched to oppose them.\n\n_Page 94._ \u201cDay was beginning to dawn.\u201d The text adds: \u201cHe performed the\nmorning-prayer (_nam\u0101z-i sab\u0101_), at the time when [teaches the Kur\u2019\u0101n]\n\u2018you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread.\u2019\u201d The\nPersians, who are _sh\u012b`a_ (unorthodox), prefer to \u201cdistinguish a white\nhorse from a gray horse.\u201d\n\n_Page 94._ \u201cSay, King, shall I strike or not?\u201d\u2014It was customary, if I am\nnot mistaken, at the courts of some of the Khalifs or other Eastern\nmonarchs, for the executioner, after being ordered to decapitate a\nculprit, to ask the King three times: \u201cShall I strike?\u201d\n\n_Page 95._ \u201cIt was the will of Heaven that they should fall into the\nsea, where one of them perished, but the other was restored to us.\u201d\u2014The\nunhappy couple could not bring themselves to confess that the father had\nwith his own hand tossed them into the water. There is something in this\nthat bears a resemblance to the answer of Joseph\u2019s brethren when they\nwent down to Egypt to buy corn, and were arrested on suspicion of being\nspies: \u201cThy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the\nland of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father,\nand _one is not_.\u201d (Gen. xlii, 13.)\n\n_Page 96._ \u201cSet at liberty all those who had been confined with him.\u201d\u2014To\nthe point is the following extract from the _Times_ newspaper, of\nSeptember 23, 1882, p. 8, col. 2: \u201cThe coronation of Czars is always\nsignalised by acts of imperial clemency, and in this respect the ukase\nof Alexander II, on the 7th of September, 1856, remains honourable. It\ngranted a complete amnesty to all the political offenders of 1825\u20136, and\nof the Polish rebellion of 1831, who were still in exile, or _in\nprison_; also pardons to Press offenders, military defaulters, and to\nabout five thousand other individuals in gaols.\u201d\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER IX.\n\n_Page 97._ \u201cThe history of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, and the envy of the envious.\u201d\u2014The\nMuslim, in his daily prayers, says: \u201cI fly for refuge unto the Lord of\nthe Daybreak; that He may deliver me from the mischief of the envious,\nwhen he envieth.\u201d\u2014Kur`an cxiii. 5.\n\n_Page 97._ Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m.\u2014Ab\u016b\u2014literally, \u201cFather\u201d\u2014has often the sense of\n\u201cendowed with,\u201d or \u201cpossessed of,\u201d and forms the figure called\n\u201cmetonymy.\u201d Thus, Ab\u016b Bakr, \u201cfather of the maid\u201d\u2014Muhammad\u2019s\nfather-in-law and successor; Ab\u016b Hurayrat, \u201cfather of the kitten,\u201d one\nof Muhammad\u2019s companions, so nicknamed by the Prophet, on account of his\nhaving a pet cat.\u2014Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m signifies, \u201cpossessed of integrity.\u201d\n\n_Page 98._ \u201cAny one possessed of above five direms\u201d\u2014equivalent to \u201cany\none who had a sixpence.\u201d\u2014It is related of M\u016bl\u012b Isma`\u012bl, Emperor of\nMorocco (who died in 1714), that when any of his subjects grew rich, in\norder to keep him from being dangerous to the state, he used to send for\nhis goods and chattels. His governors of towns and provinces formed\nthemselves on the example of their dread monarch, practised rapine,\nviolence, extortion, and all the art of despotic government, that they\nmight the better send him their yearly presents: for the greatest of his\nviceroys was in danger of being recalled or hanged if he did not remit\nthe bulk of his plunder to his sovereign. That he might make a right use\nof these treasures, he took care to bury them under ground, by the hands\nof his most trusty slaves, and then cut their throats, as the most\neffectual method of securing secrecy. The following story will\nillustrate his notions of property: Being upon the road, amidst his\nlife-guards, a little before the Ram feast, he met one of his k\u0101z\u012bs at\nthe head of his servants, who were driving a great flock of sheep to\nmarket. The Emperor asked whose they were. The k\u0101z\u012b, with a profound\nsubmission, answered: \u201cThey are mine, O Isma`\u012bl, son of El-Sher\u012bf.\u201d\n\u201cThine! thou wretch!\u201d exclaimed M\u016bl\u012b Isma`\u012bl; \u201cI thought I had been the\nonly proprietor in this country.\u201d Upon which he ran him through the body\nwith his lance, and piously distributed the sheep among his guards for\nthe celebration of the feast. His determination of justice between man\nand man will evince the blessings of his administration: A k\u0101z\u012b\ncomplaining to him of a wife (whom he had received from his Majesty\u2019s\nhands, and therefore could not divorce her), that she used to pull him\nby the beard, the Emperor ordered his beard to be plucked out by the\nroots, that he might not be liable to any more such affronts. A farmer,\nhaving accused some of his guards of having robbed him of a drove of\noxen, the Emperor shot the offenders; but afterwards demanding\nreparation of the accuser for the loss of so many brave fellows, and\nfinding him insolent, he compounded the matter with him by taking away\nhis life.\u2014One good thing he was celebrated for in the course of his long\nreign, the clearing of the roads of robbers, with which they used to be\ninfested; but his method was to flay man, woman, and child that lived\nwithin a certain distance of the district where a robbery was committed.\n\n_Page 99._ \u201cThe erection of bridges, caravanserais, and mosques.\u201d\u2014It is\ndoubtful whether \u201ccaravanserais\u201d be the correct rendering of the word\n_rib\u0101t_. It may denote one of the dome-shaped buildings (_kubba_),\nhaving an oratory annexed, and an institution endowed for the\nmaintenance of students (_t\u0101lib\u0101n-i-`ilm_), who are to pass their lives\nin reading and devotion.\u2014Sa`d\u012b, in his _Bust\u0101n_, b. i, says: \u201cNo one\nhath come into the world for continuance, save him who leaveth behind\nhim a good name; nor hath any one died who hath left as an inheritance a\nbridge, a mosque, a hostel, or an hospital. Whoever hath left no such\nmemorial behind him, his existence has been but that of a tree which\nnever bore fruit; and whoever hath departed and left no mark, his name\nafter his death will never be lauded.\u201d The \u201cerection of mosques\u201d may\nremind the reader of a passage in _Hamlet_, iii, 2: \u201cThere\u2019s hope a\ngreat man\u2019s memory may outlive his life half a year; but, by\u2019r Lady, _he\nmust build churches then_.\u201d\n\n_Page 99._ \u201cHis advice was followed in all matters of importance.\u201d\u2014The\ntext says: \u201che appointed him Grand Vizier\u201d (_waz\u012br-i a`zam_).\n\n_Page 99._ \u201cThis King had Ten Viziers, who conceived a mortal hatred\nagainst Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m,\u201d &c.\u2014See Note, pp. 137\u20139.\u2014So too in Norse and other\nEuropean Folk-Tales, envious courtiers endeavour to ruin or destroy a\nKing\u2019s favourite by inciting the monarch to set him to perform some\ndifficult and dangerous exploit, in which, however, he always succeeds.\n\n_Page 100._ \u201cPrincess of Turkist\u0101n.\u201d\u2014Tur\u0101n, Turkomania (or Transoxiana),\nis the country which lies beyond the Jih\u016bn, or Oxus. Under the names of\nIr\u0101n and Tur\u0101n the Eastern historians comprehend all the higher Asia,\nexcepting India and China; and sometimes they imply \u201cthe whole world.\u201d\nThe T\u0101t\u0101r nations in general have fine countenances, with large black\neyes. Of all the towns in Turkist\u0101n, Chighil is the most famous for\nhandsome men, expert archers, and beautiful maidens:\n\n \u201cThe ringlets of the idols of Chighil\n Are altogether the abode of the soul, and the dwelling of the\n heart.\u201d[87]\n\n_Page 100._ \u201cWhen the King heard the extravagant praises of her beauty\nhe became enamoured.\u201d\u2014See Note pp. 157\u20138.\n\n_Page 101._ \u201cWhen the King of Turkist\u0101n heard of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\u2019s arrival, he\nsent proper officers to receive and compliment him.\u201d\u2014See third note, p.\n131.\u2014In Lescallier\u2019s version the interview between the King and Ab\u016b\nTem\u0101m is related in more detail, to the following effect:\n\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m, after presenting his credentials and paying his respects to\nthe King, informed him of the subject of his embassy. \u201cThe request which\nthe King your master makes for my daughter,\u201d said the King of Turkist\u0101n,\n\u201cis for me a source of joy and happiness. But as it is to be feared that\nmy daughter is unworthy of the King your master, I desire you to enter\nmy harem to see her and to hear her speak, and to assure yourself if she\nis capable of pleasing the sovereign who sends you. I will prepare my\ndaughter to receive you.\u201d Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m, who was full of cleverness and\ndiscretion, replied to the King with the greatest politeness: \u201cGod\nforbid, your Majesty, that my eyes should behold the Princess, or my\nears should dare to hear her voice! If she were not in all respects\nworthy of the King my master, the Divine will would not have inspired\nhim with the desire of possessing her, nor enslaved his heart to her\nperfections. My King did not send me with such instructions.