Part 73

Madam, answered Codadad, tell me who you are, and be not concerned for any more. I am a young woman of quality of Grand Cairo, replied the lady; I was passing by this castle yesterday, in my way to Bagdad, and met with the black, who killed all my servants, and brought me hither: I wish I had nothing but death to fear; but to add to my calamity, this monster would persuade me to love him, and, in case I do not yield to-morrow to his brutality, I must expect the last violence. Once more, added she, make your escape: the black will soon return; he is gone out to pursue some travellers he espied at a distance on the plain. Lose no time; I know not whether you can escape him by a speedy flight.

She had scarce done speaking these words, before the black appeared. He was a man of monstrous bulk, and of a dreadful aspect, mounted on a mighty Tartar horse, and bore such a large and heavy scimitar, that none but himself could make use of it. The prince seeing him, was amazed at his monstrous stature, directed his prayers to Heaven to assist him, then drew his scimitar, and firmly awaited the black; who, despising so inconsiderable an enemy, called to him to yield himself without fighting: but Codadad by his countenance showed that he was resolved to defend his life; for he drew near, and gave him a great cut on the knee. The black, feeling himself wounded, uttered such a dreadful shriek as made all the plain resound. He grew furious, and foamed with rage, and raising himself in his stirrups, made at Codadad with his dreadful scimitar. The blow was so violent, that it would have put an end to the young prince, had not he avoided it by a sudden spring which he made his horse take. The scimitar made a horrible hissing in the air: but before the black could have time to make a second blow, Codadad let fall one on his right arm with such fury, that he cut it off. The dreadful scimitar fell with the hand that held it, and the black, yielding under the violence of the stroke, lost his stirrups, and made the earth shake with the noise of his fall. The prince alighted at the same time, and cut off his enemy’s head. Just then the lady, who had been a spectator of that combat, and was still offering up her earnest prayers to Heaven for that young hero, whom she admired, gave a shriek of joy, and said to Codadad, Prince (for the dangerous victory you have obtained convinces me, as well as your noble air, that you are of no common rank,) finish the work you have begun: the black has the keys of this castle; take them, and deliver me out of prison. The prince searched the wretch’s pockets, as he lay stretched on the ground, and found several keys.

He opened the first door, and went into a court, where he met the lady coming to meet him: she would have cast herself at his feet, the better to express her gratitude; but he would not permit it. She commended his valour, and extolled him above all the heroes in the world. He returned her compliments, and she appeared still more lovely to him near at hand than at a distance. I know not whether she felt more joy at being delivered from the desperate danger she had been in, than he for having done so considerable a service to so beautiful a person.

Their discourse was interrupted by dismal cries and groans. What do I hear? said Codadad: Whence come those miserable cries, which pierce my ears? My lord, said the lady to him, pointing to a little door in the court, they come from thence. There are I know not how many wretched persons whom fate has made to fall into the hands of the black. They are all chained, and the monster drew out one every day to devour.

It is an addition to my joy, answered the young prince, to understand that my victory will save the lives of those unfortunate persons. Come along with me, madam, to partake in the satisfaction of giving them their liberty. You may judge by yourself how welcome we shall be to them. Having so said, they advanced towards the door of the dungeon, and the nearer they drew, the more distinctly they heard the complaints of the prisoners. Codadad pitying them, and impatient to put an end to their sufferings, presently put one of the keys into the lock. He did not take the right at first, and therefore he took another; which noise made all those unfortunate creatures, concluding it was the black who came, according to custom, to bring them some meat, and at the same time to seize one of them to eat himself, redoubled their cries and groans. Lamentable voices were heard, which seemed to come from the centre of the earth.

In the mean time, the prince had opened the door, and went down a very steep staircase into a large and deep vault, which received some feeble light from a little window, and in which there were above a hundred persons, bound to stakes, and their hands tied. Unfortunate travellers, said he, to them, wretched victims, who only expected the moment of an approaching cruel death, give thanks to Heaven, which has this day delivered you by my means. I have slain the black by whom you were to be devoured, and am come to knock off your irons. The prisoners hearing these words, all together gave a shout mingled with joy and surprise. Codadad and the lady began to unbind them; and as soon as any of them were loose, they helped to take off the fetters from the rest; so that in a short time they were all at liberty.

