Part 88

In the mean time the sultan went out of this hall, and Aladdin led him into that where he had regaled the princess Badroulboudour on their wedding day. The princess came immediately afterwards, and received the sultan her father, with an air that showed how much she was satisfied with her marriage. Two tables were immediately spread with the most delicious meats, all served up in gold dishes. The sultan, princess, Aladdin, and the grand vizier, sat down at the first, and all the lords of the court at the second, which was very long. The sultan was very much pleased with the meats, and owned he had never eaten any thing more excellent. He said the same of the wines, which were delicious; but what he most of all admired were four large beaufets, profusely furnished with large flagons, basins, and cups, all of massy gold, set with jewels. He was besides charmed with several bands of music, which were ranged along the hall, and formed most agreeable concerts.

When the sultan rose from table, he was informed that the jewellers and goldsmiths he had sent for attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and showed them the window which was unfinished: I sent for you, said he, to fit up this window in as great perfection as the rest; examine them well, and make all the despatch you can to make them all alike.

The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the other three-and-twenty windows with great attention, and after they had consulted together, to know what each could furnish, they returned, and presented themselves before the sultan, whose principal jeweller, undertaking to speak for the rest, said, Sir, we are all willing to exert our utmost care and industry to obey your majesty; but among us all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work. I have more than are necessary, said the sultan; come to my palace, and you shall choose what are fitting.

When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be fetched out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those which Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without making any great advance in their work. They came again several times for more, and in a month’s time had not finished half their work. In short, they used all the jewels the sultan had of his own, and borrowed of the vizier, and yet the work was not half done.

Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan’s endeavours to make his window like the rest were in vain, and that he never could compass it with credit, sent for the jewellers and goldsmiths, and not only bid them desist from their work, but ordered them to undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He took the lamp which he carried about him, and rubbed it, and presently the genie appeared. Genie, said Aladdin, I ordered thee to leave one of the four-and-twenty windows of this hall imperfect, and thou hast executed my commands punctually; now I would have thee make it like the rest. The genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and returning soon after into it, he found the window, as he wished it to be, like the others.

In the mean time the jewellers and goldsmiths reached the palace, and were introduced into the sultan’s presence; where the first jeweller presenting the jewels which he had brought back, said in the name of all the rest, Sir, your majesty knows how long we have been upon the work you was pleased to set us about, in which we used all imaginable industry. It was far advanced, when Aladdin obliged us not only to leave off, but to undo what we had already begun, and bring your majesty your jewels back. The sultan asked them if Aladdin gave them any reason for so doing, and they answering that he had given them none, he ordered a horse to be brought to him presently, which he mounted, and rode to Aladdin’s palace with some few attendants on foot by his side. When he came there, he alighted at the staircase, which led up to the hall with the twenty-four windows, and went directly up to it, without giving previous notice to Aladdin; but it happened that at that very juncture Aladdin was opportunely there, and had just time to receive him at the door.

The sultan, without giving Aladdin time to complain obligingly of his not giving him notice, that he might have acquitted himself with the more duty and respect, said to him, Son, I come myself to know the reason why you left so noble and magnificent a hall as this is imperfect.

Aladdin disguised the true reason, which was, that the sultan was not rich enough in jewels to be at so great an expense, but said, It is true your majesty saw this hall unfinished, but I beg of you now to see if anything is wanting.

The sultan went directly to the window which was left imperfect, and when he found it like the rest, he fancied that he was mistaken, and examined the two windows on each side, and afterwards all the four-and-twenty; and when he was convinced that the window, which several workmen had been so long about, was finished in so short a time, he embraced Aladdin, and kissed him between his eyes. My son, said he, what a man you are to do such surprising things always in the twinkling of an eye! there is not your fellow in the world: the more I know you, the more I admire you.

Aladdin received these praises from the sultan with a great deal of modesty, and replied in these words: Sir, it is a great honour to me to deserve your majesty’s good-will and approbation, and I assure you I shall study to deserve them more.

