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 TALES OF THE GENII: 
 
 REVISED, PURIFIED, AND IN PART RE-MODELLED. 
 
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 EDITED BY E. WHATELY, D.D., 
 
 ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PAKKEK, SON, AND BOURN, WEST STRAND. 
 
 MDCCCLXI. 
 
VR3U8 
 ■ffsTs 
 
 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY GEORGE PHIPPS, 
 
 WESTMINSTER. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 TO THE FIEST EDITION. 
 
 \ THE king, 9 it has been said, c who proposed 
 a reward to him who should invent a new 
 pleasure, would have deserved well of the world, 
 if he had stipulated that it should be innocent.' 
 In concurrence with this opinion, I have not 
 thought it a useless object to purify and render 
 fit for general use some of the stories written 
 by the late Mr. Ridley, and published many 
 years back under the name of ' Tales of the 
 Genii.' These beautiful fictions have been puri- 
 fied, and in many parts re-written 5 so that in their 
 present form an admirable moral, — a religious 
 moral, if I may use the expression, — is developed. 
 The delight which young people of all ages 
 feel in works of fiction, is, of course, a source of 
 unmixed regret to those (and there are such) who 
 consider the exercise of the imagination as purely 
 productive of evil. And such persons, of course, 
 studiously set themselves to repress it in those 
 whom Providence has placed under their care. 
 a 2 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 But as no one faculty appears to have been 
 implanted in us for the purpose of being eradi- 
 cated, it is a subject of fair, and certainly not of 
 useless inquiry, how far we are permitted to re- 
 press, or rather whether we are not bound to 
 cultivate in early life, the imagination, and to 
 supply it with wholesome food. 
 
 That the exercise of this faculty was intended 
 to convey gratification as well as benefit, and was 
 in consequence designedly provided with suitable 
 food, we can scarcely doubt. We find it recorded, 
 that in the Garden of Eden God ' made to grow/ 
 not only ' every tree that was good for food/ but 
 6 that was pleasant ' also ' to the sight f and that 
 He pronounced it good, and put man into it ' to 
 trim it and to dress it.' 
 
 In truth we can scarcely look around us with- 
 out remarking the express provision made for the 
 enjoyment of this faculty in every form of nature, 
 and noticing how few purely unpleasant forms 
 exist. I am not aware of one indeed (unless it 
 be that produced by the absence of light) which 
 is not connected with pleasurable ideas; and 
 darkness itself — the darkness of a serene night — 
 in disclosing to us the heavenly bodies, feeds our 
 imagination with the noblest and most delightful 
 objects. 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 But admitting it as true that the imagination 
 was given for our enjoyment, and is supplied with 
 adequate objects, may we not (it has been said) 
 safely leave it to these spontaneous sources of 
 gratification, and rather occupy ourselves with 
 repressing its growth, than seek to stimulate it 
 with artificial means ? To which I would reply, 
 that in the first place it is not so much the excess 
 of the imaginative faculty, as its wrong direction, 
 that we have to dread ; that in the second place, 
 if we could repress this faculty, it would be at 
 the expense of others ; since it is a powerful agent 
 in the acquisition of every branch of knowledge, 
 moral as well as intellectual ; and that though it 
 has spontaneous sources of usefulness and enjoy- 
 ment, yet it cannot safely be left to these in early 
 life, since, like every other faculty, it may be 
 exercised and pleasurably exercised on evil as 
 well as on good objects ; and consequently that it 
 rests with us to make it the medium of improve- 
 ment as well as of enjoyment, or to leave it to 
 run wild among low and unworthy objects. 
 
 Since then it is by works of fiction that the 
 youthful imagination is the most easily, and also 
 the most pleasantly excited, it is to these that 
 our attention should be very much directed in 
 our attempts to benefit the rising generation. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 As a vehicle of instruction, even without an ob- 
 trusive or formal moral, fiction may be made 
 useful ; because moral judgment is exercised when- 
 ever either a real or a probable case of conduct is 
 placed before the mind ; and fiction, when made 
 probable, thus multiplies and varies indefinitely 
 the examples, of which real narratives and real 
 life afford a limited supply. 
 
 We have the highest authority indeed for such 
 a use of fiction. He who best knew how to make 
 his way to the understandings and hearts of men, 
 adopted this mode of conveying instruction to his 
 hearers. 
 
 But admitting fiction as a vehicle, and a legiti- 
 mate and useful vehicle of instruction, do not the 
 advantages alluded to, apply to such tales alone 
 as profess to imitate real life without the intro- 
 duction of (what is called) machinery ? 
 
 By no means : for moral action may be exhibited, 
 and consequently moral judgment exercised and 
 principles inculcated, even though the events them- 
 selves be impossible. For in fact, most of the 
 events and situations of real history, are to most 
 part of the readers of them morally impossible. It 
 is morally impossible for most private persons 
 to become kings ; yet the example of kings may 
 be made useful. So also the example of men 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 to women, and vice versa. What difference then 
 is made by the introduction of the supernatural, 
 which is equally impossible to all ? 
 
 But is not the interest (and consequently both 
 the pleasure and instruction thence derived) so 
 much the less, when the events are supernatural, 
 and consequently what could ^never happen, not 
 merely to us, but at all ? 
 
 Experience confirms the decision, that impossi- 
 bilities may be made to appear probable, and to 
 give more pleasure than possibilities which appear 
 improbable. It is easy to admit a certain hypo- 
 thesis ; and then to go on with a tale on that 
 supposition ; for example, if there were fairies or 
 genii of such and such powers, men would be 
 likely to do so and so : and then all is well. On 
 the other hand, if you abstain from the super- 
 natural, but make a savage, or a young lady, act 
 as would be very unlikely for them, though possible, 
 and (for a civilised man, or for a woman of ex- 
 perience) very likely, this revolts us as unnatural, 
 and therefore spoils the utility of the fiction. 
 
 A tale is in fact not the more or the less 
 probable for having much, or little, or no machi- 
 nery. All turns, first, on letting it be under- 
 stood in the outset what the hypothesis is ; and 
 secondly, on keeping strictly to it. Neither 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 man, nor fairy, nor genie, must go beyond his 
 tether. 
 
 Tales have been censured as void of interest 
 from having supernatural agency introduced at 
 all, and also from having too much. Now though 
 the censure is, in many instances, right, the 
 ground of it is wrong. It is the supernatural 
 agency's being introduced unexpectedly that de- 
 stroys the interest ; because we do not see each 
 event arise out of the preceding, but a magician 
 comes in to cut the knot. The fault then is, not 
 in its being out of the real course of nature, but 
 out of the calculation and rules of the tale before 
 us ; like the introducing of dice at chess, And 
 this rule holds equally in tales which have in 
 them nothing supernatural, e.g. releasing a cap- 
 tive hero by an earthquake that splits the walls 
 of his prison ; or destroying his enemies by 
 lightning. 
 
 The supernatural then may be made probable ; 
 and is peculiarly amusing to the young. Perhaps 
 too as being further removed from reality, it is 
 the less liable to confuse their notions of actual 
 life: which is the danger of fiction in general, 
 and particularly of many of the modern tales. 
 They present an unfaithful picture of the world 
 which they profess to be closely imitating, and 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 the false moral they often involve, is thus the 
 less easily detected. 
 
 The following extract from an article in the 
 Quarterly Review (1821) is much to the present 
 purpose : — 
 
 6 When all the characters and events are very 
 far removed from what we see around us, — when, 
 perhaps, even supernatural agents are introduced, 
 the reader may indulge, indeed, in occasional day- 
 dreams, but will be so little reminded of what 
 he has been reading, by anything that occurs 
 in actual life, that though he may perhaps feel 
 some disrelish for the tameness of the scene 
 before him, compared with the fairy-land he has 
 been visiting, yet, at least, his judgment will not 
 be depraved, nor his expectations misled ; he will 
 not apprehend a meeting with Algerine banditti 
 on English shores, nor regard the old woman who 
 shows him about an antique country-seat, as 
 either an enchantress, or the keeper of an im- 
 prisoned damsel. But it is otherwise with those 
 fictions which differ from common life in little or 
 nothing but the improbability of the occurrences : 
 the reader is insensibly led to calculate upon 
 some of those lucky incidents and opportune co- 
 incidences, of which he has been so much accus- 
 tomed to read, and which, it is undeniable, may 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 take place in real life; and to feel a sort of 
 confidence, that however romantic his conduct 
 may be, and in whatever difficulties it may in- 
 volve him, all will be sure to come right at 
 last, as is invariably the case with the hero of 
 a novel. 
 
 ' On the other hand, so far as these pernicious 
 effects fail to be produced, so far does the ex- 
 ample lose its influence, and the exercise of 
 poetical justice is rendered vain. The reward 
 of virtuous conduct being brought about by for- 
 tunate accidents, he who abstains (taught, per- 
 haps, by bitter disappointments) from reckoning 
 on such accidents, wants that encouragement to 
 virtue, which alone has been held out to him. 
 6 If I were a man in a novel J we remember to 
 have heard an ingenious friend observe, 'I should 
 certainly act so and so 5 because I should be sure 
 of being no loser by the most heroic self-devo- 
 tion, and of ultimately succeeding in the most 
 daring enterprises.' 
 
 ' Perhaps, indeed, the supernatural fable is of 
 the two not only the less mischievous in its 
 moral effects, but also the more correct kind of 
 composition in point of taste. The author lays 
 down a kind of hypothesis of the existence of 
 ghosts, witches, or fairies, and professes to de- 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 scribe what would take place under that hypo- 
 thesis. The novelist, on the contrary, makes 
 no demand of extraordinary machinery, but 
 professes to describe what may actually take 
 place, according to the existing laws of human 
 affairs. If he therefore present us with a series 
 of events quite unlike any which ever do take 
 place, we have reason to complain that he has 
 not made good his professions.' 
 
 That the trials and triumphs of virtue may 
 be clearly and advantageously exhibited in con- 
 nexion with that machinery so captivating to the 
 youthful mind, the tales before us beautifully 
 evince. 
 
 But there is another and most important re- 
 quisite in fiction — not only should the lessons 
 unfolded be virtuous in their tendency, but pure 
 in the ideas brought by them before the mind. 
 I consider this of vital importance. The best 
 moral becomes highly injurious when associated 
 in a tale with what is bad. To poison the chan- 
 nels by which pleasure and improvement are 
 conveyed to the youthful mind, seems indeed a 
 work suitable to the Evil One. Yet how en- 
 tirely was this last requisite— which is essential 
 to instructive fiction, viz. purity — neglected in 
 the age happily past, by professed moral writers. 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 Making the largest allowances for grossness of 
 taste, it is unaccountable. 
 
 This poisonous taint infected the tales before 
 us, injured them in the view of every person of 
 pure taste, and excluded, or should have ex- 
 cluded, them altogether from the juvenile library. 
 The evil appeared at first sight difficult to re- 
 medy ; but it is hoped that the purification has 
 been accomplished, without injury in most in- 
 stances, to the interest of the tale, and in some 
 perhaps with improvement in point of unity and 
 general interest. 
 
\ 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 TO THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 rpHE selection of these Tales, and the needful 
 purification of them, are the work of an 
 author (now deceased) well-known to the public 
 by several valuable publications, chiefly for the 
 amusement and instruction of the young. 
 
 The present edition has been carefully revised; 
 but no considerable alteration has been made, 
 beyond the correction of some verbal inaccuracies 
 which had crept in. 
 
 Palace, Dublin, 
 1860. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTION 1 
 
 THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES ; OR, THE HISTORY 
 
 OF THE MERCHANT ABUDAH ... 5 
 
 HIS ADVENTURE IN THE VALLEY OF BOCCHDI . 9 
 
 SECOND ADVENTURE, IN THE GROVES OF SHA- 
 
 DASKI 24 
 
 THIRD ADVENTURE, IN THE KINGDOM OE TASGI 34 
 
 FOURTH ADVENTURE, AMONG THE SAGES OF 
 
 NEMA 41 
 
 KELAUN AND GUZZARAT 59 
 
 THE ENCHANTERS \ OR, MISNAR, THE SULTAN 
 
 OF INDIA 91 
 
 THE HISTORY OF MAHOUD I I 5 
 
 CONTINUATION OF THE TALE OF THE EN- 
 CHANTERS jAA 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE PRINCESS OF CASSIMIR, 
 AND THE CONCLUSION OF THE ADVENTURES 
 OF MISNAR 213 
 
 SADAK AND KALASRADE 
 
 246 
 
THE 
 
 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 PATNA and Coulor, the children of Giualar, the 
 Iman of Terki, were the pride of their parents, 
 and the wonder of the inhabitants of Mazanderan. 
 Their aged father took them daily into a grove of 
 oranges and citrons which surrounded a fountain 
 in his garden, and seating them under the shadow 
 of those fragrant trees, beside the pure basin, after 
 he had first dipped them in its waters to wash 
 away the bad impressions of the world, he thus 
 began his instructive lesson : — 
 
 ' Hearken, ye tender branches, to your parent 
 stock : bend to the lessons of instruction, and imbibe 
 the maxims of age and<experience ! As the pismire 
 creeps not to its labour till led by its elders ; as the 
 young eagle soars not to the sun but under the 
 shadow of its mother's wing ; so neither doth the 
 child of mortality spring forth to action, unless 
 the parent hand point out its destined labour. 
 
 1 But no labour shall the hand of Giualar appoint 
 unto Patna and Coulor, except the worship of Alia, 
 the first of Beings, and of Mahomet, the great 
 prophet of the faithful. 
 
 ' Base are the desires of the flesh, and mean the 
 pursuits of the sons of earth! they stretch out 
 B 
 
2 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 their sinews like the patient mule ; they persevere 
 in their chase after trifles, as the camel in the 
 desert. As the leopard springs on his prey, so 
 doth man rejoice over his riches, and bask in the 
 sun of slothfulness like the lion's cub. 
 
 1 On the stream of life float the bodies of the 
 careless and intemperate, as the carcasses of the 
 dead on the waves of the Tigris. 
 
 c The vultures of the sky destroy the carcass, 
 and man is devoured by the sins of his flesh. 
 
 ' Eetire from men, my children, like the pelican 
 in the wilderness, and fly with the wild ass's colt 
 into the deserts of peace.' 
 
 As Giualar uttered these words, he perceived an 
 unusual fragrance issue from a large citron-tree, 
 which was planted opposite the tender parent and 
 his attentive children, which in a moment dropping 
 its leaves, the trunk swelled into human propor- 
 tion, and discovered to their view a bright female 
 form. 
 
 c Giualar,' said the Genius, ' I approve your care, 
 and am pleased to see your little progeny thus 
 instructed from the mouth of their parent. A 
 father is blessed in the wisdom of his children, 
 and the tongue of a fool shall pierce the heart of 
 his mother. But why is Giualar so careful to pre- 
 vent his offspring from entering into life ? Alia 
 has made them the children of the world, and their 
 labour is a debt which they must not refuse their 
 fellow-citizens. To drive them into the desert 
 would be indeed to make them the companions of 
 savages and brutes, but the wise purposes of Alia 
 must not be prevented. No man is master of him- 
 self, but the public is lord over him ; and to en- 
 deavour to defeat the purposes of Heaven is madness 
 and folly. Rightly does Giualar caution hi s children 
 to avoid the follies and vices of life, but they must 
 
INTRODUCTION. 3 
 
 be subject to temptations ere their worth be ap- 
 proved. Suffer me, therefore, good Iman, to carry 
 your children where they shall hear the lessons of 
 humanity from the lips of our immortal race, and 
 where they shall learn, from the failings or virtues 
 of others, to guide their steps aright through the 
 valleys of life.' 
 
 Giualar was transported at the offer of the Genius, 
 and, falling down before her, was about to offer 
 her his prayers and praises : but she raising him 
 up, ' Iman,' said she, ' pay thy vows to Alia 
 alone, and not to the beings which, however thy 
 superiors, are yet the work of his hands. The 
 moon is now between us and the eye of day ; ere 
 it surround the inhabitants of earth, Patna and 
 Coulor shall return unto their parents ; rejoice at 
 the favour shown unto thy race, and rest in peace 
 till a new moon bring them back into thy arms.' 
 So saying, she embraced the young Patna and 
 Coulor, and, leaping into the fountain, disappeared 
 with her prize. 
 
 In a few moments the children of Giualar found 
 themselves oh a wide extended plain, which was 
 terminated at one end by a noble palace. Moang, 
 the Genius who led them, bade them observe that 
 building. ' It is there,' said the kind female, ' that 
 Patna and Coulor must learn to know good from 
 evil, light from darkness. But one thing observe, 
 my children, that silence be upon your lips ; hear, 
 and see, and learn, but offer not to mingle speech 
 with the Genii of mankind.' 
 
 As soon as they arrived at the palace, Moang led 
 her little charge into a spacious saloon, where, on 
 twenty-eight thrones of gold, sat the good race of 
 Genii, and beneath, on carpets covering the whole 
 saloon, were numberless of the lower class of 
 Genii, each with two or more of the faithful under 
 B2 
 
4 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 their charge, who were permitted to hear the in- 
 structive lessons of that useful race. 
 
 Iracagem, whose throne and canopy was more 
 exalted than the rest, first began. 
 
 ' race of immortals/ said the silver-bearded 
 sage, ' to whose care and protection the offspring of 
 clay are committed, say, what hath been the suc- 
 cess of your labours ; what vices have you pun- 
 ished ; what virtues rewarded ; what false lights 
 have you extinguished ? Helpless race of mortals ! 
 but for our protection, how vain would be your 
 toils, how endless your researches ! — Say, virtuous 
 companion,' said he to the Genius that was seated 
 nearest him, ' let us hear what have been the effects 
 of thy tutelary care ? ' 
 
 At these words, the Genius arose from his 
 throne, and standing before it with a decent awe, 
 thus began his pleasing adventure : 
 
 ' At your command, sage Iracagem, my voice 
 shall not remain in silence : small as my abilities 
 are in the preservation of the human race, yet 
 have I endeavoured to act according to the precepts 
 of our master Mahomet ; and the success that has 
 attended my labours may be in some measure 
 known from the History of the Merchant Abudah.' 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 
 
 TALE I. 
 
 THE TALISMAN OF OEOMANES; OE, THE 
 HISTOKY OF THE MERCHANT ABUDAH. 
 
 IN the centre of the quay of Bagdat, where the 
 wealth of the whole earth is poured forth for the 
 benefit of the faithful, lived the fortunate Abudah, 
 possessed of the merchandize and riches of many 
 various nations, caressed by the mighty, and blessed 
 by the indigent ; daily providing for thousands by 
 his munificence, and winning daily the hearts of 
 thousands by his charity and generosity. But 
 however magnificently or royally the days of Abu- 
 dah might be spent, his nights were the nights of 
 disturbance and affliction. His wife, who was 
 fairer than the fairest beauties of Circassia; his 
 children, who were lovelier than the offspring of 
 the Fairies ; and his riches, which were greater 
 than the desires of man could consume ; were un- 
 availing to drive from his imagination the terrors 
 of the night : for no sooner was the merchant re- 
 tired within the walls of his chamber, than a little 
 box, which no art might remove from its place, ad- 
 vanced without help into the centre of the chamber, 
 and, opening, discovered to his sight the form of a 
 diminutive old hag, who, with crutches, hopped 
 forward to Abudah, and every night addressed him 
 in the following terms : — c O Abudah, to whom 
 Mahomet hath given such a profusion of blessings, 
 why delayest thou to search out the talisman of 
 Oromanes ? the which, whoever possesseth, shall 
 
6 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 know neither uneasiness nor discontent ; neither 
 may he be assaulted by the tricks of fortune, or 
 the power of man. Till you are possessed of that 
 valuable treasure, Abudah, my presence shall 
 nightly remind you of your idleness, and my chest 
 remain for ever in the chambers of your repose.' 
 
 Having thus said, the hag retired into her box, 
 shaking her crutches, and, with an hideous yell, 
 closed herself in, and left the unfortunate Mer- 
 chant on a bed of doubt and anxiety for the rest of 
 the night. 
 
 This unwelcome visitant still repeating her 
 threats, rendered the life of Abudah most miserable 
 and fatiguing : neither durst he tell his grievance, 
 lest the strangeness of the adventure should rather 
 move the laughter than the compassion of his 
 friends. At length, however, wearied out with the 
 strange and importunate demands of this nightly 
 hag, he ventured to open his mind ; and, in the 
 midst of his friends, asked publicly, as he was 
 feasting in his saloon, who could give any account 
 of the talisman of Oromanes, or the place where 
 it was preserved? To this question his friends 
 could return him no satisfactory answer ; they had 
 all indeed heard of its virtues, but despaired of 
 finding it ; so that Abudah was forced to return 
 again to the upbraiding of his nocturnal hag, and 
 knew not what course to steer in pursuit of the 
 appointed treasure. 
 
 The next day he caused it to be cried publicly 
 in the streets of Bagdat, 'that Abudah the Mer- 
 chant would give' much riches to the man who 
 could inform him where the talisman of Oromanes 
 was lodged.' This declaration was made for many 
 days successively ; but no one appeared to satisfy 
 the inquiries of the impatient Abudah. 
 
 After many days, a poor traveller, who had been 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 7 
 
 spoiled of his goods by the Arabians, passing 
 through Bagdat, heard the publication, and imme- 
 diately offered to go before Abudah, and make 
 known the place where the talisman of Oromanes 
 was preserved. The friends of the wealthy Mer- 
 chant joyfully carried the poor traveller to the 
 palace of Abudah, and with great tumult intro- 
 duced him to the Merchant, who was sitting, on a 
 low sofa, and seemed entirely indifferent to the 
 music which played before him, the dessert of ele- 
 gancies which was prepared for his food, and the 
 caresses of his wife and children, who endeavoured, 
 by their tenderness and affection, to divert the 
 gloom that overshadowed him. 
 
 'Abudah,' cried his friends — lifting up their 
 voices together — ' behold the discoverer of the 
 talisman of Oromanes ! ' 
 
 At their voices, the afflicted Merchant looked 
 up, like one awakened from a dream. 
 
 ' This,' said his friends, presenting the poor tra- 
 veller to him, ' this is the man who will engage to 
 point out to you the talisman of Oromanes.' 
 
 The traveller was now about to begin his rela- 
 tion, when Abudah, having eyed him round, com- 
 manded the apartment to be cleared, that no one 
 but himself might enjoy the discovery. His family 
 and friends obediently departed; and the traveller, 
 being left alone with the Merchant, thus began his 
 tale : 
 
 1 Your fortune and attendance, wealthy citizen 
 of Bagdat, allow of your search after the talisman 
 of Oromanes ; but to the poor and needy, to the 
 outcasts of fortune, no such happiness is permitted: 
 they may indeed wander and examine, but the 
 talisman is for ever shut up from their search ; for 
 infinite are the expenses which attend the dis- 
 covery, and large the rewards which must be given 
 
8 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 to those who help the inquirer forward in his ad- 
 venture after the sacred talisman. Myself, Mer- 
 chant, have slaved through life to obtain a sufficiency 
 for that great end and purpose : but since the 
 Prophet has repeatedly blasted my designs and 
 reduced me to my original state of want, I must 
 endeavour to wean my affections, and rest contented, 
 though unblest.' 
 
 ' But, my friend,' said Abudah, ' you neglect to 
 inform me where I may find or purchase this hea- 
 venly talisman/ 
 
 ' It is lodged,' replied the poor traveller, ' in 
 the Valley of Bocchim : princes are its guardians, 
 and it is treasured up amidst all the riches of the 
 earth ; you cannot obtain admittance there, unless 
 you go loaded with every variety that is costly and 
 expensive, which you must present to the Genii, 
 who keep watch over this earthly paradise of riches ; 
 and if your present be not sufficiently costly, your 
 labour is lost.' 
 
 ' 1 have,' cried Abudah, rejoiced to hear the 
 talisman might be obtained by riches, { nine thou- 
 sand acres of pasturage around the rivers of 
 Bagdat ; I have twelve thousand estates of fruits, 
 and oils, and corn ; I have twenty- two mines of 
 the finest diamonds, and six hundred vessels which 
 fish for, and produce me the most costly pearls ; I 
 have, moreover, eight hundred warehouses, and 
 four hundred store-rooms filled with the most 
 precious bales of silks and brocades ; besides these, 
 the fortunes of nine viziers, mortgaged for a hun- 
 dred years, and all the beautiful slaves of Circassia, 
 are at my disposal.' 
 
 ' O happy, happy Abudah ! ' interrupted the poor 
 traveller, * thine and only thine, is it to purchase a 
 passage into the Valley of Bocchim.' 
 
 ' If so,' continued Abudah, overjoyed at the poor 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 9 
 
 I 
 traveller's exclamation, ' direct me instantly to the 
 entrance of the Valley/ 
 
 ' Alas, sir/ answered the traveller, ' it is in the 
 Deserts of Arabia, seventeen days' journey hence : 
 besides, your presents are not ready, nor your 
 guard, lest the Arabs spoil you of your riches, and 
 prevent your application at the entrance of the 
 Valley of Bocchim: but if you will permit your 
 servant to direct you in the choice of the presents, 
 some of which will take much time in preparing, 
 by the next spring you may set forward, and 
 speedily find an issue to your journey.' 
 
 Abudah acquiesced in the arguments of the tra- 
 veller; and having given orders that he should 
 use as he pleased his immense riches, he gave 
 himself entirely up to the meditation of the 
 intended journey. The poor traveller, having suf- 
 ficient powers, disposed of the riches of Abudah, 
 to purchase the necessary presents ; and hired five 
 thousand archers to accompany the wealthy caravan 
 of the Merchant into the Deserts. 
 
 The appointed time being arrived, and every 
 thing prepared, Abudah took a tender leave of his 
 wife and family, and began his journey with the 
 poor traveller to the Valley of Bocchim. 
 
 THE MERCHANT ABUDAH S ADVENTURE IN THE 
 VALLEY OF BOCCHIM. 
 
 On the ninth day of the third month, ere the sun 
 was risen on the mosques of Bagdat, was the 
 sumptuous caravan drawn up in long order through 
 the streets of that city, which Abudah beheld from 
 his windows. 
 
 Five hundred archers, mounted on the fleetest 
 
IO TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 coursers, led trie van ; behind whom were twelve 
 thousand oxen, thirty thousand sheep, and two 
 hundred of the finest horses of Arabia. Next to 
 these, came six hundred men armed with pole-axes 
 and scimitars, with silken banners, displaying the 
 blessings of pasturage, and the utility and con- 
 veniency of cattle for the service of mau. After 
 these were driven two hundred camels, laden with 
 all manner of dried and preserved fruits ; a thou- 
 sand more with all sorts of grain ; a thousand with 
 the richest wines ; and five hundred with the most 
 pure oil ; five hundred more with spices and per- 
 fumes ; and behind these, a thousand armed hus- 
 bandmen, singing the blessings of the earth, 
 burning in censers the most costly perfumes, and 
 bearing flaxen and silken banners, representing 
 the Seasons and annual Labours of Husbandry. 
 — These were of the first day's procession. 
 
 The second day's cavalcade began with five 
 hundred miners armed with sledges and hammers, 
 whom a large car followed, drawn by twenty strong 
 oxen, having within it all the implements of iron ; 
 and above, in the upper part, a hero, who com- 
 manded the armed men in the whole procession. 
 Then came ^.Ye hundred artificers ; arid after them, 
 a car drawn by twenty mules, with the implements 
 of lead, and a curious artisan on the top of the 
 car, singing the Uses of Metals. Behind these, 
 came ^ve hundred more artificers, with their dif- 
 ferent tools, and a car drawn by twenty horses, 
 with cast figures, statues and implements of brass, 
 and a cunning artificer on the top of the car. 
 After these, followed a thousand artificers in silver, 
 and a sumptuous car of solid silver, drawn by fifty 
 unicorns, and laden with plate and silver coin ; 
 also a hundred camels behind, laden also with 
 silver ; and on the car sat the steward of Abudah. 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. II 
 
 At a small distance from these came forward a 
 thousand men armed cap-a-pie, after the manner of 
 Saracens ; and behind these followed, on sump- 
 tuous mules, five hundred of the principal foreign 
 merchants, richly habited with the emblems of 
 Commerce curiously wrought in their garments, 
 who were followed by an enormous ear, drawn by 
 four elephants, laden with golden emblems and 
 devices, with great quantities of that precious metal : 
 the car also was of beaten gold. Into this, taking 
 leave of Abudah, ascended the poor traveller, 
 arrayed in purple and gold, and pointing, with 
 a gold rod, toward the Valley of Bocchim. — And 
 these completed the second day's procession. 
 
 On the third day issued forth from the gates of 
 Bagdat, the final procession of the caravan of the 
 Merchant Abudah. — A thousand archers began the 
 ceremony, preceded by a martial band of music, and 
 bearing among their ranks fifty silken streamers 
 interwoven with gold, and having the emblems of 
 Abudah' s family wrought in their centres, Next 
 to these, came fifty carriages, laden with the rich- 
 est silks and brocades, and two hundred men sur- 
 rounded the carriages, arrayed in the different 
 habits of two hundred nations ; after whom came 
 fifty negroes on dromedaries, bearing about their 
 necks strings of the most costly pearls. After 
 these, a thousand armed soldiers, after the Euro- 
 pean manner, who, at a small distance, were 
 followed by a hundred mutes, behind whom came, 
 in two hundred palanquins, as many beautiful 
 slaves from Circassia, each guarded by four eunuchs, 
 and clad in the richest robes. 
 
 The next in procession was the Merchant Abu- 
 dah, drawn in a chariot of pearl, of the most 
 curious workmanship, by ten milk-white steeds, 
 whose trappings were of gold. As to the gar- 
 
12 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ments of the Merchant, nothing could be conceived 
 more magnificent; but the splendour of the jewels 
 that were interwoven with the clothing exceeded 
 the most lavish description : on each side the 
 chariot, a hundred musicians attended, and fifty 
 slaves burning the choicest perfumes ; various 
 splendid banners waved around him, and two 
 hundred friends behind, of the highest rank in 
 the city of Bagdat, attended the illustrious and 
 wealthy Abudah ; after whom a thousand archers, 
 and numberless camels, laden with all manner of 
 provision, water, and wine, brought up the rear of 
 this magnificent cavalcade. 
 
 On the thirteenth day, they halted in a plain, 
 bounded on the side with lofty mountains, and, 
 at the farther end, with a deep forest of cedars 
 and palms. Here the poor traveller, descending 
 with Abudah, walked forward toward the forest 
 before them. 
 
 The traveller led Abudah into the forest through 
 thickets, almost impervious, save the blind path 
 which guided them forward. In this manner, 
 they passed till the evening ; when the traveller, 
 entering a cave, disappeared from the wondering 
 Abudah. The Merchant essayed to follow him, 
 but looking into the cave, it seemed to have no 
 bottom, therefore he was obliged to desist. 
 
 The sun was now sinking from the mountains, 
 and the glowing skies seemed to tip the woods 
 with their reddening light. Abudah, being fatigued, 
 first sought out a tree, and climbing into it, re- 
 solved there to await the dawn of the morning ; 
 but the severe fatigues had so much exhausted 
 him, that, although he had resolved to watch till 
 the morning, yet sleep soon overpowered him, and 
 made him forget either the wonders or the dangers 
 that surrounded him. 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 13 
 
 Abudah, in the morning, when he awakened, was 
 surprised at an unusual glitter about him ; and 
 looking more stedfastly, he found the tree on 
 which he sat to be of pure gold, and the leaves 
 of silver, with fruit like rubies hanging in clusters 
 on the branches. Looking around, he also beheld 
 the face of the country as though it had been 
 changed: for on every side appeared the most 
 glorious palaces that eye could conceive, glittering 
 with gold, silver, and precious stones ; so that the 
 whole appeared more like a heavenly than an 
 earthly situation. 
 
 Descending full of wonder from the tree, he 
 found the ground he trod on to be gold dust, 
 and the stones pearls ; these were covered with 
 flowers, which seemed formed of vegetable crys- 
 tal, emeralds, and amethysts : trees and shrubs 
 of silver and gold met his eye, growing almost 
 visibly about him. At the farther end of the 
 prospect he beheld a vast and expanded dome, 
 which seemed to cover a whole plain, and rose 
 to the clouds. This dome shone so brightly by 
 the reflection of the costly materials of which it 
 was composed, that he could hardly look toward 
 it. However, as it seemed most to attract his 
 attention, he advanced up to the door. 
 
 The dome, which was of entire gold, stood 
 upon three hundred pillars of precious stones; 
 one emerald formed the shaft of one pillar, one 
 diamond the capital, and one ruby the pedestal : 
 the intermediate spaces between the pillars were 
 of crystal, one piece between each pillar : so that 
 the inside of the dome was visible from all parts. 
 The architrave was of solid pearl, inlaid with 
 curious emblems, composed of festoons of ame- 
 thysts, topazes, carbuncles, rubies, emeralds, sap- 
 phires, and the most sparkling diamonds. 
 
14 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Abudah, though the richest of mankind, was 
 struck with astonishment at the profusion of 
 riches and beauty which he beheld ; and entering 
 at one of the four portals (for the dome had four, 
 one to each quarter of the heavens), he beheld 
 an ancient Form, seated on a throne, which looked 
 too bright to distinguish of what glorious mate- 
 rials it was made. A great number of crowned 
 heads attended on him ; and these were supported 
 by inferior beings, all clad in the most superb 
 vestments. All around the dome were placed, 
 with great beauty and symmetry, numberless 
 heaps of wealth and riches ; and the very pave- 
 ment on which he trod was covered over with 
 tapestry carpet, representing the riches of the 
 earth in all their natural colours. 
 
 Abudah, as abashed at this amazing magnifi- 
 cence, and beholding such personages within the 
 dome, was retiring ; when one of the chief of the 
 attendants, who stood nearest the throne, advanc- 
 ing, beckoned Abudah forward. The Merchant 
 obeyed with trembling, and, as he came forward, 
 bowed himself to the ground; which the royal 
 personage perceiving, who sat on the throne, spake 
 thus to him : — 
 
 1 Fear not, Abudah, thou hast ever been a 
 favourite of the Genius of Biches. I am thy 
 friend ; and this journey which thou hast under- 
 taken in honour of me, in hopes here to find the 
 talisman of the great Oromanes, shall not go un- 
 rewarded. And first, lead Abudah,' said he to the 
 Genius who had presented the Merchant, ' through 
 all my stores, and let him view the riches of the 
 earth; — a sight that so many thousands long 
 ardently to enjoy.' 
 
 The inferior Genius obeyed : and, taking Abu- 
 dah by the hand, he led him toward a royal 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 1 5 
 
 palace, facing the eastern side of the dome. Here, 
 as Abudah entered the palace, the walls of which 
 were of the purest silver, with windows of crystal, 
 he beheld incredible heaps of that precious metal, 
 all seemingly composed like branches of trees. 
 
 ' What thou seest here,' said the Genius, ' is 
 trifling; for these heaps, which seem to lie on 
 the surface of the ground, really are of the same 
 depth with the centre of the earth; so that of 
 this metal alone, there is laid up more in value 
 than all the visible riches of the world.' 
 
 The Genius next carried Abudah to a second 
 palace, built of pure gold, having windows like 
 the first. Here, also, Abudah beheld a similar 
 profusion of gold, which, like the silver, continued 
 down to the centre. Next he was shown, in a 
 huge building of adamant, a cistern filled with the 
 fragments of all manner of precious stones and 
 diamonds. 
 
 ' These also,' said the Genius, ' are not termi- 
 nated but by the centre of the earth. Now,' 
 continued he, ( as you observed in the two first 
 palaces, the silver and gold are the little branches 
 which drop from the trees of this vegetable valley 
 of riches ; for all things on earth are subject to 
 decrease, which are here carefully collected (for 
 the rich are not exempt from toil), and placed in 
 these repositories, the bottoms of which, at the 
 centre of the earth, are grated, and let out sparingly 
 these smaller fragments : so likewise of the jewels, 
 which fall like fruit from the trees, and break into 
 little pieces ; these are all thrown together to serve 
 the earth, but none above such a size are admitted, 
 nor, indeed, could they pass through the grating 
 below. Thus these metals and jewels, mixing 
 with the earth, and being diffused in its bowels, 
 are at length stopped by rocks and stones, and so 
 
1.6 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 form mines in different parts of the world, each 
 requiring the industry and labour of man that 
 they may be brought the more sparingly into the 
 world.' 
 
 Abudah, having viewed these things, returned ; 
 and being presented to the Genius of Kiches, — 
 ' Now,' said the Genius, ' bring forth the iron chest, 
 wherein, it is said, the talisman of Oromanes is 
 lodged.' 
 
 At the command of the Genius, ten of an in- 
 ferior order brought in a huge chest with fifty 
 locks upon it ; the chest itself was of iron, and 
 bound round with the strongest bands, which were 
 harder than adamant. ( There,' said the Genius 
 to Abudah, ' there is thy reward : return to Bagdat, 
 and live in peace all the days of thy life. 5 
 
 ' Must I then,' replied Abudah, ' beneficent 
 Genius ! carry with me the chest also ? or is it 
 permitted that I take thence the talisman of 
 Oromanes?' 
 
 * Wouldst thou then,' replied the Genius, ' take 
 it from its place of security # Whilst thou dost 
 possess the chest, the talisman is thine own, and 
 the force of man cannot bereave thee of it. Why 
 then should curiosity prevail over security ? It is 
 written in the chronicles of time, that he who 
 possesseth the talisman of Oromanes shall be 
 happy : seek not, therefore, to disentangle the talis- 
 man from its present state of security, till it fail 
 thee of its promised efficacy. Take, however, these 
 fifty keys : but beware, lest thy curiosity alone 
 tempt thee : for what mortal can say if its reful- 
 gence be not too much for man to behold ! ' 
 
 Having thus said, the Genius commanded Abudah 
 to lie down on the chest ; and immediately his eyes 
 closed, and not till the morning after did he awake, 
 and find himself in a tent, on the plain where he 
 
THE TALISMAN OF 0R0MANES. 1J 
 
 had left his immense caravan : but now he found 
 only forty camels and forty servants to attend him. 
 
 Abudah inquired of his servants what became 
 of the riches and attendants that had travelled 
 from Bagdat with him to that plain? but they 
 could give no answer. They said, indeed, that 
 they knew of such caravan, and that they had for 
 some time missed their master from Bagdat; and 
 that although they went overnight to their rest in 
 his house at Bagdat, they found themselves, with 
 the tents, and forty camels laden with provision, 
 on that plain in the morning ; and that, coming 
 into his tent, they saw him sleeping on an iron 
 chest, and had removed him to the sofa. — ' And 
 is the chest here?' cried Abudah. — ' Here is, sir/ 
 replied the slave that spoke, i an iron chest of 
 prodigious size, and secured with many locks.' 
 
 Abudah immediately arose ; and, though he could 
 not unravel the mysteries of his journey, yet, seeing 
 the chest, and finding the keys which the Genius 
 had given him, he was contented, and ordered them 
 to strike their tents, r.nd begin their march for the 
 city of Bagdat. The chest was by long poles made 
 fast to four camels, which were placed in the centre 
 of the caravan. 
 
 The mind of Abudah, though in possession of 
 the chest, was yet not without its apprehensions 
 that the wild Arabs might come down upon his 
 little party, and bereave him of his treasure. The 
 first day the caravan reached a pool of water, and 
 on its banks the careful Abudah ordered his retinue 
 to pitch their tents, and unload the camels from 
 their burthens ; and, at the same time, placed four 
 of his slaves as sentinels, toward the four different 
 quarters of his encampment ; and ordered the chest, 
 for the greater security, to be buried in the sand 
 under his tent, while he endeavoured to compose 
 C 
 
1 8 TALES OF THE GENII, 
 
 himself for slumber. Nor were his fears unreason- 
 able ; for at the hour of midnight a small party of 
 Arabs stole down toward them, in order to encamp 
 there for the benefit of the water. 
 
 Abudah had notice from his slave, who looked 
 toward the west, of their approach, and was like- 
 wise informed that their number was small; but 
 such was his anxiety and irresolution, and fear of 
 losing his treasure or his life, that he dared not 
 order them to be attacked, or prepare for flight. 
 During this ineffectual altercation and struggle of 
 Abudah with his fears, one of the slaves, more 
 daring than the rest, finding his master fearful, en- 
 couraged his comrades, and, marshalling them in 
 order, led them toward the robbers. 
 
 The Arabs, who were not more than twenty in 
 number, at sight of a force so much superior, turned 
 their backs, and left Abudah's slave in quiet pos- 
 session of their tents. But now the slave, seeing 
 the Arabs flying from before him, and observing 
 the fear of his master, and the great concern he 
 had for the iron chest, addressed himself to the 
 rest of the slaves, and declaring what immense 
 treasures there might lie hid in that chest, seeing 
 their master had left Bagclat to search for it, and 
 had it secured with so many locks, persuaded them 
 to rob Abudah, and depart with the riches to some 
 other country, where they might enjoy the fruits of 
 their rapine. This being easily agreed to, they all 
 in a body advanced to the tent of Abudah, who 
 came out to meet and thank them for their gallant 
 behaviour. 
 
 The bold slave thus made answer to his master's 
 thanks : — ' The danger, Abudah, of defending thy 
 riches contained in the iron chest with many locks, 
 fell all upon thy slaves ; whilst thou, who wert to 
 enjoy the comfort of those riches, didst lie trembling 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 19 
 
 in thy tent : wherefore we, who have borne the 
 burthen, mean also to share the profits with thee ; 
 but, that thou mayest see that we are just, one 
 equal share shall be thy portion, and the rest be- 
 longs to those who have preserved to thee even the 
 share that will be appointed thee.' These words 
 being ended, without any regard to either the 
 threatenings or prayers of Abudah, they dug up 
 the chest ; and having cleared away the sand, de- 
 manded of him the keys of the fifty locks. 
 
 Abudah, finding them inexorable, besought them 
 that they would at least give him a day to consider 
 of their proposal. * What ! ' replied the bold slave, 
 ' a day ? Why, Merchant, long ere that will a 
 thousand Arabs be upon us, invited by those that 
 are fled ; and we shall suffer death, and you and 
 all entirely lose the valuable possessions which 
 are doubtless contained in that strong chest of iron.' 
 
 It was in vain that, in return, the Merchant 
 assured them that there was nothing within but a 
 poor talisman, whose virtues they could not know, 
 and promised them all liberty and riches, if they 
 arrived safe in Bagdat with the chest. They had 
 gone too far to trust to his promises ; and the 
 slave who was their ringleader, ordering all to 
 retire, left Abudah for half-an-hour to think of 
 their proposal. 
 
 Abudah, as soon as they had left him, threw 
 himself upon the chest, as one who was grasping 
 all that was dear unto him, and, with a loud sigh, 
 began to lament his fate : when, as before, a deep 
 sleep overtaking him, he sunk motionless on his 
 treasure. 
 
 At midnight he awaked, and, turning his eyes 
 
 around, perceived he was in the apartments of his 
 
 seraglio in Bagdat, and that his wife was sleeping 
 
 near him on a sofa. The recollection of his happy 
 
 C2 
 
20 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 escape immediately got possession of his mind ; 
 and he doubted not but he should find his chest as 
 he had before. Wherefore, before he saluted, or 
 indeed thought of his wife, taking one of the 
 sweet-scented lamps, that always were burning in 
 the centre of the apartment, he perceived the chest 
 in the very comer where, before, the box which 
 had caused him so much uneasiness used to remain 
 fixed. 
 
 Abudah, now feeling for, and taking out, the 
 fifty keys, thought himself the happiest of man- 
 kind. The danger which he conceived the talisman 
 might be in, from lying in a chest so conspicuous, 
 and which he had already experienced, determined 
 him, at all hazards, to unlock with his fifty keys 
 the iron chest, and take the talisman out, and 
 always wear it concealed about him. With this 
 view he began to try the first key, which, to his 
 amazement, would fit neither of the fifty locks. 
 At this he began to suspect that either the Genius 
 of Riches had mistaken (which he could hardly 
 suppose), or that some evil Genius had changed 
 them in his bosom. — ' However,' said he to him- 
 self, ' perhaps as one key will open none, one also 
 may open all : ' so, taking out one by one, he tried 
 them all ; but neither of the fifty keys would open 
 a single lock. 
 
 Abudah, at this discovery, flung himself on the 
 sofa, and began to lament his miserable fate : but 
 he soon resolved to try the keys a second time : 
 ' for,' said he, ' some key I have possibly missed, 
 and such a treasure cannot be expected without 
 much labour and pains.' At this he rose up, and 
 was going toward the chest ; when starting at 
 a noise in the centre of the room, he beheld the 
 little box, which had been the first cause of all bis 
 grief ; and was saluted by the old hag, who hob- 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 21 
 
 bled out from her confinement, and began to 
 terrify the afflicted Merchant, in the following 
 terms : — 
 
 ' 0, senseless Abudah ! to hope that the talis- 
 man of Oromanes might be bought with riches ! 
 Thou hast indeed a chest, but thou hast neither 
 the means, nor canst thou force open this chest to 
 search for thy treasure : what, then, art thou the 
 better for thy possession, or the happier for thy 
 chest of iron ? It will, indeed, convey thee where 
 thou desirest, and thou mayest rest upon it; but, 
 waking, thou feelest the tortures of anxiety, and 
 feelest them the sharper, because thou fearest 
 to lose what thou canst not enjoy. Go, then, and 
 search till thou findest the keys of the fifty locks ; 
 but be not so senseless as to suppose that the 
 Genius would have parted with the treasure could 
 he have made any use of it. In a far different 
 country must thou hope to find those keys which 
 will unlock that chest; a joyous country, where 
 serenity ever dwells, and pleasure reigns eternal. 
 — A short respite will I give thee ; but ere this 
 moon be passed, let me find you active, or I shall 
 invent double horrors to surround you.' 
 
 Having thus said, the box closed, and in an 
 instant Abudah beheld it mounted on the chest, 
 which he vainly hoped would have driven such 
 a troublesome guest from his house. 
 
 And now Selima, his wife, awaking, beheld with 
 surprise her husband Abudah drowned in tears by 
 her side. She instantly pressed him in her arms, 
 and, in transports, inquired by what happy fate he 
 was returned. 
 
 ' Why, know you not,' replied Abudah, ' that the 
 third morning, as I mounted the car, which the 
 traveller had prepared for me, and was arrayed in 
 my best vestments of gold and diamonds, having a 
 
22 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 procession the length of two days before me, and 
 such a numerous retinue of all the nobles of 
 Bagdat, and having archers innumerable attend- 
 ing my caravan, which was moving toward the 
 valley ' 
 
 'Oh, my dear Abudah,' said Selima, interrupt- 
 ing him, 'with what madness hath that wicked 
 enchanter possessed you ? What car ? what vest- 
 ments? what procession doth my lord talk of? 
 There came, indeed (brought by those who called 
 themselves your friends), a poor wretch here, who 
 has embezzled the greater part of your riches, and 
 who often talked in private with you: and this 
 continued for some months, during which time 
 you never attended to the speech of your friends, 
 but seemed wrapped up in that specious villain, 
 who at last took you to the room fronting the gate- 
 way of the city, and there for two days you con- 
 tinued looking out, and seemed to be in raptures, 
 talking of more riches than the world contains : 
 and the third day, though he still continued by 
 you, you persisted he was gone. Yet he went 
 forth, and you followed him ; and getting into 
 a little vehicle, he placed himself behind you, and 
 your family have from that day lamented your 
 absence.' 
 
 At this recital, Abudah turned his face on the 
 sofa, and spake no more for several hours. At 
 last, rising from the sofa, ' Fool, indeed, that I 
 was !' said he, ' to trust the account of a miserable 
 impostor, or believe that the talisman of Oromanes 
 might be purchased with riches ! ' 
 
 ' Oh, rather,' replied Selima, ' may my lord find 
 peace in this city, and comfort from his family who 
 adore him ! ' 
 
 ' It was there,' answered the Merchant, ' that I 
 once hoped to find it : but satiety, which I will not 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 23 
 
 suffer to breed disgust, forces me at least to be 
 indifferent to the pleasures which surround me. 
 No, Selima ; I have a nocturnal monitor, who will 
 not permit me to rest till I have made myself 
 master of the talisman of the perfect Oromanes. 
 It is some knowledge to perceive our errors : and, 
 at least, I am nearer the possession of the talis- 
 man, as my last journey, though it has not given 
 me the talisman itself, has yet furnished me with 
 the means of obtaining it.' 
 
 Having thus spoken, he seemed for a time easy 
 and resigned, and endeavoured by love and tender- 
 ness to soothe the affliction of the weeping Selima. 
 But the moon had scarcely passed away, when 
 the persecuted Merchant was again awakened by 
 his midnight hag, and commanded to pursue his 
 journey after the talisman of Oromanes. 
 
 Abudah was about to reply, when, on a sudden 
 he heard the most ravishing music, and imme- 
 diately subtile and precious perfumes filled the 
 chamber, and a small cloud, gathering from the roof, 
 descended, and expanding, produced to his view a 
 most exquisite beauty, habited like the eternal 
 Houris, bedecked with chaplets of delicate ever- 
 living flowers, holding in one hand a crystal cup, 
 and with the other pressing out the sparkling juice 
 from a swelling cluster of delicious grapes. 
 
 ' Here, faithful Abudah,' began the lovely form, 
 1 receive from these humble hands the cup which 
 will inspire you with the knowledge of the talis- 
 man of Oromanes ; quaff off this delicious draught, 
 and, reclining yourself on the iron chest, that 
 faithful treasure will, at a wish, convey you to those 
 happy realms, where without a guard, the keys of 
 all thy pleasures are reserved.' 
 
 At these words, with grace ineffable, she advanced 
 to the transported Merchant; who, with thrilling 
 
24 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 joy received from her ivory hands the rich spark- 
 ling draught, and sucked it with mad delight. The 
 Houri immediately disappeared, and Abudah, falling 
 senseless on the chest, resigned himself to sleep, 
 and to a second adventure. 
 
 THE SECOND ADVENTURE OF THE MERCHANT ABUDAH ; 
 IN THE GtROVES OF SHADASKI. 
 
 Abudah, awaking at the cheerful sounds of innu- 
 merahle birds who sat around him and strove for 
 mastery in their sweet notes, found himself lying 
 in a lovely pavilion, strewed with fresh lilies and 
 roses, and filled with the most ravishing perfumes : 
 the downy sofa, on which he reclined, w r as of the 
 finest silk, wrought with curious devices, and exe- 
 cuted with such life and spirit, that flowers seemed, 
 in the mimic work, to spring forth from under him. 
 The rising sun, which appeared over the blue 
 distant hills, and warmed the awaking day ; the 
 choristers of the groves, whose melody was softened 
 by the gentle motion of the air ; the unspeakable 
 elegance of the pavilion, which seemed formed by 
 the powers of harmony ; and the delicious fragrance 
 of the air ; transported the Merchant with the 
 most pleasing sensations : he could not for some 
 time believe his existence, but supposed that he 
 was still under the influence of the delightful 
 vision which had the night before taken possession 
 of him. He turned his eyes on all sides to meet 
 with new delights ; which, though sumptuous and 
 costly, owed more lustre to their delicacy and dis- 
 position, than to the expensive materials out of 
 which they were formed. 
 
 But if such were the ravishing delights within, 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 25 
 
 Abudah thought them much more than realized 
 when he was convinced he was awake ; and, by 
 stepping forward out of the pavilion, he beheld 
 every enchanting object that art and nature could 
 unite. 
 
 The pavilion itself stood upon a rising mount, 
 in the midst of a most beautiful green, and was 
 partly shaded by some upright palms, and a scat- 
 tered grove of oranges and citrons, which on all 
 sides, by beautiful breaks, gave a view of the neigh- 
 bouring paradise. The centre of the pavilion 
 opened to the lawn, which was beset with elegant 
 tufts of the most delightful verdure. 
 
 Blushing and transparent fruits peeped from be- 
 tween the foliage, and every coloured, every scented 
 flower, in agreeable variety intermingled with the 
 grass, presented to Abudah's eyes the garden- 
 work of luxuriant nature. Here roses, with wood- 
 bines entwined, appeared in beauteous contention ; 
 here luscious grapes adorned the barren branches 
 of the stately elm ; while beneath strayed the rich 
 flocks, or birds of various feather ; some in num- 
 bers upon the ground, and some paired in trees ; 
 which added a new variety to the scene. At the 
 bottom of the lawn ran a clear and transparent 
 stream, which gently washed the margin of the 
 green and seemed to feed it as it passed. On the 
 other side, a grove of myrtles, intermixed with 
 roses, and flowering shrubs, led into shady mazes; 
 in the midst of which appeared the glittering tops 
 of other elegant pavilions, some of which stood 
 just on the brink of the river ; others had wide 
 avenues leading through the groves ; and others 
 were almost lost to sight by the intervening woods. 
 
 Abudah, directing his steps towards the stream, 
 found there an elegant barge, manned by ten 
 beautiful youths, whose garments were of azure, 
 
26 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 trimmed with gold. They beckoned the happy 
 Merchant, and received him with the utmost affa- 
 bility into their hark ; then, all at once, plying their 
 refulgent oars, they made the crystal flood sparkle 
 with their ready strokes. The boat rode lightly on 
 the stream, and, as it passed through the meanders 
 of the current, every moment presented a new and 
 striking prospect of beauties to the delighted Abu- 
 dah. Hanging rocks of a thousand different hues ; 
 woods of spices, and perfumes breathing sweetness 
 over the cool stream ; fruits reflected in double 
 lustre in the clear waves ; shrubs dropping their 
 roses as they passed ; flocks and herds standing 
 gazing at their own images in the deep ; others 
 drinking of the transparent waters ; and some, 
 more satisfied, frisking on the lawns, or chasing 
 each other in sport among the trees. 
 
 At length the stream^ growing wider, opened 
 into a spacious lake, which was half surrounded 
 with a rising hill, on which might be seen, in- 
 termixed with groves, a thousand gay pavilions, 
 palaces, theatres, rotundos, obelisks, temples, 
 pillars, and other curious marks of elegance and 
 luxury : various pleasure-boats were sailing on the 
 surface of the lake, some with gaudy banners fan- 
 ning the winds, others with pleasing structures for 
 shade and entertainment ; in one boat, gay music ; 
 in another, banquets ; in a third, desserts of the 
 finest fruits, viands, cooling liquors ; and gay com- 
 pany in all, who looked more blooming than the 
 sons of the Genii, or the daughters of the Fairies. 
 At the extremities of the swelling hill, ran glitter- 
 ing cascades ; and over the pendent rocks dropped 
 down the most luxuriant vines, whose modest leaves 
 attempted in vain to hide their luscious and trans- 
 parent fruit from the curious eye of the observer. 
 At the extremity of the lake, which, by its pure 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 2 7 
 
 waters, exposed the yellow golden sand on which 
 it wantoned, two streams ran toward the right and 
 left of the hill, and lost themselves amidst the 
 groves, pastures, lawns, hillocks, and romantic 
 scenes of the adjacent country; where lofty gilded 
 spires, swelling domes, and other curious labours, 
 were partly concealed, and partly discovered, by 
 the blue expanse of sky, which at last seemed 
 blended with the country, and terminated the pros- 
 pect of the Groves of Shadaski. The youthful 
 watermen, who in alternate song kept time with 
 their oars, were now almost at the farther side of 
 the lake, and in the centre of the shore where 
 Abudah had beheld the mixed groves, temples, and 
 pavilions. A little creek, shaded with myrtles and 
 cedars, was the place were Abudah was destined to 
 land. Here, as he approached, ten beauteous fair 
 ones, dressed like the Genii of the woods, stood 
 ready to receive him, which they did with the most 
 amiable and pleasing gestures. The boat, having 
 landed the Merchant, shot again swiftly over the 
 lake, and mixed with the gay pageants- on the 
 water, while the fair strangers invited Abudah to- 
 wards the palaces which were scattered on the hill. 
 Having passed through several fragrant avenues of 
 trees laden either with foliage, fruit, or flower, they 
 brought him toward an elegant building, whose 
 front faced the lake whence they came : here, 
 amidst parterres and beds of flowers, a broad plat 
 led them to the entrance of the palace, where all 
 the lavish ornaments of art and sculpture were 
 displayed in the most refined symmetry ; light pol- 
 ished shafts, airy devices, highly-finished entabla- 
 tures, and other fanciful decorations, formed the 
 building, which was more calculated to give the 
 ideas of pleasure than magnificence, and had more 
 ease than labour conspicuous. 
 
28 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Into tliis mansion the ten beauties led the way, 
 and introduced Abudah into a grand hall, adorned 
 with lively groups of delicate statues, in all atti- 
 tudes and positions. 
 
 Between the statues were pictures of every joy 
 that the senses can conceive — of the different sea- 
 sons and their varied charms— of the country and 
 the court. A rich banquet was spread before them 
 — every luxury, every rarity was there. Abudah 
 and his fair company began the banquet, while 
 Genii invisible administered to them rich sparkling 
 wines, high sauces, congealed liquors : fruits of 
 every kind, the nectarine, Persian apple, the lordly 
 pine, the luscious grape, the cooling pomegranate, 
 the juicy pear, and thousand others, were heaped 
 before them, till nature was not only satisfied, but 
 tired with the profusion. Then followed the spark- 
 ling and racy wines, forbidden indeed by Mahomet, 
 but not forbidden in the Groves of Shadaski ; the 
 sweetmeats and preserves, and, in short, every 
 luxury which could stimulate and arouse the jaded 
 appetite. 
 
 During this repast, the fair companions of Abu- 
 dah amused him by the varied charms of their 
 conversation, and challenged each other with lively 
 songs and mirthful jokes. The banquet bringing 
 on satiety, after washing, they arose, and this lively 
 train led Abudah (the evening now drawing on) 
 into the gardens of the palace. 
 
 After walking by several cooling fountains and 
 sweet-smelling groves, they came to a magnificent 
 terrace, crowded with a thousand gay youths and 
 beauties, in the most fantastical masquerades. All 
 nations might be seen upon this variegated terrace, 
 and the beauties of every clime ; all conversation 
 was here indulged, though the pleasures of life 
 were the universal topic. Cooling liquors, fruits, 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 29 
 
 cakes, creams, and wines, were spread on the flowery 
 banks on each side the terrace, and in arbours of 
 oranges and myrtles, or sweet jasmines, where any 
 company, as they pleased, retired ; behind the 
 trees and shrubs were placed large bands of music, 
 sometimes inspiring, and sometimes melting, the 
 hearts of their auditors. 
 
 The sun was setting, just as Abudah had gained 
 the centre of this extensive terrace, — for his com- 
 panions had left him to join what company he 
 pleased. Here he perceived on a large green, 
 planted round with lofty palms, under which grew 
 a thousand shrubs, a most extensive building, of 
 an oblong form, and supported by a thousand mag- 
 nificent pillars, where the crowd from the terrace 
 were retiring. Abudah entered with the rest, and 
 advanced into the room, which was lighted up with 
 numberless lustres, and furnished all round with 
 silken canopies, each having under it sofas of the 
 richest velvet. Here the gay assembly, as soon as 
 the music from the gallery struck up, began the 
 dance, nor could the pleased Merchant refrain from 
 the enlivening motion. Thus passed the fleeting 
 hours, till on a sudden, while each fair one and 
 her partner were resting on the sofas which sur- 
 rounded the room, the softest music began to 
 sound, and a hundred choristers in masquerade 
 habits entered the assembly. These were followed 
 by forty young maidens, scattering roses and vio- 
 lets around; after which came forward, under a 
 canopy, supported by twelve beautiful boys, the 
 Queen of Pleasures : at her approach, the company 
 arose, and, with the utmost adoration, prostrated 
 themselves before her. 
 
 When the Queen was seated on a throne at the 
 upper end of the room, and the banquet was about 
 to begin, she ordered her maidens to find out the 
 
30 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 stranger who carne yesterday to visit her dominions. 
 Immediately Abuclah was brought before her ; who 
 prostrating himself at her feet, she, with a smile, 
 gave him her hand, and commanded him to rise. ' 
 
 ' happy Abudah,' said the Queen of Pleasures, 
 c whom the Fates ordained to bring into these de- 
 lightful regions the chest of the Valley of Boc- 
 chim ! The superior Genii, envying the happiness 
 which we inferior Genii enjoyed, contrived to di- 
 vide the keys and the chest, which tradition declares 
 contains the talisman of Oromanes ; and thou, 
 Abudah, art the man who art destined to unite 
 them. Worthy, Abudah, for such services, of the 
 love of thy slaves ! Come, then, thou prince of 
 my affections, and share with me the pleasures of 
 these happy groves.' 
 
 She then commanded the company to pay Abu- 
 dah the honours they used to pay her ; and, with 
 a pressing tenderness, obliged him to share with 
 her the throne of Pleasure. Abudah now con- 
 ceived himself the happiest of mankind : to be 
 chosen by the Queen of Pleasure herself, seemed 
 joy too great for mortal senses. 
 
 Time, however, stole onwards ; night, with its 
 silence and repose, passed away in the Groves of 
 Shadaski ; the morning brought reflection and sa- 
 tiety; and Abudah, with some impatience, besought 
 the Queen of Pleasures to surrender him the keys 
 of the iron chest. 
 
 < My ever-loved Abudah/ replied the Queen, ' be- 
 hold the chest in the centre of my temple ; and 
 here are the keys for my adventurous hero : go, 
 happy Abudah, and purchase a perpetuity of joys 
 by the possession of the talisman of the pleasure- 
 giving Oromanes.' 
 
 Abudah, having received the keys, jumped for- 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 31 
 
 ward from the pavilion to the middle of the tem- 
 ple ; and, like a man just entering on a new 
 pursuit, with great impatience hegan to open the 
 fifty locks. The locks, being only touched by the 
 keys, flew from their staples, and the Merchant, in 
 a few minutes, had conquered forty-nine of the 
 obstacles of his happiness : as he was opening the 
 last, — ' O Queen,' said he, ' come forward, and see 
 me finish this desirable adventure ! ' The last 
 lock tumbled off just as the Queen arrived at the 
 chest ; and Abudah besought her to share with 
 him the pleasures of exploring the treasures of 
 the chest. But no sooner did the Merchant stoop 
 to open the lid of the iron chest, than a sudden 
 darkness ensued, and in a moment the loud thunder 
 cracked around him, and streams of crooked light- 
 nings, with horrid blaze, encircled the astonished 
 Abudah. 
 
 The shrieks and cries of the once-gay set, who 
 were indulging under the canopies, next struck 
 his ears : some, already blasted by the lightning, 
 withered away; others, the ruins of the temple 
 falling in huge fragments, half-buried in the earth; 
 the rest in madness running to and fro in despair, 
 tore each other to pieces. The red angry light- 
 ning still continuing, Abudah, in the utmost an- 
 guish, looked toward the Queen : — when (0 fearful 
 sight !) he saw her soft form parching and contract- 
 ing by the flames, and her whole body diminishing, 
 till by degrees, he beheld the little old hag, with 
 fury flashing from her looks. 
 
 ' Wretch, as well as fool,' said she, with a voice 
 that pierced his inmost sense, 'how darest thou 
 presume to seek the talisman of Oromanes amidst 
 the vanities and intemperance of this filthy grove? 
 But I leave thee to enjoy the situation thou art 
 
32 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 so fond of; be this dungeon thy prison ; here 
 wander, and contemplate the pleasures thou hast 
 chosen/ 
 
 Thus saying, she struck Abudah with her crutch, 
 and vanished from his sight. The touch of her 
 noxious hand filled him with aching pains, and the 
 dead bodies and the groans of those dying around 
 him, inspired the wretched Merchant with horror 
 and remorse. 
 
 He wandered for a long time in what he now 
 believed an endless cavern, without light ; and, to 
 add to his wretchedness, every step he took he trod 
 on some venomous creature : the serpents hissed 
 at him as he passed ; the toads spat malignant fire; 
 and the asps, twining round his legs, spewed their 
 venom on him, and marked him with a thousand 
 blotches. Thus continued he wandering to and 
 fro, with great caution, about the dismal cavern, 
 not more tormented with the groans of others than 
 his own dismal and heart-aching thoughts, which 
 made him weep and tremble every step he took. 
 
