Part 32

As soon as the eunuchs who had brought them were gone, she presently opened the trunk where I was prisoner. Come out, said she, go up these stairs that lead to an upper room, and stay there till I come. The door which led to the stairs she locked after I was in; and that was no sooner done, than the caliph came and sat down on the very trunk where I had been confined. The occasion of this visit was a motive of curiosity that did not respect me. He had a mind to question the lady about what she had seen or heard in the city. So they discoursed together some while, and then he left her and retired to his apartment.

When she found the coast clear, she came to the chamber where I was, and made many apologies for the alarms she had given me. My uneasiness, said she, was no less than yours; you cannot well doubt of that, since I have run the same risk out of love to you: perhaps, another person in my situation would not have had the presence of mind to manage matters so dexterously upon so delicate an occasion, where so much courage and presence of mind were requisite; nothing less than the love I had for you could have inspired me with courage to do it. But come, take heart, now the danger is over. After much tender discourse between us, she told me it was time to go to rest, and that she would not fail to introduce me to Zobeide, her mistress, some hour to morrow, which will be very easy; For the caliph never sees her, added she, but at night. Encouraged by these words, I slept very well; or if my sleep was interrupted it was by agreeable disquietudes, caused by the hopes of enjoying a lady, blest with so much wit and beauty.

The next day, before I was introduced to Zobeide, her favourite instructed me how to behave, mentioning what questions she would put to me, and dictating the answers I was to give. This done, she carried me into a very magnificent and richly furnished hall. I was no sooner entered, than twenty women slaves, advanced in age, dressed in rich and uniform habits, came out of Zobeide’s apartment, and placed themselves very modestly before the throne in two equal rows; they were followed by twenty other younger ladies clothed after the same manner, only their habits appeared somewhat gayer. In the middle of these appeared Zobeide, with a majestic air, and so laden with jewels that she could scarce walk. She went and sat down on the throne, and the favourite lady, who had accompanied her, stood just by her on her right hand; the other ladies, who were slaves, being placed at some distance on each side of the throne.

As soon as the caliph’s lady was set down, the slaves that came in first made a sign for me to approach. I advanced between the two rows they had formed, and prostrated myself upon the carpet that was under the princess’s feet. She ordered me to rise, and did me the honour to ask my name, my family, and the state of my fortune; upon all which I gave her satisfactory answers, as I perceived not only by her countenance, but by her words. I am glad, said she, that my daughter, (so she used to call the favourite lady,) for I look upon her as such, after the care I have taken of her education, I am very glad she has made a choice that pleases me; I approve of it, and give consent to your marriage. I will myself give orders for solemnizing it; but I want to have my daughter stay ten days with me before the solemnity; and in that time I will speak to the caliph, and obtain his consent: meanwhile, do you stay here; you shall be taken care of.

Pursuant to the caliph’s lady’s orders, I staid ten days in the women’s apartments, and during that time was deprived of the pleasure of seeing the favourite lady; but was so well used by her orders, that I had no reason to be dissatisfied.

Zobeide told the caliph her resolution of marrying the favourite lady; and the caliph leaving to her the liberty of doing upon that head what she pleased, granted the favourite a considerable sum by way of settlement. When the ten days were expired, Zobeide ordered the contract of marriage to be drawn up and brought to her, and the necessary preparations being mane for the solemnity, the musicians and the dancers (both men and women) were called in, and there were great rejoicings in the palace for nine days. The tenth day being appointed for the last ceremony of the marriage, the favourite lady was conducted to a bath, and I to another. At night, I sat down to table, and had all manner of dishes served up to me, and among others, a ragout with garlic, such as you have now forced me to eat of. This ragout I liked so well, that I scarce touched any of the other dishes; but such was my unhappiness, that when I arose from the table, I only wiped my hands, instead of washing them well; a piece of negligence I had never been guilty of before.

Though it was then night, the whole apartment of the ladies was as light as day, by means of many illuminations. Nothing was to be heard all over the palace but musical instruments, dances, and acclamations of joy. My bride and I were introduced into a great hall, where we were placed upon two thrones. The women that attended her made her shift herself several times, and painted her face with different sorts of colours, according to the usual custom on wedding days; and every time she changed her habit they showed her to me.

