Part 13

His various good qualities, and the favor of the caliph, caused the sons of the emirs, and other officers of the highest rank, to frequent his house; and it, in this manner, became the rendezvous of all the nobles of the court. Among other young men, who made almost a daily practice of going there, was one whom Ebn Thaher esteemed above all the rest, and with whom he contracted a most intimate friendship. This young nobleman’s name was Aboulhassan Ali Ebn Becar; and he derived his origin from an ancient royal family of Persia. This family still continued extant at Bagdad, from the time that the mussulman arms made a conquest of that kingdom. Nature seemed to have taken a pleasure in combining in this young prince every mental endowment, and personal accomplishment. He possessed a countenance of the most finished beauty, his figure was fine, his air elegant and easy, and the expression of his face so engaging, that no one could see him without instantly loving him. Whenever he spoke, he used the most appropriate and pure words, added to a certain turn of expression equally novel and agreeable. There was something even in the tone of his voice that charmed all who heard him. To complete the whole, as his understanding and judgment were of the first rank, so all his thoughts and expressions were most admirable and just. He was moreover so very reserved and modest, that he advanced nothing till he had taken every possible precaution to avoid any suspicion of prefering his own opinion, or sentiment, to that of another. Being a young man in every respect such as I have described him to you, it is not to be wondered at, that Ebn Thaher distinguished him in a particular manner from the other young noblemen of the court, whose vices, for the most part, served only as a foil to his virtues.

As this prince was one day at the house of Ebn Thaher, they observed a lady come to the door, mounted upon a black and white mule, and surrounded by ten female slaves, who accompanied her on foot. They were all very handsome, at least as far as could be judged from their air, and through the veils that covered their faces. The lady herself had on a rose-coloured girdle, at least four fingers in width, upon which were fastened diamonds and pearls of the largest size; and it was no difficult matter to conjecture, that her beauty surpassed that of her attendants, as much as the moon at the full exceeds the crescent of two days old. She came here for the purpose of executing some commission; and as it was necessary to speak to Ebn Thaher, she went into his shop, which was very large and commodious. He received her with every mark of respect, begged her to be seated, and conducted her by the hand to the most honourable place.

The prince of Persia, in the mean time, did not choose to let such an excellent opportunity of showing his politeness and his gallantry escape him; he placed a cushion, covered with cloth of gold, for the lady to rest upon: then immediately retired, that she might sit down. After this he made his compliments by kissing the carpet under her feet, got up, and stood before her at the end of the sofa. As she felt herself quite at home with Ebn Thaher, she took off her veil, and displayed in the eyes of the prince of Persia a beauty so extraordinary, that it pierced him to the bottom of his heart. Nor could the lady on her part help looking at the prince, whose person made an equal impression on her. “I beg of you, sir,” she said to him in an obliging manner, “to be seated.” The prince of Persia obeyed, and sat down on the edge of the sofa. He kept his eyes constantly fixed upon her, and swallowed large draughts of the delicious poison of love. She soon perceived what passed in his mind, and this discovery completed her own passion. She then got up and went to Ebn Thaher, and after having informed him, in a whisper, of the motive of her visit, she inquired of him what was the name and country of the prince of Persia. “Madam,” replied Ebn Thaher, “this young nobleman, of whom you are speaking, is called Aboulhassan Ali Ebn Becar, and is of the blood royal of Persia.”

The lady was delighted to find that the man she was so passionately in love with, was of such an high rank. “You mean, without doubt, I suppose,” replied she, “that he is descended from the kings of Persia.”--“I do, madam,” returned Ebn Thaher, “the last kings of Persia are his ancestors; and since the conquest of that kingdom, the princes of his family have always been held in estimation at the court of our caliphs.”--“You will afford me a great pleasure,” said the lady, “if you will make me acquainted with this young nobleman. When I shall send this female to you,” added she, pointing to one of her slaves, “to request you to come and see me, I beg you will bring him with you; I very much wish that he should see the splendour and magnificence of my palace, that he may both see and publish to the world, that avarice does not hold her court among people of quality at Bagdad. You understand, and attend to what I say to you. Pray do not fail: if you do, I shall be very angry with you, and will never come and see you again as long as I live.”

Ebn Thaher possessed too much penetration not to understand, by this speech, what were the sentiments of the lady. “God preserve me, my princess,” replied he, “from giving you any cause to be offended with me. To execute your orders will ever be a law to me.” Having received this answer, the lady took her leave of Ebn Thaher with an inclination of her head; and after casting a most obliging look at the prince of Persia, she mounted her mule, and departed.