 After many weary searches for an end, or place 
 to escape, he felt somewhat larger than common 
 seize him by the leg ; upon which the poor wretch 
 supposed that he was in the gripe of an enormous 
 serpent, and began shrieking with fear and terror ; 
 when a voice, like that of despair, spoke as 
 follows : — 
 
 ' What wretch art thou, who yet remainest alive 
 in this cavern of desolation and death ? ' 
 
 Abudah, though still in terror, was yet some- 
 what comforted to find that he had a companion in 
 his miseries, and thus answered him : — 
 
 ' I am, indeed, a wretch, misled in my searches 
 after the talisman of Oromanes ! ' 
 
 ' What ! ' answered the voice, ' wast thou fool 
 enough to suppose that pleasure was the road to 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 33 
 
 that noble jewel! — It were then,' continued the 
 voice, ' an easy purchase : but rough is the path, 
 and high the mount, on which that treasure is 
 preserved.' 
 
 'Alas ! ' answered Abudah, ' it matters not to me, 
 where or how this talisman is disposed, who am thus 
 for ever enclosed in these walls of wretchedness.' 
 
 ' We cannot but rise,' answered the voice, ' when 
 we are at the bottom ; and perhaps the most barren 
 ground will yield the richest mine : be thou but 
 resolved to tread the crooked and laborious path, 
 and I will instruct thee ; for within these caverns 
 begins the winding ascent.' 
 
 ' O friend, or Genius, or whatsoever else thou 
 art,' returned the Merchant, ' place me but in the 
 track, and no dangers shall deter me : for what has 
 he to fear, who is beyond hope ! ' 
 
 ' Take then,' answered the voice, ' thy way as the 
 cavern descends ; and fear not to stoop in order to 
 rise ; for in the lowest part of this cavern is situ- 
 ated the opening you must ascend.' 
 
 As the voice ended, Abudah found his feet at 
 liberty, and began to feel out for the cavern's 
 descent. The lower he went, the more filth and 
 stench he found ; to which submitting with patience, 
 he, by a long passage, sometimes crawling under 
 rugged arches, sometimes wading in mud and dirt, 
 and in total darkness, attained the end of the 
 cavern, where he stumbled on some narrow steps ; 
 but could see no light, and was nearly suffocated 
 with the noisome vapours. 
 
 The winding ascent was so intricate, and clogged 
 with dirt and rubbish, that the Merchant worked 
 like a mole in the dark ; but, by his industry, he 
 gained ground considerably : yet what mostly tor- 
 mented him was, that as often as he endeavoured 
 to mount, the steps would slip from under him, and 
 D 
 
34 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 he would come tumbling down with a weight of 
 dirt upon him ; and then had all his work to do 
 over again. Nothing but his intolerable situation 
 and lost condition could have supported the Mer- 
 chant in this odious undertaking : but meanness 
 and wretchedness know no evils greater than 
 themselves. 
 
 After various labours, Abudah arrived at a kind 
 of resting-place, whence the steps began to enlarge, 
 and by degrees he perceived from above a glimmer- 
 ing light ; to which ascending, the nearer he drew 
 to it, the plainer he could hear a confused sound 
 of voices echoing from the top, which increased as 
 he rose, till he could plainly distinguish it must 
 proceed from some great concourse of people 
 without. 
 
 When he had reached the uppermost step, over 
 which a hole opened sufficient for a man to crawl 
 through, the clamours without were so terrifying, 
 that he feared to proceed : at last, considering that 
 death must be the consequence of remaining in the 
 cavern, he boldly ventured forth. 
 
 THE MEECHANT ABUDAH S THIED ADVENTUEE ; IN THE 
 KINGDOM OF TASGI. 
 
 No sooner did the Merchant Abudah appear through 
 the opening of the cavern, than ten thousand voices 
 cried out all at once — ' Long live our Sultan, whom 
 the mountains of Tasgi have brought forth ! ' And 
 Abudah, looking about, saw an infinite concourse 
 of people round the mountain, and beyond them a 
 most plentiful country, with cities and towns scat- 
 tered among the valleys which opened to his view. 
 A number of eunuchs and viziers stepped forward 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 35 
 
 to disengage Abudah from the mouth of the cavern, 
 who was so spent with his infirmities, sores, and 
 fatigue, that he was obliged to be supported. Im- 
 mediately a princely robe was thrown over him, and 
 a costly turban put upon his head ; the concourse 
 still crying out, with ecstasy and rapture, ' Long 
 live our Sultan, whom the mountains of Tasgi have 
 brought forth ! ' 
 
 Silence being commanded, the grand vizier, with 
 a long train, came toward Abudah ; and, with all 
 the people prostrating himself before the Merchant, 
 thus addressed himself to Abudah : — 
 
 ' Behold, O thou, before whose presence even the 
 sun is darkness ! behold, O wonder of mankind, 
 most sacred progeny of Tasgi ! thou miracle of 
 beauty ! thou mirror of perfection ! thou most 
 glorious Sultan of earthly princes ! thou diamond 
 of nature ! thou guardian of the world ! behold thy 
 prostrate slaves ; whose wish is only to lie down as 
 thy footstools, and to be trodden under thy feet as 
 the dust of the plain ! Thine, Sultan, is all 
 earthly happiness ! thine, every perfection of body 
 and mind ! thine, all power, from the mountains 
 of thy parent Tasgi, to the parching deserts of 
 Shezrallah, which forbid the approach of the 
 stranger to the kingdoms of our invincible Sultan ! 
 Kule, therefore, thy slaves according unto thy plea- 
 sure, and know but one will in the plains and cities 
 which, by thy permission and bounty, thy slaves 
 inhabit.' 
 
 As the grand vizier, still prostrate with the people, 
 uttered these words, they all with one voice re- 
 peated — ' O Sultan, whom the mountains of Tasgi 
 have brought forth, rule thy slaves according to 
 thy pleasure ! ' 
 
 Abudah, filled with conceit and bloated with 
 pride, had almost forgot his pains and infirmities 
 D2 
 
36 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 in this flattering applause : he set his foot on the 
 neck of the vizier with the utmost haughtiness, 
 and commanded him to conduct him to the seraglios 
 of his ancestors. — A numher of slaves and eunuchs 
 Drought a magnificent throne of ivory, with a canopy 
 of golden embroidery thrown over it, into which 
 Abudah ascended, and was borne on the shoulders 
 of the grandees and viziers of his newly- acquired 
 kingdom. 
 
 The retinue, winding round the hill, brought 
 Abudah in sight of an extensive encampment, whidh, 
 after the eastern manner, was of a thousand different 
 colours : one division yellow, one blue, another 
 white, some red, some green, and all adorned with 
 silver or gold. In the centre of this splendid 
 armament stood the royal tent, which shone with 
 the lustre of the gold and purple velvet of which 
 it was composed, and looked rather like a palace 
 than a tent. 
 
 Here Abudah was seated on his throne ; and the 
 nobles having done obeisance, Abudah commanded 
 all but the grand vizier to depart. 
 
 The rest being gone, the grand vizier, again 
 prostrating himself before Abudah, cried out, ' May 
 my lord the Sultan of Tasgi ever rule over Harran 
 his slave ! ' 
 
 ' Harran,' answered Abudah, ' arise, and declare 
 to me the cause of this encampment, and why the 
 armies of Tasgi are thus scattered on the plains ? ' 
 
 ' Our renowned Sultan Rammasin,' replied the 
 vizier Harran, ' made it his custom to take the field 
 in summer, to terrify his foes ; but, in the midst of 
 this campaign, it pleased the powers who preside 
 over the mountains of Tasgi to call him from us, 
 and bless us with the presence of my lord, before 
 whom I stand. For, since the time that the de- 
 scendants of Mahomet involved our kingdom in 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 37 
 
 perpetual bloodshed, we have been warned by the 
 oracles of Tasgi to expect a king from the womb 
 of the mountain, that no division of families or 
 contention among brethren might disturb the 
 peace of these happy kingdoms.' 
 
 ' And who,' said Abudah, ' are the neighbours of 
 my kingdom beyond these mountains ? ' 
 
 6 They are,' replied the vizier, ' O Sultan, a 
 harmless, inoffensive race ; which was the cause 
 that the Sultan Eammasin would not make war 
 upon them, although their territories extend to 
 the sea-coast, and would be a noble addition to the 
 kingdom of the Sultan of Tasgi.' 
 
 ' Rammasin, then,' answered Abudah, ' wanted 
 a nobleness of soul, to sit down contented with less 
 than he might have enjoyed ; but Abudah, your 
 present Sultan, will give their lands to the slaves 
 of Tasgi, and extend his dominions even over the 
 waves and the tempest.' 
 
 ' My royal master will thereby,' answered the 
 vizier, 'gain the hearts of his soldiers, who have 
 long pined in the inglorious lethargies of peace.' 
 
 1 Go, bid the trumpets sound then,' said Abudah, 
 ' and let it be proclaimed in the camp, that your 
 Sultan Abudah will revenge the injuries which the 
 inhabitants of Tasgi have received from their per- 
 fidious neighbours. Go, Harran, and denounce 
 war against the ' 
 
 6 Shakarahs,' said Harran, bowing, ' who have 
 insulted the mountains of Tasgi.' 
 
 Abudah was going on ; but his pains and weak- 
 ness obliged him to order that an inner tent might 
 be prepared for him. 
 
 While the eunuchs and slaves were attending 
 their new Sultan, his vizier Harran caused the 
 royal mandate to be proclaimed about the encamp- 
 ment, and commanded the leaders of the army to 
 
38 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 be assembled together, to deliver to them the orders 
 of the Sultan Abudah. 
 
 The whole kingdom of Tasgi was rejoiced at the 
 news of their Sultan's expedition against the help- 
 less and innocent Shakarahs ; so little do subjects 
 weigh the merits of war ! and the old and decrepit 
 parents stirred up their children to engage in a 
 service, where cruelty and destruction were honoured 
 with the titles of virtue and the love of their coun- 
 try. 
 
 Ere the sun began to smile on the harvests of 
 the Shakarahs, the tents of Abudah were moving 
 to destroy them ; the loud cymbals were clanging 
 in the air, and the brazen trumpets, with their 
 shrill notes of liveliness, seemed to inspire the 
 armies of Tasgi with a thirst of glory, and not of 
 blood. The order and discipline of the troops, 
 the regularity of their march, and the sprightliness 
 of their looks, utterly disguised the rapacious pur- 
 poses of the royal plunderer ; who, though but 
 just master of one kingdom, was so eager to get 
 'possession of a second, that he destroyed many of 
 his men in forcing a march over the mountains 
 which nature had placed as the boundaries of their 
 nation. 
 
 The Shakarahs, having notice of their motions, 
 sent an embassy to meet the Sultan of Tasgi, 
 beseeching to know the cause of his coming ; 
 making the humblest professions of peace ; and 
 offering, if any thing had offended him, to make 
 the fullest satisfaction they were capable of; and 
 imploring him, that he would not make war upon 
 a nation who were ever the friends of the Tasgites, 
 and to whom that kingdom had never declared any 
 hostile intention. 
 
 To these humble remonstrances Abudah replied, 
 that he was not to be taught and directed by such 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANBS. 39 
 
 base slaves as the Shakarahs, and that, wkatever 
 intention ke migkt kave kad originally in entering 
 tkeir kingdom, ke now declared ke came to punish 
 the insolence of tkat people wko dared to send 
 suck dictating embassies to tke Sultan of Tasgi. 
 
 He tken commanded tke ambassadors to be 
 driven from tke encampment, and ordered kis army 
 to begin tkeir kostilities on tke presumptuous Skaka- 
 raks. 
 
 Tke leaders of tke armies of Tasgi being ignorant 
 and imperious, every kind of tyranny and cruelty 
 was practised, till, tke wretcked Skakaraks being 
 made prisoners, and tkeir wives and families insulted 
 or murdered, tke Sultan Abudak returned to tke 
 kingdom of Tasgi, witk tke spoils of tke conquered 
 country, amidst tke acclamations of tke army and 
 its leaders ; wko were so lavisk of tkeir praises and 
 adulations, tkat Abudak esteemed kimself at least 
 equal to tke Prophet of Mecca. 
 
 After Abudak arrived at the metropolis of Tasgi, 
 his viziers came to enquire of him where he would 
 bestow the miserable Shakarahs, most of whom 
 they had led home in chains. Abudah was for 
 some time doubtful of their fate, and was at last 
 going to order a general execution, when he recol- 
 lected the iron chest which was buried in the 
 mountains of Tasgi. 
 
 ( Let the Shakarahs,' said the Sultan Abudah, 
 ' be condemned to work in the mountains of Tasgi, 
 till they find an iron chest with fifty locks.' 
 
 At these words the grand vizier Harran bowed 
 before the Sultan, and said — * Will my lord dare to 
 send the Shakarahs into the womb of Tasgi, which 
 his own subjects are forbidden to approach ?' 
 
 ' Take the rebel Harran,' said Abudah, in in- 
 dignation, ' and let his head be severed from his 
 body, and his tongue let the dogs devour.' 
 
40 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 The other viziers gladly saw this execution per- 
 formed on Harran, and returned to the Sultan, and 
 said — ' Far he it that a Monarch of the East 
 should he governed hy his slaves ! Be the will of 
 the Sultan Ahudah for ever obeyed, as it is in the 
 destruction of the traitor Harran ; as it is in the 
 labours of the Shakarahs in the mountains of Tasgi.' 
 
 Ahudah hourly sent his viziers to inspect the 
 miners in the mountains, who returned with ac- 
 counts of the death of thousands, over whom the 
 mountain crumbled, and smothered them in its 
 caverns. 
 
 The Tasgites, jealous of their mountain, which 
 they supposed was somewhat divine, began to mur- 
 mur at the impiety of their Sultan ; which when 
 Abudah knew, he commanded the leaders of his 
 army to chastise them, and to put every tenth man 
 throughout his kingdom to the sword. 
 
 At length the fainting Shakarahs dug out the 
 chest of iron, and brought it to Abudah, who com- 
 manded every engine of force to be applied to it to 
 break it open, but in vain ; the chest resisted all 
 their endeavours, and would not yield to the utmost 
 force the art of man could bring against it, 
 
 Abudah then published a reward to any that 
 should make keys to fit the locks. This, several 
 undertook, and succeeded ; but as soon as one lock 
 was opened, it shut while the artificer was employed 
 about the second. 
 
 Abudah, puffed up with pride, was enraged at 
 this disappointment, and commanded fifty men to 
 take the fifty keys, and all attempt it at once ; which 
 they did, and were all immediately struck dead : 
 he then commanded a second fifty ; but none but 
 his army were near him, for the rest were fled from 
 the tyrant's presence. 
 
 Abudah now ordered fifty soldiers to approach ; 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 4 1 
 
 when the leaders of the army, moved by his cruel- 
 ties, and seeing he was about to sacrifice his army 
 as well as his subjects, uniting together, came to- 
 ward him in a body; w T hich Abudah perceiving, 
 and expecting no mercy, leaped on the chest, and 
 trusted himself to its saving power. 
 
 Immediately the chest moved aloft in the air; 
 and Abudah, being stupified and giddy, fell into a 
 deep sleep, and was wafted far from the army and 
 kingdom of Tasgi. 
 
 THE MERCHANT ABUDAH S FOURTH ADVENTURE ; 
 AMONG THE SAGES OF NEMA. 
 
 Abudah found himself on the iron chest, beneath 
 a rock which hung over him, and was covered with 
 a pleasant shade of palms ; at a little distance, a 
 gentle rill ran bubbling over the stones, and took 
 its course along a narrow valley, which on each 
 side was bounded by rocks and verdant hills. 
 Here, as he eyed the rural scene, and reflected on 
 his escape from Tasgi, he observed a venerable sage 
 gently moving forward along the valley, and, to 
 appearance, directing his steps toward the rock 
 under which he was sitting. Abudah's conscience 
 was so alarmed at the sight of a human form, 
 which, during his tyrannical reign, he had so often 
 defaced, that he strove to hide himself even from 
 the approach of a weak old man ; but the sage 
 still advancing with ease and composure, Abudah, 
 after some hesitation, suffered him to join him. 
 
 The sage, with great obsequiousness, bowed be- 
 fore Abudah (who had still the royal turban upon 
 his head, and the ensigns of the regal power about 
 his shoulders), and said — ' prince, who deignest 
 to visit these retreats of learning and philosophy, — 
 
42 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 whether thou art he whose knowledge was uni- 
 versal, the glory of the East, the sagest of sages, 
 the indefatigable Solomon ; or whether thou art 
 here arrived from any neighbouring realm in quest 
 of science, and art willing to honour our school 
 with thy august presence ; permit one of the lowest 
 of the sons of knowledge to conduct you to the 
 temple and seat of learning, which the great Solo- 
 mon here founded in the desert, for the investiga- 
 tion of truth, and the discoveries of nature. This 
 vale, which is our only retreat from the sultry sun 
 or the wide-extended desert, winds round to the 
 entrance of our seminary, where every science is 
 taught, and all the fountains of knowledge are 
 disclosed.' 
 
 As he spake these words, the sage led the way ; 
 and Abudah, somewhat recovered from his hurry 
 and confusion, said within himself — ( O Prophet, 
 how blindly have I wandered ! yet here, surely, 
 among these springs of knowledge and learning, 
 is the talisman of Oromanes to be discovered !' 
 Abudah, arriving with the sage at the end of the 
 valley, beheld the mansions of Philosophy. A 
 grand portico first presented itself to his view, 
 built after the model of the Grecian architecture ; 
 to this, with the sage, he ascended by a grand 
 flight of steps, and entering the doors of the 
 inner portico, found himself in a spacious hall. 
 ' Here,' said the sage, ' must even kings remain, 
 till the director of this seat of learning is ac- 
 quainted with the arrival of a stranger, and his 
 motives for seeking entrance into the sacred col- 
 lege of Sciences.' 
 
 1 Give, then, this message,' answered Abudah, 
 1 to your director : that the Sultan of Tasgi (for 
 Abudah's penitence had not entirely humbled his 
 pride), studious of knowledge, seeks, in this phi- 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 43 
 
 losophic seat, to find the talisman of the perfect 
 Oromanes.' The sage, after having made obei- 
 sance to the supposed sultan, went in quest of 
 the director, and left Abudah in the hall, where 
 were many other candidates for admission into the 
 college of Philosophy, and each had his particular 
 sage, or introducer. 
 
 Abudah's instructor shortly returned. — ' Our 
 director,' said he, ' rejoices to find so great a 
 monarch studious of truth, and bids me declare 
 (as is customary) that the talisman of Oromanes 
 is the ultimate end of all our researches, and 
 therefore invites the Sultan of Tasgi to seek it, 
 in whatever science he thinks most likely to con- 
 tain it. But,' added the sage, ' happily for the 
 Sultan of Tasgi, he has met with Abraharad, who 
 can unfold to him the secrets of nature, and teach 
 him in what recesses the talisman of Oromanes is 
 enclosed.' 
 
 * And are you then,' answered Abudah, ' the 
 renowned Abraharad, whom my subjects of Tasgi 
 have often described to me as the man who knew 
 the properties of all herbs and roots, and the 
 minerals of all the earth ? ' 
 
 ' These, prince,' replied Abraharad, ' are the 
 plainest precepts of nature : but I will unfold to 
 thee such of her secrets as none, since the mag- 
 nificent Solomon, have been allowed to view ; for 
 what was Oromanes, the founder of this talisman, 
 but the magician of Fire, the great alchemist of 
 the first and most powerful element ! However, I 
 will not waste your time in words, when I can 
 work wonders to convince you. Descend then, 
 prince, with me into the area of this inner build- 
 ing, in which every science has its separate offices 
 and apartments ; and I will bring you to the know- 
 ledge of the inmost secrets of nature and art.' 
 
44 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Abudah, rejoicing in his new acquaintance, 
 followed Abraharad into an extensive court, sur- 
 rounded by porticos, in each of which he beheld 
 several sages teaching their respective disciples. 
 
 Abraharad led Abudah to the portico of his own 
 science, where many w T ere busied in the various 
 branches of his art. — ' Even in this vestibule/ 
 said Abraharad, ' could I surprise the Sultan of 
 Tasgi ; but I lead him at once to the mysteries 
 of science.' So saying, he opened a door that led 
 to an inner apartment ; and Abudah entering, the 
 alchemist closed the door of his laboratory. 
 
 While Abudah's attention was diverted by the 
 variety of instruments ^nd apparatus which he 
 beheld in this mimic shop of nature, the alchemist 
 began to order his materials, and set them in fur- 
 naces ; compounding salts, and earths, and spirits, 
 and varying his experiments according as he saw 
 occasion. 
 
 6 Patience and perseverance, Sultan,' said 
 Abraharad, ' are the tools of an alchemist ; with- 
 out these he could not work, as hidden causes 
 so often vary and perplex his operations. The 
 secret which I am now preparing, is what gave 
 the great Demogorgon power to dissolve all na- 
 ture ; but, as it is a tedious process, and the 
 furnace as yet gives but the third degree of fire, 
 I will shew you what great effects lie hidden in 
 the meanest causes, that you may conquer the 
 prejudices which custom may have rooted in your 
 mind against any particular modifications of mat- 
 ter ; for the whole earth that you view is one 
 confusion of materials, out of which, by separa- 
 tion, conjunction, assimilation, unity, or disjunc- 
 tion, may every appearance of nature, and many 
 which she had never discovered, be formed. You 
 see the seed drawing to itself atoms, capable of 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 45 
 
 forming wood, and various fruits : from this seem- 
 ingly tasteless earth arises first the harsh, and 
 then the sour, and lastly, the luscious grape, 
 concocted, meliorated, and perfected, in these dif- 
 ferent stages, hy the subtile alchemy of the sun. 
 You see, in others, the bitter, the salt, the tart, 
 and the sweet, all drawn from the same earthly 
 bed or well : so likewise, Sultan, is the gene- 
 ration of all things ; the semen is a kind of 
 standard which marshals each under its particular 
 banner. Now, as these are all, by affections and 
 sympathies of size or quality, naturally led by 
 these causes to conjunction and unity, so also 
 have they all aversions, that is to say, particles 
 discordant, which are capable of separating them, 
 whereby their cohesion, unity, and substance are 
 destroyed, and they themselves are rendered dis- 
 continuous and resolvable into their first principles 
 of rude atoms : thus, what we call corruption, is 
 really no more than a new modification of matter, 
 which, according as it is agreeable to our senses 
 and perceptions, we call by names conveying 
 agreeable or disagreeable ideas : thus the fer- 
 ment of the grape we call a making or creating 
 of wine ; and the ferment of vegetables, which 
 resolve themselves to a kind of muck or manure, 
 we call putrefaction, though they are begun by 
 one and the same process in nature : so again, 
 the change of an egg into one living animal, or 
 bird, we call breeding ; but the change of another, 
 by staleness, into a thousand maggots, we call 
 corruption. But yet, whatever may be our no- 
 tions and ideas, they are never lost or destroyed 
 materially, though they are formally: all returns 
 to the common bed of nature, and their lies dor- 
 mant, till called forth by sufficient causes into 
 different forms. 
 
46 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Hence it is, Sultan, that the alchemist, 
 taking this universal bed as the ground-work of 
 his science, and acting, as nature does, by the 
 force of the nobler and more vivifying elements, 
 teaches mankind the powers of separation and 
 composition; and hence he is able to proceed or 
 move backward in his work, and can either stop, 
 reduce, or drive forward the matter which he 
 guides. Thus, Sultan, you perceive those two 
 bottles of transparent liquors ; you see, by mixing 
 them, they instantly change and become red : so 
 the small plant which you set in water, though 
 fed by that element only, produces green leaves. 
 Now these w r aters may again be rendered trans- 
 parent by other mixtures ; may be disunited, and 
 reduced to their former state ; or, by other ad- 
 ditions, you see I render them blue, or black ; or 
 green, or yellow; yet all these beautiful colours 
 and phenomena are caused by a few common, 
 natural causes.' 
 
 Abraharad then ordered the laboratory to be dark- 
 ened, and immediately the Sultan beheld, among 
 vivid flashes, this writing in fire upon the walls : 
 — ' The Sultan of Tasgi shall be satisfied,' At this 
 sight, Abudah was transported : whereupon Abra- 
 harad said — ' O Sultan, let not appearances either 
 slacken, or too rashly inspire your researches : 
 this luminous appearance is natural, drawn from 
 the most refuse of materials, and may serve to 
 convince you that wonders lie hidden in the most 
 disagreeable formations of matter. — But I see the 
 colours arising in the furnace, all that is bright 
 to the eye ! What flashes of red, blue, green, 
 yellow, purple, and white, arise from my work ! 
 brighter, Sultan, than the rubies or the eme- 
 ralds of thine empire.' 
 
 Abudah looked at the furnace, and saw the 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 47 
 
 most glorious colours arise from the crucibles of 
 Abraharad. 
 
 ' These,' continued the sage, ' are signs that my 
 universal menstruum is near perfection ; and now 
 all nature will be open before me.' 
 
 ' What ! ' answered Abudah, s is the mixture 
 you are making in the furnace an universal dis- 
 solvent ? ' 
 
 c Yes,' said Abraharad, * it is.' 
 
 ' Then,' replied Abudah, "the talisman of Oro- 
 manes will soon be my own.' 
 
 ' It may possibly,' resumed the sage, ' require 
 some time to seek out where it is deposited.' 
 
 ' That,' said Abudah, ' I know ; for it is en- 
 closed in the iron chest which you saw me sitting 
 upon under the rock, which has hitherto resisted 
 every application of force or art.' 
 
 ' Hast thou then, O royal Sultan,' cried Abra- 
 harad, ' the chest of adamant, with fifty locks, said 
 to contain that precious jewel, that philosophic 
 talisman, which can give life, immortality, riches, 
 honour, and happiness to the possessor? But see, 
 my work is finished ; the bluish vapour arises, 
 and my menstruum, the key of nature, is com- 
 pleted. Let us then hasten with it to this chest, 
 and release the treasures of my royal Sultan.' 
 
 ' Rather,' replied Abudah, ' will I go and bring 
 it here, which, by its virtues, I am able to per- 
 form ; and Abraharad shall exercise his authority 
 over this stubborn matter, and reduce it to its 
 former atoms.' 
 
 Abudah, then leaving the sage, returned to his 
 chest, and seating himself thereon, was, at a wish, 
 conveyed with his treasure into the laboratory. 
 
 The sage Abraharad, having viewed the chest 
 with rapture, took out his crucible, full of the 
 universal menstruum. 
 
48 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said Abudah, ' sage, be not deceived. 
 Can that which dissolves everything be confined 
 by a crucible ? ' 
 
 The sage grew pale at the Merchant's reproof ; 
 and, with the utmost vexation, threw his men- 
 struum on the ground, where the harmless liquor 
 continued, without altering itself, or the earth that 
 supported it. 
 
 1 Alas ! ' said Abudah, ' where now is alchemy ? ' 
 
 ' I have a cold fusion,' answered Abraharad, 
 f though a hot one is denied me ; for I will send 
 the lightning, which melts the sword, and leaves 
 the scabbard unhurt, through that stubborn piece 
 of mechanism.' 
 
 A new apparatus being now fixed, the sparks 
 and flashes began to issue through the sides of 
 the adamant; and Abraharad, exulting, and im- 
 patient to hasten the effect of his mimic lightning, 
 stepped nearer to the chest ; when the flash, 
 altering its course, drove violently through the 
 temples of the sage Abraharad, and reduced him 
 to ashes. 
 
 At this di'eadful catastrophe, Abudah, whose 
 hopes were raised to the highest pitch, ran out 
 of the laboratory with frantic wildness, and filled 
 the area with his groans and complaints. Here, 
 as he wandered about, tormented by passion and 
 disappointment, a sage, with a steady and com- 
 posed mien, advanced from one of the porticos 
 toward him, and with great seeming unconcern, 
 said — ' wretch, why will you neglect the posses- 
 sion of the talisman of Oromanes, which it is in 
 your power to enjoy?' 
 
 1 Canst thou assure me of that?' answered Abu- 
 dah, in transports. 
 
 * I can assure you,' replied the sage, ' that you 
 are, at present, incapable of making use of it.' 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 49 
 
 ' And therefore it is, I suppose,' said Abudah, 
 ' that I am thus for ever deceived, when I think it 
 within my grasp ? ' 
 
 ' It is even so,' answered the sage. 
 
 ' Then teach me, friendly sage,' rejoined the 
 Merchant, 'how I may come to the true enjoy- 
 ment of this valuable treasure.' 
 
 c Must not happiness,' said the sage, ' be seated 
 in the mind?' 
 
 ' It must, it must/ replied Abudah, ' and I have 
 neglected my mind, to search for it among bodily 
 enjoyments. what a new scene have you, O 
 greatest of sages, opened to my view! But pro- 
 ceed, O heavenly instructor, and perfect the cure 
 you have begun.' 
 
 ' Cool and moderate your grief this night,' an- 
 swered the sage Gherar ; ' and to-morrow, if I find 
 you dispassionate, I will unmask your mind, which 
 at present is beset by worldly objects.' Thus say- 
 ing, the sage Gherar introduced Abudah among 
 his scholars, and provided him apartments in his 
 portico. 
 
 Early the next morning, the sage Gherar at- 
 tended Abudah, and led him forth towards the 
 valley that fronted the building dedicated to science 
 and instruction. 
 
 ' How delightful,' said Gherar, ' are the sweet 
 dews that are again rising at the call of the morn- 
 ing sun ! The groves seem, like man, refreshed by 
 the silence of the night ; the grass, is capable, by 
 this relief from nature, to stand against the fiery 
 beams of the noon.' 
 
 'It is, indeed,' answered Abudah, ' a glorious 
 morning, and looks more like a new creation than 
 a scene which has already lasted such numberless , 
 ages. O, how happily might man spend his days 
 in such sweet retirements ! no cares to molest him ; 
 E 
 
50 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 no storms to beat upon him ; no human desolations 
 to suffer from ! ' 
 
 ' Such/ answered Gherar, e are the dreams of 
 foil j and the conceits of infirmity : conscious of 
 your weakness, I led you to this scene, in order to 
 convince you how incapable you are of happiness : 
 if the brightness of the sun, and the vapours of 
 the morning can so affect you with pleasure, the want 
 of them will be painful unto you. In these grati- 
 fications the soul is totally passive, and must be 
 fed by the senses ; thus she is taught to rejoice at 
 the wanton touches of a finger ; at the tickling of 
 a luxurious palate ; at the odours of a fading 
 flower; at the sounding undulations of the cir- 
 cumambient air ; or at the accidental objects that 
 play upon the eyes of a trifling, circumscribed 
 animal. 
 
 ' But the purity and immortality of the soul 
 teach the philosopher to govern the corruptions of 
 the flesh, and not to suffer the body to be the 
 master of the mind ; the momentary pleasures or 
 evils of life are alike indifferent to him who, con- 
 scious of his perfections, and complete in his own 
 virtues and immortality, can smile amidst the 
 horrors of dissolving nature, and preserve a firm- 
 ness and indifference, when even the whole earth 
 is crumbling to its original chaos : and if these 
 things affect not his self-fortified breast, how little 
 will he regard the common accidents and vexations 
 of life ! If he drops a limb, his immortal part is 
 nevertheless unimpaired ; if he suffers hunger, 
 still his mind is fed with never-failing pleasures ; 
 if power throw its arbitrary chains around him, 
 his soul is still free, and can mock the tyrant's 
 rage, and defy his malice. In short, Abudah, 
 the true philosopher is capable of every pleasure, 
 and released from every ill : the beauty of virtue 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 5 1 
 
 has eternal charms for his contemplation and pos- 
 session ; the changes of mortality have nothing 
 that can move, transport, or disquiet him; he 
 neither hopes nor fears ; he neither admires nor 
 dreads ; and always wears within his hreast a con- 
 tentment more invariable and unshaken than all 
 the treasures upon earth, because nothing earthly 
 can disquiet him.' 
 
 As the sage Gherar spoke these words with a 
 heart-felt pride, Abudah, transported at his doc- 
 trines, was about to answer ; when a fierce tiger 
 bursting from the thicket, with his eyes flashing 
 dreadful fires, and a mouth begrimed with human 
 gore, sprang violently towards the sage and his 
 pupil. Abudah, who had not so entirely forgotten 
 his worldly wisdom as to stand perfectly undaunted, 
 leaped into the brook that divided the vale, and 
 swam across, as knowing the tiger would not follow 
 him through the water. Having reached the op- 
 posite bank, he looked towards the sage Gherar, 
 whom he saw running, with the utmost precipita- 
 tion, before the voracious tiger : but his flight was 
 in vain ; the monster overtook him, and, leaping 
 upon the sage, tore him limb from limb, while 
 Gherar filled the woods and the valleys with his 
 piteous cries and lamentations. 
 
 ' Alas ! ' sighed the Merchant Abudah, as he 
 beheld the wretched end of Gherar, ' how vain is 
 it for weakness to boast of strength ; or for man, 
 who is infirm, to deny the reality of what he must 
 hourly feel ! To boast of a power over nature is, 
 I see, the end of philosophy, which should only 
 with wonder contemplate what it cannot scan; 
 much less ought the reptile man to vaunt itself 
 superior to the blessings or scourges of Him who 
 is the ruler of the universe.' 
 
 With these reflections, Abudah arose ; and, being 
 E2 
 
52 TALES OP THE GENII. 
 
 fearful to venture on the other side of the brook, 
 he advanced up a lawn, which, winding between 
 two mountains, brought the Merchant into a spa- 
 cious plain ; where he beheld innumerable flocks 
 feeding upon its surface, and shepherds and shep- 
 herdesses tending their innocent charge. — ' Here,' 
 said Abudah to himself, ( here is neither pomp, 
 nor luxury, nor vanity; here is rural peace, and 
 quietness, and tranquillity, which know no sorrow/ 
 
 As thus Abudah mused within himself, he ad- 
 vanced towards the shepherds and their flocks ; 
 when one passing near him, immediately ran, with 
 the utmost precipitation, among the rest, crying 
 aloud, * Fly, fly, O my wandering and distressed 
 friends ; for the tyrant of Tasgi, not content with 
 driving us out from the land of Shakarah, is come 
 down to bereave us also of our flocks and herds ! ' 
 
 Abudah was touched to the soul at this scene of 
 distress and confusion, which his former passions 
 had occasioned ; and called to the poor wanderers 
 to stay : but they, fearful and lamenting, drove 
 their flocks along the plain, and with dread looked 
 back, expecting to see again the cruel armies of 
 the Tasgites. 
 
 One old venerable brahmin alone, unable through 
 age to follow the Shakarahs, whom he had for many 
 years instructed, sat, with a majestic composure, on 
 a square stone, which stood at the entrance of his 
 cell. As Abudah advanced, he rose, and made 
 obeisance, saying : ' Know, Sultan, I rise not to 
 the tyrant of Tasgi ; but I bow before him whom 
 it has pleased Alia to set over his people. But 
 wherefore shouldest thou seek to do evil, that thou 
 mayest reap good ? Are then bad actions capable 
 of salutary ends ; and is evil predominant, that 
 purity may triumph ? Alas, O Sultan ! not such 
 are the means of obtaining the talisman of the 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 53 
 
 great and perfect Oromanes : purity and affection, 
 such as man may attain unto, true virtue and bene- 
 volence, and a faithful religion, are the means of 
 possessing that treasure. — Hasten, therefore, O 
 man, to the tomb of the Prophet, and there confess 
 the follies and iniquities of thy researches ; and 
 learn, from that fountain of purity and truth, the 
 will of Him who ordained you to this hitherto 
 ineffectual toil.' 
 
 £ Good and pious brahmin/ replied Abudah, 
 * much have I abused both the gifts of Providence, 
 and you, and your poor innocent and distressed na- 
 tion: but direct me in my journey to Mecca, for I 
 seem hitherto to have trodden on enchanted ground.' 
 
 6 The chest of adamant will convey you to Mecca,' 
 answered the brahmin. 
 
 ' I left it,' replied Abudah, ' in the mansions of 
 Philosophy, which may not be found without 
 crossing the brook, and risking the fury of the 
 tiger.' 
 
 ' There is,' answered the brahmin, ' a path that 
 leads hence, round the brook, to the back of that 
 mansion, into which a small bridge will carry you 
 over the brook : and may Mahomet prosper your 
 undertaking ! ' 
 
 Abudah then took leave of the sage, assuring 
 him that the Tasgites knew not of his place of re- 
 treat ; and that he might rest with the Shakarahs 
 safely there, for no evil was intended them. The 
 brahmin blessed Abudah as he departed. 
 
 The Sultan-Merchant hastened to the seminaries 
 of learning ; where, taking possession of the chest, 
 he threw himself on it, in full assurance that he 
 should awake in the temple of Mecca. 
 
 In a short time, the Merchant Abudah found 
 himself in an awful mosque, reclining on the chest 
 of adamant : on one side stood the box which used 
 
54 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 to haunt his chamber with the diminutive hag ; and 
 on the other, a large cistern of water. In a mo- 
 ment, with mildness in his aspect, stood the Genius 
 Barhaddan before him. 
 
 ' At length,' said he, ' Abudah, receive the true 
 keys of the adamantine chest.' 
 
 At these words the Merchant Abudah approached 
 the Genius ; and, having prostrated himself before 
 him, received the long-expected keys. 
 
 1 Begin,' said Barhaddan, ' O Abudah, and search 
 for thy treasure.' Abudah obeyed ; and in a mo- 
 ment the locks of the chest flew open. 
 
 Abudah, with a consciousness and dread, lifted 
 up the lid of the chest ; when instantly flew out a 
 thousand feathers, so that they covered the whole 
 pavement of the mosque. 
 
 ' Now,' continued Barhaddan, 'put in thine hand, 
 and draw forth the contents of the chest.' Abudah 
 obeyed ; and first he took up a beautiful, but 
 bleeding hand, with a curious bracelet of diamonds. 
 
 6 That hand,' said Barhaddan, 'was severed from 
 the body of a fair sultana, by a slave, who could 
 not unlock the bracelet. Dost thou think, Abudah, 
 the wearer was the happier for that ornament ? ' 
 
 As Abudah was going to draw again, out stepped 
 a poor wretch, laden with his bags of gold, trem- 
 bling and looking behind ; — next, on a sudden, a 
 gay youth, with a poniard, stabbed the miser to the 
 heart ; upon which several women, in loose attire, 
 came and shared with him the spoil, and began 
 dancing and singing; — these were followed by a 
 crowd, among whom was a crowned head, who 
 ordered his soldiers to fall on them and destroy 
 them ; — then came a superior force, and put a bow- 
 string around the neck of him that was crowned ; 
 and another stripped the crown from his head ; — 
 after these, came several madmen ; some with wings 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 55 
 
 on their shoulders ; some with wheels, which they 
 strove always to keep in motion ; some looking 
 unto the skies, some drawing circles in the air with 
 straws, some jabbering ridiculous notions, that the 
 same quantity was both more and less than itself. 
 
 When these were passed, Barhacldan asked 
 Abudah, ' Dost thou understand these things ? ' 
 
 ' I understand by them,' answered the Merchant, 
 ■ (and also by my travels), that neither riches, nor 
 gaiety, nor honour, nor power, nor science, nor learn- 
 ing, nor obscurity, is free from the common acci- 
 dents of life ; and that, therefore, these can never 
 lead us to the perfect talisman of Oromanes.' 
 
 ' What didst thou understand by the feathers ? ' 
 said Barhaddan. 
 
 1 1 knew not their meaning,' answered Abudah. 
 
 ' They,' continued the Genius Barhaddan, ' were 
 the thousand light, airy, inconsistent hopes and 
 wishes, which lie on the top of every man's heart ; 
 which have some kind of tendency to the talisman, 
 and so they are the first on the top of the chest.' 
 
 f And now, O Merchant Abudah,' said Barhaddan, 
 ' art thou convinced that the talisman of Oromanes 
 could not be treasured among such refuse as these ? 
 Shut down, therefore, the chest ; and attend with 
 silence to the scene which will follow.' — Abudah 
 obeyed, standing like a mute with his hands before 
 him. 
 
 ' Now, thou wicked hag,' said Barhaddan, ' thou 
 evil Genius, who lovest to torment and mislead 
 mankind, come forth.' — At these words, the little 
 box fell to pieces, and the hag came trembling out 
 on her crutches before Barhaddan. 
 
 ' I know,' said the pure Genius, ' thy implacable 
 nature, and that thou delightest only in mischief 
 and evil ; but that you may have some awe for 
 those who regard mankind, stand here, and see me 
 
56 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 purge the man whom thou hast enslaved with 
 worldly thoughts and desires.' 
 
 Barhaddan then commanded Ahudah to wash 
 himself in the cistern ; which having performed, 
 he ordered him a second time to open the chest of 
 adamant. — Abudah, obeying, looked in, and saw 
 only a little book, which Barhaddan bade him read, 
 and he read these words aloud : — 
 
 ' Know, O man, that human nature, which is 
 ' imperfect, cannot attain to perfection : that true 
 c happiness, which is the real talisman of Oromanes, 
 'being immortal, can be enjoyed by immortals 
 1 alone : that man, being a creature, is subject to 
 'the commands of his Creator; and therefore, a 
 ' knowledge of His will, and a faithful obedience 
 ' to it, should be the first and last pursuit of mor- 
 ' tality, till it may please the Eternal Power to 
 ' remove him from trial to perfection, from earthly 
 ' misery to the eternal happiness of a glorious 
 ' paradise.' 
 
 As he ended these words, Abudah fell prostrate 
 in the mosque, and adored the Eternal Power 
 above ; which the Genius seeing, commended him. 
 
 Then Barhaddan, turning to the hag, — ' Go/ 
 said he, ' false and wicked genius, into that chest, 
 and there, for fifty years, contemplate the happiness 
 thou art so anxious to recommend.' — The hag trem- 
 bled and obeyed; the chest closed with violence, 
 the locks fastened themselves on, and the whole 
 was taken up like a whirlwind, and vanished away. 
 
 Abudah then looked around to thank the friendly 
 Genius ; but he was gone : and what surprised 
 him more, he found himself on his bed at Bagdat, 
 and his wife and family weeping around him. As 
 he moved, Selima in transport ran to him, and 
 asked him if the life were in him ? 
 
 ' In me ! ' said Abudah ; ' why, woman, I have 
 
THE TALISMAN OF OROMANES. 57 
 
 been travelling these three months : I have seen 
 various countries and kingdoms ; I have (but would 
 I had not ! ) been crowned a Sultan ! ' 
 
 * 0,' interrupted Selima, ' my lord raves again. 
 Thy children and servants know, O Abudah ! that 
 for four days thou hast slept upon this sofa, and we 
 feared thou wert dead.' 
 
 ' Is what I have seen, then, a dream?' cried the 
 Merchant Abudah : '■ then blessed be the Prophet, 
 who has added unto me knowledge without guilt ! ' 
 
 ' But now, my lovely Selima,' said Abudah, e I 
 am released from those terrors and uneasinesses, 
 which have made me a burthen to thee and myself. 
 Yes, Selima, I have learned to be content ; the 
 utmost man must expect upon earth : and I have 
 learned to be obedient to Alia, to love and cherish 
 my family, and to do good to mankind.' 
 
 At these words, he again embraced his wife and 
 children ; and the day was spent in decent endear- 
 ments : nor lived there a happier, or more resigned 
 and cheerful family in Bagdat, than in the house 
 of the Merchant Abudah. 
 
 When the Genius Barhaddan had finished his 
 tale, Iracagem arose from his throne, and humbled 
 himself before him ; then, turning to the august 
 assembly, he thus addressed the pupils of his im- 
 mortal race : — 
 
 ' Hear, ye reptiles, whose life is a span, and 
 whose habitation is as the dust in the whirlwind ; 
 who look towards the earth, and see not below the 
 sand that covers it ; and to the heavens, but the 
 cloud interveneth, and darkeneth your search ; seek 
 not for durable joys in a world of vicissitude ; nor 
 for happiness which a moment shall alter, as the 
 sea-breeze blots out the writing of a child on the 
 sand ! The eye which is mortal cannot see that 
 which is unchangeable ; neither can the taste of 
 
58 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 man be satisfied with variety. Wait then, ye sons 
 of clay, with patience, till ye be translated into the 
 gardens of eveiiiving pleasures, into palaces which 
 moulder not with the storm, into mansions which 
 time must for ever admire ; and know, that happi- 
 ness is with Mahomet and Alia; and that the 
 talisman of Oromanes is,— to obey God, and to 
 love his commandments, 
 
 1 Thanks, gentle Barhaddan,' continued Iracagem; 
 ' thanks be to thy industry and care : well hast thou 
 inculcated the lessons of morality, and the doctrines 
 of truth. — Say then, my noble brother,' said Ira- 
 cagem to Mamlouk, ' where has Mamlouk been 
 employed in the service of mankind?' 
 
 ' To teach the doctrine of contentment,' replied 
 Mamlouk, ' has been the endeavour of Mamlouk : 
 how I have succeeded, learn from the tale of Kelaun 
 and Guzzarat' 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZAKAT. 59 
 
 TALE IL 
 
 KELAUN AND GUZZAKAT, 
 
 BENEATH the foot of a lofty rock, in the moun- 
 tains of Gabel-el-ared, lived a homely peasant, 
 whose business it was to lead a few sheep through 
 the hollow passages of the mountains, from one 
 fruitful valley to another, that they might feed on 
 the herbs which grow plentifully near the rills and 
 cascades, on every side descending from the craggy 
 precipices. 
 
 Canfu had followed this pastoral life from a child; 
 and his stock consisted of twelve sheep, which he 
 attended, and four goats, which his wife daily milked 
 for the support of Canfu and her son. 
 
 If Canfu had harboured a wish beyond the pre- 
 sent scene, it was, that Kelaun, his son, might 
 hereafter become the husband of his neighbour 
 Eaask's daughter ; because it had been declared by 
 an old and highly-reputed sage who dwelt in the 
 valley, that he had read in the book of fate, that 
 the descendants of Kelaun and Guzzarat should 
 be the pride and glory of the mountains of Gabel- 
 el-ared. With this intent, the two children were 
 made acquainted with each other from their infancy, 
 and brought daily to the same spot of ground to 
 play and gambol together. 
 
 But the haughty disposition of his comrade 
 Guzzarat soon grew offensive to the fiery temper 
 of the impetuous Kelaun ; and the young couple, 
 instead of imbibing a love and friendship for each 
 
60 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 other in their infancy, broke out in mutual hatred 
 and animosity. Canfu saw their growing dislike 
 with the utmost grief and sorrow ; he had asked 
 of his Prophet but one request, and that, he per- 
 ceived, would be denied him. 
 
 The angry father could not conceal his vexation, 
 but daily poured out his discontent against the 
 gracious purposes of Heaven, which, he imagined, 
 were for ever contrived to thwart and disappoint him. 
 
 As he was one day sitting upon a stone, and 
 watching his flock by the side of a cascade, which 
 ran foaming from the rocks above, he perceived a 
 naked body come tumbling down the torrent, and 
 which, having passed the fall, swam on the surface 
 of the waters, and seemed to all appearance dead. 
 
 Canfu could not behold such a sight without en- 
 deavouring to rescue the body from the current ; 
 which he effected with his crook, as the stream, 
 though rapid, was very narrow. Having pulled it 
 on the bank, he perceived it was the body of a 
 beautiful woman, which, as soon as the water dried 
 from it, gave signs of life, and by degrees recovered 
 its powers of action. 
 
 Canfu had pulled from his shoulders the vest 
 which he wore, and spread it on the stranger, when 
 he drew her to the land : but he was greatly sur- 
 prised to find that she was so soon recovered ; nor 
 was his amazement lessened, when he perceived a 
 web like a wing expanding from each shoulder, and 
 saw the fair stranger mount into the air, like an 
 eagle soaring to the sun. 
 
 Canfu continued watching her with his eyes ; while 
 she flew towards the rock, whence she had been 
 carried down by the torrent ; and several times did 
 she encircle the whole range of mountains in her 
 flight, as though she had been in quest of some 
 prey. 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 6 1 
 
 On a sudden he perceived a second figure in the 
 air; the winged female attacked it, and was re- 
 pulsed, and fell again into the lake ; and the 
 shepherd again saw her carried down the cliff by 
 the rapid stream. Again, in amaze, the shepherd 
 drew the body out ; which, being dried, revived as 
 before, and presented once more to his view the 
 beautiful female. 
 
 ' It is vain, O Canfu,' said she, ' to strive against 
 a race who are my superiors. But for your kind- 
 ness I must have perished ; for such is my nature, 
 that the water, in the time that the sun runs his 
 course round the earth, would dissolve my being. 
 — I am of the race of Genii, of those bold and 
 free Genii, who dared disobey the seal of Solyman, 
 and the commands of Mahomet, It is my delight 
 to thwart the will of that Prophet : you saw me 
 this moment engaging with the Genius Nadoc, 
 who was bearing a message from Mahomet. Nadoc, 
 knowing the imperfection of my nature, would not 
 attack me till I flew directly over the lake ; he 
 then maliciously plunged me into the water, hoping 
 to destroy me ; but I knew one was near to help 
 me, who was offended at the Prophet, because he 
 disregarded thy prayer. What Mahomet, therefore, 
 denied thee, O Canfu, I will grant, provided thou 
 consentest, for my power is limited ; neither may I 
 help or distress mankind without their own appro- 
 bation or concurrence.' 
 
 * beautiful Genius,' answered Canfu, f thou 
 hast my consent : unite but my son Kelaun in the 
 bonds of marriage with Guzzarat, and I will ever 
 be obedient to thy commands.' 
 
 t Keturn then with joy to thine hut,' said 
 Giuaraha ; ' for already a part of thy wish is 
 granted.' — As she spake these words, she spread 
 her airy pinions, and mounted from his sight. 
 
62 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Canfu was at a great distance from his hut, and 
 did not arrive under his native rock till the sun 
 was hidden behind the mountains of Gabel-el- 
 ared. 
 
 The twelve sheep and the four goats preceded 
 him. His wife knew the bleat of the sheep, and 
 ran out to meet her returning husband. 
 
 ' Thy sheep,' said she, ' Canfu, are complete 
 in number ; thy goats also are four ; even as they 
 went out with thee, so are they returned : but 
 where is Kelaun, thy son ?' 
 
 6 Kelaun,' answered the astonished father, 'went 
 not out with me ; the way was tiresome and dan- 
 gerous, and I would not suffer him to accompany 
 me.' 
 
 ' I know it well, Canfu,' replied his wife ; 
 ' Kelaun went out, while the sun was yet in the 
 
 valleys, to seek thee ' At these words, the 
 
 countenance of Canfu fell ; for he remembered at 
 that time it was that he had given Giuaraha his 
 consent. 
 
 * Is he not,' replied the anxious father, ' with 
 Guzzarat, the daughter of Eaask?' 
 
 Their huts were not a furlong apart: Canfu 
 hastened toward the dwelling of Eaask ; but Ke- 
 laun was not there. 
 
 Tired as the shepherd was with the heat and 
 labour of the preceding day, yet, leaving the sheep 
 to the care of his wife, he set out to seek among 
 the mountains his wandering son. He laboured 
 the whole night in a fruitless search ; and returned 
 to his hut in the morning, spent and overcome 
 with grief, care, and remorse. 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said the unhappy father, ' I have con- 
 sented to my own misery, and Giuaraha has stolen 
 from me the only joy of my heart ! — O Prophet 
 but,' said the Avretched Canfu, ' I dare not 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 63 
 
 call upon thee, for I have joined with thine ene- 
 mies, and thou hast justly deserted me ! ' 
 
 We must, however, leave the sorrowful hut of 
 Canfu, and follow the steps of the little Kelaun 
 among the mountains. 
 
 Kelaun was well acquainted with the valleys 
 and rocks which stood near the habitation of his 
 father ; he knew the notches which Canfu had cut 
 as directions, and followed them faithfully till the 
 daylight decreased, every moment expecting to 
 meet his father, and the sheep and the goats, 
 whose company he preferred to the imperious Guz- 
 zarat. But when night overtook him, his little 
 knees knocked together with fear; and, because 
 his parent had forgotten to teach him to address 
 any other power, he prayed to Canfu, and cried 
 aloud that he would come and deliver him. 
 
 He was then on a barren spot, surrounded on 
 all sides with rocks, except a small aperture through 
 which he had crept. As he gained the middle of 
 this vale, a small blue flame burst forth out of the 
 ground, which increased in a pyramidical form, till 
 it seemed like a hillock of fire. 
 
 The wind immediately arose, and bellowed on 
 the cliffs and ragged tops of the surrounding 
 mountains ; but no storm could reach the bottom 
 of the vale, where the infant Kelaun stood, gazing 
 at the rising flame which burned in the middle of 
 the heath. 
 
 Presently the air was filled with shrieks, and in 
 a moment the blue fire was surrounded with the 
 Genii of the place. 
 
 The -first in dignity stood the bold Giuaraha : 
 she commanded silence among them, and, ere they 
 began their midnight rites, harangued them to 
 the following effect : — ' ye invincible but by 
 water ! see among your ranks an infant devoted 
 
64 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 to the power of our art. His parent has con- 
 sented to our dominion ; and Kelaun, the son of 
 Canfu,is committed into the care of the despisers of 
 Mahomet. Let us see, therefore, royal race, how 
 far the human heart is capable of being tutored in 
 the licentious maxims of our undaunted estab- 
 lishment : let us carry him to our palace in the 
 centre of the earth, and instruct him in such 
 artifices and wiles, as may make him a scourge 
 to the humble dependents on the Prophet of 
 Mecca.' 
 
 To this exhortation the whole assembly mut- 
 tered applause ; and the valley, sinking by degrees, 
 descended with the Genii and the prize, and left 
 the black heavy mountains above tottering with 
 their powerful enchantments. 
 
 Kelaun, amazed and confounded at the sight, 
 filled the air with his cries ; but his fears were 
 vain; Canfu had resigned his son, and Mahomet 
 would not rescue those who mistrusted and hated 
 his government. 
 
 The valley having descended for some time, at 
 length stopped, and, with a shake like that of an 
 earthquake, settled itself in the bowels of the 
 globe. 
 
 No sooner was the valley fixed, than the solid 
 rocks which surrounded it opened on every side, 
 and formed rough and irregular arches and avenues, 
 leading from its centre. 
 
 Immediately an innumerable host of evil Genii 
 issued from the rocks, and the place was filled 
 with the restless spirits of those disturbers of 
 mankind. But far above the rest was seen the 
 proud Allahoara, the leader and encourager of that 
 rebellious crew of Genii ; whose voice was as the 
 echoes of thunder on the mountains, and whose 
 restless eyeballs shot flashes of lightning like the 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 65 
 
 vengeful clouds. The little Kelaun stood astonished 
 at his presence, and Giuaraha led him trembling like 
 the pendent aspen-leaf that overshadows the flood. 
 
 Allahoara, who knew the prize that his sister 
 Giuaraha had brought, commended her care and 
 fidelity in the cause of the restless Genii, and 
 gave orders that the infant should be immediately 
 put under proper tutors to educate him, and make 
 him capable of the work they purposed to employ 
 him in. Giuaraha was appointed his nurse, and 
 she it was whom Allahoara commanded to lead Ke- 
 laun through the schools of that abandoned race. 
 
 These orders being issued, the tumultuous band 
 disj>ersed through the caverns and the arched 
 rocks, and left Giuaraha with her little prize. 
 
 And first the Genius led him through a range 
 of vaulted rocks, into a long room of splendid 
 garments, and endeavoured to fix his attention 
 upon them : she made him try on several, and 
 told him he looked like a little god. Kelaun 
 was pleased with the finery of the place, and be- 
 gan to give credit to the words of Giuaraha. His 
 little head was soon filled with vanity, and his 
 thoughts centred in himself. Next she placed 
 him on a soft sofa, at the extremity of the room ; 
 and while he lay entranced in sleep, she presented 
 before his imagination a vision of the night. 
 Kelaun, as he slept, thought that he saw his 
 father Canfu on the rocks of Gabel-el-ared : the 
 form of his visage was as the dark black preci- 
 pice; and he spake as the angry waves, when 
 they rush into the hollow caverns : he chid the 
 little Kelaun, because he appeared so gay, and 
 commanded him to put on his shepherd's coat, 
 and follow the twelve sheep to the brook. — Kelaun 
 awoke with the terrors of the vision, and told his 
 tale to the artful Giuaraha. 
 
66 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Silly father ! ' said the Genius ; ' silly Canfu, 
 the shepherd! shall Kelaun, the favourite of the 
 Genii, regard the dreams of a father, or think 
 again of the poor shepherd, Canfu ? No, my son, 
 despise the lesson, which the hase goatherd has 
 taught you, and think no more of the tales of 
 thy unworthy parents. Kelaun, my son, was horn 
 to rule ; how then shall he who is a king, regard 
 the lessons of poverty and ignorance ! ' 
 
 She then took the vain son of Canfu hy the 
 hand, and led him, accoutred in tawdry rohes, to 
 a small field where a thousand little imps were 
 playing together : at the sight of Kelaun, they 
 all bowed, and began to praise the plumes which 
 adorned his head, and the robe which flowed from 
 his shoulders. 
 
 It were long and weary to follow the son of 
 Canfu through the course of education devised 
 for him by the artful Giuaraha. Sometimes she 
 would entertain and stimulate him with stories 
 of conquering heroes, before whom submissive 
 crowds bowed down. Sometimes she would de- 
 scribe the gay courts of kings, and scenes 
 of splendid greatness — then, artfully shifting 
 these, would portray in cold and dreary im- 
 agery the humbler stations of this world, and 
 recalling to his mind the early objects of his 
 familiar regard, show them exposed to the con- 
 tempt and derision of those for whom she had 
 excited the youthful admiration and envy of her 
 pupil, the privileged few among mankind to 
 whom wealth and greatness appertained. Thus, 
 for many a year, were his youthful passions che- 
 rished, and his sympathies excited in favour of 
 those among whom he now ardently desired that 
 his good Genii, as he called his instructors, would 
 endeavour to place him at whatever expense. 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 67 
 
 * My son/ said Giuaraha one day, in reply to 
 his importunities, 'you have ceased of your own 
 accord to bow down before Alia, and you no 
 longer call on the ignoble names of Canfu and 
 his wife in dreams of the night ; enough then 
 has been done : thou hadst strong passions and 
 desires by nature ! Kelaun, thy parents suf- 
 fered them to increase, and I have taught thee ; 
 to indulge them ; thou art now a fit scourge for 
 the sons of the Faithful, and thou shalt this day 
 see with me the realms of the Caliph of Bagdat. 
 As she spake, she seized the youth by the arm, 
 and in a moment they were in the royal palace 
 of Bagdat. 
 
 Kelaun found himself in a large apartment; 
 a noble youth on a sofa was sleeping before 
 him. 
 
 ' Kelaun,' said the Genius, ' thou beholdest the 
 heir of the Caliph of Bagdat.' — ' But I have no 
 weapon,' answered he, ' to eternize the sleep of 
 this delicate heir.' 
 
 ' That,' replied Giuaraha, ' is not permitted us. 
 Could we carry our agents at pleasure to perpe- 
 trate what mischief we have conceived against 
 the sons of the Faithful, Kelaun should have a 
 thousand darts, all charged with the poison of 
 the scorpion : — but, alas ! our power is curbed by 
 that Mahomet whom we detest : neither could I 
 have brought Kelaun to this place, had not 
 Kaalcour, the heir of the Caliph of Bagdat, neg- 
 lected to make his vowed pilgrimage to the tomb 
 of the Prophet. But your hand must not be 
 upon his life; therefore, I will secure Kaalcour, 
 and give to Kelaun the form of his person.' 
 
 So saying, Giuaraha breathed on the son of the 
 shepherd, and, touching the sleeping Kaalcour 
 with her finger, he became a bird. 
 F2 
 
68 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Kelaun, seeing the metamorphosis, ran eagerly 
 to seize the bird; and Eaalcour had died under 
 his hands, but for the interposition of Giuaraha. 
 
 ' What, wretch ! ' said the Genius, ' art thou so 
 abandoned in malice, that the commands of thy 
 protectress can have no influence over thee ? The 
 curse then of blindness fall upon thee ; and, lest 
 "you should betray, by your malicious follies, the 
 secrets of our race, I will take from you the re- 
 membrance of the past.' 
 
 ' And cursed,' returned Kelaun, ' cursed by the 
 Prophet whom thou hatest be thy detested race ! 
 may your toils and labours be ever attended with 
 the execrations of those whom you pretend to 
 serve ! There is neither peace nor friendship, 
 there is neither gratitude nor love, in the workers 
 of evil ; and they shall be first to curse you, whom 
 ye most seek to bless ! ' 
 
 At these words the Genius answered not, but 
 fled howling away ; for she perceived the spirit 
 of the Prophet of Mecca spake in Kelaun, and 
 she sought with remorse the caverns of earth and 
 the valleys of death. 
 
 And now the mutes and eunuchs opened the 
 doors of the apartment, and prostrated them- 
 selves before the fictitious Eaalcour. — 'Death,' 
 said they, ' hath closed the eyes of Zimphrah ; 
 and the Caliph of Bagdat, thy father, is ascended 
 into the ninth heaven ! ' 
 
 Kelaun heard the voices of the eunuchs, but 
 saw them not; and they were amazed to find 
 their supposed Caliph groping like unto one who 
 searcheth for light. 
 
 ' 0,' said the chief of the eunuchs, ' what evil 
 hath befallen my royal lord ? Why doth he re- 
 fuse to look upon his prostrate slaves? The 
 whole city wait with longing eyes to behold their 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 69 
 
 new Caliph ; and Raalcour seeth not the slaves 
 which acknowledge him for their lord.' 
 
 ' Proclaim, then,' said Kelaun, ' the mightiest 
 rewards for him who shall restore to the powers 
 of sight the Caliph of Bagdat.' 
 
 Seven days went the heralds forth with trum- 
 pets and hautboys, and proclaimed the mightiest 
 rewards for him who should restore to the powers 
 of sight the Caliph of Bagdat. 
 
 The tribe who give ease to the sick came to the 
 palace in throngs, all promising sight to the blind 
 Caliph ; but their applications had no effect on the 
 representative of Raalcour. 
 
 The Caliph, enraged by disappointment, dis- 
 missed all those that failed with ignominy ; and 
 at length, irritated by successive failures, and pain- 
 ful remedies, denounced sentence of death against 
 any who should in future undertake the cure, and 
 fail of success. 
 
 All now feared to approach the monarch, and 
 the eyes of the Caliph were still strangers to light. 
 After a time, came a young man in the habit of 
 a physician, and required to be brought before the 
 Caliph, that he might try his ski]l. The attend- 
 ants in the seraglio were sorry to see any more 
 pretenders arrive ; and they cautioned the young 
 physician not to undertake a cure, which was so 
 likely to end in his own destruction. To these 
 remonstrances he answered nothing ; but with a 
 smile bade them not distrust his skill, but imme- 
 diately admit him to the presence of the Caliph. 
 
 The slaves and eunuchs of Kelaun obeyed with 
 reluctance, and led the young man into the cham- 
 ber of the fictitious Caliph, with the like silence 
 and sorrow that they would have carried out a 
 friend to the inclosures of the dead. 
 
 The young physician made his obeisance before 
 
70 TALES OF THE GENII, 
 
 Kelaun ; but the surly monarch bade him proceed 
 to his work without delay, as the hand of the exe- 
 cutioner waited for his head. The young man 
 seemed not the least dismayed by his threats, but, 
 taking a quantity of powder from a bag which he 
 held under his vest, he blew it in the face of the 
 Caliph, and the scales fell from his eyes, and Kelaun 
 beheld the light. 
 
 The attendants in the seraglio beheld with joy 
 the happy transformation, and the Caliph surveyed 
 with eyes of pleasure the man who had blessed 
 him with sight. 
 
 ' Let this physician,' said he, ' be exalted in the 
 land ; let him be above every vizier and every 
 noble in our realms ; let honour attend him, and 
 every new sun behold him more and more respected 
 and beloved. Demand of me,' continued Kelaun, 
 6 demand what reward your soul would wish to be 
 possessed of, even to the half of my kingdom, and 
 thou shalt enjoy it.' 
 
 f Caliph,' answered the young physician, ' far 
 be it from me to seek honour or riches ; far be it 
 from a humble cottager to mix in the tumults of 
 the great : forgive me but one deceit, and the heart 
 of thy servant shall rest satisfied for ever.' 
 
 As she spake these words, the young physician 
 threw off her disguise, and Kelaun beheld that he 
 was talking to a beauteous female. 
 
 ' Happy am I,' said the Caliph Kelaun, 'that 
 nature has pointed out a proper reward for my 
 lovely physician : yes, fair stranger,' continued he, 
 ' thou art the sultana of my heart, and shalt divide 
 with me the pleasures of the empire which I enjoy.' 
 