\u201d Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\nhad no sooner spoken these words than the King of Turkist\u0101n clasped him\nin his arms with affection, and cried: \u201cI regard thee as a father, for\nthou freest my existence from a great burthen.\u201d \u201cO great King!\u201d replied\nAb\u016b Tem\u0101m, \u201csince my happy star made me enter the service of my\nsovereign, I have never experienced anything save benefits, kindness,\nand peculiar favours. What is the difficulty that I can solve for your\nMajesty? Let him command me.\u201d \u201cI was even now,\u201d said the King, \u201cbusy\nwith the project of thy death, and thou hast happily escaped the\nseverity of my sharp sword. I shall tell thee the motive which urged me\nto put thee to death, and how thou hast been delivered from that danger.\nAll the ambassadors who have come from different princes to ask my\ndaughter have received the same proposal which I made to thee, to enter\nmy harem, to judge of the beauty and perfections of the Princess; and\nthey all went in. I regarded the prudence and wisdom of these sovereigns\naccording to those of their ambassadors, and to punish their audacity I\nput them all to death. This year four hundred ambassadors have been\nbeheaded. I preserve their heads in the room which thou wilt see.\u201d Then\nthe King drew from his girdle a key, with which he opened the door of\nthat room, and showed to Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m the four hundred heads of\nambassadors. He afterwards added: \u201cThe prudence which thou hast shown\nhas saved thy life. It has given me a good opinion of thy sovereign, and\nI will grant him my daughter.\u201d\n\nLescallier\u2019s texts were probably in error in stating that the four\nhundred ambassadors had all been put to death within a year. The\nlithographed text, like that of Sir William Ouseley, gives us to\nunderstand that the envoys had been beheaded in the course of years. In\nHabicht\u2019s Arabian text the King is represented as saying: \u201c\u2018Come and\nlook into this well;\u2019 and Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m beheld a well filled with the heads\nof the sons of Adam.\u201d\n\n_Page 103._ \u201cThe Ten Viziers finding ... their own importance and\ndignity reduced,\u201d &c.\u2014How true to human nature, and how applicable to\nthe case of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m as well as to that of our young hero Bakhty\u0101r, is\nthe \u201csaying of the sage,\u201d as cited in the _Anv\u0101r-i Suhail\u012b_ (ii, 3):\n\u201cWhoever is unceasingly zealous in the service of the King quickly\nreaches the rank of admission to his favour, and whoever has become the\nintimate of the Sultan, all the friends and foes of the monarch become\nhis enemies: the friends, through envy of his post and dignity; and the\nfoes, by reason of his advising the King sincerely in matters of state\nand religion.\u201d\n\n_Page 103._ \u201cWhose office was to rub the King\u2019s feet.\u201d\u2014The Arabs (says\nLane) are very fond of having their feet, and especially the soles,\nslowly rubbed with the hand; and this operation, which is one of the\nservices commonly required of a wife or a female slave, is a usual mode\nof waking a person; as it is also of lulling a person to sleep. Thus, in\nthe story of Maaroof (Lane\u2019s _Arabian Nights_, iii, 721), \u201cthe damsel\nthen proceeded to rub and press gently the soles of his feet until sleep\novercame him.\u201d\n\n_Page 105._ \u201cThe King drew his scimitar, and cut off his head.\u201d\u2014Surely,\nan instance of \u201chaste and precipitancy\u201d\u2014with a _vengeance_! This despot\ndid not even acquaint his victim of the crime of which the lads had\naccused him. It had been probably otherwise with Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m had his royal\nmaster shaped his conduct in \u201caffairs of moment\u201d after that of another\nking, of whom we read, in the _Anv\u0101r-i Suhail\u012b_ (xiii, 3), that in order\nto moderate his anger, and judge cases like a king, a recluse gave him\nthree letters, which he was to place in the hands of a faithful and\nconfidential officer, who was to be permitted to read one of them to the\nKing when he beheld symptoms of anger in his countenance, and should\nthat not suffice to soothe his mind, the officer was to read the second\nletter, and the third, if the second did not tame his rebellious spirit.\nThe contents of the three letters were to this effect: (1) While thou\nstill retainest the power, do not place the reins of choice in the grasp\nof thy passions, for they will plunge thee into the whirlpool of\neverlasting destruction. (2) In the time of wrath be merciful to those\nin thy power, in order that in the hour of retribution thy superiors may\nbe merciful to thee. (3) In issuing thy commands do not overstep the\nbounds of the law, and under no circumstances abandon what is just.\n\n_Page 106._ \u201cTheir houses levelled with the ground.\u201d\u2014When a city was\nsolemnly destroyed by the Romans, the plough was drawn along where the\nwalls had stood. Thus Horace (Ode i, 16): \u201cRage has been the final\ncause ... that an insolent army has driven the hostile ploughshare over\ntheir walls.\u201d Thus also we read in the sacred writings (Micah iii, 12):\n\u201cTherefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field;\u201d and\nlikewise of salt being sown on the ground where cities stood (see Judges\nix, 45), indicating the last insult of a triumphant enemy. In allusion\nto the usual practice of absolute Eastern monarchs wreaking their\nvengeance not only on an offending minister, but also on his wife and\nfamily, Sa`d\u012b, in his _Bust\u0101n_, b. i, directs a king, in dealing with a\ncriminal, to slay him, if the law pronounce its decree; \u201cbut if thou\nhast those who belong to his family, them forgive, and extend to them\nthy mercy: the iniquitous man it was who committed the crime;\u2014what was\nthe offence of his helpless wife and children?\u201d\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn Cazotte\u2019s rendering of this story, under the corrupted title of Abou\nTalmant, for a King of Turkist\u0101n is substituted a King of Cochin-China.\nThe plot for destroying the prudent minister by means of the prattle of\ntwo young slaves in the King\u2019s hearing is considerably amplified: the\nmalicious viziers having taught them to repeat some harem gossip while\nthe King was reposing, but not asleep, which, proving to be true,\nprepared him to believe the false story of the Queen\u2019s love for Ab\u016b\nTem\u0101m. The King\u2019s discovery of his favourite\u2019s innocence is differently\nrelated;\u2014instead of his overhearing the two pages quarrel over the\ndivision of the money, a day or two after Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m had been put to\ndeath, as in the Persian version\u2014the King immediately returns to his\nprivate chamber, and seeing the pieces of gold scattered on the floor,\nsends for the pages, and compels them to tell the truth regarding their\npossession of so much money. He then causes the _two_ Viziers to be\nbeheaded.\n\n\n NOTES ON CHAPTER X.\n\n_Page 107._ The King of Persia (_Sh\u0101h `Ajam_).\u2014The term _`Ajam_\nincludes all who cannot speak Arabic, or who do not speak it with\nelegance. Among the Arabs it applies to all people not of Arab\ndescent, and carries the same idea as Barbarians with the Greeks,\nGentiles with the Hebrews. Hence Persia is called `Ajamist\u0101n, the land\nof the stranger, or barbarian. And so two famous Arabian poems are\ndistinguished respectively by the nationalities of their authors:\n_L\u0101miyyatu-\u2019l-`Arab_, by the Arabian brigand-poet Shanfar\u00e1, and\n_L\u0101miyy\u0101tu-\u2019l-`Ajam_, by Et Tugr\u0101`\u012b, a native of Isfah\u0101n: that is, the\nL-Poem (from its rhyming in _lam_, or L) of the Arab, and the L-Poem\nof the Foreigner.\n\n_Page 108._ \u201cNot having any child,\u201d &c.\u2014The desire of offspring, and\nespecially of male children, seems to have always been very strong among\nAsiatics of all classes, and by Jews the want of children was considered\nsufficient ground for divorce, as the following beautiful rabbinical\nstory will show: A man, it is related, brought his wife before Rabbi\nSimon, expressing his desire to be divorced, since he had been married\nover ten years without being blessed with children. The Rabbi at first\nendeavoured to dissuade the man from his purpose, but finding him\nresolute, he gravely addressed the pair thus: \u201cMy children, when you\nwere married did ye not make a feast and entertain your friends? Well,\nsince you are determined to be divorced, do likewise: go home, make a\nfeast, entertain your friends, and on the following day come to me and I\nwill comply with your wishes.\u201d They returned home, and, in accordance\nwith the good Rabbi\u2019s advice, the husband caused a splendid feast to be\nprepared, to which were invited their friends and relations. In the\ncourse of the entertainment, the husband, being gladdened with wine,\nsaid to his wife: \u201cMy beloved, we have lived many happy years together;\nit is only the want of children that makes me wish for a separation. To\nconvince thee, however, that I still love thee, I give thee leave to\ntake with thee out of my house whatever thou likest best.\u201d \u201cBe it so,\u201d\nanswered his wife. The wine-cup was freely plied by the guests, and all\nbecame merry, until at length many had fallen asleep, and amongst these\nwas the master of the house, which his wife perceiving, she caused him\nto be carried to her father\u2019s house and put to bed. Having slept off the\neffects of his carouse, he awoke, and, finding himself in a strange\nhouse, exclaimed: \u201cWhere am I?