All these ceremonies being over, we were conducted to the nuptial room: as soon as the company retired, I approached to embrace my wife; but instead of returning my transports, she pushed me away, and cried out most fearfully; upon which, all the ladies of the apartment came running into the chamber to know what she cried for: and for my own part, I was so thunder-struck, that I stood like a post, without the power of even asking what she meant by it. Dear sister, said they to her, what has happened since we left you so lately? Let us know, that we may try to relieve you. --Take, said she, Take out of my sight that vile fellow. Why, madam? said I; wherein have I deserved your displeasure? --You are a villain, said she, in a furious passion, to eat garlic, and not wash your hands! Do you think I would suffer such a filthy fellow to poison me? Down with him, down with him upon the ground, continued she, addressing herself to the ladies, and bring me a good bull’s pizzle. In short, I was thrown upon the ground, and while some held my hands, and others my feet, my wife, who was presently furnished with a weapon, laid on me as long as she could stand over me. Then she said to the ladies, Take him, send him to the judge, and let the hand be cut off with which he fed upon the garlic ragout.

Good God, cried I, must I be beat and bruised unmercifully, and to complete my affliction, have my hand cut off, for eating of a ragout with garlic, and forgetting to wash my hands? What proportion is there between the punishment and the crime? Curse on the ragout, and on the cook that dressed it, and on him that served it up.

All the ladies that were by, and had witnessed my receiving the thousand strokes, took pity of me when they heard the cutting off of my hand spoken of. Dear madam, dear sister, said they to the favourite lady, you carry your resentment too far. We own he is a man quite ignorant of the world, of your quality, and the respect due to you; but we beseech you to overlook and pardon the fault he has committed. I have not received suitable satisfaction, said she; I will teach him to know the world; I will make him bear sensible marks of his impertinence, and be cautious hereafter how he tastes a garlic ragout without washing his hands. Afterwards, they continued their solicitations, and fell down at her feet, and kissing her fair hands, Good madam, said they, in the name of God, moderate your wrath, and grant the favour we request. She answered not a word, but got up, and after uttering a thousand reproaches against me, walked out of the chamber, and all the ladies followed her, leaving me in inconceivable affliction.

I continued there ten days, without seeing any body but an old woman slave that brought me victuals. I asked her what was become of the favourite lady. She is sick, said the old woman; she is sick of the poisoned smell you infected her with. Why did you not take care to wash your hands after eating of that cursed ragout? Is it possible, thought I to myself, that these ladies can be so nice and so vindictive for so small a fault! I loved my wife, notwithstanding all her cruelty, and could not help pitying her. One day the old woman told me my spouse was recovered, and gone to bathe, and would come to see me the next day. So, said she, I would have you call up your patience, and endeavour to accommodate yourself to her humour: for she is otherwise a woman of good sense and discretion, and beloved by all the ladies about the court of Zobeide, our respectable mistress.

In effect, my wife came next night, and accosted me thus: You see I am too good in seeing you again after the affront you have offered me; but still I cannot be reconciled to you till I have punished you according to your demerit, in not washing your hands after eating the garlic ragout. This said, she called the ladies, who, by her order, threw me upon the ground; and after binding me fast, she had the barbarity to cut off my thumbs and great toes herself with a razor. One of the ladies applied a certain root to stanch the blood; but by bleeding and by the pain, I swooned away.

When I came to myself, they gave me wine to drink, to recruit my strength. Ah! madam, said I to my wife, if ever I eat of a garlic ragout again, I solemnly swear to wash my hands a hundred and twenty times with the herb alkali, with the ashes of the same plant, and with soap. Well, replied my wife, upon that condition I am willing to forget what is past, and live with you as my husband.

This, continued the Bagdad merchant, addressing himself to the company, this is the reason why I refused to eat of the garlic ragout that is now upon the table.

The ladies applied to my wounds not only the root I mentioned to you, but likewise some balsam of Mecca, which they were well assured was not adulterated, because they had it out of the caliph’s own dispensatory. By virtue of that admirable balsam was I perfectly cured in a few days, and my wife and I lived together as agreeably as if I had never eat of the garlic ragout. But having been all my lifetime used to enjoy my liberty, I grew weary of being confined to the caliph’s palace; yet I said nothing of it to my wife, for fear of displeasing her. However, she suspected it, and wanted nothing more herself than to get out; for it was gratitude alone that made her continue with Zobeide. Being a very witty woman, she represented in such lively terms to her mistress the constraint I was under, in not living in the city with people of my own rank, as I had always done, that the good princess chose rather to deprive herself of the pleasure of having her favourite about her, than not to grant what we both equally desired.

A month after our marriage, my wife came into the room with several eunuchs, carrying each a bag of silver. When the eunuchs were gone, You never told me, said she, that you were uneasy in being confined to court; but I perceived it, and have happily found means to make you contented. My mistress, Zobeide, gives us leave to go out of the palace, and here are fifty thousand sequins of which she has made us a present, in order to enable us to live comfortably in the city. Take ten thousand of them, and go and buy us a house.

I quickly found a house for the money, and after furnishing it richly, we went and lived in it; and kept a great many slaves of both sexes, and made a good figure. In short, we began to live a very agreeable life, but it did not last long. At a year’s end, my wife fell sick and died.