Distractedly in love with this lady, he continued looking at her as long as she was in sight; and even after he had lost sight of her, it was a long time before he took his eyes from the way she went. Ebn Thaher then remarked to him, that he was observed by some people, who were ready to laugh at seeing him in that attitude. “Alas!” said the prince to him, “you, and all the world, would have compassion upon me, if you knew that this beautiful lady, who has just left your house, had carried away by far the better part of me; and that what remains cannot live separate. Tell me, I conjure you,” added he, “who this tyrannical lady is, that compels people thus to love her, without giving them time to think on the subject.”--“My lord,” replied Ebn Thaher, it is the famous [13] Schemselnihar, the first favorite of our sovereign master, the caliph.”--“She is indeed called so,” said the prince, “with the greatest justice and propriety, since she is more beautiful than the cloudless meridian sun.”--“It is true,” replied Ebn Thaher, “and the Commander of the Faithful loves her, or, I might rather say, adores her. He has expressly commanded me to furnish her with every thing she wishes, and even to anticipate her thoughts, if it were possible, in any thing she may desire.”

He entered into this conversation with the prince, to prevent his falling in love, where the event must be unfortunate; but this in fact only served to inflame him the more. “I cannot doubt,” cried he, “charming Schemselnihar, that I shall not be suffered to raise my thoughts to you. I nevertheless feel, although without any hopes of being beloved by you, that it will not be in my power to cease from adoring you. I will continue to love you then, and will bless my fate, that I am become the slave of an object the most beautiful that the sun illumines.”

Whilst the prince of Persia was thus consecrating his heart to the beautiful Schemselnihar, this lady, as she went home, continued to think upon the means she should pursue, in order to see and converse with freedom with this prince. She was no sooner returned to the palace, than she sent back to Ebn Thaher that particular female slave, whom she had pointed out to him, and in whom she placed the most implicit confidence, to request him to come and see her without delay; and to bring the prince of Persia along with him. The slave arrived at the shop of Ebn Thaher at the very time he was conversing with the prince, and while he was using the strongest arguments to endeavour to persuade him to give up his love for the favorite of the caliph. When the slave saw them together, she said, “My most honorable mistress, Schemselnihar, the first favorite of the Commander of the Faithful, entreats you both to come to the palace, where she expects you.” Ebn Thaher, in order to show how ready he was to obey her, instantly got up, without answering the slave one word, and followed her, though not without considerable repugnance. As for the prince, he followed her without at all reflecting on the danger he ran from making this visit. The presence of Ebn Thaher, who had free admission to the Favorite, made him perfectly easy on that subject. They both then followed the slave, who walked a little before them. They went into the palace of the caliph soon after her, and joined her at the door of the smaller palace, appropriated to Schemselnihar, which was already open. She introduced them into a large hall, where she bagged them to be seated.

The prince of Persia thought himself in one of those delightful palaces, which are promised to us in the other world. He had hitherto seen nothing that at all equalled the magnificence of the place where he now was. The carpets, cushions, and other furniture of the sofas, together with the furniture, ornaments, and architecture, were most exceeding rich and beautiful. They had not long remained in this place, before a black slave, properly dressed, set out a table, covered with the most delicate dishes; the delicious smell of which afforded them a strong proof of the excellence of the seasoning: while they were eating, the slave, who had conducted them here, did not leave them: she took great care to invite them to eat of those ragouts and dishes she knew to be best; in the mean time, other slaves poured out some excellent wine, with which they finished their repast. When this was over, they presented to the prince of Persia, and to Ebn Thaher, each a separate bason, and a beautiful golden vase, full of water, to wash their hands. They afterwards brought them some perfume of aloes in a portable vessel, which was also of gold, with which they scented their beards and dress. Nor was the perfumed water forgotten. It was brought in a golden vase, enriched with diamonds and rubies, made expressly for this purpose, and it was poured into both their hands, with which they rubbed their beards, and their whole faces, as was the usual custom. They then sat down again in their places, but they were no sooner there, than the slave requested them to get up, and follow her. She opened a door, which led from the hall where they were, and they entered a very large saloon, most wonderfully constructed. It was a dome of an agreeable form, supported by an hundred columns of marble, as white as alabaster. The pedestals and capitals of these columns were each ornamented with quadrupeds, and birds of various species, worked in gold. The carpet of this wonderful saloon was composed of a single piece of cloth of gold, upon which were worked bunches of roses in red and white silk; the dome itself was painted in arabesque, and afforded a view of a multitude of charming objects. There was a small sofa between each column, ornamented in the same manner, together with large vases of porcelain, of crystal, of jasper, of jet, of porphyry, of agate, and other valuable materials, all enriched with gold, and inlaid with precious stones. The spaces between the columns contained also large windows, with balconies of a proper height, and furnished in the same style of elegance with the sofas, from whence you looked into the most delicious garden in the world. Its walks were formed of small stones of various colours, which represented the carpet of the saloon under the dome; and, in this manner, while they looked on the floor, either in the saloon or garden, it seemed as if the dome and the garden, with all their beauties, formed one splendid whole. The view from every point was terminated at the end of the walks by two canals of water, as transparent as rock crystal, which preserved the same circular figure as the dome. One of these canals was raised above the other, and from the higher, the water fell in a large body into the lower one. On their banks, at certain distances, were placed some beautiful bronze and gilt vases, all furnished with shrubs and flowers. These walks also separated from each other large spaces, which were planted with lofty and thick trees, in the midst of which a thousand birds warbled the most melodious sounds; and diversified the scene by their various flights, and by the battles they fought while in the air; sometimes in sport, and at others in a more serious and cruel manner.

