But, sir, said Scheherazade, observing that day began to appear, though the story I have how told you be agreeable, I have one that is even much more so. If your majesty will please to hear it the next night, I am certain you will be of the same mind. Schahriar rose without giving any answer, and was in a quandary what to do. The good sultaness, said he within himself, tells very long stories; and when once she begins one, there is no refusing to hear it out. I cannot tell whether I shall put her to death to-day or not. No, surely not, I will do nothing rashly: the story she promises is perhaps more diverting than those she has yet told, and I will not deprive myself of the pleasure of hearing it. Dinarzade did not fail to awake the sultaness of the Indies, who thus commenced her story.



THE STORY OF THE LITTLE HUNCH-BACK.



There was in former times at Casgar, upon the utmost borders of Tartary, a tailor who had a pretty wife, whom he ardently loved, and by whom he was loved in return. One day, as he sat at work, a little hunch-back my lord came and sat down at the shop-door, began singing, at same time playing upon a tabor. The tailor was pleased to hear him, and had a strong mind to take him to his house to make his wife merry: This little fellow, said he to his wife, will divert us both very agreeably. In fine, he invited my lord, who readily accepted of the invitation; the tailor then shut up his shop, and conducted him in. The little gentleman being arrived at the tailor's house, his wife covered the table, and they sat down to sup on a good large dish of fish; but as they ate heartily, the little crooked gentleman unluckily swallowed a large bone, of which he died in a few minutes, notwithstanding all the tailor and his wife could do to prevent it. Both were mightily frightened at the accident, especially as it happened in their house; and there was reason to fear, that if the justiciary magistrates should hear of it, they would be punished as assassins. The husband, however, found an expedient to get rid of the corpse: recollecting that there was a Jewish doctor who lived just by, he formed a project, to execute which, his wife and he took the corpse, the one by the feet and the other by the head, and carried it to the physician's house. They knocked at the door, from which ascended a steep pair of stairs to his chamber. As soon as they bad knocked, the servant-maid came down without any light; and, opening the door, asked what they wanted. Pr'ythee, go up again, said the tailor, and tell your master we have brought him a man that is very sick, and wants his advice. Here, putting a piece of money into her hand, give him that beforehand, to convince him that we have no mind to make him lose his labour. While the servant was gone up to acquaint her master with the welcome news, the tailor and his wife nimbly conveyed the hunch-backed corpse to the head of the stairs; and, leaving it there, ran off.

In the mean time, the maid, having told the doctor that a man and a woman staid for him at the door, desiring he would come down and look upon a sick man they had brought with them, and the maid clapping the money she had received into his hand, the doctor was transported with joy; being paid beforehand, he thought it was a good job, and should not be neglected. Light, light! cried he to the maid; follow me nimbly. However, without staying for the light, he got to the stair-head in such haste, that stumbling against the corps, he gave it such a kick, as made it tumble down quiite to the stair-foot, and with difficulty saved himself. A light, a light! cried he to the maid, quick, quick! at last the maid came with a light, and he went down stairs with her; but when he gav that the stumbling-block he had kicked down was a dead man, he was so frightened, that he invoked Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Esdras, and all the other prophets of his law. Unhappy man that I am! said he, what induced me to come down without a light? I have e'en made an end of the fellow who was brought to me to be cured? I am undoubtedly the cause of his death, and unless, Esras's ass[Footnote: Here the Arabian author ridicules the Jews: this ass is that which, as the Mahometans believe, Esdras rode upon when he came from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem.] comes to assist me, I nm ruined: mercy on me, they will be here instantly, and drag me from my house as a murderer! But, notwithstanding the perplexity and jeopardy he was in, he had the precaution to shut his door, lest any one passing by in the street should observe the mischance, of which he reckoned himself the author. He then took the corpse into his wife's chamber, upon which she swooned away. Alas! cried she, we are utterly ruined! undone! undone! unless we fall upon some expedient or other to turn the corpse out of our house this night! Beyond all question, if we harbour it till morning, our lives must pay for it. What a sad mischance is this! Why, how did you kill this man? That is not the question, replied the Jew; our business now is to find out a remedy for such a shocking accident. They then consulted together how to get rid of the corpse that night. The doctor racked his brain in vain; he could not think of any stratagem to get clear: but his wife, who was more fertile in invention, said, there is a thought come into my head; let us carry.the corpse to the leads of our house, and tumble it down the chimney into the house of the Mussulman, our next neighbour. This Mussulman, or Turk, was one of the sultan's purveyors for furnishing oil, butter, and all sorts of fat, tallow, &c. and had a magazine in his house, in which the rats and mice made prodigious havoe.

The Jewish doctor approving the proposed expedient, his wife and he took the little hunch-back up to the roof of the house; and, clapping ropes under his arm-pits, let him down the chimney into the purveyor's chamber so softly and dexterously, that he stood upright against the wall as if he had been alive. When they found he stood firm, they pulled up the ropes, and left the gentleman in that posture. They were scarcely got into their chamber, when the purveyor went into his, being just come from a wedding feast, with a lantern in his hand. He was mightily surprised, when, by the light of his lantern, he descried a man standing upright in his chimney; but being a stout man, and apprehending it was a thief or a robber, he took up a large cane; and, making straight up to the hunch-back, Ah, said he, I thought it was the rats and the mice that ate my butter and tallow! and it is you that come down the chimney to rob me, is it? I question if ever you come back again on the same errand? This said, he fell foul of the man, and gave him a good many swinging thwacks with his cane: upon which the corpse fell down, running its nose against the ground, and the purveyor redoubled his blows: but, observing that the body did not move, he stood to consider a little; when, perceiving it was a corpse, fear succeeded his anger. Wretched man that I am! said he; what have I done? I have killed a man! alas, I have carried my revenge too far! good God, unless thou pityest me, my life is gone! Cursed, ten thousand times accursed, be the fat and the oil that gave occasion to the commission of so criminal an action. In fine, he stood pale and thunder-struck; he thought he saw the officers already come to drag him to condign punishment, and could not think what resolution to take.

The sultan of Casgar's purveyor did not observe the little gentleman's hunch when he was beating him, but as soon as he did, he threw out a thousand imprecations against him. Ah, you crooked hunch-back! cried he; would to God you had robbed me of all my fat, and I had not found you here! had it been so, I would not have been now so much perplexed for the sake of you and your nasty hunch. Oh! the stars that twinkle in the heavens give light to none but me in this dangerous Juncture! As soon as he had uttered these words, he took the little crooked corpse upon his shoulders, and carried it out of doors to the end of the street, where he set it upright against a shop, and then trudged home again without looking behind him.

A few minutes before the break of day, a Christian merchant, who was very rich, and furnished the sultan's palace with most things it wanted; this merchant, having sat up all night debauching, stepped out of his house to go to bathe. Though he was drunk, he was sensible that the night was far spent, and that the people would quickly be called to the morning prayers, which begin at break of day; he therefore quickened his pace to get in time to the bath, lest a Turk, meeting him in his way to the mosque, should carry him to prison for a drunkard. When he came to the end of the street, he stopped on some necessary occasion, and leaned against the shop where the sultan's purveyor had put the hunch-backed corpse; but the corpse being jostled, tumbled upon the merchant's back. The merchant thinking it was a robber that came to attack him, knocked him down with a hearty box on the ear, and, after redoubling his blows, cried out, Thieves! The outcry alarmed the watch, who came up immediately; and finding a Christian beating a Turk, (for crump-back was of our religion), What reason have you, said he, to abuse a Mussulman after this rate? He would have robbed me, replied the merchant, and jumped upon my back with intent to take me by the throat. If he did, said the watch, you have revenged yourself sufficiently; come, get off him. At the same time he stretched out his hand to help little crump-back up: but observing that he was dead, Ah! hey-day! said he, is it thus that a Christian dares to assassinate a Mussulman? So he laid hold of the Christian, and carried him to the sheriff's house, where he was kept till the judge was up, and ready to examine him. In the mean time, the Christian merchant grew sober, and the more he reflected upon his adventure, the less could he conceive how such single fisty-cuffs could kill the man. The judge having heard the report of the watch, and viewed the corpse, which they had taken care to bring to his house, interrogated the Christian merchant, who could not deny the crime, though he had not committed it. But the judge considering that little crump-back belonged to the sultan, (for he was one of his buffoons) would not put the Christian to death till he knew the sultan's pleasure. For this end he went to the palace, and acquainted the sultan with what had happened, and received from him this answer, I have no mercy to show to a Christian, who kills a Mussulman; go do your office. Upon this the judge ordered a gibbet to be erected, and sent criers all over the city to proclaim that they were about to hang a Christian for killing a Mussulman.