The sultan returned to his palace as he came, but would not let Aladdin go back with him. When he came there, he found his grand vizier waiting for him, to whom he related the wonder he had been a witness of with the utmost admiration, and in such terms as left that minister no room to doubt but that the fact was as the sultan related it; though he was the more confirmed in his belief that Aladdin’s palace was the effect of enchantment, as he told the sultan the first moment he saw it. He was going to repeat the same thing again, but the sultan interrupted him, and said, You told me so once before; I see, vizier, you have not forgot your son’s marriage to my daughter. The grand vizier plainly saw how much the sultan was prepossessed, and therefore avoided any disputes, and let him remain in his own opinion. The sultan, as certain as he rose in a morning, went into the closet to look at Aladdin’s palace, and would go many times in a day to contemplate and admire it.

All this time Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace, but took care to show himself once or twice a week in the town, by going sometimes to one mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers, or to pay a visit to the grand vizier, who affected to pay his court to him on certain days, or to do the principal lords of the court the honour to return their visits, after he had regaled them at his palace. Every time he went out he caused two slaves, who walked by the side of his horse, to throw handfuls of money among the people as he passed through the streets and squares, which were generally on those occasions crowded. Besides, no one came to his palace gates to ask alms, but returned satisfied with his liberality. In short, he so divided his time, that not a week passed but Aladdin went either once or twice a hunting, sometimes in the environs of the city, sometimes farther off; at which time the villages through which he passed felt the effects of his generosity, which gained him the love and blessings of the people; and it was common for them to swear by his head. In short, without giving the least umbrage to the sultan, to whom he paid all imaginable respect, it might be said that Aladdin, by his affable behaviour and liberality, had won the affections of the people, and was more beloved than the sultan himself. With all these good qualities, he showed a courage and a zeal for the public good which could not be sufficiently applauded. He gave sufficient proofs of both in a revolt on the borders of that kingdom: for he no sooner understood that the sultan was levying an army to disperse the rebels, but he begged the command of it, which he found no difficulty to obtain. As soon as he was at the head of the army, he marched against the rebels with so much expedition, that the sultan heard of the defeat of the rebels before he had received an account of his arrival in the army. And though this action rendered his name famous throughout the kingdom, it made no alteration in his disposition, but he was as affable after his victory as before.

Aladdin had behaved himself after this manner several years, when the African magician, who undesignedly had been the instrument of raising him to so high a pitch of fortune, bethought himself of him in Africa, whither, after his expedition, he returned; and though he was almost persuaded that Aladdin died miserably in the subterraneous abode where he left him, yet he had the curiosity to inform himself about his end with certainty; and as he was a great geomancer, he took out of a cupboard a square covered box, which he made use of in his geomantic observations, then sat himself down on his sofa, set it before him, and uncovered it. After he had prepared and levelled the sand which was in it, with an intention to discover whether or no Aladdin died in the subterraneous abode, he cast the points, drew the figures, and formed a horoscope, by which, when he came to examine it, he found that Aladdin, instead of dying in the cave, had escaped out of it, lived splendidly, was very rich, had married a princess, and was very much honoured and respected.

The magician no sooner understood by the rules of his diabolical art that Aladdin had arrived to that height of good fortune, but a colour came into his face, and he cried out in a rage. This poor sorry tailor’s son has discovered the secret and virtue of the lamp! I believed his death to be certain, but find too plainly he enjoys the fruit of my labour and study. But I will prevent his enjoying it long, or perish in the attempt. He was not a great while deliberating on what he should do, but the next morning mounted a barb which was in his stable, set forwards, and never stopped but just to refresh himself and horse, till he arrived at the capital of China. He alighted, took up his lodging in a khan, and staid there the remainder of the day and the night, to refresh himself after so long a journey.

The next day his first object was to inquire what people said of Aladdin; and, taking a walk through the town, he went to the most public and frequented places, where people of the first distinction met to drink a certain warm liquor, which he had drank often when he was there before. As soon as he sat down, he was presented with a glass of it, which he took; but, listening at the same time to the discourse of the company on each side of him, he heard them talking of Aladdin’s palace. When he had drank off his glass, he joined them; and taking this opportunity, asked them particularly what palace that was they spoke so advantageously of. From whence come you? said the person to whom he addressed himself: you must certainly be a stranger, not to have seen or heard talk of prince Aladdin’s palace, (for he was called so after his marriage with the princess Badroulboudour.) I do not say, continued the man, that it is one of the wonders of the world, but that it is the only wonder of the world, since nothing so grand, rich, and magnificent, was ever seen. Certainly you must have come from a great distance not to have heard of it; it must have been talked of all over the world. Go and see it, and then judge whether I have told you more than the truth. Forgive my ignorance, replied the African magician; I arrived here but yesterday, and came from the farthest part of Africa, where the fame of this palace had not reached when I came away. For the affair which brought me hither was so urgent, that my sole object was to get here as soon as I could, without stopping any where, or making any acquaintance. But I will not fail to go and see it; my impatience is so great, I will go immediately and satisfy my curiosity, if you will do me the favour to show me the way thither.

