Part 57

Lovely and adorable Persian, cried Noureddin, is it possible you can entertain such a thought? Have I given you such slender proofs of my love, that you should think me capable of so base an action? But suppose me so vile a wretch, could I do it without being guilty of perjury, after the oath I have taken to my late father never to sell you? I could sooner die than break it, and part with you, whom I love infinitely beyond myself: though, by the unreasonable proposal you have made me, you show me that your love is by no means reciprocal.

Sir, replied the Fair Persian, I am convinced that your passion for me is as violent as you say it is; and Heaven, who knows with what reluctance I have made this proposal, that makes you think so hardly of me, is my witness, that mine is as great as yours; but to silence your reasons at once, I need only bid you remember, that necessity has no law. I love you to that degree, that it is impossible for you to love me more; and be assured, that to what master soever I shall belong, my love for you will always continue the same; and if you are ever able to redeem me, as I hope you may, it will be the greatest pleasure in the world to be restored to you again. I confess it is a fatal and cruel necessity to which we are driven; but I see no other way of freeing ourselves from the misery that involves us both.

Noureddin, who was convinced of the truth of what the Fair Persian had said, and that there was no other way of avoiding a shameful poverty, was forced to yield to her proposal. Accordingly he led her to the market where the women slaves are exposed to sale, with a regret that cannot easily be expressed. He applied himself to a broker, named Hagi Hassan. Hagi Hassan, said he, here is a slave that I have a mind to sell; prithee see what they will give for her.

Hagi Hassan desired Noureddin and the Fair Persian to walk into the room; and when she pulled off the veil that covered her face, Sir, said Hagi Hassan to Noureddin, in a great surprise, if I am not mistaken, this is the slave your father, the late vizier, gave ten thousand pieces of gold for. Noureddin assured him it was the same; and Hagi Hassan gave him some hopes of selling her at a good rate, and promised to use all his art to raise her price as high as he could.

Hagi Hassan and Noureddin went out of the room; and Hagi Hassan locked the Fair Persian in. He went immediately after the merchants; but they being busy in buying slaves that came from different countries, Greeks, Franks, Africans, Tartars, and others, he was forced to stay till the market was done. When the sale was over, and the greatest part of them were got together again, My masters, said he to them, with an air of gaiety in his looks and actions, every thing that is round is not a nut: every thing that is long is not a fig; all that is red is not flesh, and all eggs are not fresh: it is true you have seen and bought a great many slaves in your lives, but you never yet saw one comparable to her I am going to tell you of. She is the very pearl of slaves. Come, follow me, and you shall see her yourselves, and judge at what rate I shall cry her.

The merchants followed Hagi Hassan into the apartment where the Fair Persian was; and as soon as they beheld her, they were so surprised at her beauty, that at the first word they unanimously agreed that four thousand pieces of gold was the very lowest price they could set upon her. The merchants left the room; and Hagi Hassan, who came out with them, without going any farther, proclaimed with a loud voice. ‘Four thousand pieces of gold for the Persian slave.’

None of the merchants had yet offered any thing, and they were consulting together about what they might afford to give for her, when the vizier Saouy appeared. Perceiving Noureddin in the market, said he to himself, Noureddin is certainly still making money of his goods (for he knew he had exposed them to sale,) and is come hither to buy a slave with it. He advanced forward just as Hagi Hassan began to proclaim a second time, ‘Four thousand pieces of gold for the Persian slave.’

The vizier Saouy, who concluded by the high price, that the slave must be extraordinarily beautiful, was very desirous to see her; so spurring his horse forward, he rode up to Hagi Hassan, who was surrounded by the merchants. Open the door, said he, and let me see the slave. It was not the custom to show a slave to a particular person after the merchants had seen her and were treating for her; but none of them durst dispute their right with the vizier: and Hagi Hassan was obliged to open the door, and made a sign to the Fair Persian to come forward, that Saouy might have a sight of her, without alighting from his horse.