\u2014how came I here?\u201d His wife, who had\nplaced herself behind a curtain to await the issue of her little\nstratagem, came up to him, and told him that he had no cause for alarm,\nsince he was in her father\u2019s house. \u201cIn thy father\u2019s house!\u201d echoed the\nastonished husband\u2014\u201chow should I come hither?\u201d \u201cI will soon explain, my\ndear husband. Didst thou not tell me last night that I might take out of\nthy house whatever I most valued? Now, my beloved, believe me, amongst\nall thy treasures there is none I value so much as I do thyself.\u201d The\nsequel may be readily imagined: overcome by such devotion, the husband\naffectionately embraced his wife, was reconciled to her, and they lived\nhappily together ever afterwards.[88]\u2014Throughout the East, indeed, the\nwant of children is considered as a great disgrace. Readers of Oriental\nromances, such as those contained in _Elf Layla wa Layla_, or The\nThousand and One Nights; _Bah\u0101r-i D\u0101nish_, or the Spring of Knowledge,\nand _Kissa-i Cheh\u0101r Darv\u012bsh_, or Tale of the Four Dervishes, will easily\ncall to mind the many stories of Khal\u012bfs, Sult\u0101ns, Sh\u0101hs, Viziers, &c.\nbeing childless, and of the pious and even magical means they adopted to\nobtain the blessing of a son and heir.\n\n_Page 108._ \u201cIn a dream.\u201d\u2014Muslims consider dreams as the predictions of\nfuture events. Good dreams are believed to be from God, and false ones\nfrom the Devil. \u201cWhoever seeth me,\u201d said the Prophet, \u201c_in his sleep_,\nseeth me truly; for Satan cannot assume the similitude of my\nform.\u201d\u2014Lane\u2019s _Thousand and One Nights_, iii, p. 512, _note_.\n\n_Page 108._ \u201cWas addressed by an old man,\u201d &c.\u2014According to Lescallier,\n\u201cby a genie, resplendent with light.\u201d\n\n_Page 109._ \u201cThe top of a mountain, from which he shall fall, rolling in\nblood and clay.\u201d\u2014Lescallier\u2019s rendering goes on to say: \u201cHe shall yet\nescape the murderous teeth of that lion; and when he has attained his\ntwentieth year, he shall give you a wound, and put you to death.\u201d\n\n_Page 109._ \u201cOne of his Viziers eminently skilled in\nastrology\u201d\u2014Lescallier adds, \u201cassisted by many other astronomers.\u201d\u2014In\nEastern courts an astronomer would be held in disrespect if he did not\ndebase the truth of his science to the vain predictions of astrology\n(_\u2018ilmu-\u2019n-nuj\u016bn_). Every professional astrologer hangs an\nastrolabe\u2014which is not larger than the hollow of the hand\u2014in a neat\ncase, at his girdle. Some have an astrolabe two or three inches in\ndiameter, which at a distance looks like a medal conferred on the wearer\nas a mark of honour, or as an order of merit.[89] \u201cA very slight\nknowledge of astronomy,\u201d says Sir John Malcolm, \u201cis sufficient to allow\na Persian student to profess the occult science of judicial astrology.\nIf a person can take an altitude with an astrolabe, knows the names of\nthe planets and their different mansions, and a few technical phrases,\nand understands the astrological almanacs that are annually published,\nhe deems himself entitled to offer his services to all who wish to\nconsult him; and that includes every person in Persia who has the means\nto reward his skill. Nothing is done by a man of any consequence or\nproperty without reference to the stars. If any measure is to be\nadopted, if a voyage or journey is to be commenced, if a new dress is to\nbe put on\u2014the lucky or unlucky moment must be discovered, and the\nalmanac and astrologer are consulted. A person wishing to commence a\njourney will not allow a fortunate day to escape, even though he is not\nready to set out. He leaves his own house at the propitious moment, and\nremains, till he can actually proceed, in some incommodious lodging in\nits vicinity, satisfied that, by quitting his house, he has secured all\nthe benefit which the influence of good stars can afford him.\u201d[90] When\nSir John Malcolm entered Tehr\u0101n as British Ambassador, the King\u2019s\nastrologer so timed the progress of the cavalcade that the \u201cElch\u012b\u2019s\u201d\ncharger should put his foot over the threshold of the gate at the\nprecise lucky moment, which he had previously ascertained.\n\nThe Chaldeans were the first astrologers, and the so-called science was\nsedulously cultivated and in high estimation among the Hind\u016bs, the\nGreeks, the Egyptians, and their Alexandrian disciples. Even the\nillustrious Tycho Brahe was devoted to astrology from his early youth\nuntil within a few years of his death, when he finally abandoned it as a\nfallacy. At first, and for a very long period afterwards, astrology was\nnot separated into the two divisions or departments of _natural_\nastrology, or observations of the regular motions of the heavenly bodies\n(which is now termed _astronomy_), and _judicial_ astrology, or the\npretended science of foretelling events from observation of the relative\npositions of the planets. Isidore of Seville, it is said, was the first\nto distinguish between astronomy and astrology. The professors of\njudicial astrology in Europe pretended\u2014as those in Asiatic countries\nstill pretend\u2014to be able to predict the destiny of any one who came to\nconsult them, by a process called _casting his horoscope_, which was\ndone by first ascertaining the precise hour of the person\u2019s birth, and\nthe sign the sun was in at that time, and then drawing conclusions from\nobservation of the conjunction and relative position of the planets\ntowards each other. But European astrologers very frequently\u2014probably as\na general rule\u2014did not trouble themselves to \u201cread the stars;\u201d they were\nfor the most part accomplished physiognomists, and it may be said that\nthey usually contented themselves with telling fortunes by faces rather\nthan by the appearance of the heavenly bodies. There can be little doubt\nthat, with the exception of a few deluded individuals who thoroughly\nbelieved in their own skill, those who professed a knowledge of\nastrology were arrant impostors\u2014cunning knaves, who traded on the\nprevalent superstition and credulity of mankind in the days before\nscience began to shed its pure light.\n\nEl-Hajj\u0101j, a general under the Khal\u012bf El-Wal\u012bd I, consulted, in his last\nillness, an astrologer, who predicted to him his approaching death. \u201cI\nrely so completely on your knowledge,\u201d said El-Hajj\u0101j to him, \u201cthat I\nwish to have you with me in the next world, and I shall therefore send\nyou thither before me, in order that I may be able to employ your\nservices from the time of my arrival.\u201d He then ordered the soothsayer to\nbe put to death, although the time fixed for this event by the planets\nhad not yet arrived.\u2014Ab\u016b-\u2019l-Ma`shar, the oracle of astrology, left in\nwriting, that he found the Christian religion, according to the\nindications of the stars, should last but fourteen hundred years\u2014he has\nbeen belied by nearly five hundred years already.\u2014Tiberius, when he was\nat Rhodes, wished to satisfy his curiosity with respect to judicial\nastrology. He sent, in succession, for all those who pretended to\nforetell future events. One of his enfranchised slaves, of great stature\nand extraordinary strength, conducted them to him through the\nintricacies of the precipices. If Tiberius discovered that the\nastrologer was a cheat, the slave, upon a given signal, immediately cast\nhim into the sea. At that time there was at Rhodes a man named\nTrasullus, who was deeply skilled in astrology, and of a cunning\ndisposition. He was taken, in the same manner as the others, to this\nretired spot, assured Tiberius that he should be Emperor, and revealed\nto him many other events that should take place. Tiberius asked him if\nhe knew his own destiny, and if he had consulted his own horoscope.\nTrasullus\u2014who had had some suspicions when he did not see any of his\ncompanions return, and felt his fears increase on viewing the\ncountenance of Tiberius, the man who had been his conductor (who did not\nquit him for a moment), the elevated place where he stood, and the\nprecipice which lay beneath him\u2014turned his eyes up to heaven, as if to\nconsult the stars; he immediately appeared fear-stricken, turned pale,\nand exclaimed, in an apparent agony of terror, that he was menaced with\ndeath. Tiberius was full of joy and admiration on hearing this reply,\nascribing to astrology what was only presence of mind and cunning,\ncheered the spirits of Trasullus, embraced him, and from that time\nregarded him as an oracle.\u2014An astrologer foretold the death of a lady\nwhom Louis XI passionately loved. She did, in fact, die, and the King\nimagined that the prediction of the astrologer was the cause of it. He\nsent for the man, intending to have him thrown out of the window as a\npunishment. \u201cTell me,\u201d said the King, \u201cthou who pretendest to be so\nclever and learned a man, what thy own fate will be?\u201d The soothsayer,\nwho suspected the intentions of the King, and knew his foible, replied:\n\u201cSire, I foresee that I shall die three days before your Majesty.\u201d Louis\nbelieved him, and was careful of the astrologer\u2019s life.\u2014An astrologer,\nfixing his eyes upon the Duke of Milan, said to him: \u201cMy Lord, arrange\nyour affairs, for you have not long to live.