Part 5

“When I recovered from my fainting fit, they gave me some wine, in order to recruit my strength and spirits. ‘Ah, madam,’ I then said to my wife, ‘if it should ever fall to my lot again to partake of a ragout with garlic, I swear to you, that instead of once, I will wash my hands one hundred and twenty times; with alkali, with the ashes of the plant from which alkali is made, and with soap.’--‘Well then,’ replied my wife, ‘on this condition I will forget what has passed, and live with you as my husband.’

“‘This is the reason,’ continued the merchant of Bagdad, addressing himself to all the company, ‘why I refused to eat of the garlic ragout which was before me.’

“The women not only applied the root to my wounds, as I have before said, to stop the blood, but they also put some balsam of Mecca to them, which was certain of being unadulterated, since it came from the caliph’s own store. Through the virtue of this excellent balsam I was perfectly cured in a very few days. After this, my wife and I lived together as happily as if I had never tasted the garlic ragout. As, however, I had always been in the habit of enjoying my liberty, I began to grow excessively weary of being constantly shut up in the palace of the caliph; I did not, nevertheless, give my wife any reason to suspect that this was the case, for fear of displeasing her. At last, however, she perceived it; nor indeed did she wish to leave the palace less anxiously than myself. Gratitude alone kept her near Zobeidè. She possessed, however, both courage and ingenuity; and she so well represented to her mistress the constraint I felt myself under, in not being able to live in the city, and associate with men in a similar condition to myself, as I had always been accustomed to do, that this excellent princess had more gratification in depriving herself of the pleasure of having her Favourite near her, than in not complying with what we both equally wished.

“It was on this account that, about a month after our marriage, I one day perceived my wife come in, followed by many eunuchs, each of whom carried a bag of money. When they were retired, my wife said to me, ‘You have not, it is true, remarked to me the uneasiness and langour which so long a residence in the palace has caused you; but I have nevertheless perceived it; and I have fortunately found out a method to satisfy you. My mistress Zobeidè has permitted us to leave the palace, and here are fifty thousand sequins, which she has presented us with, that we may begin to live comfortably and commodiously in the city. Take ten thousand, and go and purchase a house.’

“I very soon found one for this sum, and after furnishing it most magnificently, we went to live there. We took with us a great number of slaves of both sexes, and we dressed them in the handsomest manner possible. In short, we began to live the most pleasant kind of life; but, alas! it was not of long duration. At the end of a year my wife was taken ill, and a very few days put a period to her existence.

“I should certainly have married again, and continued to live in the most honourable manner at Bagdad; but the desire I felt to see the world, inspired me with other views. I sold my house; and after purchasing different sorts of merchandize, I attached myself to a caravan, and travelled into Persia. From thence I took the road to Samarcand, and at last came and established myself in this city.

“This, sire,” said the purveyor to the sultan of Casgar, “is the history which the merchant of Bagdad related to the company where I was yesterday.”--“And it truly comprises some very extraordinary things,” replied the sultan, “but yet it is not comparable to that of my little hunchback.” The Jewish physician then advanced, and prostrated himself before the throne of the prince; and in getting up, he said to him, “If your majesty will have the goodness to listen to me, I flatter myself, that you will be very well satisfied with the history I shall have the honour to relate.”--“Speak, then,” said the sultan, “but, if it be not more wonderful than that of the hunchback, do not hope I shall suffer thee to live.

THE STORY TOLD BY THE JEWISH PHYSICIAN.

While I was studying medicine at Damascus, sire, and had even began to practise that admirable science with considerable reputation, a slave came to inquire for me; and desired me to go to the house of the governor of the city, to visit a person who was ill. I accordingly went; and was introduced into a chamber, where I perceived a very well made young man, but apparently very much depressed, from the pain he suffered; I saluted him, and went and sat down by his side. He returned no answer to my salutation; but expressed to me by his eyes, that he understood me, and was grateful for my kindness. “Will you do me the favour, sir,” I said to him, “to put out your hand, that I may feel your pulse?” When, instead of giving me his right hand, as is the usual custom, he presented his left to me. This astonished me very much. “Surely,” said I to myself, “it is a mark of great ignorance of the world, not to know, that it is the constant custom always to present the right hand to a physician.” I nevertheless felt his pulse, wrote a prescription, and then took my leave.

I continued to visit him successively for nine days: and every time that I wished to feel his pulse, he still presented his left hand to me. On the tenth day he appeared to be so much recovered, that I told him he had no more occasion for me, or indeed for any thing else but to go to the bath. The governor of Damascus, who was present, in order to prove how very well he was satisfied with my abilities and conduct, made me put on a very rich robe in his presence, and appointed me on the spot physician to the hospital of the city, and physician in ordinary to his house, where I might go whenever I pleased, as there was constantly a place provided at his table for me.