The person to whom the African magician addressed himself, took a pleasure in showing him the way to Aladdin’s palace, and he got up and went thither instantly. When he came to the palace, and had examined it on all sides, he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use of the lamp to build it. Without attending to the inability of Aladdin, a poor tailor’s son, he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, the attaining of which he had missed, could have performed such wonders; and, piqued to the quick at Aladdin’s happiness and greatness, he returned to the khan where he lodged.

The next thing was to know where the lamp was; if Aladdin carried it about with him, or where he kept it; and this he was to discover by an operation of geomancy. As soon as he entered his lodging, he took his square box of sand, which he always carried with him when he travelled, and after he had performed some operations, he knew that the lamp was in Aladdin’s palace; and so great was his joy at the discovery, that he could hardly contain himself. Well, said he, I shall have the lamp, and I defy Aladdin’s preventing my carrying it off, and making him sink to his original meanness, from which he has taken so high a flight.

It was Aladdin’s misfortune at that time to be gone a hunting for eight days, of which only three were expired, which the magician came to know by this means. After he had performed this operation, which gave him so much joy, he went to the master of the khan, entered into discourse with him on indifferent matters, and among the rest, told him he had been to see Aladdin’s palace; and after exaggerating on all that he had seen most surprising and most striking to him and all the world, he added, But my curiosity leads me farther, and I shall not be easy till I have seen the person to whom this wonderful edifice belongs. That will be no difficult matter, replied the master of the khan; there is not a day passes but he gives an opportunity when he is in town, but at present he is not at home, and has been gone these three days on a hunting match, which will last eight.

The magician wanted to know no more: he took his leave of the master of the khan, and returning to his own chamber, said to himself, This is an opportunity I ought by no means to let slip, but will make the best use of it. To that end he went to a maker and seller of lamps, and asked for a dozen of copper lamps. The master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he would have patience till the next day, he would get him so many against any time he had a mind to have them. The magician appointed his time, and bid him take care that they should be handsome and well polished. After promising to pay him well, he returned to his inn.

The next day the magician called for his twelve lamps, paid the man his full price for them, put them in a basket which he brought on purpose, and with the basket hanging on his arm, went directly to Aladdin’s palace; and when he came near it, he began crying. Who will change old lamps for new ones? As he went along, he gathered a crowd of children about him, who hooted at him, and thought him, as did all who chanced to be passing by, mad or a fool, to offer to change new lamps for old ones.

The African magician never minded all their scoffs and hootings, or all they could say to him, but still continued crying, Who will change old lamps for new ones? He repeated this so often, walking backwards and forwards about the princess Badroulboudour’s palace, that the princess, who was then in the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, hearing a man cry something, and not being able to distinguish his words, by reason of the hooting of the children and increasing mob about him, sent one of her women slaves down to know what he cried.

The slave was not long before she returned, and ran into the hall, laughing so heartily, that the princess could not forbear herself. Well, gigler, said the princess, will you tell me what you laugh at? Madam, answered the slave, laughing still, who can forbear laughing to see a fool, with a basket on his arm, full of fine new lamps, ask to change them for old ones? the children and mob, crowding about him so that he can hardly stir, make all the noise they can by deriding him.

Another woman slave nearing this, said, Now you speak of lamps, I know not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an old one upon the cornice, and whoever owns it will not be sorry to find a new one in its stead. If the princess has a mind, she may have the pleasure to try if this fool is so silly as to give a new lamp for an old one, without taking any thing for the exchange.

The lamp this slave spoke of was Aladdin’s wonderful lamp, which he, for fear of losing it, had laid upon the cornice before he went hunting; which precaution he made use of several times before, but neither the princess, the slaves, nor the eunuchs, had ever taken notice of it. At all other times but hunting he carried it about him, and then, indeed, he might have locked it up; but other people have been guilty of as great oversights, and will be so to the end of time.