\u201d The Duke asked: \u201cHow dost\nthou know this?\u201d \u201cBy my acquaintance with the stars,\u201d answered the\nastrologer. \u201cAnd pray, how long art thou to live?\u201d \u201cMy planet promises\nme a long life.\u201d \u201cWell, thou shalt shortly discover that we ought not to\ntrust the stars.\u201d And the Duke ordered him to be hanged instantly.\u2014Our\nown King Henry VIII asked an astrologer if he knew where he should pass\nthe festivities at Christmas. The astrologer answered that he knew\nnothing on the subject. \u201cThen,\u201d said the King, \u201c_I_ am wiser than _thou_\nart; for I know that thou shalt pass them in the Tower of London;\u201d and\nthe unlucky astrologer was at once conducted thither.\u2014William, Duke of\nMantua, had in his stables a brood mare which gave birth to a mule. He\nimmediately sent to the most famous astrologers in Italy the hour of the\nbirth of this animal, requesting them to inform him what should be the\nfortune of a bastard that had been born in his palace; he took care,\nhowever, not to intimate that he was speaking of a mule. The soothsayers\nused their best endeavours to flatter the Prince, not doubting that the\nbastard belonged to himself. Some declared that it should be a general;\nothers made it a bishop; some raised it to the rank of cardinal; and\nthere were even some who elevated it to the papal chair!\n\nIt is truly marvellous that the same age which produced a Newton should\nalso have seen flourish that arch-astrologer William Lilly (inimitably\nsatirised by Butler under the name of Sidrophel),[91] whose preposterous\npredictions were credited even by persons of education. Swift may be\nsaid to have dealt the death-blow to astrology by his celebrated squib,\nentitled \u201cPrediction for the year 1718, by Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.,\u201d in\nwhich he ridiculed the prophetic almanac-makers of the day. Astrology\nhaving permeated all science and literature, it is not surprising that\nmany of its peculiar terms should have become embodied in our language,\nas, for example, in the words _consider_ and _contemplate_, _disaster_\nand _disastrous_; and we still speak of _jovial_, _mercurial_, and\n_saturnine_ men.\u2014Kepler, in the preface to his Rudolphine tables,\nobserves that Astrology, though a fool, was the daughter of a wise\nmother, to whose support and life the foolish daughter was\nindispensable.[92]\n\n_Page 109._ \u201cIn the meantime he caused a subterraneous dwelling to be\nconstructed, to which he sent the boy, with a nurse.\u201d\u2014Sir William\nOuseley has omitted to mention that the boy _was_ born\u2014on the following\nday, according to Lescallier.\u2014Many instances of a father trying to belie\nthe predictions of soothsayers occur in Eastern fiction, and also in\nclassical and European legends. The story of Danae, the daughter of\nAcrisius, King of Argos, by Eurydice, who was confined in a brazen tower\nby her father, who had been told by an oracle that his daughter\u2019s son\nshould put him to death, is well known. The underground dwelling of our\npresent tale may be compared with that described in chapter 79 of the\nEnglish _Gesta Romanorum_; also that in the _Arabian Nights_ (Story of\nthe Second Kalender); and in the _B\u0101gh o Bah\u0101r_ (Tale of the Second\nDervish), a young prince, in consequence of the prediction of\nastrologers that he is menaced with great danger until his fourteenth\nyear, is confined in a vault, lined with felt, so that he should not\nbehold the sun or moon. In Mr Ralston\u2019s _Tibetan Tales_, under the title\nof \u201cThe Fulfilled Prophecy,\u201d the diviners declare that \u201ca son should be\nborn who should take the King\u2019s life and usurp the royal power, setting\nthe diadem on his own head.\u201d In the Norse story of \u201cRich Peter the\nPedlar,\u201d[93] a prediction that his daughter should one day wed a poor\nman\u2019s son is fulfilled in spite of many efforts to defeat it\u2014a story\nwhich seems to have been adapted from the _Gesta Romanorum_, Tale xx of\nSwan\u2019s translation. And in the Netherlandish Legend of \u201cSt Julian the\nFerryman,\u201d it is predicted that Julian shall one day put his own father\nand mother to death; and although the unhappy youth flies into a far\ndistant country, he cannot flee from his terrible destiny, for many\nyears afterwards the prediction proves only too true.[94]\n\n_Page 110._ \u201cKeeper [of pen and ink] to the secretary\u201d (_dav dari_).\u2014The\nOrientals are great admirers of caligraphy. Jamsh\u012bd, the P\u012bshd\u0101dian\nking, in respect to scribes and writers, thus expressed himself: \u201cAs the\nmonarch\u2019s sword establishes the foundation of his kingdom, so the tongue\nof the scribe\u2019s pen transacts the concerns of the faith:\n\n \u201cThe sharp-edged sword and pen are twins; the reigning monarch,\n By reliance on these two supporters, elevates his neck on high.\u201d\n\nAnd the Persian Vizier Niz\u0101m declared that his cap and inkhorn, the\nbadges of his office, were connected by the divine decree with the\nthrone and diadem of the Sultan (_Gibbon_, ch. lvii). It is worthy of\nremark that M\u012brz\u0101 placed before a person\u2019s name means \u201ca man of the\npen;\u201d but if it follow, it means Sh\u0101h-Z\u0101da, a prince. For different\nstyles of writing see A.F.S. Herbin\u2019s _Essai de Calligraphie Orientale_,\nParis, 1803, 4to; Chardin\u2019s _Voyages en Perse, et autres lieux de\nl\u2019Orient_, t. ii, ch. iv, pp. 107\u2013110; and Lane\u2019s _Modern Egyptians_,\nvol. i, ch. ix. (See also second Note, page 202.)\n\n_Page 113._ \u201cHis hair stand on end.\u201d\u2014Thus Job, iv, 15: \u201cThe hair of my\nflesh stood up;\u201d and Homer, speaking of Priam, when terrified at the\nappearance of Mercury: \u201cHis hair stood upright on his bending limbs;\u201d\nand the Ghost, addressing Hamlet, i, 4:\n\n Thy knotted and combined locks to part,\n And each particular hair to stand on end,\n Like quills upon the fretful porcupine.\n\n_Page 114._ \u201cAssembled all the people by proclamation\u201d\u2014that they might\ntake warning from the young man\u2019s fate. But the Persians require no\ninvitation to scenes of this nature. \u201cThe curiosity,\u201d says Dr\nChodzko,[95] \u201cwhich gathers crowds of people to witness the execution of\nculprits in Europe is very feeble in comparison with what can be seen in\nAsia on similar occasions. There many of those present are not only fond\nof looking at, but even take an active part in tormenting the condemned,\nthough they never saw him before, or have any motive of revenge. To stab\nthe poor dying wretch with a knife, or at least to spit in his face, is\nan innocent pleasure, which even the women do not refuse themselves.\nThose who are moved by revenge are still more savage. Riza K\u016bl\u012b Kh\u0101n,\nthe governor of Yezd, having expelled from that town one of the sons of\nthe Sh\u0101h (in 1830), was afterwards taken prisoner and sent to Tehr\u0101n.\nThe Sh\u0101h gave the culprit up to the offended prince, who, after\npromising to pardon and forget all, invited him to supper in the harem,\nand there stabbed him with his own hands. His wives, and the\nmaid-servants of the harem, _cut to pieces_ the body, weltering in\nblood, with scissors, and pricked and tortured him till he gave up his\nlast breath!\u2014I can see no reason for this but their brutalising\neducation. A child begins by wringing off the heads of living sparrows.\nWhen he grows up they buy him a little sword, and exercise the boy in\ncutting in two halves, first living fowls, then lambs, sheep, and so on.\nGrown-up people consider it as a very fashionable pastime to snatch a\nram from the flock, order two of their servants to hold it by the head\nand feet, and placing a bundle of straw underneath, in order to prevent\nthe sword from striking against the ground, to cut the bleating animal\nto pieces while it is alive. The most famous of such swordsmen in Persia\nwas Sulaym\u0101n M\u012brza, son of Fatah `Al\u012b Sh\u0101h. He has often, in the\npresence of the Sh\u0101h and numerous witnesses, with one blow of his huge\nscimitar cut in two an ass, and severed the head of a camel from its\nneck.\u201d\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn Lescallier\u2019s version, for the King of Persia we have the King of\nArabia.\u2014In Cazotte\u2019s rendering, under the title of \u201cThe Sultan Hebraim\n[Ibrah\u012bm] and his Son, or The Predestined,\u201d is found a considerably\namplified but very interesting version of this story. After the young\nprince has been discovered and carried away from the underground palace\nby a huntsman (not the King\u2019s secretary, but \u201ca man of rank and\nfortune\u201d), the incidents are totally different from those of our\nversion. Abaquir\u2014the young prince\u2014is carefully brought up by his master,\nand in course of time becomes accomplished in all the exercises\nbefitting a noble youth. One day he accompanies his master to the chase,\nwhen they are suddenly attacked by robbers, who slay the elder of the\nhunters, and having severely wounded Abaquir, leave him for dead.