I might have married again, and lived honourably at Bagdad; but curiosity to see the world put me upon another course. I sold my house, and after purchasing several sorts of goods, I went with a caravan to Persia; from Persia, I travelled to Samarcande, and from thence hither.

This, said the purveyor to the sultan of Casgar, this is the story that the Bagdad merchant told in company where I was yesterday. This story, said the sultan, has something in it extraordinary; but it does not come near that of my little Hunchback. Then the Jewish physician prostrated himself before the sultan’s throne, and rising again, addressed himself to that prince in the following manner: Sir, if you will be so good as to hear me, I flatter myself you will be pleased with a story I have to tell you. Well spoken, said the sultan; but if it is not more surprising than that of little Hunch-back, you must not expect to live.

The Story told by the Jewish Physician.

Sir, when I was studying physic at Damascus, and was just beginning to practise that noble profession with some reputation, a man slave called me to see a patient in the governor of the city’s family. Accordingly, I went, and was conducted into a room, where I found a very handsome young man, much dejected by his disorder: I saluted him, and sat down by him; but he made no return to my compliments, only a sign with his eyes that he heard me, and thanked me. Pray, sir, said I, give me your hand, that I may feel your pulse. But instead of stretching out his right, he gave me his left hand, at which I was extremely surprised. This, said I to myself, is a gross piece of ignorance, that he does not know that people present their right hand, and not their left, to a physician. However, I felt his pulse, wrote him a prescription, and took my leave.

I continued my visits for nine days, and every time I felt his pulse, he still gave me his left hand. On the tenth day he seemed to be pretty well, and so I prescribed nothing for him but bathing. The governor of Damascus, who was by, in testimony of his being well satisfied with my service, invested me with a rich robe, saying he made me a physician of the city hospital, and physician in ordinary to his house, where I might freely eat at his table when I pleased.

The young man likewise showed me many civilities, and asked me to accompany him to the bath. Accordingly, we went together, and when his attendants had undressed him, I perceived he wanted the right hand, and that it had not long been cut off, which had been the occasion of his disorder, though concealed from me; for while the people about him were applying proper medicines externally, they had called me to prevent the ill consequence of the fever which was on him. I was very much surprised and concerned on seeing his misfortune, which he observed by my countenance. Doctor, cried he, do not be astonished to see that my hand is cut off; some day or other, I will tell you the occasion of it; and in that relation you will be entertained with very surprising adventures.

After we had done bathing, we sat down to table; and after some other discourse together, he asked me if it would be any prejudice to his health if he went and took a walk out of town in the governor’s garden? I made answer, so far from it, that the air would benefit his health. Since it is so, said he, if you will give me your company, I will tell you the history of my adventures. I replied, I was at his command for all that day. Upon which he presently called his servants to bring something for a collation, and we went to the governor’s garden. There we took two or three turns, and then sat down upon a carpet that his servants had spread under a tree, which gave a very pleasant shade. After we were seated, the young man gave me his history in the following terms:

I was born, said he, at Moussoul, of one of the most considerable families in the city. My father was the eldest of ten brothers, who were all alive and married when my grandfather died. All the brothers were childless, but my father; and he has no child but me. He took particular care of my education, and made me learn every thing proper for a child of my rank.

When I was grown up, and began to keep company with the world, I happened one Friday to be at noon-prayers with my father and my uncles in the great mosque of Moussoul. And after prayers were over, the rest of the company going away, my father and my uncles continued sitting upon the best carpet in the mosque; and I sat down by them. They discoursed of several things, but the conversation fell insensibly, I know not how, upon the subject of voyages. They extolled the beauties and peculiar rarities of some kingdoms, and of their principal cities. But one of my uncles said, that according to the uniform report of an infinite number of voyagers, there was not in the world a pleasanter country than Egypt and the Nile; and the account he gave of them infused into me such a charming idea of them, that from that very moment I had a desire to travel thither. Whatever my other uncles said, by way of preference to Bagdad and the Tigris, in calling Bagdad the true residence of the Mussulman religion, and the metropolis of all the cities of the earth, made no impression upon me. My father joined in opinion with those of his brothers who had spoken in favour of Egypt; which filled me with joy. Say what you will, said he, the man that has not seen Egypt, has not seen the greatest rarity in the world. All the land there is golden; I mean, it is so fertile that it enriches its inhabitants. All the women of that country charm you by their beauty and their agreeable carriage. If you speak of the Nile, where is there a more wonderful river? What water was ever lighter or more delicious? The very slime it carries along in its overflowing fattens the fields, which produce a thousand times more than other countries that are cultivated with the greatest labour. Observe what a poet said of the Egyptians, when he was obliged to depart from Egypt: Your Nile loads you with blessings every day; it is for you only that it runs from such a distance. Alas! in removing from you, my tears will flow as abundantly as its waters: you are to continue in the enjoyment of its sweetnesses, while I am condemned to deprive myself of them against my will.