 The fair stranger fell at the Caliph's feet, and 
 after a short silence, thus addressed the fictitious 
 Raalcour : 
 
 ' To be the meanest of thy slaves is the wish of 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 7 1 
 
 Guzzarat, the daughter of the peasant Kaask, a 
 base inhabitant of the mountains of Gabel-el-ared.' 
 
 ' I know not,' answered Kelaun, ' the mountains 
 you speak of; but Paradise itself would not be 
 degraded by the birth of my lovely Sultana. — But 
 why do I suffer such perfection to lie on the earth, 
 like the jewel that is unfound, when it will add 
 such lustre to my erown ? Yes, lovely stranger, 
 this day shall make thee wife of the Caliph Raalcour.' 
 
 ' Strange it is, my lord,' said Guzzarat, rising, 
 ' that the prince Raalcour should be ignorant of 
 the mountains of Gabel-el-ared, where you have so 
 often chased the foaming tiger on the rocks that 
 hung over the cottage of my father, and where I 
 have, with wishful eyes, traced your divine steps : 
 nay, doth not my lord remember that once, when 
 tired and fatigued with the chase, he prayed my 
 mother to bring him a cup of water ; and she sent 
 your slave Guzzarat to you with the milk of her 
 goats ? Yes, my lord, you smiled when I approached, 
 and you bade me obey with cheerfulness the com- 
 mand of my parent.' 
 
 The son of Canfu understood not this conver- 
 sation ; his memory of the past was taken from 
 him ; neither otherwise could he have known what 
 the true Raalcour had done before his transform- 
 ation. 
 
 f Alas, my princess !' answered Kelaun, ' I lost 
 with my sight all the memory of the past ; neither 
 knew I my state, when my slaves came around me, 
 till my faithful eunuch declared to me my titles ; 
 but whether thou art descended from a throne, or 
 a cottage, — whether thou earnest like the sapphire 
 from the entrance of the earth, or, like the morn- 
 ing star from the chambers of the sun, — thy worth 
 is in thyself, and can receive no additional lustre 
 from that which surrounds it. But by what art, 
 
72 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 my fair stranger, did you work this miracle in my 
 behalf? Who did open the treasures of physic 
 before thee, and where did the young virgin of the 
 mountains obtain a knowledge surpassing the sages 
 who have long studied in the city ? ' 
 
 ' My lord,' answered Guzzarat, ' shall hear his 
 slave unfold all her knowledge before him/ 
 
 6 Several moons had passed since I had seen my 
 prince Raalcour hunting in the mountains ; when 
 I heard from the caravans which travelled over our 
 rocks, that the Caliph Zimphrah was no more, and 
 that Eaalcour, his son, was proclaimed Caliph of 
 Bagdat : the travellers also informed me that the 
 Caliph's sight was departed from him, and that 
 high rewards were published for those who should 
 restore him to his sight. 
 
 ' Hearing these things, my mind was with my 
 lord the Caliph, and I wished for the power of 
 giving light to the eyes of my prince ; and I said 
 to my mother, — ' that Guzzarat was capable of 
 restoring sight to the blind ! ' 
 
 1 ' Wherefore/ said the wife of Eaask, ' doth Guz- 
 zarat long to occupy the business of the sages?' 
 Then made I answer, ' Knoweth not my mother, 
 that the Caliph languisheth in darkness, and the 
 sight of his eyes is passed from him ? ' And she 
 answered : ' Vain Guzzarat ! how doth the pomp 
 of greatness bewilder the thoughts and wishes of 
 the poor. Alas ! my daughter hath forgotten con- 
 tentment since she saw the richness of the gar- 
 ments of the prince Raalcour ! Vain Guzzarat ! 
 return to thy charge, and feed the goats in the 
 pastures of Gabel-el-ared.' 
 
 ' So saying, my angry parent drove me before 
 her, and ordered me to keep my father's goats from 
 straying on the mountains. My feet obeyed the 
 voice of my mother ; but my heart fled like a leo- 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 73 
 
 pard over the rocks, and was fixed on my lord the 
 Caliph. 
 
 c I went, discontented, with my goats to the 
 mountains, and ridiculed the poverty and humility 
 of my parents. ' Why,' said I, sighing, ' hath na- 
 ture put aspiring minds under the fetters of age 
 and authority ? why must the quick pulse of gaiety 
 and youth be deadened by the torturing precepts of 
 infirmity ? Doth not the young lion rush more 
 furiously on its prey, than the aged sovereign of 
 the woods ? doth not the colt outstrip its mother 
 in the chase ? Why then should the bloom of 
 Guzzarat be hidden and buried with the wrinkles 
 of the wife of Eaask ? ' 
 
 6 As I spake thus to the rocks and caverns, I 
 beheld a young shepherdess entering the pastures ; 
 her hair was interwoven with the pride of the field, 
 and chaplets of flowers hung around her garments ; 
 she lightly tripped with her feet to the music of a 
 flute which she breathed upon, and her voice, like 
 the voice of melody, was intermingled with the 
 wild notes of her instrument. 
 
 6 As she advanced with her flocks, I arose to 
 meet her in the dance. She smiled at my approach, 
 and thus began her pleasant raillery : 
 
 6 ' O elegant companion of the goats and sheep, 
 how dost thou love to revel here in the luxurious 
 bosom of thy parent mountain ! Happy Guzzarat, 
 whose pleasure is obedience ; and happier Eaask, 
 who is blessed with the eldest daughter of duty 
 and submission ! ' 
 
 ' As she thus spake, she cast a smile of ridicule 
 upon me, and turning cried out, * Follow, dear 
 Guzzarat, yon adventurous goat ; behold, thy com- 
 panion is clambering among the precipices ! ' 
 
 ' 1 looked, indeed, and saw the goat was straying, 
 but, stung with her severities, I cried out, * fair 
 
74 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 stranger, rather lessen my misfortunes by your 
 pity and advice, than increase them by your cruel 
 reflections.' 
 
 * ' Is Guzzarat, then,' said the shepherdess, ' willing 
 to follow the advice of her friend?' — 'Yes,' an- 
 swered I, ' deliver me but from this distressed 
 situation, and I will for ever acknowledge your 
 kindness.' 
 
 ' ' Then,' answered the shepherdess, ' return to 
 your cottage ; and whatever you are ordered to 
 perforin, be disobedient ; and if I find you faithful, 
 meet me here in three days.'— As she said thus, 
 she again began her song, and, winding with her 
 flock among the rocks, soon stole from my sight. 
 
 ' At night I returned to the cottage, and the 
 wife of Eaask ordered me to prepare a kid for 
 our suppers ; but her commands were to me of less 
 consequence than the promise which I had made 
 the shepherdess of the mountains. The wife of 
 Eaask was enraged at my disobedience, and my 
 father being absent, she called her neighbour Canfu 
 to help in subduing her refractory daughter. 
 
 ' The monster Canfu was rejoiced to torment 
 me : he dragged me to tho cottage, and tied me to 
 a post that is fixed before the door/ — 
 
 ' Who,' said the Caliph, enraged, and interrupt- 
 ing Guzzarat's tale, ' who is this wretch Canfu ? ' 
 
 * Prince of my life,' answered Guzzarat, ' you 
 have not yet heard the cruelties of this base shep- 
 herd ; my ignominious situation did not satisfy the 
 malice that he had conceived against me. 
 
 1 My father returned home at night, and hearing 
 of my obstinacy, commended his wife for calling 
 in the assistance of Canfu to subdue me. But I 
 told him I was tired of a peasant's life, and would 
 not be controlled. 
 
 ' Eaask put on frowns as I spoke, and his coun- 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 75 
 
 tenance was turned against me. — ' What ! ' said he, 
 'dost thou despise the parents that have nour- 
 ished thee, and thy friends that would reclaim thee ? 
 Then let the blessings of them that would bless 
 thee turn into curses on thy disobedient head, and 
 let the friendship of Canfu be fury and control 
 over thee ! ' — ' Yes,' answered the cruel Canfu, ' I, 
 my friend, will subdue this wicked Guzzarat for 
 thee. The heart of the parent bleedeth for the 
 tears of its offspring ; but correction cometh best 
 from a friend.— Ah ! would that some friend had 
 trained for me the impetuous spirit of my son, 
 which I fear has in some way or other led him to 
 destruction.' 
 
 ' My father then delivered me into the hands of 
 the monster Canfu, who forced me from the sight 
 of my parents to his odious cottage. As soon as 
 we arrived there, I was given over to the correction 
 of his wife. — 
 
 6 ' There,' said the wretch Canfu, ' revenge the 
 loss of thy son on this proud disobedient female.' — 
 
 1 The eyes of the wife of Canfu glistened as she 
 beheld me ; and her rage and revenge broke out 
 into blows and imprecations ; nor did the merciless 
 woman forbear, till, overcome with her cruelty, I 
 sunk to the ground.'— 
 
 ' By the powers of desolation,' said the fictitious 
 Caliph Kelaun, ' the wretch Canfu, and his cursed 
 wife, shall experience the most exquisite tortures ! 
 — Let them,' continued he, turning to his eunuchs, 
 ' let the wretches be brought, ere the morning, to 
 the divan, and let a scaffold be erected, so that the 
 whole city may be witness to their punishment.' 
 
 ' Yea,' answered Guzzarat, prostrating herself 
 before the Caliph, ' so let the enemies of the 
 righteous perish ! ' 
 
 ' Proceed,' said the Caliph, raising her up, ' pro- 
 
76 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ceed lovely Guzzarat in your tale : I am in terrors 
 to think how you escaped the malice of your ac- 
 cursed enemies.' 
 
 ' For two days/ answered Guzzarat, ' I was con- 
 fined and vexed by Canfu and his wife ; and the 
 third day, as she led me forth to inflict her daily 
 stripes upon me (her husband being with his flock), 
 I rose up against her and contended with her. She 
 called for help, but no one was near : at length I 
 prevailed, and leaving her stretched on the ground 
 in a swoon, I hastened to the rocks, where I had 
 before seen the shepherdess of the mountains ; still 
 in terrors lest Canfu should stray in the same paths. 
 At the decline of the sun, my fair instructress 
 appeared, but her flock followed her not ; she held 
 in one hand a bag, and in the other a bundle of 
 raiment. 
 
 6 As she advanced forward, she held forth the 
 bag to me, saying, ' My spirited pupil, take this 
 powder, and put on this raiment, the garb of a sage 
 of Bagdat ; and I will convey you to that city, 
 where you must demand admittance to the Caliph, 
 and, throwing some of this powder in his eyes, he 
 shall receive his sight.' 
 
 ' She then arrayed me in the vestments she had 
 brought; and, giving me the bag, she blew upon 
 me, and in a moment I found myself in the streets 
 of Bagdat, before the royal palace, where a crowd 
 soon gathered around me. 
 
 ' ' What ! ' said they, ' art thou alone left of our 
 sages, or art thou a stranger ? which if thou art, 
 and canst not give sight to the blind, depart this 
 city.' — < Yes,' answered I, ' I am come to restore 
 Kaalcour to his sight.' — ' Then may the Prophet 
 bless thy work ! ' answered they. 
 
 ' Immediately I entered the palace, and thy 
 eunuchs brought me before my lord the Caliph.' 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. J J 
 
 ' This day,' said the fictitious Kaalcour, ' shall 
 be for ever remembered with joy ; for I have not 
 only received the sight of my eyes, but also an 
 object worthy of their utmost contemplation.' 
 
 The Caliph then took the ambitious fair one by 
 the hand ; and that day she was proclaimed the 
 destined Sultaness of Bagdat, and a period was 
 appointed for the solemn celebration of the nuptials, 
 which were to be graced by the punishment of 
 Canfu and his wife as a part of the spectacle. In 
 the mean time the Caliph sent out an amied body 
 to apprehend Canfu and his wife. 
 
 The soldiers arrived at the cottage in the night, 
 and beating against the door, demanded Canfu to 
 come forth. Canfu looked through the lattice, and 
 saw t^he soldiers of the Caliph ; and being terrified 
 at the sight, he cried out, ' Genii of the air, 
 where is Kelaun, my son ? where are the promises 
 which you made to the wretched Canfu ? now, if 
 ever, help my distress ! ' 
 
 As he spoke, the evil Genius Giuaraha appeared : — 
 ' What,' said she, ' does my subject Canfu require?' 
 — ' 0,' answered Canfu, 'the soldiers of the Caliph 
 beset me ; thou knowest, good Genius, that they 
 are the instruments of death.' 
 
 ' Fear not, shepherd,' answered Giuaraha ; ' have 
 not I said it, and who shall make vain my words ? 
 Even yet shalt thou see Kelaun, thy son, in the 
 arms of the imperious Guzzarat. — Nay,' continued 
 she, ' ask me no more ; thy wish alone was to see 
 thy son Kelaun the husband of thy neighbour 
 Eaask's daughter ; the Genii of the air are content 
 to fulfil their promises. If we grant your wish, 
 what more have you to require ? Whether the 
 blind wish of mortality proceedeth from wisdom or 
 folly, concerneth but little our immortal race.' 
 
 Thus saying, Giuaraha turned from Canfu with a 
 
78 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 smile of contempt, and spreading her airy pinions, 
 disappeared from his sight ; and the soldiers, rushing 
 into the cottage, hound the wretched parents of 
 Kelaun, and led them away to the city of Bagdat. 
 
 Before the sun was awakened from the dream of 
 night, Canfu and his wife were led in chains to the 
 outer court of the palace ; and the first salutation 
 which the eunuchs gave the fictitious Kaalcour and 
 his new Sultana was, that Canfu and his wife were 
 confined in chains in the outer court of the seraglio. 
 The eyes of Guzzarat sparkled with pride and self- 
 satisfaction at the eunuchs' report. ' Now shall the 
 hase-horn Canfu and his wife how hefore my great- 
 ness ! ' she exclaimed. ' Commander of the Faith- 
 ful ! ' she continued, ' deign to order that the peasant 
 Canfu and his wife he brought before us.' 
 
 At the command of the Sultan, a throne was 
 raised before the gates of the palace, and amidst 
 the shouts and cheers of the assembled multitude, 
 the supposed Caliph led forth the imperious Guz- 
 zarat, and seated her by his side. The heralds 
 then proclaimed silence, the uproar ceased, and the 
 crowd making way, the guards led the unhappy 
 Canfu and his wife to the foot of the royal throne. 
 The miserable pair shook with fear ; the sinews of 
 Canfu were almost shrunk up by terror, and the 
 vision of day was fast fading from his eyes, when 
 a bright form suddenly stood before him, and waving 
 her hand, seemed to restore him to consciousness. 
 She was clad in refulgent armour of gold, a thou- 
 sand feathers nodded from her crest ; on her left 
 hand sat perched a little bird, and in her right hand 
 she held a wand of adamant. The guards of Kelaun 
 were confounded at the sight ; they stood motion- 
 less, while the Genius Hassarack thus addressed 
 the amazed Canfu : — 
 
 ' The law of his Prophet was grievous unto 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 79 
 
 Canfu,' said the Genius Hassarack, ' and the un- 
 searchable way of the great Alia seemed unto him 
 crooked and unjust. Shall then the thoughts of 
 the righteous Alia be likened unto his thoughts ? 
 or shall the hand of Him who made the stars and 
 sun, be guided by the vain decrees of a reptile's 
 heart ? 
 
 4 O Canfu ! thou short-sighted, unbelieving wretch, 
 what hast thou gained by leaving the worship of 
 Mahomet, to follow the wicked steps of the apostate 
 Genii ? It was because the Prophet of the Faithful 
 knew, that only evil could arise from the loves of 
 Guzzarat and Kelaun, that he had intended ever to 
 separate them, thereby to bless and prolong the life 
 of Canfu, his votary: but since you have denied 
 Mahomet, your guardian, and sought fellowship 
 with his enemies, therefore he hath suffered them 
 to repay your impious services with such exquisite 
 miseries, by granting you the foolish wishes of your 
 heart. — Behold then, thou worshipper of the evil 
 Genii, thou impious renegade, thou blasphemer of 
 our holy Prophet, the desires of thy heart completed.' 
 
 As Hassarack spake thus, she again waved her 
 hand, and the robes of the Caliph fell from the 
 fictitious Raalcour, and the form of his face was as 
 the form of Kelaun, the son of the shepherd Canfu. 
 
 The tortured Canfu looked with amaze on his 
 metamorphosed son ; nor was Kelaun less aston- 
 ished, when, recovering his former shape and 
 memory, he perceived that his severities had been 
 directed against his father and mother. 
 
 ' cursed Giuaraha,' said the faltering Canfu, 
 ' thou hast indeed joined Kelaun with the haughty 
 Guzzarat. Thy promise is fulfilled, and Canfu falls 
 a prey to the follies of his own short-sighted desires.' 
 
 As he thus spake, the wretched shepherd sunk 
 on the earth, with his eyes fixed on Kelaun, and 
 
80 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the imperious Guzzarat. The good Genius ap- 
 proached, and raised the almost expiring penitent. 
 'Alia/ she said, ' is merciful ; he gives thee the re- 
 mainder of thy days to practise the lessons he has 
 taught thee by adversity — to control thy desires, 
 and seek to discharge the duties which lie in thy 
 path — trusting events to him alone.' 
 
 Guzzarat beheld these strange metamorphoses 
 with displeasure ; instead of the Caliph Kaalcour, 
 she found herself tied to her neighbour Kelaun, 
 and herself no longer Sultaness of Bagdat, but 
 again a mean shepherdess of Gabel-el-ared. Her 
 tongue was charged with malice, and her eyes with 
 resentment ; but Hassarack had, by her magic 
 power, stopped all further utterance of her passions. 
 
 The multitude were hardly less astonished at 
 these amazing changes than the principal actors 
 themselves. They saw with pleasure one tyrant 
 deposed; but they knew not how the shepherd 
 Kelaun could personate their Caliph. 
 
 Hassarack knew their thoughts ; and turning to 
 the populace, ' Where,' said she, ' inhabitants of 
 Bagdat, where is your Caliph Kaalcour ? — Behold 
 him,' proceeded she, ' here in the form of this bird, 
 suffering the malice of the evil Genii. But do not 
 think, O inhabitants of Bagdat,' continued she, 
 * that Mahomet had permitted this transformation, 
 unless Kaalcour, by neglecting to attend to the 
 religious duties enjoined by the Prophet, had sub- 
 jected himself to the displeasure of Alia. — But his 
 sufferings are at an end. and to me it is given to 
 restore your lost Caliph to his subjects.' 
 
 Thus saying, she gently stroked the bird with 
 her wand, and by degrees Raalcour was restored to 
 his former shape. 
 
 The inhabitants of Bagdat saw, with the utmost 
 joy, the pleasing transformation, and sent up their 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 8 1 
 
 public thanksgivings to Mahomet and Hassarack, 
 who had delivered them from the bondage of the 
 tyrant Kelaun, and restored to them their lawful 
 Caliph, Kaalconr. 
 
 Kaalcour was no sooner sensible of his transform- 
 ation than he ascended the scaffold, and kneeling 
 in the sight of all his subjects, ' Thus,' said he, 
 ' O my people, do I petition our Prophet for pardon 
 and peace. To Alia, the all-powerful, belong glory 
 and worship ; and base are we, his creatures, if we 
 neglect to pay our religious services unto him. For 
 what is the most perfect mode of life, or upright- 
 ness, free from guile, if we neglect to praise and 
 bless the Author of our existence ?' 
 
 ' Well pleased am I,' said Hassarack, ' to see 
 these early acknowledgments of your gratitude, O 
 Caliph ; and now, having humbled yourself before 
 Alia, ascend your throne ; to you I leave the dis- 
 posal of these offenders against Alia and his Pro- 
 phet. Let the first act of your new reign show 
 that justice, tempered by mercy, shall govern your 
 councils.' 
 
 The Caliph and his people bowed down their 
 heads before the benignant Genius ; when they 
 raised themselves, she was gone. 
 
 ' Alia,' cried Kaalcour, ' direct the mind of 
 thy servant, and may his strength be in thee ! ' So 
 saying, the Caliph ascending his throne, remained 
 silent for a few moments, while he cast a searching 
 glance around him, as if to read in the looks and 
 gestures of the culprits the course he ought to 
 take. 
 
 Kelaun had thrown himself at the feet of his 
 parents — the beautiful Guzzarat remained standing 
 at a little distance with her hands folded on her 
 bosom, and her eyes fixed on the ground. 
 
 The Caliph made a sign that the whole party 
 G 
 
82 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 should approach his throne ; and, having com- 
 manded that the chains should be taken from off 
 Canfu and his wife, he thus addressed the shepherd: 
 
 < O Canfu, thou hast sinned against Alia and 
 his Prophet, and thou hast been punished in the 
 very accomplishment of thy wishes ; but against 
 me thou hast committed no crime. Thou art free 
 then ; but before thy departure, ask some favour 
 of thy sovereign to crown this happy day.' 
 
 A shout of applause rung through the air. Canfu 
 prostrated himself before the throne of the Com- 
 mander of the Faithful, and returned thanks to 
 Alia. The favour he sought was — that as his 
 cabin had been burnt by the soldiers, he might be 
 allotted some spot of ground in a region a little 
 removed from that which would now only serve to 
 remind him of his guilt and affliction, and be left 
 to spend the rest of his life in penitence and peace. 
 
 His prayer was granted. 
 
 The Caliph then turned to Kelaun, and having* 
 heard the impostor's eventful story from his own 
 lips, he kindly said, ' Kelaun, thou hast sinned 
 indeed, but still more hast thou been sinned against. 
 I first pronounce thy marriage void, since Guzzarat 
 sought not Kelaun but the Caliph. And as thy 
 habits and education seem better suited to a court 
 than to private life, I will assign thee a place near 
 my own person, where thou may'st yet enjoy great- 
 ness consistently with thy duty. 
 
 Kelaun fell at the feet of his sovereign. ' O, 
 gracious and most worthy representative of the 
 Prophet ! ' said he, ' the sorrowful Kelaun asks but 
 one boon of his Sultan — that he may be permitted 
 to leave the scene of his imposture, and, retiring 
 to the humble life in which he was born, consecrate 
 his future days to the happiness of his parents, 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 83 
 
 and use the talents lie has acquired for the benefit 
 of those in his own sphere.' 
 
 The Caliph graciously held out his hand, which 
 Kelaun, kneeling, reverently kissed. 
 
 Eaalcour now turned to Guzzarat, and with a 
 sterner aspect than he had hitherto worn, desired 
 her to exchange forgiveness with Kelaun, and then 
 tendered her the protection of the Sultana, his 
 mother, if she chose to remain in Bagdat. But 
 the pride of Guzzarat was humhled ; hetter feelings 
 stole into her mind with the remembrance of her 
 deserted parents, and she besought permission of 
 her royal master to return to their dwelling, 
 under a safe escort, where she might atone for her 
 past faults by her future dutiful submission. 
 
 The Caliph applauded her decision, and sent 
 her back to her parents, with such gifts as should 
 ensure comfort to them in their humble sphere for 
 the remainder of their lives. 
 
 About twenty-five or thirty years after the events 
 we have related took place, the Caliph Akbar having 
 succeeded his father Eaalcour, was hunting in a 
 wild region, about a day's journey from the moun- 
 tains of Gabel-el-ared, when he and three of his 
 attendants, having lost their way in the shades of 
 the evening, met a well-clad thriving-looking moun- 
 taineer, between forty and fifty years of age ; they 
 inquired for the nearest shelter, and were invited 
 to his cottage, whose glimmering light they beheld 
 at a distance. Children of all ages ran out to 
 meet their father, from the maiden just entering 
 into womanhood, to the child who was clinging to 
 its mother's knee. 
 
 A rustic but plentiful meal was set before the 
 wanderers ; and the Caliph, having satisfied the 
 demands of hunger, retired to the room which the 
 G2 
 
84 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 shepherd and his wife had resigned to his use, — 
 while the mother and her children, with an aged 
 father, had hetaken themselves to a neighbouring 
 cottage for shelter. 
 
 The three attendants of the Caliph having stretch- 
 ed themselves on the ground, began to converse in 
 the language of the court, nor did they interrupt 
 themselves when their host came in with logs and 
 began to kindle a fire ; for as he, like other shep- 
 herds, spoke the dialect of the mountains, they felt 
 themselves secure from being understood by him. 
 But the good shepherd as it happened was familiar 
 with the Arabian language, and heard certain words 
 on a subject which awakened all his attention. Pre- 
 tending to be busied in arranging the apartment, 
 and disposing of his milk and the remains of the 
 meal, he overheard enough of their conversation 
 to perceive that they had formed a plot to murder 
 the Caliph, and seat his brother on the throne. 
 They frequently mentioned the name of Giuaraha, 
 and the shepherd gathered that she was the friend 
 and ally of the Caliph's brother, and that they had 
 been instructed by her to lead him astray, and take 
 the first opportunity of dispatching him by stran- 
 gling, which it seemed they proposed to do as soon 
 as all should be at rest in the cottage ; and then to 
 carry his body to the camp, and pretend that he 
 had fallen from his horse. They appeared to have 
 accomplices at Bagdat, who had agreed, on receiv- 
 ing intelligence of their Caliph's death, to carry 
 off his Sultana and children, and proclaim his bro- 
 ther, Haffda, their Caliph. Having collected all 
 that he required to know, from the mouths of the 
 traitors, the shepherd, declaring that he would look 
 to the strangers' horses and then retire to rest, 
 hastened to the Caliph's sleeping-room, and climb- 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 85 
 
 ing in at the window he cautiously awoke him, 
 and informed him of the plot he had just over- 
 heard. 
 
 The Caliph perceiving that no time was to he lost, 
 hastily and cautiously followed his host hy the 
 window, and mounting one of the horses, while 
 the shepherd took another, and left the others at 
 large (to deprive the villains of their use), they 
 made the hest of their way through that wild re- 
 gion, which, being perfectly familiar to the shep- 
 herd, they rapidly crossed, though night had cast 
 her veil over all nature. They reached the hunting 
 camp before dawn, and found the officers in great 
 consternation at their Caliph's absence. Having 
 secured those whom he knew (from what had been 
 overheard in the cottage) to be engaged in the con- 
 spiracy, the Caliph despatched them, with a small 
 party under the shepherd's guidance, and who were 
 ordered to secure the three traitors whom they had 
 left. He then set out with the remainder of his 
 faithful followers, and arrived at Bagdat in time to 
 crush the conspiracy, for the favourers of Haffda 
 were awaiting the return of those who had under- 
 taken to dispatch the Caliph before they ventured 
 to proclaim his brother. 
 
 But great was the consternation of the Caliph 
 to find that the Sultana and her children had fled, 
 in consequence of her having discovered a plot 
 to seize them. He immediately despatched trusty 
 messengers in search of them, and they were 
 found under the protection of a poor widow and 
 her son, among the mountains of Gabel-el-ared, 
 who had concealed them at the risk of their own 
 lives from the strict search of their pursuers. 
 The Sultana insisted on taking her deliverers 
 with her to present them to the Caliph, and she 
 
86 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 gave orders that they should be carefully lodged 
 till she should command them to her presence. 
 
 The Caliph had not been unmindful of his 
 shepherd host : he and his family were brought 
 to court. And on one of those days when the 
 Caliph was accustomed to sit on a throne ele- 
 vated under an awning, at the gates of the palace, 
 the shepherd was brought before him, and re- 
 ceived the thanks of his sovereign in presence 
 of the multitude, who rent the air with shouts 
 for their Caliph and for his deliverer. The Caliph 
 commanded silence, and ordering the shepherd 
 to draw near, — ' It is plain,' said he, ' that you 
 are not unfit for courts, your tongue bespeaks 
 some other calling than that of a shepherd, and 
 other breeding than that of a mountaineer ; you 
 shall be exalted to the right hand of your Caliph ; 
 wealth and honours shall be poured on your head/ 
 
 ' Commander of the Faithful,' said the shep- 
 herd, kissing the skirt of his garment, ' suffer 
 thy servant to decline these unmerited favours, 
 and to take back with him to his valleys only 
 a grateful remembrance of his sovereign's good- 
 ness. I have known courts; — even to this court 
 I am no stranger.' 
 
 6 How ! — when ! ' exclaimed the astonished Ca- 
 liph, ' when could you ever have trodden these 
 courts before ? ' 
 
 ' When I sat on that seat,' replied the shepherd, 
 pointing to the throne, — ' for know, most mighty 
 Caliph, that thy servant is that Kelaun whose 
 story has been recorded in the chronicles of your 
 royal father's reign. If I mistake not greatly also, 
 that humble widow, whose son now leads her to 
 the royal presence by command of thy Sultana, 
 is the once beauteous and haughty Guzzarat. 
 When last we met in this royal court, we sat 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 8/ 
 
 side by side on that throne. The machinations 
 of Giuaraha were for awhile triumphant over my 
 Caliph's royal father. I was the wretched means 
 she chose for their accomplishment, and but that 
 Alia permitted the benevolent and powerful Has- 
 sarack to interfere, thy servant had still perhaps 
 been the wretched slave of Giuaraha, on the 
 usurped throne of the Commander of the Faithful.' 
 
 The Caliph was about to reply, when a slight 
 noise was heard, and a mist arising, filled the 
 court and gardens, through which the bright form 
 of the good Genius Hassarack appeared in front 
 of the divan ; she held a hand of the shepherd, 
 and of that lowly widow also who had been the 
 faithful preserver of her royal mistress. ' Kelaun 
 and Guzzarat,' said she, ' you have alike profited 
 by the lessons of adversity ; you have again been 
 tempted, in the way most seductive to your natu- 
 ral dispositions, by the offers of ambition — for I 
 am aware of the Caliph's princely gratitude, and 
 of the honours placed within thy reach, O Guz- 
 zarat, by thy generous mistress — -yet you have 
 remained faithful to your vows. To you, then, 
 favoured children of Alia, it has been given to 
 triumph over the machinations of the being who 
 first seduced you. The power of Giuaraha is at 
 an end. She had assumed the form of one of the 
 conspirators who had remained in the camp : and 
 having been, while under this disguise, suddenly 
 seized and bound, by the Caliph's orders, she had 
 no power to escape, or to resume her own form ; 
 but was sent along with the others to the shep- 
 herd's cottage, where all the traitors were doomed 
 to fall by the hand of the executioner. 
 
 ' This I was permitted to make known to Kelaun s 
 aged father Canfu. And I warned him at the 
 same time, that Giuaraha was not vulnerable by 
 
88 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 human weapons. The executioner's sword which 
 destroyed the others, would be to her a release 
 froni her bonds ; and she would, in her own re- 
 stored shape, spread her wings, and soar away 
 triumphant to devise fresh mischief. Accord- 
 ingly, by Canfu's advice, who knew that it was by 
 water alone the evil Genii could be destroyed, all 
 the traitors were cast, bound as they were, into 
 the neighbouring river. And Canfu, once more, 
 beheld the body of his original seducer floating help- 
 less down the stream, just where he had, long before, 
 in an evil hour for him, rescued it from the water.' 
 
 ' So let all the enemies of the Prophet perish ! ' 
 exclaimed the Caliph. 
 
 ' So also, 5 said the Genius, f may the enemies of 
 Akbar perish while he puts his trust in Alia. 
 The children of men can then only be truly 
 miserable when they unite themselves to the 
 children of evil.' 
 
 So saying she vanished ; and amidst the shouts 
 of the populace the royal party retired, with 
 Kelaun and Guzzarat, into the inner apartments 
 of the palace. There they learnt the simple 
 sequel of their remarkable history. How Kelaun 
 had passed a happy married life with the virtu- 
 ous daughter of a neighbouring shepherd, and 
 how Guzzarat, the meek and dutiful stay of her 
 parents' last years, had become the wife of a 
 good but humble mountaineer, who had left her 
 at his death with an only son, and finally, how 
 the aged Canfu yet lived a happy father, and the 
 faithful servant of Alia. 
 
 The two families shortly took their departure 
 from Bagdat, loaded with every mark of esteem 
 and favour which the royal pair could persuade 
 them to accept. 
 
 Guzzarat, and her son Sadaski, sojourned some 
 
KELAUN AND GUZZARAT. 89 
 
 time at the happy home of Kelaun, nor did they 
 depart till the virtuous Sadaski had won the af- 
 fections of Kelaun' s eldest daughter, and prevailed 
 on her to accompany him and his mother, as his 
 bride, to the fair portion of land which the grate- 
 ful Caliph had appointed for their inheritance in 
 their native mountains of Gabel-el-ared. There 
 they raised a numerous and thriving offspring, 
 faithful and humble worshippers of Alia, and 
 followers of that true and practical wisdom which 
 they had imbibed from the history of their an- 
 cestors — a race so enlightened and so virtuous, 
 so hospitable and contented, that the descendants 
 of Kelaun and Guzzarat became indeed the pride 
 and glory of the mountains of Gabel-el-ared. 
 
 * The words of Hassarack,' said the sage Iraca- 
 gem, arising, { are laden with the dew of instruc- 
 tion ; nor are our labours needless for the benefit 
 of the children of men, since those accursed 
 Genii, the rebellious mockers of our holy Pro- 
 phet, are incessantly beguiling the footsteps of 
 the reptiles of earth : but, praised be the Prophet 
 whom we serve, that impious race have no power 
 over the faithful and obedient disciples of Maho- 
 met. Such as have refused his sacred laws, or, 
 what is more dreadful, such as have known and 
 yet disregarded his commandments, are left a prey 
 to those disobedient spirits. But, O my sister,' 
 continued the sage chief, to the Genius next to 
 speak, s the eye of day grows dim, and these 
 tabernacles of earth, whom we are instructing, 
 will shortly sink with nature into the sleep of 
 night; nor shall we break through the laws of 
 the creation, or detain them from the blessings of 
 rest. Alia hath made the day for labour and care, 
 and the night for peace : and the works of Alia 
 are wonderful and good.' 
 
90 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 At these words the bright assembly arose, and 
 left the children of earth to their attendant Genii, 
 who were led into apartments, and refreshed with 
 plain and simple diet: and early the next morn- 
 ing, after their ablutions and attendance in the 
 mosque, where the race of Immortals do frequent 
 homage to their Prophet, they returned with their 
 guardian Genii to the magnificent saloon, where, 
 after the assembly were seated, the sage Iracagem 
 arose and said : — ( The lessons of my brethren 
 yesterday were first designed to inculcate a regular 
 search after happiness, which religion alone cm- 
 teach us, as the Merchant Abudah experienced in 
 his various researches. 
 
 6 Our first and greatest duty is to obey the all- 
 powerful Alia, and to serve him in truth and 
 humility. It will give joy and comfort to the sons 
 of the Faithful, while we readily submit to our 
 allotted task ; and call not in question, like Canfu, 
 either the wisdom or mercy of Alia, who doth 
 often withhold what might be esteemed blessings 
 from us, in order to prevent us from the storm 
 which we can neither foresee nor dissipate. To 
 trust therefore in him, to love him, to exalt him, to 
 obey, and to give him praise, is the chief end of 
 the creation of man. But as mutual weakness 
 requires mutual support, so the great Alia has 
 given to his children the laws and the duties of 
 social morality, which will be explained to their 
 tender minds by example, fraught with the bless- 
 ings of instruction : — Therefore, O sister,' said the 
 sage Iracagem, to her w^hose throne was placed by 
 Hassarack's, * let this favoured assembly partake of 
 your entertaining advice.' 
 
 The Genius immediately arose, and thus began 
 her delightful relation. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS, 9 1 
 
 TALE III. 
 
 THE ENCHANTERS ; OR, MISNAR, THE SULTAN 
 OF INDIA. 
 
 AT the death of the mighty Dabulcombar, the 
 lord of the East, Misnar, the first-born of the 
 Sultan, ascended the throne of India : but though 
 the hand of time had scarcely spread the fruits of 
 manhood on his cheeks, yet neither the splendour 
 of his court, nor the flatteries of the East, could 
 steal from the youthful Sultan the knowledge of 
 himself. 
 
 His first royal command was to assemble to- 
 gether the wise men throughout his extensive 
 dominions, from Cabul and Attok, which are the 
 evening boundaries of the sun, to Kehoa, and 
 Thoanoa, the heads of whose mosques are tipt 
 with his earliest beams. 
 
 Then came the Faquir Ciumpso, from B ansae ; 
 and Bahilu, the hermit of the Faithful, from 
 Queda ; the sage Bouta hastened from Bisnagar ; 
 and Candusa, the iman of Lahor, was not inobeclient 
 to the royal decree. Sallasalsor, also, from Nechal, 
 was there ; and Carnakan, a faithful worshipper, 
 from the banks of Ava ; the prophet Mangelo, from 
 the hollow rocks of Caxol ; and Garab, a silver- 
 bearded sage, from the mountains Coharsi ; from 
 Azo came a wise interpreter of dreams ; and from 
 Narvan, the star-read philosopher Nezraked. Zeu- 
 ramaund, the father of the prophets of Naugracut, 
 led his visionary tribe from their native mountains, 
 
92 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and the wisest of their community were deputed 
 to represent the brahmins of Lactora. 
 
 The Sultan Misnar ordered the illustrious as- 
 sembly to meet in the divan ; where, being placed 
 on the throne of his forefathers, he thus opened 
 unto them the desires of his heart : — 
 
 ' ye sources of light and fountains of know- 
 ledge,' said Misnar, ' more precious are your coun- 
 sels to me than the mines of Raalconda, or the big 
 emerald from Gani : wisdom is the true support of 
 honour, and the Sultan is established by the coun- 
 sel of his sages. Say then, ye treasures of ex- 
 perience, what shall Misnar devise that may secure 
 him on the throne of the mighty Dabulcombar?' 
 
 The sages in the divan were struck with astonish- 
 ment at the condescension of their young Sultan, 
 and one and all fell prostrate before his throne. 
 
 6 May wisdom,' said they, ' guide the footsteps 
 of the illustrious Misnar; may the mind of our 
 Sultan be as the eye of day • ' 
 
 Then arose the prophet Zeuramaund, and said : 
 
 ' I perceive, mighty Sultan, the dark clouds 
 of evil are gathering to disturb the hours of 
 futurity ; the spirits of the wicked are preparing 
 
 the storm and the tempest against thee : but 
 
 the volumes of fate are torn from my sight, and 
 the end of thy troubles is unknown ! ' 
 
 The venerable sages looked aghast as Zeura- 
 maund uttered these ominous predictions in the 
 spirit of prophecy ; for they perceived he spake as 
 he was moved; the whole council were dismayed 
 at his words, and all fell again prostrate on the earth. 
 
 Misnar alone appeared unconcerned at his fate. 
 
 1 my friends,' said the youthful Sultan, ' the 
 rose cannot blossom without the thorn, nor life be 
 unchequered by the frowns of fate ; the clouds of 
 the air must lower before the rice springs forth; 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 93 
 
 and the mother feel the pangs of child-birth, ere 
 she knows the pleasure of a parent. Grieve not, 
 my friends, that trials attend me, since the spirit of 
 prudence and virtue blossoms fairest in a rugged soil.' 
 
 The sages arose as their royal master spake, 
 and beheld with wonder the youthful countenance 
 of their prudent Sultan. 
 
 Silence and amazement for a time prevailed, till 
 one of the sages advancing before the rest, thus 
 counselled the intrepid prince : 
 
 ' O light of the earth,' said the trembling sage, 
 * whose virtue and innocence have not been vexed 
 by frauds and deceit ; whose pure mind seeth not 
 the foul devices of man's heart ; trust not to the 
 fickle interpositions of chance, where thine own 
 arm can work security ; and establish a permanent 
 foundation to thy father's throne. Thou hast a 
 brother, O my Sultan, whose veins are filled with 
 royal blood, and whose heart is by descent above 
 control. Ahubal, therefore, ere the blood of his 
 youth unfolds in the fulness of manhood, should 
 be cut off, as the husbandman destroyeth the deadly 
 lacar* in the field.' 
 
 ' What,' said the young Sultan Misnar, ' what 
 do thy base suspicious fears advise ! Is there no 
 way to build up the seatt of justice and mercy but 
 in murder and fratricide ? Caution, when be- 
 smeared in blood, is no longer virtue or wisdom, 
 but wretched and degenerate cowardice : no, never 
 let him that was born to execute judgment, secure 
 his honours by cruelty and oppression ! The 
 righteous Alia planted me not here to spread a 
 poisonous shade over the offspring of his prophet 
 Mahomet : though fear and submission be a sub- 
 
 * Lacar is a kind of poisonous weed, found in great 
 plenty in the inland parts of India, but little, if at all, 
 known to Europeans. 
 
94 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ject's tribute, vet is mercy the attribute of Alia, 
 and the most pleasing endowment of the vice- 
 gerents of earth. But as thou, weak man, hast 
 dared to advise the extirpation of one of the race 
 of the mighty Dabulcombar, the vengeance of my 
 injured brother's blood fasten upon thy life ! ' 
 
 The guards of the divan, hearing the sentence 
 of the Sultan, approached with their drawn sabres 
 towards the decrepit sage ; but Misnar arising, 
 cried out : — 
 
 ' Who of my subjects shall dare to violate with 
 blood the sanctity of this refuge for the oppressed? 
 Let the divan of justice be sacred : nevertheless, 
 lead that author of malice from my sight, and let 
 his own blood make satisfaction for the cruelty of 
 his desires.' 
 
 As he spake thus, the guards attempted to seize 
 the sage : — but as they advanced towards him, 
 flames of fire burst from his mouth, and his whole 
 form appeared as the form of a fiery dragon. 
 
 The rest of the sages fled from the dreadful 
 monster ; but Misnar, with an intrepid counte- 
 nance, stood before his throne, with his drawn 
 sabre pointing towards the dragon ; when, through 
 the flames, he perceived a hoary magician on the 
 back of the monster. 
 
 'Vain, O silly child of Mahomet,' said the en- 
 chanter, ' was thy sabre against the power of my 
 art, did not a superior force uphold thee : — but 
 tremble at thy doom ; twice four of my race are 
 determined against thee, and the throne of 'Dabul- 
 combar noddeth over thy head; fear hath now 
 preserved thee, and the weakness of thy heart, 
 which the credulous believers of Mahomet will 
 call prudence and moderation; but the fiend of 
 darkness is let loose, and the powers of enchant- 
 ment shall prevail ! ' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 95 
 
 As the hoary magician spake thus, his fiery 
 dragon, with tremendous hissings, arose, and 
 cleaving the dome of the divan, disappeared from 
 their sight. 
 
 * Thus,' said the illustrious Misnar, * let the 
 enemies of Mahomet he dismayed ! But inform 
 me, O ye sages, under the semblance of which 
 of your brethren did that foul enchanter gain ad- 
 mittance here ? ' 
 
 ' May the lord of my heart,' answered Bahilu, 
 the hermit of the Faithful from Queda, ■ triumph 
 over all his foes ! As I travelled on the mountains 
 from Queda, and saw neither the footsteps of beasts 
 nor the flights of birds, behold, I chanced to pass 
 through a cavern, in whose hollow sides I found 
 this accursed sage, to whom I unfolded the invita- 
 tion of the Sultan of India ; and we joining, jour- 
 neyed toward the divan ; but ere we entered, he 
 said unto me, Put thy hand forth, and pull me 
 toward thee into the divan, calling on the name 
 of Mahomet, for the evil spirits are on me, and 
 vex me ! ' 
 
 After the hermit Bahilu had spoken, Mangelo 
 arose. 
 
 ' May the power of the Sultan of the East be 
 multiplied ! ' said he ; ' but know, Sultan, that 
 neither evil Genius, nor enchanter, can enter this 
 seat of justice, unless he be invited in the name of 
 Mahomet.' 
 
 ' If it be so,' answered the Sultan Misnar, ' then 
 neither can they be masked against the voice of 
 justice ; for thou, righteous Alia, wilt uphold 
 the tribunal which thou hast founded upon earth, 
 and make the visions of fraud to depart from him 
 who seeketh truth. Therefore,' continued the 
 Sultan, ' lest this assembly be still tainted with 
 malice and infidelity, as the poisonous herb groweth 
 
96 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 most luxuriantly beside the plants of health, I 
 command the evil spirits to stand confessed be- 
 fore me.' 
 
 At his word, sulphureous smokes arose, and 
 from the thronged assembly, seven hideous forms 
 broke forth. 
 
 First, on a vulture's pinions, the fell enchanter 
 Tasnar soared aloft, whose skin was as the parched 
 Indian's, when he writhes impaled upon the bloody 
 stake. 
 
 Next, on the back of an enormous scorpion, 
 whose tail dropped deadlypoison,Ahaback appeared, 
 and with his eyes darted malignant flashes on the 
 youthful Sultan. 
 
 Him followed Happuck, a subtile magician, on 
 the shoulders of a tiger, whose mane was shagged 
 with snakes, and whose tail was covered with 
 twining adders. 
 
 Hupacusan also, that decrepit hag, who per- 
 sonated the righteous Sallasalsor, from Nechal, now 
 stripped of the garments of hypocrisy, filled the 
 eyes of the sages with terror and amazement. 
 Her lean bones, wrapped round with yellow skin, 
 appeared like the superstitious mummies of the 
 western Egypt. She was mounted on a monster 
 more dreadful and uncouth than the fever-parched 
 wretch beholds when, in restless slumbers, he 
 sinks from woe to woe upon his bed of sickness. 
 Its form was like the deadly spider, but in bulk 
 like the elephant of the woods ; hairs like cobwebs 
 covered its long bony legs, and from behind, a bag 
 of venom, of a whitish hue, spurted forth its ma- 
 lignant influence. 
 
 She was followed by her malicious sister Ulin, 
 squatting on the back of a broad-bellied toad, whose 
 mouth opened like the pestilence that swalloweth 
 up the fainting inhabitants of Delhi. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 97 
 
 Then, with a loud hiss, started forth in many 
 a fold, a black serpent, in length and bulk like the 
 qedars of the forest, bearing the powerful enchan- 
 tress Desra, whose wide-extended ears covered a 
 head of iniquity, and whose shrivelled bosom 
 panted over a heart of adamant. 
 
 Last, with majestic horrors, the giant Kifri 
 swelled into his full proportion, and, like a totter- 
 ing mountain,, reared himself aloft ; the long, 
 immeasurable alligator that bore him groaned with 
 his load, and opening all his mouths (for every 
 scale appeared a mouth), vomited forth streams of 
 blood. In his hand the giant brandished a stately 
 pine, blasted with lightning ; which shaking at the 
 dauntless Misnar ; — 
 
 ' Tremble, vile reptile,' said he, in a thundering 
 voice ; ' tremble, vile reptile, at a giant's wrath ! 
 tremble at the magic powers of all my brethren ; 
 if such a name becomes our race, unbound, unfet- 
 tered by the ties of nature : tremble, vile reptile ; 
 for thy doom is fixed ! ' 
 
 At these words the infernal brood joined their 
 voices with Kifri' s, and all at once pronounced in 
 harsh discordant sounds, ' Tremble, vile reptile ; 
 for thy doom is fixed ! ' 
 
 The enchanters were then involved in a thick 
 cloud of smoke, from which issued broad flashes 
 of red lightning, which, ascending to the roof of 
 the divan, in a moment disappeared. 
 
 ' There is neither wisdom nor prudence,' said 
 Misnar, as he prostrated himself on the ground, 
 after the enchantments were at an end, ' but what 
 are derived from Alia, and are the gift of the Pro- 
 phet of the Faithful. If thou dost vouchsafe to 
 direct my steps, Protector of Mussulmen, the 
 fear of evil shall not come upon me.' 
 
 ' Happy,' said Candusa, the iman of Lahor, with 
 H 
 
98 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 his breast on the earth, ' happy is the prince whose 
 trust is in Alia, and whose wisdom conieth frora 
 the thirteenth heaven.' 
 
 ' Happy,' said all the sages, humbling them- 
 selves before the Sultan Misnar, ' happy is our 
 Sultan, the favourite of Alia ! ' 
 
 ' That,' replied Misnar, ' sages, is too much 
 even for the Sultan of the East to hear ; but may 
 the all-righteous Alia approve of my thoughts and 
 actions ! so shall the infernal powers destroy the 
 wretches that employ them, and the dark poisoned 
 arrow recoil upon him that blew it forth. * But, O 
 sages, though your numbers are reduced, your in- 
 tegrity is more tried and approved ; therefore let 
 Misnar, your Sultan, partake of the sweetness of 
 your counsels, and learn from aged experience the 
 wisdom of the sons of earth. Say, then, what 
 doth the peace and security of my throne require 
 from me concerning my brother Ahubal, the issue 
 of the mighty Dabulcombar ?' 
 
 ' Far be it from me,' said the sage Carnakan, 
 ' to presume to utter my words as oracles before 
 the prince : but may not the security of the East 
 require that the prince, thy brother, be not en- 
 larged, as my Sultan is, to do whatsoever seemeth 
 good in his heart ? Should not the younger be as 
 servant to the first-born of his father, and are not 
 all the princes the vassals of the Sultans of the 
 East ? Let, therefore, the prince Ahubal enjoy 
 the pleasures of life ; but let him be removed from 
 giving pain and uneasiness to my royal Sultan 
 Misnar. At the sources of the springs of Ava, 
 on the craggy rocks of Aboulfaken, is a royal castle 
 built by the sage Illfakircki, to which there is no 
 
 * Bleiu it forth. This may need explanation. In many 
 parts of Asia the inhabitants use small poisoned arrows, 
 which they blow frora a hollow cane upon their adversaries. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 99 
 
 passage but through a narrow vale, which may be 
 ever guarded by the slaves of Misnar. Hither let 
 the prince be sent ; and let him live there, and en- 
 joy life, without having any power to molest the 
 glories of thy reign.' 
 
 The counsel of Carnakan seemed agreeable unto 
 the Sultan, for Misnar had not yet learned to in- 
 quire into the justice of his own actions. He gave 
 orders therefore that the mutes of his seraglio 
 should attend the prince to the royal castle at Aboul- 
 faken ; and then dismissing, for the present, the 
 assembled sages, he commanded them every week 
 to attend the divan. 
 
 In a few days, the mutes and guards who were 
 sent with the prince Ahubal, being admitted into 
 the presence of their Sultan, fell on their faces, 
 and cried out : 
 
 ' 0, let not the displeasure of the Sultan fall 
 upon his slaves ! Thy slaves, in obedience to thy 
 royal word, journeyed toward the castle of Aboul- 
 faken, and as they passed along through the de- 
 serts, a party of five thousand horse appeared, who, 
 setting upon us, ordered us either to deliver up the 
 prince Ahubal, or defend him with our lives. — Thy 
 slaves would willingly have chosen the latter fate. 
 Yet, alas ! what were four hundred guards and 
 twenty mutes to the army that opposed us ? But 
 our consultation was vain ; for while we debated 
 how to defend ourselves, the prince drew his sabre, 
 and killing three of our number, cut his way through 
 the guards to his friends. The horsemen then 
 would have set upon us, and hewed us in pieces ; 
 but their chief forbade them, saying, ' No, let them 
 live, and be the messengers of the prince's escape. 
 — Go,' continued he, ' dastard slaves ! and let your 
 Sultan know, that Ahubal has friends who will 
 shortly punish him for his designs on the prince." 
 H2 
 
100 TALES OP THE GENII. 
 
 At these words of Ms guards, Misnar gave a 
 deep sigh, and said : * he who seeks his safety by 
 an unjust action, cannot hope for the assistance of 
 Alia. 
 
 ' I shrunk from the sin of shedding my brother's 
 blood, — yet I hesitated not to deprive him of liberty. 
 
 ' My schemes have been defeated, for human 
 prudence alone is far too weak to fight against the 
 wiles of the deceitful ; but Alia is more powerful 
 than man ! I will therefore send for the prophets, 
 and inquire of them where I may seek for the as- 
 sistance of Mahomet.' 
 
 The Sultan then commanded Zeuramaund and 
 his tribe, and Mangelo the prophet, from the hollow 
 rocks of Caxol, to be brought before him ; and when 
 they were come into his presence, he demanded of 
 them where he might seek for the assistance of 
 Mahomet, and the countenance of Alia. 
 
 Then Zeuramaund answered the Sultan in these 
 words : ' In the tomb of the Prophet of Mecca is 
 the signet of Mahomet, which no human power 
 may remove : but if the Prophet will hear the 
 prayer of the Sultan, it may easily be taken thence.' 
 
 ' Yes,' replied Mangelo, the prophet from the 
 hollow rocks of Caxol, ' the seal of Mahomet will 
 indeed preserve the prince from enchantment : but 
 it is also necessary that he put on the girdle of 
 Opakka, which is worn by the Giant Kifri, the 
 sworn enemy of the eastern throne. For although 
 the signet of Mahomet will preserve the Sultan 
 from evil, yet will the girdle of Opakka only save 
 him from deceit.' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar was moved at the discourse 
 of his prophets, and spent the night in thought and 
 perplexity. He had little hope that the signet of 
 Mahomet, which had for ages remained immoveable, 
 should yield to him ; or that, with all his numerous 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 10 1 
 
 armies, he should he ahle to force the girdle of 
 Opakka from the loins of an enchanter, who could 
 in a moment overwhelm his troops hy the power 
 of his art. However, he determined the next 
 morning to go with his court a public pilgrimage 
 to Mecca, and to offer up the most solemn petitions 
 to the Prophet of his faith. 
 
 Early in the morning, the Sultan arose from his 
 seraglio, and commanded his courtiers to prepare 
 the procession, as he intended immediately to make 
 a public pilgrimage to Mecca. 
 
 But as Misnar was making known his intentions, 
 a messenger arrived in haste at the entrance of the 
 seraglio, who brought advice that one of the southern 
 kingdoms had revolted, and was led on by a sage 
 heroine, who declared her intention of placing 
 Ahubal, the brother of the Sultan, on the throne 
 of India. 
 
 Misnar was conscious that this revolt was brought 
 about through the contrivances of the enchanters ; 
 and therefore despaired of conquering them by 
 means of his armies : but, lest the other kingdoms, 
 seeing no troops were sent to repel the rebels, should 
 also join the adverse party, the Sultan commanded 
 the rough music of war to sound ; and sending for 
 his grand vizier Horam in private, he ordered him 
 to lead out the armies of Delhi against the rebels, 
 and to despatch daily messengers to the capital, to 
 bring advice of his success. 
 
 The vizier Horam received the Sultan's com- 
 mission with reverence, and said : — ' Let not my 
 Sultan be angry at his slave. If my lord should 
 require ten thousand messengers, his slave Horam 
 would despatch them. But if my lord will accept 
 of this tablet, he shall know in a moment the suc- 
 cess of his servant, though numberless leagues 
 were between us.' 
 
102 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 £ What,' said Misnar, taking the tablet from his 
 vizier, ' by what means is this tablet endued with 
 these rare virtues V 
 
 1 My lord/ answered Horam, c when my father, 
 through the malice of his enemies, was banished 
 from the presence of the mighty Dabulcombar, he 
 called me to him, and said, ' Horam, the evil- 
 minded have prevailed, and thy father is fallen a 
 sacrifice to the enemies of truth 1 No more, my 
 son, shall I behold the children of my strength, 
 nor the splendour of my Sultan's court : whither 
 I go, I know not ! But do you, my son, take this 
 tablet ; and whatever befalleth thy parent shall at 
 times be made known to you in the leaves of this 
 book ; and to whomsoever thou givest it, that friend 
 shall, after my death, read therein whatever Horam 
 my son shall wish to make known unto him.' 
 
 ' Faithful Horam,' answered the Sultan, ' thy 
 present is of such exquisite value, that thy prince 
 shall, in confidence, honour thee with the first 
 place in his esteem. — Know then, my faithful vizier, 
 that the powers of enchantment are let loose against 
 my throne, and the prophets have said : ' Thou 
 shalt not prevail but with the signet of Mahomet, 
 and the girdle of Opakka : ' therefore it is expedient 
 that I first go to Mecca to obtain this valuable gift 
 of the Prophet : my purpose, but this morning, was 
 to go surrounded by the nobles of my court ; but 
 while rebellion stalketh abroad, pageants are idle, 
 and the parade of a Sultan's pilgrimage will give 
 my enemies time to increase in their numbers and 
 strength. No, Horam ; I myself will in secret 
 approach the tomb of my Prophet, for Alia requireth 
 the service of the heart, and searcheth out the 
 purity of his servants' intentions : I shall go with 
 greater humility as a peasant than as a prince. In 
 the mean time, my royal tent shall be pitched, and 
 
THE ENCHANTEKS. IO3 
 
 Horam only shall be suffered to approach it. So 
 shall my slaves imagine their Sultan goeth forth 
 with them to the field, and the hearts of my sub- 
 jects shall be strengthened.' 
 
 ' Be the desires of the Sultan fulfilled/ said 
 Horam, with reverence : ' but will not my lord take 
 with him a guard in his pilgrimage ? for the dangers 
 of the journey are great over the mountains and 
 deserts, and the voyage by the seas is perilous.' 
 
 ' No,' answered the Sultan ; ' those who are my 
 slaves here, may, at a distance, become my masters, 
 and sell me to my foes : where the trust is great, 
 great is the danger also. Shall I set guards over 
 my person, in the heart of my kingdom, amidst my 
 faithful subjects, and trust my life in a slave's hand, 
 where I am neither known nor respected ? When 
 the diamond lieth concealed in the mine, it is free 
 and unmolested ; but when it shine th abroad on 
 the earth, all covet its possession.' 
 
 The vizier Horam was struck with the prudence 
 of his youthful Sultan, and bowed in assent to the 
 words of his lord. 
 
 In a few days, the armies of India assembled ; 
 the royal tent was pitched, and the vizier was de- 
 clared the leader 'of his Sultan's forces. Misnar 
 entered his tent in great state, and Horam alone 
 followed the Sultan into the retirement of the 
 moveable pavilion. 
 
 The vizier had, according to the Sultan's in- 
 structions, prepared a disguise for his master ; and 
 at midnight led him, like a peasant, through the 
 encampment into a wood ; where, falling at his feet, 
 he besought him to consider well the dangers he 
 was about to encounter. 
 
 1 Horam,' answered the Sultan, ' I well know the 
 goodness of thy heart, and that thy fears are the 
 daughters of thy love. Sensible am I that the 
 
104 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 dangers of my pilgrimage are great : but what re- 
 source have I left ? More than man is risen up 
 against me, and more than man must assist me, 
 or I perish. To whom then can I fly, but to the 
 Prophet of the Faithful ? For I am well assured 
 that no enchantment shall prevail against me, 
 while I journey towards Mecca: for such is the 
 faith of all true believers ; though they may op- 
 press and fatigue me, yet in the end shall I triumph. 
 Besides, Horam, there is no resource.' 
 
 1 True, my Sultan,' answered the vizier, ' without 
 Alia, vain is the counsel of man ; but is not Alia 
 everywhere present, to aid and defend the sons of 
 the Faithful?' 
 
 ' Though Alia be all-powerful,' answered Misnar, 
 6 yet is not the slave of his hand to direct the Lord 
 of all things. If we would gain the help and as- 
 sistance of Alia, we must obey his commands ; and 
 well are we assured in the law of our Prophet, that 
 at Mecca shall the prayer of the Faithful be heard. 
 Wherefore, O Horam, no longer my slave, but my 
 friend, lead forth my armies with confidence and 
 trust, and doubt not but that He, who daily re- 
 fresheth the sun with light, will shortly restore 
 Misnar to the throne of his forefathers.' 
 
 As he spake thus, the Sultan broke from his 
 vizier Horam, who was fallen upon his master's 
 feet, weeping at his fixed resolves ; and penetrated 
 into the gloomy recesses of the forest. 
 
 All was silence and darkness, save where, through 
 broken fragments of fleeting clouds, the sultaness 
 of night sometimes threw a feeble light on the 
 horrors of the forest. 
 
 ' This gloomy recess,' said Misnar, as he passed 
 on, < which hides me from the world, makes me 
 better known to myself. In the court of my fore- 
 fathers, I am called the Light of the World, the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 105 
 
 Glory of the East, and the Eye of Day ; but, in 
 the wild forests of Tarapajan, I am a poor help- 
 less reptile, on whom the cedars drop unwholesome 
 dews, and whose steps are hidden from the light of 
 the moon by the branches of the palm. What 
 then is the pride of man, but deceit ! and the glo- 
 ries of the earth, but the shadows of illusion ! 
 Surely more had I to fear from enchantment on 
 the throne of Dabulcombar, than in the bosom of 
 this forest. Here the wild beast will not natter 
 me, nor will* the lordly lion acknowledge me Sultan 
 of his wild domains. On what prop then must 
 that weak tendril, man, entwine himself ; on what 
 rock must the son of earth build his security? 
 Thanks be to the faith delivered unto me from 
 Mahomet, the holy prophet of Arabia ! in Alia 
 shall be my trust, who ruleth over all the children 
 of his hand, and is lord over the haunts of beasts, 
 as well as the dwellings of mankind.' 
 
 With such thoughts Misnar passed along for 
 many days, till one night, at a distance, he per- 
 ceived the skies looked red with light, and various 
 fires ; and by the noise, which increased in his 
 ears, found that some Indians were carousing in 
 the woods before him. 
 
 The disguised Sultan endeavoured to avoid them, 
 striking into a path which led round their fires ; 
 but some of the Indians observing him by the 
 light of their fires, called to their brother peasant, 
 and desired him to partake of their mirth. 
 
 Misnar thought it would be vain to refuse the 
 request, as they all seemed disposed to insist on 
 their demands ; and therefore hastened to the scene 
 of their festivity. 
 
 Here he found ten or twelve fires, with a mixed 
 number of males and females, some sitting and 
 some dancing around them; the uncouth rustic 
 
106 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 irnisie enlivened their dance, and the mask of care 
 ■was not on their faces. 
 
 Misnar inquired the cause of their mirth. 
 
 £ What ! ' said an ancient female, ' though you 
 are a stranger in Tarapajan, and know not the feast 
 of Tigers is celebrated by these nightly fires ; yet 
 must you now learn, that no stranger comes but to 
 partake of our joy, nor departs till the fires are 
 extinct.' 
 
 ' And how long,' said Misnar, ' doth this feast 
 last ? ' 
 
 ' This/ answered the old woman, * is the third 
 night ; and these fires must blaze yet eleven nights 
 and days more ; during which time the axe is not 
 seen in the hand of the forester, nor doth the bow 
 twang in the woods of Tarapajan ; neither may he 
 which seeth these rites depart till they be fulfilled.' 
 
 Misnar was thunderstruck at this relation ; and 
 ere he could -answer, the crowd gathered around 
 him. 
 
 1 Come,' said he that appeared to be the chief, 
 £ let us initiate this stranger in our rites ; bring 
 hither the skin of the tiger, and the paw of the lion, 
 and the lance, and the bow that twangs not in the 
 woods of Tarapajan during these nightly festivals.' 
 
 Then did one bring the skin of a tiger, and 
 threw it over the shoulders of Misnar, and another 
 came with the paw of a lion and hung it before 
 him, and a third brought a lance, and put it in 
 Misnar's right hand, and a fourth slung a bow on 
 his breast. Then did all the crowd make a loud 
 howling, and dance around the astonished Sultan. 
 
 'Now,' said the chief, when the dance was 
 finished, ' sound the hollow instruments of brass, 
 which give notice to the moon and to the stars, 
 that this stranger is about to swear not to reveal 
 our rites. Lay thine hand on thy head,' said the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 107 
 
 chief to the disguised Sultan, ' and put thy fingers 
 on thy mouth, and say, — As the starless night is 
 dark, as the cave of death is dark, so shall my 
 thoughts and words continue in darkness concern- 
 ing the festivals of tigers.' 
 
 ' And wherefore,' said Misnar, ' is this silence 
 imposed ? and what shall befall him that sweareth 
 not unto you ? Is not the mind of man free ? and 
 who shall offend him who seeketh not to offend 
 others ? ' 
 
 6 Whosoever,' answered the chief, ' travelleth, 
 should become obedient to the customs of those 
 people among whom he tarrieth.' 
 
 6 Eight,' continued Misnar, ' and I am willing, 
 on two conditions, to fulfil your will : first, you 
 shall all swear, that I be at liberty to pursue my 
 journey on the eleventh day; and next, that I shall 
 not be bound to perform aught contrary to the law 
 of Mahomet.' 
 