They then kneeled down, and having returned thanks to Codadad for what he had done for them, went out of that dungeon; and when they were come into the court, how was the prince surprised to see among the prisoners those he was in search of, and almost without hopes to find! Princes, cried he, am I not deceived? Is it you whom I behold? May I flatter myself that it will be in my power to restore you to the king your father, who is inconsolable for the loss of you? But will he not have some one to lament? Are you all here alive? Alas! the death of one of you will suffice to damp the joy I feel for having delivered you.

The forty-nine princes all made themselves known to Codadad, who embraced them one after another, and told them how uneasy their father was on account of their absence. They gave their deliverer all the commendations he deserved, as did the other prisoners, who could not find words expressive enough to declare their gratitude. Codadad, with them, took a view of the whole castle, where was immense wealth; curious silks, gold brocades, Persian carpets, China satins, and an infinite quantity of other goods, which the black had taken from the caravans he had plundered; a considerable part whereof belonged to the prisoners Codadad had then set free. Every man knew and claimed his property. The prince restored them their own, and divided the rest of the merchandize among them. Then he said to them, How will you do to carry away your goods? We are here in a desert place, and there is no likelihood of your getting horses. My lord, answered one of the prisoners, the black robbed us of our camels as well as our goods, and perhaps they may be in the stables of this castle. This is not unlikely, replied Codadad; let us see. Accordingly they went to the stables, where they not only found the camels, but also the horses belonging to the king of Harran’s sons. There were some black slaves in the stables, who, seeing all the prisoners released, and guessing thereby that their master had been killed, fled through by-ways well known to them. Nobody minded to pursue them. All the merchants, overjoyed that they had recovered their goods and camels, together with their liberty, thought of nothing but prosecuting their journey; but first repeated their thanks to their deliverer.

When they were gone, Codadad, directing his discourse to the lady, said, What place, madam, do you desire to go to? Whither were you bound when you were seized by the black? I intend to bear you company to the place you shall choose for your retreat, and I question not but that all these princes will do the same. The king of Harran’s sons protested to the lady that they would not leave her till she was restored to her friends.

Princes, said she, I am of a country too remote from hence; and, besides that, it would be abusing your generosity to oblige you to travel so far. I must confess that I have left my native country for ever. I told you awhile ago that I was a lady of Grand Cairo; but since you have shown me so much favour, and I am so highly obliged to you, added she, looking upon Codadad, I should be much in the wrong in concealing the truth from you. I am a king’s daughter. An usurper has possessed himself of my father’s throne, after having murdered him, and I have been forced to fly to save my life.

Then Codadad and his brothers desired the princess to tell them her story, assuring her they felt a particular interest in her misfortunes, and were determined to spare for nothing that might contribute to render her more happy. After thanking them for their repeated protestations of readiness to serve her, she could not refuse to satisfy their curiosity, and began the recital of her adventures in the following manner:--

History of the Princess of Deryabar.

There is in a certain island a great city called Deryabar; it has been long governed by a potent, magnificent, and virtuous king. That prince had no children, which was the only thing wanting to make him happy. He continually addressed his prayers to Heaven, but Heaven granted his requests by halves; for the queen his wife, after a long expectation, brought forth a daughter.

I am the unfortunate princess: my father was rather troubled than pleased at my birth; but he submitted to the will of God, and caused me to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after his death.

One day, when he was taking the diversion of hunting, he espied a wild ass, which he chased, lost his company, and was carried away so far by his eagerness, as to ride on till night. He then alighted, and sat down at the entrance of a wood, into which he observed the ass had taken. No sooner was the day shut in than he discovered among the trees a light, which made him conclude that he was not far from some village. He rejoiced at it, hoping that he might pass the night there, and find some person to send to his followers to acquaint them where he was; and accordingly he got up and walked towards the light, which served to guide him.

He soon found he had been deceived, that light being no other than a fire lighted in a hut; however, he drew near, and, with amazement, beheld a great black man, or rather a dreadful giant, sitting on a sofa. Before the monster was a great pitcher of wine, and he was roasting an ox he had newly killed. Sometimes he drank out of the pitcher, and sometimes he cut slices off the ox, and eat them. But that which most drew the king my father’s attention was a beautiful woman whom he saw in the hut. She seemed overwhelmed with grief; her hands were bound, and at her feet was a little child, about two or three years old, who, as if he was sensible of his mother’s misfortunes, wept without ceasing, and rent the air with his cries.