\nRecovering after a long period of insensibility, he rises and walks\nonwards through the forest, till he meets with a dervish, who takes him\nto his cave and treats him with kindness and hospitality. This dervish\nproves to be a wicked magician, who prevails upon Abaquir to descend\ninto the bowels of a mountain to bring up precious stones, which the\nfalse dervish having drawn safely up, the poor youth is then cruelly\nabandoned to his fate. From this cavern Abaquir escapes, and after a\nlong journey he reaches a city, where a kind-hearted man receives him\ninto his house, and he remains with him some time. Weary at length of\ninaction, he resolves to go out to hunt, and meets with a party of\nrobbers, whose real avocation he does not know, and joins them\u2014the\nrobbers binding him to fidelity by a solemn oath. Too late he discovers\nthe true character of his companions, but is compelled to accompany them\non their plundering expeditions. The daring outrages perpetrated by this\ngang of robbers become so notorious that the Sultan Hebraim marches\nagainst them at the head of some chosen troops. The robbers are utterly\ndefeated, but the Sultan himself is grievously wounded. On returning to\nhis capital he sends for his astrologers, and angrily asks them whether\nin their predictions they had foreseen that he should die by the hand of\na robber. They affirm that what the stars had predicted could not prove\nfalse, and suggest that the Sultan should ascertain who it was, among\nthe robbers, that wounded him, and then inquire into his birth and\nhistory. Abaquir, his own son, is the robber who inflicted the fatal\nwound; and after he has given the best account he could of his early\nyears, and shown the scars of the lion\u2019s claws on his breast, the Sultan\nsubmits to the decree of Fate, and dies shortly after declaring Abaquir\nhis successor.\u2014In Habicht\u2019s Arabian text (which agrees with Cazotte in\nnearly all the details) it is stated that the King went once every month\nto the opening of the underground dwelling, let down a rope, and drew up\nhis son, embraced and kissed and played with him awhile, then let him\ndown again.\n\n\n NOTES ON CONCLUSION.\n\n_Page 116._ \u201cSent an order to the Viziers,\u201d &c. The lithographed text\nsays: \u201cInstantly he commanded Bakhty\u0101r to be fetched. The King with his\nown hands drew off the fetters, brought him before the Queen, and put on\nhim a _kab\u0101_ [see Note p. 135] and a _kul\u0101h_\u201d\u2014that is, a robe and a\nturban.\u2014Certain officers of the King of Persia\u2019s household who wear gold\ntiaras are called _Zarrin-Kull\u0101h\u0101n_, Golden Caps.\n\n_Page 117._ \u201cResigned the throne to Bakhty\u0101r.\u201d\u2014In Hind\u016b stories a very\nusual conclusion is the King\u2019s abdication of his throne in favour of his\nson; and it is highly probable that such was actually the custom\nformerly. In the European medi\u00e6val romance of \u201cThe Knight with the\nSwan,\u201d King Oriant abdicates in favour of his son Helias.\u2014See Mr W. J.\nThoms\u2019 _Early English Prose Romances_.\n\n_Page 117._ \u201cDignity of Chief Vizier.\u201d\u2014The text reads: \u201cHe conferred on\nFarrukhsuw\u0101r, with complete honour and reverence, the Vizier\u2019s _Khil`at_\n[see Note p. 136], and appointed him Commander-in-chief (_Sipahs\u0101l\u0101r_).\u201d\n\nThe lithographed text thus concludes: \u201cThis book is finished by the aid\nof the King the Giver [_i.e._ God]\u201d: _tamma-\u2019l-kit\u0101b bi\n`awni-\u2019l-M\u0101liki-\u2019l-Wahh\u0101b_.\n\n\n ADDITIONAL NOTES.\n\nAs a few notes remain to be added to the foregoing, I take the\nopportunity of correcting in this place some errors which have occurred\nwhile these sheets were passing through the press.\n\nPage 157, line 1, for Berica _read_ Ber\u0153a.\n\nPage 160, line 19 for chemy _read_ cheraiy, or sheraiy.\n\nPage 167, lines 7 and 8.\u2014It may be as well to explain that the words\n_tavakkul bar Khud\u0101_ are a Persian translation (in the text) of the\nArabic _tawakkal `ala-\u2019ll\u0101hi_ of the Kur\u2019\u0101n, ch. xxxiii (_not_ xxxvii),\n3\u2014\u201cput thy trust in God.\u201d\n\nPage 169, line 19, for Trinchinopoli _read_ Trichinopoli.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe following note, by mischance, has been omitted in its proper place\n(Notes on Chapter VIII):\n\n_Page 93._ \u201cThe King graciously received the present which R\u016bzbih\noffered.\u201d\u2014It is well known that, in all parts of the East, whoever\nvisits a great person must carry him a present. \u201cIt is counted uncivil,\u201d\nsays Maundrell, p. 26, \u201cto visit in this country without an offering in\nhand. All great men expect it as a tribute due to their character and\nauthority; and look upon themselves as affronted, and indeed defrauded,\nwhen the compliment is omitted.\u201d In the sacred writings we find mention\nmade of this custom. For instance, 1 Samuel ix, 7: \u201cBut behold, if we\ngo, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels,\nand there is not a present (_teshurah_) to bring to the man of God\u2014what\nhave we?\u201d Menachem explains _teshurah_ to signify \u201can offering or gift,\nwhich is presented in order to be admitted into the presence of a King\nor some great man.\u201d See also Isaiah lvii, 9, _lit._: \u201cAnd thou hast\nvisited the King with a present of oil.\u201d\n\n * * * * *\n\n\u201cThe King of Yemen and his Slave\u201d\u2014see page 56, and last note, page\n174.\u2014This story in Habicht\u2019s Arabian text is entitled \u201cThe History of\nKing Bihkard,\u201d and the following passages may be compared with those of\nour text and with Lescallier, above referred to: On a certain day he\nwent on a hunting excursion, and one of his servants shot an arrow, and\nit struck the King\u2019s ear, and cut it off. The King asked: \u201cWho shot this\narrow?\u201d The attendants instantly conducted the bowman to the front, and\nhis name was Yatr\u016b. Fainting from fear, he threw himself on the ground,\nand the King said: \u201cPut him to death.\u201d But Yatr\u016b said: \u201cO King, this\nfault is not of my own choice or knowledge\u2014pardon me, then, out of thy\nkindness, since grace is the most gracious of actions, and oftentimes on\nsome future day becomes a treasure and a benefit, and in the sight of\nGod a recompense at the last day. Pardon me, then: as you avert evil\nfrom me, so will God ward off from thee a similar evil.\u201d When the King\nheard these words, he admired and forgave Yatr\u016b, yet never had he before\npardoned any one.\n\nNow this servant was of royal extraction, and had fled from his country,\nby reason of some transgression, and had entered the service of King\nBihkard. And this is what happened to him. By chance a person who knew\nhim passed that way, and gave information to his father, who sent him a\nletter, which gratified his heart and disposition; and he returned to\nhis father, who inclined indulgently towards him. Yatr\u016b rejoiced, and\nhis affairs were rectified.\u2014Compare also Lescallier and Cazotte, cited\nin pp. 178, 179.\n\n\n _Arabian Version of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\u2019s Mission._\n\n (Comp. pp. 101\u2013103, and 212, 213.)\n\nAccording to Habicht\u2019s text, the account of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\u2019s delicate\u2014not to\nsay dangerous\u2014mission to the King of Turkist\u0101n is very different from\nthat of the Persian version. The King desires him to enter the harem,\nand see and converse with the Princess; and he proceeds thither,\nreflecting on the way that \u201cWise men have averred that whoever deprives\nhis sight [that is, closes his eyes] no evil can attach to him; and\nwhoever bridles his tongue hears nothing disagreeable; and whoever\nrestrains his hand, it can neither be shortened nor lengthened.\u201d He\naccordingly enters the chamber of the Princess, and sits down on the\nfloor, gathering together the extremities of his robe. When the King\u2019s\ndaughter requests him to raise his head, look upon and converse with\nher, Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m remains mute, and with downcast eyes. She then requests\nhim to take the pearls, and the gold and silver which lie near him, but\nhe does not extend his hand towards anything. At this the Princess is\nvexed, and tells her father that they have sent a blind, and deaf, and\nfoolish ambassador; whereupon the King of Turkist\u0101n demands of Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\nwhy he had not looked upon and conversed with his daughter: he replies\nthat he had seen everything [he should see]; and in answer to the\ninquiry, why he had not taken the proffered pearls, he says that it was\nnot proper for him to extend his hand to aught that belongs to another.\nThe King, overjoyed at his prudence, embraces him, shows him the heads\nof former ambassadors (see page 214, line 4), consents to give his\ndaughter in marriage to Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m\u2019s royal master, and presents him with\na robe of honour, after which Ab\u016b Tem\u0101m departs, and in due course the\nPrincess is sent to the palace of \u012alan Sh\u0101h.\n\n\n _Arabian Version of the Conclusion of the Romance._\n\nIn Habicht\u2019s Arabian text the conclusion is as follows (comp. pp.\n115\u2013117):\n\nWhen the youth had finished his narrative, the King said: \u201cStill thou\nwouldest bewilder us with thy discourses, but the time is now come for\nyour execution.\u201d\u2014At the moment when they were conducting the youth to\nthe gallows, the robber-chief who had educated him arrived in the town.\nWhen he observed the people assembling together, he inquired the cause,\nand they said to him: \u201cThe King has commanded a young culprit to be\nexecuted.\u201d The robber-chief, who wished to see the youth, immediately\nrecognised him, and kissed him on the mouth, and said: \u201cThis youth, when\na child, I found near a fountain. I adopted him, and brought him up. One\nday we attacked a caravan, and were driven into flight, and he was taken\nprisoner. Since then I have sought everywhere for him, and never could\ngain any news respecting him.