Part 84

Aladdin thanked him for his good advice, so greatly to his advantage, and never after went to any other person, but sold him all his plates and the basin, and had as much for them as the weight came to.

Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure of money in their lamp, and might have whatever they had a mind to whenever they pleased, yet they lived with the same frugality as before, except that Aladdin went more neat: as for his mother, she wore no clothes but what she earned by her spinning cotton. After their manner of living, we may easily suppose, that the money Aladdin had sold the plates and basin for was sufficient to maintain them some time. They went on for many years by the help of the produce Aladdin, from time to time, made of his lamp.

During this time, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal merchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, and linens, silk stuffs, and jewellery, and oftentimes joining in their conversation, acquired a complete knowledge of the world, and assumed its manners. By his acquaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that the fine fruit which he had gathered when he took the lamp, were not coloured glass, but stones of extraordinary value. For as he had seen all sorts of jewels bought and sold in their shops, but none that were so beautiful or so large as his, he found, that instead of coloured glass, he possessed an inestimable treasure; but had the prudence not to say any thing of it to any one, not even to his mother.

One day as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order of the sultan’s published, for all people to shut up their shops and houses, and keep within doors, while the princess Badroulboudour, [97] the sultan’s daughter, went to the baths and back again.

This public order inspired Aladdin with a great curiosity to see the princess’s face, which he could not do without getting into the house of some acquaintance, and through a window; but this did not satisfy him, when he considered that the princess, when she went to the baths, had a veil on; but to gratify his curiosity, he presently thought of a scheme which succeeded; that was, to place himself behind the door of the bath, which was so situated that he could not fail of seeing her face.

Aladdin had not waited long before the princess came, and he could see her plainly through a chink of the door without being seen. She was attended with a great crowd of ladies, slaves, and eunuchs, who walked on each side and behind her. When she came within three or four paces from the door of the baths, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an opportunity of a full look at her.

Till then Aladdin, who had never seen any woman’s face but his mother’s, who was old, and never could boast of any such features, thought that all women were like her, and could hear people talk of the most surprising beauties without being the least moved; for whatever words are made use of to set off the merit of a beauty, they can never make the same impression as the beauty herself.

But as soon as Aladdin had seen the princess Badroulboudour, his sentiments were very much changed, and his heart could not withstand all those inclinations so charming an object inspires. The princess was the most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion and without a fault; her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red, and charmingly agreeable symmetry; in a word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not therefore surprising that Aladdin, who had never seen, and was a stranger to so many charms, was dazzled, and his senses quite ravished with such an assemblage. With all these perfections, the princess had so delicate a shape, so majestic an air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire respect.

After the princess had passed by Aladdin, and entered the baths, he remained some time astonished, and in a kind of ecstacy, retracing and imprinting the idea of so charming an object deeply in his mind. But at last considering that the princess was gone past him, and that when she returned from the bath her back would be towards him, and then veiled, he resolved to quit his post and go home. But when he came there, he could not conceal his uneasiness so well but that his mother perceived it, and was very much surprised to see him so much more thoughtful and melancholy than usual; and asked him what had happened to him to make him so, or if he was ill. Aladdin returned her no answer, but sat carelessly down on the sofa, and remained in the same condition, full of the image of the charming Badroulboudour. His mother, who was dressing supper, pressed him no more. When it was ready, she set it on the table before him; but perceiving that he gave no attention to it, she bid him eat, and had much ado to persuade him to change his place; and when he did, he ate much less than usual, and all the time cast down his eyes, and observed so profound a silence, that she could not possibly get the least word out of him in answer to all the questions she put, to find the reason of so extraordinary an alteration.

After supper, she asked him again, why he was so melancholy, but could get no information, and he determined to go to bed rather than give her the least satisfaction. Without examining how Aladdin, passed the night, his mind full as it was with the beautiful charms of the princess Badroulboudour, I shall only observe, that as he sat next day on the sofa, over against his mother, as she was spinning cotton, he spoke to her in these words: I perceive, mother, that my silence yesterday has very much troubled you; I was not, nor am I sick, as I fancy you believed; but I can tell you, that what I felt then, and now endure, is worse than any disease. I cannot tell well what ails me; but doubt not what I am going to tell you will inform you.