My father, moved with that pitiable object, thought at first to have gone into the hut, and attacked the giant; but considering how unequal the combat would be, he stopped, and resolved, since he had not strength enough to prevail by open force, to use art. In the mean time, the giant having emptied the pitcher, and devoured above half the ox, turned to the woman, and said, Beautiful princess, why do you oblige me by your obstinacy to treat you with severity? It is in your own power to be happy. You need only to resolve to love and be true to me, and I shall treat you with more mildness. Thou hideous satyr, answered the lady, never expect that time should wear away my abhorrence of thee. Thou wilt ever be a monster in my eyes. To these words she added so many reproaches, that the giant grew enraged. This is too much, cried he, in a furious tone; my love despised is turning into rage. Your hatred has at last excited mine; I find it triumphs over my desires, and that I now wish your death more ardently than your enjoyment. Having spoken these words, he took the wretched lady by the hair, held her up with one hand in the air, and drawing his scimitar with the other, was just going to strike off her head, when the king my father let fly an arrow which pierced the giant’s breast, so that he staggered and dropped down dead.

My father entered the hut, unbound the lady’s hands, inquired who she was, and how she came thither. My lord, said she, there are along the sea-coast some families of Saracens, who live under a prince, who is my husband: this giant you have killed was one of his principal officers. The wretch fell desperately in love with me, but took especial care to conceal his passion till he could put in execution the design he had formed of stealing me away. Fortune oftener favours wicked designs than virtuous resolutions. The giant one day surprised me and my child in a by-place. He seized us both, and, to disappoint the search he well knew my husband would cause to be made for me, he removed from the country inhabited by those Saracens, and brought us into this wood, where he has kept me some days. Deplorable as my condition is, it is still a great satisfaction to me to think that the giant, though so brutal and amorous, never used force to obtain what I always refused to his entreaties. Not but that he has a hundred times threatened that he would have recourse to the worst of extremities, in case he could not otherwise prevail upon me; and I must confess to you, that awhile ago, when I provoked his anger by my words, I was less concerned for my life than for my honour.

This, my lord, said the prince of the Saracens’ wife, is the faithful account of my misfortunes; and I question not but you will think me worthy of your compassion, and that you will not repent having so generously relieved me. Madam, answered my father, be assured your troubles have affected me, and I will do all in my power to make you happy again. To-morrow, as soon as day appears, we will quit this wood, and endeavour to fall into the road which leads to the great city of Deryabar, of which I am sovereign; and if you think fit, you shall be lodged in my palace, till the prince your husband comes to claim you.

The Saracen lady accepted the offer, and the next day followed the king my father, who found all his retinue upon the skirts of the wood, they having spent the night in searching after him, and being very uneasy because they could not find him. They were no less rejoiced to meet with than amazed to see him with a lady, whose beauty surprised them. He told them how he had found her, and the risk he run in approaching the hut, where he must certainly have lost his life had the giant spied him. One of his servants took up the lady behind him, and another carried the child.

Thus they arrived at the palace of the king my father, who assigned the beautiful Saracen lady an apartment, and caused her child to be carefully educated. The lady was not insensible of the king’s goodness to her, and expressed as much gratitude as he could desire. She had at first appeared very uneasy, and impatient that her husband did not claim her; but by degrees she lost that uneasiness. The respect my father paid her dispelled her impatience; and I am of opinion she would at last have blamed fortune more for restoring her to her kindred than she did for removing her from them.