\u201d When the King heard this he cried aloud,\nthrew himself on the youth, embraced and kissed him, and said: \u201cI should\nhave put my own son to death, and in consequence should have died of\ngrief.\u201d The King then unfettered the Prince, took the crown from his own\nhead, and placed it on that of his son. The news was made public by the\nbeating of drums and the braying of trumpets, the town was illuminated,\nand there arose such a shouting of joy that the birds could scarcely\nsupport themselves in the air. All prisoners were released by order of\nthe King, and a seven days\u2019 festival proclaimed throughout the kingdom.\n\nOn the eighth day the King placed his son at his side, and summoned all\nhis friends, the city notables, and the viziers. To these last the\nPrince said: \u201cYou see now the work of God\u2019s providence\u2014you now perceive\nHis aid was near.\u201d The Viziers were struck dumb, and the King added: \u201cI\nobserve that on this day all the people rejoice, even the birds of the\nair\u2014ye only are downcast; that is truly a proof of rancour against me.\nHad I listened to your advice, I should have died from the effects of\ndespair and repentance.\u201d The King then summoned to his presence the\nrobber-chief, made him many presents, and said: \u201cWhoever loves the King,\nlet him lavish gifts on this man.\u201d Whereupon he was so overwhelmed with\npresents that he could not take any more; and the King then conferred\nupon him the governorship of the province in which he had dwelt.\n\nSoon afterwards the King ordered nine sets of gallows to be erected near\nthe one already set up, and said to his son: \u201cThou wast guiltless\u2014these\nwicked Viziers slandered thee in my eyes.\u201d The Prince rejoined: \u201cMy\ncrime consisted of my loyalty to thee\u2014seeing that I removed their hands\nfrom thy treasures, they envied me, and wished my death.\u201d \u201cOn that\naccount,\u201d said the King, \u201clet their punishment now be near, for their\ncrime is great: to destroy thee, they did not scruple to disgrace my\nhouse in the opinion of all sovereigns.\u201d He then turned to the Viziers,\nand said to them: \u201cWoe be to you! Wherewith can you excuse yourselves?\u201d\nThey replied: \u201cO King, there is no excuse for us\u2014we were unkind to the\nyouth, and wished his misfortune, which has recoiled on us;\u2014for him we\ndug a grave and have fallen into it ourselves.\u201d Hereupon the King issued\nan order for their execution\u2014\u201cfor,\u201d said he, \u201cGod is just, and all His\njudgments are true.\u201d The King afterwards lived in happiness and\npeacefully with his spouse and his son, until the disturber of all\nearthly friends reached them likewise.\n\n\n WILLIAM BURNS, PRINTER, LARKHALL, LANARKSHIRE.\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 1:\n\n See Thoms\u2019 _Lays and Legends of Germany_; Thorpe\u2019s _Yule-Tide\n Stories_; Roscoe\u2019s _German Novelists_.\n\nFootnote 2:\n\n Grimm\u2019s _German Popular Tales_.\n\nFootnote 3:\n\n Dasent\u2019s _Popular Tales from the Norse_.\n\nFootnote 4:\n\n Perhaps one of the most curious instances of the migrations of popular\n tales is the following. In Taylor\u2019s _Wit and Mirth_, an excellent\n jest-book, compiled by the celebrated Water-Poet (_temp._ James I of\n England), we are told of a countryman who had come up to London on a\n visit, and some wags having set a big dog at him in sport, the poor\n fellow stooped to pick up a stone to throw at the brute, but finding\n them all rammed hard and fast into the ground, he exclaimed in\n astonishment: \u201cWhat strange folk are these, who fasten the stones and\n let loose their dogs!\u201d More than three centuries before Taylor heard\n this jest, the Persian poet Sa`d\u012b related it in his _Gulist\u0101n_, or\n Rose-Garden (ch. iv, story 10 of Eastwick\u2019s translation): \u201cA poet went\n to the chief of a band of robbers, and recited a panegyric upon him.\n He commanded them to strip off his clothes, and turn him out of the\n village. The dogs, too, attacked him in the rear. He wanted to take up\n a stone, but the ground was frozen. Unable to do anything, he said:\n \u2018What a villanous set are these, who have untied their dogs, and tied\n up the stones!\u2019\u201d\u2014Here we have a jest, at the recital of which, in the\n 14th century, \u201cgrave and otiose\u201d Easterns wagged their beards and\n shook their portly sides, finding its way, three centuries later, to\n London taverns, where Taylor probably heard it told amidst the\n clinking of cans and fragrant clouds blown from pipes of Trinidado!\n But how came it thither?\u2014that is the question.\n\nFootnote 5:\n\n Of the numerous English translations of the _Arabian Nights_ which\n have been published, that of the learned Arabist, Mr William Edward\n Lane, made direct from the original text, is by far the best, and will\n probably never be surpassed; while his elaborate and highly\n interesting Notes to the translation furnish the most complete account\n which we possess of the manners, customs, superstitions, &c., of the\n modern Arabians in Egypt, with which his residence in that country,\n and familiarity with the language as it is spoken, enabled him to\n become intimately acquainted.\n\nFootnote 6:\n\n For example: before one story (1) is ended another (2) is begun, and\n before it is finished another (3), springing out of the second, is\n commenced; then out of story 3 springs yet another story (4), which\n ended, number 3 is resumed and brought to an end, then number 2, after\n which number 1 is resumed and concluded; and then the thread of the\n _leading_ story\u2014which runs throughout the whole work, like a brook\n through a meadow, but often out of sight\u2014is taken up once more;\u2014to\n lead presently to a fresh complication of stories, which \u201cbeget one\n another to the end of the chapter!\u201d The arrangement of the Tales in\n the _Arabian Nights_ is on this plan; though not to be compared for\n elaboration with that of the Indian Fables, above-mentioned, still\n less so with the frame of _Kath\u00e1 Sarit S\u00e1gara_.\n\nFootnote 7:\n\n A complete and unabridged translation of the _Thousand and One Nights_\n (the first that has appeared in English), by Mr John Payne, author of\n \u201cThe Masque of Shadows,\u201d \u201cPoems of Francis Villon,\u201d &c., is in course\n of publication. The first volume, now issued to subscribers, is well\n printed on hand-made paper, and elegantly bound in gilt parchment.\n This edition is limited to 500 copies, numbered, most of which, I\n understand, have already been taken up.\n\nFootnote 8:\n\n The word _N\u0101ma_ (often written _Namah_ and _Nameh_) signifies Book, or\n History.\n\nFootnote 9:\n\n It is probably this version that is quoted by Sa`d\u012b, in his _Bust\u0101n_,\n book iii:\n\n How nice comes this point in Sindib\u0101d,\n That \u201cLove is a fire\u2014O whirlwind-like sea!\u201d\n\nFootnote 10:\n\n _Asiatic Journal, N.S._, vols. xxxv, xxxvi, 1841.\u2014These titles also\n appear on this manuscript. _Mesneviyi Sindib\u0101d_, \u201cThe couplet-rhymed\n Sindib\u0101d;\u201d _Nazmi hakim Sindib\u0101d_, \u201cRhymed Story of the Philosopher\n Sindib\u0101d;\u201d and _Kit\u0101bi hak\u012bm Sindib\u0101d_, \u201cBook of the Philosopher\n Sindib\u0101d.\u201d\n\nFootnote 11:\n\n Wilson\u2019s _Descriptive Catalogue of the Mackenzie MSS._ vol. i, p. 220.\n\nFootnote 12:\n\n The Thousand and One Nights: Arabian Tales. For the first time\n completely and fully translated from a Tunisian Manuscript, &c.\n\nFootnote 13:\n\n In 1792 an English translation of this work was published at\n Edinburgh, in 4 vols., under the title: _Arabian Tales_. Translated\n from the original Arabic into French; and from the French into\n English, by Robert Heron.\n\nFootnote 14:\n\n An English rendering of the Turk\u012b version of the story translated into\n French by M. Jaubert will be found at the end of Notes on Chapter VI,\n pp. 189\u2013194.\n\nFootnote 15:\n\n _Political and Statistical Account of the British Settlements in the\n Straits of Malacca._ By T. J. Newbold. 2 vols. London, 1839.\n\nFootnote 16:\n\n Mr J. W. Redhouse has kindly furnished me, as follows, with the\n various meanings attached to the word _Ghul\u0101m_; which in the Malay\n romance seems to be employed as a proper name: \u201cGul\u0101m (not Ghul\u0101m), an\n Arabic word, signifies \u2018a boy,\u2019 \u2018a lad.\u2019 The Persians have made it, in\n their language, signify \u2018a slave,\u2019 and thence \u2018a life-guardsman,\u2019 and\n \u2018a king\u2019s messenger;\u2019 whence \u2018any post-messenger who travels on\n horse-back\u2019\u2014or by rail, now, in some places: all these really mean \u2018a\n lad.\u2019 The Turks use the word in the first and last senses\u2014\u2018a lad,\u2019 \u2018a\n Persian post-courier.\u2019\u201d\n\nFootnote 17:\n\n _The Bakhtyar Nameh, or Story of Prince Bakhtyar and the Ten Viziers._\n A series of Persian Tales. From a Manuscript in the Collection of Sir\n William Ouseley. London, 1800.\u2014This edition includes the original\n text; in 1801, according to Lowndes\u2019 _Bibliographer\u2019s Manual_, an\n edition was published without the Persian text.\n\nFootnote 18:\n\n _Bakhtiar Nameh, ou le Favori de la Fortune._ Conte traduit du Persan.\n Par M. Lescallier. Paris, 1805.\n\nFootnote 19:\n\n See third note, page 184, and first note, p. 195.