 ' Stranger,' replied the chief, c when we are at 
 liberty to depart, thou shalt depart likewise : but 
 during this festival, which is held in honour of our 
 noble ancestor, who remained fourteen days in this 
 forest, till he had subdued a ravenous race of tigers, 
 no man that is entered here may stir hence till the 
 fires be extinguished ; for by the fire did our an- 
 cestor drive away and destroy the tigers and beasts 
 of the forests, and by fire do we commemorate his 
 mighty deeds. Neither,' continued the chief, 'may 
 we reveal these rites to any one but those who by 
 accident espy them ; for slich as are present with ' 
 us, we are bound to receive into our society : where- 
 fore we compel those who come among us to keep 
 in silence the knowledge of our rites.' 
 
 ' If such is your custom,' answered Misnar, e I 
 shall willingly comply ; and swear to you, that, as 
 the starless night is dark, as the cave of death is 
 
108 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 dark, so shall niy words and thoughts continue in 
 darkness concerning the festivals of tigers.' 
 
 As he uttered these words, the whole assembly 
 again danced around him, till the hollow brazen 
 instruments were ordered to sound, and all the in- 
 habitants of the forest were commanded to receive 
 the disguised Sultan as their brother. 
 
 Then the men, one by one, passed by Misnar, 
 each as he passed laying the hand of the Sultan on 
 his breast. After they were passed by, came the 
 females also, who saluted their new brother. These 
 Misnar suffered to pass on without much reflection, 
 till among the youngest, who last approached, he 
 was struck with one whose modest looks and re- 
 tiring manners distinguished her from those who 
 had just addressed him. When he was invited to 
 join their repast, this fair maiden, whom they 
 called Nouradin, was placed beside him. If the 
 Sultan was charmed with this damsel's appearance, 
 he was still more delighted with her conversation 
 and sentiments. When they arose from their rus- 
 tic feast, the chief informed Misnar that it was the 
 custom of their tribe to celebrate at this festival of 
 tigers the marriages of all the youths and maidens 
 present, in honour of their great ancestor. • We 
 are now,' added he, ' only waiting the decision of 
 Nouradin, who having been courted hitherto in 
 vain by our youths, is yet forced by our laws to 
 make her choice of a partner on this her last day 
 of deliberation. Since she has slighted those of 
 her own tribe, we hope that her choice will fall 
 on you ; our company will then be complete, and 
 our joys unclouded.' 
 
 Misnar, forgetting the great designs of his heart, 
 his high purposes of virtuous enterprise and his 
 crown, awaited the fair one's answer, and felt more 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. IO9 
 
 fear at her silence than he had done at the en- 
 chantments of his monstrous enemies. At length, 
 with hesitating voice and downcast looks, Nouradin 
 answered, ' May the joys of my companions he 
 unclouded ! ' 
 
 Misnar, in raptures at the fair Nouradin's pre- 
 ference, took her by the hand and led her to the 
 dance, while the hollow instruments of brass a 
 third time sounded, to announce that the maiden's 
 choice was decided. The dance being ended, as 
 Misnar was leading Nouradin to a rustic seat, she 
 asked him, with an anxious troubled look that went 
 to his soul, whether in return for the heart and 
 hand she was about to bestow on him, he, on his 
 part, was prepared to make such a sacrifice to her 
 as she should be obliged to demand. 
 
 Misnar was chagrined at her words, though he 
 knew not their full import, and his mind turned 
 sorrowfully to the great achievements he had to 
 perform. ' But,' said he, inwardly, ' to what pur- 
 pose do I think of my people, my crown, and my 
 pilgrimage, since I am detained here, probably for 
 life, with a set of savage foresters, who acknow- 
 ledge no law but their own will. Surely it is the 
 part of wisdom to conform to the circumstances 
 in which we are placed.' Then turning to the fair 
 Nouradin, he said, '0 joy of life, few are the sa- 
 crifices I could refuse to make for thy sake ; but 
 shorten the moments of anxiety, and pour forth 
 the words which tremble on thy lips.' 
 
 6 Say then,' answered Nouradin, ' say, O thou, 
 the first and only being whom Nouradin has ever 
 loved, art thou prepared for her sake to take the 
 oath which shall bind thee to her tribe, — to their 
 fortunes, to their wanderings, to their homes, for 
 ever, — or do we part by to-morrow's dawn, when 
 
110 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Misnar shall have assisted in the ceremonies which 
 will, in that case, devote Nouradin to become the 
 bride of another ? ' 
 
 The unfortunate Sultan was confounded at the 
 words of his fair companion, and his heart was 
 sad within him. ' What ! ' said he, ' shall I give 
 up the glories of my father's kingdom ? The 
 claims of thousands on my power and influence 
 I dare not slight. Shall I then basely betray the 
 fair Nouradin's confidence, by concealing the des- 
 tiny which awaits me ? No ' said he aloud, turn- 
 ing to the lovely maiden, ' never let the man of 
 integrity deceive the gentle heart that offers him 
 happiness. Forgive me, all-beauteous Nouradin, 
 but the volumes of my fate are open, and the 
 Prophet of the Faithful will not permit me to 
 indulge here the secret affections of my heart. 
 Though the soul of Misnar will be torn and 
 divided, yet must he depart with the expiring 
 fires of your festival.' 
 
 ' Base, cold, and senseless wretch,' said the false 
 Nouradin, as the beauteous vision faded from be- 
 fore his eyes, and the enchantress Ulin resumed 
 her own detestable form, ' call not thy frozen pur- 
 pose virtue, but the proof of a hard and selfish 
 mind, insensible to love and beauty. Not thy 
 prudence, but my folly hath saved thee ! How- 
 ever, what nature would permit I have obtained ; 
 and though thou art escaped, puny animal as thou 
 art ! from the power of my enchantments, yet 
 shall the southern kingdoms of India feel my 
 scourge. Proceed then, superstitious reptile, on 
 thy tame pilgrimage to Mecca, while Horam feels 
 the vengeance of my arm in the sultry deserts of 
 Ahajah.' 
 
 As she spake thus, she stretched out her wand ; 
 and the fires and the foresters, and the enchantress 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. Ill 
 
 Ulin, disappeared from the sight of the astonished 
 Sultan. 
 
 The Sultan immediately prostrated himself on 
 the ground, and gave glory to Mahomet for his 
 wonderful escape ; and, pursuing his journey, con- 
 tinued his course for two moons through the wide- 
 extended forest of Tarapajan. 
 
 During this time he daily examined the tablets 
 which the vizier Horam had given him ; but was 
 very uneasy at finding the leaves always fair. 
 ' Alas ! ' said he to himself,. ' I have trusted to 
 a base man, who perhaps has taken this advan- 
 tage of my credulity, and intends to set the crown 
 of India on my brother's head ! There needed 
 not the powers of enchantment to overthrow me, 
 since I have betrayed at once my folly and my 
 cause.' 
 
 Misnar, therefore, resolved to travel back to 
 Delhi, and learn the cause of Horam's silence ; 
 but, however, as he neglected not to look on the 
 tablets every day, he at length, as he was examin- 
 ing them under a palm-tree, found the following 
 inscription therein : 
 
 ' Horam, the faithful Slave of the Sultan of the 
 East, to Misnar, the Lord of his Heart. 
 
 ' Some time after I left my royal Sultan in the 
 forest, while my heart was sad within my breast, 
 and my eyelids were heavy with the tears of sepa- 
 ration, came a hasty messenger from the outskirts 
 of the rebel army, and declared their approach ; 
 and that the southern provinces had revolted, and 
 were added to the opposers of the Sultan of the 
 earth. When thy slave was certain of this intelli- 
 gence from the mouths of many, who hastened to 
 the camp with these bad tidings, I commanded the 
 armies of India to be increased, and a more exact 
 discipline to be observed in my master's camp, and 
 
112 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 perceiving that the enemy hastened to meet my 
 Sultan's forces, I shortened the march of my 
 slaves, that the fatigues of the deserts might not 
 prevail more against them than the face and the 
 sword of their enemies. Moreover, I led thy 
 troops through the most cultivated countries, that 
 the necessaries of life might be procured for the 
 multitudes that followed thy tent with the greater 
 ease. But, alas ! the presence of my lord is not 
 with his people, and the army murmur that they 
 are led by a Sultan who cheers not their labours 
 by the light of his person; so that the hearts of 
 thy people are withdrawn from Horam thy slave, 
 and the captains of thousands demand admittance 
 to thy tent, and accuse thy vizier with evil devices 
 against thee, my lord, the Sultan.' 
 
 As the Sultan read this intelligence in the 
 tablet of Horam, his heart failed within him, and 
 the sight of his eyes was as a mist before him. 
 
 ' O Misnar, Misnar ! ' said he, falling to the 
 ground, 'the fiend of darkness is let loose upon 
 thee ! and the powers of enchantment will prevail!' 
 — 'Yes,' said Ulin, the enchantress, who imme- 
 diately appeared, * the powers of enchantment 
 shall prevail ! Misnar, the faithful servant of Ma- 
 homet, hath at length yielded to my power, and 
 Alia hath given to my vengeance the wretch that 
 doubts his protection. — Crawl, therefore,' continued 
 she, ' vile reptile, on the earth, and become a toad, 
 that sucketh the poisonous vapour, and that draweth 
 from the sunbeam a venomous fire.' 
 
 At the powerful voice of her enchantment, the 
 Sultan shrunk from his native figure, and became 
 a reptile on the earth. He opened his pestiferous 
 jaws, and the black venom fell from his tongue, 
 and he trailed his broad yellow speckled belly in 
 the dust. His change of form did not take from 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 113 
 
 Misnar his memory or recollection ; lie was sensi- 
 ble of his disgrace, and of the justness of his sen- 
 tence ; and though he could not fly from himself, 
 yet he hastened into the thicket, that he might hide 
 his filthy corse from the light of heaven. But 
 the hungry calls of nature soon drove him from 
 his recess, to seek his proper food in the desert. 
 
 He crawled forth, and found himself led on by 
 a scent that pleased him ; his spirits seemed en- 
 livened by the sweet odour, and his cold feeble 
 limbs were endued with a brisker motion. 
 
 ' Surely,' said he, in his heart, ' the bounteous 
 Alia hath not left the meanest of his creatures 
 without comfort and joy. The smell is as the 
 smell of roses, and life and vigour are in these 
 attractive paths.' 
 
 With these thoughts he crawled forward into 
 the thickest covert ; and though his body was drawn 
 with a secret impulse, yet his mind was filled with 
 horror when he came in sight of a mangled and 
 corrupted body, which lay hid among the bushes. 
 One of his own deformed kind sat squatting beside 
 it ; and, like himself, seemed to desire, and yet 
 detest the loathsome feast. 
 
 ' Misnar, at the sight of one of his hideous kind, 
 was filled with scorn and rage ; and forgetting his 
 present transformation, was about to drive him 
 from the mangled body : when the reptile, open- 
 ing his mouth, addressed him in the language of 
 Delhi. 
 
 ' Whether thou art really what thy form bespeaks 
 thee,' said the reptile, ' or, like me, the victim of 
 enchantment, answer?' 
 
 The Sultan, surprised at this address, and per- 
 ceiving that misery was not his portion alone, de- 
 sired to know by what means his fellow-creature 
 suffered such a wretched change. 
 I 
 
1 14 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Since I perceive by your speech,' said the 
 reptile, ' that one event has happened to us both, 
 I shall not be averse to declare to you the cause 
 of my transformation ; but I shall expect that my 
 confidence will not be misplaced, and that after I 
 have made you acquainted with my history, you 
 will not refuse to reveal your own.' 
 
 'A similitude in our fates,' replied Misnar, 'has 
 already made us brethren ; and I should be un- 
 reasonable to ask a favour I meant not to return.' 
 
 •' Well then,' said he, ' we will depart from this 
 wretched sight into a different thicket, where we 
 may unmolested bewail our uncommon fates : for 
 although the enchantress Ulin, to disgrace our 
 former natures, and to make us the more sensible 
 of present deformity, obliges us, by a miserable 
 attraction, to meet daily before this horrid spec- 
 tacle, yet our food is of the fruits of the earth : 
 for the wicked enchantress has not the power to 
 make us, even in this deformed habit, to do that 
 which is contrary to our human nature.' 
 
 As he was speaking, another toad came up to 
 the corse — ' Here,' continued the first, ' is another 
 of our brethren ; and another will soon be here : 
 we were three before you came among us. — Where, 
 princess, is the last victim of Ulin's rage?" said 
 he to the second. 
 
 ' He was basking,' answered the second, ' in 
 the sand ; but I aroused him, and he is now on 
 his way.' 
 
 In a few minutes the third arrived ; and as soon 
 as he beheld the mangled body, the attraction 
 ceased ; when, the first leading the way, they de- 
 parted into another thicket. 
 
 1 Here,' said the first, * O stranger, we may rest 
 securely ; and the serpent cannot annoy us, for 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. II5 
 
 we are seated under the shade of the fragrant 
 cinnamon.' 
 
 ' We are obliged to you for your care of us,' 
 said Misnar ; ' but I am eager to hear the cause of 
 your transformation.' 
 
 THE HISTOEY OF MAHOUD. 
 
 I am (replied the toad) the son of a jeweller in 
 Delhi, and my name is Mahoud : my father, after 
 a life of industry and parsimony, finding himself 
 declining, sent for me, and on his death-bed said, 
 1 Mahoud, my days have been the days of care, 
 but success hath attended them : I have toiled, that 
 thou mayest reap ; sown, that thou mayest gather ; 
 and laboured, that my son may enjoy the fruits of 
 my industry. My peace and comfort have been 
 sacrificed to thine ; and now do I die, assured that 
 my beloved Mahoud will not be pinched by 
 poverty,* or oppressed by penury and want. Happy 
 are those prudent parents, who, like me, can smile 
 at death, and leave their offspring independent of 
 the world ! ' 
 
 Thus said my aged father, and expired ; and my 
 tears accompanied his departing spirit : but these 
 soon gave place to that ardent curiosity which 
 drove me to explore those riches he had left me. 
 
 I opened box after box with a silent rapture, 
 and was pleased to find wealth sufficient to satisfy- 
 even the appetite of youth ; many diamonds ap- 
 peared among my father's wealth, which never could 
 have passed the royal sieve,* and many others of 
 
 * The Mogul is paid, byway of duty, all jewels which are 
 found in the mines too large to pass through a sieve of a 
 particular size. 
 
 12 
 
Il6 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 infinite value, besides large quantities of gold and 
 silver; so that, in my youthful judgment, there 
 appeared no end to my riches. 
 
 It was not wonderful, that, being so suddenly 
 put in possession of these riches, I should seek 
 every pleasure and diversion which wealth could 
 purchase. All who were the companions of my 
 childhood, all who would court an inexperienced 
 heart, were admitted to my table ; and the strict 
 laws of Mahomet were less regarded at my house, 
 than the rich wines which sparkled at my feasts. 
 
 Thus passed I my life, among those who jest 
 with religion, and make their mock at the rules 
 of prudence and sobriety. But the time soon 
 came when my hours of revelry were to be changed 
 for those of sorrow, and when I was first to learn 
 that a father's prudence will not secure a wicked 
 son from the shafts and arrows of bitterness and 
 grief. 
 
 My possessions, though ample, were nearly ex- 
 hausted by ignorance and extortion : my jewels 
 were gone ; unacquainted with their value, I had 
 rather flung them away than sold them : my silver 
 and gold were become the property of my Mends, 
 who, when I applied to them in return, were much 
 more assiduous, if possible, in preserving it from 
 me, than I had been in squandering it on them ; 
 so that, in a few days, even the merchants who had 
 been such gainers by me came now to demand some 
 trifling sums that I had borrowed of them ; and, 
 being unable to pay them, they seized my furniture, 
 and stripped me of my clothes, to satisfy their cruel 
 demands. 
 
 In this situation, I was turned out of my own 
 doors by those whom I had received a thousand 
 times in my arms, and spurned at, like a dog, by 
 those whom I pressed to my bosom. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. II7 
 
 Stung by reflections on my former follies, and 
 ignorant where to fly for shelter, I covered myself 
 with some few rags that had been cast to me, and 
 sat down before the house of a rich young man, 
 who, like myself, seemed to be squandering his 
 wealth on the scum of the earth. 
 
 Bennaskar (for that was his name) soon came 
 forth, with his minstrels and singers at his heels, 
 and seeing a miserable figure before his doors, he 
 asked what I wanted. I told him, that once, like 
 himself, I gave life to the dance, and mirth to my 
 friends ; but that want of caution had been the 
 cause of my ruin, and too much confidence in 
 those who least deserved my favour. 
 
 Several of his friends, hearing this, would have 
 driven me from his presence, saying it was unfit 
 such a wretch should even enjoy the blessings of 
 the air ; but Bennaskar would not suffer it, and 
 asked me whether the insincerity of my friends 
 had taught me to be sincere to others ? I answered 
 him, that I had ever been sincere, even to those 
 who were undeserving, and that I had rather die 
 than betray my friend. 
 
 ' If what you say is true,' said Bennaskar, ' I will 
 try you : go in, and my servants shall clothe you, 
 and you shall live with me ; I only ask in return, 
 that you never disclose to any one what you hear 
 or see transacted in my house.' 
 
 • Sir,' answered I, ' your offer is gracious, and 
 bespeaks your generous intentions ; but I do not 
 choose to live on another's bounty, unless I can 
 make myself useful.' 
 
 ' That,' answered Bennaskar, ' you may do, if I 
 find I can trust you : I have long been in search of 
 one I could trust ; I want such an one, but cannot 
 find him.' 
 
 The friends of Bennaskar then surrounded their 
 
Il8 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 lord, and each confusedly offered his services to 
 him. 
 
 ' No,' said the young man, ' though I appear un- 
 thoughtful in your eyes, servile race of flat- 
 terers ! yet know, to all your confusions, that I 
 have tried you all, and find you trifling and in- 
 sincere : this man alone refuses my proffered love, 
 unless he can return it ; and this man alone is 
 worthy of my esteem.' 
 
 The friends of Bennaskar were thunderstruck 
 at his words, and renewed their protestations : but 
 he commanded his servants to drive them from his 
 house ; and, taking me by the hand, he led me 
 into an inner, but sumptuous apartment. 
 
 As soon as we arrived there, I prostrated myself 
 at his feet, and said, ' Let not my lord be angry with 
 his servant ; but thou hast not told me what ser- 
 vice thou wilt expect from me.' 
 
 ' All that I require,' answered Bennaskar, ' is, 
 that you disclose not to any one what you hear or 
 see transacted in my house.' 
 
 6 My lord,' answered I, ' of what service can I be 
 to you by such a compliance ? If I am silent, thy 
 slaves may speak, and I shall be blamed for their 
 insincerity. I pray thee, let me return to my rags, 
 and set me not in a place where thy vassals will be 
 tempted to ruin me in thy favour.' 
 
 ' Your answer,' said Bennaskar, ' is the answer 
 of a prudent man : but fear not ; I cannot do 
 without you, and I hope you will not refuse my 
 proffered love. What you will see, none will see 
 besides you ; therefore none but yourself will be 
 unfaithful to me.' 
 
 On this assurance, I accepted the bounteous offer 
 of Bennaskar ; and the slaves led me to the bath, 
 and I washed, and was perfumed and arrayed in a 
 vestment of my lord's. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. II9 
 
 Bennaskar was impatient to see me ; and as I 
 was led into his presence, the young man hastened 
 to meet me, and folding me in his arms, he said, 
 * May I at length meet a friend I can trust ? ' And 
 I answered, ' May Mahoud he the friend of thy 
 hosom ! ' I spent some time with the agreeable 
 Bennaskar : every day we varied our enjoyments, 
 and were mutually satisfied with each other. 
 
 I had now been with my friend eighteen days, 
 and no interruption was given to our friendship ; 
 when, on the nineteenth morning, Bennaskar ap- 
 peared with a clouded visage. 
 
 ' What,' said I, ' my lord, is the cause of your 
 grief? Shall not Mahoud share alike with you 
 the smiles and the frowns of Alia ? ' 
 . ' Is it not,' said Bennaskar, ' O Mahoud, the full 
 of the moon? ' — ' It is,' replied I, with a smile ; 
 ' but doth Bennaskar intend to change with that 
 fluctuating planet ? ' 
 
 ' Mahoud,' said Bannaskar, ' the fate of thy 
 friend is dependent on the caprice of the stars ; to- 
 night must I put thy utmost friendship to the 
 trial ! If Mahoud prove insincere, then is Ben- 
 naskar cursed among men. If thy heart is not 
 firm now, while there is time, depart. But why 
 should I doubt thee ? surely Mahoud is of the 
 sons of the Faithful. What must I say? Leave 
 me, Mahoud, leave me : Nay, if thou departest, 
 where shall I find thy fellow ? and the presence of 
 a friend is necessary to my quiet.' 
 
 ' Then,' answered I, ' fear not, Bennaskar : Ma- 
 houd may be unhappy, but he cannot be unjust. — 
 But what is this dreadful trial that thus obliges 
 Bennaskar to suspect his friend ? ' 
 
 * True,' said Bennaskar, ' Mahoud is undeserving 
 of suspicion ; let us wait till the sun sink from the 
 
120 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 skies, and the stars return with their glimmering 
 light.' 
 
 Bennaskar then proceeded to the hath, and ar- 
 rayed himself m a costly rohe, and desired me to 
 do the same. I obeyed my Mend ; and we met in 
 the saloon together. 
 
 1 Alas ! ' said Bennaskar, as we met, ' how can I 
 request my Mend to wear the image of deformity?' 
 
 ' What image of deformity,' said I, ' must Ma- 
 houd wear ? All appearances are to Mahoud alike ; 
 and the severer the trial, the more shall I command 
 thy Mendship.' 
 
 ' Then,' said Bennaskar, pulling out a pot of 
 black ointment, ' thou must suffer me to disguise 
 thy face with this ointment ; Mahoud to-night must 
 personate a black slave.' 
 
 ' Is such a trifle,' said I, ' the test of friendship ? 
 Give me the ointment, and furnish me with the 
 habit of a slave.' 
 
 ' The habit,' answered Bennaskar, ' is ready, and 
 all is ready; but you must not as yet disguise your- 
 self, lest my slaves observe us. Come, let us for 
 the present enjoy ourselves ; and when night ap- 
 proaches, Bennaskar will rely on the Mendship of 
 Mahoud.' 
 
 The slaves then brought us the costly viands of 
 Delhi ; but Bennaskar remained pensive, and seemed 
 not to relish the dainties before him. 
 
 I endeavoured all I could to divert his melan- 
 choly : I smiled, I sang before him ; the dancers 
 were introduced, and the music attempted to dissi- 
 pate his gloom ; but Bennaskar still remained mute, 
 and his thoughts could not be recalled by the en- 
 tertainment of his slaves. The music continued 
 till night ; when Bennaskar commanded the slaves 
 to withdraw, and taking a lamp in his hand, he led 
 me through a long variety of apartments. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 121 
 
 ' Mahoud,' said he, as lie went along, ' has never 
 yet seen the wonders of my palace.' 
 
 ' Mahoud,' answered I, ' is happy, my lord, to see 
 the wealth of his friend ; but he is not inquisitive 
 to explore, unbidden, the secrets of another.' 
 
 As I said this, we arrived at a small vaulted 
 room, from the centre of which hung a lamp, which 
 Bennaskar trimmed, and put out that which he 
 held in his hand. 
 
 ' Now,' said he, ' Mahoud, enter that closet which 
 is opposite us, and put on the slave's dress which 
 you will find there, and anoint thy face and thy 
 hands with this black ointment.' 
 
 I immediately obeyed Bennaskar, and in a short 
 time I came forth arrayed like a slave. 
 
 ' Kind Mahoud,' said Bennaskar, ' thou art ex- 
 cellently disguised ; now obey with silence, and 
 stand as a mute before his lord.' 
 
 I folded my arms, and nodded assent ; at which 
 Bennaskar smiled. 
 
 ' Take hold, Mahoud,' said he, ' of that ring of 
 iron, which is fastened by a secret spring to the 
 middle of the floor, and pull.' 
 
 I obeyed, and a little trap-door came up. I 
 looked down, and perceived a woman in rich vest- 
 ments, half buried in the earth. I shuddered at 
 the sight, and was falling backward; when Ben- 
 naskar struck me with a chabouc,* which he drew 
 from his bosom, and said, — ' Villain, if thou fail 
 me, I shall use thee as my slave.' 
 
 Although I was enraged at the blow, yet I re- 
 membered my promise, and returned to the trap- 
 door. 
 
 ' Slave,' said Bennaskar, < dig that female out of 
 the ground : the spade and the mattock are hidden 
 
 * A chabouc is a large whip. 
 
122 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 under the floor.' I imm ediately jumped down, and 
 found the tools, and began to work ; but neither 
 my fear nor my labour could prevent my fixing my 
 eyes on the lovely female, who seemed as one dead. 
 As soon as I had removed the earth from the fe- 
 male, which I did with great care, Bennaskar com- 
 manded me to lift the body into the apartment, 
 gave me a phial of clear blue liquor, and ordered 
 me to pour it into her mouth, whilst he retired 
 into the closet. I willingly obeyed Bennaskar, and 
 hastened to pour down the liquor, while Bennaskar 
 retired. As soon as the liquor was down, the lovely 
 female began to move, and in a short time she 
 opened her languishing eyes, and casting them 
 upon me she shrieked out, and clapping her hands 
 together, she cried, — ' Alia, defend me ! ' 
 
 Bennaskar at the same time spoke as follows, 
 from the closet where he was concealed : — 
 
 ' Hemjunah,' said he, 'are you as yet disposed to 
 become the wife of Bennaskar, or must we still 
 experience the evils of opposite enchantments ? 
 For remember, that though the powerful Macoma 
 is thy friend, yet the enchantress Ulin still subjects 
 thee to her will.' 
 
 ' Wretch,' answered the fair stranger, * I fear not 
 the powers of your accursed magic ; for Macoma 
 has assured me that you shall never be able to 
 overcome me without my own consent ; and Ma- 
 homet, though for a time he permits this enchant- 
 ment, will at length assuredly deliver me.' 
 
 ' Then,' answered Bennaskar, ' must the lash of 
 compulsion issue forth. — Here,' continued he, ' slave 
 Mahoud, inflict fifty lashes on that obdurate female.' 
 
 I took the chaboue from Bennaskar, and began 
 with trembling, my ill-fated task ; cursing inwardly 
 my own blind compliance, in promising to obey a 
 monster, and not a friend. As the lash touched 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 23 
 
 the beauteous Hemjunah, she made the vaulted 
 roof re-echo with her cries ; nor did my heart feel 
 less sensibly the strokes which I gave than her 
 own ; the tears trickled down my cheeks, and I 
 prayed inwardly to be delivered from the cursed 
 task, and was never more happy than when it was 
 completed. 
 
 ' What,' said Bennaskar, from the closet, ' what 
 now saith Hemjunah ?' 
 
 ' The hard-hearted and the cruel,' said Hemjunah, 
 faintly, x are the last to win the soft affections of a 
 female heart : rather let me die, than be the wife 
 of the vile Bennaskar.' 
 
 ' If so,' said he, coming from the closet, ' die : 
 for the present I resign my power ; let Macoma 
 hide thee again in the dust of the earth.' 
 
 Bennaskar did no sooner appear than the beau- 
 tiful Hemjunah again seemed to die away; and 
 immediately a hissing noise was heard, and an ugly 
 dwarf arose from the trap-door, and took the body 
 of Hemjunah, replacing it in the earth ; and the 
 trap-door was closed with a roaring noise. Ben- 
 naskar then beckoned me to follow him ; and he 
 led me to the bath, and bade me wash, and after 
 return to the saloon in my proper vestments. 
 
 I was so surprised at the wonders which I had 
 seen, that I hardly knew what I did. However, in 
 the bath I had time to recollect myself: but re- 
 collection was of little service, for reflection rather 
 increased than cleared my confusion. One moment 
 I resolved to apply to the cadi, and declare every 
 circumstance of the horrid adventure. The next, 
 I was awed by the thoughts of my rash and im- 
 prudent vows of secrecy. — * Bennaskar,' said I, 
 ' has for a month appeared as an angel before me : 
 but one base action has deformed all his former 
 purity. How can I reconcile these inconsistencies ? 
 
124 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Can he, who is the tenderest, the best of friends, 
 be also the vilest and most cruel of mankind ? Is 
 there not enchantment employed against him, and 
 may not this phantom be employed to destroy him ? 
 — What,' said I again, recollecting myself, ' can 
 aught excuse such horrid barbarity, exercised upon 
 the most amiable of her sex ? What cruelties have 
 I not seen ; nay, and been forced, through my own 
 imprudence, to transact ! How did my heart bleed 
 within me at her piercing cries ! how did it curse 
 the hands which were the base ministers of such 
 unmanly cruelty ! I have been accessary to the 
 torture of a most beautiful female : one too, who 
 called on the perfect Alia to deliver her. I have 
 been the instrument of a mean revenge on a help- 
 less woman ; and now I yet delay to inform the 
 cadi of the villanies of this house of enchantment.' 
 I resolved immediately to repair to the cadi, and 
 give him a full information of the sorceries of 
 Bennaskar. I hastened out of the bath, threw 
 my vestments over me, and advanced to the door. 
 — ' But,' said I, as I went along, ' what am I 
 about to do ? I shall forfeit my faith, without 
 serving the distressed: Bennaskar expects me in 
 the saloon ; and when he finds that I am gone 
 forth, he will, by the power of his art, secrete the 
 beautiful female from the eyes of the cadi. I 
 have been the guest of Bennaskar a month, and 
 never, till this day, did I perceive the rooms 
 through which I was led to that detestable act of 
 cruelty: nay Bennaskar himself was obliged to 
 wait ; he was impatient till the full of the moon, 
 and oppressed with sorrow and care when it arose. 
 I will therefore, for the present, return to Bennas- 
 kar, and will put on the face of cheerfulness, and 
 make my countenance to shine before him.' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 125 
 
 Bennaskar met me on my return. c Whence 
 cometh Mahoud ? ' said he. 
 
 ' I am just,' answered I, ' risen from the bath ; 
 and I come to meet my friend Bennaskar.' 
 
 ' Mahoud/ answered Bennaskar, ' art thou faith- 
 ful, and wilt thou ever remain faithful to thy 
 friend ? But why should I doubt thee, let thy 
 bosom receive the secrets of Bennaskar. In the 
 success of his friend shall Mahoud one day rejoice. 
 Dost thou not yet know enough of thine own 
 heart, Mahoud, and of the hearts of other 
 men, to perceive that one unattained desire poisons 
 the whole course of a happy life ? Bennaskar has 
 wealth and youth and health — all that men most 
 anxiously wish for ; but Bennaskar would be great 
 also, and the path to greatness also has opened 
 before him. Know then, that my father's death 
 obliged me to go to the city of Cassimir, in order 
 to reclaim a portion of his wealth detained by the 
 merchants there. While in that city I heard — as 
 who had not heard? — of the charms and vast 
 possessions of the Princess of Cassimir, sole 
 heiress of the royal house. I learned also that 
 an ancient oracle had declared at her birth, that a 
 stranger should obtain the hand of this princess, 
 and that, be he high or be he lowly born, he would 
 become a greater and a wealthier man than either 
 her father or his own, provided he married her 
 with her own consent. Thus spoke the oracle ; 
 and a thought of pride crossed my bosom, Ma- 
 houd ! that I must be that stranger. It came 
 indeed as an idle dream, but I detained it in my 
 mind till it gained possession of my soul. I re- 
 turned to my native city, and to the enjoyment of 
 luxury and pleasure, but in vain; the thought 
 which had strayed into a vacant mind found kin- 
 
126 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 dred thoughts there, and now held it captive. It 
 was not so much the beauty, or accomplishments, 
 or virtues of the princess which men so talked of 
 that chiefly engrossed me, but the desire of that 
 greatness which awaited the man who should ob- 
 tain her. The oracle had declared my birth no 
 obstacle, and I was a stranger, one of its condi- 
 tions. 
 
 ' I made another journey to Cassimir, to consult 
 a sage of high repute in the neighbourhood of 
 that city with respect to the steps I should take 
 for the advancement of my views. The fame of 
 Orasis brought numbers every year to his se- 
 questered grotto, and on a day appointed he re- 
 ceived me, and heard my wishes. 
 
 ' ' I can do little to promote your views, aspiring 
 youth ! ' said he, ' but thus far I can tell you, that 
 the princess of Cassimir is under the especial 
 protection of the powerful genius Macoma, and 
 that it is understood she will never give her hand 
 to one whom her guardian shall disapprove. I 
 may also tell you that the favour of Macoma is 
 only to be purchased by a long course of self- 
 denying virtue.' 
 
 ' The words of Orasis were displeasing to my 
 ear, — ' I came here. O sage,' said I, ' to obtain the 
 means of gratifying my desires not of denying 
 them ; yet name the penance Macoma would in- 
 flict on the favoured suitors of her princess, and 
 I am ready to perform it, whether by chewing 
 ashes, and crawling on the earth, like Boodel, 
 or suspending myself by the forefinger to a tree, 
 as yonder Fakir.' 
 
 " Voluntary suffering, Bennaskar, is not self- 
 denial,' replied the sage. ' Go home, young man, 
 and suspend your high pretensions. To do jus- 
 tice, to* show mercy, to be temperate in your 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 127 
 
 pleasures, and upright in all your actions, will 
 require that very self-denial which Macoma seeks 
 in her votaries. Five years so spent will give 
 you a claim to be enrolled on her tablets ; and 
 then (if you still desire it), you may, as one of 
 her suitors, approach the princess of Cassimir.' 
 
 ' The words of the sage fell heavy on my ear. 
 I turned from him in disgust, and as I returned 
 to the path which led towards the city r I cursed 
 loudly the stern Macoma, with her cold and hard 
 precepts. My words attracted the attention of 
 a person whose approach I had not noticed. 
 
 ' ' Stranger,' he said, ' you have been seeking a 
 proud and churlish mistress ; I will direct you 
 to one no less powerful and far more compas- 
 sionate to the weaknesses of us poor mortals.' 
 
 ' To shorten my story, Mahoud, the stran- 
 ger on hearing my views advised me to go back 
 to Cassimir, and await there the commands 
 of the great enchantress Ulin, with whom he 
 promised to intercede forthwith in my behalf, if 
 I would authorize him to pledge me to unquali- 
 fied obedience. I gave him my signet as a token, 
 and betook myself to the house I had hired at 
 Cassimir. Many days I spent about the pre- 
 cincts of the royal palace, — now reproaching my- 
 self for the time I was losing, now complaining 
 of the faithless stranger. 
 
 'As I was returning home one evening, very 
 despondingly, I heard a person calling me by 
 name, and looking behind me, I saw a female 
 dressed in a dark mantle, with a veil over her 
 face. ' Bennaskar,' said she, ' follow me.' I felt 
 an undefined hope that this woman might be the 
 appointed agent of my enchantress ; gathering up 
 my garments, therefore, I followed her through 
 several streets. At length she stopped at the 
 
128 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 door of a large house, and just as I was expect- 
 ing that it would open to her, she sunk into the 
 earth and disappeared. I waited at the door till 
 night was far advanced, hoping every moment to 
 see it open, or at least to behold the mysterious 
 female again, hut she came not, and after several 
 hours' expectation, I returned home full of vexa- 
 tion and disappointment. 
 
 ' The next morning I arose early and went into 
 the street, where I immediately beheld the same 
 female beckoning to me: I hesitated not a mo- 
 ment to follow her. — ' She is certainly,' said I to 
 myself, ' possessed of supernatural powers ; and, 
 as she has taken notice of me, I will show my- 
 self obedient to her commands.' She led me 
 again by the same way to the house before which 
 I had spent the greater part of the preceding 
 day; and, as soon as we arrived there, sunk 
 again into the ground. Though I was heartily 
 vexed at this second illusion, yet I resolved to 
 stay on the spot till night and the city guard 
 made my stay impossible. But night came with- 
 out satisfying my curiosity : I returned again to 
 my lodgings, and knew no more than at first the 
 meaning of the female's appearance. 
 
 'The third day, I proceeded as usual to my 
 house, and as I was about to unlock it, I saw the 
 female again in the market-place, beckoning to 
 me as before. As I had now entered into her 
 service, so I resolved to continue in it ; and 
 therefore went behind her to the house, which I 
 remembered well, having contemplated its front 
 two days successively. The female stopped, as 
 before, at the entrance of the house, and sunk a 
 third time into the earth. 
 
 ' But I will not tire your patience, Mahoud, with 
 a minute relation of my fatigues : for eleven 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 129 
 
 days successively was I thus deceived ; and on 
 the twelfth, as I was standing in my usual place, 
 several slaves issued out with chahoucs, saying 
 that I was a thief, and had for some time "been 
 lurking about and examining the house. Though 
 I assured them that I was a merchant, I did not 
 find the chabouc come the slower on my back ; 
 wherefore, supposing it was vain to resist, I ran 
 as fast as I could from them ; and as fear and 
 pain are excellent remedies against sloth, so I 
 found I had soon left the slaves behind me. 
 
 * Having entered my lodging, I began to lament 
 my fate, and the cruelty of her who had so often 
 deceived me : — but in the midst of my lamentations, 
 I felt the room shake, and in an instant saw the 
 female rise through the floor, and stand before me. 
 
 ' ' Bennaskar,' said she, ' I am Ulin, the friend of 
 the distressed, and the helper of all those who will 
 put their trust and confidence in my enchantments : 
 I have long watched your motions, and know your 
 thoughts ; and, willing to try your faith in the 
 magic art, I have thus often deceived you. Alia 
 requires a reasonable worship from his votaries : 
 but we, who love to contradict him in all things, 
 expect in our dependents a blind and obsequious 
 obedience.' 
 
 1 ' Princess, or Genius, or whatever thou art,' 
 answered I, ' fulfil my desires, and my life shall be 
 spent as you direct.' 
 
 ' 1 was then proceeding to relate my story — she 
 interrupted me. ' I know your wishes, and am 
 here to aid you. My first purpose is to endue you 
 with power to rescue the Princess of Cassimir from 
 an alliance with the Prince of Georgia, which is 
 so odious to her, that you will have a fair chance of 
 succeeding with her under the character of her 
 deliverer. If this fail, Ulin has other means.' 
 K 
 
130 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' She then declared to me what she expected in 
 return for the favours she conferred — it included 
 the surrender of reason and will to her sway — yet 
 I swore myself her willing slave. 
 
 ' ' If I find you faithful,' said Ulin, ' you shall, 
 ere to-morrow's sun, depart hence, and the princess 
 shall be at your disposal. One of my creatures 
 shall personate a deliverer of Hemjunah from the 
 Prince of Georgia ; her own rash precipitancy will 
 aid the plot : she will be conveyed to your mansion 
 at Delhi, thenceforth you personate her deliverer, 
 and either by fair means or foul, you shall obtain 
 her hand.' 
 
 ' * With her own consent ? ' said I : £ remember, 
 
 Ulin, the words of the oracle.' 
 
 ' ' Terror shall give consent if gratitude win it 
 not,' said the Enchantress, with an imperious look, 
 and clapping her hands, a tall black slave arose 
 through the floor, raised me in his arms, and in a 
 few moments placed me in the saloon of my own 
 mansion at Delhi. My story draws to an end : 
 Hemjunah, the haughty Hemjunah, rejected my 
 suit, and even spurned my good offices. You have 
 witnessed her punishment, Mahoud, or rather the 
 means used by the power of Ulin to obtain her 
 consent. I do not despair, since I know that she 
 offended her Guardian Macoma, my bitter enemy, 
 ere she fell into the power of Ulin ; and without 
 Macoma 5 s support, her constancy will never con- 
 tinue to sustain her under so severe a chastisement.' 
 
 1 And now,' concluded Bennaskar, 'you have my 
 confidence. A well-tried friend is Bennaskar's joy; 
 but remember,' he added with a terrible frown, ' that 
 woes and death are in the path of his enemies.' 
 So saying, he left me, and I retired to my chamber, 
 irresolute in my mind. As I entered my chamber, 
 
 1 perceived a small book open on a desk before the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 131 
 
 burning lamps. I went up to it, and found it was 
 the Koran of our holy law. Being little desirous 
 of sleep, I sat down ; and as I read, methought I 
 saw the name of Mahoud in the book. Startled at 
 the vision, I looked again, and read distinctly these 
 words : — 
 
 ' Mahoud ! Mahoud ! Mahoud ! There is much 
 good in the world, but there is more evil ; the 
 good is the gift of Alia, but the evil is the choice 
 of his creatures. Because of man's sin, and be- 
 cause of the darkness of his heart, do the evil 
 Genii and the enchantments of wickedness prevail.' 
 Even now is Mahoud in the house of a magician, 
 to whom he is imprudently bound by the ties of 
 honour : to draw back, is meanness ; but to per- 
 sist, is sin. When men act wrong, they subject 
 themselves to the power of a wicked race ; and 
 we, who are the guardians of mortality, cannot in- 
 terpose but in proportion to their remorse. Taken 
 by the crafty dissimulation of Bennaskar, thy easy 
 soul gave into his snares, and thy prudence was 
 decoyed by the voice of his mouth. Thou hast 
 promised, at all events, not to reveal the secrets of 
 his house ; and thou hast, unknowingly, joined 
 thyself in the fellowship of the wicked. But can 
 man, who is bound to the service of Alia by an 
 unalterable law, dispose of himself against the will 
 of his Maker ? or can the worm of the earth, the 
 property of Heaven, set up itself against the hand 
 that formed it ? Had Mahoud engaged to conceal 
 every thing but what the law of Mahomet obliged 
 him to reveal, he had behaved wisely : but he who 
 walketh in darkness will undoubtedly fall into the 
 pit. Past errors cannot be recalled ; and Mahoud 
 must learn the wisdom of experience. Under the 
 resemblance of the Koran, behold the Genius Ma- 
 coma instructs thine heart. I perceive evil will 
 K2 
 
132 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 attend thee, if thou dost attempt the enlargement 
 of the Princess of Cassimir ; and yet without it, 
 thou must still continue the servant of cruelty and 
 oppression. Choose, therefore, for yourself: if 
 injured innocence can move thee, coldly suffer in 
 the cause of truth, and take this book in thy bosom, 
 which shall at all times admit thee to a sight of the 
 princess ; if not, be still the slave of the enemy of 
 thy Prophet.' 
 
 After this, I looked again on the book, but found 
 I could read no more : however, I doubted not to 
 engage in the service of the princess ; and there- 
 fore, taking the book in my bosom, and the lamp 
 in my hand, I went toward the saloon, supposing 
 that Bennaskar was asleep. I searched for the 
 rooms through which I had passed before, and soon 
 perceived the vaulted apartment at the end of them. 
 
 I hastened to take up the trap-door, and, touch- 
 ing the Princess Hemjunah with the book, I essayed 
 to deliver her from her miserable confinement. 
 The princess awaked at the touch of the book ; 
 but, at the sight of me, shrieked aloud, and I feared 
 lest her cries should awaken Bennaskar. I assured 
 her that I was sent by the Genius Macoma to effect 
 her deliverance, and that I abhorred every kind of 
 cruelty which I had practised upon her. 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said she, still shrieking at intervals, 
 1 your story betrays your wickedness ; I never be- 
 fore saw you, unless you are, as I suspect, the 
 magician Bennaskar, under some feigned appear- 
 ance : but rest assured, vile man ! that no deceit or 
 cruelty shall ever make me the wife of Bennaskar.' 
 
 ' Most adorable Princess Hemjunah ! ' said I, 
 prostrating myself before her ; ' let me beseech 
 you to hear me : I am not Bennaskar, nor a crea- 
 ture of Bennaskar's, but the servant of the Genius 
 Macoma, who has instructed me by means of this 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 133 
 
 holy book (which I then pulled out), to attempt 
 your rescue ; and I am willing to lay down my life 
 for your safety. You have not indeed seen me in 
 my present character, but this very night w r as I 
 brought hither by Bennaskar, under the similitude 
 of a slave, and forced, through a most accursed 
 oath, to inflict the severest tortures on the most 
 delicate of her sex.' 
 
 ' Wretch ! ' said the princess, ' I am now con- 
 vinced of thy perfidy, allowing thine own account 
 to be true ; for what promise could bind thee to a 
 cruel action ; or why wast thou afraid to suffer 
 thyself, rather than make an innocent virgin the 
 subject of thy cruelties ? But if thou art truly 
 the servant of Macoma, and ashamed of thy late 
 inhuman deeds, quit the house of the vile Ben- 
 naskar, and inform the cadi of his cruelties and 
 sorceries.' 
 
 ' Kather/ said I, ' my princess, let me dig around 
 you, and release you from this miserable confine- 
 ment.' 
 
 ' That,' said the princess, ' you cannot do, unless 
 you are indeed, as I suspect, the wretch Bennas- 
 kar ; for by his command alone can I be released. 
 — 0, fool that I was,' continued she, with tears, 
 ' to listen for a moment to the falsities of man ! ' 
 
 ' If my information,' said I, ' lovely Hemju- 
 nah, will avail, this moment will I fly to the cadi, 
 and acquaint him with your distress.' 
 
 I then hastened to go : but 0, judge my terror 
 and amazement, when I saw Bennaskar moving 
 through the apartments which led to the vaulted 
 chamber. 
 
 As he advanced, Hemjunah shrieked, and I 
 was ready to sink : though my intentions were just 
 and good, yet was I terrified by his appearance ; so 
 much was I sunk by the rash promise which I had 
 
134 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 made ; and I every moment expected the dreadful 
 effects of his powerful malice. 
 
 As Bennaskar entered the vaulted chamber, I 
 shrunk back with fear, and dared not lift up mine 
 eyes ; but my terror was soon quieted, when I saw 
 him fall prostrate at my feet. I then no longer 
 doubted but that the Genius Macoma supported 
 me ; and attributed his behaviour to her super- 
 natural power. 
 
 '0 Mahoud,' said Bennaskar, 'the friend of 
 my bosom, the partner of my secrets ; pity me : 
 if the lovely Princess of Cassimir did but know 
 the purity of my heart, the ' 
 
 'Hear not the villain ! ' said Hemjunah, ' 
 servant of Macoma, unless he release me from 
 this detested place : me he hath already deceived ; 
 and you will be subjected likewise to his power, 
 unless the prudent spirit of Macoma direct thee.' 
 
 ' Then,' said Bennaskar, rising up, and laying 
 bare his bosom — ' Here, Mahoud, strike, and end 
 my miseries, and the miseries of Hemjunah : but 
 never will Bennaskar consent to lose the treasure 
 of his heart.' 
 
 ' I will not,' answered I, ' lift up my private arm 
 against thy life, but I shall deliver thee to the power 
 of the cadi, who is the deputy of the great Alla's 
 vicegerent.' 
 
 ' Give me, then,' said the Princess of Cassimir, 
 ' the book of the Genius Macoma, that I may be 
 defended from the insults and contrivances of the 
 base Bennaskar.' The request of the princess 
 appeared so reasonable, that I obeyed her, and put 
 the book into her hands. 
 
 Bennaskar, when I was leaving the vaulted 
 chamber, besought me not to destroy the friend 
 that had supported me : but I told him, that Alia 
 was to be obeyed rather than man. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 35 
 
 I hastened to the cadi ; but as it was night, his 
 officers told me I could not be heard, till I in- 
 formed them I had in my power a wicked magi- 
 cian, who, by sorceries, had stolen the Princess 
 of Cassimir. When they heard this, they ac- 
 quainted the cadi ; and that vigilant magistrate 
 arose, and followed me immediately to the house 
 of Bennaskar, with his guard. 
 
 As I entered the house of Bennaskar, I was 
 amazed to see him standing in the entrance with 
 a lamp in his hand ; but my astonishment in- 
 creased when I saw him fall down before the cadi, 
 and confess his guilt. 
 
 The cadi commanded the guards to seize him, 
 and then ordered him to lead us to the place 
 where he had concealed the Princess of Cassimir. 
 Bennaskar obeyed: but as he went through the 
 apartments, he said to me : — ' Mahoud, you are 
 sensible that the Princess Hemjunah's body is 
 half buried in the earth, and uncovered; there- 
 fore prevail upon the cadi, that he suffer us to go 
 before and release her : for my part, my sins 
 oppress me, and I wish to restore to her dignity 
 a much-injured princess.' 
 
 'If,' said I, 'you will promise to release the 
 princess, I will endeavour to prevail on the cadi 
 to permit what you propose ; but otherwise, let 
 the whole world be a witness of your accursed 
 malice.' 
 
 ' my friend,' said Bennaskar, ' accuse me 
 not ; my own heart persecutes me sufficiently : 
 yes, Mahoud/ continued he, ' I will, as you require 
 me, release the princess, and trust to the mercy 
 of the cadi ; for the service of the evil Genii will 
 neither bring me profit nor peace.' 
 
 I was pleased at this repentance of Bennaskar, 
 and besought the cadi that he would suffer us to 
 
136 TALES OE THE GENII. 
 
 enter the vaulted chamber first, and recover the 
 princess from her enchantment. The cadi ac- 
 quiesced in my proposal, but ordered the guards 
 to surround the entrance, while Bennaskar and 
 myself entered the chamber. 
 
 As soon as we were entered, Bennaskar seized 
 me suddenly by the throat, and, before I could 
 speak or recollect myself, he dragged me into the 
 closet, and shut the door. 
 
 ' Now,' said he, ' villain ! receive the just re- 
 wards of a perjured heart.' Saying this, he spit 
 in my face, and threw me on the ground, and then 
 flew out of the closet, shutting the door forcibly 
 after him. 
 
 I remained for some moments stupified by my 
 fall ; but after a time arose, and opening the 
 closet, I was surprised to see neither the Princess 
 of Cassimir nor the magician Bennaskar. 
 
 While I was in this confusion, the cadi and his 
 guards, being impatient at our stay, entered the 
 chamber, and the cadi commanded his guards to 
 seize me, saying — * Villain, where is the Princess 
 of Cassimir, and the man who revealed thy un- 
 righteous actions ? ' 
 
 At this, I began to answer ; when, — -0 accursed 
 fortune ! I perceived my voice was as the voice of 
 Bennaskar. I immediately looked on my clothes, 
 and found them changed. In short, I doubted not 
 but that my malicious foe had transformed me into 
 his own appearance. 
 
 I fell at the feet of the cadi, and besought him 
 for one moment to hear me : I acquainted him 
 with every circumstance of my adventures, from 
 my entrance into the house of Bennaskar, till that 
 present moment. But he and his guards laughed 
 at my tale ; however, in a few moments, he grew 
 more cool, and commanded me to deliver up my 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 137 
 
 friend and the Princess of Cassimir. In vain did 
 I call Alia to witness the truth of my story ; the 
 cadi was enraged at my persisting in the tale, and 
 ordered his guards to give me a hundred strokes 
 with the chabouc. 
 
 To add to my misfortune, Bennaskar appeared 
 at one end of the room ; and when I cried out and 
 pointed to him, the cadi, who saw him not, think- 
 ing that I meant to mock him, ordered me another 
 hundred lashes with the chabouc. Vexed with 
 myself, and subdued by the pains of my punish- 
 ment, I fell on the ground, and my guards were 
 ordered to carry me to the prison, where I was 
 thrown into a deep dungeon, loaded with chains. 
 
 The next morning I was brought out again be- 
 fore the cadi, and carried into the public hall of 
 justice. The cadi there passed judgment upon 
 me, that I should be burnt alive the next day, 
 unless I delivered up Mahoud and the Princess 
 of Cassimir. 
 
 Finding it vain to repeat my declarations, that 
 I was the real Mahoud, and that I suffered through 
 the vile enchantments of Bennaskar, I remained 
 silent : but this was construed into surliness, and 
 I was ordered five hundred bastinadoes to make 
 me speak. I therefore begged the cadi to conceive 
 what I could possibly answer : supposing my tale 
 to be true, I had, I said, suffered severely for my 
 rash promise to Bennaskar, and I must submit to 
 my fate. 
 
 The cadi then commanded me to be carried back 
 to the dungeon, and that a large pile of wood should 
 be raised in the market-place, whereon I might be 
 burnt the next morning, before all the people. I 
 spent the night in the utmost horror, and earnestly 
 wished that the sun might never more behold my 
 sorrows. But yet the night passed away as usual, 
 
138 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and the stars fled from the face of day, and I be- 
 held the dreadful morning of my execution. 
 
 A tumultuous crowd was gathered together be- 
 fore the door of the dungeon, to see me pass to my 
 execution ; and as I was dragged along, the com- 
 mon people nearly overwhelmed me with stones. 
 As I advanced to the pile, I perceived the cadi and 
 his officers were seated before it, and that magis- 
 trate commanded me to be brought again before 
 him ere I was bound to the pile. 
 
 6 Art thou,' said he, as I approached him, ' art 
 thou, wretched magician, willing to bring forth the 
 princess, or thy friend, who are concealed by thy 
 wicked arts ; or must the sentence of our law be 
 executed upon thee ?' 
 
 ' O judge,' said I, 'since my tale will not gain 
 credit with thee, at least let me know by whose ac- 
 cusation is it that I am brought before thee, and who 
 is it that accuses me of magic or sorcery? Am 
 not I Bennaskar, the wealthy merchant of Delhi, 
 and where are my accusers ? Who dare say aught 
 against my fame? You came into my house by 
 night, you seized my person, you inflicted on me 
 the punishment of a slave ; you cast me into a 
 dungeon, and condemned me to the flames ; and all 
 this without the appearance of a single witness 
 against me : wherefore, cadi, I appeal unto the 
 righteous Sultan of the East, and I hope my fellow- 
 citizens will not suffer me to be executed, while 
 no proofs of guilt are brought against me.' 
 
 ' Young man,' answered the cadi, ' your appeal 
 is unnecessary, for I am not desirous of destroying 
 my fellow-creatures without a cause. Your plea 
 were just and proper, did not your own confession 
 contradict your present assertion. Yesterday you 
 declared that you were not Bennaskar, and to-day 
 you say you are ; wherefore, out of your own lips 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 139 
 
 I have convicted you of falsity ; whereas, had you 
 really been Bennaskar the merchant, and not a 
 magician, there had been no need of two different 
 accounts of yourself.' 
 
 The people, hearing this distinction of the cadi, 
 applauded their judge ; and one and all cried out 
 that I was a magician, and deserved the flames. 
 
 The guards were then ordered to bind me on the 
 pile, and I was led up and fixed to a post by the 
 chains which had been fastened on my body the 
 day before ; and now, amidst the acclamations of 
 the people was the pile kindled, and the smoke and 
 the flame surrounded the unfortunate Mahoud. 
 
 In a moment the crowd and the heavens disap- 
 peared from my sight, and I found myself in the 
 body of a toad, at the bottom of the pile. I hopped 
 forward out of the flames, and with difficulty hid 
 myself beneath a stone in the street. The crowd, 
 having waited till the pile was consumed, carried 
 the ashes out of the city, and scattered them in the 
 air ; and I remained till night beneath the stone. 
 
 It was my intention, as soon as it was dark, to 
 creep out of the city into the woods ; but sleep 
 overtook me at the time when animals retire to 
 their rest : and when I .awaked in the morning, I 
 found myself in this forest ; where I remained, 
 during the space of a moon, alone, till these two, 
 the miserable companions of my solitude, were 
 joined unto me. 
 
 'Your adventures, O Mahoud,' said the Sultan 
 of India, ' are wonderful, and an excellent lesson of 
 caution and prudence to us who are joined in one 
 common fate. You slighted the means of retracing 
 your steps, which were offered by the good genius. 
 Not even the prayers of Hemjunah should have 
 
140 TALES OF THE GENII, 
 
 induced you to give up the book of the Genius 
 Maconia. It was your appointed deliverance from 
 the bad consequences of your unworthy choice of 
 a friend. Alia w r ould not, doubtless, have aban- 
 doned Hemjunah. Since then I perceive both your 
 misfortunes and my own, have been brought about 
 by our want of trust and prudence, I shall, with 
 the utmost resignation, acknowledge that the all- 
 perfect Alia is ever willing to assist those who are 
 not wanting to themselves. 
 
 £ But, O Mahoud, suffer me, ere I declare my 
 own griefs, to ask what is become of the lovely 
 Hemjunah, the Princess of Cassimir ; nor wonder 
 at my solicitude, for the mention of her name 
 brings to my memory the ideas of the past. How 
 was it possible that lovely fair one should be be- 
 trayed into the power of those wicked enchanters'? 
 But why should I be surprised at her weakness, 
 wj^dr am myself the object of their malice ? — Surely/ 
 continued the Sultan, ' this our companion, whom 
 you called princess, cannot be the daughter of 
 Zebenezer, the Sultan of Cassimir ? ' 
 
 6 You are right, indeed, in your conjectures,' an- 
 swered Mahoud : ' the Princess of Cassimir is a 
 fellow-sufferer with us ; and he who is on my right 
 hand is Horam, the favourite of Misnar, the lord 
 of Delhi.' 
 
 ' What ! ' said Misnar, transported, and yet at the 
 same time recoiling with surprise, • is my faithful 
 Horam also the unfortunate partner of my griefs ? 
 Then is Misnar indeed as the leaf of autumn, as 
 a feather in the winds of oppression.' 
 
 Horam, understanding that his lord was before 
 him, made such acknowledgments of his respect 
 as his hideous form would permit : and Mahoud, 
 when he perceived that he had been speaking to 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 141 
 
 the Sultan of India, followed the example of the 
 vizier Horam. 
 
 Misnar then, turning to the Princess of Cassimir, 
 said : — 
 
 ' Princess, whom a severe enchantment has 
 deprived of the most exquisite of all forms, to load 
 thee with the most wretched ; permit me to request 
 an account of, your unfortunate labours, since you 
 left the court of your father Zebenezer ; that at 
 least I may indulge my wishes for your recovery, 
 though my arm is too weak to work either my own 
 or your enlargement.' 
 
 ' Most illustrious Sultan,' answered the Princess 
 Hemjunah, ' I shall obey your commands, although 
 the remembrance of my misfortune is grievous, 
 and the confession of my indiscretion must fill me 
 with shame.' 
 
 'It is enough, O princess,' said the Sultan, 'to 
 confess our faults to Heaven : and he is the 
 weakest of the sons of earth who takes a pleasure 
 to hear the failings of others.' 
 
 As the Sultan uttered these words, a dervise, 
 worn with age, and bowed down by the years of 
 infirmity, appeared among the thickets of the forest. 
 Horam immediately recollected the features of the 
 good old saint, and said : ' My royal master, yonder 
 is Shemshelnar, the most pious worshipper of Alia 
 among all the sons of Asia.' 
 
 ' I do not recollect his features,' answered 
 Misnar : ' Came he not to the council of our 
 divan ? ' 
 
 * No, my royal lord,' said Horam : ' the oppres- 
 sions of age were upon him.' 
 
 By this time Shemshelnar arrived at the place 
 where the transformed company were seated ; and 
 falling prostrate before Misnar, he said : — 
 
I42 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 'Wonder not, Prince of India, that Sliem- 
 shelnar, thy slave, doth thus acknowledge his 
 Prince, though deformed by the enchantments of 
 the wicked. — Yes, Prince,' continued Shemshel- 
 nar, * I knew the evils that surrounded thee ; and 
 although I was unable to attend thy council, yet I 
 prayed in secret to Him who bestoweth at the 
 noon-day, that he would avert from my royal 
 master the misfortunes which threatened to over- 
 power him. Alia heard my prayer as I lay pros- 
 trate in my cell ; and the Genius Bahoudi appear- 
 ing, commanded me to seek thee in the forest of 
 Tarapajan, whither thy wayward fortune should 
 lead thee. — ' Genius,' replied I, ' how shall age 
 and infirmity comply with thy commands ? ' 
 
 ' ' Go,' said Bahoudi, touching me with his 
 finger ; ' for strength is given thee from above. 
 The enchantress Ulin hath transformed thy Prince 
 into the most hideous reptile of the earth. But 
 wonder not at the deformity of his appearance, 
 nor at the malice of her who has overpowered 
 him ; for such is the fate of those who are most 
 exalted in their virtues, that their enemies, when- 
 ever occasion is given them, will strive to render 
 them most odious. Thy Prince will -be, ere you 
 arrive in the forest, surrounded by three others in 
 equal affliction : it is permitted thee to rescue the 
 Sultan of India ; but the rest must wear the chains 
 of the enchantress till Ulin is no more.' 
 
 ' But ere I restore thee, O Sultan of my heart,' 
 continued Shemshelnar, ' such are the words which 
 the Genius hath commanded me to utter before 
 thee : — 
 
 ' ' Religion, O Misnar, is the first and the greatest 
 duty of life, and the service of Alia and his 
 Prophet the sweetest offering of a grateful heart. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 143 
 
 But lie who appointed the ceremonies and services of 
 piety and devotion, hath also given to all their 
 respective stations in the warfare of life. How 
 then shall we pay honour to Alia, if, by complying 
 with the fantastical pilgrimages of the devotees, 
 we neglect and desert the peculiar duties of that 
 post wherein Alia hath placed us ? The signet of 
 Mahomet, O Prince, of which Mangelo the prophet 
 did prophesy, is it not that seal which the Faithful 
 bear on their frontlets, when they obey the voice 
 of reason and religion ?' and the girdle of Opakka, 
 with which Eifri the enchanter is endued, what is 
 it but foresight and prudence, the best allies of 
 the Sultans of the earth? To save his people, 
 my Prince hath deserted them, and given away 
 what he sought to keep. When Alia placed thee 
 on the throne of India, he thence expected to 
 hear thy petitions : but as faults which proceed 
 from goodness, though uninstructed, are beheld 
 with Heaven's piteous eye, therefore arise, Sultan 
 (said Shemshelnar, and touched him), rise from the 
 filth of the earth, and become again endued with 
 the glories with which Alia hath endued thee. 
 And know, that such is the care of Mahomet over 
 thee, that he hath curbed the hands of thine ene- 
 mies, and bids thee go forth against them, assured 
 of this, that they shall not be able by their en- 
 chantments to foresee thy designs, nor to over- 
 power thee by the help of their magical deceits, 
 unless thou yield to their snares. Be prudent and 
 vigilant, and fear them not. Only this is permitted 
 against thee, if thou canst not overpower and 
 destroy them unawares, they must use their art 
 to conceal their escape, and avoid thy arm : there- 
 fore be bold and quick, and yet cautious and dis- 
 cerning, lest, when force avails not, they employ 
 
144 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 fraud to destroy thee. But ii thou canst resist 
 their temptations, their powers are for a time 
 suspended, and their delusive visions will melt 
 away.' 
 
 The Continuation of the Tale of the Enchanters ; or, 
 Misnar, the Sultan of the East. 
 
 As Shemshelnar finished these words, Misnar 
 arose in his just proportion : hut, ere he spake to 
 the holy dervise who had released him, he fell 
 prostrate and adored the goodness of Alia, and of 
 Mahomet his prophet, who had thus rescued him 
 from the power of Ulin. Then, rising, he took 
 Shemshelnar by the hand, and thanked him for his 
 release and advice. 
 
 ' Thou hast done right, Misnar,' said the 
 dervise, ' to give the greatest honour to Alia : but 
 to him alone belongs all honour ; and Shemshel- 
 nar is the slave of Mahomet, thy prophet.' 
 
 ' And what ! ' continued the Sultan, ' must I not 
 hope that it will please the great Prophet of the 
 Faithful to release also these my fellow-sufferers ? ' 
 
 ' Misnar alone can release them,' answered the 
 dervise. 
 
 ' Let Ulin perish, and these unfortunate persons 
 shall be restored to thee and themselves : but in 
 the meantime they must learn to bear their mis- 
 fortunes with patience, and offer their prayers for 
 thy safety. The road to Delhi is through this 
 desert forest, and to the left is situated the palace 
 of Ulin. She is already acquainted with thy trans- 
 formation, and is studying to deceive thee a second 
 time : but beware, O Misnar ! for if she prevail, 
 death and destruction await thee.' 
 
 Misnar, having received the instructions of the 
 dervise, took leave of his companions; assuring 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 145 
 
 tliem he was desirous of meeting the crafty Ulin 
 as soon as^possible, that he might either give up 
 all pretensions to his kingdom, or deliver his 
 subjects and his friends from the hands of the 
 enchantress. 
 
 The Sultan of the Indies, having left the dervise 
 and his friends, advanced into the forest, chewing 
 some leaves which Shemshelnar had given him to 
 support him till he should arrive at his palace. 
 He had not advanced more than tw T o days' journey 
 in the forest, before he heard the violent shrieks of 
 a distressed woman; and at a distance saw four 
 ruffians beating a lady inhumanly. 
 