In fine, the merchant was brought out of gaol to the foot of the gallows; and the hangman, having put the rope about his neck, was going to throw him off, when the sultan's purveyor pushed through die crowd, made up to the gibbet, calling to the hangman to stop, for that the Christian had not committed the murder, but himself. The sheriff who attended the execution immediately put interrogatories to the purveyor, who told him every circumstance of his killing the little crump-back, and conveying his corpse to the place where the merchant found him. You were about, added he, to put to death an innocent person; for how can he be guilty of the death of a man who was dead before he saw him? My burden is sufficient in having killed a Turk, without loading my conscience with the additional charge of the death of a Christian who is not guilty.

The sultan of Casgar's purveyor having publicly charged himself with the death of the little hunch-backed man, the sheriff could not avoid doing justice to the merchant. Let the Christian go, said he, and hang this man in his room, since it appears by his own confession that he is guilty. Whereupon the hangman released the merchant, and clapped the rope round the purveyor's neck; but just as he was going to pull him up, he heard the voice of the Jewish doctor, earnestly entreating him to suspend the execution, and make room for him to throw himself at the foot of the gallows. When he appeared before the judge, My lord, said he, this Mussulman you are going to hang is not guilty: the crime rests with me. Last night a man and a woman, unknown to me, came to my house with a sick man they had brought along with them; and knocking at my door, my maid went and opened it without a light, and received from them a piece of money, with a commission to come and desire me, in their names, to step down and look upon the sick person. While she was delivering her message to me, they conveyed the sick person to the stair-head, and then disappeared. I went down, without staying for my servant to light a candle, and in the dark happened to stumble upon the sick person, and kicked him down stairs. In fine, I saw he was dead, and that it was the crooked Mussulman, whose death you are now about to avenge. So my wife and I took the corpse, and, after conveying it up to the leads of our house, moved it to the roof of the purveyor's house, our next neighbour, and let it down the chimney into the chamber. The purveyor, finding it in his house, took the little man for a thief, and, after beating him, concluded he had killed him; but that it was not so, you will be convinced by this my deposition; so that I am the only author of the murder: and though it was committed undesignedly, I have resolved to expiate my crime by keeping clear of the charge of the death of two Mussulmen, and hinder you from executing the sultan's purveyor, whose innocence I have now revealed. So pray dismiss him, and put me in his place, for I alone am the cause of the death of the little man.

The chief justice being persuaded that the Jewish doctor was the murderer, gave orders to the executioner to seize him, and release the purveyor. Accordingly the doctor was just going to be hung up, when the tailor appeared, crying to the executioner to hold his hand, and make room for him, that he might come and make his confession to the lord justice; which being done, My lord, said he to the judge, you have narrowly escaped taking away the lives of three innocent persons, but if you will have patience to hear me, I will discover to you the real murderer of the crook-backed man. If his death is to be expiated by another, that must be mine. Yesterday evening, as I was at work in my shop, and pretty merry, the little hunch-back came to my door half drunk, and sat down before it. He began to sing, so I invited him to pass the evening at my house. Accordingly, he accepted of the invitation, and went with me. We sat down to supper, and I gave him a plate of fish; but, in eating, a bone stuck in his throat; and though my wife and I did our utmost to relieve him, he died in a few minutes. His death affected us extremely; and from fear of being charged with it, we carried the corpse to the Jewish doctor's house, and knocked at the door. The maid coming down and opening it, I desired her to go up forthwith, and ask her master to come down and give his advice to a sick person that we had brought along with us; and withal, to encourage him, I charged her to give him a piece of money, which I put into her hand. When she was gone up, I carried hunch-back up stairs, laid him upon the uppermost step, and then my wife and I made the best of our way home. The doctor, in coming down, kicked the corpse down stairs, and thereupon he supposed himself to be the author of his death. Now, this being the case, continued he, release the doctor, and let me die in his room.

The chief justice, and all the spectators, could not sufficiently admire the strange emergencies that ensued upon the death of the little crooked gentleman. Let the Jewish doctor go, said the judge, and hang up the tailor, since he confesses the crime. It is certain this history is very uncommon, and deserves to be recorded in letters of gold. The executioner having dismissed the doctor, made every thing ready to tie up the tailor. While the executioner was making ready to hang up the tailor, the sultan of Casgar, wanting the company of his crooked jester, asked where he was. One of his officers answered, The hunch-back, sir, whom you inquire after, got drunk last night, and, contrary to his custom, slipped out of the palace, went a sauntering into the city, and was this morning found dead. A man was brought before the chief justice, and charged with the murder of him; but as he was going to be hanged, up came a man, and after him another, who took the charge upon themselves, and cleared each other. The examination has continued a long while, and the judge is now interrogating a third man who avows himself the real author of the murder.

Upon this intelligence, the sultan of Casgar sent a hussar to the place of execution. Go, said he to the messenger, make all the haste you can, bring the arraigned persons before me immediately, with the corpse of poor crump-back, that I may see him once more. Accordingly the hussar went, and happened to arrive at the place of execution at the time when the executioner was going to tie up the tailor. He cried aloud to the executioner to suspend the execution. The hangman, knowing the hussar, did not dare to proceed, but untied the tailor; and then the hussar acquainted the judge with the sultan's pleasure. The judge obeyed, and went straight to the palace, accompanied by the tailor, the Jewish doctor, and the Christian merchant; causing four of his men to carry the hunch corpse along with him. The judge, on appearing before the sultan, threw himself at the prince's feet, and, after recovering himself, gave him a faithful relation of what he knew of the story of the crump-backed man. The sultan found the story so uncommon, that he ordered his private historians to write it with all its circumstances. Then addressing himself to the audience, Did you ever hear, said he, such a surprising story as has happened on account of my little crooked buffoon? The Christian merchant then, after falling down, and saluting the earth with his forehead, spoke in the following manner: Most puisant monarch, said he, I know a story even more astonishing than that you have now spoken off; and if your majesty will give me leave, I will tell it you. The circumstances are such, that nobody can hear them without being moved. Well, said the sultan, I give you leave; and the merchant went on as follows.



THE STORY TOLD BY THE CHRISTIAN MERCHANT.



Sir, before I commence the recital of the story you have allowed me to tell, I beg leave to acquaint you, that I have not the honour to be born in a place that pertains to your majesty's empire. I am a stranger, born at Cairo in Egypt, one of the Coptic nations, and a professor of the Christian religion: my father was a broker, and got a good estate, which he left me at his death: I followed his example, and took up the same employment. One day at Cairo, as I was standing in the public resort for the corn-merchants, there came up to me a handsome young man, well clad, and mounted upon an ass. He saluted me, and pulling out his handkerchief, where he had a sample of sesame and Turkey corn, asked me what a bushel of such sesame would fetch? I examined the corn which the young man showed me, and told him it was worth a hundred drams of silver per bushel. 'Pray, said he, look out for some merchant to take it at that price, and come to me at the Victory-gate, where you will see a hut at a distance from the houses.' He then left me, and I showed the sample to several merchants, who told me they would take as much as I could spare at an hundred and ten drams per bushel; so that I made an account to get ten drams per bushel for my brokerage. Full of the expectation of this profit, I went forthwith to the Victory-gate, where I found the young merchant waiting for me, and he carried me into his granary, which was full of sesame. He had an hundred and fifty bushels of it, which I measured out, and, having carried them off upon asses, sold them for five thousand drams of silver. Now, out of this sum, said the young man, five hundred drams fall to you, at the rate of ten drams per bushel. I order you to take it, and apply it to your own use; and as for the rest, which is mine, do you take it out of the merchant's hand, and keep it till I call for it, as I nave no occasion for it at present. I made answer, that it should be ready for him whenever he pleased; and so took leave of him, with a grateful sense of his generosity.

In a month after, he came and asked for his four thousand five hundred drams of silver. I told him they were ready, and should be told down to him in a minute: he was mounted on his ass;, so I desired him to alight, and do me the honour to eat a mouthful with me before he received his money. No, said he, I cannot alight at present; I have urgent business that obliges me to be at a place hard by here; but I will return this way, and take the money, which I desire you would have in readiness. This said, he disappeared; and I still expected his return, but it was a full month before he came again. I thought with myself, the young man reposes a great trust in me, leaving so great a sum in my hands without knowing me; another would have been afraid lest I should have run away with it. To be short, he came again at the end of the third month, and was still mounted on his ass, but finer in his clothes than before. As soon as I saw him, I entreated him to alight, and asked him if he would not take his money? It is no matter for that, said he, with a pleasant easy air, I know it is in good hands; I will come and take it when all my other money is gone: adieu, continued he, I will come again towards the latter end of the week. He then clapped spurs to his ass, and away he went. Well, thought I to myself, he says he will see me towards the latter end of the week, but it is likely I may not see him for a great while; will go and make the most of his money, and get a good penny by it.