\n\nFootnote 20:\n\n Mr Platt would date the work a century earlier; he writes to me, as\n follows, on this question: \u201cFirst, be it observed, the only titles of\n Kings mentioned in the Persian text are, Sh\u0101h, P\u0101dish\u0101h, Malik, and\n Kaisar; nowhere do we find the sovereign title of Sult\u0101n, but it\n occurs in Habicht\u2019s Arabic text. This title was first borne by Mahmood\n ibn Sabuktakeer, A.D. 1002 (A.H. 393), and did not exist in Egypt\n until A.D. 1171 (A.H. 567). At page 184 of your Notes and\n Illustrations reference is made to the _Gulist\u0101n_ of Sa`d\u012b: now that\n work was published A.D. 1257 (A.H. 655), and it is as well to bear in\n mind that the poet was born A.H. 1175 (A.H. 571), and by some said to\n have attained the advanced age of 102, by others 116 years. The work,\n therefore, is more likely to have been written towards the close of,\n rather than after, the 13th century. Next may be considered the arms\n of defence and offence, which required the appointment of an\n armour-bearer (see page 111, line 6), viz., bow, quiver\u2014containing\n broad-bladed arrows\u2014sword, or scimitar, mace, or bludgeon, shield, and\n a spear, or lance; all of which were employed by the Crusaders. Now\n the first of the eight crusades dates A.D. 1096 (A.H. 490), and the\n last A.D. 1270 (A.H. 669). These considerations are connected with the\n Seljukian kingdom of R\u016bm, of which the capital was Koniah (Iconium),\n founded A.D. 1074 (A.H. 467), and lasted until A.D. 1307 (A.H. 707);\n in all, 233 years. Much confusion arises from the Ruler of the Eastern\n Empire being called Kaisar-\u012b R\u016bm, a title also assumed by the\n Seljukian dynasty. The Kaisar-i R\u016bm of Chapter III may allude to any\n occupant of the Constantinopolitan throne between the years A.D. 1257\n and 1434.\u201d\n\nFootnote 21:\n\n In this entertaining book a Parrot is represented as relating stories\n night after night, in order to prevent a merchant\u2019s wife from carrying\n on a criminal intrigue during her husband\u2019s absence. Nakshab\u012b\u2019s work\n has not yet been wholly translated into English\u2014see _foot_ note, page\n 197. Of K\u0101der\u012b\u2019s abridgment (which is very clumsily done) a\n translation, together with his Persian text, was published at\n Calcutta, and reprinted at London in 1801. K\u0101der\u012b has certainly done\n Nakshab\u012b\u2019s literary reputation no small injury, by the manner in which\n he has cut down the stories, and by substituting his own inexpressive\n and bald style for the graceful composition of the original. It is to\n be hoped that ere long some competent scholar will present English\n readers with a fair translation of Nakshab\u012b\u2019s excellent work, which\n would prove of considerable service to those interested in tracing the\n migrations and transformations of popular tales.\u2014Besides the _Suka\n Saptati_, above mentioned, there is another Indian book, in Tamul, on\n the same plan, entitled _Hamsa Vinsati_, Twenty Tales of a Hamsa, or\n Goose, told with the same object as that of the Parrot\u2014to keep an\n amorous lady at home until her husband returns.\n\nFootnote 22:\n\n _Arabian Nights\u2019 Entertainments._ To which is added a Selection of New\n Tales, now first translated from the Arabic originals; also an\n Introduction and Notes, by Jonathan Scott, LL.D. London, 1811. 6\n vols.\u2014This edition, says Lowndes, \u201cwas carefully revised and corrected\n from the Arabic,\u201d but it is not easy to discover any of the Editor\u2019s\n emendations: the sixth volume consists of Scott\u2019s additional Tales,\n one or two of which had been better left in the \u201coriginal Arabic.\u201d\n\nFootnote 23:\n\n Evidently a misprint for \u201cliteral,\u201d since Scott accuses Cazotte of\n taking \u201cliberties\u201d with his originals, and contrasts his work with\n Ouseley\u2019s more accurate translation. It is curious to find, for once,\n at least, a misprint proving to be no error; for Ouseley\u2019s translation\n is in fact very \u201cliberal,\u201d and Scott assuredly could never have\n compared it with the text.\n\nFootnote 24:\n\n As the Eleventh Day, is the Story of the Freed Slave.\n\nFootnote 25:\n\n In allusion to the name, compounded of _Bakht_, Fortune, and _y\u0101r_, a\n friend, or companion.\n\nFootnote 26:\n\n Bihr\u016bz and R\u016bzbih are compounded of the words _bih_, good, excellent,\n and _r\u016bz_, day; meaning \u201cwhose day is excellent.\u201d\u2014ED.\n\nFootnote 27:\n\n Veti-ver, Mr Platt writes to me, \u201cis a French word, and yet I am\n unable to find it in any French Dictionary. It is a kind of grass,\n deriving its name from the Latin words _veto_ and _vermis_, as it is\n used when dry in keeping clothes, etc. free from moths. In the\n Mauritius, I believe, mats and table-covers are manufactured from it.\u201d\n\nFootnote 28:\n\n Morier\u2019s _Second Journey_.\n\nFootnote 29:\n\n This is Mr Bicknell\u2019s almost literal rendering:\n\n If the young Magian dally with grace so coy and fine,\n My eyes shall bend their fringes to sweep the house of wine.\n\nFootnote 30:\n\n _K\u012bl va k\u0101l, par va b\u0101l_, \u201cquestion and answer,\u201d \u201cfeather and wing:\u201d a\n jingle of words which has a great charm to a Persian ear: \u201cfeather and\n wing,\u201d pride of place; for the height of prosperity they say _p\u0101r va\n b\u0101l-i ikb\u0101l_.\n\nFootnote 31:\n\n _Manzil_, a day\u2019s journey\u2014about twenty miles.\n\nFootnote 32:\n\n Ottoman Poems. Translated, with Introduction, Biographical Notices,\n and Notes, by E. J. W. Gibb (Tr\u00fcbner & Co.) Page 211.\n\nFootnote 33:\n\n That is, a sword, the scabbard of which is ornamented with gold.\n\nFootnote 34:\n\n _Second Journey to Persia, &c._\n\nFootnote 35:\n\n He would be a \u201cfriend indeed\u201d to submit to so much consultation!\n\nFootnote 36:\n\n This droll story is also domiciled in Italy: see D\u2019Israeli\u2019s\n _Curiosities of Literature_\u2014\u201cOn the Philosophy of Proverbs\u201d; but the\n probable original is found in the Talmud, where it occurs as an\n addendum to the well-known tale of the emperor Hadrian and the old man\n who planted a fig-tree.\n\nFootnote 37:\n\n Compare Scott:\n\n \u201cWhen pain and anguish wring the brow,\n A ministering angel thou!\u201d\n\nFootnote 38:\n\n _History of Muhammedanism_, Second Edition, p. 322.\n\nFootnote 39:\n\n Sir John Malcolm\u2019s _History of Persia_, vol. ii p. 585.\n\nFootnote 40:\n\n Russell\u2019s _Natural History of Aleppo_, vol. i, chap. 3.\n\nFootnote 41:\n\n Meaning the Sultan himself; for the Turkish Sultans are all born of\n slave-women.\n\nFootnote 42:\n\n From _Ferdusi, his Life and Writings_, by S. R. (Mr Samuel Robinson),\n one of a series of admirable translations &c. of Persian Poetry,\n published some years ago, and now being reprinted for private\n circulation by the learned and venerable author, as a companion volume\n to my _Arabian Poetry for English Readers_.\n\nFootnote 43:\n\n _Essai sur les Fables Indiennes._\n\nFootnote 44:\n\n _A Century of Ghazels, or a Hundred Odes, selected and translated from\n the Div\u0101n of H\u0101fiz_, by S.R. (Preliminary Notice, pp. viii, ix.)\n\nFootnote 45:\n\n _Flowers from the \u201cGulist\u0101n\u201d and \u201cBost\u0101n\u201d_ of Sadi. By S. R.\n\nFootnote 46:\n\n It has long been a barbarous practice in Persia to _pluck out_ the\n eyes of political offenders. Morier, in his romance of _Zohrab the\n Hostage_, represents the brutal tyrant Aga Muhammad Sh\u0101h, during the\n horrible massacre which followed the capture of Astr\u0101b\u0101d, as coolly\n counting, with the handle of his riding-switch, the number of pairs of\n eyes placed before him on a tray; and a reference to the account of\n this monster\u2019s conduct after the capture of Kirm\u0101n, in Sir John\n Malcolm\u2019s _History of Persia_, will show that the novelist has not\n exaggerated in this matter.\n\nFootnote 47:\n\n Nig\u0101r\u012bn: idol-like, beautiful, embellished, a beloved object.\n\nFootnote 48:\n\n Under the title of _Hindoo Tales_ (London: Strahan & Co.), Dr P. W.\n Jacob has issued a very readable translation of this entertaining\n romance.\n\nFootnote 49:\n\n _Tibetan Tales, derived from Indian Sources._ Translated from the\n Tibetan of the _Kah-Gyur_, by F. Anton Von Schiefner. Done into\n English, from the German, by W. R. S. Ralston, M.A. London: Tr\u00fcbner &\n Co.\n\nFootnote 50:\n\n _Descriptive Catalogue of the Mackenzie Collection of Oriental MSS._\n By H. H. Wilson. Calcutta, 1828. Vol. i, p. 17.\n\nFootnote 51:\n\n Translated from the German of Bergmann, by Mr William J. Thoms, and\n published, in 1834, in his very interesting _Lays and Legends of\n Various Nations_, a work which is now become extremely scarce, and\n well merits being reprinted.\n\nFootnote 52:\n\n The King was wont to visit the well where Ab\u016b Saber lay, and to jeer\n and mock his practice of patience.\n\nFootnote 53:\n\n That is, the story of Abraha, obscurely referred to in the opening\n paragraph, page 56. Abraha, we are there informed, \u201cwas the son of the\n King of Zang\u012bb\u0101r, who, _by chance_, had fallen into slavery, and never\n disclosed the secret to any one.\u201d Lescallier says, that he was reduced\n to slavery \u201cby some extraordinary adventure,\u201d but the text does not\n explain the nature of the \u201cadventure.