 Misnar was enraged at what he saw, and, flying 
 to the lady's assistance, he bade the ruffians defend 
 themselves. The ruffians, leaving the lady, chose 
 not to encounter the arm of Misnar, but fled ; and 
 the Prince, stepping up to the lady, desired to know 
 by what accident she fell thus alone into the hands 
 of the robbers ? 
 
 ' O, noble Sir,' said the lady, in tears, ' for I 
 perceive by your mien that I speak to no common 
 friend, it was my fate to be beloved by the hand- 
 somest of the sons of the Faithful. I lived in 
 Delhi, the daughter of an emir; and Hazar, the 
 captain of a thousand in the armies of Misnar, 
 the Sultan of the East, was my admirer : but, alas! 
 his love has proved my destruction. The second 
 son of the great Dabulcombar, being assisted by 
 Ulin the enchantress, aspired to his brother's 
 throne ; and the soldiers, who loved the hazardous 
 chance of war, deserted frequently from Misnar, 
 our Sultan : among the rest, Hazar, in spite of 
 my utmost endeavours, revolted with his thousand 
 men. 
 
 * ' There is no preferment,' said he, ' in the 
 peaceful reign of Misnar : I will follow the for- 
 L 
 
146 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 tunes of his brother, whose throne must be gained 
 and supported by arms.' 
 
 'In vain I remonstrated, and urged both love 
 and duty. ' My love,' said Hazar, ' is still unalter- 
 able : thou wilt soon see me return the favourite of 
 the new monarch ; and it will then be in my power 
 to raise thee to higher dignities than those which 
 thy father now possesses.' 
 
 ' Hazar then left me by night ; and soon I heard 
 that he had joined the rebel army : but, generous 
 stranger ! what was my grief, when I understood that 
 Ulin, the detestable enchantress, had cast her sor- 
 ceries around him, and had imprisoned him in her 
 castle. I set out without delay for the camp, and, 
 studying to avoid the army of Misnar, travelled 
 through this wood with four attendants ; — but, ere 
 the second day of my journey was past, I was seized 
 by two satyrs of the wood, and my retinue were 
 left behind me. 
 
 t The satyrs hurried me along till the night over- 
 shadowed us, and then brought me, through many 
 dark and intricate windings, to a palace which was 
 illuminated with ten thousand lamps. — ' Now,' said 
 they, ' enter, and behold thy faithful Hazar.' 
 
 1 Immediately I was led into a magnificent hall, 
 and from that into a second ; where, on a throne 
 of silver, sat Hazar, the perfidious Hazar, with the 
 hideous Ulin by his side. 
 
 1 My indignation overpowered me, and I swooned 
 away. On recovering, I found myself in total dark- 
 ness : but the horror of my situation gave me 
 energy; I roved about, endeavouring to find out 
 some passage that might lead to daylight. After 
 much trouble and fear, and passing through several 
 dark entries, I arrived at the foot of a staircase, 
 which led up into a yard belonging to the palace. 
 On the top of this staircase I sat till night : and 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 147 
 
 then ventured forth, resolving rather to die than 
 continue in that detested place. 
 
 ' Having crossed the yard, I this morning came 
 to a deep ditch, or canal, which I perceived wound 
 round the palace ; and I make no douht but that 
 all access or recess from this palace must be over a 
 bridge which was guarded, as I perceived when I 
 was led by the satyrs of the wood. 
 
 ' As I had learned to swim in the women's baths 
 which were in my father's palace, I resolved rather 
 to run the risk of my life than to be kept a prisoner 
 in Ulin's palace, and therefore boldly threw myself 
 into the canal ; and fear giving me strength, I 
 crossed the water in a short time. 
 
 ' Being now arrived at the farther side, I struck 
 into the thickest part of the forest, and wandered 
 about for some time till morning ; when on a sud- 
 den I heard several voices among the trees. In an 
 instant four ruffians surrounded me, and had not 
 your powerful arm interposed, I had suffered the 
 vilest of deaths.' 
 
 Misnar endeavoured to comfort the afflicted 
 stranger; and asked her whether she thought it 
 possible for any man to enter the palace of Ulin 
 undiscovered ? 
 
 1 If/ answered she, ' I was able to get out without 
 molestation, doubtless the same method will give 
 you an opportunity of entering it/ 
 
 The Sultan Misnar seemed in doubt as she 
 spoke. 
 
 * Sultan/ said she, ' let me prevail upon you to 
 follow me ; and I will ensure your success.' 
 
 Misnar, recovering from his musing posture, be- 
 sought her to walk before, and show him the path 
 which led to the palace. 
 
 ' We shall reach it by night,' said the stranger, 
 * when the darkness shall protect thee.' 
 L2 
 
I48 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 The beautiful stranger then went forward, and 
 Misnar followed at her heels. 
 
 Ere they had proceeded twenty paces, Misnar 
 said : — ' It will be proper, fair stranger, to 
 draw my scimitar, lest we be set upon suddenly by 
 the robbers.' 
 
 ' You are right,' answered the fair stranger ; ' and 
 your precaution is just.' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar, having drawn his sabre, 
 followed close behind the beautiful stranger, and 
 suddenly with a blow smote her on the shoulders, 
 and felled her to the ground. The fair stranger 
 was no sooner fallen, than her countenance changed; 
 her soft plump cheeks fell in two bags from the 
 bones ; the forehead and the temples were contracted 
 with wrinkles, and the jaws, parting as with age 
 and infirmity, discovered to Misnar the features of 
 the malicious enchantress Ulin ; who, though nearly 
 spent and exhausted by the blow, yet lived to utter 
 the following imprecations : — 
 
 ' May the curse of our sex light upon thee, thou 
 traitor to manhood ! since neither the charms nor 
 the afflictions of the fair have been able to soften 
 thine heart. Thou hast, indeed, avoided my snares, 
 by trampling on the most sacred laws of humanity 
 and hospitality. Idiot that I was, to trust myself 
 to thee, though guarded by the strongest appear- 
 ances of innocence and distress ! The injured and 
 the helpless can find no protection in thy govern- 
 ment, though thou boastest thyself the delegate of 
 Alia, and the friend of the oppressed ; and I, trust- 
 ing to thy specious virtues, am fallen a sacrifice to 
 thy deceitful heart. Since Alia is the guardian of 
 such hypocrisy, I now disclaim his authority as 
 much upon principle, as heretofore I have braved 
 his vengeance, that I might live free from his 
 laws.' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. I49 
 
 1 Hold, wretched instrument of sin,' said 
 Misnar ; ' and ere thou quittest that mortal seat of 
 wickedness, hear Him justified whom thou deniest, 
 and understand how thine own arts were dis- 
 covered to me. — That four ruffians should quit 
 their prey at the sight of one man, did first stagger 
 my credulity, and I expected at least to find them 
 return, and revenge my interposition : but when no 
 one appeared to interrupt our security, I then be- 
 gan most to fear, and listen to thy tale, as one 
 who expected to be ensnared by the wiles of thy 
 hypocrisy. Thy tale, though artful, did happily 
 contradict itself. Thy dishevelled garments, dis- 
 posed in such an artful manner, were dry and 
 clean, and contradicted your words, when you 
 pretended you had swum across the canal. This 
 strengthened my doubts, which you at length con- 
 firmed, by calling me, at the latter part of your 
 history, Sultan. Then fled my doubt, and cer- 
 tainty succeeded : I feared to follow, and yet re- 
 solved to revenge ; and Alia, in mercy, gave 
 success to my arm.' Here Misnar broke off; for 
 her iniquitous spirit was fled from the body of 
 Ulin, and the Sultan left her mangled and de- 
 formed corpse a prey to the beasts of the forest. 
 
 He travelled for several days backward, hoping 
 to find the former companions of his misery ; and 
 at last came to the place which he had left, but 
 could find no signs of them : wherefore, conclud- 
 ing that their enchantment was broken by the 
 death of Ulin, the Sultan returned towards Delhi, 
 subsisting on the leaves which the dervise had 
 given him, and on the fruits of the earth ; and in 
 twelve days' time arrived at a small town in his 
 own dominions. Here he lodged at a poor cot- 
 tage, where he found an old woman and her son ; 
 and inquired whether she could procure him any 
 
150 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 horses or mules to carry him the next morning 
 to Delhi ? 
 
 ' Alas ! ' answered the old woman, ' we have no 
 cattle with us ; the army has stripped us of all.' 
 
 ' What ! ' answered Misnar, ' has the rebel army 
 been foraging so near Delhi ? ' 
 
 ' Alack,' said the old woman, ' I think all armies 
 are rebels, for my part. Indeed, the soldiers told 
 us that they were the Sultan's army, and that they 
 were sent to guard us from the rebels : but in the 
 mean time, they took our cattle and provision, and 
 paid us nothing for them ; and still, every time 
 they came, they called themselves our guardians 
 and friends. If this is all the friendship great 
 men can show us, we poor people should be best 
 pleased to live as far from them as we can.' 
 
 Misnar, although he smiled at the poor woman's 
 manner of delivery, was yet affected at the sub- 
 stance of her speech ; and lifting up his eyes and 
 hands secretly to Heaven, as she went out for 
 sticks to kindle a fire to dress his provisions, he 
 said : — 
 
 ' just and merciful Alia, and thou faithful 
 Prophet of the Highest, I call you both to wit- 
 ness, with how much reluctance I have begun this 
 war, and how greatly mine heart is inclined to 
 promote the peace of my subjects ; not out of 
 personal fear, as ye, O Powers above ! can bear 
 me witness ; but out of that love and affection 
 which I owe to my people, who, as my children, 
 depend upon me for the blessings they enjoy. 
 O Alia, preserve me from the avarice of ambition ! 
 that, while the rich and the proud advise me to 
 delight in blood, I may ever remember the severi- 
 ties which the poor must suffer ; and that I may 
 rather rejoice to relieve one oppressed slave, than to 
 enrich ten thousand flattering emirs of my court ! ' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 151 
 
 As soon as the old woman was entered again 
 into her house, the disguised Sultan advised her 
 and her neighbours to join in a petition and pre- 
 sent it to the Sultan in his divan. 
 
 ' A petition ! ' answered the old woman ; ' for 
 what?' * 
 
 ' To relieve your distresses,' said Misnar. 
 
 * Alas ! who is to relieve our distresses, but 
 Alia?' said the woman. 
 
 1 Your Sultan, the servant of Alia, will relieve 
 them,' replied Misnar. 
 
 ' What ! ' answered the old woman, ' can he re- 
 store to these arms my dutiful first-born, who has 
 been so long the joy of my aged heart, but was 
 lately torn from me, to fill up the armies of the 
 Sultan ? Can he call back the brave men he has 
 caused to be destroyed, and give life and spirits, 
 and joy again, to the widows and orphans of 
 India? If he can, let him hasten to relieve 
 the afflicted hearts of his subjects, and become 
 unto them as a god upon earth ! ' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar was astonished at the words 
 and the gestures of the poor old woman, and 
 deeply stricken by her sensible observations ; for 
 he perceived she spoke as she felt, and was ani- 
 mated by the tender subject. 
 
 ' How seldom,' said he to himself, ' do the rich 
 feel the distresses of the poor ! and in the midst 
 of conquest and acclamation, who regardeth the 
 tears and afflictions of those who have lost their 
 private friends in the public service ! ' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar rested that night in the cot- 
 tage of the old woman ; and the next morning he 
 arose and was conducted by her younger son to 
 a town half a day's journey farther. Here he 
 equipped himself with mules, and in one day 
 more reached the city of Delhi. 
 
152 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 The Sultan entered a caravansera, where he 
 found several merchants : he asked them how 
 they dared venture to trade, when the armies of 
 the rebels were spread over the face of India ? 
 
 ' As to that/ answered the first merchant, ' we 
 have lived here some time in expectation that one 
 party or the other would prevail. It little matters 
 to us which, provided trade was encouraged. As 
 to the Sultan's party, there was not, till within 
 these few days, any hope of their success. The 
 young man himself has retired from his throne, 
 being fearful of encountering his enemies ; and 
 the captains of the army had destroyed the prime 
 vizier Horam.' 
 
 'And what,' interrupted Misnar, 'is the cause of 
 this change in favour of the Sultan ? ' 
 
 ' Ten clays since,' answered the merchant, c con- 
 trary to every one's belief, as we all thought him 
 dead, the vizier Horam appeared at the head of 
 the army, and assured the officers that his lord 
 Misnar was living, and had destroyed the en- 
 chantress Ulin, who espoused the cause of his 
 brother Ahubal; that, in consequence of Ulin's 
 death, Ahubal was fled, and his army dispersed ; 
 and he expected his royal master would shortly 
 appear among them.' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar was rejoiced at this news, 
 and without delay hastened to the palace of his 
 vizier. The slaves of Horam seeing the dis- 
 guised Sultan, asked his business. 
 
 4 1 come,' replied Misnar, ' to communicate to 
 thy lord tidings of our Sultan.' 
 
 At these words, the slaves of Horam conducted 
 Misnar to their master's presence ; and Horam no 
 sooner saw his master in the disguise with which 
 he furnished him, than he fell at the Sultan's feet, 
 and congratulated him on his safe return. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 53 
 
 * My faithful Horam,' said Misnar, ' arise. The 
 day is not yet so far spent but that my court may 
 be assembled. Give orders, Horam, that the 
 army be drawn up, and let thy slaves proceed to 
 the palace, and bring the imperial robes : my peo- 
 ple require my presence, and Misnar yearns to see 
 the supporters of his throne.' 
 
 Horam arose, and the Sultan embracing him 
 said : — 
 
 ' Horam, I am desirous of hearing the parti- 
 culars of thy fate ; but public advantage must not 
 yield to private friendship.' 
 
 The faithful Horam then hastened to call toge- 
 ther the princes and viziers of the court of Delhi, 
 and gave orders that the army should be drawn 
 up in the royal square before the divan. 
 
 The Sultan Misnar being arrayed in his imperial 
 robes, delayed not to show himself to his people : 
 and no sooner did he appear, than his subjects 
 cried out — 'Long live the Sultan of our hearts, 
 who alone was able to conquer the powers of en- 
 chantment ! ' 
 
 The Sultan was overjoyed to find his people re- 
 ceived him with gladness, and commanded money 
 to be thrown among the populace, and double sub- 
 sistence to be issued out to his army. The viziers 
 and officers of justice being assembled in the 
 divan, waited the arrival of their Sultan; and 
 Misnar, having ascended his throne, commanded 
 Horam to deliver to him a faithful account of his 
 enemies. 
 
 Horam the vizier then arose from his seat, and 
 assured his Sultan that the rebel army was dis- 
 persed, and that Ahubal was fled with a few friends 
 to the shores of the Indian ocean. 
 
 The Sultan, on this report commanded his army 
 to be stationed at just intervals, about a day's jour- 
 
154 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ney around the city of Delhi, and their numhers 
 to be reduced ; and that peace should be proclaimed 
 the next day in the city. 
 
 No sooner were the viziers dismissed from the 
 divan, than Misnar, retiring into his palace, sent 
 for his faithful vizier Horam, and desired him to 
 give him a true relation of what had happened to 
 him since his departure from the army. 
 
 ' Royal Sir,' answered Horam, 'you were no 
 sooner departed than I began to inspect the order 
 and the discipline of your troops ; to look into the 
 methods of providing for the army, and to appoint 
 proper officers, who should take care that the sol- 
 diers had sufficient and wholesome provision ; that 
 their tents were good ; that the situations of the 
 different battalions were in healthy places, near 
 springs and rivers, but on dry soils, and as far as 
 possible removed- from swampy fens, or the stag- 
 nated air of the forests. During this time, little 
 occurred of which I could inform my lord, as I 
 meant not to trouble you with my own concerns ; 
 lest it should seem that I was proud of the trifling 
 dispositions which I had made in favour of the 
 army. 
 
 ' The rebels in the mean time were quiet, and 
 their distance only prevented me from destroying 
 them : but, on a sudden, a messenger arrived with 
 tidings that all the southern provinces had revolted ; 
 that the enchantress Ulin was with them, and con- 
 ducted their forces ; that Ahubal was declared 
 Sultan of India by her; and that she was deter- 
 mined to support his cause. Upon this I took such 
 precautions as, doubtless, my Sultan must have 
 read in the tablets, but my precautions seemed 
 vain ; for the next night we were on a sudden terri- 
 fied with a second alarm, that the rebels were 
 within half a day's march of our camp ; which I 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 155 
 
 thought, considering their former distance, must 
 be the effect of enchantment. 
 
 ' This threw our officers into the greatest con- 
 sternation, who, collecting themselves in a body, 
 came rushing toward the royal tent, and demanded 
 a sight of the Sultan ; and declared their resolution 
 of revolting to the enemy, unless you headed the 
 troops. 
 
 ' I was writing despatches in the royal tent when 
 I heard their tumult, and my heart fled as they 
 approached : but as they stopped for some time to 
 fix upon one for their speaker, I had just time to 
 slip on a slave's habit, and cut my way through the 
 back side of the tent. I ran as swiftly as my feet 
 could carry me out of the encampment : and being 
 stopped by several sentinels, I told them I was 
 despatched by the vizier, and showed them mine 
 own signet. 
 
 ' But I was no sooner clear of the army than I 
 repented my folly. — * What have I done ! ' said I 
 to myself: ' I have deserted my post and ruined 
 the interest of my lord : better had I died at the 
 head of my Sultan's troops, or fallen a sacrifice to 
 their rage, than thus ingloriously to perish ob- 
 scurely ! Besides, I may have been terrified without 
 just cause ; the rebel army may not be so near ; I 
 ought to have staid in the tent, and endeavoured to 
 have pacified the officers of the army/ 
 
 ' And now I was in doubt whether to return, or, 
 as I had penetrated thus far, whether it would not 
 be most prudent to take a near survey of the rebel 
 army. I resolved upon the last ; and cautiously 
 travelled toward the place were the spies said they 
 were encamped. 
 
 ' 1 arrived at the spot described, but saw neither 
 sentinels nor encampment. Amazed at this, I pro- 
 ceeded onwards during that and the next day; but 
 
156 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 no army was to be seen, nor anything indicating 
 their approach. 
 
 ' This made me curse my folly and my credulity. 
 Alas ! Horam, said I to myself, how little worthy 
 wert thou of the confidence of thy lord ! And 
 yet, better is this mistake than the certainty of the 
 rebels' approach, which could not have been effected 
 without the power of enchantment. 
 
 ' Ere it was too late, I resolved to return ; hoping 
 that I should pacify the troops by assuring them 
 that I had in person been a witness to the untruth 
 of the last alarm. 
 
 ' But, alas ! w T hen I essayed to return, I found 
 my feet fixed to the ground; and in a moment 
 the earth trembled, and Ulin, the enchantress, 
 arose on the back of an enormous toad. 
 
 ' ' Wise and sagacious vizier,' said she, in an in- 
 sulting tone, ' I admire your prudence and discre- 
 tion ! and although Mahomet and his faithful crew 
 of Genii will not permit us to overpower you, or 
 your prudent master, unless through your own 
 inadvertency you fall into our snares, yet there is 
 little to be feared from their interposition while 
 you become such easy dupes to our artifices. The 
 army which I lead against thy wretched Sultan is 
 not less than forty days' march hence, and is em- 
 barrassed by the mountains and the forests ; and 
 yet the credulous vizier fled from his charge at the 
 most improbable alarm, and fled into the arms of 
 one who well knows how to reward his prudence 
 and address. Become, therefore, silly vizier, 
 like the reptile that bears me ; and I shall in a 
 moment transport thee into the forest of Tarapajan, 
 where several of thy wise brethren are gone before 
 thee.' 
 
 'As she spake thus, the enchantress breathed 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 157 
 
 on me with her pestiferous breath, and I fell to the 
 ground and crawled like a toad before her. 
 
 ' Ulin then waved her hand, and sleep overpow- 
 ered me ; and when I awoke, I found myself be- 
 tween the Merchant of Delhi and the Princess of 
 Cassimir, who, like me, had felt the vengeance of 
 Ulin the enchantress. 
 
 'It was some consolation to us that our speech 
 was not taken from us, but that we were able to 
 communicate to each other our misfortunes. 
 
 ' Mahoud first inquired of me the adventures of 
 my life, and I had just finished them the day before 
 my dear transformed lord appeared among us. 
 While Mahoud was relating his history, your voice, 
 O Sultan, struck my ears ; and I feared to ask 
 whether my lord was in equal affliction with his 
 slave.' 
 
 ' Did you not, then,' said Misnar, ' hear the ad- 
 ventures of Hemjunah, the Princess of Cassimir ? ' 
 
 ' I did not, my Sultan,' answered Horam : ' Hem- 
 junah was about to relate her adventures when you 
 appeared ; and after Shemshelnar, the dervise had 
 released you, she desired to reserve them till such 
 time as we should meet hereafter in our natural 
 shapes. 
 
 • Two days after you left us with Shemshelnar, 
 who endeavoured to comfort our afflictions, on a 
 sudden we perceived a vivid flash of lightning, 
 which was succeeded by a violent clap of thunder; 
 and while we were looking at each other the wood 
 instantly vanished, and I found myself in my 
 palace at Delhi. What became of Mahoud, or the 
 Princess of Cassimir, I know not : but I was sen- 
 sible that my prince had conquered the enchantress, 
 who had laid such hateful chains upon us. 
 
 'I hastened to the divan of viziers and emirs, 
 
158 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 who were astonished at my presence. They were 
 met in order to appoint a sultan, having just heard 
 from the army that both their Sultan and his vizier 
 were fled from the encampments. A friend of 
 Ahubal's had proposed that prince to succeed my 
 royal master, and orders were given to proclaim 
 him, when I arrived in the divan. 
 
 ' Being acquainted with the resolutions of the 
 viziers and emirs, I proclaimed aloud that my 
 royal master Misnar was alive, and that he had 
 destroyed the enchantress Ulin, who had espoused 
 the cause of Ahubal. At this declaration the 
 viziers and emirs prostrated themselves and gave 
 thanks to Alia ; and the trumpets and the cornets 
 went through the streets of Delhi, and proclaimed 
 my arrival and the victory of Misnar, their Sultan, 
 over the enchantress Ulin. I despatched orders, 
 before the divan broke up, to the army, with ad- 
 vice of your success, and commanded a part to 
 march for the city of Delhi, leaving only a suffi- 
 cient number of troops to observe the motion of 
 the enemy, if they should again unite ; for I knew 
 that Ulin's destruction would cause a dissipation 
 of their army. 
 
 ' Having settled the affairs of my master, to 
 complete my joy tidings were brought me of his 
 approach; and Horam is again blessed with the 
 sight of his Sultan.' 
 
 The vizier Horam, having finished his relation, 
 bowed himself before the Sultan, and said: — 
 ' Shall thy slave give orders that an ambassador 
 be sent to the Sultan of Cassimir to inquire after 
 the fate of the Princess Hemjunah?' 
 
 ' Horam,' answered the Sultan, ' while war stalks 
 thus boldly through our dominions, it were vain 
 to assume a state that we may in a moment be 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 159 
 
 bereaved of. No, Horam, let us wait for more 
 prosperous hours.' 
 
 Early in the morning several messengers ar- 
 rived with the new^s of the death of Ulin and 
 the revolt of ten provinces from Ahubal; and 
 soon after the provinces sent deputies to excuse 
 their rebellion, and to beseech the Sultan to 
 pardon their offences. Misnar yielded to their 
 prayers, but ordered some of the most faithful 
 of his troops to march into their borders and to 
 encamp among them. The Sultan then redressed 
 the grievances which his soldiers had committed, 
 as far as he was able, and by a just and equable 
 law obliged every division to furnish such a num- 
 ber of troops ; for although no clouds were then 
 seen to interrupt his reign, yet Misnar was as- 
 sured that he should shortly be called upon to 
 exercise his prudence, through the wiles of his 
 enemies the enchanters. Nor were his fears un- 
 just ; Ahubal, though deserted by the provinces, 
 was yet espoused by the magician Happuck, who, 
 hearing of the defeat of his sister Ulin, w r as re- 
 solved to revenge the cause of that detested race. 
 
 It was not long before the Sultan heard that 
 the magician Happuck was encouraging the pro- 
 vinces which had followed Ulin again to revolt 
 from their Sultan : but the fear of Misnar's troops 
 overawed them; and, whatever might be their 
 real inclinations, yet they were obliged to refuse 
 the offers and entreaties of Happuck. The Sultan, 
 to secure their obedience the more effectually, in- 
 creased the number of his forces in the provinces, 
 and preserved the chain of communication from 
 them quite through his extensive dominions. 
 
 The magician, finding the Sultan's forces so 
 well disposed, and that no encouragement could 
 
l6o TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 prevail on the southern provinces to revolt, aban- 
 doned his design of succeeding by the force of 
 arms, and flew to the weapons of craft and dis- 
 simulation. Though Happuck had now been 
 employed nearly a year in raising commotions 
 among the subjects of India, two provinces only 
 owned the government of Ahubal; the rest con- 
 tinued firm in their loyalty to the Sultan Misnar. 
 These provinces had raised a light army of about 
 forty thousand men, who by forced marches har- 
 assed the neighbouring provinces around them. 
 Of these, three thousand horsemen parted sud- 
 denly from the rest, and by following unfrequented 
 tracks over the mountains and through the forests, 
 arrived at length within two days' march of Delhi. 
 Here, pitching their tents, they sent several of 
 their chief officers to Delhi, to assure the Sultan 
 that they were greatly afflicted at their crimes, and 
 were desirous of laying down their rebellious arms 
 at his feet. 
 
 Horam the vizier received these suppliants, and, 
 representing their contrition to the Sultan, he 
 commanded them to join the main army ; at the 
 same time sending despatches to his general to 
 dismount them from their horses, and to encamp 
 them in such a situation that they might not be 
 able either to escape or to annoy his army, if they 
 should be disposed again to revolt. 
 
 The magician Happuck, who was among the 
 officers that appeared at Delhi, and who had con- 
 trived the revolt, in order to get into the presence 
 of the Sultan, was greatly chagrined to find that 
 the vizier Horam received him, and that he was 
 not to be admitted into Misnar's presence ; but 
 concealing his disappointment, he with the rest 
 joined the three thousand horsemen, and marched 
 to the grand army of Misnar. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS, l6l 
 
 Once a year the whole army was reviewed by 
 the Sultan in person ; and it happened, that the 
 disguised magician and his troop of horsemen 
 arrived at the army three days before this gene- 
 ral review, The magician was rejoiced at this 
 fortunate event. 
 
 1 Ibrac,' said he to the officer who commanded 
 his troop, ' fortune has now given me an oppor- 
 tunity of revenging the death of my sister Ulin : 
 this disguise of an officer is not sufficient ; I will 
 descend to the meanest rank, where I shall be less 
 suspected, and as the Sultan Misnar passes be- 
 tween the ranks where I am situated, I will draw 
 my bow and pierce him to the heart : having done 
 this I shall render myself invisible ; and do you 
 in the general consternation proclaim Ahubal the 
 Sultan of India.' 
 
 ' Most powerful magician,' answered Ibrac, ' what 
 need is there of this deceit ? Since you are able 
 to render yourself invisible, why cannot you enter 
 the Sultan's palace unseen, and stab him to the 
 heart?' 
 
 ' Faithful Ibrac,' answered the magician, e you 
 know not the powers which support this boy-like 
 urchin. The Genius Bahoudi, at whose name our 
 race trembles, is his guardian, and prevents my ap- 
 proach : and it is written in the volumes of fate 
 that no enchantment shall prevail against Misnar, 
 unless he first allow our crafty race to deceive 
 him. Otherwise, Ibrac, dost thou suppose that 
 so many of my brethren, before whom the moun- 
 tains tremble, and the ocean boils, should need 
 to league against a boy ? No, Ibrac ; Misnar were 
 beneath our vengeance or our art, did not Maho- 
 met espouse him, and his mean vassals, the good 
 Genii of mankind ! The conquest of this boy, 
 while thus supported, would add strength to our 
 M 
 
1 62 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 cause, and convince the powers of heaven that the 
 children of earth belong to us, and not to them.' 
 
 Ibrac then furnished the magician with the 
 clothing of one of the common soldiers, and he 
 was mustered with the rest of the troops. 
 
 Early in the morning on which Misnar was to 
 review his troops, the Sultan arose, and bade his 
 slaves, who waited in the pavilion, to call his 
 vizier Horam to him. 
 
 1 Horam,' said the Sultan, ' I suspect the crafty 
 magician Happuck ; he is doubtless here disguised 
 in our camp ; and if I expose myself to-day, it 
 may be in his power to set the crown of India on 
 my brother's head.' 
 
 ' Let my Sultan, then,' said Horam, ' proclaim a 
 reward to him who discovers the magician, even to 
 the holding of the second place in your empire.' 
 
 ' That contrivance would have little effect,' said 
 the Sultan ; f Happuck would elude our search, 
 and transforming himself into some reptile, escape 
 our vengeance, and then meditate some new device 
 to deceive us. — No, Horam,' continued Misnar, ' if 
 he be really with us, it were folly to let him escape.' 
 
 ' But how will my lord discover him amidst three 
 hundred thousand troops ? ' answered the vizier : 
 € there is no officer in your army knows the fiftieth 
 part of your soldiers ; and where recruits are daily 
 added to the army, to search for a particular per- 
 son without giving the alarm, so that Happuck 
 might escape, would be impossible.' 
 
 'In how many ranks,' said the Sultan, 'is the 
 army to be disposed ? ' 
 
 ' The plain,' answered the vizier, ' on which they 
 are to be reviewed, will contain three thousand in 
 a row.' 
 
 ' Bring me then two hundred of the most expert 
 archers in my army,' said the Sultan, ' and take 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 63 
 
 them from those troops who are the farthest from 
 the deserters who lately joined the army.' 
 
 The vizier did as the Sultan commanded ; and 
 brought the archers before the royal pavilion. 
 
 ' Go now, Horam,' said the Sultan, ■ and order 
 all the troops to be drawn out on the plain.' 
 
 ' They are almost assembled,' said Horam, ' al- 
 ready.' 
 
 ' Then,' replied the Sultan, ' take these archers, 
 and place one at each extremity of the ranks, an 
 archer on the right of each rank : but, before you 
 station them thus, give them the following orders : 
 Be ready with your bows strung, and your arrows 
 fixed to the bow-string ; and whenever the word of 
 command is given for all the army to fall prostrate, 
 let your arrows fly at the man who is last to obey 
 the word of command.' 
 
 The troops being all drawn forth in their ranks, 
 and the archers disposed according to the Sultan's 
 orders, the Sultan Misnar came forth, attended by 
 his eunuchs, viziers, emirs, and guards. The loud 
 clarions sounded, the lively notes of the trumpets 
 were heard, and the brazen cymbals shook the 
 trembling air. 
 
 The magician, who was impatient to perpetrate 
 the malicious purposes of his heart, was elated at 
 the warlike sound; and he beheld the Sultan's 
 retinue at a distance, with such joy as the eagle 
 views the flocks of sheep on the plains of Homah. 
 
 The Sultan being arrived at the front of his 
 army, which he knew was composed of his most 
 faithful troops, commanded silence throughout the 
 plain. 
 
 ' My brave soldiers,' said he, ' although no care 
 
 nor resolution has been wanting on your parts to 
 
 extirpate the rebellion of my provinces, yet to Alia 
 
 only, and to Mahomet his prophet, belong the glory 
 
 M2 
 
164 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and the honour of your arms : wherefore let imme- 
 diate orders he issued forth among my troops, that 
 all do together fall prostrate on the ground before 
 the all-seeing Alia, the Governor of the world, and 
 the Disposer of kingdoms and of crowns.' 
 
 As this order went forth through the ranks, the 
 soldiers at once fell prostrate before Alia, all but 
 the magician Happuck, who was surprised and 
 astonished at the order, and irresolute what to do. 
 But little time was given him to think ; for no 
 sooner were his fellow-soldiers fallen prostrate on 
 each side of him, than the arrows of the archers 
 pierced his haart. 
 
 The magician, finding himself overpowered, and 
 that the messengers of death had seized him, raised 
 his voice aloud, and with what little strength was 
 left, cursed both Alia and his Prophet : but the 
 stream of life flowed swiftly from him, and his 
 curses grew fainter and fainter, till they were lost 
 in death. 
 
 Those who were acquainted with the designs of 
 Happuck, perceiving that the magician was dead, 
 and their plot discovered, began to fly : and first, 
 Ibrac essayed to head his discarded troops ; but 
 they, not being used to march on foot, soon fell 
 into confusion, and the forces of the Sultan sur- 
 rounding them, they were instantly destroyed. The 
 Sultan Misnar saw by the confusion of his army in 
 the centre, that the discovery was made ; and sent 
 Horam, with some chosen troops, to inquire into 
 the cause of their disorder. 
 
 The vizier was no sooner arrived, than he per- 
 ceived several soldiers bringing along the body of 
 the magician Happuck, which appeared undisguised 
 after death. 
 
 ' Bid the two archers,' said the vizier, ' who de- 
 stroyed the monster, come forward.' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 165 
 
 When the archers were come forward, Horam 
 applauded their skill and their ohedience ; and 
 advised them to take the body between them, and 
 carry it before the Sultan. The archers obeyed ; 
 and the ranks before opening as they passed, they 
 soon arrived at the feet of Misnar. 
 
 The Sultan, seeing his enemy thus destroyed, 
 ordered the two archers ten purses, containing each 
 one hundred pieces of gold; and to every other 
 archer, one purse, containing one hundred pieces 
 of gold. To him who brought the head of Ibrac 
 also, he gave five purses of like value ; and then 
 again issued out his command, that the whole army 
 should fall prostrate, and adore the mercy of Alia, 
 w T ho had so soon delivered into their hands the 
 chief of their enemies. 
 
 In the mean time, two only of the troops of Ibrac 
 and Happuck escaped ; and, returning to Ahubal, 
 acquainted him with their defeat. Ahubal fled at 
 the news, and hid himself in the mountains ; for 
 he feared lest his soldiers should betray him, and 
 deliver him up to his brother. But Ollomand the 
 enchanter, who first counselled the Sultan of India 
 to secure his throne by spilling the innocent blood 
 of his brother, now resolved to revenge the common 
 cause ; he therefore directed the steps of Ahubal to 
 a cave in the mountains, where, fatigued with flight, 
 and fearful of pursuit, the royal rebel arrived in the 
 heat of the day. The cave was, for the most part, 
 surrounded by steep mountains, and at a great dis- 
 tance from any track or path, and was situated at 
 the entrance of a long valley, which led among the 
 mountains. Ahubal, having slept and refreshed 
 himself in the cave, pursued his journey through 
 the valley, till he found his path stopped by inac- 
 cessible rocks, on the top of which he perceived a 
 magnificent castle, whose walls reflected the rays of 
 
1 66 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the sun like burnished gold. The brother of Misnar 
 fixed^his eye for some time on that part of the 
 castle which was shaded by the rest, for the front 
 was too dazzling to behold ; and in a few moments 
 he perceived a small wicket open, and a dwarf come 
 forth. Ahubal soon lost sight of the dwarf behind 
 the rocks; but he resolved to wait there, to see 
 whether he could find any passage into the valley. 
 The dwarf, after being hid for some time, appeared 
 again about the middle of the rocks, and by his 
 course seemed to descend in a spiral path round 
 the mountain. When the dwarf had reached the 
 bottom, he advanced to Ahubal, and presenting him 
 with a clue, he told him, that if he threw it before 
 him, and followed it, the clue would unravel itself, 
 and discover to him the path which led up the 
 rocks to the castle of Ollomand his master. Ahubal, 
 having heard from Ulin and Happuck that Ollomand 
 was his friend, took the clue out of the hand of the 
 dwarf, and threw it before him. As the clue rolled 
 onward, and touched the rocks, Ahubal discovered 
 a regular ascent, which, winding round, brought 
 him by degrees to the castle on the summit of the 
 mountain. The enchanter Ollomand received Ahubal 
 at the entrance of the castle, which was guarded by 
 four dragons, and led him through $ large court into 
 a spacious hall, the walls of which were lined with 
 human bones that had been whitened in the sun. 
 
 ' Favourite of the race of the powerful,' said 
 Ollomand, ' see here the bones of those who have 
 lifted up their arms against thee ; and I will add 
 to their number till this castle be filled.' 
 
 ' Alas,' answered Ahubal, ' Ulin is no more, and 
 the vultures are preying on the vitals of Happuck ! ' 
 Ten provinces have deserted my cause, and the 
 coffers of my army are exhausted ! ' 
 
 ' Happuck,' answered Ollomand, ' despised the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 67 
 
 assistance of riches, and trusted to deceit ; and 
 therefore failed. The provinces dared not revolt 
 while the armies of Misnar overawed them ; but I 
 will replenish thy coffers, and Ollomand will tempt 
 the leaders of the Sultan's troops to join the cause 
 of Ahubal. In this castle are riches and arms 
 sufficient to equip all the inhabitants of Asia ; and 
 when these are exhausted, we will apply to Phare- 
 sanen, Hypacusan, and all the chieftains of our 
 race : and fear not, Ahubal ; for, by my art, I read 
 that Misnar the Sultan shall fly before the face of 
 his enemies.' 
 
 Ahubal was encouraged by the words of Ollo- 
 mand ; and the enchanter, having opened his design 
 to the prince, invited him to behold the riches of 
 his castle. 
 
 Passing through the Hall of Bones, they de- 
 scended into a square court, much more spacious 
 than the former ; in the middle of which appeared 
 a deep and dark pit. This court contained four 
 hundred gates of massy brass, and each gate was sup- 
 ported by nine enormous hinges of the same metal. 
 
 As Ollomand the enchanter entered this court, 
 with the prince Ahubal in his hand, he lifted up 
 his voice, which echoed like thunder amidst the 
 lofty turrets of the castle, and commanded his 
 slaves to expose to the sight of Ahubal the trea- 
 sures of their master. 
 
 The prince Ahubal, who had seen no creature 
 but the dwarf and the enchanter in the castle, 
 wondered whence the slaves should come : but his 
 wonder shortly was turned into fear, when he be- 
 held a gigantic black, with a club of ebony forty 
 feet in length, arise out of the pit, which was in 
 the centre of the court. 
 
 But if one was so terrifying, his horrors were 
 beyond measure increased, when he perceived a 
 
1 68 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 long succession of the same gigantic monsters, 
 following one another out of the pit, and advancing 
 to the four hundred brazen gates, till every gate 
 had a slave standing before it. 
 
 When Ollomand saw his slaves were all prepared 
 before the gates, he bade them strike with their 
 clubs of ebony against them. 
 
 The black slaves, in obedience to the enchanter's 
 orders, lifted up their ponderous clubs of ebony, 
 and struck against the foar hundred gates, which 
 jarred so much with the blows of the slaves, that 
 Ahubal was forced to stop his ears, and was ready 
 to sink into the earth with astonishment and dread. 
 
 As soon as the black slaves of Ollomand had 
 struck the four hundred gates of brass, the gates 
 began to move, and the harsh creak and breaking 
 of the hinges sent forth a noise, which alone had 
 chilled the hearts of all the armies of Misnar, 
 could they have heard them. 
 
 This dismal and discordant jar continued till the 
 gates were forced open by the hideous slaves. But 
 the prince Ahubal was so stunned and stupified 
 with the piercing sound, that he dared not look up, 
 till Ollomand the enchanter, shaking him by the 
 shoulders, bade him feast his eyes with the riches 
 of his friend. 
 
 Ahubal then lifting up his head, looked around 
 the court, and saw the four hundred gates were 
 opened. In those to the right, were millions of 
 wedges of gold and silver, piled beneath craggy 
 arches of huge unchiseled stone. Opposite to 
 these he beheld a hundred vaulted roofs, under 
 which were sacks and bags of the gold and silver 
 coin of many nations. 
 
 Before him, another hundred gates exposed to 
 his view the arms and warlike accoutrements of 
 ten thousand nations, and all the instruments of 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 69 
 
 death which the inventive malice of man had ever 
 discovered. First, a rude heap of ponderous stones 
 and the fragments of rocks ; next, sticks, staves, 
 and knotty cluhs ; next to these, spears, darts, 
 lances, and javelins, armed with brass or iron, or 
 their points hardened by fire, and innumerable 
 bows with quivers and arrows : after these, instru- 
 ments of dubious use, originally designed for the 
 assistance of men, but perverted, through cruelty 
 and malice, to the service of slaughter and death ; 
 such as knives, bodkins, axes, hammers : on these 
 were heaped arms, deliberately fashioned for the 
 offence of mankind ; swords, daggers, poniards, 
 stilettos, hangers, scimitars, rapiers. In the fourth 
 part of the court, which was behind Ahubal, were 
 stored the more refined and destructive instruments 
 of European war; the grenadoes, the firelock, the 
 pistol, the musket, the blunderbuss, the culverin, 
 the petard, the cannon, the howitzer, the bomb, the 
 mortar, and their accursed food, bags of powder, 
 balls of lead, and iron shells and carcasses. 
 
 Ahubal, who understood but little of these in- 
 struments, was amazed at their construction, and 
 asked for what purposes those ghastly monsters of 
 art were formed. 
 
 ' These,' said Ollomand, ' are the arms of Europe ; 
 a part of the earth filled with industrious robbers, 
 whose minds are hourly on the stretch to invent 
 new plagues to torment each other. Of these 
 mortals, many are settled on the sea-coasts of our 
 southern provinces, whom I shall persuade, through 
 the instigations of that god which they worship, to 
 join the forces of Ahubal.' 
 
 \ Hast thou, then, mighty enchanter,' answered 
 the prince Ahubal, 'the gods of Europe in thy 
 power ? ' 
 
 ' The Europeans,' said Ollomand, f acknowledge 
 
170 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 one God, who, they pretend, doth inhabit the hea- 
 vens, but whom we find buried in the entrails of 
 the earth : gold, prince, is their god — for whose 
 sake they will undertake the most daring enter- 
 prises, and forsake the best of friends. To these 
 shalt thou send presents, and future promises of 
 wealth; and by their machinations, fear not but 
 Misnar shall yield to thy superior address. 5 
 
 ' What need of the arms, or the persons of Euro- 
 peans,' answered the prince Ahubal, ' while my 
 friend has an army of such gigantic slaves, ten of 
 whom are more than sufficient to destroy the puny 
 armies of my brother the Sultan ? ' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said Ollomancl, ' the slaves of enchant- 
 ment cannot fight against the sons of the Faithful. 
 Though we deny Mahoniet, and will not adore him, 
 yet we cannot control a power that must overrule 
 us. Were the world at our disposal, the mean wor- 
 shippers of Alia should tremble at their fate. But, 
 alas ! the curb of Mahomet galls our tongues ; the 
 flesh of our lips is filled with rawness and foam; 
 and our evil race must tremble, though it cannot 
 relent. — But these are troublesome thoughts, and 
 the provinces require our presence. As Misnar's 
 troops are in possession of the country, we will 
 transport ourselves to Orixa in the disguise of 
 merchants, and there endeavour to forward the 
 destruction of Misnar, the tame Sultan of the 
 East. 5 
 
 As Ollomand spake these words, he stamped 
 with his feet, and a chariot, drawn by four dragons, 
 arose from the pit in the centre of the court ; which 
 Ahubal and the enchanter ascended, and were con- 
 veyed in a dark cloud to the woods behind the 
 city of Orixa. 
 
 When Ollomand's chariot alighted on the ground, 
 he touched the dragons with his wand, and they 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. IJI 
 
 became four camels laden with merchandize, and the 
 chariot was converted into an elephant. Ahubal 
 became like a merchant, and the enchanter appeared 
 as a black slave. They entered the town in the 
 evening, and the next morning exposed their goods 
 in the market-place. The bales of Ahubal, the 
 sham merchant, being opened, were found to con- 
 tain chiefly materials for clothing the officers of 
 the army. The troops of Misnar, hearing this, 
 were his chief customers ; and as Ahubal sold his 
 wares very cheap, he soon got acquainted with all 
 the officers at Orixa. 
 
 In all his conversations with them, the enchanter 
 had directed Ahubal to lament the small salaries 
 which the army were allowed : this was a subject 
 all agreed in, and soon led to more lucrative offers, 
 if they would embrace the cause of Ahubal. The 
 officers, who were, for the most part, soldiers for 
 the sake of pay and plunder rather than duty and 
 honour, soon came into the sham merchant's pro- 
 posal ; and, in ten days, Ahubal found himself in 
 a condition to recover the province of Orixa. 
 
 The young prince, fired with his success, was 
 about to discover himself ; but the enchanter 
 checked his ardour, and besought him to consider 
 how many more provinces must be gained before 
 he could make head against his brother. The 
 advice of Ollomand prevailed with the prince ; and 
 they sent some of those officers who were strongest 
 in their interest into the different provinces of the 
 south, to corrupt the minds of the commanders. 
 As there was no want of money and bribery, so an 
 easier conquest was made over the loyalty of the 
 troops than could have been made over their prowess 
 by swords. 
 
 In a few moons all the v southern provinces were 
 ripe for a revolt ; and the troops who were sent to 
 
172 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 overawe them were most desirous of opening the 
 campaign against the Sultan. Two hundred French 
 engineers were also invited, hy large rewards, to 
 join the armies of Ahuhal : and the troops were 
 supplied by the vigilance of the enchanter OHo- 
 mand. On a fixed day, all the armies of the pro- 
 vinces were in motion, and all unfurled the standard 
 of Ahubal ; the provinces were invited to rebel, 
 and thousands were daily added to the troops of 
 the prince. Tidings of these alterations were sent 
 to Delhi, by the few friends of the Sultan who 
 remained in those parts; and Horam the vizier 
 laid before his master the dreadful news of a gene- 
 ral revolt, both of his troops and provinces in the 
 south. 
 
 ' The enemies of Misnar,' said the Sultan, as 
 the vizier Horam had ended his report, ' are many ; 
 and one only is his friend ! ' 
 
 Horam bowed low at his master's words. 
 
 ' Faithful Horam,' said the Sultan, ' I honour 
 and esteem thee ; but think not I prefer my vizier 
 to my God : no, Horam ; Alia alone is the friend of 
 Misnar ; a friend more mighty than the armies of 
 Ahubal, or the sorceries of the enchanters.' 
 
 Misnar then assembled his troops ; and put- 
 ting himself at their head, he marched, by easy 
 marches, toward the southern frontiers of his 
 dominions. 
 
 The armies of Ahubal continued to increase, 
 and Cambaya acknowledged him for its sultan. 
 In a short time, he arrived with his forces at 
 Narvar, and encamped within seven leagues of 
 the army of Misnar the Sultan. Ollomand the 
 enchanter, notwithstanding Ahubal had thrown off 
 the disguise of a merchant, still attended him as 
 a black slave, being always about his person ; till 
 the freedom which the prince allowed him was 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 73 
 
 resented by the officers of his army. This the 
 enchanter perceived; and, therefore, he desired 
 Ahubal would grant him five thousand of his 
 troops, and the European engineers, that he might 
 advance before the main army, and signalize him- 
 self by a blow which he meditated to give the 
 enemy. The counsel of Ollomand was never 
 opposed by Ahubal: the prince commanded the 
 troops to attend Ollomand, and be subject unto 
 him. 
 
 The enchanter then marched with his selected 
 troops into a thick wood, which the army of Misnar 
 must pass, ere they could oppose their enemies : 
 and in this wood the engines of European war 
 were placed, to command every avenue that had 
 been hewn out by the troops of the Sultan. Ol- 
 lomand, marching by night, surprised all the 
 advanced guards of the Sultan, and possessed 
 himself of the wood ; where he placed the Euro- 
 pean engineers, before the sun could penetrate 
 through the branches of the forest of Narvar. 
 This enterprise had ruined all the hopes of the 
 Sultan, who proposed to march his army through 
 the next day, if the Europeans had continued 
 faithful to Ahubal and his party : but one, favoured 
 by the darkness of the night, escaped, and be- 
 trayed the whole design to the Sultan. 
 
 Misnar was no sooner apprised of the enchanter's 
 contrivance than he ordered certain of his troops 
 to climb over the mountains to the right of the 
 wood, and, if possible, to gain the opposite side ; 
 and there, in several parts, to set the wood on 
 fire. This was so successfully executed by the 
 soldiers, that, as soon as Ollomand was possessed 
 of the wood, he perceived it was on fire, and had 
 made a separation between him and the army of 
 Ahubal. 
 
174 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 In this distress, the enchanter resolved to dis- 
 pose of his troops and engineers in the most 
 advantageous manner, proposing in his mind to 
 secure his own retreat by the power of enchant- 
 ment. But while the subtile enchanter was di- 
 recting his engineers in the rear to bring up the 
 fell engines of war, one of the cannon which was 
 left in the wood (the flames having obliged those 
 who belonged to it to retreat) being made hot by the 
 raging fires in the wood, discharged its contents, 
 and the ball, striking the enchanter, carried with 
 it the head of Ollomand toward the camp of the 
 Sultan. This occurrence threw the troops in the 
 wood into the utmost confusion, and many fled 
 to the Sultan's camp, declaring the loss of their 
 leader; and the rest resolved rather to submit, 
 than perish by the sword or by fire. 
 
 The flames of the wood, which arose between 
 the armies of Misnar and Ahubal, soon disturbed 
 the peace of the rebel prince. At first, indeed, 
 he hoped Ollomand had enclosed his brother's 
 troops, and was consuming them by his fires. 
 But no despatch arriving from his friend, filled 
 Ahubal with just fears, which were greatly in- 
 creased, as, in a few days, the fire decreasing, 
 and having opened a passage through the wood, 
 he was informed by his spies that the armies of 
 Misnar were approaching. The prince Ahubal, 
 having lost his friend the enchanter, was fearful 
 of the event, and wished to fly ; but his generals, 
 being rebels, and fearing their fate if they should 
 be taken, resolved to conquer or die ; and Ahubal 
 was constrained against his will to put his army in 
 a state of defence. 
 
 The Sultan, supposing his brother's army would 
 be disheartened at the loss of the enchanter, was 
 studious of giving them battle before they had 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 75 
 
 recovered their consternation ; and therefore led 
 on his troops with great impetuosity toward the 
 front of the rebel army, while the vizier Horam, 
 covered by the main body of Misnar's army, en- 
 deavoured to gain the right flank of the enemy. 
 
 And now the adverse elephants made the sandy 
 plains shake as they advanced, and from the huge 
 turrets on their backs ten thousand hostile arrows 
 were discharged ; the loud hollow cymbals sounded 
 the alarm, and the air groaned with the weight of 
 the winged weapons ! The troops of the Sultan 
 advanced with confidence, and the rebellious sup- 
 porters of Ahubal rushed forward with resolute 
 despair. Innumerable scimitars blazed fearfully 
 over the heads of the warlike. The feet of the 
 elephants were stained with death, and the blood 
 of the slain was as the rivers of Arzar. But the 
 troops of Misnar were flushed with hope, and fear 
 and dismay were in the paths of Ahubal. The 
 prince himself, in confusion, sounded the retreat ; 
 and the backs of his troops were already exposed 
 to the darts of the Sultan ; — when the swarthy 
 enchanter Tasnar appeared in the air, seated on a 
 rapacious vulture. 
 
 * Base cowards ! ' exclaimed he, as he hovered 
 aloft in the air, ' turn and fear not, while Tasnar 
 is your friend. The troops of the Sultan are ex- 
 hausted and* fatigued, and you are flying from 
 those who are destined for your prey. Are then 
 the riches of Delhi to be so easily resigned, and 
 your tedious marches over the deserts to be foiled 
 by a moment's fear? Even now is India offered 
 as the reward of your toils ; and you prefer shame 
 and ignominy to glory and honour ! ' 
 
 The troops of Ahubal hearing these words, and 
 being encouraged by a sight so wonderful, for a 
 time stood still, irresolute what to do ; till Tasnar, 
 
176 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 alighting on the ground, and seizing a javelin, 
 bade the brave support and defend the avenger 
 of their wrongs. 
 
 The Sultan's army, finding their enemies re- 
 treat, had followed them in a tumultuous manner, 
 and were therefore less able to resist the enchanter 
 Tasnar, and those who supported him. And they 
 had experienced the truth of the enchanter's as- 
 sertion, had not the vizier Horam, perceiving their 
 resistance, hastened with a few chosen troops to 
 the rescue of his friends. 
 
 The battle, though not so general as before, was 
 nevertheless much fiercer ; and Tasnar and Horam 
 met face to face. The vizier aimed in vain his 
 scimitar at the head of the enchanter, and Tasnar 
 found a superior arm withhold him when he at- 
 tempted to demolish the faithful vizier. But this 
 prevented not the general slaughter that ensued ; 
 till night, which recruits the wasted strength of 
 man, divided the armies of Misnar and Ahubal. 
 
 After the retreat of the two contending armies, 
 the vizier Horam attended the Sultan in the royal 
 pavilion, and informed him of the descent of the 
 enchanter Tasnar, and his prowess in the field. 
 
 1 Alas ! ' answered Misnar, ' it is in vain, Horam, 
 that the sword is uplifted against the power of en- 
 chantment, so long as these magicians are prepared 
 against our attacks ; we must surprise them, or we 
 cannot prevail. Tasnar is joined to my faithless 
 brother Ahubal : there is in my camp, doubtless, 
 some trusty slave, who, under appearance of be- 
 traying my cause, may penetrate into the camp of 
 Ahubal, and destroy this enchanter while he sleeps 
 in security ; and Horam my vizier must find that 
 slave ere the sun beholds the blood of Asia, which 
 defiles the plains of my kingdom.' 
 
 Horam bowed, and went out of the presence of 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 77 
 
 the Sultan in great distress of heart. ' Where,' 
 said he to himself, * can the mighty find a trusty- 
 friend? or what slave will he faithful to his master 
 that has rohhed him of his liberty ? Better had I 
 perished by the hand of Tasnar than be betrayed 
 through the wickedness of my servants ! ' 
 
 The vizier, doubtful where to apply, or whom to 
 trust, returned to his tent ; where he found an old 
 female slave, who waited to deliver a message from 
 his seraglio, which was kept in a tent adjoining to 
 his own. 
 
 Horam, not regarding her presence, threw him- 
 self on his sofa, and bemoaned his fate in being 
 commanded to find a trusty slave. The female 
 slave, who saw her master's tears, threw herself at 
 his feet, and called Alia to witness that she had 
 always served him faithfully, and was ready to sacri- 
 fice her life for his pleasure. 
 
 Horam was rather more distressed than alle- 
 viated by her protestations. — 'What art thou?' 
 said he to her sternly, ' a poor decrepit woman ! 
 and canst thou go forth and combat the enchant- 
 ments of Tasnar, the enemy of thy master's 
 peace?' 
 
 ' The locust and the worm/ said the female 
 slave, 'are the instruments of Alla's vengeance 
 on the mighty ones of the earth; and Mahomet 
 can make even my weakness subservient to the 
 cause of my lord.' 
 
 ' And how wilt thou prevail against Ahubal the 
 prince, and Tasnar the magician?' said Horam, 
 careless of what he spoke. 
 
 'I will go,' answered the female slave, ' into the 
 camp of Ahubal ; and I will engage to poison my 
 master the vizier, and Misnar, the lord of our 
 lives, as I stand before them to minister unto 
 them the pleasing draught. And while Tasnar 
 N 
 
178 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 is intent on hearing my proposals, the steel of 
 death shall suddenly search out the vile enchanter's 
 heart.' 
 
 ' But, knowest thou not,' said Horam, ' that 
 death will he the consequence of this rash deed?' 
 
 'My lord,' answered the slave, 'I was, when 
 young, bred up in the caves of Denraddin, and 
 was taught by a sage to know what should happen 
 to me in future times : and the sage read in the 
 stars of heaven, that by my means should the 
 Sultan of India be delivered from the enemy that 
 oppressed him.' 
 
 The vizier was rejoiced at the assurances of his 
 female slave, and bade her prepare herself to 
 appear before the Sultan. The slave, putting on 
 her veil, followed the vizier Horam, and was in- 
 troduced to the tent of Misnar. 
 
 ' What,' said the Sultan, as he saw the vizier 
 enter with the female slave,, 'what new kind of 
 warrior has Horam brought me ?' 
 
 ' Light of mine eyes ! ' answered the vizier, 
 ' behold a woman who is desirous of executing 
 thy commands. This slave assures me, that the 
 sages of the caves of Denraddin have read in the 
 stars of heaven, that by her means the Sultan 
 of India should be delivered from the enemy that 
 oppressed him.' 
 
 ' Then,' said the Sultan, ' let her go ; and may 
 the Prophet of the Faithful guide her footsteps in 
 safety and security! I am assured that Horam 
 would not consent to an enterprise that was foolish 
 and weak ; and to his direction I leave the fate of 
 this trusty female.' 
 
 The slave then fell prostrate, and besought the 
 Sultan to give her some of his writings and 
 mandates, that she might pretend she had stolen 
 them from his tent, with a design to carry and lay 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 79 
 
 them at the feet of Tasnar and Ahubal. The 
 Sultan approved of her scheme, and ordered 
 several mandates to be written and signed relative 
 to the motions of the army the next day, which 
 were quite contrary to the real disposition he 
 intended to give out. 
 
 The female slave being furnished with these, 
 and being conducted by the vizier to the outskirts 
 of the Sultan's army, walked forward till she was 
 challenged by the sentinels of Ahubal, who seized 
 upon and carried her to their commander. The 
 commander, fearful of deceit, at first satisfied 
 himself that she was really a female slave, and 
 then asked her what brought her alone out of the 
 camp of the Sultan ? * Bring me,' said she, 
 1 before your prince ; for I have things to deliver 
 up to him that will be of service to his army.' 
 
 The commander then sent her with the guard 
 to the pavilion of Ahubal, where that prince and 
 the enchanter Tasnar were consulting in private 
 together. 
 
 As soon as the female slave had gained admit- 
 tance, she fell prostrate at the feet of Ahubal; 
 which Tasnar observing, commanded the guards 
 to seize her. — * Let us see,' said the enchanter, 
 ' what service this slave can do us, before she is 
 trusted so near our persons.' 
 
 The female slave, being secured by the guards, 
 was doubtful how to behave. 
 
 • I like not that confusion," said the enchanter ; 
 ' have you, base slave, aught to reveal to us, or 
 are you sent as a spy to betray the councils of the 
 brave?' 
 
 * I have,' said the female slave (somewhat re- 
 covered from her surprise), ' papers and mandates 
 of great consequence, which I have stolen from 
 the tent of the Sultan ; and I bring them to the 
 
 N2 
 
l80 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 prince Ahubal, the lord of all the hearts of the 
 Indian empire.' 
 
 The slave then produced her mandates, and the 
 guards laid them at the feet of Ahubal. The 
 prince Ahubal, having read the papers, gave them 
 to Tasnar, saying, — ' These are indeed valuable 
 acquisitions; and the female slave that brought 
 them is worthy of high honour and reward.' 
 
 The slave, hearing this encomium, bowed down 
 her head ; for the guards who held her prevented 
 her falling prostrate. 
 
 'Mighty son of Dabulcombar,' said the en- 
 chanter, ' let the guards carry her forth, till we 
 consult what reward she shall receive.' 
 
 As soon as the female slave was carried out : — 
 ■ My prince,' said Tasnar, ' it is indeed politic to 
 confer rewards on those who serve us ; and there- 
 fore it is sometimes necessary to do it, that the 
 silly birds may be the better entangled in the 
 snares of state : but when we can better serve 
 our ends by their destruction than by their safety, 
 it is but just that we should do it. This slave has 
 already risked her life for our service, and there- 
 fore she will doubtless be ready to lay it down, if 
 we require it.' 
 
 As the enchanter said this, he called one of the 
 guards, and commanded him to bring in the 
 female slave and the bow-string. The female 
 slave approached, being still held by the guards. 
 
 ' Kind slave,' said the enchanter, ' you have 
 already served us much ; there is one thing more 
 that we require : let the slaves fit the bow-string 
 to thy neck, and let thy last breath be sent forth 
 in praise of thy lord Ahubal.' 
 
 The slaves of Ahubal then put upon the wretched 
 female the deadly bow-string, and strangled her 
 instantly. After which they retired, leaving the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. ]8l 
 
 dead body of the female slave on the floor of the 
 tent. 
 
 1 What hast thou done, Tasnar ?' said Ahubal, 
 astonished at the deed. 
 
 ' I suspect,' said the enchanter, ' that this fe- 
 male was sent on a vile errand ; and see here/ 
 continued he, searching her garments, ' is the wea- 
 pon of death ! ' 
 
 So saying, he drew a dagger from her bosom, 
 which she had concealed with a design of stabbing 
 the enchanter. 
 
 c Prudent Tasnar,' said the prince, ' 1 admire 
 thy foresight : but of what use is this murdered 
 slave now to us?' 
 
 ' The disguise of this slave,' answered the en- 
 chanter, ' will introduce me into the camp of the 
 Sultan, and, I hope, will give me an opportunity 
 of reaching his heart with that steel which he 
 designed for mine. — But no time must be lost ; the 
 morning will, ere long, disclose its grey light in 
 the east.' 
 
 The enchanter then put on the garments of the 
 murdered female slave, and, stroking his face, it 
 became as hers ; so that Ahubal could scarcely 
 believe but the slave was revived. He cut off also 
 the head of the female slave, and anointing it with 
 a white ointment, it became like his own. Thus 
 equipped, the commander of the advanced guard 
 conducted him to the foremost sentinels of the 
 rebel army. 
 
 The disguised enchanter soon reached the camp 
 of the Sultan ; and the sentinels, imagining it was 
 the same female slave whom Horam had led through 
 their ranks in the former part of the night, suf- 
 fered him to pass. 
 
 In a short time he reached the royal pavilion, 
 and demanded admittance. The vizier Horam, 
 
1 82 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 who was there in waiting, heard, as he supposed, 
 the voice of his female slave ; and went out to 
 bring her before the Sultan. 
 
 ' My slave,' said Horam, as he saw the disguised 
 enchanter, * hast thou succeeded ; and is Tasnar, 
 the foe of the Faithful, dead?' 
 
 ' Bring me before the Sultan,' said the pretended 
 slave, ■ that my lord may first behold the head of 
 his foe.' 
 
 The vizier then led the disguised enchanter in- 
 to the pavilion, where the Sultan Misnar, being 
 warned of her approach, was seated on his throne. 
 
 As the enchanter approached, he held a dagger 
 in one hand, which w r as covered by a long sleeve, 
 and in the other he bore the fictitious head. — And 
 now the fictitious female was about to ascend the 
 steps of the throne, when the vizier commanded 
 her first to fall prostrate before the Sultan. 
 
 The sham female slave did as she was ordered, 
 and the vizier, seeing her prostrate, fell upon her, 
 and slew her with his sabre. 
 
 ' What hast thou done, wretched vizier ? ' said 
 the Sultan : ' has envy thus rashly stirred thee up 
 against my faithful slave, that — ? ' 
 
 The Sultan had probably continued his invective 
 against his vizier much longer, had he not beheld 
 the corse of the dead enchanter change its appear- 
 ance ; and found that Horam, by the sudden de- 
 struction of Tasnar, had but just preserved his 
 own life. At the sight of this transformation 
 Misnar descended from his throne, and closely 
 embraced his vizier Horam. 
 
 * Horam, forgive my impetuous temper,' said 
 the Sultan ; ' how have I blamed my friend for 
 doing that which alone could have saved my life ! 
 But by what means did my faithful vizier become 
 acquainted with the disguise of this wicked en- 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 83 
 
 chanter, or how did he discover himself to thy 
 watchful eye ? ' 
 
 ' Lord of my heart,' answered Horam, l when I 
 carried my poor female slave through the camp 
 (whose fate may he learned by this ghastly head 
 before us), I bade her, when she returned and saw 
 me, first repeat these words in my ear : — ' Alia is 
 Lord of Heaven, Mahomet is his prophet, and 
 Misnar is the vicegerent upon earth.' — And this 
 precaution I took, fearful lest Tasnar, discovering 
 our design, should invent this method of revenge. 
 Wherefore, when the pretended slave was brought 
 before me, and she repeated not the words that I 
 had taught her, I was assured that it was the en- 
 chanter in disguise, and waited, till, by prostrating 
 himself before my lord, he gave me an opportunity 
 of destroying the life of the chief of thine enemies.' 
 
 The Sultan of India again embraced his faithful 
 vizier ; and as soon as the eye of morn was opened 
 in the east, the armies of Ahubal beheld the en- 
 chanter Tasnar's head fixed on a pole, in the front 
 of the Sultan's army. 
 