The young man also gave me many proofs of his friendship, and requested me to accompany him to the bath. I did so; and when we were gone in, and his slaves had undressed him, I perceived that he had lost his right hand. I even remarked, that it had not been long cut off; that this was in fact the cause of his disease, which he had concealed from me; and that while the most proper applications were used to cure his arm as quickly as possible, they only called me in to prevent any bad consequences arising from a fever which had come on. I was both astonished and afflicted to see him in that condition. Nor could my countenance conceal the state of my mind. The young man remarked it, and said to me, “Do not be surprised at seeing me without my right hand, I will one day inform you how it happened, and you will then hear a most wonderful and strange adventure.”

When we came from the bath, we sat down to table, and began to converse together. He asked me, if he might, without endangering his health, take a walk out of the city to the garden of the governor; I replied, that it would be very beneficial to him to go into the air. “If so,” said he, “and you will like to accompany me, I will there relate my history.” I told him I was at his disposal for the rest of the day. He immediately ordered his people to prepare a slight collation, and we set out for the garden of the governor. We walked two or three times round the garden, and after seating ourselves on a carpet, which his people spread under a tree, that formed a delightful shade, the young man thus began the relation of his history.

“I was born at Moussoul; and am of a family which is one of the most considerable in that city. My father was the eldest of ten children, whom my grandfather, when he died, left living and all married. But amongst this number of brothers, my father was the only one who had any offspring; and he had no other child besides myself. He took great care of my education, and had me taught every thing which a boy in my situation of life ought to be acquainted with.

“I was grown up, and began to associate with the world, when one Friday I went to the noon-day prayers, in the great mosque of Moussoul, with my father and my uncles. After the prayers were over, every one retired, excepting my father and my uncles, who seated themselves on the carpet which covered the whole floor of the mosque. I sat down with them, and discoursing on various topics, the conversation insensibly turned on travels. They praised the beauties and peculiarities of some kingdoms, and of their principal towns; but one of my uncles said, that if one might believe the account of an infinity of travellers, there was not in the world a more beautiful country than Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, which all universally agreed in praising. What he related of it gave me such vast ideas, that I from that moment formed the wish of travelling thither. All that my other uncles could say, in giving the preference to Bagdad and the Tigris, calling Bagdad the true abode of the mussulman religion, and the metropolis of all the cities in the world, did not make half so much impression on me. My father maintained the same opinion with that brother who had spoken in favor of Egypt, which caused me very great pleasure. ‘Let people say what they will,’ cried he, ‘he who has not seen Egypt, has not seen the greatest wonder in the world. The earth is all gold, that is to say, so fertile, that it enriches the inhabitants beyond conception. All the women enchant, either by their beauty or their agreeable manners. If you mention the Nile, what river can be more delightful? What water was ever so pure and delicious? The mud that remains after its overflowings enriches the ground, which produces, without any trouble, a thousand times more than other countries do with all the labor that it costs to cultivate them. Hear what a poet, who was obliged to quit Egypt, addressed to the natives of that country: ‘Your Nile heaps riches on you every day; it is for you alone that it travels so far; alas! at leaving you, my tears will flow as abundantly as its waters; you will continue to enjoy its pleasures, whilst I, contrary to my inclinations, am condemned to deprive myself of them.’

“‘If,’ continued my father, ‘you cast your eyes on the island, which is formed by the two largest branches of the Nile, what a variety of verdure will gratify them! What a beautiful enamel of all kinds of flowers! What a prodigious quantity of cities, towns, canals, and a thousand other pleasing objects! If you turn on the other side, looking towards Ethiopia, how many different subjects for admiration! I can only compare the verdure of so many meadows, watered by the various canals in the island, to the brilliancy of emeralds set in silver. Is not Cairo the largest, the richest, the most populous city in the universe? How magnificent the edifices, as well private as public! If you go to the pyramids, you are lost in astonishment! you remain speechless at the sight of those enormous masses of stone, which lose their lofty summits in the clouds: you are forced to confess, that the Pharaohs, who employed so many men, and such immense riches in the construction of them, surpassed all the monarchs who have succeeded them, not only in Egypt, but over the whole world, in magnificence and invention, by leaving monuments so worthy of them. These monuments, which are so ancient, that the learned are at a loss to fix the period of their erection, still brave the ravages of time? and will remain for ages. I pass over in silence the maritime towns of the kingdom of Egypt, such as Damietta, Rosetta, and Alexandria, where so many nations traffic for various kinds of grain and stuffs, and a thousand other things for the comfort and pleasure of mankind. I speak of it from knowing the place; I spent some years of my youth there, which I shall ever esteem the happiest of my life.’