The vizier was astonished at the sight of so beautiful a slave; and knowing the broker’s name, (having formerly dealt with him,) Hagi Hassan, said he, is it not at four thousand pieces of gold that you cry her? Yes, sir, answered he; the merchants just now agreed that I should put her up at that price. I wait their advance on it; and I question not but they will give a great deal more.

If nobody offers more, I will give that sum, replied Saouy, looking upon the merchants at the same time with a countenance that forbad them to advance any more. He was so universally dreaded, that nobody durst speak a word, even to complain of his encroaching upon their privilege.

The vizier Saouy having staid some time, and finding none of the merchants outbid him, What do you stay for? said he to Hagi Hassan. Go, look after the seller, and strike a bargain with him at four thousand pieces of gold, or inquire if he demands more; not knowing yet the slave belonged to Noureddin.

Hagi Hassan, having locked the chamber door, went to confer with Noureddin. Sir, said he to him, I am very sorry to bring you the ill news of your slave’s being just going to be sold for nothing. How so? replied Noureddin. Why, sir, said Hagi Hassan, you must know, that the business at first went on well; for as soon as the merchants had seen your slave, they ordered me, without hesitation, to cry her at four thousand pieces of gold: accordingly, I cried her at that price, and presently the vizier Saouy came, and his presence has stopped the mouths of all the merchants, who seemed inclinable to raise her, at least to the same price your deceased father gave for her. Saouy will give no more than four thousand pieces; and it is much against my inclination that I am come to tell you the despicable price he offers. The slave indeed is your own; but I will never advise you to part with her upon those terms, since you and every body else are sensible of her being worth infinitely more; besides, he is base enough to contrive a way to trick you out of the money.

Hagi Hassan, replied Noureddin, I am highly obliged to thee for thy advice; do not think I will ever sell my slave to any enemy of our family: my necessities, indeed, are at present very great; but I would sooner die in the utmost poverty than consent to the delivering her up to him. I have only one thing to beg of thee, who art skilful in all the turns and shifts of sale, that thou wouldst put me in a way to prevent the sale of her.

Sir, said Hagi Hassan, there is nothing more easy: you must pretend, that, being in a violent passion with your slave, you swore to expose her in the market; and for the sake of your oath, you have now brought her hither, without any intention of selling her. This will satisfy every body, and Saouy will have nothing to say against it. Come along with me, then; and just as I am presenting her to Saouy, as if it were by your own consent, pull her to you, give her two or three blows, and send her home. I thank thee for thy counsel, said Noureddin: and thou shalt see I will make use of it.

Hagi Hassan went back to the chamber; and having in two words acquainted the Fair Persian with their design, that she might not be surprised at it, he took her by the hand, and led her to the vizier Saouy, who was still on horseback at the door. Sir, said he, here is the slave; she is yours; take her.

The words were scarce out of Hagi Hassan’s mouth but Noureddin, catching hold of the Fair Persian, pulled her to him, and giving her a box on the ear, Come hither, impertinence, said he, and get you home again; for though your ill humour obliged me to swear I should bring you hither, yet I never intended to sell you. I have business for you to do yet; and it will be time enough to part with you when I have nothing else left.

This action of Noureddin put the vizier Saouy into a violent passion. Miserable debauchee, cried he, wouldst thou have me believe thou hast any thing else left to make money of but thy slave? And at the same instant, spurring his horse directly against him, endeavoured to have carried off the Fair Persian. Noureddin, nettled to the quick at the affront the vizier had put upon him, quitted the Fair Persian, and laying hold of his horse’s bridle, made him run two or three paces backwards. Vile dotard, said he to the vizier, I would tear thy soul out of thy body this moment, were it not out of respect for the crowd of people here present.

The vizier Saouy being loved by nobody, but hated by all, there was not one among them but was pleased to see Noureddin mortify him a little; and by signs they gave him to understand, that he might revenge himself upon him as much as he pleased, for nobody would interfere in their quarrel.