 The prince Ahubal, rising with the earliest dawn 
 of the morning, went forward to the front of his 
 troops, and there, at a small distance, he saw the 
 hideous features of the enchanter Tasnar already 
 blackening in the sun. Fear immediately took 
 possession of his soul ; and he ran, with tears in 
 his eyes, and hid himself, till the sun went down, 
 in his pavilion. 
 
 The vizier Horam, perceiving the approach of 
 heaven's everlasting lamp, would have led on the 
 Sultan's troops to a second attack; but Misnar 
 commanded him to forbear, that his army might 
 rest one day after their fatigues. 
 
 The great distress of the enchanters, and their 
 unexpected deaths, alarmed the rest of that wicked 
 
184 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 race : and Ahaback and Desra, seeing that no one 
 enchanter had succeeded against the Sultan, re- 
 solved to join their forces ; and while one led a 
 powerful army to Ahubal' s assistance from the 
 east, the other raised the storms of war and re- 
 bellion on the western confines of the Sultan's 
 empire. 
 
 In the mean time, the two armies of the Sultan 
 and Ahubal continued inactive, till an express ar- 
 rived, that Ahaback was leading the strength of 
 nine thousand squadrons against their Sultan, and 
 that Desra was travelling over the plains of Em- 
 bracan with three thousand elephants and a hundred 
 thousand troops collected from the western pro- 
 vinces. 
 
 The Sultan instantly resolved to attack Ahubal 
 before these succours could arrive ; but the vizier 
 Horam fell at his feet, and besought him not 
 to hazard his army, but rather to recruit and 
 strengthen it. 
 
 This advice, though quite contrary to the opinion 
 of Misnar, was yet so strongly urged by the vizier, 
 that the Sultan gave up his better judgment to 
 the opinion of Horam. And, when every one ex- 
 pected to be called forth to action, the vizier gave 
 orders in the camp for recruits to be sought after, 
 and went himself to the north of Delhi, to raise a 
 second army for his master's service. 
 
 The troops of Ahubal, finding themselves free 
 from the attacks of the Sultan's army, endeavoured 
 to comfort their prince, who was grieved and de- 
 jected at the loss of his friends : and the pro- 
 vinces of the south, to dissipate his gloom, besought 
 him to permit them to raise a pavilion worthy of 
 his dignity, as heretofore he contented himself with 
 such as his generals made use of. 
 
 The prince Ahubal, who by nature was not 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 85 
 
 formed for war or contest, but only stirred up by 
 the enchanters to be their tool against the Sultan 
 his brother, was easily persuaded to accept of the 
 offers of his troops ; and a hundred curious arti- 
 sans were set to work to contrive and erect a sump- 
 tuous pavilion for the use of the prince. To these 
 workmen, all the provinces who acknowledged the 
 authority of Ahubal, sent diamonds and jewels, 
 and rich silks, and all the costly materials of the 
 world, to finish the splendid pavilion which they 
 purposed to raise for their prince. 
 
 While the sumptuous tent was raising, the squad- 
 rons of Ahaback drew nearer and nearer, and the 
 elephants of Desra were within thirty days of the 
 camp of Ahubal. The vizier Horam, being returned 
 with his reinforcements, waited on the Sultan, and 
 besought him to trust the management of his army 
 to him for forty days. 
 
 ' Horam,' said the Sultan, ' I have such con- 
 fidence in thy sense and thy loyalty, that I grant 
 thy request.' 
 
 The vizier, having obtained his end, sent a 
 messenger to Ahubal, and desired forty days' truce 
 might exist between the armies : which the prince 
 readily agreed to. In a few hours the truce was 
 proclaimed in the Sultan's camp : and when Misnar 
 hoped that his vizier would have attacked the rebel 
 army with a force more than double their number, 
 he heard the trumpets sound a truce in the tents. 
 Such a behaviour, so contrary to reason, alarmed 
 the Sultan, and he sent for the vizier Horam, and 
 demanded his reasons for making a truce with his 
 enemies. 
 
 * My lord,' answered Horam, ' I have heard that 
 the southern provinces are erecting a pavilion for 
 your rebel brother Ahubal, which in splendour and 
 magnificence is to surpass all the glories of thy 
 
1 86 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 palace at Delhi ; and being convinced that thy sub- 
 jects are led more by show and appearance than by 
 duty and honour, I feared that Ahubal's glorious 
 pavilion might draw the neighbouring cities into 
 his encampment, and thereby strengthen his army, 
 and weaken the resources of my prince. For this 
 reason, I besought my lord to give me the command 
 of his army for forty days ; in which space I pur- 
 pose to build thee such a pavilion as shall far out- 
 shine in splendour every glory upon earth.' 
 
 ' Horam,' answered the Sultan, ' I have put all 
 things into thine hands ; but let me beseech thee 
 to be careful of thy master.' 
 
 The vizier Horam, leaving the Sultan, sent to 
 Delhi- for workmen and artificers, and ordering a 
 large spot to be inclosed, that none might behold 
 his pavilion till it was completed, he carried on the 
 work with great care and assiduity. While these 
 works of peace, rather than of war, were carrying 
 on in the two armies of Misnar and Ahubal, the 
 reinforcements of Ahaback and Desra arrived : and 
 the captains in the Sultan's army hearing of the 
 great addition which was made to the rebel army, 
 while the vizier was spending his time with his 
 curious workmen, petitioned the Sultan, that one 
 might be put over them who loved war, rather than 
 the amusement of females and children. 
 
 The Sultan, who thought, with his captains, that 
 Horam was rather betraying than forwarding his 
 cause, commanded the vizier to be brought before 
 him, and in the presence of the captains asked him 
 why he delayed to lead his troops against the rebel 
 army ? The vizier Horam made no answer to the 
 Sultan's question, but desired his lord to bring the 
 captains toward the pavilion which he had erected. 
 As soon as the Sultan appeared before the inclosure, 
 several slaves behind were employed to remove it, 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 187 
 
 so that in an instant Misnar and his captains beheld 
 the most magnificent spectacle that art could achieve. 
 The sight of the pavilion was highly acceptable to 
 the army of the Sultan, but the captains justly con- 
 demned a performance which had without cause 
 wasted the greatest part of the coffers of India. 
 
 The pavilion was situated at one extremity of the 
 Sultan's army, at a small distance from a rocky 
 mountain, and surrounded by a grove of palm trees, 
 part of which had been cut down by the vizier's 
 order, to admit the air and light among the rest. 
 It was composed of crimson velvet, embroidered 
 round with flowers and festoons of silver and gold; 
 and in the body was worked, in golden tissue, the 
 deaths of the enchanters Ulin, Happuck, Ollomand, 
 and Tasnar. The pavilion stood upon a carpet of 
 cloth of gold, and within side w T as supported by 
 four massy pillars of burnished gold ; the ceiling 
 of the canopy within was studded with jewels and 
 diamonds ; and under it were placed two sofas of 
 the richest workmanship. 
 
 The Sultan, though much averse to such page- 
 antry, was yet persuaded by his vizier to sleep in 
 his new pavilion, and the glorious appearance which 
 it made brought thousands to view the magnificent 
 abode of their Sultan. 
 
 The account of this splendid tent soon reached 
 Ahubal's army, an<J every one extolled the glorious 
 pavilion, so that Ahubal's tent seemed as nothing 
 in comparison of the Sultan's. Ahaback and Desra, 
 who were in the prince's pavilion, hearing the ac- 
 count, resolved to go invisibly and examine it ; and 
 leaving the prince, and putting each a ring on their 
 fingers, they passed the sentinels and watches of 
 both armies. But if the sight of the pavilion filled 
 them with malice and envy, the histories of their 
 brethren's deaths increased that malice and urged 
 
l88 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 them to revenge. They returned hastily to Ahubal's 
 pavilion, and related to him what they had seen. 
 Ahubal's heart rankled at their account, and his 
 visage fell, to hear how much his brother had out- 
 done him in magnificence. 
 
 ' Get me a tent more splendid than the Sultan's/ 
 said he to the enchanters, ' or disband your armies, 
 and leave me to my fate.' 
 
 ' My prince/ answered Ahaback, ' let not such a 
 trifle discompose you. It is true, we could, in a 
 moment, erect a pavilion more magnificent than 
 the Sultan's ; but it will be more glorious to dis- 
 possess him of that which he has built, and to set 
 my prince upon the throne of his father : for which 
 purpose let the trumpet sound on the morrow ; the 
 truce is at an end, or, if it were not, we mean not to 
 keep our faith with an usurper ; and ere the Sultan 
 be prepared, let us fall upon him : who knows but we 
 may sleep to-morrow night in this pavilion which 
 now causes our uneasiness ? ' 
 
 The counsel of Ahaback pleased both Desra and 
 Ahubal; and they gave orders for the troops to 
 march in the morning, and attack the army of the 
 Sultan. 
 
 The forces of Misnar were sleeping in their tents, 
 when the alarm was spread that the enemy were 
 upon them. The vizier Horam arose in haste, and 
 put himself at the head of the army ; but, instead 
 of leading them towards their enemies, he fled off 
 to the right with the choicest of the troops, and 
 took possession of a pass in the mountains behind 
 the pavilion, whence he sent a messenger to the 
 Sultan, that he had secured him a retreat, in case 
 the armies of Ahubal should conquer. 
 
 The Sultan, being at the extremity of his army, 
 knew not of the confused attack, till it was too late 
 to redeem his lost opportunity. He collected his 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 189 
 
 scattered troops, and led them toward the enemy, 
 at the same time sending a message to Horam to 
 leave the mountains and support him. 
 
 The captains and officers that followed Misnar 
 behaved with great resolution and intrepidity, and 
 the Sultan exposed himself frequently to the darts 
 and missile weapons of his enemies, till, over- 
 powered by numbers, and his own troops on all 
 sides giving way, through the confusion which pre- 
 vailed, he was forced to make to the mountains, 
 where his vizier still continued, though he had 
 received the Sultan's commands to the contrary. 
 
 The troops of Ahubal pursued the Sultan's scat- 
 tered forces to the mountains, where the vizier's 
 troops opened to receive their friends, and then 
 opposed the rebels, who were faint with the fatigues 
 of the day. After a great slaughter, the rebels 
 were forced to give over, and returned to the en- 
 campment of the Sultan, whence they loaded 
 themselves with the spoils of their enemies. 
 
 Ahaback and Desra were greatly elated at their 
 success ; and Ahubal, in one day, found himself 
 master of India, his brother defeated, • and his 
 gaudy pavilion wrested from him. 
 
 Ahubal beheld with surprise the magnificence 
 of the pavilion, and seeing the invidious work- 
 manship on the outside, where the deaths of his 
 former friends were displayed ; — 
 
 * Ahaback and Desra,' said the prince, ' it is but 
 just that ye should revenge yourselves on my 
 proud brother. For my part I never can inhabit 
 a pavilion that was meant to triumph over my 
 friends ; but you may justly take up your abode 
 here, that the nations may at once learn, when 
 they see you in this pavilion, the former misfor- 
 tunes of your brethren, and your present well- 
 earned success : wherefore to-night, my friends, 
 
I90 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 take up vour residence here, as this place is most 
 worthy to hold you; and to-morrow I will order 
 my workmen to remove the pavilion next my own.' 
 
 The enchanters were pleased at the speech of 
 Ahuhal, and the banquet was prepared for the 
 conquerors in the gay pavilion of the unfortunate 
 Sultan, while he remained among the mountains, 
 wanting even the ^necessaries of life for himself 
 and his army. 
 
 But the Sultan's misfortunes did not make him 
 forget the cause of them. He called a council of 
 his captains, and commanded the vizier Horam 
 to be brought before them. The vizier was con- 
 demned by every voice ; and Misnar, with tears in 
 his eyes, pronounced the sentence of death against 
 him. 
 
 1 To-morrow,' said the Sultan, ' must the ill- 
 fated Horam be numbered with the dead.' 
 
 Horam heard the sentence without emotion : — 
 ' My life,' said he, ' is in the hand of my lord, and 
 he is welcome to the blood of his slave.' 
 
 The vizier was then ordered into the custody of 
 a hundred men, and a captain was appointed to 
 guard him until the morning. 
 
 The unfortunate Sultan then retired to rest in 
 an obscure tent, or rather not to rest, but to an 
 irksome contemplation. — * My kingdom,' said he, 
 * is passed from me ; and, worse than my king- 
 dom, my friend, my dearly beloved Horam, has 
 proved a traitor to his master ! Were we not as 
 the cedars of the forest, and grew together as 
 the trees that are planted beside the rivers of 
 Arvar? Our souls were as twin sisters, and our 
 minds were like the stars Leman and Upnor, 
 which twinkle not singly in the dead of night! 
 The heart of Misnar was in the bosom of his 
 friend ; it lay upon his bosom as the infant lieth 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. J9I 
 
 in his mother's arms ; it smiled and was secure on 
 the bosom of Horam.' — 
 
 As the Sultan was filled with these meditations, 
 his guards gave him notice that the captain who 
 was set over the vizier had brought Horam to 
 communicate an affair of moment to him. 
 
 'Is there deceit in Horam,' said the Sultan, 
 'that he cometh like a thief in the night? If 
 Horam is false, farewell my life; let him that 
 destroyed my kingdom complete his ingratitude, 
 by finishing my fate ! ' 
 
 The captain then entered the tent of his Sultan 
 with Horam in chains. 
 
 ' Life of my life, and master of my thoughts,' 
 said the vizier, c ere I die, I am constrained to 
 show thee, among these mountains, far greater 
 riches than are in thy palace at Delhi, or in the 
 tents of thine enemies; riches that will restore 
 thy affairs, and turn thy tears into showers of joy.' 
 
 ' Are not you satisfied,' said Misnar, ' ill-fated 
 Horam, that you come to deceive me with new illu- 
 sion ? Where is my kingdom ? where my royalty ? 
 where my army ? By thy fatal counsels destroyed, 
 overwhelmed, confounded! Now, then, lead the 
 way, and let me see these curious treasures which 
 are to recompense the loss of all my hopes.' 
 
 The vizier, being in chains, moved but slowly ; 
 and the captain of the guard, dismissing his men, 
 drew his sabre, and held it naked over the head of 
 the vizier. They passed over various rocks, and 
 were obliged to wade through some small brooks 
 or rivulets, which fell from the tops of the moun- 
 tains ; till at length they arrived at a spacious 
 cavern, which was formed by two pendent rocks. 
 Here the vizier entered ; and lifting up his chains, 
 knocked against a small door which was at the 
 extremity of the cavern. In a moment the door 
 
I92 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 opened, and four slaves came forward with flam- 
 beaux in their hands. The slaves, seeing their 
 master and the Sultan, fell prostrate ; and Horam 
 inquired whether all was safe. 
 
 ' Yes, my lord,' answered the slaves ; ' we have 
 not been disturbed since my lord first brought us 
 to this gloomy cavern.' 
 
 ' Where is Camul ? ' said the vizier. 
 
 * He watches,' replied the slaves, ' with the axe 
 in his hand/ 
 
 * What hour of the night is it ? ' said Horam to 
 his slaves. 
 
 ' The third watch of the night is past,' answered 
 the slaves. 
 
 1 Then enter, my Sultan,' said Horam, e and see 
 thine enemies perish from before thee.' 
 
 * What enemies, and what mysterious place is 
 this V said the Sultan. * Who is Camul, and what 
 axe doth he bear in his hand ? Lead me, Horam, 
 not into danger ; and remember that the sabre of 
 my captain hangeth over thy head.' 
 
 The Sultan then entered in at the little door, 
 and followed the vizier and his guard, and the four 
 slaves with flambeaux in their hands. In this 
 manner the Sultan passed through a long passage 
 hewn out of the solid rock, till he beheld at a dis- 
 tance a man seated on a stone, with an axe in his 
 hand, and nine lamps burning before him. As 
 they drew near, the man fell prostrate before 
 them: and the vizier also falling prostrate, de- 
 sired Misnar to take the axe out of the hand of 
 Camul, his slave. 
 
 6 What wonderful axe is this,' said the Sultan, 
 'that is thus preserved in the bowels of the 
 earth?' 
 
 The Sultan took the axe, and Camul the slave 
 removing the stone on which he sat, there ap- 
 
THE ENCHANTEKS, I93 
 
 peared a strong rope underneath, one end of 
 which passed through the rocks, and the other 
 was fastened to an enormous ring of iron. 
 
 ' Strike, royal master,' said Horam, ' and sever 
 that rope from the ring of iron.' 
 
 The Sultan did as Horam desired, and struck 
 the rope with his axe, and divided it from the ring. 
 The rope being released, new with great swiftness 
 through the hole in the rock, and Misnar waited 
 some time to see what might be the consequence of 
 cutting it asunder : but nothing appearing, he said 
 to his vizier, — 'Where are the riches, Horam, which 
 I left my bed to view? Is this like the rest of 
 your promises, and am I brought here to be again 
 deceived ? ' 
 
 ' Koyal master,' answered Horam, ' let me die 
 the death of a rebel : I have nothing more to dis- 
 cover ; pardon my follies, and avenge thine own 
 losses by the sword of justice.' 
 
 ' What ! ' said the Sultan, enraged, ' hast thou 
 brought me through the dangerous passes of the 
 mountains by night, only to cut a rope asunder? 
 And was I called forth to see only a passage made 
 in the rocks, and the slaves of Horam as ill em- 
 ployed as their master lately has been? Lead 
 me, villain,' continued he, ' back to my tent, and 
 expect with the rising sun the fate you have so 
 amply merited.' 
 
 Thus saying, the Sultan returned, and the 
 captain of the guard led Horam back in chains 
 to his place of confinement. 
 
 In the morning, the army of the Sultan Misnar, 
 which had escaped to the mountains, were all 
 drawn out, the cymbals sounded, and a gibbet, 
 forty feet high, was erected in their front, to 
 which the captain of the guard led the unfortunate 
 vizier Horam. At the sound of the cymbals the 
 
 
194 TALES OF THE GENII, 
 
 Sultan came from his tent, and gave orders that 
 Horam should be led to his fate. 
 
 The vizier, unmoved at his doom, surrendered 
 himself to the officer who was to execute the sen- 
 tence of the Sultan ; and the ignominious rope 
 was put about his neck, when a messenger, at- 
 tended by several sentinels, came running into the 
 camp. 
 
 The messenger hastened to the Sultan, and thus 
 delivered his message : ' Ahaback and Desra, the 
 wicked enchanters who have upholden thy rebel- 
 lious brother, are dead ; the army of Ahubal is in 
 the utmost consternation ; and the friends of the 
 Sultan wish to see thee hunting thine enemies, as 
 the lion hunts the wild asses in the forest.' 
 
 This messenger was succeeded by several of the 
 Sultan's spies, who confirmed the account. 
 
 Misnar then put himself at the head of his 
 troops, ordered Horam back to his former confine- 
 ment, and hastened to fall upon the troops of the 
 rebels. 
 
 Early the same morning, the prince Ahubal was 
 awakened by his guards, who, with countenances 
 of woe, declared to him the death of his friends 
 Ahaback and Desra. 
 
 ' Are my friends dead ! ' said Alrubal, trembling: 
 ' by what misfortune am I bereaved of them ? 
 what new device has Misnar practised against 
 them? Are not these wise and sage magicians, 
 then, a match for a boy's prudence ? Alas ! what 
 can I effect against him, when these fall away 
 before his victorious arm?' 
 
 * Prince,' answered the guards, ' we have too 
 late discovered the wiles of our enemies. Over 
 the magnificent pavilion of the Sultan, which 
 Horam built for his master, the artful vizier had 
 concealed a ponderous stone, which covered the 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 1 95 
 
 whole pavilion. This, by some secret means, lie 
 contrived in the night to release from its confine- 
 ment, while Ahaback and Desra were sleeping on 
 the sofas beneath it ; and ere day began to arise, 
 their guards were surprised by the fall, and ran to 
 release their masters from the stone : but alas ! 
 their bodies were crushed to atoms, and still re- 
 main buried under the pavilion, as fifty of the 
 strongest of thy troops were unable to remove the 
 stone from the ground.' 
 
 At these words the countenance and the heart 
 of Ahubal sunk ; and ere he could recover, word 
 was brought him, that the Sultan's troops were in 
 the midst of his army, and that none dared stand 
 against them, unless he approached to encourage 
 them. 
 
 Ahubal was so overwhelmed with fear and grief, 
 that, instead of leading his troops, he prepared 
 himself for flight ; and Misnar, pursuing his good 
 fortune, was in a few hours in possession, not 
 only of his own tents, but also of those of the 
 enemy. 
 
 Having gained a complete victory, and sent part 
 of his troops after those that were fled, the Sultan 
 commanded his vizier to be brought before him, 
 and, in the sight of his army, asked him what 
 merit he could challenge in the success of that 
 day? 
 
 * Glory of mine eyes, and light of my paths,' 
 said Horam, ' the contrivances of thy slave had 
 been useless, if a less than my Sultan had after- 
 wards led his troops to the battle. Therefore 
 thine only be the glory and the honour of the 
 day: but my lord must know, that some time 
 since, we were informed that the enchanters Aha- 
 back and Desra were preparing to uphold thy 
 rebellious brother; and well I knew that prudence, 
 02 
 
I96 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and not force, must prevail against them. I there- 
 fore besought my lord to grant me the chief com- 
 mand for forty days, and neglected to take such 
 advantages over Ahubal's troops as the captains of 
 thy armies advised. This I did, knowing that 
 any victory would be vain and fruitless if the en- 
 chanters w r ere not involved in the ruin ; and that 
 while they were safe, a second army would spring 
 up as soon as the first was destroyed. For these 
 reasons, I endeavoured to strengthen my Sultan's 
 army, that when the reinforcements of Ah aback 
 and Desra should arrive, their numbers might not 
 prevail against us. 
 
 'In the mean time, the sumptuous pavilion which 
 was built for Ahubal inspired me with a device, 
 which I hoped would put the enchanters in my 
 power. 
 
 ' Studious that no one might interrupt or betray 
 iny designs, I enclosed a place near the mountains, 
 surrounded with trees, where I began to build a 
 pavilion, which I gave out was erected in honour 
 of my lord the Sultan : within this pavilion I 
 concealed a massy stone, which was sawn out of 
 the solid rock, and which, by the help of several 
 engines, was hung upon four pillars of gold, and 
 covered the whole pavilion. The rope which up- 
 held this massy stone passed through one of the 
 golden pillars into the earth beneath, and, by a 
 secret channel cut in the rock, was carried onward 
 through the side of the mountain, and was fastened 
 to a ring of iron in a cave hollowed out of the rock 
 on the opposite side. 
 
 ■ By the time the enchanters had arrived in the 
 camp of Ahubal, the pavilion was finished : and 
 although I had secret advice that my Sultan's 
 troops were to be attacked on the morrow, yet 
 I chose to conceal that knowledge, and so to 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 197 
 
 dispose of the army, that the chief part might fly 
 with me behind the mountains which hung over 
 the pavilion, and that the rest, having no con- 
 ductor, might be put to flight with as little 
 slaughter as possible. This I did, expecting that 
 Ahaback and Desra, puffed up with their success, 
 would take possession of my Sultan's pavilion.' 
 
 ' Eise, faithful Horam,' said the Sultan Misnar ; 
 * your plot is sufficiently unravelled : but why did 
 you hide your intentions from your lord ? ' 
 
 ' Lord of my life/ answered the vizier, c because 
 I was resolved, in case my plot did not succeed, 
 to bear the burthen myself, that my Sultan's 
 honour might not be lessened in the eyes of his 
 troops.' 
 
 This noble confession of the vizier pleased the 
 whole army ; and they waited with the utmost 
 impatience to hear his pardon pronounced. The 
 Sultan then embraced his vizier, and the shouts of 
 the army were — ' Long live Misnar, the lord of our 
 hearts, and Horam, the first and the most faithful 
 of his slaves ! ' 
 
 The army of Ahubal still continued to fly after 
 their prince, whose fear did not suffer him to direct 
 those who came up with him. And now, in a few 
 days, the army had been totally dispersed, had not 
 the Giant Kifri, enraged at the death of his breth- 
 ren, and travelling, in his fury, appeared before the 
 eyes of the terrified prince and his troops, in a 
 narrow pass among the rocks. The presence of 
 Kifri was not less terrifying than the noise of the 
 pursuers ; and Ahubal, at the sight of the monster, 
 fell with his face to the ground. 
 
 'Who art thou,' said Kifri, with the voice of 
 thunder, ' that fliest like the roebuck, and tremblest 
 like the heart-stricken antelope ? Who art thou, 
 that fliest as the virgin from the noise of the battle, 
 
I98 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and that increasest the shrieks of the fallen, being 
 wounded by thy fears ? ' 
 
 ' Prince of earth,' said Ahubal, ' I am the friend 
 of Ulin, of Happuck, of Ollomand, of Tasnar, of 
 Ahaback and Desra. I am he who, through the 
 power of the enchanters, have contended for the 
 throne of India.' 
 
 ' Cursed, then, are they that league with thee/ 
 answered the Giant Kifri, ' thou son of fear, thou 
 wretch unworthy of such godlike support ! Was 
 it for thee, base coward, that Ollomand poured 
 forth his unnumbered stores; that the plains of 
 India were dyed with the blood of Desra, the mis- 
 tress of our race ? Be witness for me, earth ! this 
 reptile is unworthy of our assistance ; and to fight 
 for him is to league with Mahomet, to offer up the 
 blood of freedom on the false altars of faith. O 
 ye spirits of the brave, my soul is on fire to see so 
 many of our friends lie stretched on the plains ! 
 their blood, cursed and ill-fated coward, overwhelm 
 thy head ! ' As Kifri spake thus, his broad eye- 
 balls glowed like the red orb of day when covered 
 with dark fleeting clouds, and from his nostrils 
 issued forth the tempest and the flame. 
 
 In an instant he seized on the fear-shaken Ahu- 
 bal, as the vulture shuts within her bloody talons the 
 body of the affrighted trembling hare ; and, lifting 
 him high in the air, he dashed the wretched prince 
 against the rugged face of the mountains. The 
 blood of Ahubal ran down from the mountain's 
 side like the rain which is poured forth out of the 
 stormy cloud, and his mangled limbs, crushed by 
 the fall, hung quivering on the pointed rocks. 
 
 The death of Ahubal lessened not the fury of 
 Kifri ; but all that followed the unhappy prince 
 experienced his rage, till, glutted with blood, and 
 tired of his revenge, the monstrous giant sunk to 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. I99 
 
 rest, and stretched out his limbs upon the tops of 
 the mountains. But the sleep of Kifri was cum- 
 brous as his bod}', and the dreams of the giant 
 were as the thoughts of the enemies of God. In 
 the visions of the night came Ulin before him; 
 and the ghost of the murdered Happuck was in 
 the eye of his fancy. 
 
 6 Enemy of our race,' said they, ' where is he 
 who was to redeem our glory, and to revenge our 
 blood ? Where is Ahubal, of whom the dark saying 
 went forth, that none but our race could overpower 
 him ? The dark saying is now interpreted by thy 
 shameful deed, and the powers of enchantment are 
 at an end ! ' 
 
 The giant, disturbed at his visions, started up : 
 the moon rode high above the mountains, and the 
 trees of the forest looked broad with the shades of 
 night. He cast his black eyes to the south, and 
 saw the storm rolling forth in clouds ; the tempest 
 gathered around him, and poured its fury against 
 him. His long disordered locks streamed out like 
 the shattered canvass of the shipwrecked vessel. 
 The lofty pines rolled down the rocky precipices, 
 and the fragments of the mountains tumbled in 
 wild confusion at his feet. 
 
 The eyeballs of Kifri, inflamed with anger and 
 despair, appeared like two meteors in the storm ; 
 he viewed the war of elements with contempt, and 
 mocking Alia and Mahomet aloud, he said in a 
 voice of thunder — ' Kifri will no longer live the 
 slave of Alia upon earth, but will join his fate to 
 the fate of Ollomand his brother.' 
 
 So saying, the giant bent his body towards a huge 
 rock whereon he had slept, and straining his tough 
 sinews, tore up the mighty fragment from the 
 ground. The earth felt the shock, and its dark 
 entrails trembled; but Kifri, undismayed, threw 
 
200 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the wild ruin to the clouds. The labouring moun- 
 tain returned quickly on the rebellious head of the 
 giant, crushed him beneath its ponderous sub- 
 stance, and finished, by its descent the life and the 
 presumption of Kifri. The cities of India were 
 shaken by its fall, and the ocean ran back from the 
 shores of Asia : fear and dismay were on the in- 
 habitants of the east, till Alia sent his sun on their 
 borders, and enlightened the realms which his 
 favourites inherit. 
 
 The intelligence of Kifri's death was brought to 
 the Sultan by one of the followers of Ahubal, who, 
 at the first approach of the giant, had run from 
 his presence, and hid himself in a caye in the 
 rocks. 
 
 ' Horam,' said the Sultan, c our enemies are no 
 more ; seven are destroyed, and one weak woman 
 only remains : but since Kifri, the terror of Asia, 
 has fallen a sacrifice to the cause of Ahubal, and 
 since the rebel is himself destroyed, what has 
 Misnar more to fear ? However, let our army be 
 yet increased ; let trusty nabobs be sent into every 
 province, and nothing omitted which may preserve 
 the peace of my empire ; it is the part of prudence 
 to watch most, where there is the least appearance 
 of danger.' 
 
 The vizier Horam obeyed his master's command ; 
 and Misnar, having regulated his army, returned 
 in triumph to Delhi, his capital. 
 
 The Sultan, having restored peace to his king- 
 dom, began to administer impartial justice to his 
 subjects : and although the faith of Horam had 
 been often tried, yet Misnar chose not to rely al- 
 together on any but himself. 
 
 ' Vizier,' said the Sultan, as Horam was standing 
 before him, ' are my people happy ? it is for them 
 I rule, and not for myself; and though I take 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 201 
 
 pleasure in punishing the licentious and rebellious, 
 yet shall I ever study to gain the hearts of my 
 obedient subjects: a father's frown may restrain 
 his children, but his smile only can bless them. 
 Dost not thou remember, Horam r the story of Ma- 
 houd, the son of the jeweller? And how am I 
 sure, but even now private malice may be wreaking 
 as great cruelty upon some innocent person, as the 
 Princess Hemjunah suffered from the enchanter 
 Bennaskar ! ' 
 
 ' My Prince,' answered the vizier, 'the toils and 
 dangers of the war have never for a moment driven 
 from my mind the memory of that Princess, who, 
 with Mahoud, underwent the most odious trans- 
 formation, through the power of Ulin.' 
 
 c Nor have I,' answered the Sultan, ' forgot their 
 distress ; but the cares of my empire have hitherto 
 prevented my search after them. As to the Prin- 
 cess, she is possibly with her father at Cassimir; 
 but Mahoud is doubtless an inhabitant of Delhi, 
 where he lived before his transformation : there- 
 fore, vizier, give immediate orders that the re- 
 spective cadies of each division of the city, who 
 have the numbers and names of every inhabitant 
 within their district, be questioned concerning this 
 jeweller's son ; and let him to-morrow be brought 
 before me.' 
 
 The vizier Horam did as he was commanded, 
 and sent for all the cadies of the city, and ex- 
 amined them concerning Mahoud : but no one 
 could give any account of him. 
 
 The next morning Horam attended the divan, 
 and acquainted the Sultan with his fruitless 
 search. The Sultan was much dissatisfied at the 
 vizier's report ; and after he had answered the 
 petitioners and dismissed them, he sent again 
 for his favourite vizier. 
 
202 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 c Horam,' said the Sultan, ' my cadies are remiss 
 in their duty ; Mahoud is certainly hid in my city : 
 all is not right, Horam ; the poor son of the jewel- 
 ler would be proud to own that he was formerly 
 the companion of the Sultan of the Indies, though 
 in his distress : he had long ere this been at the 
 foot of my throne, did not somewhat prevent him.' 
 
 6 Prince of my life,' answered the vizier, ' if 
 Mahoud is in this city, he is doubtless disguised, 
 and has reasons to conceal himself: and how shall 
 thy officers of justice discover, among many mil- 
 lions, one obscure person, who is studious to con- 
 ceal himself ?' 
 
 ' In a well-regulated city,' answered the Sultan, 
 { every one is known ; and sound policy has al- 
 ways invented such distinctions as may prevent 
 the disguise of designing and wicked men. The 
 man who cannot give a just account of himself is 
 an enemy to society ; and it is no infringement on 
 the freedom of the honest, to oblige them, by their 
 dress and appearance, to show forth their manner 
 of life. They only need to conceal their actions 
 who are ashamed of their deeds ; and it behoves 
 the magistrate to place such in the sight of all 
 men. Secrecy and retirement are the handmaids 
 of sin : and the prince who would prevent both 
 private and public wrongs, should study to fix a 
 mark of distinction on all his subjects ; for vil- 
 lany loves the mask of hypocrisy, and evil-minded 
 men affect the appearance of the sanctified. But, 
 till my capital is better regulated, I mean to take 
 advantage myself of the confusion of my city, 
 and examine, in disguise, those private outrages 
 which are screened from the public eye of jus- 
 tice. Wherefore, Horam, procure two disguises 
 for yourself and me ; and let the emir Matserak 
 be sent ambassador to the Sultan of Cassimir, 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 203 
 
 to inquire after the welfare of the Princess 
 Hemjunah.' 
 
 The vizier, in obedience to the Sultan's orders, 
 sent the habits of two fakirs into the palace ; and 
 at evening the Sultan, accompanied by his vizier, 
 went forth in his disguise. As they passed 
 through the second street from the royal palace, 
 one habited like a fakir, with his horn, saluted 
 them, and asked them to partake of the alms 
 he had received. The Sultan readily accepted 
 his offer, lest the brother of his order should be 
 offended. 
 
 They immediately retired into a remote place, 
 and the strange fakir pulling out the provision he 
 had received, they began their repast. 
 
 ' Brother,' said the fakir to the disguised Sultan, 
 ' you are, I perceive, but a novice in your pro- 
 fession ; you are neither so free nor so ready as 
 I could wish; you have seen but little of life, 
 and you would be puzzled, were you to encounter 
 such wonders as I experienced but last night in 
 my approach to this city.' 
 
 ' What,' answered the Sultan hastily, f were 
 they ? Perhaps, brother, you mistake me ; pos- 
 sibly though not so communicative as yourself, 
 I may, nevertheless, be as brave and resolute.' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' answered the fakir, ' I begin to suspect 
 that you are no true brother ; you know we are 
 communicative among ourselves, but secret to the 
 world about us. What severities have you prac- 
 tised ? what scars of self-inflicted austerities have 
 you to show? By the faith which I profess, I will 
 hold no longer converse with you, unless you give 
 me some convincing proofs of the genuineness of 
 your profession ! ' 
 
 Here the vizier, perceiving the Sultan to be hard 
 pressed, interrupted the fakir, and said — ' holy 
 
204 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 fakir, but stranger to our tribe, whence comest 
 thou, that thou knowest not Elezren, the prince 
 of devotees in the city of Delhi, to whom the 
 emirs bow, and before whom the populace lie 
 prostrate as he passes : thou art, indeed, but newly 
 come to Delhi, since the fame of Elezren hath not 
 been sounded in thine ears.' 
 
 ' Brother,' answered the fakir, 6 the fame of 
 Elezren is not confined to Delhi alone, since all 
 Asia receives him as a saint : but where are the 
 silver marks of wisdom on his cheeks, and the 
 furrows of affliction, which are deep wrought in the 
 aged front of Elezren* the favourite of Heaven ? — 
 No, young hypocrites, age and experience are not 
 to be caught in the snares of youth, nor the saga- 
 cious elephant in the toils of the unwise : but 
 think not your idle presumption shall go unpun- 
 ished, or that the holiness and purity of our caste 
 shall be stained by the unhallowed mirth of a boy's 
 
 folly.' 
 
 At these words the fakir sprung from the ground, 
 and, running into the streets, he made the air 
 echo with his complaints. The mob, hearing that 
 two young men had personated the appearance of 
 the holy caste, crowded to the place where the 
 Sultan and his vizier sat trembling at their own 
 temerity, and were just about to tear them to 
 pieces when the vizier, stepping forward to meet 
 them* cried aloud — ' Slaves, presume not to ap- 
 proach your Sultan ! for know that Misnar, the 
 idol of his people, sits here disguised as a fakir.' 
 
 Luckily for the Prince, several of the foremost 
 were well acquainted with his features, or it is 
 probable the mob would have looked upon the 
 vizier's speech only as a device to prevent their 
 fury. But when the fakir perceived the foremost 
 of the crowd acknowledge Misnar as their Sultan, 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 205 
 
 and fall down before him, he endeavoured to 
 escape. 
 
 ' My friends,' said the Sultan, ' secure that 
 wretch, and suffer him not to escape; — and 
 Horam,' said he turning to his vizier, * let him 
 be confined in a dungeon this night, and to-mor- 
 row brought before me in the divan of justice.' 
 
 ' The words of my lord,' answered Horam, ' are 
 a law which cannot be changed. But let me be- 
 seech my prince to retire from the crowd.' 
 
 Misnar willingly did as Horam advised ; and the 
 people made way for him to the palace, crying out, 
 1 Long live Misnar, the pride of his slaves ! ' 
 
 The Sultan being returned to his palace with 
 his vizier ; — ' Horam,' said he, ' each man has 
 his part in life allotted to him ; and the folly of 
 those, who, leaving the right and regular path, 
 strike into the mazes of their own unconnected 
 fancy, is sufficiently seen from our adventure this 
 day : wherefore I would have every man endeavour 
 to fill his real character, and to shine in that, and 
 not attempt what belongs to another, in which he 
 can gain no credit, and runs a great hazard of 
 disgrace. — But as the examination of this fakir in 
 our public divan may rather increase than cover 
 our shame, I would have him brought before me 
 immediately, and with as little noise as possible. 
 Alas ! Horam, since the follies of princes are so 
 glaring, how cautious should we be in our deport- 
 ment and behaviour ! ' 
 
 The vizier obeying, went forth, and, in a short 
 time, brought the fakir bound in chains before the 
 Sultan. 
 
 The fakir advanced to the presence of the Sultan, 
 full of shame and fear, and, falling at his footstool, 
 cried out, ' I call Mahomet to witness, I slew not 
 the man in my wrath, but in mine own defence V 
 
206 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' What man ! ' said the Sultan, astonished at his 
 words ; ' whom hast thou slain, wicked fakir, 
 that thine own fears should turn evidence against 
 thee?' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' answered the fakir, ' hear me, most 
 injured lord; for the blood of my brother presseth 
 me sore. As I journeyed yesterday, and was ar- 
 rived within a league of the city of Delhi, I turned 
 me towards a place walled round, which I sup- 
 posed was the repository for the dead, and, find- 
 ing the gate open, I entered into it, intending to 
 shelter myself for a few minutes against the 
 scorching sun. As I entered, I perceived at one 
 end a stone sepulchre, whose mouth was opened, 
 and the stone rolled from it. Surprised at the 
 sight, I walked forward toward the vault, and 
 heard within the voices of several persons, At 
 this I was in doubt whether to proceed or retire, 
 supposing that some robbers had taken up their 
 residence there. In the midst of my confusion, a 
 young man, with a turban hanging over his face, 
 came out ; and seeing me, he drew his sabre, and 
 made toward me to kill me. Whereupon I took 
 up a large fragment of the wall which lay at my 
 feet, and as he came forward, I threw it, and felled 
 him to the ground ; then, running up, I snatched 
 the sabre from his hand, and would have destroyed 
 him ; but he cried out, saying — ' Take care what 
 thou doest, rash man ; for it is not one, but two 
 lives that thou takest away when thou destroyest 
 me !' 
 
 ' Amazed and confounded, how it was possible 
 for me to destroy two lives, by avenging myself 
 on one wretch, who, without offence, had meditated 
 my death, I stopped my hand; which the young 
 man seeing, he aimed to pull the sabre out of my 
 hand ; whereupon, avoiding his effort, and lifting 
 
. THE ENCHANTERS. 207 
 
 up the sabre above his head, I, at one blow, severed 
 it from his body. Immediately seeing the blood 
 start from his veins, I ran out of the enclosure, 
 fearing lest any one of his company should over- 
 take me ; and flew till I reached the city of Delhi, 
 where I subsisted that night and this day on the 
 alms of the faithful, till I met my Sultan and his 
 vizier in the habit of two fakirs.' 
 
 ' And what,' said the Sultan, c has made thee 
 thine own accuser, since the life you shed was in 
 your own defence ? ' 
 
 ' Pattern of the just ! ' answered the fakir, •" my 
 revenge on the young man made me not sorrowful, 
 as my conscience bears me witness I took not his 
 life till necessity and mine own preservation re- 
 quired it : but my mind is restless, because he 
 said, I should take two lives away when I de- 
 stroyed him; therefore I concluded that there was 
 some mystery in his fate, or that he prophesied, 
 in his last agonies, that his death should occasion 
 mine.' 
 
 ' If thy tale is true,' continued the Sultan, ' his 
 blood rests on his own head who was the aggressor : 
 but the story is so very singular, that I shall 
 detain thee till my vizier, and a party of sol- 
 diers, be sent to search the enclosure you have 
 mentioned.' 
 
 The vizier then gave orders for the guard to 
 mount their horses, and the curiosity of the Sultan 
 was so great, that, although it was night, he re- 
 solved to accompany the vizier. 
 
 In a short time, the guard being drawn up, the 
 Sultan and vizier mounted their coursers, and the 
 fakir was carried between two of the guards to 
 point out the scene of his encounter. 
 
 The party being arrived at the iron gate of the 
 enclosure, Horam, with ten of the guards, went in 
 
208 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 on foot, and marched with the fakir to the tomb 
 where he had heard the voices, and whence the 
 young man had issued forth. As they approached 
 to the tomb, they beheld the body of the young 
 man on the ground, and his head at a distance ; 
 which induced them to give more credit to the 
 fakir. 
 
 The guards entering the tomb, found no one 
 within; but at the upper end they saw a stone 
 case, supported by two blocks of black marble. 
 The stone case was covered with a flat marble, 
 which the guards could not remove from its place. 
 
 The vizier, being acquainted with these parti- 
 culars, returned to the Sultan, and related to him 
 what the guards had discovered. But Misnar, re- 
 collecting the many devices which the enchanters 
 had prepared to ensnare him, was doubtful what 
 course to take. 
 
 On a sudden the moon, which shone exceeding 
 bright, was overcast, and the clouds appeared of a 
 glowing red, like the fiery heat of a burning 
 furnace ; hollow murmurs were heard at a dis- 
 tance, and a stench arose of a putrid and suffo- 
 cating smell ; when, in the midst of the fiery 
 clouds, a black form appeared, of an hagged and 
 distorted female, furiously riding on a bulky and 
 unwieldy monster with many legs. 
 
 In an instant, the clouds to the east disappeared, 
 and the heavens from that quarter shone like the 
 meridian sun, and discovered a lovely graceful 
 nymph, the brightness of whose features expressed 
 the liveliest marks of meakness, grace, and love. 
 
 ? Hyppacusan,' said the amiable fair one, ad- 
 dressing herself to the hag, ' why wilt thou vainly 
 brandish thy rebellious arms against the powers of 
 heaven ? If the Sultan, though he be the favourite 
 of Alia, do wrong, the Mighty One, who delighteth 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 209 
 
 in justice, will make thee the instrument of his 
 vengeance on the offending prince. But know the 
 extent of thy power, vain woman ! and presume 
 not to war against the will of heaven, lest the 
 hattle of the faithful Genii he set in array against 
 thee, and thou he joined to the numher of those 
 who are already fallen.' 
 
 ' Proud vassal of light,' answered the enchantress 
 Hyppacusan, ' I fear not thy threats, nor the bright 
 pageants that surround thee ; war, tumult, chaos, 
 darkness, fear, and dismay, are to me more welcome 
 than the splendours of thy Master's heavens. 5 
 
 ' Graceless and abandoned wretch,' answered 
 the hright fair one, ' defile not thy Maker's crea- 
 tions by thy blasphemous tongue; but learn at 
 least to fear that Mighty One thou art not worthy 
 to honour ! ' 
 
 Thus saying, she blew from her mouth a vivid 
 flame, like a sharp two-edged sword ; which, en- 
 tering into the red clouds that surrounded Hyppa- 
 cusan, the hag gave a horrible shriek, and the 
 thick clouds rolling around her, she flew away to 
 the western darkness. The fair one then descend- 
 ing towards the Sultan, the brightness disappeared, 
 and Misnar, the vizier, and his guards, fell pros- 
 trate before her. 
 
 ' Arise, Misnar,' said she, ' heaven's peculiar 
 favourite ; and fear not to enter the tomb, w r here 
 the enchantments of Hyppacusan are now at an 
 end.' 
 
 The Sultan was about to answer ; but the fair 
 one led the w r ay to the tomb, and commanded the 
 Sultan to enter with her, and uncover the stone 
 case which stood at the upper end. As the lid was 
 removing, a sigh issued from the case, and a 
 beautiful lady arose, as from a deep sleep. 
 
 ' Lovely fair one,' said the Sultan, kneeling, 
 P 
 
210 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 c inform me whom it is my happy fate to release 
 from this wretched confinement ? ' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' answered the beauteous maid, c art thou 
 the vile Bennaskar ? 0, let me sleep till death, 
 and never more behold the wretchedness of life ! ' 
 
 ' What ! ' said the Sultan, starting from his 
 knees, ' do I behold the unfortunate Princess of 
 Cassimir ? ' 
 
 ' Illustrious Hemjunah,' said the vizier Horam, 
 as the Princess stared wildly about her, ' Misnar 
 the Sultan of India is before thee.' 
 
 1 Yes,' interrupted the fair spirit, e doubt not, 
 Hemjunah, the truth of the vizier Horam ; for be- 
 hold, Maconia, thy guardian Genius, assures thee 
 of the reality of what you behold.' 
 
 ' Helper of the afflicted,' answered the Princess 
 of Cassimir, ' doubt vanishes when you are present : 
 but wonder not at my incredulity, since my whole 
 life has been a false illusion before mine eyes. — 
 Alia, wherefore hast thou made the weakest the 
 most subject to deceit !' 
 
 ' If thou hast learnt humility from adversity, O 
 Hemjunah,' replied Macoma sternly, ' thou wilt 
 call to mind the faults which involved thee in these 
 misfortunes ; and bless the Goodness whose chas- 
 tisements were intended to open thine eyes to thine 
 own weakness. But if thou, short-sighted mortal, 
 wilt indeed question the wisdom of Alia, why go, 
 thou mirror of justice and understanding, and span 
 with thy mighty arms the numberless heavens of 
 the faithful ; weigh in thy just balance the wisdom 
 of thy Maker, and the fitness of his creation, and, 
 joined with the evil race, from whom I have pre- 
 served thee, rail at that goodness thou canst not 
 comprehend.' 
 
 * Spare me, just Genius,' answered the Princess 
 of Cassimir, ' spare the weakness of my disordered 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 2 1 1 
 
 head ; I confess the folly of my thoughts, but weak 
 is the offspring of weakness — ' 
 
 * True,' replied the Genius : ' but although you 
 are weak, ought you therefore to be presumptuous ? 
 Knowest thou not that the Sultan Misnar suffered 
 with you, because he despaired ? And now would 
 Hyppacusan return thee to thy former slumbers, 
 did not Alia, who has beheld thy former sufferings, 
 in pity forgive the vain thoughts of mortality.' 
 
 * Blessed is his goodness,' answered the Princess, 
 ' and blessed are his servants, who delight in suc- 
 couring and instructing the weak and distressed.' 
 
 ' To be sorry for our errors,' said the Genius, 
 'is to bring down the pardon of heaven; and 
 Hemjunah, though so long overpowered by the 
 powers of evil, is at length delivered by the good- 
 ness of Alia, and shall again be the peculiar charge 
 of her faithful Macoma.' 
 
 ' O kind and benignant Macoma ! ' answered the 
 Princess, ' may I never forfeit thy kindness by iny 
 own misconduct. But pardon thy servant's weak 
 terrors, and deign, ere you leave me, to say if the 
 wretch Bennaskar still lives ? ' 
 
 ' He lives no longer,' replied the Genius, c he 
 died by the hand of Hyppacusan. The young 
 man whose dead body and severed head were be- 
 held by Misnar, was Bennaskar, who, having by 
 some means offended his patroness, thus met with 
 his appropriate fate at her hands. And now, Sultan 
 of India,' continued Macoma, ' I leave the Princess 
 of Cassimir under your protection, in full assur- 
 ance that the delicacy of her sentiments will not 
 be offended by your royal and noble treatment of 
 her. But let an ambassador be immediately de- 
 spatched from your court, to inform her aged and 
 pious father of the safety of his daughter.' 
 
 ' The dictates of Macoma,' answered the Sultan, 
 P2 
 
212 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 bowing before her, ' are the dictates of virtue and 
 humanity, and her will shall be religiously obeyed.' 
 
 At these words the Genius vanished ; and the 
 Sultan bade part of his guards -return to Delhi, to 
 the chief of his eunuchs, and order him to prepare 
 a palanquin, and proper attendants to convey the 
 Princess of Cassimir to the royal palace. While 
 these preparations were making, the Sultan and his 
 vizier endeavoured to soothe and entertain the 
 Princess of Cassimir ; and though Horam was de- 
 sirous of hearing her adventures, yet the Sultan 
 would not suffer him to request Hemjunah's rela- 
 tion till she was carried to the palace, and refreshed 
 after her fatigues. 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs arrived in a short time, 
 and the Princess was conveyed, ere morning, to 
 the palace of Misnar, where the female apart- 
 ments were prepared for her reception, and a num- 
 ber of the first ladies of Delhi appointed to attend 
 her. The Sultan, in the mean time, having ordered 
 the fakir to be released, and sent out of the city, 
 entered the divan with his vizier, and having de- 
 spatched the complainants, retired to rest. 
 
 In the evening of the same day, the Princess 
 being recovered from her fatigue, sent the chief of 
 the eunuchs to the Sultan, and desired leave to 
 throw herself at bis feet, in gratitude for her escape. 
 The Sultan received the message with joy ; and 
 ordering Horam, his vizier, to be called, they both 
 went into the apartments of the females, where 
 the Princess of Cassimir was seated on a throne of 
 ivory, and surrounded by the slaves of the seraglio. 
 
 The Princess descended from her throne at the 
 approach of the Sultan, and fell at his feet; but 
 Misnar, taking her by the hand, — ' Eise, adorable 
 Princess,' said he, ' and injure 'not your honour by 
 thus abasing yourself before your slave.' 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 213 
 
 c Fame,' answered the Princess, ' which generally 
 increaseth the virtues of the great, can represent 
 but part of the merit of the Sultan of India.' 
 
 ' Could flattery,' answered the Sultan, ' be ever 
 pleasing to me, it must be from the mouth of the 
 Princess of Cassimir: but I mean to turn your 
 thoughts from me to a more worthy subject, where 
 you may safely lavish your praises, without fearing 
 to exaggerate. The lovely Hemjunah has pro- 
 mised to relate her wonderful adventures ; and 
 Horam, the faithful friend of my bosom, and our 
 former fellow-sufferer, is come to be partaker with 
 me in the charming relation.' 
 
 'Prince,' said Hemjunah, ( I shall not conceal 
 what you are so desirous of knowing.' 
 
 The Sultan then waved his hand, and the slaves' 
 withdrew. 
 
 THE HISTORY OP THE PRINCESS OF CASSIMIR I 
 
 AND THE CONCLUSION OF THE ADVENTURES OF MISNAR, 
 
 SULTAN OF THE EAST. 
 
 It is often (said the Princess of Cassimir) the fate 
 of the greatest, to have their private interest sacri- 
 ficed to the public good. Glory and honour in 
 your sex, O Prince, are motives which make this 
 sacrifice the less lamented ; but in ours, we have 
 no way of becoming useful to the public, but by 
 joining hands where hearts are rarely consulted. 
 Such was to have been my fate. At an early age, 
 my father proposed to marry me to the Prince of 
 Georgia. It was in vain that, when my mother 
 disclosed the fatal news to me, I urged my youth, 
 and my entire ignorance of the Prince or his 
 qualities. 
 
214 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' My child,' said Chederazade, ' to make ourselves 
 happy we must be useful to the world. The Prince 
 of Georgia has done your father great service in 
 the wars, and you are destined to reward his toils ; 
 all the subjects of Cassimir will look upon your 
 choice as a compliment to them, and they will 
 rejoice to see their benefactor blessed with the 
 hand of their princess.' 
 
 ' But, madam,' answered I, ' does the happiness 
 of my father's subjects require such a sacrifice in 
 me ? Must I live in a country to whose language 
 and manners I am a stranger ; must I be for ever 
 banished ; and must the realms of Cassimir look 
 upon me as a monster, whose absence alone can 
 effect their comfort and glory ? O, where will be 
 •the soft happiness of married life with such a 
 stranger ! ' 
 
 ' The idle dreams of love,' said my mother 
 Chederazade, ' were invented by the evil Genii, to 
 increase the number of the children of disobe- 
 dience ; sound reason and policy acknowledge no 
 such intruder ; and the strongest bands, either of 
 private or public societies, must be interest and 
 utility. These, Hemjunah, are sufficient reasons 
 to engage your compliance with your father's de- 
 sire ; and these will influence you, if prudence 
 and wisdom are the motives of your choice : and 
 if you want prudence, it is fit those who are able 
 to instruct you should also guide and direct your 
 actions.' 
 
 At these words Chederazade left me bathed in 
 tears, and trembling at my fate. 
 
 My nurse Eloubrou was witness to the hard 
 command my mother had imposed upon me, and 
 endeavoured to comfort me in my affliction ; but 
 her words were but as the wind on the surface of the 
 rocks ; and, to add to my griefs, in a few minutes 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 215 
 
 after, the chief of the eunuchs entered the seraglio, 
 and bade me prepare to receive the Sultan, my father. 
 
 The Sultan of Cassimir entering my apartment, 
 I fell at his feet. — 
 
 'Hemjunah,' said he, ' the Prince of Georgia is 
 my friend, and I intend to give to him my daughter 
 as his bride.' 
 
 Shocked at these successive declarations of my 
 fate, which I had reason to suspect the day before, 
 I fainted away ; and, when I recovered, found my- 
 self on a sofa, and Eloubrou lying at my feet. 
 
 ' My lovely Princess,' said Eloubrou, ' how 
 little am I able to see you thus ! and yet I fear the 
 news I have to impart to you may reduce you to 
 your former condition 1 ' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said I, '. nurse, what new evil has 
 befallen me ? what worse can happen than my 
 marriage with a stranger ? ' 
 
 ' Princess,' replied Eloubrou, my nurse, ' the 
 Prince has arrived ; nay, the ceremonies are pre- 
 paring, the changes of vestment, the dessert, and 
 the choral bands.' 
 
 ' Ah ! ' said I, ' nurse, cruel Eloubrou ! what 
 hast thou said ? Am I to be sacrificed this night 
 to my father's policy ? am I to be given as a fee to 
 the plunderer of cities and the destroyer of man ? 
 — for such are they whose profession is arms. 
 Oh, where shall I fly from this hateful union ! ' 
 
 ' Talk not of flying from the paternal roof,' 
 said the faithful Eloubrou, ' at least till other 
 means shall fail. See this Prince of Georgia, 
 avow to him your feelings, and if there be manli- 
 ness or honour in his breast, you will not be driven 
 to such a woful step. Alia gives his help to those 
 only who strive at least to help themselves.' 
 
 ' Oh, Eloubrou, my heart resists thy counsel/ 
 I exclaimed. 
 
2l6 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 * Most adorable Princess/ said a young female 
 slave who attended on Eloubrou, ' trust but to me, 
 and the Prince of Georgia shall in vain seek the 
 honour of your alliance.' 
 
 The faithful Eloubrou shrieked at the words 
 of the female slave, and endeavoured to clap her 
 hands, and to bring the chief of the eunuchs to 
 her assistance : but the female slave waved her 
 left hand, and Eloubrou, and the rest of the slaves, 
 stood motionless before her. 
 
 ' Most adorable Princess,' said she, ' I am the 
 friend of the distressed, and I love to prevent the 
 severe and ill-natured authority of parents : give 
 me your hand, and I will deliver you from that 
 monster the Prince of Georgia.' 
 
 * What ! ' answered I, ' shall I trust to a stranger, 
 whom I know not, and fly from my father's court ! 
 No—' 
 
 ' Well then,' said she, ' I hear the cymbals 
 playing before the Prince, and the trumpets and 
 the kettle-drums : farewell, sweet mistress of the 
 fierce and unconquerable Prince of Georgia.' 
 
 As she spake, the warlike music sounded in 
 my ears ; and not doubting but that the Prince 
 and my father were coming, I held out my hand to 
 the female slave, and said, — ' Save me, O save me, 
 from my father's frown ! ' 
 
 The slave eagerly snatched my hand ; and blow- 
 ing forth a small vapour from her mouth, it filled 
 the room, and we arose in a cloud. 
 
 The manner of my flight from my father's 
 palace I know not, as I immediately fainted : but 
 as soon as I recovered, I found myself in a mag- 
 nificent apartment, and a youth standing before 
 me. 
 
 ' Charming and adorable Hemjunah,' said he, 
 falling at my feet, ' may I hope that the service I 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 2 1 7 
 
 have performed, in delivering you from the Prince 
 of Georgia, will merit your attention ? ' 
 
 ' Alas ! ' said I, ' what service hast thou per- 
 formed ? — Who art thou, bold man, that durst 
 stand before the Princess of Cassimir ? — Elou- 
 brou,' said I, ' faithful Eloubrou ! where art thou? 
 Where is Picksag, the chief of my eunuchs ? where 
 are my slaves? where are the guards of the se- 
 raglio ? ' 
 
 ' Princess/ answered the young man, £ fatigue 
 not yourself with calling after them ; since they 
 are in the kingdom of Cassimir, and you are in 
 the house of Bennaskar, the merchant of Delhi : 
 — but not to keep you in suspense, O Princess ! 
 know, that I have for several years traded from 
 Cassimir to Delhi ; and although I never saw you 
 till lately, yet the fame of your beauty was so 
 great, that it touched the hearts of all the young 
 men in your father's kingdom. Every time I 
 arrived at, Cassimir, the subject of all conversation 
 was the adorable Princess Hemjunah ; encouraged 
 by the oracle, which declared that the lovely Hem- 
 junah' s hand might be sought by the lowborn as 
 well as the royal suitor— provided her own consent 
 be obtained-— endowed with wealth, and youth, and 
 accomplishments, I cast myself at your feet also 
 as your deliverer from a hateful marriage, and ask 
 your assent to our immediate union.' 
 
 ' Merchant,' I replied, recoiling at his words, 
 ' talk not so boldly. It would better become you 
 to apprise the Sultan of India of my arrival in his 
 dominions, that he may restore me under an escort 
 to my father's court.. Would I had never in an 
 evil hour wished to abandon it! Would I had 
 listened to the counsels of my faithful Eloubrou ! ' 
 
 ' Nay, fair Princess,' answered Bennaskar, ' be 
 not so imperious; recollect that you are at my 
 
2l8 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 disposal, and though your consent is necessary to 
 our union, there are means other than gentle ones 
 by which it may be obtained. A great enchantress 
 is my friend, and you know not what awaits you 
 if—' 
 
 ' Powers of goodness,' I exclaimed, ' befriend 
 me ! save me from a fate worse than that which I 
 fled ! Save me from Bennaskar, and the evil powers 
 he serves.' At these words the apartment shook, 
 and a majestic personage shrouded in a gentle 
 cloud descended into the midst of it. 
 
 1 Unhappy Princess of Cassimir,' said she, 
 'how has thy impatient rashness, thy want of 
 trust in those powers whom thou hast invoked, 
 weakened my power and destroyed thy safety ! 
 hadst thou listened to the sage counsel of thy 
 faithful Eloubrou— hadst thou, in short, done thy 
 part, and then called on Alia for help, thou wouldst 
 not have been here this night. But since thou 
 hast yielded thy sense of duty to the voice of a 
 false slave, the sorceress Ulin has triumphed over 
 thee and me. 5 
 
 'Then Hemjunah consents?' exclaimed Ben- 
 naskar. ' Her hand and her still more desired 
 wealth are mine ; if Macoma abandons her, Ulin 
 triumphs ; ' and he seized me by the arm. 
 
 1 Stop,' said the good Genius, approaching and 
 touching him with her wand, 'wretched slave of 
 ambition, think not that heaven will prosper the 
 wicked design of thy heart : though I am not per- 
 mitted to rescue the Princess, yet have I power 
 over thee, wretched tool of sin, and whenever you 
 look on the Princess, she shall become speechless, 
 and as a corpse before you/ 
 
 6 Ah 1 ' cried the enchantress Ulin (who that 
 moment entered the vaulted chamber from the 
 closet, — which, my Prince, you have heard de- 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 219 
 
 scribed by Mahoud), — ' what hast thou done, thou 
 enemy of our race ? Accursed and fatal neglect, 
 that I had not at first secured Bennaskar from thy 
 power ! But since the inexorable word is gone 
 forth, I will add to thy sentence. Here (continued 
 she, stamping with her foot, and an ugly dwarf 
 arose through a trap-door in the chamber), Nego, 
 be it thy business to attend upon my servant Ben- 
 naskar, and whenever thou seest that female de- 
 prived of sensation, do you bury her in the earth 
 beneath this chamber : and Bennaskar,' continued 
 the enchantress, ' do you take this phial, and 
 whenever you want to converse with this stubborn 
 female, let one of your slaves whom you can trust 
 pour part of the liquor into her mouth, and she 
 shall recover ; only retire yourself into the closet 
 that you be not seen of her, at least till she con- 
 sent to become your bride ; for then the enchant- 
 ments of Maeoma shall no longer prevail against 
 you.' 
 
 ' The enchantments,' said Maeoma, ' wretched 
 Ulin ! are not yet complete ; there is yet a moment 
 left, and both our power over Hemjunah and 
 Bennaskar will be at an end. Therefore, thus 
 shall it be: Although Bennaskar is possessed of 
 the Princess, yet shall these apartments be hidden 
 from the sight of all men, except on that day when 
 thy evil race prevails. On the full of the moon 
 only shall Bennaskar be able to explore these 
 rooms : and fear not, amiable Hemjunah,' said the 
 Genius, addressing herself to me; 'for neither 
 force nor enchantment shall throw you into the 
 power of Bennaskar, without your own consent ; 
 and although Mahomet, displeased at your late im- 
 prudence, for a time permits this enchantment, yet 
 at length, if you continue faithful and virtuous, he 
 will assuredly deliver you.' 
 
220 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 At these words Bennaskar turned towards me, 
 with anger and disappointment in his eye, and 
 immediately I was seized with a deep sleep, and 
 what passed afterwards I know not. I found my- 
 self awakened by the descent of some liquor in 
 my mouth, and saw a black slave standing before 
 me. At the same time the voice of Bennaskar 
 issued forth from the closet :-— 
 
 ' Ill-fated Princess Hemjunah! thy tyrant Genius 
 hath now hidden thee a month from my sight, 
 while thy friends Ulin and Bennaskar seek to 
 restore thee to light and to life. Say but therefore 
 that thou wilt yield to my will, and the enchant- 
 ments of Macoma will be destroyed.' 
 
 'Wretched Bennaskar!' answered X, 2 I knew 
 not that my sleep had continued a month : but if 
 it be so long since I saw the genius Macoma in 
 this chamber, I thank Mahomet that he hath so 
 long hidden me from the persecutions of Bennas- 
 kar.' 
 
 ' Haughty Princess ! ' answered the vile Ben- 
 naskar from the closet, ' my slave shall inspire 
 you with- humbler words.' Whereupon he ordered 
 the black slave to give me fifty lashes with the 
 chabouc. 
 
 But it is needless, Prince, to repeat the 
 various designs of that wretch : for three months 
 was I thus confined; and Bennaskar having ex- 
 ercised, through the hands of his slave, the 
 cruelties of his heart, used at length, when he 
 found me persist in my resolution, to come forth, 
 and by his- presence deprive me of sensation. The 
 adventures of the third month you have heard 
 from the mouth of Mahoud : I shall therefore 
 only continue my adventures from the time that 
 he left me with the book in my hand. 
 
 Bennaskar, seeing his friend Mahoud had left 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 221 
 
 him, went out, and soon returned again with him ; 
 and, taking him into the closet, in a moment came 
 forth, and touching me, he said, ' Come, fair Prin- 
 cess ; the enchantments of Macoma are now at an 
 end, and thou art given up entirely to the power 
 of Bennaskar.' 
 