“My uncles had nothing to say in reply to my father, and agreed to all he had said about the Nile, Cairo, and the whole of the kingdom of Egypt. As for me, my imagination was so filled with it, that I could not sleep all night. A short time after, my uncles also evinced how much they had been struck with my father’s discourse. They all proposed to him to travel together into Egypt: he accepted the proposal, and, as they were rich merchants, they resolved to take with them such goods as they might dispose of with profit. I heard of their preparations for the journey, and I went to my father to entreat him, with tears in my eyes, to permit me to accompany them, and to allow me a stock of merchandise to sell on my own account. ‘You are too young,’ said he, ‘to undertake such a journey; the fatigue would be too much for you; besides which, I am persuaded you would be a loser by your bargains. This speech did not diminish my desire of travelling; I engaged my uncles to intercede for me with my father, and they at length obtained his permission, that I should go as far as Damascus, where they would leave me, whilst they continued their journey into Egypt. ‘The city of Damascus,’ said my father, ‘has its beauties; and he must be satisfied that I give him leave to go thus far.’ However strong my inclination was to see Egypt after the accounts I heard, I was obliged to relinquish the thought; for he was my father, and I submitted to his will.

“I set off from Moussoul with my father and my uncles. We traversed Mesopotamia, crossed the Euphrates, and arrived at Aleppo, where we remained a few days, and from thence proceeded to Damascus, the first appearance of which agreeably surprised me. We all lodged in the same khan. I here saw a large and well fortified city, populous, and inhabited by civilized people. We passed some days in visiting those delightful gardens, which adorn the suburbs, as we may see from this spot, and we agreed, that what was said of Damascus was true, that it was in the midst of Paradise. After staying some time, my uncles began to think of proceeding on their journey, having first taken care to dispose of my merchandize, which they did so advantageously, that I gained a profit of five per cent. This produced a considerable sum for me, the possession of which quite delighted me.

“My father and my uncles left me at Damascus, and continued their journey. After their departure, I was very careful not to spend my money in useless things. I, however, hired a magnificent house; it was built entirely of marble, and ornamented with paintings, and there was a garden attached, in which were some very fine mountains. I furnished it, not indeed so expensively as the magnificence of the place required, but at least sufficiently so for a young man of my condition. It had formerly belonged to one of the principal grandees of the city, named Modoun Abdaltaham, and it was then the property of a rich jeweller, to whom I paid only two scherifs [5] a month for the use of it. I had a numerous retinue of servants, and lived well. I sometimes invited my acquaintance to dine with me, and occasionally partook of entertainments at their houses; thus I passed my time at Damascus during the absence of my father. I had no passion to disturb my repose, and the society of agreeable people was my only pleasure and occupation.

“One day, when I was sitting at the door of my house, enjoying the fresh air, a lady very well dressed, and of a good figure, came towards me, and asked me if I did not sell stuffs; and saying this, walked into my house. When I saw she was gone in, I got up and shut the door, and ushered her into a room, where I entreated her to be seated. ‘Madam,’ said I, ‘I have had some stuffs, which were worthy of being shewn to you, but I have not any at present, for which I am extremely sorry.’ She took off the veil which concealed her face, and discovered to my eyes a countenance, the beauty of which made me experience sensations I had till then been a stranger to. ‘I do not want any stuffs,’ replied she, ‘I come to see you, and to pass the evening in your company if you do not disapprove it; I only require a slight collation.’

“Delighted with my good fortune, I immediately gave orders for my people to bring us several kinds of fruit, and some bottles of wine. We were served quickly, and we eat and drank, and regaled ourselves till midnight; in short, I had never passed a night so agreeably before. The next morning I was going to put ten scherifs into her hand; but she withdrew it quickly, and said, ‘I did not come to see you from interested motives; you wound my delicacy. Far from receiving money from you, I insist on your accepting some from me, otherwise I will never see you more.’ At the same time she took ten scherifs out of her purse, and forced me to accept them. ‘Expect me in three days,’ said she, ‘after the sun is set.’ She then took her leave, and I felt that she carried away my heart with her.

“At the expiration of three days, she did not fail to return at the appointed hour, and I received her with the joy of a man who impatiently expected her. We passed the evening and night as we had the former one, and the next day, when she left me, she again promised to return in three days, but would not depart till she had obliged me as before to take ten scherifs.