It was not known in this quarter of the town, and therefore you could know nothing of it, that the princess Badroulboudour, the sultan’s daughter, was to go to the baths after dinner. I heard this as I walked about the town, and an order was issued, that, to pay all the respect that was due to that princess, all the shops should be shut up in her way thither, and every body keep within doors, to leave the streets free for her and her attendants. As I was not then far from the bath, I had a great curiosity to see the princess’s face; and as it occurred to me that the princess, when she came nigh the door of the bath, would pull her veil off, I resolved to get behind that door. You know the situation of the door, and may imagine that I must have a full view of her, if it happened as I expected. The princess threw off her veil, and I had the happiness of seeing her lovely face with the greatest satisfaction imaginable. This, mother, was the cause of my melancholy and silence yesterday; I love the princess with so much violence, that I cannot express it; and as my lively passion increases every moment, I cannot live without the possession of the amiable princess Badroulboudour, and am resolved to ask her in marriage of the sultan her father.

Aladdin’s mother listened with attention to what her son told her: but when he talked of asking the princess Badroulboudour in marriage of the sultan, she could not help bursting out into a loud laugh. Aladdin would have gone on with his discourse, but she interrupted him: Alas! child, said she, what are you thinking of? you must be mad to talk so.

I assure you, mother, replied Aladdin, that I am not mad, but in my right senses: I foresaw that you would reproach me with this folly and extravagance; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to demand the princess Badroulboudour of the sultan in marriage, and your remonstrances shall not prevent me.

Indeed, son, replied the mother seriously, I cannot help telling you, that you have quite forgot yourself; and if you would put this resolution of yours in execution, I do not see who you can get to venture to propose it for you. You yourself, replied he immediately. I go to the sultan! answered the mother, amazed and surprised. I shall take care how I engage in such an affair. Why, who are you, son, continued she, that you can have the assurance to think of your sultan’s daughter? Have you forgot that your father was one of the poorest tailors in the capital, and that I am of no better extraction? and do not you know, that sultans never marry their daughters but to princes, sons of sultans like themselves?

Mother, answered Aladdin, I have already told you that I foresaw all that you have said, or can say: and tell you again, that neither your discourse nor your remonstrances, shall make me change my mind. I have told you that you must ask the princess Badroulboudour in marriage for me: it is a favour I desire of you, with all the respect I owe you; and I beg of you not to refuse me, unless you would rather see me in my grave, than by so doing give me new life.

The good old woman was very much embarrassed, when she found Aladdin so obstinately persisting in so foolish a design. My son, said she again, I am your mother, who brought you into the world, and there is nothing that is reasonable but I would readily do for you. If I was to go and treat about your marriage with some neighbour’s daughter, whose circumstances were equal with yours, I would do it with all my heart; and then they would expect you should have some little estate or fortune, or be of some trade. When such poor folks as we are have a mind to marry, the first thing they ought to think of, is how to live. But without reflecting on the meanness of your birth, and the little merit and fortune you have to recommend you, you aim at the highest pitch of fortune; and your pretensions are no less than to demand in marriage the daughter of your sovereign, who with one single word, can crush you to pieces. I say nothing of what respects yourself. I leave you to reflect on what you have to do, if you have ever so little thought. I come now to consider what concerns myself. How could so extraordinary a thought come into your head, as that I should go to the sultan, and make a proposal to him, to give his daughter in marriage to you? Suppose I had, not to say the boldness, but the impudence to present myself before the sultan, and make so extravagant a request, to whom should I address myself to be introduced to his majesty? Do you not think the first person I should speak to would take me for a mad woman, and chastise me as I should deserve? Suppose there is no difficulty in presenting myself to an audience of the sultan, as I know there is none to those who go to ask justice, which he distributes equally among his subjects; I know too that to those who ask some favour, he grants it with pleasure when he sees it is deserved, and the persons are worthy of it. But is that your case? and do you think you have deserved the favour you would have me ask for you? are you worthy of it? What have you done to deserve such a favour? What have you done either for your prince or country? How have you distinguished yourself? If you have done nothing to merit so great a favour, nor are worthy of it, with what face shall I ask it! How can I open my mouth to make the proposal to the sultan? His majestic presence and the lustre of his court would presently silence me, who used to tremble before my late husband your father, when I asked him for any thing. Here is another reason, my son, which you do not think of, which is, nobody ever goes to ask a favour of the sultan without a present; for by a present, they have this advantage, that if for some particular reasons the favour is denied, they are sure to be heard. But what presents have you to make? And if you had any that was worthy of the least attention of so great a monarch, what proportion could it bear to the favour you would ask? Therefore, reflect well on what you are about, and consider, that you aspire to a thing which is impossible for you to obtain.