Saouy endeavoured to make Noureddin quit the bridle; but he being a lusty, vigorous man, and encouraged by those that stood by, pulled him off his horse, in the middle of a brook, gave him a thousand blows, and dashed his head against the stones, till it was all over blood. The slaves that waited upon the vizier would have drawn their scimitars, and have fallen upon Noureddin, but the merchants interposing, prevented them. What do you mean? said they to him; do you not see that one is a vizier, the other a vizier’s son? Let them fight it out between themselves; perhaps they will be reconciled one time or other: whereas, if you had killed Noureddin, your master, with all his greatness, could not have been able to protect you against the law.

Noureddin, having given over beating the vizier Saouy, left him in the middle of the brook; and taking the Fair Persian, marched home with her, attended by the people, with shouts and acclamations for the actions he had performed.

The vizier Saouy, cruelly bruised with the blows he had received, made shift to get up, by the assistance of his slaves, and had the mortification to see himself besmeared with blood and dirt. He leaned upon the shoulders of two slaves, and in that condition went straight to the palace, in the sight of all the people, with greater confusion, because nobody pitied him. As soon as he reached the king’s apartment, he began to cry out, and call for justice, after a lamentable manner. The king ordered him to be admitted; and as soon as he came, he asked him who it was that had abused and put him into that miserable pickle. Sire, cried Saouy, it is the favour of your majesty, and being admitted into your sacred counsels, that has occasioned me to have been so barbarously treated. Say no more of that, replied the king; only let me hear the whole story simply as it is, and who the offender is; and if he is in the wrong, you may depend upon it he shall be severely punished.

Sire, said Saouy then, telling the whole matter to his own advantage, having an occasion for a cook-maid, I went to the market of women slaves to buy me one: when I came thither, there was a slave just cried at four thousand pieces of gold: I ordered them to bring the slave before me; and I think my eyes never did nor will behold a more beautiful creature. I had no sooner examined her beauty with the highest satisfaction, but I immediately asked to whom she belonged; and upon inquiry I found that Noureddin, son to the late vizier Khacan, had the disposing of her.

Sire, your majesty may remember, that about two or three years ago you gave that vizier ten thousand pieces of gold, strictly charging him to buy you a slave with it. The money, indeed, was laid out upon this very slave; but instead of bringing her to your majesty, thinking his son deserved her better, he made him a present of her. Noureddin, since his father’s death, having wasted his whole fortune in riot and feasting, has nothing left but this slave, which he at last resolved to part with, and she was to be sold in his name. I sent for him; and without mentioning any thing of his father’s prevarication, or rather treachery, to your majesty, I in the civilest manner said to him, Noureddin, the merchants, I perceive, have put your slave up at four thousand pieces of gold; and I question not, but in emulation of each other, they will raise the price considerably; let me have her for the four thousand pieces; I am going to buy her for the king, our lord and master: this will be a handsome opportunity of making your court to him; and his favour will be worth a great deal more than the merchants can propose to give you.

Instead of returning me a civil answer, the insolent wretch, beholding me with a fierce air, Decrepit villain, said he, I would rather give my slave to a Jew for nothing, than to thee for money. Noureddin, replied I, without passion, though I had some reason to be a little warm, you do not consider, that in talking at this rate you affront the king, who raised both your father and me to the honours we have enjoyed.

This admonition, instead of softening him, only provoked him to a higher degree: so that, falling upon me like a madman, without regard to my age or rank, he pulled me off my horse, beat me as long as he could stand over me, and has put me into this miserable plight your majesty sees me in. I beseech you to consider, that upon your account I have been so publicly affronted. At the end of these words he held down his head and turned away, to shed a shower of tears.