If you look, added my father, towards the island that is formed by the two greatest branches of the Nile, what variety of verdure! What enamel of all sorts of flowers! What a prodigious number of cities, villages, canals, and a thousand other agreeable objects! If you turn your eyes on the other side, up towards Ethiopia, now many other subjects of admiration! I cannot compare the verdure of so many plains, watered with the different canals of the island, better than to brilliant emeralds set in silver. Is not Grand Cairo the largest, the most populous, and the richest city in the universe? What a number of magnificent edifices, both public and private! If you view the pyramids, you will be filled with astonishment: you will stiffen at the sight of these masses of stone of an enormous thickness, which rear their heads to the skies! You will be obliged to confess, that the Pharaohs, who employed such riches, and so many men in building them, must have surpassed in magnificence and invention all the monarchs that have appeared since, not only in Egypt, but in all the world, for having left monuments so worthy of their memory: monuments so ancient, that the learned cannot agree upon the time of their erection; yet such as stand to this day, and will last to the end of time. I pass over in silence the maritime cities of the kingdom of Egypt, such as Damietta, Rosetta, Alexandria, where innumerable nations come for various sorts of grain, cloth, and an infinite number of other things calculated for the accommodation and delight of men, I speak of what I know; for I spent there some years in my youth, which, as long as I live, I shall always reckon the most agreeable part of my life.

My uncles had no answer to give my father, continued the young man of Moussoul, and assented to all he had said of the Nile, of Cairo, and of the whole kingdom of Egypt: my imagination was so full of it, that I had not a wink of sleep that night. Soon after, my uncles declared how much they were struck with my father’s discourse. They made a proposal to him, that they should travel all together into Egypt. He accepted of the proposal; and being rich merchants, they resolved to carry with them such goods as would sell there. I found that they were making preparations for their departure; and thereupon went to my father, and begged of him, with tears in my eyes, that he would suffer me to go along with him, and allow me some stock of goods to trade with on my own account. You are too young, said my father, to travel into Egypt; the fatigue is too great for you; and besides, I am sure you will come off a loser in your traffic. These words, however, did not cure the eager desire I had to travel. I made use of my uncles’ interest with my father, who at last granted me leave to go as far as Damascus, where they were to leave me, till they travelled through Egypt. The city of Damascus, said my father, may likewise glory in its beauties, and my son must be content with leave to go so far. Though my curiosity to see Egypt was very pressing, I considered he was my father, and submitted to his will.

I set out from Moussoul with him and my uncles. We travelled through Mesopotamia, passed the Euphrates, and arrived at Aleppo, where we staid some days. From thence we went to Damascus, the first sight of which agreeably surprised me. We lodged all together in one khan; and I had the view of a city that was large, populous, full of handsome people, and well fortified. We employed some days in walking up and down the delicious gardens that surrounded it; and we all agreed, that Damascus was justly said to be seated in a paradise. At last my uncles thought of pursuing their journey; but took care, before they went, to sell my goods so advantageously for me, that I got five hundred per cent. This sale fetched me so considerable a sum, that I was transported to see myself possessed of it.

My father and my uncles left me in Damascus, and pursued their journey. After their departure, I used great caution not to lay out my money idly. But at the same time I took a stately house, all of marble, adorned with paintings of gold, silver foliage, and a garden with fine water-works. I furnished it, not so richly indeed as the magnificence of the place deserved, but at least handsomely enough for a young man of my rank. It had formerly belonged to one of the principal lords of the city, whose name was Modoun Aldalraham; but then was the property of a rich jewel merchant, to whom I paid for it only two sherifs [72] a month. I had a number of domestics, and lived honourably; sometimes I gave entertainments to such people as I had made an acquaintance with, and sometimes I went and was treated by them. Thus did I spend my time at Damascus, waiting for my father’s return; no passion disturbed my repose, and my only employment was conversation with people of credit.

One day, as I sat taking the cool air at my gate, a very handsome well dressed lady came to me, and asked me, if I did not sell stuffs? She no sooner spoke the words than she went into my house.

When I saw that the lady was gone into the house, I rose, and having shut the gate, conducted her into a hall, and prayed her to sit down. Madam, said I, I have had stuffs that are fit to be shown to you, but I have them not now, for which I am very sorry. She took off the veil that covered her face, and discovered a beautiful person, which affected me with such emotions, as I had never felt before. I have no occasion for stuffs, said she; I only come to see you, and pass the evening with you, if you please: all I ask of you is a light collation.