\u201d\n\nFootnote 54:\n\n Kh\u014dja: in its more restricted meaning, a lord, a master; Muhammad is\n styled _Kh\u014dja-i bas o nashr_, literally, \u201clord of the raising and\n dispersing,\u201d that is, the Resurrection. In its general signification,\n a man of distinction, doctor, professor, &c. But the title of Kh\u014dja,\n like our \u201cMr\u201d is now very commonly applied to any respectable person.\n\nFootnote 55:\n\n \u201cZangist\u0101n.\u201d\u2014The Oriental adjunct _st\u0101n_ or _ist\u0101n_, the participle of\n _ist\u0101dan_, \u201cto reside,\u201d or \u201cdwell,\u201d denotes \u201cplace,\u201d or \u201ccountry,\u201d\n whence Moghol-ist\u0101n, a port of Tartary; Fars-ist\u0101n, Persia;\n Kh\u016bz-ist\u0101n, Susiana. The root of _st\u0101n_ may be seen in our English\n word \u201cstation.\u201d\n\nFootnote 56:\n\n \u201cFour parasangs.\u201d\u2014A Persian league, about 18,000 feet in length, is\n _Fars-sang_, that is, the Stone of Persia, which Herodotus and other\n Greek authors term _Parasanga_. It seems that in ancient times the\n distance of a league was marked in the East, as well as in the West,\n by large elevated stones.\n\nFootnote 57:\n\n The love of Jacob for his son Joseph, and his grief at his supposed\n death, are proverbial amongst Muslims, and very frequently alluded to\n by Persian poets. In the 12th sura of the Kur\u2019\u0101n it is stated that\n Jacob became blind through constant weeping for his lost son, and that\n his sight was restored by means of Joseph\u2019s inner garment, which the\n Governor of Egypt sent to his father by his brethren. In the _Makamat_\n of El-Hariri, the celebrated Arabian poet, are such allusions as\n \u201cpassed a night of sorrow like Jacob\u2019s,\u201d \u201cwept more than Jacob when he\n lost his son.\u201d\n\nFootnote 58:\n\n Probably the messenger went to Yemen in the assumed capacity of a\n merchant, which would render him least liable to suspicion, and also\n enable him to smuggle Abraha out of the city without attracting\n particular notice.\n\nFootnote 59:\n\n The same savage maxim occurs in the _Anv\u0101r-i Suhail\u012b_: \u201cWhen thou hast\n got thy enemy fast, show him no mercy.\u201d\n\nFootnote 60:\n\n Isl\u0101m is not, as is commonly believed in Europe, synonymous with\n Fatalism. \u201cWhat Muhammad taught,\u201d remarks Mr Redhouse, \u201cwhat the\n Kur\u2019\u0101n so eloquently and so persistently sets forth, and what real\n faithful Muslims believe, conformably with what is contained in the\n Gospels and accepted by devout Christians, is\u2014that God\u2019s Providence\n pre-ordains, as His Omniscience foreknows, all events, and over-rules\n the designs of men, to the sure fulfilment of His all-wise\n purposes.\u201d\u2014_El-Esm\u0101\u2019u-\u2019l-Husna_, \u201cThe Most Comely Names\u201d [_i.e._ of\n God], by J. W. Redhouse, M.R.A.S. Tr\u00fcbner & Co., London.\n\nFootnote 61:\n\n There are many varieties of this amusing story in Europe as well as in\n Asia\u2014whether Father Beschi found it in India or took it with him.\n\nFootnote 62:\n\n \u201cThe \u2018Uygur\u2019 language,\u201d Mr J. W. Redhouse writes to me, \u201cis simply\n Turkish; what we should term \u2018a little provincial.\u2019 It is very much\n more consistent with the Ottoman Turkish of to-day than the English of\n four hundred years ago was like the modern English.\u201d\n\nFootnote 63:\n\n Here, surely, the T\u0101t\u0101r translator\u2014or adapter\u2014anticipates the course\n of the narrative; since the King (unfortunately for the Vez\u012br K\u0101rd\u0101r)\n did _not_ possess, at one and the same time, _two_ Vez\u012brs and a\n beautiful wife\u2014if by the latter be meant the pious daughter of Kerd\u0101r.\n\nFootnote 64:\n\n K\u0101rd\u0101n signifies \u201cknowing affairs\u201d\u2014\u201cexperienced.\u201d The meaning of\n Kerd\u0101r (as K\u0101rd\u0101r is pronounced by Turks) is already given in the\n foregoing notes.\n\nFootnote 65:\n\n Lit: without whom she could not live.\u2014_Jaubert._\n\nFootnote 66:\n\n In M. Cazotte\u2019s rendering of the Arabian version (French translation\n of the _Continuation of the Thousand and One Nights_), it is also the\n cameleer of the King of Persia, and not of King D\u0101d\u012bn, as in the\n Persian _Bakhty\u0101r_, who discovers the pious maiden in the desert, and\n from this point to the end of the narrative M. Cazotte\u2019s and the Turk\u012b\n versions correspond.\n\nFootnote 67:\n\n Husain V\u0101`iz, in his _Anv\u0101r-i-Suhail\u012b_, had probably Sa`d\u012b\u2019s verses in\n mind when he wrote: \u201cThe arrow which has leapt from the string cannot\n be brought back, nor can the slain person be resuscitated either by\n strength or gold.\u201d\n\nFootnote 68:\n\n Lane\u2019s _Thousand and One Nights_, Introd. p. 27.\u2014See a more just\n estimate of women, cited from the _Mah\u0101bharata_, p. 139 of the present\n volume.\n\nFootnote 69:\n\n Dr Jonathan Scott: Notes to vol. vi. of his edition of the _Arabian\n Nights_.\n\nFootnote 70:\n\n The 50th Night of the India Office MS. No. 2573; and the 35th tale of\n Muhammad Kaderi\u2019s abridgment. Gerrans\u2019 English translation, 1792,\n comprises barely one-fifth of the Tales, only the first volume of it\n having been published: he probably did not meet with sufficient\n encouragement to complete his work.\n\nFootnote 71:\n\n See Lane\u2019s _Thousand and One Nights_, Introduction, note 21, ch. iii,\n note 14; Kur\u2019\u0101n ii, 96.\n\nFootnote 72:\n\n It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that Muhammad did not profess to\n introduce a new religion, but simply to restore the original and only\n true faith, which was held and taught by Abraham, David, Solomon, and\n the other great prophets.\n\nFootnote 73:\n\n See Dr Weil\u2019s interesting little work, entitled, _The Bible, the\n Koran, and the Talmud_, where also will be found the curious legend of\n how the demon Sakhr, above mentioned, by obtaining possession of\n Solomon\u2019s magical signet, personated the great Hebrew King, and of the\n wonderful recovery of the seal-ring, and Solomon\u2019s restoration to his\n kingdom.\n\nFootnote 74:\n\n Sir Gore Ouseley\u2019s _Biographical Notices of Persian Poets_.\n\nFootnote 75:\n\n _Arabian Nights\u2019 Entertainments_, edited by Jonathan Scott. 6 vols,\n 8vo. London, 1811. Vol. vi, _Notes_.\n\nFootnote 76:\n\n Morier\u2019s _Second Journey to Persia_, &c.\n\nFootnote 77:\n\n See Lane\u2019s _Modern Egyptians_.\u2014In my _Arabian Poetry for English\n Readers_ is a translation (the first that has appeared in English) of\n the famous Burda-Poem of El-Bus\u012br\u012b, contributed by Mr J. W. Redhouse,\n with Preface and Notes.\n\nFootnote 78:\n\n Called _El-F\u0101tiha_; according to Sale\u2019s translation, it is as follows:\n\n IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.\n\n PRAISE be to God, the Lord of all creatures; the most merciful, the\n King of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and of thee do we beg\n assistance. Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom\n thou hast been gracious; not of those against whom thou art incensed,\n nor of those who go astray.\n\nFootnote 79:\n\n _The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night._ Translated by Henry\n Torrens. Calcutta: 1838. Vol. I. Notes.\u2014This excellent translation\n comprises only the first 50 Nights, and it is much to be regretted\n that Torrens did not live to complete a task so well begun.\n\nFootnote 80:\n\n Malcolm\u2019s _History of Persia_, vol. ii.\n\nFootnote 81:\n\n _Sketches of Persia_, 1861 ed., page 134.\n\nFootnote 82:\n\n Folk-Lore students will perhaps \u201cmake a note of this.\u201d\n\nFootnote 83:\n\n No. xliv of \u201cPleasant Stories,\u201d in Gladwin\u2019s _Persian Moonshee_, 1801.\n\nFootnote 84:\n\n Malcolm\u2019s _History of Persia_, vol. ii, pp. 594, 5.\n\nFootnote 85:\n\n This Rabbinical tale has been adopted in France, where it is told of a\n gentleman who left his wealth to a convent, provided they gave his son\n \u201cwhatever they chose\u201d\u2014_they_ chose the bulk of the money, which, of\n course, they had to restore.\n\nFootnote 86:\n\n _Dissertation on the Literature, Languages, and Manners of Eastern\n Nations._\n\nFootnote 87:\n\n _Anvar-i Suhaili_, or Lights of Canopus. By Hussain V\u0101\u2019iz.\n\nFootnote 88:\n\n The Story of Semiletka, in Mr Ralston\u2019s _Russian Folk-Tales_, bears so\n close a resemblance to this rabbinical story, in the stratagem adopted\n by the wife, that we must conclude it cannot be a mere coincidence.\n\nFootnote 89:\n\n Chardin\u2019s _Voyages en Perse_, &c., vol. ii, pp. 149, 220.\n\nFootnote 90:\n\n _History of Persia_, vol. ii, pp. 576\u20137.\n\nFootnote 91:\n\n A cunning man, hight Sidrophel,\n That deals in Destiny\u2019s dark counsels,\n And sage opinions of the moon sells.\u2014_Hudibras._\n\nFootnote 92:\n\n Should the reader feel any curiosity to ascertain the sentiments\n entertained by Muhammadans regarding the influence of the planets upon\n men\u2019s dispositions and fortunes, he will find the fullest information\n on the subject in _Qanoon-e-Islam, or the Customs of the Moosulmans of\n India_. By Jaffer Shureef. Translated by G. A. Herklots, M.D. London,\n 1832.\n\nFootnote 93:\n\n Dr Dasent\u2019s _Popular Tales from the Norse_.\n\nFootnote 94:\n\n Thorpe\u2019s _Northern Mythology_, vol. iii.\n\nFootnote 95:\n\n _Popular Poetry of Persia._\n\n\n\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber\u2019s note:\n\n 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.\n\n 2. Retained anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as\n printed.","title":"The Bakhty\u0101r N\u0101ma: A Persian Romance","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":70870}