The abused king, highly incensed against Noureddin by this relation, full of malice and artifice, discovered by his countenance the violence of his anger; and turning to the captain of his guards, who stood near him, Take forty of your soldiers, said he, and immediately go plunder Noureddin’s house; and having ordered it to be razed to the ground, bring him and his slave along with you to me.

The captain of the guards was not gone out of the king’s presence, when an officer belonging to the court, who overheard the order that had been given, got before him. His name was Sangiar; and he had been formerly a slave of the vizier Khacan, who had introduced him at court, where by degrees be raised himself.

Sangiar, full of gratitude for his old master, and affection for Noureddin, whom he remembered a child, and being no stranger to Saouy’s hatred to Khacan’s family, could not hear the order without concern. This action of Noureddin’s, said he to himself, may not be altogether so black as Saouy has represented it. He has prejudiced the king against him, who will certainly put him to death, without allowing him time to justify himself. He made so much haste to Noureddin’s house, as to get thither soon enough to acquaint him with what had passed at court, and give him time to provide for his own and the Fair Persian’s safety. He knocked so violently at the door, that Noureddin, who had been a great while without any servant, ran immediately to open it. My dear lord, said Sangiar, here is no more safety for you in Balsora; you must lose no time, but depart hence this moment.

How so? replied Noureddin. What is the reason I must be gone so soon? Make haste away, sir, said Sangiar, and take your slave with you. In short, Saouy has been just now acquainting the king, after his own way of telling it, all that passed between you and him; and the captain of the guard will be here in an instant, with forty soldiers, to seize you and the Fair Persian. Take these forty pieces of gold to assist you in finding out some other place of safety. I would give you more if I had it about me. Excuse my not staying any longer; I leave you with great reluctance; but it is for the good of us both. I have so much interest with the captain of the guards, that he will take no notice of me. Sangiar gave Noureddin but just time to thank him, and away he went.

Noureddin presently acquainted the Fair Persian with the absolute necessity of their going that moment. She only stayed to put on her veil, and then they both stole out of the house together, and were so lucky as not only to get clear of the city without the least notice being taken of their escape, but also safely to arrive at the mouth of the Euphrates, which was not far off, where they embarked in a vessel that lay ready to weigh anchor.

They were no sooner on shipboard, but the captain came on deck amongst his passengers. Children, said he to them, are you all here? have any of you any more business to do in the city, or have you left any thing behind you? They were all there, they answered him, and ready; so that he might sail as soon as he pleased.

When Noureddin came on board, the first question he asked was, whither the ship was bound? and being told for Bagdad, he rejoiced at it. The captain, having weighed anchor, set sail; and the vessel, with a very favourable wind, lost sight of Balsora.

Let us now see how matters went at Balsora, while Noureddin and the Fair Persian made their escape from the fury of the enraged king.

The captain of the guards came to Noureddin’s house, and knocked at the door; but nobody coming to open it, he ordered his soldiers to break it open, who immediately obeyed him, and rushed in. They searched every hold and comer of the house; but neither he nor the Fair Persian was to be found. The captain of the guards made them inquire of the neighbours; and he himself asked if they had seen them lately. It was all in vain; for if they had seen him go out of his house, so universally beloved was Noureddin, that not one of them would have said the least word to his prejudice. While they were rifling the house, and levelling it to the ground, he went to acquaint the king with the news. Look for them, said he, every where; for I am resolved to have them.

The captain of the guards made a second search after them, and the king dismissed the vizier Saouy with honour. Go home, said he to him; trouble yourself no farther to punish Noureddin: I will revenge his insolence.

Without delay the king ordered to be proclaimed throughout the whole city a reward of a thousand pieces of gold for any person that should apprehend Noureddin and the Fair Persian, with a severe punishment upon whoever should conceal them. But after all his pains and diligence, no tidings could be heard of them; and the vizier Saouy had only the comfort of seeing the king espouse his quarrel.