As it happened, I was not out of my conjecture, for it was a full year before I saw my young merchant again. Then he appeared indeed with richer apparel than before, but very thoughtful. I asked him to do me the honour to walk into my house: for this time, replied he, I will go in; but upon this condition, that you shall put yourself to no extraordinary charge upon my account. That shall be as you please, said I; only do me the favour to alight and walk in. He accordingly complied, and I gave orders for some sort of entertainment; and, while that was getting ready we fell into discourse together. When the victuals were got ready, we sat down at table. When he ate the first mouthful, I observed he fed himself with the left hand, and not with the right; I could not tell what to think of it; I thought within myself, ever since I knew this young man, he always appeared very polite: is it possible he can do this out of contempt? What can the matter be that he does not make use of his right hand? After we had done eating, and every thing was taken away, we sat down upon a sofa, when I presented him with a lozenge that was excellent for giving a sweet breath, but he still took it with his left hand. Then I accosted him in this manner: Sir, pray pardon the liberty I take in asking you what reason you have for not making use of your right hand; it is likely you have some disorder in that hand. Instead of answering, he fetched a deep sigh, and pulling out his right arm, which he had hitherto kept under his garment, showed me, to my great astonishment, that his hand had been cut off. Doubtless you were alarmed, said he, to see me feed myself with the left hand; but I leave you to judge whether it was in my power to do otherwise. May one ask you; said I, by what mischance it was that you lost your right hand? Upon that he fell into tears, and, after wiping his eyes, gave me the following relation.

You must know, said he, that I am a native of Bagdad, the son of a rich father, the most noted man in that city both for quality and riches. I had scarcely launched into the world, when falling into the company of travellers, and hearing wonders told of Egypt, especially of Grand Cairo, I was moved by their discourse, and took a longing desire to travel thither; but my father was then alive, and had not given me leave. In fine, he died, and thereupon, being my own master, I resolved to take a journey to Cairo. I laid out a large sum of money upon several sorts of fine stuffs of Bagdad and Moussol, and then undertook my journey.

Arriving at Cairo, I went to the khan called the khan of Mesrour, and there took lodgings, with a warehouse for my bales, which I brought along upon camels: this done, I retired to my chamber to rest myself after the fatigue of my journey, after ordering my servants to buy some provisions, and dress them; After I had eaten, I went and saw the castle, some mosques, public places, and other things that were curious. Next day I dressed myself handsomely, and ordered some of the finest and richest of my bales to be selected, and carried by my slaves to the Circassian bezestein [Footnote: A bezestcin is a public place, where silk; stuffs and other precious things are exposed to sale.], whither I went myself. I no sooner got thither than I was surrounded by brokers and criers who had heard of my arrival. I gave patterns of my stuffs to several of the criers, who carried and showed them all over the bezestein; but none of the merchants offered nearly so much as prime cost and carriage. This vexed me, and the criers observing I was dissatisfied, If you will take our advice, said they, we will put you in a way of selling your stuffs without losing by them. The brokers and criers having thus promised to put me in a way of losing nothing by my goods, I asked them what course they would have me take? Divide your goods, said they, among several merchants, and they will sell them by retail; and twice a week, that is, on Mondays and Tuesdays, you may receive what money they take: by this means you will gain instead of losing, and the merchants will gain by you: in the mean time, you will have time to take your pleasure, and walk up and down the town, or to go upon the Nile. I took their advice, and carried them to my warehouse, from whence I brought all my goods to the bezestein, and divided them among the merchants, whom they represented as most reputable and able to pay: the merchants gave me a formal receipt before witnesses, stipulating withal that I should not make any demands upon them for the first month.

Having thus regulated my affairs, my mind was taken up with other sort of things than ordinary pleasures. I contracted friendship with divers persons of almost the same age with myself, who took care I did not want company. The first month expired, I began to visit my merchants twice a week, taking along with me a public officer to inspect their books of sale, and a banker to see they paid me in good money, as well as to regulate the value of the several species; so that every pay-day I had a good sum of money to carry home to my lodging. I went nevertheless on the other days to pass the morning, sometimes at a merchant's house, and sometimes at some other person's. In fine, I diverted myself in conversing with one or other, and seeing what passed in the bezestein.

One Monday, as I sat in the shop of a merchant whose name was Bedreddin, a lady of quality, as one might easily perceive by her air, her habit, and her being attended by a female slave in neat clothes, came into the shop, and sat down by me: her external appearance, joined to a natural grace that shone through all she did, inspired me with a longing desire to know her better. I was at a loss to know whether she observed that I took pleasure in gazing upon her, but she tucked up the crape that hung down over the muslin which covered her face, and gave me an opportunity of seeing her large black eyes, which perfectly charmed me. In fine, she screwed my love to its height by the agreeable sound of her voice, her genteel graceful carriage in saluting the merchant, and asking him how he did since she saw him last. After entertaining him some time upon indifferent things, she informed him that she wanted a sort of stuff with a ground of gold; that he came to his shop as affording the best choice of any in all the bezestein, and if he had what she asked for, he would oblige her by showing them. Bedreddin showed her several pieces, one of which she pitched upon, and he asked for it eleven hundred drams of silver. I agree, said she, to give you so much, but I have not money enough about me, so I hope you will give me credit till to-morrow, and in the mean time allow me to carry off the stuff. I shall not fail, added she, to send you to-morrow the eleven hundred drams I agreed for. Madam, said Bedreddin, I would give you credit with all my heart, and allow you to carry off the stuff, if it were mine, but it belongs to that young man you see here, and this is the day on which we state our accounts. Why, said the lady in a surprise, why do you offer to use me so? Am not I a customer to your shop? and as often as I have bought of you, and carried home the things without paying ready money for them, did I ever fail to send you your money next morning? Madam, said the merchant, it is true, but this very day I have occasion for money. There, said she, throwing the piece at him, take your stuff; may God confound you and all other merchants: you are all of you of one kidney; you respect nobody. She then rose up in a passion, and walked out.

When I saw that the lady walked off, I found in my breast a great concern for her; so I called her back, saying, Madam, do me the favour to return; perhaps I can find a way to content you both. In fine, back she came, saying, it was for the love of me that she complied. Mr Bedreddin, said I to the merchant, what do you say, you must have for this stuff that belongs to me? I must have eleven hundred drams; I cannot take less. Give it to the lady then, said I, let her take it home with her; I allow a hundred drams profit to yourself, and shall now write you a note, empowering you to discount that sum upon the other goods you have of mine. In fine, I wrote, signed, and delivered the note, and then handed the stuff to the lady: Madam said I, you may take the stuff with you, and as for the money, you may either send it to-morrow or next day; or, if you will, accept the stuff as a present from me. I beg your pardon, sir, said she, I mean nothing of that; you use me so very civilly and obligingly, that I ought never to show my face in the world again, if I did not show my gratitude to you. May God reward you in enlarging your fortune; may you live many years when I am dead; may the gate of heaven be opened to you when you remove to the other world, and may all the city proclaim your generosity.

These words inspired me with some assurance: Madam, said I, I desire no other reward for any service I have done to you than the happiness of seeing your face; that will repay me with interest. I had no sooner spoken than she turned towards me, took off the muslin that covered her face, and discovered to my eyes a killing beauty. I was so struck with the surprising sight, that I could not express my thoughts to her. I could have looked upon her for ever without being cloyed; but fearing any one should take notice, she quickly covered her face, and pulling down the crape, took up the piece of stuff, and went away, leaving me in a quite different sort of temper from what I was in when I came to the shop. I continued for some time in great disorder and perplexity. Before I took leave of the merchant, I asked him if he knew the lady? Yes, said he, she is the daughter of an emir, who left her an immense fortune at his death.

I went home, and sat down to supper, but could not eat, neither could I shut my eyes during the night; I thought it the longest night in my lifetime. As soon as it was day, I got up in hopes to see once more the object that disturbed my repose; and, to engage her affection, I dressed myself yet more nicely than I had done the day before. I had but just got to Bedreddin's shop, when I saw the lady coming in more magnificent apparel than before, and attended by her slave. When she came in, she did not regard the merchant; but, addressing herself to me, Sir, said she, you see I am punctual to my word. I am come on purpose to pay the sum you were so kind as to pass your word for yesterday, though you had no knowledge of me: such an uncommon piece of generosity I shall never forget. Madam, said I, you had no occasion to be so hasty; I was well satisfied as to my money, and am sorry you should put yourself to so much trouble about it. I had been very unjust, answered she, if I had abused your generosity. With these words, she put the money into my hand, and sat down by me.