In the mean time, the lady’s son grew up; he was very handsome, and not wanting wit, found means to please the king my father, who conceived a great friendship for him. All the courtiers perceived it, and guessed that that young man might in the end be my husband. In this idea, and looking on him already as heir to the crown, they made their court to him, and every one endeavoured to gain his favour. He soon saw into their designs, grew conceited of himself, and, forgetting the distance there was between our conditions, flattered himself with the hopes that my father was fond enough of him to prefer him before all the princes in the world. He went farther; for the king not being forward enough in offering me to him as soon as he could have wished, he had the boldness to ask me of him. Whatsoever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with telling him he had other thoughts in relation to me, and showed him no farther resentment. The youth was incensed at this refusal; the vain fellow resented the contempt, as if he had asked some maid of ordinary extraction, or as if his birth had been equal to mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to be revenged on the king, and, with unparalleled ingratitude, conspired against him. In short, he murdered him, and caused himself to be proclaimed king of Deryabar, by a great number of malecontents, whom he encouraged. The first thing he did, after ridding himself of my father, was to come into my apartment, at the head of a party of the conspirators. His design was either to take my life, or oblige me to marry him. Whilst he was busy murdering my father, the grand vizier, who had been always loyal to his master, came to carry me away from the palace, and secured me in a friend’s house, till a vessel he had provided was ready to sail. I then left the island, attended only by a governess and that generous minister, who chose rather to follow his master’s daughter, and share in her misfortunes, than to submit to a tyrant.

The grand vizier designed to carry me to the courts of the neighbouring kings to implore their assistance, and excite them to revenge my father’s death; but Heaven did not approve a resolution we thought so just. When we had been but a few days at sea, there arose such a furious storm, that, in spite of all the mariners’ art, our vessel, carried away by the violence of the winds and waves, was dashed in pieces against a rock. I will not spend time in describing our shipwreck. I can but faintly represent to you how my governess, the grand vizier, and all that attended me, were swallowed up by the sea. The dread I was seized with did not permit me to observe all the horror of our condition. I lost my senses; and whether I was thrown upon the coast upon any part of the wreck of our ship, or whether Heaven, which reserved me for other misfortunes, wrought a miracle for my deliverance, I found myself on shore when my senses returned.

Misfortunes very often make us forget our duty. Instead of returning thanks to God for so singular a favour shewn me, I only lifted up my eyes to Heaven, to complain because I had been preserved. I was so far from bewailing the vizier and my governess, that I envied their fate; and dreadful imaginations by degrees prevailing over my reason, I resolved to cast myself into the sea: I was upon the point of doing so, when I heard behind me a great noise of men and horses. I looked about to see what it might be, and espied several armed horsemen, among whom was one mounted on an Arabian horse. He had on a garment embroidered with silver, a girdle set with precious stones, and a crown of gold on his head. Though his habit had not convinced me that he was chief of the company, I should have judged it by the air of grandeur which appeared in his person. He was a young man extraordinarily well shaped, and perfectly beautiful. Surprised to see a young lady alone in that place, he sent some of his officers to ask who I was. I answered only by weeping. The shore being covered with the wreck of our ship, they concluded some vessel had been cast away there, and that I was certainly some person that had escaped with my life. This conjecture, and my inconsolable condition, excited the curiosity of those officers; who began to ask me a thousand questions, with assurances that their king was a generous prince, and that I should receive consolation in his court.

The king, impatient to know who I was, grew weary of expecting the return of his officers, and drew near to me. He gazed on me very earnestly, and observing that I did not give over weeping and afflicting myself, without being able to return an answer to their questions, he forbid them troubling me any more: and directing his discourse to me, Madam, said he, I conjure you to moderate your excessive affliction. Though Heaven in its wrath has laid this calamity upon you, it does not behove you to despair. I beseech you show more resolution. Fortune, which has hitherto persecuted you, is inconstant, and may soon change. I dare assure you, that if your misfortunes are capable of receiving any relief, you shall find it in my dominions. My palace is at your service. You shall live with the queen my mother, who will endeavour by her kindness to ease your affliction. I know not yet who you are; but I find I already take an interest in you.

I thanked the young king for his goodness to me, accepted the obliging offers he made me; and to convince him that I was not unworthy of them, told him my condition. I described to him the insolence of the young Saracen, and found it was enough to recount my misfortunes, to excite compassion in him, and all his officers who heard me. When I had done speaking, the prince began again, assuring me that he was deeply concerned at my misfortunes. Then he conducted me to his palace, and presented me to the queen his mother, to whom I was obliged again to repeat my misfortunes, and to renew my tears. The queen seemed very sensible of my trouble, and conceived extreme affection for me. On the other hand, the king her son fell desperately in love with me, and soon offered me his person and his crown. I was so taken up with the thoughts of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time. However, gratitude prevailed on me, I did not refuse to make him happy, and our wedding was kept with all imaginable splendour.