“Having returned the third time, and being both heated with wine, she said to me, ‘My dear love, what do you think of me? Am I not handsome and pleasing?’--‘Madam,’ replied I, ‘these questions, I think, are very useless; all the proofs of affection I give you, ought to convince you I love you; I am enchanted to see and possess you; you are my queen, my sultana; you form the sole happiness of my life.’--‘Ah!’ resumed she, ‘I am sure you would change your tone, if you were to see a lady of my acquaintance, who is younger and handsomer than I am; she has such lively spirits, that she would make the most melancholy laugh. I must bring her to you; I have spoken to her about you, and from what I said, she is dying with impatience to see you. She begged me to procure her this gratification, but I did not dare to comply with her request, till I had mentioned it to you.’--‘Madam,’ said I, ‘you will do as you please; but say what you will about your friend, I defy all her attractions to have any power over my heart, which is so devotedly yours, that nothing can ever alter my attachment.’--‘Take care,’ replied she, ‘I warn you, that I am going to put your heart to a great trial.’

“The subject was then dropped, and the following morning at her departure, instead of ten scherifs she gave me fifteen, which she obliged me to accept. ‘Remember,’ said she, ‘that in two days you will have a new guest; prepare to give her a good reception; we will come at the usual hour after sun-set.’

“I had the room ornamented, and prepared an elegant collation against the day that they were to come; I waited for them with great impatience, and they at length arrived towards the close of the evening. They both unveiled; and if I had been surprised with the beauty of the first, I had much more reason to be so with that of her friend. She had regular features, and perfectly formed; a glowing complexion, and eyes of such brilliancy, that I could scarcely sustain their lustre. I thanked her for the honour she conferred on me, and entreated her to excuse me, if I did not receive her in the style she deserved. ‘No compliments,’ said she, ‘I ought to bestow them on you, for having allowed me to accompany my friend hither; but as you are so good as to suffer me to remain, let us waive all ceremony, and think of nothing but amusing ourselves.’

“As I had given orders for the collation to be served as soon as the ladies arrived, we shortly sat down to table. I was opposite to my new guest, who did not cease to look and smile at me. I could not resist her winning glances, and she made herself mistress of my heart without any resistance. But while inspiring me with love, she felt the flame herself; and far from practising any restraint, she said a number of tender things to me.

“The other lady, who observed us, at first only laughed. ‘I told you,’ said she, addressing herself to me, ‘that you would be charmed with my friend, and I perceive you would have already violated the oath you made me to remain constant.’ ‘Madam,’ replied I, laughing as she had done, ‘you would have reason to complain, if I were remiss in politeness towards a lady whom you love, and have done me the honour to bring here; both of you would reproach me with not knowing how to perform the honours of my house.’

“We continued drinking, but in proportion as we became heated with wine, the new lady and I exchanged glances with so little precaution that her friend conceived a violent jealousy, of which she soon gave us a fatal proof. She got up and went out, saying, that she should soon return; but a few minutes after, the lady who had remained with me changed countenance; she fell into strong convulsions, and shortly after expired in my arms, whilst I was calling my servants to assist me in relieving her. I went out immediately, and inquired for the other lady; my people told me that she had opened the street door, and had gone away. I then began to suspect, and nothing could be more just than my suspicions, that she had occasioned the death of her friend. In fact, she had had the address and the wickedness to put a strong poison into the last cup, which she herself had presented to her.

“I was extremely afflicted at this accident. ‘What shall I do?’ said I to myself. ‘What will become of me?’ As I considered that I had no time to lose, I ordered my people to raise up, by the light of the moon, and as quietly as possible, one of the largest pieces of marble with which the court of my house was paved, and to dig a grave, where they interred the body of the young lady. After the marble was replaced, I put on a travelling dress, and taking all the money I was possessed of, I locked up every thing, even the door of my house, on which I put my own seal; I went to the jeweller, who was the proprietor, paid him what rent I was in his debt, and a year in advance besides; and giving him the key, begged him to keep it for me: ‘A very important affair,’ said I, ‘obliges me to be absent for some time; I am under the necessity of going to my uncle’s at Cairo.’ I then took my leave of him; instantly mounted my horse, and set off with my people, who were waiting for me.

“I had a good journey, and arrived at Cairo without any unpleasant interruption. I found my uncles, who were astonished to see me. I said to them, by way of excuse, that I was tired of waiting for them; and that, receiving no intelligence of them, my uneasiness had induced me to undertake the journey. They received me very kindly, and promised to intercede with my father, that he should not be displeased at my quitting Damascus, without his permission. I lodged in the same khan with them, and saw every thing that was worthy of attention in Cairo.

“As they had sold all their merchandize, they talked of returning to Moussoul, and were already beginning to make preparations for their departure; but as I had not seen all that I wished in Egypt, I left my uncles, and went to lodge in a quarter very distant from their khan, and did not make my appearance till they had set off. They sought me in the city for a considerable time; but not being able to find me, they supposed, that, touched with remorse at coming to Egypt against the will of my father, I had returned to Damascus without acquainting them, and they left Cairo in the hopes of meeting me there, where I could join them, and return home.