Having this opportunity of conversing with her, I made the best use of it, and mentioned to her the love I had for her; but she rose and left me very abruptly, as if she had been angry with the declaration I had made. I followed her with my eyes as long as she was in sight; and as soon as she was out of sight, I took leave of the merchant, and walked out of the bezestein, without knowing where I went. I was musing upon this adventure, when I felt somebody pulling me behind, and turning about to see who it was, I had the agreeable surprise to perceive it was the lady's slave. My mistress, said the slave, I mean the young lady you just spoke with in the merchant's shop, wants to speak one word with you; so if you please to give yourself the trouble to follow me, I will conduct you. Accordingly I followed her, and found my mistress staying for me in a banker's shop. She made me sit down by her, and spoke to this purpose; Dear sir, said she, do not be surprised that I left you so abruptly: I thought it not proper, before that merchant, to give a favourable answer to the discovery you made of your affection for me. But to speak the truth, I was so far from being offended at it, that I was pleased when I heard it; and I account myself infinitely happy in having a man of true merit for my lover. I do not know what impression the first sight of me could make upon you; but I assure you that I no sooner saw you than I had tender thoughts of you. Since yesterday I have thought only of what you said to me; and the haste I made to come and find you out this morning may convince you that I have no small regard for you. Madam, said I, transported with love and joy, nothing can be more agreeable to me than what I now hear; no passion can be greater than that with which I love you; since the happy moment I cast my eyes upon you, my eyes were dazzled with so many charms, that my heart yielded without resistance. Do not let us trifle away the time in needless discourse, said she, interrupting me: I make no doubt of your sincerity, and you shall quickly be convinced of mine. Will you do me the honour to come to my home? or, if you will, I will come to yours. Madam, said I, I am a stranger, lodging in a khan, which is not a proper place for the reception of a lady of your quality and merit. It is more proper, madam, for me to come to you at your home, if you will please to tell me where it is. The lady complying with this desire, I live, said she, in Devotion-street; come next Friday after noon prayers, and ask for the house of Abbon Schamam, surnamed Bercount, late master of the emirs; there you will find me. This said, we parted, and I passed the next day in great impatience.

On Friday I got up betimes, and put on my best clothes, with fifty pieces of gold in my pocket: thus prepared, I mounted an ass, which I had bespoken the day before, and set out, accompanied by the man that lent me the ass. When we came to Devotion-street, I directed the owner of the ass to inquire for the house I wanted: he accordingly inquired, and conducted me to it. I paid him liberally, and sent him back directing him to observe narrowly where he left me, and not to fail to come back with the ass to-morrow morning to carry me back again.

I knocked at the door, and presently two little girl slaves, white as snow, and neatly dressed, came and opened it. Be pleased to come in, sir, said they, our mistress expects you impatiently; for two days she has spoken of nothing but you. I entered the court, and saw a great pavilion raised upon seven steps, and surrounded with iron rails that parted it from a very pleasant garden. Besides the trees which embellished the prospect, and formed an agreeable shade, there was an infinite number of other trees loaded with all manner of fruit. I was charmed with the warbling of a great number of birds, which joined their notes to the murmurings of a very high water-work in the middle of a ground-plot enamelled with flowers. This water- work was a very agreeable sight; four large gilded dragons adorned the angles of the bason, which was of a square form; and these dragons spouted out water clearer than rock crystal. This delicious place gave me a charming idea of the conquest I had made. The two little slaves conducted me into a parlour magnificently furnished, and while one of them went to acquaint her mistress with my arrival, the other tarried behind, and pointed out to me the ornaments of the hall.

I did not tarry long in the hall, said the young man of Bagdad, ere the lady I loved appeared, adorned with pearls and diamonds; but the splendour of her eyes did far outshine that of her jewels. Her shape, which was not now disguised by the habit usual in the streets, was extremely fine and charming. I need not mention with what joy we received one another; it leaves all expression far behind it: I shall only tell you, that when the first compliments were over, we sat both down upon a sofa, and there entertained one another with all imaginable satisfaction. After that, we had the most delicious messes served up to us, and, after eating, continued our discourse till night. At night we had excellent wine brought up, and such fruit as is apt to promote drinking, and timed our cups to the sound of musical instruments joined to the voices of the slaves. The lady of the house sung herself, and by her songs screwed up my passion to the height. In fine, I passed the night in the full enjoyment of all manner of pleasure.

Next morning I slipped under the bolster of the bed the purse with the fifty pieces of gold I had brought with me, and took leave of the lady, who asked me when I would see her again? Madam, said I, I give you my promise to return this night. She seemed transported with my answer, and, conducting me to the door, conjured me, at parting, to be mindful of my promise. The same man that had carried me thither waited for me with his ass to carry me home again; so I mounted the ass, and went straight home, ordering the man to come to me again in the afternoon at a certain hour; to secure which, I would not pay him till the time came. As soon as I arrived at my lodging, my first care was to order my folks to buy a good lamb and several sorts of cakes, which I sent by a porter as a present to the lady. When that was done, I minded my serious affairs till the owner of the ass came; then I went along with him to the lady's house, and was received by her with as much joy as before, and entertained with equal magnificence.

Next morning I took leave, and left her another purse with fifty pieces of gold. I continued to visit the lady every day, and to leave her every time a purse of fifty pieces of gold, till the merchants whom I employed to sell my cloth, and whom I visited regularly twice a week, owed me nothing: In this way I became moneyless, and even hopeless of having any more.

In this desperate condition I walked out of my lodging, not knowing what course to take, and by chance steered towards the castle, where there was a great crowd of people, to see the sultan of Egypt. As soon as I came up to them, I wedged in among the crowd, and by chance happened to stand by a cavalier well mounted and handsomely clothed, who had upon the bow of his saddle a bag half open, with a string of green silk hanging out of it, I clapped my hand into the bag, concluding the silk- twist might be the string of a purse within the bag: in the mean time, a porter, with a load of wood upon his back, passed by the other side of the horse, so near, that the gentleman on horse-* back was forced to turn his head towards him to avoid being rubbed by the wood. In that very moment did the devil tempt me; I took the string in one hand, and with the other laid open the mouth of the bag, and pulled out the purse so dexterously that nobody perceived it. The purse was heavy, therefore I did not doubt that there was gold or silver in it. As soon as the porter had passed, the cavalier, who probably had some suspicion of what I had done while his head was turned, presently put his hand to his bag, and, finding his purse gone, gave me such a blow as knocked me down. This violence shocked all who saw it; some took hold of the horse's bridle to stop the gentleman, and inquire what reason he had to beat me, or how he came to treat a Mussulman after that rate. Do not you trouble yourselves, said he, with a brisk tone; I had reason enough for what I did; this fellow is a thief. In fine, every one took my part, cried he was a liar, and that it was incredible a young man like me should be guilty of so foul an action: but while they were holding his horse by the bridle to favour my escape, unfortunately came by the justiciary judge, who, seeing such a crowd about the gentleman on horseback and me, came up and asked what the matter was? Everybody reflected on the gentleman for treating me so unjustly upon pretence of robbery. The judge did not give ear to all that was said in my behalf, but asked the cayalier if he suspected anybody else besides me? The cavalier told him he did not, and gave his reasons why he believed his suspicion not to be groundless. Upon this, the judge ordered his followers to seize and search me, which they presently did; and finding the purse upon me, exposed it to the view of all the people. The shame was so great, that I could not bear it, but swooned away; and in the meantime the judge called for the purse. When he had got the purse in his hand, he asked the horseman if it was his, and how much money was in it? The cavalier knew it to be his own, and assured the judge he had put twenty sequins into it. Upon that the judge called me before him; Come, young man, said he, confess the truth. Was it you that took the gentleman's purse from him? Do not put yourself to the trouble of torture to extort confession. Then I looked down with my eyes, thinking within myself, that if I denied the fact, they, finding the purse about me, would convict me of a lie; so, to avoid a double punishment, I looked up, and confessed the fact. I had no sooner made this confession than the judge called people to witness it, and ordered my hand to be cut off. This hard sentence was put in execution immediately upon the spot, to the great regret of all the spectators; nay, I observed by the cavalier's countenance, that he was moved with pity as much as the rest. The judge likewise would have ordered my foot to be cut off, but I begged the cavalier to intercede for my pardon, which he did, and obtained it. The judge being gone, the cavalier came up to me, and holding out the purse, I see plainly, said he, that necessity put you upon an action so disgraceful, and so unworthy of such a handsome young man as you are. Here, take that fatal purse, I freely give it you, and am heartily sorry for the misfortune you have undergone. He then went away; and I being very weak, by reason of the loss of blood, some of the good people that lived that way had the kindness to carry me into one of their houses, and gave me a glass of wine; they likewise dressed my arm, and wrapped up the dismembered hand in a cloth.