The prince of Persia and Ebn Thaher stopped a long time to examine the great magnificence of this place. They expressed strong marks of surprise and admiration at every thing that struck them, particularly the prince of Persia, who had never before seen any thing at all comparable to it. Ebn Thaher too, although he had been before in this enchanting spot, could not refrain from admiring its beauties, which always appeared with an air of novelty. In short, they had not ceased from their admiration of these singular things, with which they were so agreeably taken up, when they suddenly perceived a company of females most richly dressed. They were all sitting down on the outside, at some distance from the dome, each on a seat made of Indian plantain wood, enriched with silver inlaid in compartments, with a musical instrument in their hands waiting only for the appointed signal, to begin to play on them.

They both went and placed themselves in one of the balconies, from whence they had a direct view of them; and on looking towards the right hand, they saw below a large court, with an entrance into the garden up a flight of steps. The whole of this court was surrounded with very elegant apartments. The slave had left them, and, as they were by themselves, they conversed together for some time. “I do not doubt,” said the prince of Persia to Ebn Thaher, “that you, who are a sedate and wise man, look with very little satisfaction upon all these exhibitions of magnificence and power. In my eyes nothing in the whole world can be more surprising; and when I add to this the reflection, that it is the splendid abode of the too amiable Schemselnihar, and that the first monarch of the world makes it the place of his retirement, I confess to you, that I think myself the most unfortunate of men. It seems to me, that there cannot exist a more cruel fate than mine; to love an object completely in the power of my rival, and in the very spot where that rival is so powerful, that I am not, even at this very instant, secure of my life.”

To this speech of the prince of Persia, Ebn Thaher thus answered: “I wish to God, sir, that I could give you as perfect an assurance of the happy issue of your attachment, as I can of the safety of your person. Although this superb palace belongs to the caliph, it was erected expressly for Schemselnihar, and is called the Palace of continual pleasures, and although it makes a part, as it were, of his own, yet be assured, this lady here enjoys most perfect liberty. She is not surrounded by eunuchs, who watch her minutest actions. These buildings are appropriated solely to her use, and she has the absolute disposal of the whole, as she thinks proper. She goes out, and walks about the city wherever she pleases, without asking leave of any one; she returns at her own time, and the caliph never comes to visit her, without first sending Mesrour, the chief of the eunuchs, to give her notice of it, and to prepare for his reception. Your mind, therefore, ought not to be disturbed, but remain in a tranquil state; be attentive, therefore, to a concert, which I perceive Schemselnihar is going to treat us with.”

At the very instant Ebn Thaher had done speaking, the prince of Persia and he both observed the slave, who was the confidant of the Favorite, come and order the females, that were seated in front of them, to sing and play on their several instruments. They all immediately began a sort of prelude, and after playing thus for some time, one of them sung alone, and accompanied herself on a lute, most admirably. As she had been informed of the subject upon which she was to sing, the words of her song were in such perfect unison with the feelings of the prince of Persia, that he could not help applauding her at the conclusion of the couplet. “Is it possible,” he cried, “that you can have the faculty of penetrating the inmost thoughts of others, and that thus the knowledge you have of what passes in my heart, has enabled you to give my feelings utterance, by the sound of your delightful voice? I could not myself have expressed them in more appropriate terms.” To this speech the female answered not a word. She went on, and sung several other stanzas, which so much affected the prince, that he repeated some of them with tears in his eyes, whence it was sufficiently evident to whom he made the application. When she had finished all the couplets, she and her companions stood up and sang altogether some words to the following effect, that _the full moon was about to rise in all its splendour, and going soon to approach the sun_. The meaning of which was, that Schemselnihar was about to appear, and that the prince of Persia would immediately have the pleasure of seeing her.