The princess Badroulboudour, who knew not the value of this lamp, and the interest that Aladdin, not to mention herself, had to keep it safe from every body else, entered into the pleasantry, and bid an eunuch take it, and go and make the exchange. The eunuch obeyed, went out of the hall, and no sooner got to the palace gates, but he saw the African magician, called to him, and showing him the old lamp, said to him, Give me a new lamp for this.

The magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted. There could be no other such in this palace, where all was gold or silver. He snatched it eagerly out of the eunuch’s hand, and, thrusting it as far as he could into his breast, offered him his basket, and bid him choose which he liked best. The eunuch picked out one, and carried it to the princess Badroulboudour; but the exchange was no sooner made, than the palace rung with the shouts of the children, deriding the magician’s folly.

The African magician gave every body leave to laugh as much as they pleased; he stayed not long about Aladdin’s palace, but made the best of his way, without crying any longer, New lamps for old ones. His end was answered, and by his silence he got rid of the children and the mob.

As soon as he got out of the square between the two palaces, he skulked down the streets which were the least frequented; and having no more occasion for his lamps or basket, set all down in the midst of a street where nobody saw him; then scouring down another street or two, he walked till he came to one of the city gates, and pursuing his way through the suburbs, which were very long, he bought some provisions before he left the city, got into the fields, and turned into a road, which led to a lonely remote place, where he stopped for a time to execute the design he came about, never caring for his horse, which he left at the khan, but thinking himself perfectly compensated by the treasure he had acquired.

In this place the African magician passed the remainder of the day, till the darkest time of night, when he pulled the lamp out of his breast, and rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said, What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the other slaves of the lamp. I command thee, replied the magician, to transport me immediately, and the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp have built in this town, such as it is, and with all the people in it, to such a place in Africa. The genie made no reply, but, with the assistance of the other genies, the slaves of the lamp, transported him and the palace entire immediately to the place he appointed in Africa; where we will leave the magician, palace, and the princess Badroulboudour, to speak of the surprise of the sultan.

As soon as the sultan rose the next morning, according to custom, he went into his closet to have the pleasure of contemplating and admiring Aladdin’s palace; but when he first looked that way, and, instead of a palace, saw an empty space such as it was before the palace was built, he thought he was mistaken, and rubbed his eyes: he looked again, and saw nothing more the second time than the first, though the weather was fine, the sky clear, and the daybreak beginning to appear, had made all objects very distinct. He looked through the two openings on the right and left, and saw nothing more than he had formerly been used to see out of them. His amazement was so great, that he stood for some time turning his eyes to the spot where the palace had stood, but where it was no longer to be seen. He could not comprehend how so large a palace as Aladdin’s, which he saw plainly every day, and but the day before, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains behind. Certainly, said he to himself, I am not mistaken; it stood there: if it had tumbled down, the materials would have lain in heaps; and if it had been swallowed up by an earthquake, there would be some mark left. Whatever was the case, though he was convinced that no palace stood there, he could not help staying there some time, to see whether he might not be mistaken. At last he retired to his apartment, not without looking behind him before he quitted the spot, and ordered the grand vizier to be fetched in all haste; and, in the mean time, sat down, his mind agitated by so many different thoughts, that he knew not what to resolve on.

The grand vizier did not make the sultan wait long for him, but came with so much precipitation, that neither he nor his attendants, as they passed by, missed Aladdin’s palace; neither did the porters, when they opened the palace gates, observe any alteration.

When he came into the sultan’s presence, he said to him, Sir, the haste in which your majesty sent for me makes me believe something very extraordinary has happened, since you know this is council-day, and I shall not fail attending you there very soon. Indeed, said the sultan, it is something very extraordinary, as you say, and you will allow it to be so: tell me what has become of Aladdin’s palace. Aladdin’s palace! replied the grand vizier, in great amazement; I thought, as I passed by it, it stood in its usual place: such substantial buildings are not so easily removed. Go into my closet, said the sultan, and tell me if you can see it.

The grand vizier went into the closet, where he was struck with no less amazement than the sultan had been. When he was well assured that there was not the least appearance of this palace, he returned to the sultan. Well, said the sultan, have you seen Aladdin’s palace? Sir, answered the vizier, your majesty may remember that I had the honour to tell you, that that palace, which was the subject of your admiration, with all its immense riches, was only the work of magic and a magician; but your majesty would not pay the least attention to what I said.