If I had returned to the khan where I lodged, I should not have found such relief as I wanted; and to offer to go to the young lady's was running a great hazard, it being likely she would not look upon me after such an infamous thing had befallen me. I resolved, however, to put it to the trial; and, to tire out the crowd that followed me, I turned down several by-streets, and at last arrived at my lady's, very weak, and so much fatigued, that I presently threw myself down upon a sofa, keeping my right arm under my coat, for I took great care to conceal my misfortune.

The lady hearing of my arrival, and that I was not well, came to me in all haste: My dear soul, said she, what is the matter with you? Madam, said I, I have got a violent pain in my head. The lady seemed to be mightily afflicted with my pretended illness, and asked me to sit down, for I had got up to receive her. Tell me, said she, how your illness came; the last time I had the pleasure of seeing you, you was very well; there must be something else that you conceal from me; pray, let me know what it is. I stood silent, and, instead of an answer, tears trickled down my cheeks. I cannot conceive, said she, what it is that afflicts you. Have I given you any occasion to be uneasy? or do you come on purpose to tell me you do not love me? It is not that, madam, said I, fetching a deep sigh; your unjust suspicion is an addition to my evil. Still I could not think of discovering to her the true cause. When night came, supper was brought, and she pressed me to eat; but considering I could only feed myself with my left hand, I begged to be excused upon the plea of having no stomach. Your stomach will come to you, said she, if you would but discover what you so obstinately hide from me. Your inappetency, without doubt, is only owing to the aversion you have to a discovery. Alas! madam, said I, I find I must discover at last. I had no sooner spoken these words than she filled me a cup of wine: Drink that, said she, it will give you assurance. So I reached out my left hand, and took the cup. As soon as I took it, I redoubled my tears and sighs. Why do you sigh and cry so bitterly? said the lady; and why do you take the cup with your left hand instead of your right? Ah, madam, said I, excuse me, I beseech you, I have got a swelling in my right hand. Let me see that swelling, said she; I will open it. I desired to be excused upon that head, alleging the tumour was not ripe enough for opening; and drank the cupful, which was very large. In fine, the steams of the wine, joined to my weakness and weariness, set me asleep, and I slept very sound till next morning. In the mean time, the lady, curious to know what ailment I had in my right hand, lifted up my coat that covered it, and saw, to her great astonishment, that it was cut off, and that I had brought it along with me wrapt in a cloth. She presently apprehended my reason for declining a discovery, notwithstanding all the pressing instances she made, and passed the whole night in the greatest uneasiness upon my disgrace, which she concluded had been occasioned by the love I bore to her.

When I awaked, I observed by her countenance that she was extremely grieved. That she might not, however, increase my uneasiness, she said not one word. She called for jelly broth of fowl, which she had ordered to be got ready, and made me eat and drink to recruit my strength. After that, I offered to take leave of her, but she declared I should not go out of her doors; though you tell me nothing of the matter, said she, I am persuaded I am the cause of the misfortune that has befallen you: the grief that I feel upon that score will quickly make an end of me; but, before I die, I must do one thing that is designed for your advantage. She had no sooner said these words, than she called for a public notary and witnesses, and ordered a writing to be drawn up, conveying to me her whole estate. After this was done, and the men despatched, she opened a large trunk, where lay all the purses I had given her from the commencement of our amours. There are they all entire, said she; I have not touched one of them: here, take the key, the trunk is yours. After I had returned her thanks for her generosity and bounty, What I do for you, said she, is nothing at all; I shall not be satisfied unless I die, to show how much I love you. I conjured her, by all the powers of love, to drop such a fatal resolution; but all my remonstrances were ineffectual: she was so afflicted to see me have but one hand, that she sickened and died, after five or six weeks' illness. After mourning for her death as long as was decent, I took possession of her estate, a particular account of which she gave me before she died; and the corn you sold for me was part of it.

What I have now told you will induce you to excuse me for eating with my left hand. I am greatly obliged to you for the trouble you have given yourself on my account. I can never make sufficient acknowledgment of your fidelity. Since God has still given me a competent estate, notwithstanding I have spent a great deal, I beg you to accept of the sum now in your hand as a present from me. Over and above this, I have a proposal to make to you, which is this: for as much as, by reason of this fatal accident, I am obliged to depart from Cairo, I am resolved never to see it more. So, if you please to accompany me, we shall trade together as equal partners, and divide the profits.

I thanked the young man, said, the Christian merchant, for the present he made me; and as to the proposal of travelling with him, I willingly embraced it, assuring him that his interest should always be as dear to me as my own. We accordingly get a day for our departure, and set out upon our travels. We passed through Syria and Mesopotamia, travelled all over Persia, and, after stopping at several cities, came at last, sir, to your metropolis. Some time after our arrival in this place, the young man having formed a design of returning to Persia, and settling there, we settled our accounts, and parted very good friends; so he went from hence, and I continue here at your majesty's service. This, sir, is the story I had to tell you: does not your majesty find it yet more surprising than that of the crooked buffoon?

The sultan of Casgar fell into a passion against the Christian merchant: you are very bold, said he, to tell me a story so little worth my hearing, and then to compare it with that of my jester. Can you flatter yourself so far as to believe that the trifling adventures of a young rake can make such an impression upon me as those of my jester? Well, I am resolved to hang you all four to revenge his death.

This said, the purveyor fell down at the sultan's feet. Sir, said he, I humbly beseech your majesty to suspend your just wrath, and hear my story; and if my story appears to your majesty to be prettier than that of your jester, to pardon us all four. The sultan having granted his request, the purveyor began his story.



THE STORY TOLD BY THE SULTAN OF CASGAR'S PURVEYOR.



Sir, a person of quality invited me yesterday to his daughter's wedding; I went accordingly to his house at the hour appointed, and found there a large company of doctors, ministers of justice, and others of the best quality in the city. After the ceremony was over, we had a splendid treat; and, among other things set upon the table, there was a course with garlic sauce, which was very delicious and palatable to everybody; but we observed that one of the guests did not touch it, though it stood just before him, and thereupon we invited him to do as we did: he conjured us, however, not to press him upon that head. I will take care, said he, not to touch any thing that has garlic in it; I remember well what the tasting of such a thing cost me once before. We entreated him to tell us what was the occasion of his aversion to garlic; but before he had time to make answer, Is it thus, said the master of the house, that you honour my table? This ragoo is excellent, therefore do not you pretend to be excused from eating of it; you must do me that favour as well as the rest. Sir, said the gentleman, who was a Bagdad merchant, I hope you do not think that I refuse to eat of it out of mistaken nicety; if you will have me eat of it, I will do so; but upon this condition, that, after eating of it, I may wash my hands, by your leave, forty times with alcali[Footnote: This in English is called salt wort.*], forty times more with the ashes of the same plant, and forty times again with soap, I hope you will not take it ill that I stipulate so, as it is in pursuance of an oath I have made never to taste garlic without observing this rule. The master of the house would not dispense with the merchant from eating of the ragoo with garlic, and therefore ordered his servant to get ready a bason of water together with alcali, the ashes of the same plant, and soap, that the merchant might wash as often as he pleased. When every thing was got ready, Now, said he to the merchant, I hope you will do as we. The merchant, displeased with the violence that was offered him, reached out his hand to take a bit, which he put to his mouth trembling, and ate with a reluctance that surprised us all. But the greatest surprise was, that he had only four fingers and no thumb, which none of us observed before, though he had eaten of other dishes. You have lost your thumb, said the master of the house; how came that about? It must have been occasioned by some extraordinary accident, a relation of which will be an agreeable entertainment to the company. Sir, replied the merchant, I have not a thumb on either the right or left hand. He then showed us his left hand, as well as his right. But this is not all, continued he, I have not a great toe on either of my feet! I hope you will take my word for it. I was maimed in this manner by an unheard-of accident, which I am willing to relate to you, if you have the patience to hear me. The relation will equally astonish, and affect you with pity; but suffer me to wash my hands first. Upon this he rose from the table, and, after washing his hands an hundred and twenty times, took his place again, and thus proceeded:

You must know, gentlemen, that, in the reign of the caliph Haroun Alrasehid, my father lived at Bagdad, the place of my nativity, and was reputed one of the richest merchants in the city; but, being a man too much addicted to pleasure, one that loved an irregular life, and neglected his private affairs, instead of leaving me a plentiful fortune at his death, he left me in such a condition, that all my economy was scarcely sufficient to clear his debts. With much ado, however, I paid them all, and, through industry and care, my little fortune began to assume a smiling countenance.