Aladdin heard very calmly all that his mother could say to endeavour to dissuade him from his design, and after he had weighed her representation in all points, made answer: I own, mother, it is great rashness in me to presume to carry my pretensions so far; and a great want of consideration, to ask you with so much heat and precipitancy to go and make the proposal of my marriage to the sultan, without first taking proper measures to procure a favourable reception, and therefore beg your pardon. But be not surprised, that through the violence of my passion I did not at first sight see every thing that was necessary to be done, to procure me that happiness I seek after. I love the princess Badroulboudour beyond all you can imagine; or rather I adore her, and shall always persevere in my design, of marrying her; which is a thing I have determined and resolved on. I am obliged to you for the hint you have given me, and look upon it as the first step I ought to take to procure me the happy success I promise myself.

You say, it is not customary to go to the sultan without a present, and that I have nothing worthy of his acceptance. As to what you say about the present, I agree with you, and own that I never thought of it; but as to what you say, that I have nothing fit to present him with, do not you think, mother, that what I brought home with me that day on which I was delivered from an inevitable death, may be an agreeable present? I mean those things you and I both took for coloured glasses; but now I am undeceived, and can tell you that they are jewels of an inestimable value, and fit for the greatest monarchs. I know the worth of them by frequenting the jewellers’ shops; and you may take my word for it, all the jewels that I saw in the most capital jewellers’ shops were not to be compared to those we have, either for size or beauty, and yet they value them at an excessive price. In short, neither you nor I know the value of ours; but be it as it will, by the little experience I have, I am persuaded that they will be received very favourably by the sultan: you have a large porcelain dish fit to hold them; fetch it, and let us see how they will look, when we have ranged them according to their different colours.

Aladdin’s mother fetched the china dish, and he took the jewels out of the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in the dish. But the brightness and lustre they had in the day-time, and the variety of the colours, so dazzled the eyes both of mother and son, that they were astonished beyond measure; for they had only seen them by the light of the lamp: for though Aladdin had seen them hang on the trees like fruit, beautiful to the eye, yet as he was but a boy, he did not take much notice of them; but looked on them only as trinkets.

After they had admired the beauty of this present some time, Aladdin said to his mother, Now you cannot excuse yourself from going to the sultan, under the pretext of not having a present to make him, since here is one which will gain you a favourable reception.

Though Aladdin’s mother, notwithstanding the beauty and lustre of the present, did not believe it so valuable as her son esteemed it, she thought it might nevertheless be agreeable to the sultan, and found that she could not have any thing to say against it, but was always thinking of the request Aladdin wanted her to make to the sultan by favour of his present. My son, said she, I cannot conceive that your present will have its desired effect, and that the sultan will look upon me with a favourable eye; and I am sure that if I attempt to acquit myself on this message of yours, I shall have no power to open my mouth; and therefore I shall not only lose my labour, but the present, which you say is so extraordinary, and shall return home again in confusion, to tell you that your hopes are frustrated. I have told you the consequence, and you ought to believe me; but, added she, I will exert my best endeavour to please you, and wish I may have power to ask the sultan as you would have me; but certainly he will either laugh at me, or send me back like a fool, or be in so great a rage, as to make us both the victims of his fury.

She used a great many more arguments to endeavour to make him change his mind; but the charms of the princess Badroulboudour had made too great an impression on his heart to dissuade him from his design. Aladdin persisted in desiring his mother to execute his resolution, and she, as much out of tenderness as for fear he should be guilty of a greater piece of extravagance, condescended to his request.

As it was now late, and the time of day for going to the sultan’s palace was passed, it was put off till the next. The mother and son talked of different matters the remaining part of the day; and Aladdin took a great deal of pains to encourage his mother in the task she had undertaken to go to the sultan; while she, notwithstanding all his arguments, could not persuade herself she could ever succeed; and it must be confessed she had reason enough to doubt. Child, said she to Aladdin, if the sultan should receive me as favourably as I wish for your sake, and should hear my proposal with calmness, and after this kind reception should think of asking me where lie your riches and your estate, (for he will sooner inquire after these than your person,) if, I say, he should ask me the question, what answer would you have me return him?