 I shrieked at his words, hoping the cadi would 
 hear me ; but in vain : Bennaskar ran with me 
 through the vaulted roof, and I found myself with 
 him on a wide extended plain. 
 
 'Wretch,' said the genius Macoma, who that 
 moment appeared, ' hast thou dared to disobey my 
 commands, and to remove the Princess from the 
 vaulted chamber, where even thy mistress yielded 
 to my power ? But I thank thee : what the im- 
 prudent Mahoud could not accomplish against 
 thee, thou hast effected thyself. Be this thy 
 doom, unless some new imprudence or distrust 
 of Mahoud, or of Hemjunah, restore to thy sense- 
 less form the power of working them evil.' 
 
 As she spake, the features of Bennaskar shrunk, 
 his form became rigid, and I beheld a shapeless 
 mass of stone instead of the form of my persecu- 
 tor. On the stone was inscribed these words — 
 ' Thou canst never be released but by thy worst enemy. .' 
 I repeated the words ; then said I, ' Hemjunah is 
 safe for ever from her worst, her only foe, she has 
 surely learnt wisdom from sad experience of woe.' 
 While gazing with continued satisfaction on the 
 object before me, Ulin (whose existence in my 
 frenzied joy I seemed to have forgotten) stood 
 before me. 
 
 'Faithless child of Alia — unworthy pupil of 
 Macoma, and foolish as unworthy ! ' said she, 
 * thinkest thou that the senseless wretch before 
 us was thy only foe — thou hadst one within, in 
 thy own self-confidence and ingratitude, — the one 
 
222 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 liatli banished Macoma, who waited in vain to see 
 thee prostrate thyself before Alia — the other hath 
 thrown thee into my power; for Alia will not 
 stretch out his hand to save those who are con- 
 fident of their own strength. Go, then, proud 
 Princess ! assume the vile form of the vilest 
 reptile, nor think that Macoma will again inter- 
 fere to save thee ! ' 
 
 So short-lived, great Sultan ! was the tri- 
 umph of Hemjunah, and such the just consequence 
 of her ingratitude and vain confidence. Let me 
 draw a veil over my remembrance of the degraded 
 form in which you beheld me, and relate the events 
 which followed our restoration to our pristine form 
 — a restoration which took place on your victory 
 over the enchantress Ulin. No sooner had this oc- 
 curred than I found myself in the seraglio of my 
 father's palace : in the apartment from which I 
 was taken by the wicked enchantress, I beheld my 
 nurse Eloubrou ; she was prostrate on the ground, 
 and the palace was filled with her cries. 
 
 ' Faithful Eloubrou,' said I, ■ arise, and look upon 
 thy beloved Hemjunah : where is my royal father 
 Zebenezer, and the fond Chederazade, the mother 
 of my heart ? ' 
 
 Eloubrou, at my voice, started up like one 
 awakened from a trance. 
 
 ' What is it ? ' said she in emotion, ' what is it 
 I behold ! art thou the departed shade of my once- 
 loved Hemjunah V 
 
 6 No shade, beloved Eloubrou,' said I, running 
 to her, ' but the true Princess of Cassimir, whom 
 Misnar, the Sultan of India, hath rescued from 
 the enchantments of the wicked Ulin.' 
 
 '0 that thy royal mother,' said Eloubrou, 'were 
 like me, blessed with the sight of thy return ! ' 
 
 ' What,' said I, 'Eloubrou, what dost thou say? 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 223 
 
 Where then is the much-honoured Checlerazade ? 
 where is the dear parent of my life ? ' 
 
 'Alas/ said Eloubrou, 'who shall tell the dis- 
 mal tale to thy tender heart ! ' 
 
 1 Ah ! ' said I, ' is my beloved mother no more ? 
 Is she gone to seek her disobedient daughter over 
 the burning lake ? ' 
 
 At these words my spirits failed, and I sunk 
 motionless to the ground. But my lord must for- 
 give me, if I hasten over the dreadful scene that 
 followed. The report of Eloubrou was too true ; 
 Checlerazade, the dearest Checlerazade, had been 
 ten days dead when I was restored to my father's 
 palace ; and Zebenezer, distracted at the double 
 loss of his consort and his child, had shut himself 
 up in the tomb of my mother. Eloubrou hastened 
 to the tomb wherein my father poured forth his 
 tears, and acquainted the guards who watched with- 
 out, that I was returned. 
 
 The sorrowful Zebenezer, although he was re- 
 joiced at the news, resolved not to come forth out 
 of his consort's tomb till the month was expired, 
 according to his oath ; and gave orders, that dur- 
 ing that interval I should be obeyed by his sub- 
 jects. My mourning was not less severe than my 
 royal father's. I shut myself up in my apartments, 
 and would suffer none but Eloubrou to see me. 
 Nine days passed in silence ; our loss affected 
 both, and Eloubrou was as little disposed as my- 
 self to forget the cause of her griefs. On the 
 tenth morning Eloubrou was called out by the 
 grand vizier, who then had the command of my 
 father's kingdom. She returned in haste. — ' Prin- 
 cess of Cassimir,' said she, ' one who calleth him- 
 self Mahoud inquires for thee'; and the grand 
 vizier, understanding that he was instrumental in 
 your release, waits without to know your will.' 
 
224 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 At the name of Mahoud I started from my 
 reverie. — ' Mahoud,' said I, ' Eloubrou, deserves 
 my notice ; and the son of the jeweller of Delhi 
 shall be rewarded for his services to your mistress.' 
 
 ' Alas,' answered Eloubrou, ' my lovely mis- 
 tress is distracted with sorrows, and supposes the 
 Prince Mahoud to be the offspring of a slave ! ' 
 
 ' If he be a prince,' answered I, 'he has 
 hitherto concealed his circumstances and birth 
 from me ; or he is not that Mahoud whom I re- 
 member in the deserts of Tarapajan.' 
 
 ' That,' answ r ered Eloubrou, ' you will soon 
 discover w 7 hen you see him. But,' continued she, 
 'he desires a private audience.' 
 
 'Well, then,' replied I, 'introduce him, Elou- 
 brou ; but let my slaves be ready to enter at my 
 call.' 
 
 Eloubrou obeyed, and brought the merchant 
 Mahoud into my presence, and then retired. 
 
 Mahoud fell at my feet, and said : — ' Forgive, 
 loveliest creation of Alia ! my presumption in 
 approaching the throne of Cassimir, and that I 
 have added hypocrisy to my boldness, by assuming 
 the title of a prince, wiiich I confess I have no 
 pretensions to take upon me, nor abilities to sup- 
 port.' 
 
 ' What, then,' answered I, sternly, ' has in- 
 duced you to deceive my court ? ' 
 
 ' Let death,' said Mahoud, falling again before 
 me, ' let death atone for my crime : but first 
 permit me to explain the motives of my presump- 
 tion.' — 
 
 ' Proceed,' said I. 
 
 ' As soon,' continued Mahoud, ' as our unnat- 
 ural transformation was at an end, I perceived 
 myself in the capital of Delhi, near the very house 
 into which Bennaskar invited me : the sight of 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 225 
 
 that detested place gave wings to my feet ; and 
 I ran forward, indifferent where I went to avoid 
 that spot, till I came into the street wherein I had 
 spent my father's fortune. A crowd of attendants 
 waited at the house, which now was possessed by 
 a more fortunate inhabitant. Sick of the sight, I 
 flew onward, in hopes of finding, in a different 
 quarter, a place of rest: but, in turning a little 
 alley, I came out upon the area where the cadi 
 had condemned me to the flames. At the sight of 
 this place my blood curdled, and my hair stood on 
 end.— Ah ! said I, unhappy Mahoud ! the capital 
 of Delhi will renew thy distresses, by refreshing 
 thy memory with unfortunate scenes ; and as thou 
 hast no dependence here, since thy Sultan is with 
 his army in the field, why shouldst thou not join 
 thyself to the troops that daily march out of the 
 city ; and when thou art arrived at the camp, throw 
 thyself at the feet of the Sultan Misnar ? Full 
 of these thoughts, I advanced toward the royal 
 parade, and offered my services to - the captain of 
 one of the troops that were drawn out in the 
 square. The captain readily accepted my offer, 
 and I was enrolled among the number of my Sul- 
 tan's forces. Fortunately for me, the troop was 
 then drawn out in order to be sent to the main 
 army ; and being furnished with a horse, I went 
 with my companions, and, before night, we joined 
 the encampment. Immediately I flew toward the 
 royal pavilion, and fortunately met the vizier 
 Horam, with his attendants, going to the Sultan. 
 I threw myself at his feet, and told him who I 
 was : but the proud vizier spurned me from him 
 with his foot, and bade the guards chastise me.' — 
 Here the Sultan looked sternly at his vizier, and 
 Horam stood in silent amazement. The Princess, 
 although she saw the emotions of the Sultan and 
 
226 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 his vizier, yet still continued her adventures with- 
 out interruption. 
 
 Mahoud, said she, proceeded thus : 
 
 ' Seeing I had no hopes of favour or protection 
 from the vizier Horam, I flew to the royal tent, 
 and as the Sultan came forth to meet his vizier, I 
 fell prostrate before him ; but, alas ! the pride of 
 greatness casts a film over the eyes of all men. — 
 The Sultan Misnar, hearing me speak of his trans- 
 formation and my own, commanded his troops to 
 cast that liar forth out of the camp.' — 
 
 At these words the countenance of Misnar 
 changed : and he said, — ' Judge, Princess, from 
 the actions of Misnar, whether that rebel lied 
 before thee or not. When I heard from your 
 mouth that Horam had spurned him with his 
 foot, I was enraged at my vizier ; but now I am 
 convinced he has alike traduced us both.' 
 
 1 1 will not,' said the Princess Hemjunah, ' an- 
 ticipate my tale : the sequel will satisfy both my 
 Sultan and his vizier. 
 
 ' I was immediately,' continued Mahoud, ' car- 
 ried to the extremity of the encampment, and 
 turned out with hissings and abuse. I fled as 
 fast as my feet would permit, and in a few hours 
 joined a caravan, which fortunately for me was 
 journeying to Cassimir. During my journey 
 hither, Princess ! I lived on the alms of mer- 
 chants, and, at my arrival, found the capital in 
 confusion. — I heard that your royal father Zebe- 
 nezer was retired ; that my lovely Princess saw 
 none but Eloubrou, the partner of her afflictions ; 
 and that the vizier Hobaddan directed everything. 
 — Ah ! said I to myself, is there then no way of see- 
 ing the Princess but through the indulgence of her 
 prime vizier ? and what hope have I that he will 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 227 
 
 hearken to the tale of an unknown beggar, when 
 Horam would not acknowledge the brother of his 
 afflictions ! In this distress I knew not where to 
 turn ; but, happily, one saw my afflictions. A 
 merchant who was standing in his shop, and had 
 observed me lift up my eyes to heaven, called out, 
 and said, ( Young man, what is the cause of your 
 excessive afflictions?' — I looked round, and saw 
 the merchant; and, as I was going up to him, 
 fortune inspired me with a tale that softened his 
 heart. 
 
 ' 1 told him that I was a prince and well known 
 to you, glory of Cassimir ! and that if he would, 
 only for the space of one day, furnish me with a 
 proper habit and attendants to appear before you, 
 Princess, I would pay him tenfold for his kind- 
 ness. ' It is not likely,' said the merchant, ' that 
 a prince and a beggar should be one and the same 
 person : but, as I have taken the pains to inquire 
 into your affairs, I will furnish you as you desire, 
 upon condition that, if you are not what you say, 
 you shall go before the cadi, and bind , yourself to 
 me for ten years as my slave.' 
 
 1 Being hard pressed by penury and want, I readily 
 embraced the merchant's offer: we went before the 
 cadi ; I signed the conditions, that, being properly 
 furnished by the merchant to appear before the 
 Princess, if the Princess of Cassimir did not ac- 
 knowledge me to be Prince Mahoud, and her 
 deliverer in the afflictions she had lately experi- 
 enced, I would submit to be the merchant's slave 
 for ten years. This being executed, the merchant 
 procured me the robes in which I now stand before 
 my Princess, and slaves to attend me ; and by his 
 interest with the vizier, I was introduced into your 
 presence : and now, Princess, unless you favour 
 Q2 
 
228 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 my innocent deceit, by which alone I was able to 
 obtain a sight of my benefactress, I must return 
 from your presence into the chains of slavery, and 
 be exposed to the scoffs of ignominy/ 
 
 ' There is no occasion,' said I, ' of giving you a 
 false title, Mahoud ; I will send for the merchant, 
 and buy off your ten years' slavery, and give you 
 sufficient to live creditably as a merchant.' — 
 
 ' Alas ! ' answered Mahoud, ' the cunning mer- 
 chant, Princess, will never know how to ask 
 enough for my redemption, when he finds I am fa- 
 voured by the Princess of Cassimir : and if he 
 should, I shall become the joke and contempt of 
 the merchants, who will neither give me credit nor 
 countenance.' 
 
 ' Well, then,' said I, ' poor merchant, since you 
 are so unwilling to part with your newly-assumed 
 honours, be a prince.' Then, clapping my hands, 
 Eloubrou appeared, and I said, ' Eloubrou, let the 
 Prince Mahoud be lodged in my father's palace, 
 and let a proper number of slaves attend him ; and 
 do you acquaint the vizier with his quality.' 
 
 Eloubrou did as I commanded ; and Mahoud, 
 full of joy, fell down at my feet, and kissed the 
 hem of my garment. 
 
 ' Prince,' said I, ' arise ; and Eloubrou shall 
 conduct you to my father's palace.' 
 
 A few days' experience made me repent my folly 
 in giving credit to the falsities of Mahoud : for the 
 insolent merchant got proud of his newly-assumed 
 honours, and soon forgot that his title was only the 
 phantom of his own brain. He came daily, and 
 was introduced to me, and every time assumed 
 greater state ; till at last he dared to declare his 
 passion for me, and talked of asking my father's 
 consent, as soon as the days of his sorrow should 
 be accomplished. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 229 
 
 Astonished at his insolence, I bade him depart 
 from my presence; which he did with difficulty, 
 muttering revenge as he went. 
 
 As soon as he was gone forth, I acquainted 
 Eloubrou with Mahoud's story, his ridiculous and 
 insolent behaviour, and that he had even dared to 
 threaten me with revenge. ' The threats of Mahoud/ 
 said Eloubrou, ' are of little consequence; but the 
 conduct of Hemjunah should be without reproach. 
 Suffer me, my Princess,' continued this faithful 
 friend, ' to deliver to you the sentiments of my 
 heart : — when you sought to release the merchant 
 from slavery, you showed a royal gratitude for his 
 services; but when you consented to become a 
 partner in his base design of imposing on the 
 world, you offered him the means of insulting you. 
 Love and presumption united cannot distinguish 
 the valley from the mountain ; and the ass crops 
 alike the thistle or the rose : if Mahoud dared first 
 assume honours that did not belong to him, what 
 should prevent his more aspiring thoughts '? They 
 that will not destroy the weed before it produces 
 the stalk and the pod, shall not prevail against it 
 when it scatters forth its seeds, and gives its pro- 
 geny to be dispersed by the winds.' 
 
 As Eloubrou delivered this instruction before 
 me, one of the slaves entered the apartment, and 
 gave me notice that Zebenezer, my father, expected 
 me in the tomb immediately. I put on the solemn 
 veil, and followed the guard to the tomb of Cheder- 
 azade, the favourite of Alia. I entered the lonely 
 mansions of the dead with fear and trembling ; and 
 at the upper end of the vaulted tomb, saw my 
 father kneeling before the embalmed corse of the 
 parent of my life. 
 
 ' Unhappy Hemjunah/ said the aged form, ' come 
 
23O TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 hither, and behold the sad remains of my dearest 
 Chederazade.' 
 
 ' Although my heart sunk with grief, and my 
 limbs tottered, yet I essayed to reach the place 
 where Chederazade lay embalmed, and fell at the 
 feet of my father Zebenezer. 
 
 ' Rise,' said he, ' O daughter ! ' and caught me 
 suddenly in his arms : when, fearful sight ! I 
 perceived his visage alter, and that the villanous 
 Mahoud had seized me. 
 
 Struck with] horror and despair, I essayed to 
 cry out ; but in vain ; my voice was fled, and the 
 power of speech was taken from me. 
 
 ' No,' said he, with a fierce air ; l resistance, 
 haughty and prudent Princess, will now avail you 
 nought, for I seek not now consent to our union, 
 but revenge. Not Mahoud but Bennaskar stands 
 before you ! No longer the cold and shapeless 
 stone you left him ; but, thanks to the impotent 
 avarice of Mahoud, and to the good-will of the 
 enchantress Hyppacusan, restored to life ! and, 
 thanks to the triumph of vanity and self-confidence 
 over truth and prudence in Hemjunah's mind, to 
 the power of vengeance. 
 
 ' When the base Mahoud listened to the dreams 
 of slothful avarice, and neglected the calls of duty 
 which should have led him to join the followers of 
 his once rightful but deposed Sultan to the field, 
 the Genius Macoma abandoned him ; and Hyppa- 
 cusan, the friend of the destroyed Ulin, deceived 
 him into the belief that the treasure of Bennaskar 
 lay hid beneath the marble stone into which he 
 had been transformed. I stay not to tell how the 
 once slothful slave laboured till he had accomplished 
 his task, and undermined the mighty column. It 
 fell ! — he had worked deliverance to his friend and 
 ruin to himself; it crushed the sordid wretch, who 
 
THE ENCHANTEKS. 23 1 
 
 sought its hidden treasure, and Bennaskar started 
 into light. 
 
 ' My triumph was at hand : — under the garb of 
 Mahoud, I sought indeed at first to woe her, but 
 her pride defeated and changed my gentler purpose. 
 I sought once more the powerful aid of Hyppacu- 
 san, by whose means I entered this tomb invisibly, 
 and by whose enchantments I overpowered Zebe- 
 nezer ; and then, assuming his person, sent for 
 my Princess, and she came obedient to my call. 
 No longer as her humble suitor I now appear before 
 her. Both love and ambition, in great minds, 
 yield to the thirst of vengeance. Till Hemjunah 
 sues for pardon, and seeks with tears the hand of 
 Bennaskar, she dwells in this tomb ; dead to the 
 world, yet conscious of life.' 
 
 The wretch then showed to me my father Zebe- 
 nezer, whom, by the power of Hyppacusan, he had 
 deprived of all sensation, and who lay extended 
 within a sarcophagus of black marble. Another 
 was placed by his side, as yet untenanted. He 
 pointed to it, and, thinking I wavered, paused. I 
 shook my head — a woman's hand waved before me. 
 I heard no more. What time has elapsed since, I 
 know not ; but, noble Sultan ! Alla's instrument 
 
 of deliverance to me, my father 
 
 ' Princess,' said the Sultan, 'we rejoice at your 
 escape. For your royal sire, we will beseech Ma- 
 coma to hear our petitions, and deliver him from 
 the chains of enchantment.' 
 
 The Sultan then sent officers to search in the 
 tomb for the body of Zebenezer ; and also called 
 together those who were skilled in magic, and de- 
 sired them to use incantations to invoke the Genius 
 Macoma to their assistance. But the arts of the 
 magicians were vain, and Macoma remained deaf 
 to the entreaties of the Sultan and his sages. 
 
232 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 In the mean time, while the Sultan and his 
 vizier Horam endeavoured to comfort the afflicted 
 Hemjunah, the ambassadors returned from Cas- 
 simir, bringing advice that the grand vizier Hobad- 
 dan had assumed the title of Sultan, and that 
 the whole kingdom of Cassimir acknowledged his 
 authority. 
 
 At this report, Hemjunah sunk motionless on 
 the earth ; and the Sultan Misnar ran to comfort 
 her, declaring that he would march his whole army 
 to recover her dominions from the rebel Hobaddan. 
 
 ' Horam,' said the Sultan, ' let us be prudent as 
 well as just: therefore, while you march to the 
 assistance of the injured subjects of Cassimir, and 
 to restore that kingdom to its lawful prince, I will 
 keep strict discipline and order in the provinces of 
 my empire : and I trust, in a short time, I shall 
 see you return with the head of the rebel Ho- 
 baddan.' 
 
 The vizier Horam set out in a few days from 
 Delhi, with three hundred thousand troops of the 
 flower of the Sultan's army; and, by forced marches, 
 reached the confines of Cassimir ere the pretended 
 Sultan Hobaddan had notice of his arrival. 
 
 The vizier Horam's intention to restore the 
 Princess Hemjunah to the throne of her forefathers 
 being proclaimed, numbers of the subjects of Cas- 
 simir nocked to the standard of Horam ; and the 
 army, being now increased to five hundred thousand 
 troops, marched towards the capital of Cassimir. 
 
 Hobaddan having notice of the increase and 
 progress of his enemies, and finding that to engage 
 them upon equal terms was vain, sent an embassy 
 to the vizier Horam, assuring him that he and his 
 whole army would surrender themselves up to the 
 mercy and clemency of his master's troops. Horam 
 rejoiced at the success of his march, and desirous 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 233 
 
 of regaining the kingdom of Cassimir without 
 bloodshed, sent an assurance to Hobaddan in an- 
 swer, that if he fulfilled his promise, his own life 
 should be saved. 
 
 The next morning Hobaddan appeared at the 
 head of his troops, with their heads dejected, and 
 their arms inverted toward the ground; and in this* 
 manner they came forward to the front of the 
 vizier Horam's army. 
 
 Horam, the more to encourage the submission 
 of Hobaddan, had placed the troops which he had 
 raised in the kingdom of Cassimir in the front of 
 his army ; and also to secure them from retreating 
 by the support which his own troops were to give 
 them in the rear. 
 
 When Hobaddan was come within hearing, in- 
 stead of throwing his arms on the ground, he un- 
 sheathed his scimitar, and thus spake to the troops 
 before him : — 
 
 ' Brethren, and countrymen, whom the same 
 fathers begat, and whom the same mothers brought 
 forth ; suffer me to speak what my affection to you 
 all, and my love for my country, requires me to 
 say. Against whom, O my brethren! is this array 
 of battle ; and whose blood seek ye to spill on the 
 plains which our forefathers have cultivated? Is 
 it our own blood that must be poured forth over 
 these lands, to enrich them for a stranger's benefit? 
 Is it not under pretence of fighting for the Princess 
 of Cassimir who has been long since dead, that 
 the Sultan of India's troops are now ravaging, not 
 on our borders only, but penetrating even into the 
 heart of our nation? But suppose ye that the 
 conquerors will give up the treasures they hope to 
 earn by their blood? Will they not rather, in- 
 vited by the fruitfulness of our vales and by the 
 rich produce of our mountains, fix here the ever- 
 
234 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 lasting standards of their arms, and make slaves 
 of us, who are become thus easily the dupes of 
 their ambitious pretences ? Then farewell con- 
 tent ! farewell pleasure ! farewell the well-earned 
 fruits of industry and frugality ! Our lands shall 
 be the property of others, and we still tied down 
 by slavish chains to cultivate and improve them. 
 Our houses, our substance, shall be the reward 
 of foreign robbers ; our wives and our virgins shall 
 bow down before conquerors ; and we, like the 
 beasts of the field, be driven in the scorching mid- 
 day to the furrow or the mine.' 
 
 As Hobaddan began to utter these words, Horam, 
 astonished at his malice and presumption, ordered 
 the archers who attended him to draw forth their 
 arrows, and pierce him to the heart : but the 
 weapons of war were as straws on the armour of 
 Hobaddan, and he stood dauntless and unhurt 
 amidst ten thousand arrows. 
 
 ' Friends and brethren ! ' continued Hobaddan, 
 'you see the powers above are on our side; the 
 arrows of Horam are as chaff on the plain, and as 
 the dust which penetrates not the garments of the 
 traveller. Halt not, therefore, your ready judg- 
 ments, which incline you to embrace what nature 
 and your own security dictate ; but join your arms 
 to the defender and supporter of your liberties and 
 your possessions.' 
 
 At these words the recruits of Horam filed off 
 in a body, and joined the party of Hobaddan; 
 while the pretended Sultan, elated at his success, 
 pushed forward to the vizier Horam' s troops, and 
 charged them with the utmost impetuosity. The 
 weapons of the brave were foiled by the armour of 
 Hobaddan : for the enchantress Hyppacusan, stu- 
 dious of diverting the attention of the Sultan 
 Misnar, had assisted Hobaddan with her counsel, 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 235 
 
 and with invulnerable arms : wherefore, seeing 
 their labour vain and fruitless against the pre- 
 tended and unconquerable Sultan, the hearts of 
 Horanrs warriors melted within them, and they 
 fell away from the field of battle, as the birds 
 of the air retreat before the whistling husband- 
 man; and Hobaddan, sensible of his advantage, 
 hastened after the troops of Horam all the day and 
 all the night; and the vizier himself barely escaped 
 with his life, having none left behind him to send 
 to Delhi with the unhappy report of his defeat. 
 
 But malicious Fame, ever indefatigable in repre- 
 senting the horrors of affliction and distress, soon 
 spread her voice throughout the regions of Delhi, 
 and Misnar heard from every quarter, that his 
 faithful Horam, and all his chosen troops, were 
 defeated or cut off by the victorious arm of Hobad- 
 dan. The Princess Hemjunah gave up herself to 
 sighs and tears, and refused the comfort and con- 
 solation of the court of Delhi; and the Sultan 
 Misnar, enraged at his loss, resolved to assemble 
 the greatest part of his troops, and march to the 
 assistance of Horam. But first he gave orders 
 that recruits should be raised, and that the number 
 of his troops should be increased ; and then, 
 mixing his young raised soldiers with the veterans 
 of his army, he left one half of his troops to 
 guard his own provinces, and with the other he 
 marched toward the confines of Cassimir. 
 
 The vizier Horam had concealed himself in 
 the hut of a faithful peasant, and, hearing that his 
 master was arrived with a numerous army in the 
 kingdom of Cassimir, he went forward and met 
 him, and falling down at his feet, besought his 
 forgiveness. 
 
 ' Horam,' said the Sultan, * arise ; I forgive 
 thee, although thou hast lost so many of my 
 
236 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 troops : but I little suspected Hobaddan had been 
 too artful for the experience and sagacity of my 
 vizier. However, Horam, he must not expect to 
 deceive us again ; we are more in number, and we 
 are aware of his deceit. You, Horam, forced your 
 marches, and weakened your troops ; but I will 
 bring them onwards slowly and surely. Have we, 
 O Horam, prevailed against Ulin and Happuck, 
 and Ollomand, and Tasnar ; have we crushed Aha- 
 back and Desra by our prudent arts ; and shall we 
 fear the contrivance of a poor vizier, who leads a 
 few rebels among the rocks of the province of 
 Cassimir ? Let us but use prudence with resolu- 
 tion, and these enemies must soon fade away, like 
 the shadow that flieth from the noontide sun.' 
 
 The two armies of the Sultan of India and the 
 pretended Sultan of Cassimir approached each 
 other ; and the troops of Misnar were pleased to 
 hear that their number was treble the number of 
 their enemies. But, however great their superiority 
 might be, the Sultan Misnar and his vizier kept 
 the most exact discipline among them, and be- 
 haved as if they were about, to engage a superior, 
 and not an inferior force. 
 
 For some time, the armies continued within 
 sight of each other, neither choosing to engage 
 without some superiority of circumstances, and 
 both watchful to prevent that superiority. At 
 length, the Sultan, observing a weakness in the 
 left wing of Hobaddan's army, caused by sickness, 
 as they were encamped near a morass, gave orders 
 for a furious attack upon the front, but directed 
 the main effort to be made against that wing. 
 But the Sultan's intentions were defeated ; for 
 Hobaddan, commanding not in the centre, as was 
 expected, but in the left wing, with a chosen troop 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 237 
 
 lie had conveyed there the very morning of the 
 engagement, totally defeated those who were sent 
 to oppose him. The troops to the right of the 
 Sultan's army giving way, put all in confusion ; 
 and the unwieldy number of Misnar's forces, in- 
 stead of regularly supporting them, poured toward 
 the right in such tumult as destroyed the whole 
 disposition of the army. 
 
 During this confusion, Hobaddan hewed down 
 on all sides those who dared oppose his arms ; 
 and his chosen troop followed him over mountains 
 of the slain, every one flying through fear at the 
 terror of his presence. The Sultan and his vizier 
 Horam, finding it in vain to rally their troops 
 or oppose the conquerors, sounded a retreat ; and, 
 amidst the general confusion, fled toward the sandy 
 deserts which divide the realms of Cassimir from 
 the province of Delhi. But the prudent Sultan, 
 in his flight, endeavoured to restore to his troops 
 their rank and order ; and while Horam reduced 
 the foot under their proper banners, Misnar regu- 
 lated the confusion of the horse, and placed them 
 as a covering to the rest of his forces. In this 
 manner they marched before the face of their 
 enemies into the desert, without any provision or 
 forage but what they carried with their accoutre- 
 ments : and although the Sultan and his vizier 
 used every argument to persuade their troops, who 
 still exceeded the number of their enemies, to 
 turn and pursue the army of Hobaddan ; yet so 
 great was their dread of the victorious rebel and 
 his forces, that they threatened to throw down 
 their arms, rather than return to the battle. 
 
 Seeing all his endeavours to inspire his men with 
 courage ineffectual, the Sultan travelled onward with 
 them into the desert, as one given up to certain 
 
238 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and unavoidable destruction ; and his looks on 
 Horani were like the looks of him who seeth the 
 hand of death on the children of his strength. 
 
 After two days' march, they halted beside several 
 small pools ; and such was the excessive drought 
 of Misnar s army, that many perished before they 
 could be prevailed upon to quit the refreshing pools 
 of the desert. These, indeed, thought of little 
 more than present relief; but Misnar, their lord, 
 was overwhelmed with the severest pangs of afflic- 
 tion and distress. To increase their griefs, if they 
 were capable of increase, scouts brought word that 
 the troops of Hobaddan, being refreshed after their 
 fatigues, were marching towards them, intending 
 to destroy them, while they were faint with want of 
 provision. The army of the Sultan, terrified by 
 the report, and seeing no hopes of escape, fell upon 
 the wretched Sultan Misnar and his faithful vizier, 
 and bringing them into the centre of the troops, 
 they demanded their blood as an atonement for the 
 losses they were about to suffer in their cause. 
 
 The ringleader of this general mutiny was Ourodi, 
 the ancient enemy of the faithful Horam ; who, 
 standing foremost in the ranks, commanded the 
 archers to bind their Sultan and vizier to a stake. 
 The Sultan, seeing all his hopes defeated, and the 
 rage of the multitude, knelt down, and commended 
 his cause to the all-powerful Alia. 
 
 And now, the archers were about to bend their 
 bows, and fit the deadly shafts to their bowstrings ; 
 when a luminous appearance was discovered to the 
 eastward, and the outskirts of the army saw a female 
 in robes of light travelling over the sands of the 
 desert. In a moment she passed through the ranks 
 of the army, and stood in the circle who were 
 gathered around to see the execution of the Sultan 
 and his vizier. 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 239 
 
 ' Misnar,' said the favourite of heaven, ' arise and 
 fear not those sons of clay, nor the malice of en- 
 chantment : I am thy Genius Macoma, sent by 
 Mahomet to save and deliver thee, when human 
 assistance was vain and impossible. — Therefore/ 
 continued the Genius, ' assume thy just command 
 over these thy subjects, and let them all fall pros- 
 trate on the ground to Alia, and wait to see the fate 
 of those who fight against the Prophet of the 
 Faithful. But first learn, from thine own experience, 
 the folly of trusting even to the greatest human 
 power or prudence, without an affiance in the Lord 
 of heaven. The world, Misnar, is Alla's, and 
 the kingdom of heaven is the work of his hands : 
 let not, therefore, the proudest boast, nor the most 
 humble despair : for, although the towering moun- 
 tains appear most glorious to the sight, the lowly 
 valleys enjoy the fatness of the skies. But Aha 
 is able to clothe the summits of the rocks with 
 verdure, and to dry up even the rivers of the vale. 
 "Wherefore, although thou wert suffered to destroy 
 the greatest part of thine enemies ; yet one was 
 left to overpower thee, that thou mightest know 
 that thou wert but a weak instrument in the hands 
 of Strength.' 
 
 ' I know,' answered the Sultan Misnar, ' that 
 Alia is able to dissolve this frame of earth, and 
 every vision of the eye ; and therefore not the 
 proudest nor the most powerful can stand against 
 Him.' 
 
 As the Sultan spake this, the opposite army of 
 Hobaddan appeared upon the face of the sandy 
 desert. 
 
 * Although his powder be infinite,' said the Genius, 
 1 yet can he effect these changes with the most 
 unexpected causes. To him the ant and the giant 
 are alike. — But I will not waste that time in words 
 
240 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 wliicli I am commanded to employ in action, to 
 convince both you and your army of the sovereignty 
 of Alia. Therefore, suffer no man to rise from the 
 earth, or to quit their places ; but lift up your 
 heads only, and behold those enemies destroyed, 
 before whom you fled, as the inhabitants of the 
 earth before the noisome pestilence.' 
 
 So saying the Genius Macoma waved her wand, 
 and instantly the air was darkened, and a confused 
 noise was heard above the armies of Misnar and 
 Hobaddan. 
 
 For some hours the Sultan's troops knew not 
 the cause of the darkness that overshadowed them ; 
 but in a little time the light returned by degrees, 
 and they looked toward the army of Hobaddan, 
 and saw them overwhelmed with innumerable lo- 
 custs. 
 
 4 Thine enemies,' said Macoma, ' Sultan, are 
 no more ; save the enchantress Hyppacusan, who 
 at present personates the rebel Ourodi.' 
 
 ' The glory of extirpating her infernal race,' said 
 the vizier Horam, bowing before the Genius Macoma, 
 ' belongs to my Sultan ; otherwise Horam would 
 esteem himself the happiest of mankind in her de- 
 struction.' 
 
 ' That glory you speak of,' answered the Genius 
 Macoma, ' is given to another : a fly is gone forth, 
 the winged messenger of Alla's wrath, and at this 
 moment bereaves the vile Hyppacusan of her breath 
 and of her life.' 
 
 The vizier Horam held down his head at the 
 just reproof of the Genius ; but the words of her 
 reproof were the words of truth : for an account 
 was brought, that the rebel Ourodi was suddenly 
 dead, being strangled by some impediment in his 
 throat; and that, at his death, his figure was 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 24 1 
 
 changed into the appearance of a deformed en- 
 chantress. 
 
 ' Although your enemies, Misnar, are no more/ 
 said the Genius, * yet the assistance of Alia is as 
 necessary for your support as for their defeat: 
 wherefore he hath given life to the springs of the 
 desert ; and your troops will find such refreshment 
 from them, that you may safely march over the 
 sandy plains : and to add to your happiness, the 
 old Sultan Zebenezer, being released from the en- 
 chantments of Hyppacusan, waits, with his daugh- 
 ter Hemjunah, your safe arrival ; and knows not as 
 yet those wonders, which I leave to your prudence 
 to reveal to him.' 
 
 The Sultan Misnar well understood the mys- 
 terious speech of the Genius Macoma ; but, before 
 he or his troops tasted of the pools, or pursued 
 their march, he commanded them to fall down 
 before Alia, the only lord of the world. 
 
 The troops, having done reverence to Alia, were 
 desirous of repeating it before Misnar, to ask his 
 forgiveness ; but the modest Sultan would not per- 
 mit them. — ' It is no wonder,' said he, ' the sheep 
 go astray, when the shepherd himself is bewildered 
 on the mountains. Let us make,' said he, ' Alia 
 and his Prophet our guide and defence ; and then 
 neither presumption nor rebellion shall lead us 
 into error.' 
 
 The unexpected change reached not the court of 
 Delhi till the troops were within a few days' march 
 of the city : and Zebenezer and Hemjunah were 
 but just prepared to meet the Sultan Misnar, when 
 he entered the gates of the palace. As Misnar 
 advanced toward the aged Zebenezer, the good old 
 man started with surprise, and cried out, — ' O 
 Mahomet, is it possible, that the Sultan of India, 
 B 
 
242 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 and the Prince of Georgia, should be one and the 
 same ! ' 
 
 The Princess Hemjunah was amazed and con- 
 founded at her father's speech, and she fell on his 
 aged face, and hid, in his arms, the blushes that 
 overspread her. 
 
 ' What you suspect, my royal friend,' said Misnar, 
 6 is true ; I am, indeed, the man who passed in 
 Cassimir for the Prince of Georgia. I beseech 
 thee, O Zebenezer, forgive my deception.' 
 
 ' You have no forgiveness,' said the aged Zebe- 
 nezer, ' O Sultan, to ask from me.' 
 
 ' Indeed,' answered the Sultan, ' my title was 
 just : my royal father Dabulcombar, being treach- 
 erously advised by those who wished to place his 
 younger son Ahubal on the throne, commanded 
 me to travel, and gain renown and experience in 
 arms ; and, to conceal my importance, gave me the 
 title of Prince of Georgia. In this disguise, I came 
 to the royal court of Cassimir, and engaged in your 
 service, O venerable Sultan ; and Alia sent his 
 blessings on us : your enemies were put to flight ; 
 and your subjects, who favoured me, gave the credit 
 of the defeat to my arms. Hearing that you in- 
 tended me the honour of an alliance with your 
 illustrious family, I resolved first to see the Prin- 
 cess Hemjunah, whom I heard you had confined, 
 being warned from an ancient prophecy, that a 
 stranger should deprive you of her. I saw the 
 Princess by means of one of her slaves ; and Hem- 
 junah, my lovely Hemjunah, from that moment took 
 possession of my heart. I was earnest, therefore, 
 with you to propose the nuptials, and was to have 
 been introduced to the Princess the very day in 
 which I received advice that my Lord Dabulcombar 
 was drawing near unto his Prophet. In expecta- 
 tion of demanding your daughter, as the Sultan of 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 243 
 
 India, and not as an obscure prince, I journeyed to 
 Delhi, and was early enough, to see my royal sire 
 ere he departed. 
 
 ' Son,' said he, ' evil threatens your reign : extri- 
 cate^ therefore, yourself from danger, before you 
 involve others in your ruin.' 
 
 ' Mindful of my father's words, I resolved to 
 quell the commotions of the empire before I made 
 myself known to the Sultan of Cassimir : but Alia 
 has so wound the string of our fates together, that 
 it is needless to repeat the rest of my adventures. 
 Only the Princess must forgive me this, that hear- 
 ing she had been taken away from her father's 
 court, I was resolved to conceal my interest in her 
 affairs till I was sensible that the Prince of 
 Georgia, though not blessed with her smiles, had 
 yet no rival in her affections.' 
 
 ' Most noble Sultan,' said the Princess Hemju- 
 nah, ' it is vain to dissemble : suffer me, therefore, 
 freely to declare, that the Sultan of India has to- 
 tally extirpated the Prince of Georgia from my 
 heart : but, whatever my own sentiments may be, 
 assure yourself that I shall not, at my father's com- 
 mands, refuse the Prince of Georgia my hand.' 
 
 The Sultan of India and Zebenezer were both 
 delighted with the manner of the Princess Hem- 
 junah's answer : and Horam, the faithful vizier 
 Horam, was rejoiced to find, that his Master and 
 the Princess Hemjunah were desirous of rewarding 
 each other, after their mutual fatigues. The whole 
 court expected the nuptials with impatience ; and 
 the good old Sultan Zebenezer stayed to see his 
 daughter the Sultaness of India, and Misnar the 
 happiest and the most thankful of the children of 
 Alia. 
 
 R2 
 
244 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 c The children of Alia,' said the sage Iracagem 
 (as the Genius Macoma had finished her relation), 
 ■ have indeed a freedom of action : hut that freedom 
 is hest exercised when it leads them to trust and 
 depend on the Lord of all things : not that He, 
 who seeth even beyond the confines of light, is 
 pleased with idleness, or giveth encouragement to 
 the sons of sloth; the spirit which He has infused 
 into mankind, He expects to find active and indus- 
 trious; and when prudence is joined with religion, 
 Alia either gives success to its dictates, or, by 
 counteracting its motions, draws forth the brighter 
 virtues of patience and resignation. Learn, there- 
 fore, ye pupils of the race of immortals, not to 
 forget your dependence on Alia, while ye follow the 
 prudent maxims of wisdom and experience : for he 
 only is truly prudent, who adds faith to his practice ; 
 and he truly religious, whose actions are the result 
 of his faith. But sufficient for the present hours 
 are the instructions of Macoma and her illustrious 
 brethren. The faithful guardians of these chil- 
 dren of mortality will, for a time, carry them 
 abroad, and teach them those sciences which are 
 justly esteemed among the sons of the earth : sciences 
 which have been delivered, in secret whispers from 
 our race, to a few chosen minds, who, through our 
 assistance, have broken the fetters of ignorance, 
 and subdued the darkness of carnal infirmities : 
 men famous through successive generations, for 
 cultivating and polishing the rude outlines of na- 
 ture, and for instructing mankind in the elegant 
 and social arts.' 
 
 As the sage Iracagem uttered these words, the 
 inferior Genii retired with their respective pupils, 
 and by easy progressions conducted them through 
 those elegant and useful arts, each of which upon 
 
THE ENCHANTERS. 245 
 
 earth cannot be attained but with a steady applica- 
 tion through life. 
 
 After these exercises, towards the wane of the 
 moon, the whole company met again in the saloon, 
 and Iracagem with pleasure surveyed the enlight- 
 ened countenances of the pupils of his race, whose 
 hearts and intellects seemed dilated by the pleasing 
 progress they had made. 
 
 6 Science,' said the sage Iracagem, « may polish 
 the manners; but virtue and religion alone can 
 animate with exalted notions, and dignify the mind 
 of immortality : to neglect the first, is to turn our 
 head from the light of day ; but to despise the last, 
 is to grasp the earth, when heaven is opened to 
 receive us. A wise and prudent spirit will so use 
 the one as to improve the other, and make his 
 science the handmaid of his virtue. Wherefore, 
 noble Adiram, let us proceed in the delightful 
 lessons of morality, and hear the wonders you are 
 prepared to relate.' 
 
 The affable Adiram arising, thus began her much 
 instructive tale. 
 
246 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 TALE IV. 
 SADAK AND KALASRADE. 
 
 THE fame of Sadak lives yet in the plain of 
 Erivan, where he drew the bow of the mighty, 
 and chased the enemies of his faith over the 
 frozen mountains of the north. When Amurath 
 gave peace to the earth, Sadak received a hint to 
 retire with his beloved Kalasrade, to the palace 
 of his ancestors, which was situated on the banks 
 of the Bosphorus, and commanded one of the 
 most beautiful prospects in the world. Sadak, 
 though fiery and impetuous in the field, was ele- 
 gant and amiable in his happy retreat, where 
 fancy and delicacy preserved their pre-eminence 
 over the richest productions of unrestrained nature. 
 The palace of Sadak stood upon a wide-ex- 
 tended terrace, which overlooked the sea and the 
 opposite shores of Europe ; a deep and noble 
 grove sheltered it behind ; and, on each side, hills 
 and valleys diversified the rural scene. The gar- 
 dens of the palace, though wild and irregular, 
 yet afforded the most delightful retirement ; and 
 Sadak found in its bosom pleasures far superior 
 to the splendid pageants of the Othman court. 
 To increase the bliss of this earthly paradise, 
 his fair partner had blessed him with a numer- 
 ous progeny : and as Sadak and Kalasrade sat 
 under the shade of the lofty pines, their chil- 
 dren wantoned and sported on the plains before 
 them. 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 247 
 
 The spirit of their father was in the lively con- 
 tests of his sons ; and maternal delicacy dimpled 
 on the cheeks of the daughters of Kalasrade. 
 The happy pair saw their own virtues reflected 
 from their children; and Sadak, released from 
 the toils of war, was resolved to dedicate the 
 rest of his days to the improvement of his beau- 
 teous offspring. 
 
 Kalasrade, though her charms were as yet un- 
 diminished by age, harboured not a wish for the 
 pleasures of the world : all her joy was centred 
 'in Sadak ; her heart rejoiced not but when Sadak 
 appeared ; and her soul, uneasy at a moment's 
 absence, panted after Sadak her lord. The love 
 of Sadak equalled the affection of his beloved ; 
 none but Kalasrade engaged his thoughts ; none 
 but Kalasrade shared his affections. Time, which 
 impairs a frivolous attachment, served but to 
 strengthen that which existed between Kalasrade 
 and her Sadak. 
 
 But Sadak indulged not on sofas of pleasure 
 alone ; his time was divided between his children : 
 besides the education of their minds, he trained 
 them in all warlike exercises. He accompanied 
 them to the chase, and mingled in their lighter 
 sports. But uninterrupted happiness belongs not 
 to man. Sadak had had the misfortune to dis- 
 please his sovereign. His bow had sent forth the 
 furthest arrow; his hand had raised his fallen 
 sovereign on the field of battle ; in his warfare he 
 had been fortunate and merciful ; and men talked 
 of Sadak while they celebrated the triumphs of 
 Amurath. The monarch's heart swelled with high 
 disdain, while it kindled with jealousy at his sub- 
 ject General. The war being ended, Sadak re- 
 ceived a hint to retire awhile from court ; and 
 his friends advised him not to seek his Sultan's 
 
248 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 presence till years should have faded the glory of 
 his name and fame. 
 
 Sadak felt his sovereign's slight; hut he per- 
 ceived the wisdom of their counsel, and established 
 himself on his paternal domains. There he led 
 the life of rare but quiet bliss which we have 
 described. His well-known kindness and hospi- 
 tality often brought the wandering stranger to 
 his home ; and Sadak, the hero, the destroyer 
 of his country's foes, was known only to his kind 
 as Sadak the happy, or Sadak the good. 
 
 Meanwhile Amurath the mighty sought, in the 
 contemplation of his own vast power, and the 
 selfish indulgences to which it administered, to 
 drown for the present his painful remembrance 
 of Saclak's glory, and to secure that portion of 
 enjoyment, small though it be, which Aha per- 
 mits to those who seek it only in the track of 
 selfish pleasure. 
 
 Years passed on, yet did the remembrance of 
 Saclak still haunt the waking dreams of Amurath. 
 An unsuccessful war had recalled to the minds 
 of his soldiers the name of their favourite hero. 
 Murmurs had reached the tyrant's ear. — Where 
 is Sadak ? has the Sultan forgotten his right-hand 
 in battle ? 
 
 To amuse the mind of Amurath, as he was 
 returning from an unsuccessful expedition, the 
 officers of the royal camp persuaded him to enjoy 
 the pleasures of the chase in a country well 
 stocked with game, and otherwise suited for the 
 purpose, through which they had to pass. Amu- 
 rath, who was a good horseman and keen hunter, 
 entered eagerly into the scheme ; and on the 
 second , day was so much excited that he out- 
 stripped his courtiers, and lost his way in a forest. 
 His horse, knocking up, became an encumbrance 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 249 
 
 to him ; so tying it to a tree, he made the best 
 of his way through the forest on foot. The slant- 
 ing rays of the sun announced the decline of day, 
 while an approaching storm urged him forwards ; 
 he ascended an eminence, from whence he caught 
 a glimpse of the sea, and of some lofty towers 
 rising above the trees which lined its shores : 
 thither he determined to bend his steps, and en- 
 deavour to obtain shelter and repose for the night. 
 As he descended the eminence, he encountered a 
 poor traveller who seemed to have come in that di- 
 rection, and of him he demanded whether the 
 mansion he beheld was inhabited, and likely to 
 afford him food and shelter. 
 
 'Why, friend,' said the poor man, 'from what 
 outlandish place beyond our Sultan's dominions 
 art thou arrived, that thou asketh such a question? 
 Who does not know that the man they call the 
 happy lives in those towers?' 
 
 ' But will this man you call the happy assist a 
 benighted stranger ? ' said Amurath, quite subdued 
 by hunger and fatigue. 
 
 ' Certainly ; for if he is called the happy, it is 
 the rather because he is the good; and if you 
 chance to want his help, why the more welcome 
 will you be.' The traveller passed on, and the 
 Sultan quickened his steps, but was again on the 
 point of missing his way, when he encountered a 
 dervise, of whom he inquired the nearest track to 
 the mansion, and also the name and character of 
 its possessor. 
 
 ' You must be a stranger to the country, truly, 
 friend,' said the dervise, 'since you know neither 
 the name of yonder palace, nor of its noble pos- 
 sessor. He calls himself Sadak the happy, but 
 men call him Sadak the good, as his soldiers used 
 to call him Sadak the hero. In truth, as I came 
 
25O TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 yesternight through the camp, it was said that 
 they meant to demand him from the Sultan, to 
 end this unlucky war. But,' he added, looking up 
 as he felt an arm suddenly laid on his, ' I perceive 
 that you belong to the Sultan's arrny, and this 
 affair is perhaps intended to he kept secret : well, 
 I have done no hami ; I am no vender of secrets ; 
 I betray no confidence in telling you this ; I heard 
 openly, and I speak openly ; you have thought 
 better of it perhaps, and certainly we do not want 
 to lose our Sadak; — so farewell!- — the portico rises 
 between those trees ; the gate is never closed.' 
 
 ' Wretch ! ' murmured the Sultan — but the der- 
 vise was gone, and Amurath was again alone. The 
 evil passions of jealousy and envenomed hatred, 
 silenced but not subdued by years, burst forth with 
 torturing fury. ' Wretch ! ' he exclaimed, ' and 
 hast thou, absent, and buried for years in these 
 wilds, been living and honoured in the memory of 
 my people, while Amurath, their king, the master 
 of their destinies — Amurath, all-powerful, yet not, 
 alas ! over their affections, is secretly disdained, 
 and his slave Sadak sought to lead their arms to 
 victory ! And those, too, who never knew thee as 
 the conquering Sadak ; do they, too, adore thee as 
 Sadak the Good ; and dost thou dare to call thyself 
 the happy Sadak ? — happy ! while the king's coun- 
 tenance is dark towards thee ! Wretch, thou shalt 
 die the death, or thou shalt live dishonoured ! ' 
 
 So saying, Amurath entered the wide and open 
 portal ; well judging, that added years, and his 
 own disguise — a hunter's dress, would for some 
 time, at least, conceal him from Sadak's recog- 
 nition. While such was the tyrant's instinctive 
 homage to the integrity of his subject, that he 
 never thought of providing against treason in the 
 man he had used so injuriously. 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 25 1 
 
 It was evening; — a splendid moon had risen 
 over the troubled sunset, and shed its clear but 
 tremulous light across the avenue into which Amu- 
 rath had unconsciously strayed when he had passed 
 through the portal. The sounds of frolic and 
 laughter now met his ear, but they died away as 
 he approached the mansion, and gave place to soft 
 music and the more lovely chorus of voices. 
 Amurath stopped as the vista opened, and dis- 
 covered in the front of the mansion a grass bank 
 shaded by a trellis of flowery creepers, near which 
 a fountain was playing, and beneath which shelter 
 reclined Sadak and his family — the beautiful Kalas- 
 rade touching her lute, and mingling her voice 
 with that of Sadak in one of the songs of Hafiz, 
 their children sporting at their feet — while at a 
 little distance a group of slaves were enjoying them- 
 selves unrestrained by the presence of the lord 
 whom they loved more than they feared. 
 
 The haughty tyrant approached the group of 
 servants, and pointing to Sadak, asked if that 
 was their lord. ' It is our Sadak,' they ex- 
 claimed, ' Sadak the Good ; what do you seek 
 from him ? ' 
 
 ' Shelter for the night, and kind treatment to a 
 weary traveller,' answered the Sultan ; and he was 
 led to the presence of his exiled subject. 
 
 A kind welcome from the noble Sadak met the 
 disguised monarch ; and having been invited to 
 the bath by the attendants, he found, on his re- 
 turn, refreshments awaiting him ; and the carpet 
 spread for him in the veranda. The beautiful 
 Kalasrade had resumed her veil ; but she still 
 remained, with her boys, by the side of her 
 husband. Amurath struggled to conceal his feel- 
 ings, while the frank and courteous Sadak en- 
 deavoured to draw his guest into conversation. 
 
252 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 He spoke of the dervise who had lately visited 
 him ; and told the story of that dervise's fallen 
 greatness. Amurath took up the discourse ; he 
 spoke of the uncertainty of human greatness ; of 
 wealth and health and fame. — ' Hast thou no fears, 
 noble Sadak,' said his treacherous guest, ' though 
 men call thee good and happy ; hast thou no fears 
 for the future ; dost thou not sometimes desire to 
 look into the book of fate ? ' 
 
 1 I fear nothing,' replied Sadak, c while Alia 
 leaves me Kalasrade.' 
 
 ' And I,' said Kalasrade, pressing the hand of 
 her husband, ' can have no anxious cares, while 
 Sadak and my children are spared to me.' 
 
 The monarch was silent ; he pleaded fatigue 
 soon after, and asked permission to retire. But 
 there was that within which forbade repose, — a 
 troubled spirit. The burnings of jealousy were 
 there. — ' My slave,' said he, ' whom I spurned 
 from my presence, — lo ! he reigns as a monarch 
 in these fruitful plains ; as a monarch, yet not as 
 Amurath, for he reigns over the hearts of men ; 
 
 while I but he is vulnerable, and I have him 
 
 in my power. While Alia leaves him his Kalas- 
 rade, it seems, he may laugh at ill fortune, and at 
 Amurath. But Kalasrade shall live — yet cease to 
 live for Sadak ! ' With these words the tyrant 
 sought and found a temporary repose. But before 
 the sun had risen over the calm waves of the 
 Bosphorus, Amurath had sought the forest, where 
 he was joined by the officers of his suite, who had 
 been all the night in search of him, and with 
 whom he returned, moody and agitated, to his 
 camp. 
 
 We now leave Amurath for awhile, and return 
 to Sadak. It was his custom, almost daily, to 
 accompany his four sons and a party of faithful 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 253 
 
 attendants to the plain of Bezeb, where they strove 
 for mastery in the race, and pointed their arrows 
 at the distant mark. 
 
 ' O my father ! ' said Codan, the eldest of his 
 children, as they were on the plain, where Sadak 
 was drawing the bow-string to his breast, ' a black 
 cloud arises from the grove, and flames of fire 
 burst through its sides ! ' 
 
 Sadak quickly turned his eyes toward the wood 
 which sheltered his palace, and saw the sparks and 
 the flame ascending over the tops of the trees. 
 
 ' My children,' said Sadak, with a firm counte- 
 nance, ' fear not ; continue your sport on the plain 
 till I return : I will leave four slaves with you ; 
 the rest shall follow your father to this grove of 
 fire.' 
 
 Though Sadak was unwilling to terrify his 
 children, he knew full well the misfortune which 
 had befallen him. His palace was in flames ; and 
 the doting husband hastened with his slaves to 
 the relief of his beloved Kalasrade and her 
 daughters. 
 
 Sadak first reached the burning palace. The 
 slaves of the house, terrified at the fire, w r ere flying 
 into the woods. He commanded them back, and 
 asked if Kalasrade and her little ones were safe ? 
 Seeing their consternation, he flew toward the 
 apartment of his beloved, which was situated in 
 one of the inner courts : and though the devour- 
 ing flames endeavoured to bar his passage, the 
 firm Sadak pressed through the fire into the apart- 
 ments of Kalasrade. 
 
 ' Kalasrade ! ' exclaimed Sadak, ' my beloved 
 Kalasrade ! where art thou ? ' 
 
 Kalasrade answered not. 
 
 Sadak lifted up his voice still higher. — ( Kalas- 
 rade ! my beloved Kalasrade ! where art thou?' 
 
254 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Kalasrade answered not ; and Sadak, though 
 terrified at not discovering his beloved, yet searched 
 every part of the harem, till he came to the apart- 
 ment of his three daughters, who, with their female 
 slaves, were fallen on the earth, every moment ex- 
 pecting to be devoured by the flames. 
 
 ' Arise, my children,' said Sadak, ' and be com- 
 forted at the presence of your parent. But where 
 is your mother ? where is my beloved Kalasrade ? ' 
 
 ' Alas S ' answered the children of Sadak, * we 
 know not: some slaves forced our dear mother 
 from her apartments, as she was hastening to our 
 relief.' 
 
 ' Then,' answered Sadak, ' blessed be my Pro- 
 phet, she is safe ! But come, my daughters,' con- 
 tinued their father, ' you must not delay your 
 escape : the fire makes hasty strides upon us. 
 Come, my children, to my arms, and I will bear 
 you through the flames : but first let us dip in the 
 bath, lest the fire seize on our garments.' 
 
 As they passed the female baths, they dipped 
 themselves in the basin ; and the slaves followed 
 their master's example. 
 
 Sadak, arriving at the entrance where the flames 
 had reached, resolutely took up his two elder chil- 
 dren, and carried them through the flames ; then 
 again returning, — ' I will either,' said he, ' rescue 
 my youngest, or perish with her.' His youngest 
 fainted with fear as soon as her father had left her ; 
 and Sadak found her stretched on the ground, with 
 but little signs of life. 
 
 All the female slaves, following their master Sa- 
 dak, had escaped out of the harem, except one 
 faithful creature, who rather resolved to die with 
 her young mistress than leave her exposed to the 
 flames. Sadak snatched up his dear treasure in 
 his arms, and commanded the faithful slave to take 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 255 
 
 hold of his garment and follow him through the 
 flames. 
 
 Happily, the wind had turned the fire towards a 
 different part of the palace ; so that Sadakhad less 
 danger to encounter in the second effort than in 
 the first. 
 
 The resolute Sadak, having rescued his children, 
 inquired of his slaves where they had conveyed his 
 dear Kalasrade ? but none could give answer to the 
 questions of their lord. The slaves were now all 
 gathered together in a body; but four of their 
 number were missing, besides those who continued 
 with the sons of Sadak on the plain. 
 
 As little more could be rescued from the flames, 
 Sadak left only ten slaves about the palace, to re- 
 cover what they were able ; the rest he sent into 
 different parts of the grove, and to the villages 
 around, to seek for their mistress Kalasrade and 
 her slaves : six he dismissed with his daughters to 
 the plain of Eezeb ; commanding them, with their 
 attendants, to join his sons, and then seek some 
 shelter and refreshment in a neighbouring village ; 
 and leaving orders for his beloved Kalasrade, if she 
 was found, to retire to her children. 
 
 Sadak then went through the most unfrequented 
 paths and into the loneliest parts of the woods, to 
 seek his beloved, calling upon her as he passed 
 along, and pronouncing the names of the slaves 
 that were missing. This he continued till night 
 had thrown her sable garments on the earth, and 
 he had compassed his palace every way around for 
 several miles ; when he resolved to turn again to 
 his palace, and inquire of his slaves concerning his 
 beloved Kalasrade. 
 
 He passed through the woods, guided by the 
 red glare of light, which the clouds reflected 
 from the fire that had nearly consumed his dwel- 
 
256 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ling, and entered the farther part of the terrace, 
 whereon stood the few remains of his once elegant 
 building. 
 
 The flames, unsatiated with their former cruelties, 
 seemed to rekindle at his presence. His slaves 
 came weeping toward him, hut could give no tidings 
 of their amiable mistress : and Sadak, who in the 
 morning had looked with the utmost satisfaction 
 on the lively scenes around him, now saw the 
 melancholy face of nature, enlightened with the 
 dusky gleams of his own unexpected ruin. 
 
 But yet the wreck of nature could not have dis- 
 turbed Sadak more than the loss of his beloved ; 
 he doubted not but that the fire was kindled by 
 those slaves who had torn Kalasrade from his arms ; 
 and, though he felt within himself the deepest afflic- 
 tion, his blood curdled with horror, when he re- 
 flected on the tenfold distresses which encompassed 
 the pure and spotless partner of his affections. 
 
 6 O Alia,' said the trembling Sadak, ' fortify my 
 faith, and teach me, even in the horrors of this 
 night, to believe that mercy triumphs over evil, and 
 that the paths of destruction are controlled by thy 
 all-seeing Power ! To me, all is confusion ! misery ! 
 and terror ! But thou seest through the dark 
 abyss, and guidest the footsteps of the just in the 
 valleys of desolation ! Nevertheless, thou Just 
 One ! forgive the sinking of my soul, and pour 
 the virtuous balm of hope into the wounded 
 spirit of thine afflicted servant ! ' 
 
 The bounteous Alia heard the voice of his ser- 
 vant, and the heart of Sadak was fortified and 
 strengthened with religious hope. 
 
 Having disposed of what effects his slaves had 
 rescued from the flames, in a place of security, 
 Sadak hastened to the village where his children 
 were assembled ; and, disguising the severer pangs 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 257 
 
 he felt himself, he endeavoured to assuage the grief 
 of his fond family for the loss of their mother. 
 
 Several of Sadak's friends soon joined him in 
 the village, and the relations of his wife offered to 
 take care of his children, while he went in search 
 of Kalasrade, and his villanous slaves. Sadak 
 with thankfulness embraced the offer of Mepiki, 
 the father of his beloved, and having tenderly em- 
 braced his children, directed his steps toward the 
 sea-side, and crossed, in one of his feluccas, to the 
 city of Constantinople. 
 
 No sooner was Amurath seated on his throne in 
 the divan, than Sadak fell prostrate before him. 
 
 ' My brave soldier,' said Amurath, ' arise. The 
 world, Sadak,' continued the prince, ' talk largely 
 concerning your happiness; and those, who envy 
 not the Othman crown, yet pant after the elegant 
 and peaceable retirements of the fortunate Sadak. 
 Has Sadak, then, a wish ungratified, that he comes 
 thus a humble suppliant at a monarch's feet '? ' 
 
 ' The smiles of his prince,' answered Sadak, ' are 
 a soldier's joy ; yet, though denied for many a long 
 year the sunshine of those smiles, did Sadak live 
 an envied life, till one dark cloud interposed, and 
 blasted the ripe fruit of his joy.' 
 
 ' What means my Saclak ? ' inquired Amurath. 
 
 ' While I led my sons to the plain,' replied Sadak, 
 1 to teach them the duties which they owed their 
 prince, the names seized my peaceful dwelling ; and 
 ere I could return to the rescue of my beloved 
 Kalasrade, four slaves had dragged her away ; and 
 I and my attendants have, in vain, been seeking 
 her in the woods and plains that surround my habi- 
 tation : wherefore, O Amurath ! I come a suppliant 
 to thy throne, to ask redress of thee.' 
 
 ' That,' answered Amurath, ' brave soldier, thou 
 shalt have: my Hasnadar Baski shall pay thee 
 S 
 
258 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 twice the value of thine house ; thou shalt have 
 twenty of my slaves ; and as to thy beloved, go 
 where fancy leads thee, and seek a new Kalasrade.' 
 
 The words of Aniurath were as the arrows of 
 death in the heart of Sadak ; and he said—' Let 
 the hand of justice overtake the robbers, and let 
 the power of my lord restore Kalasrade to my 
 arms.' 
 
 ' Why should a weak female trouble the brave 
 soldier's heart? ' said Amurath. 
 
 As the blasted oak is torn by the thunderbolt, so 
 was the heart of Sadak rent by the words of Amu- 
 rath : but he concealed the storm that shook his 
 breast, and bowing to the earth, departed from the 
 divan. He applied himself that day to inquire in 
 the Bizestein, and public market-places, concern- 
 ing Kalasrade and his four slaves ; and hearing no 
 tidings of them there, he went to the water-side, 
 among the Levents, or watermen ; but none could 
 give him the least account of the fugitives. The 
 sorrows of Sadak bore heavy on his heart ; but 
 they did not prevent him from making a regular 
 and strict search on the opposite shores, both of 
 Europe and Asia. Several months passed in a 
 fruitless inquiry, without the least discovery either 
 of his slaves, or the manner of their escape. 
 
 The gentle Kalasrade, in the mean time, suffered 
 still severer afflictions. On the morning in which 
 she was torn from her lord, she was seated on a 
 sofa, with her slaves around her ; when she heard, 
 from several quarters of the palace, a cry of * Fire ! ' 
 and, in an instant, saw the blaze ascend in three 
 different parts. All was confusion and distress : 
 Kalasrade forgot not her children, but was hasten- 
 ing to their apartment, when four slaves broke in 
 upon her, and forced her out of the palace. They 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 259 
 
 flew with their prize to one extremity of the terrace, 
 where a small galley, which was concealed by the 
 trees that overshadowed the water, waited for her 
 arrival. 
 