One morning as I opened my shop, a lady mounted upon a mule, attended by an eunuch and two women slaves, stopped near my shop-door, and, with the assistance of the eunuch, alighted. Madam, said the eunuch, I said you would be too soon, you see there is nobody yet in the bezestein; if you had taken my advice, you might have saved yourself the trouble of waiting here. The lady looked around her, and finding there was no shop open but mine, addressed herself to me, asking leave to sit in my shop till the rest of the merchants came; of course I could do no less than return a civil answer, and invite the lady into my shop. She sat down in my shop, and, observing there was nobody in the whole bezestein save the eunuch and me, uncovered her face to take the air; and I must say I never saw any thing so pretty in my lifetime. I had no sooner a sight of her face than I loved her; of course I fixed my eyes upon her, and perceived that she was not displeased; for she gave me a full opportunity to look upon her, and did not cover her face till she was afraid of being taken notice of. Having let down her veil, she told me that she wanted several sorts of the richest and finest stuffs, and asked me if I had them? Alas! madam, said I, I am but a young man, just beginning the world, and have not stock enough for such great concerns; and it is a mortification to me that I have nothing to show you such as you want: but to save you the trouble of going from shop to shop, as soon as the merchants come, I will go, if you please, and fetch from them what you want, with the lowest prices; and so you may do your business without going any further. She complied with my proposal, and entered into discourse, which continued so much the longer, that I still made her believe that the merchants who could furnish what she wanted were not yet come.

I was charmed no less with her wit than I had been before with the beauty of her face; but there was a necessity for denying myself the pleasure of her conversation: I ran out to seek for the stuffs she wanted, and after she had pitched upon what she liked, we struck the price at five thousand drams of coined silver; so I wrapped up the stuffs in a small bundle, and gave it to the eunuch, who put it under his arm; after which, she rose and took leave. I still continued to look after her, till she had got to the bezestein gate; and mounted her mule again.

The lady had no sooner disappeared than I perceived that love was the cause of great oversights; it had so engrossed all my thoughts; that I did not recollect she had gone off without paying the money; nor had I the consideration to ask who she was, or where she dwelt. However, I considered that I was accountable for a large sum to the merchants, who, perhaps, would not have the patience to stay for their money; so I went to them, and made the best excuse I could, pretending that I knew the lady; but came home equally affected with love, and with the burden of such a heavy debt.

I had desired my creditors to stay eight days for their money, and, when the eight days were past, they did not fail to dun me; then I intreated them to give me eight days more, which they agreed to; and the very next day I saw the lady come to the bezestein, mounted on her mule, with the same attendants as before, and exactly at the same hour of the day. She came straight to my shop. I have made you stay some time, said she, but here is your money at last; carry it to a banker, and see that it is all good. The eunuch, who brought me the money, went along with me to the banker's, and we found it very right. I came back again, and had the happiness of conversing with the lady till all the shops in the bezestein were open: though we talked of ordinary things, she gave them such a turn, that they appeared new and uncommon, and convinced me that I was not mistaken in admiring her wit.

As soon as the merchants were come, and had opened their shops, I carried to the respective people the money due for their stuffs, and was readily intrusted with more which the lady had desired to see. In short, the lady took stuffs to the value of an hundred pieces of gold, and again carried them away without paying for them: nay, without saying one word, or informing me where she was. I was astonished when I considered that at this rate she left me without any security of not being troubled, if she never came back again. She has paid me, thinks I to myself, a good round sum, but she leaves me in the lurch for another that runs much deeper. Surely she cannot be a cheat; it is not possible she can have any design to inveigle me: the merchants do not know her, and will all come upon me. In short, my love was not so powerful as to remove the uneasiness I felt when I reflected upon all circumstances. A whole month passed before I heard any thing of the lady again; and during that time the alarm grew higher and higher every day. The merchants were impatient for their money; and, to satisfy them, I was even going to sell off all I had, when the lady returned one morning with the same equipage as before. Take your weights, said she, and weigh the gold I have brought you. These words dispelled my fear, and inflamed my love. Before we told down the money, she asked me several questions, and particularly if I was married? I made answer, I never was. Then reaching out the gold to the eunuch, let us have your interposition, said she, to accommodate our matters: upon which the eunuch fell a laughing, and, calling me aside, made me weigh the gold. While I was weighing, the eunuch whispered in my ear, I know by your eyes that you love this lady, and am surprised to find you have not the assurance to disclose your love to her: she loves you more passionately than you do her. Do you imagine that she has any real occasion for your stuffs? She only makes an errand to come hither, because you have inspired her with a violent passion. Do but ask her the question; it will be your fault if you do not marry her. It is true, said I, I have had a love for her from the first moment I cast my eyes upon her; but I did not aspire to the happiness of thinking my love acceptable to her. I am entirely hers, and shall not fail to retain a grateful sense of your good offices in that matter. In fine, I made an end of weighing the gold, and while I was putting it into the bag, the eunuch turned to the lady, and told her I was satisfied, that being the word they had both agreed upon between themselves. Presently after that, the lady rose and took leave; telling me she would send the eunuch to me, and that I should do what he directed me to do in her name.

I carried every one of the merchants their money, and waited some days with impatience for the eunuch. At last he came. I entertained him very kindly, and asked him how his mistress did? You are, said he, the happiest lover in the world; she is quite sick of love for you; she covets extremely to see you; and were she mistress of her own conduct, would not fail to come to you, and willingly pass every moment of her life in your company. Her noble mien and graceful carriage, said I, evinced that she was a lady beyond the common level. The judgement you have formed upon that head, said the eunuch, is very just; she is the favourite of Zobeide, the caliph's lady, who has brought her up from her infancy, and intrusts her with all her affairs. Having a mind to marry, she has declared to Zobeide that she has cast her eyes upon you, and desired her consent. Zobeide told her she agreed to it, only she had a mind to see you first, in order to judge whether she had made a good choice: if she had, Zobeide meant to defray the charges of the wedding. Thus you see your felicity is certain; since you have pleased the favourite, you will be equally agreeable to the mistress, who seeks only to oblige her favourite, and would by no means thwart her inclination. In fine, all you have to do is to come to the palace. I am sent hither to call you, so you will please to come to a resolution. My resolution is formed already, said I; and I am ready to follow you whithersoever you please to conduct me. Very well, said the eunuch; but you know that men are not allowed to enter the ladies' apartments in the palace, and so you must be introduced with great secrecy: the favourite lady has contrived the matter very well. Upon your side you are to act your part very discreetly; for if you do not, your life is at stake.

I gave him repeated assurances of a punctual performance of whatever should be enjoined me. Then, said he, in the evening you must be at the mosque built by the caliph's lady on the banks of the Tigris, and stay there till one comes to call you, I agreed to what he proposed; and, after passing the day in great impatience, went in the evening to the prayer that is said in an hour and an half after sunset in the mosque, and there I staid after the people were gone. Immediately I saw a boat making up to the mosque, the rowers of which were all eunuchs, who came on shore, and put several large trunks into the mosque, and then retired; only one of them remained, whom I perceived to be the same eunuch that had all along accompanied the lady, and had been with me that morning. About the same time, I saw the lady enter the mosque; and, making up to her, told her I was ready to obey her orders. Come, said she, we have no time to lose. With that she opened one of the trunks, and bid me get into it, that being necessary both for her safety and mine. Fear nothing, added she; leave the management of the rest to me. I considered that I had gone too far to look back, and so obeyed her orders; upon which she locked the trunk. This done, the eunuch who was her confident, called the other eunuchs who had brought in the trunks, and ordered them to carry them on board again; after which the lady and eunuch re-embarked, and the boatmen rowed to Zobeide's apartment. In the mean time, I reflected very seriously upon the danger to which I had exposed myself, and made vows and prayers, though it was then too late. The boat put into the palace-gate, and the trunks were carried into the apartment of the officer of the eunuchs, who keeps the key of the ladies' apartments, and suffers nothing to enter without a narrow inspection. The officer was then in bed, consequently there was a necessity for calling him. He was angry that they should break his rest, and chid the favourite lady severely for coming home so late: You shall not come off so easily as you think; for, said he, not one of these trunks shall pass till I have opened every one of them. He then commanded the eunuchs to bring them before him, and open them one by one. The first they began with was that in which I lay; so that I was in the last degree of consternation.