In the mean time, Noureddin and the Fair Persian, after a prosperous voyage, landed safe at Bagdad. As soon as the captain came within sight of that city, pleased that his voyage was at an end, Rejoice, my children, cried he to the passengers, yonder is that great and wonderful city, where there is a perpetual concourse of people from all parts of the world: there you shall meet with innumerable crowds, and never feel the extremity of cold in winter, nor the excess of heat in summer, but enjoy an eternal spring with all it flowers, and the delicious fruits of autumn. When the vessel came to anchor, a little below the city, the passengers went ashore, each to their respective place of abode. Noureddin gave the captain five pieces of gold for his passage, and went ashore also with the Fair Persian; but being a perfect stranger in Bagdad, he was at a loss for a lodging. They rambled a considerable time along by the gardens that bordered on the Tigris; and keeping close to one of them that was enclosed with a very fine long wall at the end of it, they turned into a street well paved, where they perceived a garden-door, and a charming fountain near it.

The door, which was very magnificent, happened to be shut, but the porch was open; in which there was a sofa on each side. This is a very convenient place for us, said Noureddin to the Fair Persian; night comes on apace: and though we have eaten nothing since our landing, I am for passing the night here, and to-morrow we shall have time enough to look for a lodging: what say you to it? --Sir, replied the Fair Persian, you know your wishes are mine; let us go no farther, since you are willing to stay here. Each of them having drank a draught of water at the fountain, they laid themselves down upon one of these sofas; and after a little chat, being invited by the agreeable murmur of the water, they fell fast asleep.

The garden belonged to the caliph: and in the middle of it there was a pavilion, called the Pavilion of Pictures, because its chief ornaments were pictures, after the Persian manner, drawn by the most celebrated painters in Persia, whom the caliph had sent for on purpose. The stately hall within this pavilion was lighted by fourscore windows, with a lustre in each: but these were only lighted when the caliph came thither to spend the evening; and the weather was so very calm, that not a breath of air was stirring. Then they made a glorious illumination, and could be seen at a great distance in the country on that side, and by great part of the city.

There was but one person that had the charge of this fine garden; and the office was at this time held by a very aged officer, named Scheich Ibrahim, whom the caliph himself, for some important service, put into that employment, with strict charge not to let all sorts of people in, but especially to suffer nobody either to sit or lie down on the sofas at the outward door, that they might always be clean; and whenever he found any body there, to punish them severely.

Some business had obliged this officer to go abroad, and he was not yet returned. When he came back, there was just daylight enough for him to discern two persons asleep upon one of the sofas, with both their heads under a piece of linen, to defend them from the gnats. Very well, said Scheich Ibrahim to himself, these people disobey the caliph’s orders: but I will take care to teach them better manners. Upon this he opened the door very softly, and a moment after returned with a swinging cane in his hand, and his sleeve tucked up to the elbow: he was just going to lay on them both with all his might, but withholding his arm, he began to reason with himself after this manner: Thou wast going to strike, without reflection, these people, who perhaps are strangers, destitute of a lodging, and utterly ignorant of the caliph’s order: so that it would be advisable to know first who they are. Upon this he gently lifted up the linen that covered their heads, and was astonished to see a young man so well shaped, and a young woman so beautiful; he then waked Noureddin, by pulling him softly by the feet.

Noureddin, presently lifting up his head, and seeing an old man with a long white beard standing at his feet, got up, and throwing himself upon his knees and taking his hand, kissed it. Good father, said he, Heaven preserve you! What do you want, my son? replied Scheich Ibrahim; who are you, and whence came you? We are strangers newly arrived, answered Noureddin, and we would fain tarry here till to-morrow. This is not a proper place for you, said Scheich Ibrahim; come in with me, and I will find one fitter for you to sleep in than this; and the sight of the garden which is very fine will please you, when you see it to-morrow by day-light. Is this garden your own? said Noureddin. Yes, replied Scheich Ibrahim, smiling; it is an inheritance left me by my father; pray walk in, for I am sure you will not repent seeing it.