Let us not be uneasy, mother, replied Aladdin, about what may never happen. First, let us see how the sultan receives, and what answer he gives you. If it should so fall out, that he desires to be informed of all that you mention, I have thought of an answer, and am confident that the lamp, which hath subsisted us so long, will not fail me in time of need.

Aladdin’s mother could not say any thing against what her son then proposed; but reflected that the lamp might be capable of doing greater wonders than just providing victuals for them. This consideration satisfied her, and at the same time removed all the difficulties which might have prevented her from undertaking the service she had promised her son with the sultan; when Aladdin, who penetrated into his mother’s thoughts, said to her, Above all things, mother, be sure to keep the secret, for thereon depends the success we have to expect; and after this caution, Aladdin and his mother parted to go to bed. But violent love, and the great prospect of so immense a fortune, had so much possessed the son’s thoughts, that he could not rest as well as he could have wished. He rose at day-break, and went presently and awakened his mother, pressing her to get herself dressed to go to the sultan’s palace, and to get in first, as the grand vizier, the other viziers, and all the great officers of state, went in to take their seats in the divan, where the sultan always assisted in person.

Aladdin’s mother did all her son desired. She took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels the day before, tied up in two napkins, one finer than the other, which was tied at four corners for more easy carriage, and set forwards for the sultan’s palace, to the great satisfaction of Aladdin. When she came to the gates, the grand vizier, and the other viziers and most distinguished lords of the court, were just gone in; and, notwithstanding the crowd of people who had business at the divan was extraordinary great, she got into the divan, which was a large spacious hall, the entry into which was very magnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, grand vizier and the great lords, who sat in that council, on his right and left hand. Several causes were called, according to their order, and pleaded and adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the sultan rising, dismissed the council, and returned to his apartment, attended by the grand vizier; the other viziers and ministers of state returned, as also did all those whose business called them thither; some pleased with gaining their causes, others dissatisfied at the sentences pronounced against them, and some in expectation of theirs being heard the next sitting.

Aladdin’s mother, seeing the sultan rise and retire, and all the people go away, judged rightly that he would not come again that day, and resolved to go home. When Aladdin saw her return with the present designed for the sultan, he knew not at first what to think of her success, and in the fear he was in lest she should bring him some ill news, he had not courage enough to ask her any questions, till his mother, who had never set foot into the sultan’s palace before, and knew not what was every day practised there, freed him from his embarrassment, and said to him, with a great deal of simplicity, Son, I have seen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me too; for I placed myself just before him, and nothing could hinder him from seeing me; but he was so much taken up with all those who talked on all sides of him, that I pitied him, and wondered at his patience to hear them. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up suddenly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to speak to him, but went away, at which I was very well pleased, for indeed I began to lose all patience, and was extremely tired with staying so long. But there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow; perhaps the sultan may not be so busy.

Though Aladdin’s passion was very violent, he was forced to be satisfied with this excuse, and to fortify himself with patience. He had at least the satisfaction to find that his mother had got over the greatest difficulty, which to procure access to the sultan, and hoped that the example of those she saw speak to him would embolden her to acquit herself better of her commission when a favourable opportunity offered to speak to him.

The next morning she went to the sultan’s palace with the present, as early as the day before, but when she came there; she found the gates of the divan shut, and understood that the council sat but every other day, therefore she must come again the next. This news she carried to her son, whose only relief was to guard himself with patience. She went six times afterwards on the days appointed, placed herself always directly before the sultan, but with as little success as the first time, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little purpose, if the sultan himself had not taken a particular notice of her: for it is very probable that only those who came with petitions approached the sultan, and each pleaded their cause in its turn, and Aladdin’s mother was not one of them.

That day, at last, after the council was broke up, when the sultan was returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier, I have for some time observed a certain woman, who comes constantly every day that I go into council, and has something wrapped up in a napkin: she always stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the council, and affects to place herself just before me. Do you know what she wants?

Sir, replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what she wanted, but had not a mind to seem uninformed, your majesty knows that women often form complaints on trifles; perhaps this woman may come to complain to your majesty, that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such trifling matter. The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but replied, If this woman comes again next council-day, do not fail to call her, that I may hear what she has to say. The grand vizier made answer by kissing his hand, and lifting it up above his head, signifying his willingness to lose it if he failed.