The favourite lady, who had the key of the trunk, protested it should not be opened. You know very well, said she, I bring nothing hither but what is to serve Zobeide, your mistress and mine. This trunk, continued she, is filled with rich goods I had from some merchants lately arrived, besides a number of bottles of Zemzem water [Footnote: There is a fountain at Mecca, which, according to the Mahometans, is a spring that God showed to Hagar after Abraham was obliged to put her away. The water of this spring is drank by way of devotion, and is sent in presents to the princes and princesses.] sent from Mecca; if any of these should happen to break, the goods will be spoiled, and you must answer for them. Zobeide will take care, I warrant you, to resent your insolence. In fine, she stood up so tight to the matter, that the officer did not dare to take upon him to open any of the trunks. Let me go then, said he, carry them off. Immediately the lady's apartment was opened, and the trunks were carried in. They were scarcely got in, when all of a sudden I heard a cry, Here is the caliph, here comes the caliph. This put me in such a fright, that I wonder I did not die upon the spot, for it was actually the caliph. What hast thou got in these trunks? said he to the favourite. Some stuffs, said she, lately arrived, which your majesty's lady had a mind to see. Open them, cried he, and let me see them too. She pretended to excuse herself, alleging that the stuffs were only proper for ladies, and that by opening them his lady would be deprived of the pleasure of seeing them first. I say, open them, cried the caliph; I have a mind to see them, and shall see them. She still represented that her mistress would be angry with her if she opened them. No, no, said he, I will engage she shall not say a word to you for so doing; come, open them, I cannot stop. There was a necessity of obeying, which gave me such shocking alarms, that I trembled every time I thought on it. Down sat the caliph; and the favourite ordered all the trunks to be brought before him, one after another. Then she opened them; and, to spin out the time, showed all the beauties of each particular stuff, thinking thereby to tire out his patience; but her stratagem did not take. Being as loath as I to have the trunk where I lay open, she left that till the last. So when all the rest were viewed, Come, says the caliph, make an end; let us see what is in that one. I am at a loss to tell you whether I was dead or alive at that moment, for I little thought of escaping so great a danger.

When Zobeide's favourite saw that the caliph would needs have the trunk opened where I lay, As for this trunk, says she, your majesty will please to dispense with the opening of it; there are some things in it which I cannot show you unless your lady be by. Well, well, says the caliph, since it is so, I am satisfied; order the trunks to be carried away. The word was no sooner spoken, than the trunks were removed into her chamber, where I began to come to life again.

As soon as the eunuchs who had brought them were gone, she presently opened the trunk where I was prisoner. Come out, said she, go up these stairs that lead to an upper room, and stay there till I come. The door which led to the stairs she locked after I was in; and that was no sooner done than the caliph came and clapped him down upon the very trunk wherein I had been. The occasion of this visit was a motion of curiosity that did not respect me. He had a mind to discourse the lady about what she had seen or heard in the city. So they discoursed together a pretty while, after which he left her, and retired to his apartment. When she found the coast clear, she came to the chamber where I was, and made many apologies for the alarms she had given me. My uneasiness, said she, was no less than yours; you cannot well doubt of that, since I have run the same risk from love to you; perhaps another would not have had the presence of mind to manage matters so dexterously upon so tender an occasion; nothing less than the love I had for you could have inspired me with courage to do it. But come, take heart, now the danger is over. After some tender discourse between us, she told me it was time to go to bed, and that she would not fail to introduce me to Zobeide, her mistress, to-morrow, some hour of the day; for the caliph never sees her, added she, but at nights. Heartened by these words, I slept very well; or at least, whatever interruptions happened were agreeable disquietings, caused by the hopes of enjoying a lady blessed with such sparkling wit and beauty.

The next day, before I was introduced to Zobeide, her favourite instructed me how to behave, naming nearly the same questions as she put to me, and dictating the answers I was to give. This done, she carried me into a very magnificent and richly furnished hall: I had no sooner entered, than twenty female slaves, in rich and uniform habits, came out of Zobeide's apartment, and placed themselves very modestly before the throne in two equal rows: they were followed by twenty other ladies who looked younger, and were clothed after the same manner, though their habits appeared somewhat gayer. In the middle of these appeared Zobeide, with a majestic air, and so loaded with jewels, that she could scarcely walk. Zobeide then went and sat down on the throne, and the favourite lady, who had accompanied her, just by her, on her right hand; the other ladies being placed at some distance on each side of the throne.

The caliph's lady having sat down, the slaves who came in first made a sign for me to approach: I advanced between the rows they had formed, and prostrated myself upon the tapestry under the princess's feet. She ordered me to rise, and did me the honour to ask my name, my family, and the condition of my fortune; to all which I gave her satisfactory answers, as I perceived not only by her countenance, but by her words. I am very glad, said she, that my daughter (so she used to call the favourite lady, looking upon her as such, after the care she had taken of her education) has made a choice that pleases me; I approve of it, and give consent to your marriage: I shall give orders myself for what is to be done in solemnizing it, but I wish her to stay ten davs with me before the solemnity; and in that time I will speak to the caliph, and obtain his consent; mean while do you stay here, you shall be taken care of. Accordingly I staid ten days in the ladies' apartments, and during that time was deprived of the pleasure of seeing the favourite lady; but was so well used, by her orders, that I had no reason to be dissatisfied.

Zobeide told the caliph her resolution of marrying the favourite lady; and he, leaving to her the liberty of doing upon that head as she pleased, granted the favourite a considerable sum to help her fortune. When the ten days were expired, Zobeide ordered the contract of marriage to be drawn up; and the necessary preparations being made for the solemnity, the dancers, (both men and women) were called in, and rejoicings continued in the palace nine days. The tenth day being appointed for the last ceremony of the marriage, the favourite lady was conducted to a bath, and I to another. At night I sat down at table, and had all manner of rarities served up to me, and, among other things ragoo with garlic, such as you have now forced me to eat of. This ragoo I liked so well, that I scarcely touched any other of the dishes. But such was my unhappiness, that when I rose from the table, I only wiped my hands instead of washing them well; a piece of negligence of which I had never before been guilty. Though it was night, the whole apartment of the ladies was as light as day, by means of illuminations. Nothing was to be heard in the palace but music and acclamations of joy. My bride and I were introduced into a great hall, where we were placed upon two thrones. The women who attended her made her shift herself several times, and painted her face with different sorts of colours, according to the usual custom on wedding- days; and every time she changed her habit, they exposed her to my view.

After these ceremonies, we were conducted to the wedding- room, and, as soon as the company retired, I approached to embrace my mistress, but, instead of answering me with transports, she shoved me off, and cried out most fearfully; upon which all the ladies of the apartment came running into the chamber to know what she cried for; and, for my own part, I was so thunderstruck, that I stood, without the power of so much as asking what she meant by it. Dear sister, said they to her, what is the matter? Let us know it, that we may try to relieve you. Take, said she, out of my sight that vile fellow. Why, madam, said I, wherein have I deserved your displeasure? You are a villain, said she, furiously: what, to eat garlic, and not wash your hands! Do you think that I would suffer such a filthy fellow to touch me? Down with him, down with him upon the ground, continued she, addressing herself to the ladies; and pray let me have a good bull's pizzle. In short, I was thrown down upon the ground, and while some held my hands, and others my feet, my wife, who was presently furnished with a weapon, laid on me most unmercifully, till I could scarcely breathe: then she said to the ladies, Take him, send him to the justiciary judge, and let the hand be cut off with which he fed upon the garlic ragoo. God bless my soul, cried I, must I be beat, bruised, unmercifully mauled, and, to complete my affliction, have my hand cut off, for eating of a ragoo with garlic, and forgetting to wash my hands? What proportion is there between the punishment and the crime? Plague on the ragoo, plague on the cook that dressed it, and may he be equally unhappy that served it up!

All the ladies that were by took pity on me, when they heard the cutting off of my hand spoken of. Dear madam, dear sister, said they to the favourite lady, you carry your resentment too far. We own he is a man quite ignorant of the world, that he does not observe your quality, and the regards that are due to you; but we beseech you to overlook and pardon the fault he has committed. I have not received suitable satisfaction, said she; I will teach him to know the world, make him bear the sensible marks of his impertinence, and be cautious hereafter how he tastes a garlic ragoo without washing his hands. However, they still continued their solicitations, and fell down at her feet, and kissing her fair hand, Good madam, said they, in the name of God, moderate your wrath, and grant the favour we request. She answered never a word, but got up, and, after throwing out a thousand hard words against me, walked out of the chamber, with the ladies, leaving me in inconceivable affliction.