In fact, Ebn Thaher and the prince, looking towards one side of the court, observed the confidential slave approach, followed by ten black females, who with difficulty carried a large throne of massive silver, most elegantly wrought, which the slave made them place at a certain distance from the prince and Ebn Thaher. After this, the black slaves retired behind some trees at the end of a walk. Then twenty most beautiful females, richly and uniformly dressed, advanced in two rows, singing and playing on different instruments, and ranged themselves on each side of the throne.

The prince of Persia and Ebn Thaher beheld all these things with the greatest possible attention, eager and curious to know in what it would end. At last, they saw come out of the same door, whence the ten black slaves, who had brought the throne, and the twenty other slaves had come, ten other females equally beautiful and handsomely adorned as the former. They stopped at the door, waiting some moments for the Favorite, who then issued forth, and placed herself in the midst of them. It was very easy to distinguish her from the rest, as well by her person and majestic air, as by a sort of mantle of very light materials enriched with azure and gold, which she wore fastened to her shoulders, over the other parts of her dress, which was the most appropriate, best made, and most magnificent you can imagine. The diamonds, pearls, and rubies, which ornamented her person, were not scattered in a confused manner. They were few in number, properly arranged, and of inestimable value. She advanced with a degree of majesty which did not ill represent the sun in its course, in the midst of clouds, which received its rays without diminishing its splendour. She then proceeded, and seated herself upon the silver throne that they had brought for that purpose.

As soon as the prince of Persia perceived Schemselnihar, he had eyes for nothing else. “We cease our inquiries,” said he to Ebn Thaher, “after the object of our search, when it appears before us; and we no longer are in a state of doubt, when the truth is evident. Look at this divine beauty; she is the origin of all my evils; evils, indeed, which I bless, however severe, and however lasting they may become. At sight of this object I am no longer myself: my restless soul revolts against its master, and I feel that it strives to abandon me. Go, then, my soul, I give thee leave; but let thy flight be for the advantage and preservation of this weak frame. It is you, too cruel Ebn Thaher, who are the cause of my disorder. You imagined it would afford me pleasure to bring me here; and I perceive, that I am come here only to court my destruction. Pardon me,” he added, recovering himself a little, “I deceive myself, for I was determined to come, and can only complain of myself.” At these words, he wept most violently. “I am very glad,” said Ebn Thaher, “that you at last do me justice. When I told you, that Schemselnihar was the first Favorite of the caliph, I did so for the express purpose of preventing this direful and fatal passion, which you seem to take a pleasure in nourishing in your heart. Every thing you see here ought to make you endeavour to disengage yourself, and to excite only sentiments of gratitude and respect for the honour Schemselnihar has been willing to do you, in ordering me to introduce you here. Recollect yourself then; recall your wandering reason, and put yourself in a state to appear before her, in a way her kindness and condescension deserves. See, she approaches. If this affair was to come over again, I would, in truth, act very differently; but the thing is done, and I trust in God that we shall not repent it. I have nothing more to say,” added he, “but that love is a traitor, who will involve you in such an abyss, you can never again extricate yourself.

Ebn Thaher had no time to say any more, as Schemselnihar now came up. She placed herself on the throne, and saluted them both by an inclination of her hand. Her eyes, however, were fixed upon the prince, and they both spoke a language intermingled with sighs, by which, in a short time, they understood more than they would have done in an age from actual conversation. The more Schemselnihar looked at the prince, the more did his looks tend to confirm her opinion, that she was not indifferent to him; and being thus already convinced of his passion, Schemselnihar thought herself the happiest being in the whole world. She at length took her eyes off him, to give orders for the females, who had sung before, to approach. They rose up, and while they were walking forward, the black slaves came from the walk, where they had remained, and brought their seats, and placed them near the balcony in the window, where the prince of Persia and Ebn Thaher were. The manner in which all these were arranged, together with the Favorite’s throne, and the females, who were on each side of her, formed a semicircle before them.

When those who had before been seated, had again, by the permission of Schemselnihar, who gave them a sign for that purpose, taken their places, this charming Favorite fixed upon one of her women to sing. After employing a little time in tuning her lute, she sung a song, of which the sense of the words was as follows: When two lovers, who are dotingly fond of each other, are attached by a passion without bounds; when their hearts, although in two bodies, form but one; and when any obstacle opposes their mutual desires, they may, with tears in their eyes, say, “If we love each other, because each finds the other amiable, ought we to incur displeasure? Fate alone is to blame, not ourselves.”