I continued here ten days, without seeing any body but an old woman-slave who brought me victuals. I asked the old woman what was become of the favourite lady? She is sick, said the old woman, of the poisoned smell you infected her with. Why did you not take care to wash your hands after eating of that cursed ragoo? Is it possible, thought I to myself, that these ladies can be so nice and vindictive for so small a fault? In the mean time I loved my wife, notwithstanding all her cruelty. One day the old woman told me that my spouse was recovered and gone to bathe, and would come to see me the next day; so, said she, I would have you to call up your patience, and endeavour to accommodate yourself to her humour. Besides, she is a woman of good sense and discretion, and entirely beloved by all the ladies about Zobeide's court. Accordingly my wife came next night, and accosted me thus: You see I am too good in seeing you again, after the affront you have offered me; but still I cannot stoop to be reconciled to you, till I have punished you according to your demerit, in not washing your hands after eating the garlic ragoo. This said, she called the ladies, who, by her order, threw me upon the ground, and, after binding me fast, had the barbarity to cut off my thumbs and great toes with a razor. One of the ladies applied a certain root to staunch the blood; but by the bleeding and pain I swooned away. When I came to myself, they gave me wine to drink to recruit my strength. Ah! madam, said I to my wife, if ever I eat of garlic ragoo again, I solemnly swear to wash my hands an hundred and twenty times with the herb alcali, with the ashes of the same plant, and with soap. Well, replied my wife, upon that condition I am willing to forget what is past, and live with you as my husband. This, continued the Bagdad merchant, addressing himself to the company, is the reason why I refused to eat of the garlic ragoo now upon the table.

To make an end of the Bagdad merchant's story, the ladies, said he, applied to my wounds, not only the root I mentioned to you but likewise some balsam of Mecca, which they were morally assured was not adulterated, because they had it from the caliph's own dispensatory; by virtue of that admirable balsam I was perfectly cured in a few days, and my wife and I lived together as agreeably as if I had never eaten of the garlic ragoo. But having been all my lifetime used to the liberty of ranging abroad, I was very uneasy at being confined to the caliph's palace, and yet said nothing of it to my wife, from a fear of displeasing her. She smelt it, however; and wanted nothing more herself than to get out, for it was gratitude alone that made her continue with Zobeide. In fine, being a very witty woman, she represented, in lively terms, to her mistress, the constraint I was under in not living in the city with my fellow-companions, as I had always done: this she did so effectually, that the good princess chose rather to deprive herself of the pleasure of having her favourite about her, than not to grant what she desired. Accordingly, about a month after our marriage, my wife came into my room with several eunuchs, each carrying a bag of silver. When the eunuchs were gone, You never told me, said she, that you were uneasy in being confined to court, but I perceived it very well, and have happily found means to make you contented. My mistress Zobeide gives us leave to go out of the palace, and here are fifty thousand sequins, of which she has made us a present, in order to enable us to live comfortable in the city. Take ten thousand of them, and go and buy us a house, I soon purchased a house; and, after furnishing it richly, we went and lived in it, and kept a great many slaves of both sexes, with a very pretty equipage. In short, we began to live in a very agreeable manner, which did not last long, for at a year's end my wife fell sick and died. I might have married again, and lived honourably at Bagdad; but ambition to see the world put me upon other thoughts. I sold my house, and, after buying up several sorts of goods, went with a caravan to Persia; from Persia I travelled to Samarcande, and from thence hither.

This, said the purveyor to the sultan of Casgar, is the story that the Bagdad merchant told in a company where I was yesterday. This story, said the sultan, has something extraordinary in it, but it does not come near that of my little Hunchback. Then the jewish physician prostrated himself before the sultan's throne, and rising again, addressed himself to that prince in the following manner: Sir, if you will be so good as to hear me, I flatter myself you will be pleased with a story I have to tell you. Well spoken, said the sultan; but if it is not more surprising than that of little Hunch-back, do not you expect to live. The physician, finding the sultan of Casgar disposed to hear him, gave the following relation:



THE STORY TOLD BY THE JEWISH PHYSICIAN.



Sir, when I was a student of physic, and just beginning the practice of that noble profession with some reputation, a man-slave called me to see a patient in the city governor's family. I went accordingly, and was carried into a room, where I found a very handsome young man mightily cast down with his condition: I saluted him, and sat down by him, but he made no return to my compliments, except by a sign with his eyes that he heard me and thanked me. Pray, sir, said I, give me your hand, that I may feel your pulse. But, instead of stretching out his right, he gave me his left hand, at which I was extremely surprised. This, said I to myself, is a gross piece of ignorance, not to know that people present their right hand, and not their left, to a physician. However, I felt his pulse, wrote him a receipt, and took leave.

I continued my visits for nine days, and every time I felt his pulse he still gave me the left hand: on the tenth day he seemed to be pretty well, and so I prescribed nothing for him but bathing. The governor of Damascus, who was by, did, in testimony of his being well satisfied with my service, invest me with a very rich robe, saying, he made me a physician of the city hospital, and physician in ordinary to his house, where I might freely eat at his table when I pleased. The young man likewise showed me many civilities, and asked me to accompany him to the bath: accordingly we went together; and when his attendants had undressed him, I perceived he wanted the right hand, and that it had not been long cut off, which had been the occasion of his distemper, though concealed from me; for while the people about him were applying proper medicines externally, they had called me to prevent the ill consequences of the fever he was then in. I was very much surprised and concerned on seeing his misfortune, which he observed by my countenance. Doctor, cried he, do not be astonished to see that my hand is cut off; some day or other I will tell you the occasion of it; and in that relation you will be entertained with very surprising adventures.

After bathing, we sat down and ate; and after we had some other discourse together, he asked me if it would be any prejudice to his health, if he went to take a walk out of town in the governor's garden? I made answer, it would be so far from that, that it would benefit his health. Since it is so, said he, if you would let me have your company, I will tell you the history of my adventures, I replied, I was at his command for all that day. Upon which he presently called his servants, to bring something for a collation; and so we went to the governor's garden. There we took two or three turns, and then sat down upon a carpet that his servants had spread under a tree, which gave a very pleasant shade. After we were set, the young man gave his history in the following terms: I was born, said he, at Moussol, and come of one of the most considerable families in the city. My father was the eldest of ten brothers that were all alive, and all married, when my grandfather died. All the brothers were childless but my father, and he had never a child but me. He took particular care of my education, and made me learn every thing that was proper for a child of my quality.

When I was grown pretty tall, and beginning to keep company with the world, I happened one Friday to be at noon prayers with my father and my uncles, in the great mosque at Moussol; and after prayers were over, the rest of the company going away, my father and my uncles continued sitting upon the best tapestry in the mosque, and I sat down by them. They discoursed of several things, but they fell insensibly, I do not know how, upon the subject of voyages. They extolled the beauties and peculiar rarities of some kingdoms, and of their principal cities. But one of my uncles said, that, according to the uniform report of an infinite number of voyagers, there was not in the world a pleasanter country than Egypt, nor river than the Nile; and the account he gave of them infused into me such a charming idea of them, that, from that very moment, I had a desire to travel. Whatever my other uncles said, by way of preference to Bagdad and the Tigris, in calling Bagdad the true residence of the Mussulman religion, and the metropolis of all the cities in the earth, all this made no impression upon me. My father joined in his opinion with those who had spoken on the behalf of Egypt, which gave me a great deal of joy. Say what you will, said he, he that has not seen Egypt, has not seen the greatest rarity in the world. All the land there is golden, I mean, it is so fertile that it enriches its inhabitants: all the women of that country are charming, either in their beauty or in their agreeable carriage. If you speak of the Nile, pray where is there a more admirable river? What water was ever lighter or more delicious? The very slime it carries along in its overflowing fattens a thousand times more than other countries that are cultivated with great labour. Do but mind what a poet said of the Egyptians when lie was obliged to depart Egypt: 'Your Nile loads you with good offices every day; it is for you only that it travels so far. Alas! in removing from you, my tears are going to run as abundantly as its water; you are to continue in the enjoyment of its sweetness, while I am condemned to rob myself of it against my will.' If you look, added he, towards the island that is formed by the two great branches of the Nile, what variety of verdure have you there? What enamel of all sorts of flowers? What a prodigious number of cities, villages, canals, and a thousand other agreeable objects? If you cast your eyes on the other side, steering up towards Ethiopia, how many other objects of admiration? I cannot compare the verdure of so many plains, watered with the different canals of the island, better than to sparkling emeralds set in silver. Is not Grand Cairo the largest, the most populous, and the richest city in the universe? What a prodigious number of magnificent edifices, both public and private! If you view the pyramids, you will be seized with astonishment: you will turn stiff and immoveable at the sight of these masses of stone of an extravagant thickness, which rise to the skies: and you will be obliged to confess, that the Pharaohs, who employed such riches, and so many men in building them, must have surpassed all the monarchs that have appeared since, not only in Egypt, but all the world over, in magnificence and invention; so transcendent are the monuments they have left worthy of their memory; monuments so ancient, that the learned cannot agree as to the time of their erection; and yet such as last to this day, and will last while ages are. I silently pass over the maritime cities in the kingdom of Egypt, such as Damietta, Rosetta, Alexandria, &c. where the Lord knows how many nations come for a thousand sorts of grain, seeds, cloth, and an infinite number of other things, calculated for the conveniency and the delight of men. What I speak of I have some occasion to know. I spent some years of my youth there, which, as long as I live, I shall always reckon the most agreeable part of my life.