 The distracted Kalasrade was delivered to an old 
 slave in the galley, who instantly threw a thick 
 black veil over her head, and threatened to cast her 
 into the sea, if she cried out or resisted. 
 
 The threats of the eunuch were vain : Kalasrade 
 feared no greater misfortune than the loss of Sadak ; 
 and she filled the air with her lamentations. The 
 eunuch, finding his remonstrances unsuccessful, 
 shut up the windows of the galley, and urged the 
 rowers to hasten away with their prize. 
 
 Kalasrade, being inclosed in the galley, knew not 
 to what shore she was carried : but, ere long, the 
 vessel struck upon the ground ; and ten black eu- 
 nuchs entering the galley, they wrapped a covering 
 of silk around her, and conveyed her away. After 
 some time they stopped to give her breath. 
 
 The beauteous mourner looked around her, and 
 saw she was in a garden planted with cypress trees. 
 She fell at the feet of him who seemed to have the 
 command of his brethren, and besought him to 
 have compassion on the miseries of a distressed 
 mother and an injured wife. The eunuchs made 
 no answer to the entreaties of Kalasrade ; but he 
 who commanded the rest made a sign for them to 
 fling the silken covering over Kalasrade, and to 
 bear her away. 
 
 It was not long before the slaves made a second 
 halt ; and took off the silken covering again from 
 Kalasrade, and retired. The beauteous wife of 
 Sadak lifted up her veil as soon as she perceived 
 the slaves withdraw, and found she was in an ob- 
 scure room, the windows of which were guarded 
 S2 
 
260 TALES OP THE GENII. 
 
 with iron bars. In one corner of the room stood 
 a small pot of boiled rice, and beside it a pitcher of 
 water. 
 
 Kalasrade hastened to the door ; but the slaves 
 had made it fast without. Seeing all possibility of 
 escape taken from her, and not knowing where she 
 was, the wretched Kalasrade threw herself on the 
 earth, and with tears and sighs intermixed, thus 
 poured forth her griefs : 
 
 ' 0, whither am I carried from the arms of my 
 beloved ! Where was Sadak, the light of mine 
 eyes, when the hand of the oppressor was on the 
 bosom of his Kalasrade ! Where was the strength 
 of his arm and the fierceness of his countenance, 
 when they tore his Kalasrade from the nest of her 
 little ones ! faithful Sadak, whither am I borne 
 from the light of thine eyes ! whither am I carried 
 from the smiles which refreshed my heart ! Did 
 we not, Sadak, divide the light and the darkness 
 together? In the bosom of Sadak I hid me from 
 the storm. Ah, Sadak ! Sadak ! hear the voice of 
 Kalasrade ! My love for thee, Sadak, has been 
 pure as the rain-drops, and the thoughts of Kalas- 
 rade have not wandered from her lord. When 
 Sadak arose, my heart was poured out in a sigh ; 
 when he led his sons to the chase (ah, wretched 
 chase !) my eyes went with him to the grove ; but 
 my thoughts followed him to the plain ! When he 
 returned, his presence was like the sprightly tones 
 of music to my soul ; when he smiled, he was 
 cheerful as the light of the morning. When he 
 spoke, his words were as the dews of heaven on 
 the fruitful bosom of the earth. Ah, Kalasrade, 
 thou art as the traveller among the wolves of the 
 forest ; thou art as ' a stranger bewildered in the 
 snowy plain ! ' 
 
 Kalasrade vented her sighs undisturbed for 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 26 1 
 
 several days, no one appearing but an old female 
 mute, who daily brought her some boiled rice and 
 a pitcher of water, which, though but scanty, 
 was more than sufficient for the beauteous wife of 
 Sadak. 
 
 During this interval, it was impossible for Kalas- 
 rade to guess at the meaning of her confinement ; 
 and seeing no one come to molest her, she began 
 to bear her situation with more temper ; though 
 still, like the turtle, her moans after Sadak were 
 every moment indulged, and her fears for her 
 children renewed the horrors of her mind. 
 
 At length, one of her own black slaves, who had 
 assisted in forcing her away, appeared. He was 
 followed by fifty other attendants, whose well 
 known dress marked them as belonging to the 
 royal household. 
 
 The wife of Sadak was astonished at the new 
 scene of wonders which she beheld : but her heart 
 soon returned to its former fears, when she heard 
 the name of the mighty Amurath announced. 
 
 The distressed Kalasrade fell at the feet of her 
 Prince, and said : ' Lord of thy slaves, whom Alia 
 has sent to the relief of the distressed, behold the 
 handmaid of thy servant Sadak before thee ! As 
 Sadak, mighty Prince ! was teaching his sons to 
 walk in the paths of their father, four of his slaves, 
 having set fire to his dwelling, rushed into the 
 harem, and bore me away to a galley ; in which, 
 throwing a blind over me, they conveyed me to 
 this wretched hut, where, till to-day, I have been 
 indulged in my silent woes. And now, mighty 
 Prince ! to whom, doubtless, I owe my preserva- 
 tion, permit thy, servant to depart, and if it please 
 thee, gracious Prince, let a fe*w of these my deli- 
 verers convey me from this slave's house to Sadak 
 thy servant.' 
 
262 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 As Kalasrade uttered these words, Amurath 
 made a sign to his eunuchs to withdraw ; and tak- 
 ing the lovely Kalasrade by the hand, he bade her 
 arise. — 'Beauteous Kalasrade,' said he, 'I am 
 pleased at your artless tale; yet are you much 
 deceived : you are not in a slave's house, but in 
 the garden of Aniurath's seraglio.' 
 
 At these words, the countenance of Kalasrade 
 changed ; a deadly paleness overspread her cheeks, 
 and she fell on the earth as a flower cut off from 
 its root by the stormy wind. 
 
 Although Amurath called in immediate assist- 
 ance, it was long before they could restore motion 
 aud life to the miserable Kalasrade ; who, as soon 
 as she beheld the countenance of Amurath, again 
 sunk to the earth. 
 
 After some time, when the distressed Kalasrade 
 was a little recovered, Amurath thus began : — ' It 
 is beneath the lord of the earth to disguise his 
 thoughts, or to wear a countenance which accords 
 not with his heart. No, my lovely Kalasrade, 
 hypocrisy is a slave's portion ; the sun knows no 
 shadow ; and Asia's monarch knows no restriction. 
 Wherefore Kalasrade shall not any longer feel the 
 tortures of a doubt, or the shackles of fear. Know 
 thou, lovely fair one, that when Sadak, who pre- 
 sumptuously calls himself the Happy, received 
 one summer's night the benighted hunter, and 
 feasted him in the verandas of his earthly para- 
 dise, he was entertaining his Sultan, his justly 
 displeased master. And know, beauteous Kalas- 
 rade ! that the slave who dares to call himself 
 the happy, withdrawn from the sunshine of his 
 master's smiles, is unfit to live. Yet thy Sadak 
 boasted joys superior to those which attend his 
 prince ; and I issued forth the law of my mind, 
 that he should be cut off for his presumption. 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 263 
 
 While the Janissaries were making ready to obey 
 my commands, I considered that death alone was 
 not a sufficient recompense for his folly; and 
 therefore I determined to add suspense to the 
 tortures which the rebel had merited at my hands. 
 For this purpose, I gave orders to the chief of my 
 eunuchs to corrupt some of his slaves, who were 
 to fire his dwelling in different parts, and to bring 
 away his Kalasrade to my seraglio. But the wife 
 of my slave must suffer ere she be exalted — 
 for she had gloried in her Sadak. Hence I re- 
 solved that thou shouldst live awhile confined in 
 an ignominious hut, fed on the coarsest food, 
 that thou mightest feel the power of Amurath 
 before thou hadst learned to love his mercy. Thus 
 your short troubles, Kalasrade, have been pro- 
 ductive of the greatest joy your sex can feel ; for 
 know, that you have engaged the affection of the 
 mighty Amurath ; and he, who will not depart 
 from the words of his lips, doth here call Maho- 
 met to witness, that Amurath will make his be- 
 loved Kalasrade the Sultana of his heart.' 
 
 The tender Kalasrade was overcome with the 
 words of Amurath, and she sunk into the arms of 
 the chief of the eunuchs, who stood behind her. 
 
 * Doubor,' said Amurath, ' I perceive Kalas- 
 rade's joy has overpowered her. While she is in 
 the trance of happiness, too great for her mortal 
 nature to live under, let her be conveyed to the 
 richest apartments of the seraglio, where the fa- 
 vourites of our race enjoy the converse of their 
 lords ; and let all homage be paid to her who is 
 destined to share the throne of Amurath.' 
 
 While Doubor, and the rest of the eunuchs, 
 waited to perform the will of their prince, Amu- 
 rath returned to the seraglio, and entered the 
 baths, and afterwards arrayed himself in his most 
 
264 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 sumptuous robes. He then sent to inquire of the 
 chief of the eunuchs whether Kalasrade was re- 
 covered. The chief of the eunuchs came with the 
 countenance of sorrow. 
 
 1 What ! ' said Amurath, trembling, as he saw 
 the posture of his slave, 'is not the beauteous 
 Kalasrade arisen from the slumbers of transport?' 
 
 ' Lord of life,' answered Doubor, ' we have used 
 every secret of physic in vain. Our beauteous 
 mistress still slumbers on the sofa whereon we 
 conveyed her.' 
 
 'If so,' replied Amurath, ' let us hasten to the 
 adjoining apartment, where I may behold, unseen, 
 the joy which will awaken in her breast, as her 
 eyelids unfold to her the splendours that surround 
 her.' 
 
 After Amurath had been some time stationed 
 in his secret stand, the lovely Kalasrade opened 
 her eyes, and beheld the magnificent apartments 
 into which she had been conveyed. The beaute- 
 ous wife of Sadak, seeing the mutes standing on 
 each side of her, the fair female slaves falling 
 prostrate in two rows before the steps of the sofa, 
 and the eunuchs, with folded arms and down-cast 
 eyes, at a distance, shrieked aloud, and clapping 
 her hands together in wild despair, cried out, ' O 
 Sadak, Sadak, save me from this pompous hor- 
 ror ! ' She then, in frantic haste, tore off the 
 magnificent bracelets of diamonds, which, during 
 her fainting, had been fastened to her arms, and 
 the rich girdle of rubies which adorned her waist, 
 the pearls and the emeralds which were hung 
 upon her bosom. Amurath, enraged at the fran- 
 tic shrieks of the wife of Sadak, entered the 
 apartment with a frowning aspect. The unfortu- 
 nate Kalasrade fell at his feet. 
 
SADAK AND KALASKADE. 265 
 
 ' Alas, mighty Prince ! ' said she, ' who can ab- 
 solve the plighted vow ? or ' 
 
 ' Wretched slave ! ' said Amurath, starting from 
 her, defile not mine ears with thy rebellion. For 
 three days shall I leave thee ; at the end of which 
 time, either prepare with joy to become the hon- 
 oured and envied wife of thy Sultan, or expect to 
 see the head of Sadak blackening in the sun, be- 
 fore the windows of the seraglio ! ' 
 
 At these words, the incensed Amurath left the 
 fair Kalasrade weeping on the ground, and retired 
 to a different part of the palace : but he gave or- 
 ders that the chief of his eunuchs should attend 
 her. The disconsolate fair one gave herself up to 
 perpetual grief, and refused to taste the delicacies 
 that were set before her, although Doubor on 
 his knees besought her to consider the dreadful 
 consequences of offending his lord. To these re- 
 monstrances Kalasrade answered little ; her mind 
 w T as full of the mighty ills which she suffered, and 
 she could conceive nothing more dreadful than the 
 fate which awaited her. 
 
 As she sat the second day on her sofa, musing 
 on her dear absent Sadak, she perceived a small 
 bird perch on one of the windows which looked 
 toward the gardens of the seraglio ; which, hop- 
 ping thence to her hand, opened its little throat, 
 and began its artless lay. As the bird left off sing- 
 ing, Kalasrade, though she was astonished at its 
 tameness, yet began to stroke it, and said: — ' Thou, 
 pretty chorister, art mistress of the air, and heaven 
 hath adorned thee with the wings of liberty : thou 
 buildest thy nest beyond the trace of human malice, 
 and soarest abroad, where no Amurath can impede 
 thy flight ! ' 
 
 The moans of Kalasrade were interrupted by a 
 
266 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 small voice, which at first the beauteous wife of 
 Sadak could scarcely believe was uttered by the 
 little bird ; till, listening with attention to it, she 
 distinguished the following words : — 
 
 ' Startle not, lovely mistress of Sadak's thoughts, 
 at the voice of a bird. The most trifling causes 
 can, in the hands of Strength, produce the greatest 
 effects ; as the instructions of Alia were conveyed 
 to the Holy Prophet of Mecca by the whispers of 
 a dove. 
 
 ' My station appears envious to Kalasrade, be- 
 cause she conceives* me the offspring of liberty. 
 Her fancy represents me on the wings of pleasure 
 and enlargement ; she sees me soaring in heaven's 
 broad patk, but forgets my toils in the grove, and 
 my labours in the field. If the light feather, which 
 bears me on the thin surface of the air, makes me 
 man's superior in flight, yet the artifice of human 
 invention again subjects my weaker understanding 
 a prey to contrivance : but it is enough for me, 
 Kalasrade, to know that I am the creature of Alia, 
 who has in wisdom appointed to every thing living 
 its proper station and bounds. 
 
 ' At present, indeed, I seem to have transgressed 
 those bounds, but it is in obedience to my mistress 
 Adiram, who presides over the faithful family of 
 Sadak. It is she who speaks in me, and who 
 means to speak comfort to the heart-broken Kalas- 
 rade : she it is that saith — 
 
 ' O beauteous mourner, and slave of the oppres- 
 sor, fear not misfortunes, which are the tests of 
 virtue, and not the rotten fruit of infirmity. The 
 malicious shall not always triumph ; the staff 
 whereon the wicked lean shall rot and decay. When 
 clouds hover above the fields, the drops of fatness 
 descend; when the storm passeth over the city, the 
 days of health are at hand. It is the glory of the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 267 
 
 faithful to bear afflictions with patience, and to 
 oppose the temptations of evil with fortitude and 
 firmness.' 
 
 As the bird was continuing to speak the lessons 
 of its mistress Adiram, the chief of the eunuchs en- 
 tered the apartment, and the little chorister flew 
 swiftly away through the window, among the trees 
 in the garden of the seraglio. Doubor, as he 
 entered, approached to the sofa of Kalasrade, and 
 fell prostrate before her. 
 
 ' Lovely Kalasrade,' said the trembling eunuch, 
 1 it is to the intercession of Elar, the father of thy 
 lord, that Doubor owes the spirit which enlivens 
 him. — When Elar, the father of Sadak, fought by 
 the side of Mahomet his lord, on the confines of 
 Sclavonia, and the inhabitants of Zagrah fled be- 
 fore him, my widowed mother, with her family, 
 were among the number of the fugitives : but as 
 she held a daughter in each hand, and was laden 
 with me, an infant, upon her back, she was soon 
 unable to keep up with her brethren, whose con- 
 cern was so urgent for themselves, that they re- 
 fused to bear any part of her burden. 
 
 * My mother, Idan, finding it in vain to fly with 
 her children, and resolving not to leave them 
 behind her to the merciless fury of her enemies, 
 sat down by the road-side, and while I hung on 
 the breast, embraced, with the utmost tenderness, 
 her two daughters. Ere she had completed her 
 caresses, the outskirts of Mahomet's army ap- 
 peared. Two Janissaries first reached the miser- 
 able widow : they examined her features ; but age 
 had spread the veil of safety on her cheeks. The 
 daughters of the wretched widow next excited 
 their attention ; the countenance of Liberak, the 
 eldest, bedewed with tears, appeared like the melt- 
 ing snow ; and the bloom of Hirab, the second, 
 
268 TALES OF THE GENII, 
 
 shone through the pearly drops that hung upon t 
 her face, as the rose-bud laden with the dew of 
 night. 
 
 ' ' Be this my prey,' said the first Janissary ; and 
 seized on the elegant Liberak. c And be this mine,' 
 said his comrade, laying hold of the blush-covered 
 Hirab. 
 
 ' Idan, my mother, awaking from her trance of 
 sorrows by the rude onset of the two Janissaries, 
 called aloud on her Christian God for relief, and 
 held each daughter firmly by the hand, while the 
 Janissaries endeavoured to loosen her hold ; which 
 the first not effecting so easily as he hoped, drew 
 his scimitar and severed her hand and her daughter 
 from the miserable Idan. His comrade, observing 
 the brutal success of his fellow-soldier, drew his 
 scimitar likewise, and was about to gain his prize 
 by the same kind of cruelty, when Elar, the 
 captain of the band, rode up, and seeing the ac- 
 cursed design of the Janissary, with his uplifted 
 scimitar hewed him to the ground. 
 
 ' The first Janissary, seeing the fate of his com- 
 rade, fled ; and Elar gave orders that Idan and her 
 children should be preserved : he set a guard over 
 her, and sent, with several slaves, one experienced 
 in the knowledge of physic, to bind up her wound : 
 but the kind efforts of Elar were vain; my mother 
 fainted with loss of blood, and before proper as- 
 sistance could be procured, expired in the arms of 
 her helpless daughters. 
 
 ' Liberak and Hirab, the children of Idan, fell 
 on the face of their mother, and ceased not to 
 mourn over their unhappy parent ; neither could 
 the attendants whom Elar had provided prevail on 
 them to receive the least refreshments. They con- 
 tinued, during the pursuit of the Turks after the 
 Sclavonians, which lasted three days, immoveable 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 269 
 
 on the body of their dear mother Idan, while I 
 was nourished by one of the slaves of Elar. 
 
 ' Sorrow and fatigue soon put an end to the lives 
 of Liberack and Hirab, the duteous daughters of 
 the deceased Idan : and I was left a helpless infant 
 in the arms of the slaves of Elar ; who, after the 
 return of the army from pursuing their enemies, 
 presented me to Elar, with an account of the death 
 of my mother and my sisters. Elar, perceiving a 
 liveliness in my looks, sent the slave with me 
 to Mahomet, who gave orders that I should be 
 admitted into his seraglio : and one of the first 
 things I learned there, was this history from the 
 mouth of a slave who was appointed to be my 
 nurse. Wherefore be not surprised, beauteous 
 Kalasrade, at my affection for Sadak, the son of 
 my lord Elar, by whose generous intercession I 
 became a servant of Mahomet, and was afterwards, 
 by the favour of the mighty Amurath, exalted to 
 this post of confidence and honour. But alas ! 
 how will my desire to serve Sadak be believed, 
 when it is known that I, by the command of Amu- 
 rath, corrupted his slaves, and assisted them in 
 bringing the wife of my lord into this seraglio I 
 
 ' Indeed, faithful Kalasrade, my ignorance must 
 plead my excuse : bred up in this palace, I knew no 
 law but the will of my master ; and I believed that 
 every woman must esteem it her greatest happiness 
 to become the wife of the mighty Amurath. But 
 the despair of Sadak's beauteous wife, her con- 
 stancy, and her contempt of every grandeur when 
 the price of unfaithfulness, have convinced me 
 how much more I have distressed the noble 
 Sadak, and to what a precipice I have dragged 
 the much-injured Kalasrade : and yet, what had 
 my refusal to obey Amurath benefited your cause? 
 Death had been my instant reward, and some more 
 
2J0 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 savage heart had been procured to direct the 
 bloody resolves of Amurath against you. Yet I 
 plead not my own excuse ; but mean, ere it be too 
 late, to serve the much-injured wife of Sadak, the 
 son of my patron Elar.' 
 
 ' If you mean to serve me, Doubor, (though 
 much I suspect the integrity of your tale,) lead 
 me this instant,' said the lovely Kalasrade, ' out 
 of the seraglio, and waft me over to the dwelling 
 of Sadak, my lord.' 
 
 ' What ! ' answered Doubor, ' is Kalasrade such 
 a stranger to the watchful keepers of this seraglio, 
 that she supposes it possible for any one to escape 
 unobserved through the various guards which sur- 
 round it ! Know you not, beloved of Sadak, that 
 numberless mutes and eunuchs watch it night and 
 day within ; and without are stationed a thousand 
 Janissaries both by water and by land ? No, fair 
 captive ! there is no escape from these walls, unless 
 Amurath consent.' 
 
 ' Is this, base Doubor ! ' answered Kalasrade, 
 ' your promised comfort, that you officiously come 
 to certify me of my ruin ? Thou art, indeed, a 
 Christian renegade, and no Turk; for thou de- 
 lightest to torment those whom thou canst not 
 save. Sadak ! Sadak ! was it for this thy father 
 Elar preserved this Christian's blood, that he 
 should be the chief engine of Amurath's malice 
 against thee ? Such tales as these are fitting to 
 drive pity from a warrior's breast, and to justify 
 the slaughter of those who spare neither sex nor 
 age ! ' 
 
 4 It were hard,' answered Doubor, the chief of 
 the eunuchs, ' to condemn the fierce courser, be- 
 cause he cannot fly without the assistance of the 
 earth whereon he bounds ; or to extirpate the 
 olive-tree, because it bears not the luscious clusters 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 27 1 
 
 of the vine. Although Doubor is unahle to re- 
 lease the fair Kalasrade, yet he may find some ex- 
 pedient to drive off the completion of Amurath's 
 designs.' 
 
 < Ah ! faithful Doubor ! ' said Kalasrade, con- 
 vinced of her injudicious hastiness, ' forgive the 
 wild sallies of a distempered mind : I am satisfied 
 of your kind intention, and I wait with impatience 
 to hear your instruction and advice.' 
 
 ' Jealousy of the noble Sadak,' said the eunuch 
 Doubor, ' is the ruling passion of Amurath's 
 mind; it slumbered for many years, but recent 
 events have kindled it afresh. He loves Kalas- 
 rade, but far more does he hate her lord. Let 
 not Kalasrade, therefore, oppose by open force 
 the will of her Sultan, but let her seek to ward 
 off her evil fortune by other means ; and above 
 all, let her trust in Alia. The means I would 
 suggest, then, O wife of Sadak, are these : — In 
 the wide ocean is a large island, surrounded by 
 inaccessible rocks and deceitful quicksands ; in 
 the centre of which, from a rising ground, runs 
 a small spring, whose waters are of such a nature, 
 that whoever drinks of them immediately forgets 
 whatever has passed before in their lives : but 
 these waters are beset with such insurmountable 
 difficulties, that no one hath ever been able to 
 draw of that stream, though thousands have 
 perished in the undertaking. 
 
 'When Amurath, then, next enters into these 
 apartments, appear submissive and humble be- 
 fore him ; and when he presses you to accept of 
 his hand, promise to yield to his wishes, on one 
 condition, — that he procures for you the Waters 
 of Oblivion, that you may forget all your former 
 life with Sadak, and may be made fit to receive the 
 conqueror of the earth as your lord. 5 
 
272 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 1 Ah, Doubor ! Doubor ! ' answered Kalasrade, 
 'how can I prevail upon myself, even in deceit, 
 to speak so disrespectfully of Sadak, the beloved 
 of my soul ! Sadak, may I be indeed the ty- 
 rant's mistress when my base heart forgets its 
 union with Sadak its lord ! ' 
 
 ' Consider, faithful consort of Sadak,' answered 
 Doubor, ' what otherwise may be your doom — 
 what may be the doom of Sadak. But I had 
 not dared to have stayed thus long at the feet 
 of Kalasrade, unless Amurath had sent me to 
 soften your heart : I will now return, and pre- 
 pare him to be deceived by the request of his 
 Sultana.' 
 
 ' Ah, Doubor,' said Kalasrade, ' if you mean to 
 serve me, never again let me hear that detested 
 name : Sultana, to me, is a worse sound than 
 poverty and contempt can frame ! ' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs bowed to the earth, 
 and withdrew from the presence of Kalasrade. 
 
 6 The tale of Doubor,' said Kalasrade to herself, 
 as the chief of the eunuchs left the room, ' may 
 be only a fertile invention to amuse and soften the 
 rigorous sorrows of my heart ; but as they cannot 
 change my fixed resolves, I will act as though I 
 believed them. If there is truth in his words, 
 his device may, at worst, put off for a time the 
 misfortune I have too much reason to dread.' 
 
 The mind of Kalasrade was so greatly eased by 
 the instruction of the bird of Adiram, and the de- 
 vices of Doubor the chief of the eunuchs, that on the 
 third day she suffered the slaves to adorn her, and 
 partook of the delicacies which were set before 
 her. In the evening, the slaves of the seraglio 
 warned Kalasrade of Amurath' s approach ; and as 
 he entered, the beauteous wife of Sadak fell with 
 her face to the earth. 
 
• SADAK AND KALASRADE. 273 
 
 * Kalasrade,' said Amurath, • let me know, ere 
 you arise from the earth, whether you have well 
 weighed the consequence of slighting the honour 
 destined to you by the monarch of the Faithful ? ' 
 
 1 Light of the Faithful and lord of the earth,' 
 answered the prostrate Kalasrade, ' the preference 
 you have shown an object unworthy of your notice 
 can never be sufficiently acknowledged by your 
 slave. But, my lord, mention not the mighty 
 honours you mean to heap upon me, lest my daz- 
 zled fancy totter with the towering thought, and 
 my overcharged reflection sink into the long slum- 
 bers of. eternal night.' 
 
 ' Blessed and unexpected change ! ' said the 
 transported Amurath, raising up the trembling 
 Kalasrade in haste, ' what were those words that I 
 suffered to fall so soon to the earth ? Kepeat them, 
 beautiful Kalasrade, ten thousand times in mine 
 ears, and ask your own reward for the sweet labour 
 I have imposed upon you.' 
 
 ' Alas ! alas ! ' continued Kalasrade, * can the 
 mighty Amurath stoop to raise the age-stricken 
 wife of Sadak ? Shall the mother of a numerous 
 family, — shall the exile from the shores of the 
 Bosphorus, become the favourite of Amurath, and 
 the Sultana of the Othman court ! No, Kalas- 
 rade, foolish Kalasrade ! Amurath laughs at thy 
 folly, and has raised thee to this height, to make 
 thy fall more terrible.' 
 
 * By the sacred blood of the Prophet which ani- 
 mates me, I swear, O Kalasrade, I mean to fulfil 
 the words I have spoken, and thou alone shalt be 
 the Sultana of my heart ! ' 
 
 ' But will the mighty Amurath consent to one 
 request of his slave ; will he bear with Kalasrade, 
 to grant her one petition in which her happiness 
 is concerned ? ' 
 
274 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Ah, Kalasrade ! ' said Aniurath, starting, l be- 
 ware of all past reflections ; for, if the hated 
 Sadak be the subject of thy request, thou shalt 
 indeed be cast to infamy and scorn.' 
 
 1 The name of one who has deserved Amurath's 
 hatred,' replied Kalasrade, * be far from the tongue 
 of Kalasrade ! O gracious Prince, dismiss such 
 ungenerous suspicions from your mind! — But 
 that, alas ! is vain to hope, and I must still be 
 wretched. No, mighty Amurath, expect no happi- 
 ness with her who must ever disturb thy joys with 
 the thoughts of what she once has been. How shall 
 I meet my Prince with the noble ardour he re- 
 quires, when my poor mind shall be weighed down 
 with the remembrance of my former life ? ' 
 
 ' Ten thousand pleasures,' replied Amurath, 
 1 shall hourly surround you ; the sun and moon 
 shall alike be witnesses of our eternal festivals ; 
 the dance, the song, the sprightly music, the 
 masque, the feast, the show, shall all succeed in 
 quick rotation, and drive from your pleased fancy 
 every former thought. Each wish of your heart 
 shall be so quickly gratified, your fertile mind 
 shall toil to recollect its wants.' 
 
 ' Prince of my life,' answered Kalasrade, ' though 
 I must not doubt your power, nor your desire to 
 please ; yet will the mind, stretched out by the 
 long scenes of pleasure, oft recoil upon its former 
 self, and embitter the undeserved joys my Prince 
 shall heap upon me.' 
 
 1 To prove my sincerity, and to show you how 
 soon I mean to gratify every thought Kalasrade 
 forms,' said Amurath, ' let me hear the request of 
 your lips : but see it glance not upon Sadak's love.' 
 
 ' Gracious Amurath,' said Kalasrade, ' forgive a 
 slave's presumption, and I will speak.' 
 
 ' Speak the whole wishes of thy heart/ replied 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 275 
 
 Amurath, 'and if they offer no obstacle to our 
 union, though my empire were the price, I would 
 purchase fair Kalasrade's peace.' 
 
 ' There is, my lord,' said Kalasrade, ' as I have 
 heard, a spring, whose waters are of such a nature, 
 that whoever drinks of them immediately forgets 
 whatever has passed before in their lives. Let my 
 lord then swear unto his slave that, ere he raises 
 her to share his greatness, he will procure her a 
 draught of those soothing waters. It is written 
 in the book of her fate, that not until she has 
 swallowed a draught from that spring, can she be- 
 come the wife of Amurath.' 
 
 ' Yes, lovely Kalasrade,' said the Sultan, ' I will 
 swear by Mahomet, our holy Prophet, never to 
 come into your presence till I have procured you a 
 taste of that stream, provided you can find any 
 one within two days, who can describe to me the ' 
 place where it rises.' 
 
 Kalasrade then fell at the feet of Amurath, and 
 said, — ' Thou hast made the heart of thy slave to 
 rejoice ; thou hast not only lifted her from obscu- 
 rity, but thou hast renewed the streams of her life ; 
 that having lost all memory of the past, she may 
 seek to please her lord, without diffidence at the 
 thoughts of her former state.' 
 
 ' Beauteous Kalasrade,' said Amurath, ' arise, — 
 I have sworn by Mahomet, and I will hasten to 
 gratify the desire of my Kalasrade.' 
 
 At these words Amurath left the fair Kalasrade, 
 inwardly rejoicing at the success of Doubor's ad- 
 vice ; and hastened to call unto him the sage Ba- 
 lobor, who was acquainted with every natural pro- 
 duction of the earth. 
 
 1 Balobor,' said Amurath, as the sage came into 
 his presence, ' can you describe to me the place 
 where that spring may be found, whose waters are 
 
 T2 
 
276 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 of such a nature, that whoever drinks of them 
 immediately forgets whatever has passed before in 
 his life?' 
 
 ' If the mighty Amurath, ' answered the sage 
 Balobor, f will permit me to retire to my books, I 
 will, ere the morning's sun, discover to my prince, 
 if the earth produces such a spring, where it may 
 be found.' 
 
 As soon as Balobor was gone forth from the 
 presence of Amurath, the impatient Prince sent 
 after the chief of his eunuchs, and inquired of him 
 where the spring of the Waters of Oblivion might 
 be found. 
 
 Doubor perceived, by the question of his lord, 
 that Kalasrade had succeeded : but the prudent 
 eunuch cared not to confess his knowledge of that 
 spring ; he therefore disguised his words, and said: 
 — ' Son of the Faithful, thy slave has never been 
 bred in the natural sciences ; but if my lord will 
 permit me to go in quest of the wise philosopher 
 Balobor, he will doubtless unfold to my Prince the 
 secret springs of the Waters of Oblivion.' 
 
 ' It is enough,' said Amurath, ' faithful Doubor ; 
 Balobor has promised by to-morrow's sun to reveal 
 to me the fountains of Oblivion.' 
 
 While Amurath was in search of the Waters of 
 Oblivion, the gentle Kalasrade was in secret prais- 
 ing the bounteous Alia, who had for a time pre- 
 served her from the tyrant's will. 
 
 The next morning the sage Balobor appeared in 
 the presence of Amurath, and said : — ' The Waters 
 of Oblivion, mighty Amurath, are jDreserved by 
 a watchful race of Genii, in a wide-extended island 
 in the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean. The 
 island itself is fortified by inaccessible precipices, 
 and beset with pointed rocks ; around it are spread 
 insidious quicksands, to prevent the approach of 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 277 
 
 any vessel, and which sink with the weight of those 
 who attempt to venture upon them. What dangers 
 surround the spring, which is situated in the centre 
 of the island, none can tell ; for, although thousands 
 have attempted to seek after it, none have ever suc- 
 ceeded ; hut destruction has overwhelmed them in 
 the very entrance of their toils.' 
 
 At the words of the sage Balohor, the countenance 
 of Amurath was overcast with frowns, and the tem- 
 pest which raged in his breast strove for utterance 
 in his face ; but the disappointed monarch endea- 
 voured to conceal his discontent, and retired from 
 the apartment whither Balobor had been ordered 
 to attend him. 
 
 Amurath, vexed and enraged at the contrivance 
 of Kalasrade, hastened to the female seraglio, 
 meditating vengeance on Sadak and his wife : but 
 as he went along a thought glanced across his imagi- 
 nation, and he stopped to pause on the malice his 
 heart was framing against the innocent victims of 
 his wrath.- — * Sadak,' said the monarch to himself, 
 1 the proud Sadak, still pursues his inquiries after 
 Kalasrade : I will command him to appear in my 
 presence, and heap the vengeance due to Kalasrade's 
 falsehood on his head.' 
 
 Amurath then gave orders for his Janissaries to 
 bring Sadak before him ; not by compulsion, but 
 to consult with him, as one who had formerly ex- 
 perienced the favours of his lord. The Janissaries 
 found the melancholy Sadak instructing his little 
 ones, in the village whither they had retired from 
 the flames of his palace. They showed him the 
 signet of Amurath, and required his immediate 
 attendance. 
 
 * Alas ! ' said the afflicted mourner, ' doth Amurath 
 again mean to jest with his slave, that he calls me 
 from this poor recess ! When the trumpet sounded 
 
278 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 to war, Sadak, nursed in camps, was not summoned 
 to his lord. But I obey ; obedience and submission 
 are the most welcome tributes that a slave can 
 offer.' 
 
 The Janissaries having brought the wretched 
 Sadak into the presence of Amurath, retired. 
 
 ' Brave soldier,' said Amurath, * hath the peaceful 
 sloth of retirement yet unstrung your manly heart, 
 or are you still the undaunted warrior I once knew 
 you ? Can the shrill trumpet's sound, and the 
 hollow murmurs of the brazen cymbal, rouse the 
 fire of war in all your soul ; or are you relaxed, by 
 the soft voice of love, into the inactive slumbers of 
 a life of ease ? Say, brave companion of my former 
 toils, were Amurath again to take the field, would 
 Sadak headlong plunge into the rapid stream? 
 Would he, laden with war's heavy trophies, again 
 climb the ragged precipice, or sleep on beds of 
 snow, or stand, undaunted, in the bloody struggle 
 of contending armies ? ' 
 
 ' Dead as I am to pleasure, noble Amurath,' said 
 Sadak, ' yet were my Prince's voice to call me to 
 the field, Sadak again should live in arms, and 
 court the toils and horrors of war's bloody stage. 
 Yes, Amurath, at thy command, this arm should fix 
 the standards of our faith on Russia's frozen bounds, 
 or on the burning sands of Afric's distant shore.' 
 
 ' Brave, noble Sadak ! ' said the false Amurath, 
 embracing him, ' I cannot doubt your truth ; though 
 the base minions of my court have stained that 
 name they long have envied, with their mean sur- 
 mises.' 
 
 ' A courtier's malice, mighty Amurath,' replied 
 Sadak, ' is beneath a soldier's notice ; and best is 
 answered, when occasion calls, by deeds which their 
 dastard minds shall shudder to relate.' 
 
 'Such deeds,' replied the artful monarch, 'Amu- 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 279 
 
 rath hath in store for Sadak's arms to execute ; 
 deeds which wear the fiercest countenance of dan- 
 ger, and which none but Sadak dare to undertake.' 
 
 ( My Prince,' answered Sadak, ' Sadak is ready 
 to receive your commands : but the day is ill spent 
 in words, when action can only approve my worth.' 
 
 \ Sadak,' answered Amurath, 'the malicious whis- 
 pers of my courtiers concerning your worth have 
 much disturbed me ; and I mean to-morrow, in the 
 public divan, to give you a glorious opportunity of 
 convincing their little souls how greatly the soldier 
 towers above the safe advisers of the cabinet. Fail 
 not, generous Sadak, to be present ; and I will, in 
 the sight of my own court, require some one to 
 stand forth, and undertake a voyage in quest of the 
 Waters of Oblivion, which are guarded by every 
 natural barrier, and the united efforts of a race of 
 evil Genii. Then, when a tame silence follows my 
 proposal, and the base courtiers hang their coward 
 heads, my brave Sadak shall arise, and challenge 
 to himself the glorious undertaking.' 
 
 Sadak bowed at the words of Amurath, and said : 
 1 Lord of the Faithful, far be it from Sadak to prove 
 unworthy of his master's love.' 
 
 The artful Amurath, having thus prepossessed the 
 mind of Sadak, went not into the apartments of 
 Kalasrade, but waited, with great solicitude, the 
 arrival of the next day. 
 
 As the all-diffusive light of morn appeared, which 
 shines alike upon the care-worn countenance of the 
 guilty wretch and on the open face of artless inno- 
 cence, Amurath arose, impatient till the hour of 
 public audience came ; when, being seated on his 
 throne, amidst the nobles of his court, and seeing 
 the faithful Sadak at the extremity of the divan, 
 he thus began his deceitful speech : — 
 
 1 Nobles and warriors, who, by your counsels and 
 
280 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 exploits in arms, cast various lustres on my throne ; 
 say, where shall Amurath find that brave resolved 
 heart, who will engage to procure for him the 
 Waters of Oblivion, which are preserved in a far 
 distant isle, defended by quicksands, monstrous 
 rocks, the perils of the waves, and flames of fire ? 
 Genii are its guardians, and all nature is com- 
 bined to save it from man's possession. — Such an 
 acquisition, nobles, would manifest to all the earth 
 the superiority of your monarch, and the bravery 
 of his subjects. Who is there then, among your 
 ranks, dares hope to add such lustre to my throne, 
 and such honour to himself? But speak not, no- 
 bles, unless a fixed resolve attend your speech. 
 To undertake, and not succeed, would wither, and 
 not increase, the laurels we have already won in 
 amis : wherefore, be these the terms on which the 
 noble adventurer issues forth : — Let him be sworn 
 not to turn back till he have the water in possession : 
 let him, likewise, forfeit his life, if he depart not 
 in search of this water ere the remainder of this 
 moon be worn away.' 
 
 As Amurath left off speaking, a general silence 
 succeeded ; and the eyes of all were turned upon 
 Sadak. The noble Sadak, perceiving no one offer, 
 stood up, and advanced towards the throne. 
 
 ' Descendant of Mahomet, and lord of thy crea- 
 tures,' said Sadak, and bowed before Amurath, 
 ' behold the hand of thy slave is prepared to execute 
 the desires of thy heart : and here I swear, in this 
 august assembly, never to return back till I have 
 procured the waters ; and ere three days be passed 
 shall the face of Sadak be set toward the dangers 
 that surround the Fountain of Oblivion.' 
 
 ' Thanks, noble Sadak,' said Amurath aloud, 
 ' thanks for this proffered service, which my nobles 
 feared to undertake : and I thus swear before the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 251 
 
 face of heaven, that when Sadak returns I will 
 make either him, or one of his family, the second 
 in honour throughout all my dominions.' 
 
 The beguiled Sadak understood not the base 
 meaning of his lord : but he fell at his feet, and 
 kissed the earth whereon Amurath stood. The chief 
 of the eunuchs, seeing the noble Sadak in the divan, 
 passed by his side as he was retiring, and whis- 
 pered : — ' Wait a few minutes, much injured Sadak, 
 and I will convey into your hands the words of 
 comfort.' 
 
 Sadak was astonished at the speech of the eu- 
 nuch ; and now his heart began to misgive him, 
 and tumults arose in his breast. Before the crowd 
 were dissipated out of the divan, the eunuch slipped 
 a note into Sadak's bosom ; and the much afflicted 
 warrior retired with it to the rocks which are behind 
 the city, and there read as follows : 
 
 ' Doubor, who oweth his life to the generous 
 interposition of thy father Elar, is distressed for his 
 friend. Alas ! noble Sadak, Kalasrade is in the 
 
 royal seraglio, and Amurath is what my hand 
 
 dare not write ! He, alone, who has undertaken to 
 procure the Waters of Oblivion, is able to enter 
 the seraglio of Amurath. Doubor has no command 
 without; but should Sadak escape through the 
 Janissaries, and scale the wall at the eastern part 
 of the garden, Doubor will this night watch his 
 approach, and convey him to the apartments of the 
 wretched Kalasrade. May Alia forbid that the 
 life which Elar saved shall be sacrificed by the 
 imprudence of Sadak ! ' 
 
 ' O Mahomet, the prophet of the just ! ' said 
 Sadak, as he read the scroll of Doubor, the chief 
 of the eunuchs, ' is it possible that Amurath hath 
 done this wrong to the hand which raised him ! 
 Was it for this I covered him with the shield of 
 
282 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 strength in the day of hattle ? Was it for this I 
 plunged in the rapid stream, and bore him, breath- 
 less, to the distant rock, when he fled from the face 
 of his enemies to the sea of Azoph ? Who recon- 
 ciled Amurath to his mutinous Janissaries, when, 
 offended at his avarice, they demanded the plunder 
 of Lepanto ? Who preserved him from the fury of 
 Irac, the rebellious son of Porob, who endeavoured 
 to depose him in the seraglio of his ancestors? 
 Who, but that man whom he hath basely robbed of 
 all his substance, — plundered of heaven's best 
 treasure, the lovely Kalasrade,- — and betrayed into 
 a rash vow to leave the Othman empire and his 
 just revenge, to seek, in distant seas, the various 
 countenance of death ! But what revenge could 
 Sadak meditate against the blood of his Prince? 
 would he wish to make his private injuries the 
 cause of public shame ? would he strive to glut his 
 malice on the ruins of the faith of Mussulmen, 
 and the Othman majesty ! And yet, soul of Hfe ! 
 
 beauteous and constant Kalasrade ! shall Sadak, 
 undisturbed, behold the afflictions of his love ? 
 Shall Kalasrade lift up the hand of supplicating 
 virtue and pour forth in vain the tears of constancy, 
 and Sadak stand unmoved at the voice of his be- 
 loved ? O Prophet ! holy Prophet ! whither must 
 
 1 turn? Not against my Prince, for whom his 
 slaves live ; not against thy truth, which the blood 
 of the Faithful hath planted and nourished on the 
 fertile plains of Europe and Asia. Must I then 
 bear the curses of Amurath ? Ah ! that is tenfold 
 death ! Must I rebel against one who was once my 
 friend, and is still the lord of his slave? — But 
 doubts are vain. The vows I have made in the 
 divan bar all other views : yet ere I go, a voluntary 
 exile from the plains of the Faithful, I will see 
 Kalasrade, or perish by the slaves which surround 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 283 
 
 her. She is mine, though the arm of power op- 
 press her ; and Amurath, who once held the sacred 
 vow most solemn, cannot hlame that love which 
 leads me to my lawful treasure.' 
 
 These reflections fixed Sadak in his resolution 
 of attempting to enter the seraglio ; and he re- 
 turned to the city, in order to procure such things 
 as might be necessary to assist him in his under- 
 taking. Going to the Bezestein, he ordered an 
 iron to be made with five hooks-, and an eye in the 
 centre ; and at the silk-merchant's bought a cord 
 of silk fifty feet in length ; he also purchased a 
 small iron trowel and a poniard. 
 
 Having these things in his possession, in the 
 evening he went down to the water side, between 
 Pera and Constantinople ; and suddenly unloosing a 
 small boat, he launched it in the gulf of Keratius, 
 and swiftly rowed to Kiscula, which is on a rock on 
 the shore of Asia, facing the eastern part of the 
 seraglio. Here the determined Sadak rested on 
 his oars till the clouds of night had shortened the 
 vigilant sight of the Janissaries and the tide was 
 fallen from the walls of the palace ; when, paddling 
 towards the seraglio, he advanced in his boat within 
 six hundred paces of the shore. 
 
 A part of the guard who were then going round 
 on the beach to examine the walls, halted at the 
 sound of Sadak's oars, and made a signal for a 
 galley which lay near them to come up. 
 
 The slaves in the galley obeyed the Janissaries, 
 and, coming alongside the shore, took them on 
 board. The Janissaries directed them to row 
 towards the place where they imagined they had 
 heard the paddling of oars, and in a few minutes 
 Sadak perceived one of the Sultan's galleys ad- 
 vancing towards him. The bold Sadak, pleased 
 at the success of his stratagem, gently glided out 
 
284 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 of the boat into the water, and diving wide of the 
 galley, sometimes rising for breath, and at other 
 times continuing to strike forward under the 
 water, he in a short time reached the shore, and 
 landed between Sera Burni and the gate of Top- 
 capu, through which his beloved was hurried by 
 the slaves of the seraglio. 
 
 Sadak, knowing that his time might not be 
 wasted (as the Janissaries, finding no one in the 
 boat would soon return to the shore), immediately 
 pulled out the iron with the five hocks, and the 
 silken cord, and fastening them together, he threw 
 the hook over the wall, which catching on the top, 
 by means of the silken cord Sadak raised himself 
 upon the wall ; then, again fixing the hook on the 
 inner side, in such a manner as he might loosen 
 it from the wall by shaking it backward and for- 
 ward, he quickly descended into the gardens of 
 the seraglio, and unhitching the iron from the 
 wall with a few shakes of the cord, he took out 
 his trowel, and buried them in the earth ; then 
 hastening towards a thicket of small trees and 
 shrubs, he hid himself therein. 
 
 Here Sadak had time to collect his thoughts ; 
 but he was hardly covered by the bushes before 
 he heard the galley on the opposite side of the 
 wall strike against the shore, and could distin- 
 guish the voices of the Janissaries descending 
 from its sides. By their conversation he learned 
 that they were alarmed at finding a boat without 
 any one in it ; and, as they hastened towards the 
 gate Topcapu, he doubted not but they would 
 shortly rouse the guards of the seraglio. In the 
 midst of these thoughts, Sadak heard the fall of 
 feet approaching toward him ; and presently one 
 drew near the bushes, and was entering into the 
 very place where Sadak was concealed. Although 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 285 
 
 the frame of Saclak was more disturbed at the ap- 
 proach of the stranger than it had ever been in 
 the held of blood, yet he neglected not to draw 
 his poniard; and as the stranger entered among 
 the bushes, he seized him, and was about to strike 
 the steel into his heart, when Doubor cried out, 
 ■ Sadak, destroy not thy friend ! ' The spirits of 
 Sadak having been hurried by the noise of the 
 Janissaries, made him forget the appointment of 
 Doubor to meet him in the garden ; but when he 
 perceived the grateful eunuch, he dropped the 
 poniard on the earth, and said : 
 
 * friend of my bosom ! forgive the fears and 
 the distractions of the miserable Sadak, who in 
 mad fury had nearly sacrificed his comforter, and 
 driven the poniard of suspicion into the breast 
 of the tender-hearted Doubor ! ' 
 
 * Noble Sadak ! ' answered the chief of the 
 eunuchs, ' I wonder not at your suspicions ; it is 
 a hard task for the brave to dissemble, or for the 
 generous warrior to descend to the dark deeds of 
 a midnight robber. But let us hasten towards the 
 seraglio : yet, before we issue forth out of this 
 thicket, let me help you to dress yourself in the 
 habit of a mute ; the garments are hidden in the 
 thicket behind ; and I was coming to see whether 
 they were safe, against your arrival, when you 
 seized me by the arm.' 
 
 Sadak was pleased at the proposal of the chief 
 of the eunuchs ; and, stripping himself, he left his 
 own garments concealed in the thicket, and put- 
 ting on the mute's habit, followed Doubor toward 
 the female seraglio. 
 
 Doubor, advancing toward the seraglio, made 
 a sign for the eunuchs, which were placed at the 
 gates, to retire; and entering, he bade his mute 
 follow him to the apartments of Kalasrade. The 
 
250 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 joy of Sadak, at the thoughts of again viewing his 
 beloved, and his fears, lest any unfortunate dis- 
 aster should discover him, raised alternate storms 
 in his breast; but the mighty warrior concealed 
 from his countenance the strong passions which 
 beset his heart. 
 
 After passing through several galleries, the chief 
 of the eunuchs arrived at the apartment of the 
 beauteous Kalasrade, and was about to enter, when 
 he perceived the royal sandals at the door. Doubor 
 started back at the sight. — ' Mahomet ! ' said he 
 in a whisper, ' Amurath is risen in the dead of 
 night, and entered into Kalasrade 's apartment.' 
 
 The words of Doubor were as deadly poison to 
 the heart of Sadak ; the cold hand of death chilled 
 his astonished blood, and his weak nature could 
 scarcely sustain the mighty shock. 
 
 ' Oh, Doubor ! Doubor ! ' said the wretched son 
 of Elar, ' support my conflicting frame ! O Dou- 
 bor, I am unable to bear this tenfold death ! — 
 Ah, tyrant ! ah, my friend ! if I strike, thou must 
 perish : if I withhold my arm — O wretched Sadak ! 
 O Mahomet ! O Alia ! have I deserved this tor- 
 ture ? If I have, strike this rebellious heart ; if 
 not, strengthen and support the wretch whom thou 
 art pleased to load with ills past human thought ! ' 
 As the miserable Sadak thus poured forth his 
 griefs in the bosom of his friend, the affrighted 
 Doubor pressed his head, and covered it with the 
 folds of his garment, that the voice of the wretched 
 Sadak might not pierce the walls of the apartment, 
 and raise the suspicion of Amurath : but his ut- 
 most precaution could not prevent the sighs of 
 Sadak, whose wounded and afflicted soul was as 
 the wearied boar of the forest, when pierced with 
 the darts and javelins of a thousand hunters. 
 In the midst of his sighs, the door of the apart- 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 287 
 
 ment opened ; Amurath came forth ; and Sadak, 
 leaving the bosom of Doubor, fell with his face 
 toward the earth. 
 
 6 Doubor,' said the Sultan, ' where hast thou 
 been ? and where are thy guards ? Who is that 
 mute whom thou didst cherish in thy bosom ? and 
 why art thou here in the dark hour of night ? ' 
 
 ' Lord of Princes,' answered Doubor, ' when my 
 master retired to his sofa I went to examine the 
 guard of eunuchs, and to see that thy slaves were 
 faithful to thy trust ; and at my return, perceiving 
 that my lord was arisen, I called this mute to me, 
 as I was unwilling to disturb my Sultan with the 
 feet of his guards ; and followed thee to the apart- 
 ment of Kalasrade. But as I tarried here, waiting 
 lest my lord should have any command for his 
 slave to execute, the poor mute fell sick, and in 
 pity I took him to my bosom ; as I have learned, 
 from the kindness which my lord shows his slaves, 
 to copy, as far as my poor and weak capacity will 
 permit, the bright virtues of the favourite of Alia.' 
 
 ' Doubor,' said Amurath, ' I commend your care: 
 but my soul is ill at ease ; Kalasrade, the wife of 
 my slave, hath rejected her monarch — go to her, 
 faithful Doubor, with this dagger, which Amurath 
 was too weak to use. Slave, obey thy lord, and 
 begone ! ' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs, laying his hand upon 
 his breast, bowed down, and said, ' The will of 
 Amurath is the law of his slave.' 
 
 No sooner was Amurath gone, than the chief of 
 the eunuchs raised up Sadak, and said : — ' Son of 
 Elar, friend of my bosom, first in my esteem, 
 arise, and let us go to thy Kalasrade.' 
 
 ' Yes, faithful, generous Doubor, thou balsam of 
 peace to my wounded soul ! thou ray of Heaven on 
 the spirits of the afflicted I I will arise and bless 
 
255 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the Great Fountain of Happiness, for the merciful 
 change he has wrought in my favour.' 
 
 At these words Doubor interposed. — ' Permit me, 
 fortunate Sadak,' said he, ' to go first unto Kalas- 
 rade, and prepare her delicate frame for your re- 
 ception, lest the strong tide of returning happiness 
 overpower her nature, and faintness, or death, 
 again snatch her from her beloved Sadak.' 
 
 The tender Sadak acquiesced in the reasons of 
 the chief of the eunuchs, and Doubor hastened to 
 impart to Kalasrade the arrival of her beloved. 
 After a few minutes, Doubor returned, and entered 
 with Sadak into the female apartments. As the 
 happy Kalasrade beheld the features of her lord 
 under the disguise of a mute, she sprang forward, 
 her eyes- enlivened by the transports of her heart, 
 and with a fond surprise, half-fearful, half-overjoyed, 
 she pressed him in her arms. 
 
 ' Ah, dearest Sadak ! ' said she, 'joy of my soul, 
 master of my thoughts, life of my heart ! 0, how 
 has thy Kalasrade sighed and despaired at thy ab- 
 sence ! I have been, my Sadak, like the shriek-owl 
 in the wilderness ; I have been, my Sadak, like the 
 widowed dove : but now am I as the deer which 
 bounds on the sunny plain ; as the bird which sips 
 the dew of the morning among the blossoms of the 
 orange-grove.' 
 
 ' O fond and constant Kalasrade,' answered Sa- 
 dak, ' how has my heart sought thee in solitude, 
 and found thee not ! I have been, my Kalasrade, as 
 the coward in the day of battle ; as the warrior 
 disarmed by the treachery of his foe ; as the lion 
 in the toils of the hunters ; as the leopard sur- 
 rounded by the flood : but now am I like the man 
 of valour who bestrides his foe ; like the conqueror 
 in the day of triumph : but now am I as the tiger 
 springing on his prey ; as the lusty eagle on the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 289 
 
 clouds of heaven. Yet how, my Kalasrade, has 
 female weakness been capable of contending with 
 the will of the Son of Othman — even so far, what 
 mortal prudence has guided thee ? ' 
 
 • Master of my thoughts,' answered Kalasrade, 
 ' our Prophet hath heard my prayer, and the bird 
 of Adiram hath poured the balsam of comfort into 
 my afflicted soul. Nay more, the generous and 
 grateful Doubor also hath whispered in my ears the 
 words of consolation ; and by the advice of him whom 
 Elar thy father preserved from destruction, hath 
 Kalasrade triumphed over the wiles of Amurath.' 
 
 As the beauteous Kalasrade uttered these words, 
 the countenance of Doubor, the chief of the eu- 
 nuchs, fell : but Kalasrade was so intent on con- 
 templating the features of her long-lost lord, that 
 she perceived not the anxious face of the generous 
 Doubor. 
 
 ' And by what stratagem,' said Sadak, eagerly, 
 ' hath Kalasrade rescued herself from the power of 
 Amurath ? ' 
 
 ' Monarch of my affections/ answered Kalasrade, 
 ' I challenge not the honour of the device ; it is to 
 Doubor's prudence that I owe my safety : he opened 
 to me the cause of his friendship for the son of 
 Elar, and advised me when Amurath should again 
 return to me, that I should use him deceitfully, 
 and engage him by a vow, not to make me his 
 wife till he should procure for me the Waters of 
 Oblivion.' 
 
 'And what concession,' said the stern Sadak, 
 ' has Kalasrade made the Sultan Amurath, to ob- 
 tain from him this mighty and important vow ? ' 
 
 1 Alas ! noble Sadak,' said Doubor, interposing, 
 ' the wary Sultan hath turned our toils upon our- 
 selves, and we are caught in the snare which was 
 laid for the foot of Amurath.' 
 U 
 
29O TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' What, Doubor,' replied the astonished Kalas- 
 rade, ' what doth thy ominous tongue, and the 
 stern front of my offended lord, portend ! Ah ! 
 said you not that Amurath hath entangled us ? 
 Hath he, then, faithful Doubor, made a false use of 
 my soothing words ? Hath he injured me in the 
 sight of my lord ? ' 
 
 * Peace, gentle and much injured fair one,' said 
 Doubor ; ' and dissipate, brave Sadak, the cloud 
 on thy brow. Kalasrade never has, nor will pledge 
 her faith to Amurath. No, constant pair ! Amu- 
 rath, though furious in his revenge, is just and 
 perfect in his speech, and would as quickly throw 
 off the state of his empire as falsify his oath. But 
 briefly thus it is, sweet mistress of brave Sadak's 
 heart! the Sultan, nettled at your request, cast 
 about how he might make your imagined security 
 as irksome to yourself as it was forbidding to him ; 
 and therefore he has engaged thy unsuspecting lord, 
 by a firm oath, to seek for him the Waters of Obli- 
 vion, and never to return to the Othman empire 
 till he bring with him the produce of that inacces- 
 sible fountain.' 
 
 ' What,' said the affrighted Kalasrade, • what 
 are the words which have escaped the lips of the 
 generous Doubor : Look on me, O Sadak, thou 
 much injured lord ! look on her, who by a mean 
 device, hath heaped eternal afflictions on thy heart! 
 Oh ! curse on this tongue, on this heart, on this 
 head, which have all been the wretched instruments 
 of Sadak's banishment ! Ah, bird of Adiram ! ah, 
 sweet-spoken Doubor ! see you not the poison that 
 lurks under the tongue of the adder ! see you not 
 the flames which lie beneath the verdant surface of 
 the burning Santorini ? Sadak shall wander amidst 
 ten thousand deaths. The treacherous sands, my 
 love, will sink with thee ; evil Genii will hurl thee 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 291 
 
 from the summit of their rocks ; thy wretched car- 
 cass shall be cast upon an unknown shore ; the 
 vultures of the air, and the monsters of the deep, 
 shall feast on my Sadak.' 
 
 ' Fear not, my Kalasrade,' replied Sadak, ' the 
 treachery of the tyrant has dissolved the tie which 
 bound me to the race of Othman. I leave thee no 
 more in the power of Amurath ; this arm shall 
 hurl instant vengeance on his head, and avenge 
 the wrongs of Kalasrade.' 
 
 ' Ah ! furious Sadak,' answered the chief of the 
 eunuchs, ' what mean these dark resolves ? But 
 think not Doubor intends to stand a tame spectator 
 of thy revenge ; faithful to my lord in every just 
 command, through me must Sadak reach the heart 
 of Amurath. But moderate your rage, bold man, 
 and know, though Doubor loves not every deed of 
 Amurath, yet will he never prove a traitor to his 
 life. While Sadak means no more than to recover 
 his Kalasrade, I am bound by gratitude and justice 
 to espouse his cause ; but if his murderous heart 
 aim at his Prince's life, both gratitude and justice 
 call me then to Amurath' s defence.' 
 . ' Generous Doubor,' answered Sadak, ' I justly 
 stand rebuked : I were indeed a wretch, when holy 
 Othman's race is nearly extinct, to rob our faith of 
 its last royal leader. No, faithful eunuch, the man 
 who, out of private malice, gives confusion to his 
 country, and subverts its peace, deserves not pity 
 nor relief.' 
 
 'Are these, then,' replied Kalasrade, in tears, 
 ' the virtuous resolutions of a patriot, to give up 
 private happiness to public tyranny? For what 
 were Othman's race decreed to rule but for the 
 safety of the Faithful ? And if a tyrant violate, . 
 unchecked, each social duty ; it is he first robs his 
 subjects of their peace. But thou, Sadak, art a 
 TJ2 
 
292 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 noble patriot ; thou canst unconcerned behold thy 
 palace flaming, and thy wife torn from thy arms ; 
 thou canst with meanness crouch before a puny 
 lord, in aught but pomp inferior to thyself. Such 
 then be Sadak's love, and such his vowed protection 
 of Kalasrade's honour : but hear me, Prophet of 
 the Just, and thou, pure, heavenly Being, spotless 
 and holy God ! Thou who canst protect the 
 weakest with thy mighty arm ; 0, give me strength 
 to do that which cruel Sadak dares not justify ; and 
 make thy trembling votary the instrument of ven- 
 geance on the tyrant's head ! ' 
 
 ' O beauteous and much injured Kalasrade ! ' 
 answered Sadak, ' rather pray that Mahomet would 
 fortify thy Sadak's heart, and teach him, in this 
 doubtful path, his duty to Kalasrade, and to his 
 Prince.' 
 
 6 Alas ! ' interrupted Doubor, the chief of the 
 eunuchs, ' I hoped this interview would have ad- 
 ministered comfort to the hearts of Sadak and 
 Kalasrade : but passion, alas ! has consumed the 
 short moments that belonged to love ; for now in 
 the east are hung the banners of approaching day, 
 and the faint purple light, reflected from the dis- 
 tant clouds, warns our retreat. Come, noble Sadak, 
 let us leave the beauteous fair, in full assurance 
 that Alia will prevent the worst ill you dread, and 
 Kalasrade will be preserved to her lord till his 
 return.' 
 
 ' Leave her, Doubor ! ' answered Sadak, look- 
 ing with wild ecstasy on his beloved wife ; * whom 
 am I to leave ? ' 
 
 ' O Sadak,' interrupted Doubor, ' one moment 
 more, and all is* lost ! O Kalasrade, if Sadak ever 
 deserved thy love, dismiss him hence, and save 
 thyself, thy lord, and me, from instant ruin.' 
 
 1 What ! ' replied the wild Kalasrade, folding her 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 293 
 
 noble Sadak in her arms, ' wilt thou bereave me of 
 this polished shaft on whom I twine ? No, base 
 eunuch, it is here alone Kalasrade lives ; and Sadak 
 lost, my own weak female ami will set me free from 
 Amurath.' 
 
 ' To leave thee now,' replied Sadak, 'were to 
 give thee up a prey : no, Kalasrade ; let the tyrant 
 come ; we will disappoint his malice, and both at 
 once seek peace beyond the gates of death ! ' 
 
 It was in vain that Doubor attempted to inter- 
 rupt the vehemence of Sadak and Kalasrade : for- 
 getful of themselves, or of the hazard of their 
 friendly eunuch, they seemed resolved that nothing 
 more should part them. The distressed eunuch, 
 finding every remonstrance vain, departed from the 
 apartments of Kalasrade, and hastened to the 
 chambers of the Sultan. 
 
 Sadak and Kalasrade, without perceiving the 
 chief of the eunuchs had left them, continued call- 
 ing Alia and Mahomet to witness their mutual 
 constancy and truth. In the midst of these passion- 
 ate expressions, the bird of Adiram entered the 
 windows of the palace, and perching on the shoulder 
 of Sadak, thus delivered the message of his mis- 
 tress to the astonished pair : — 
 
 ' To comfort the afflicted is the delight of our 
 race; and the inhabitants of heaven stoop with 
 pleasure to the children of earth, when mercy calls 
 them down : for this cause came the voice of con- 
 solation to Kalasrade, when the evils of tyranny 
 beset her ; Adiram, also, the servant of Mahomet, 
 watched over the afflicted fair one, and gave to 
 Doubor the feelings of compassion. By his coun- 
 sels was Amurath engaged in an inviolable oath to 
 abstain from his base purpose, till the Waters of 
 Oblivion were obtained ; and Sadak, by his assist- 
 ance, was again blessed with the sight of his 
 
294 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Kalasrade. How have ye, wretched pair, perverted 
 these kind purposes of Adiram ! And where is 
 that fortitude which first recommended you to the 
 tutelage of our immortal race ! By an ill-judged 
 perseverance, ye have changed a virtuous con- 
 stancy into a vicious self indulgence ; and neg- 
 lecting both the bonds of friendship and the 
 commands of Mahomet, ye have nearly sacrificed 
 Doubor to your folly, and yourselves to the idle 
 dreams of uncurbed affection. Though Alia hath 
 taught you to submit, and bear with patience the 
 evils of life, ye have listened to the fantasies of 
 love, and, in the bravery of your hearts, resolved 
 to pass together to the gates of death. What then 
 are ye, foolish pair, that ye should have dominion 
 over that life which Alia breathed into the clay- 
 formed tabernacles of your unanimated fiesh? or 
 where is the fortitude of flying like cowards from 
 the face of danger to the silent grave ? — Yet know, 
 while Alia reigns, no evil shall befall the sons of 
 infirmity, but such as, patiently endured, may 
 work their future good ; and therefore to the Just 
 One alone it appertaineth to dismiss from the ser- 
 vice of life, or to continue his children in the trials 
 of affliction. — Thus saith Adiram, the genius of 
 Sadak and Kalasrade, who is now compelled, by 
 the law of fate, to leave her pupils to the miseries 
 they have entailed upon themselves.' 
 
 The bird of Adiram uttered no more, but flew 
 on the elastic surface of the air into the gardens 
 of the palace ; while the tender Kalasrade sunk in 
 tears on the bosom of her astonished Sadak. The 
 bird was no sooner gone forth, than Sadak heard 
 the feet of a multitude in the gallery ; and the 
 doors of the apartment immediately bursting open, 
 the guard of the seraglio entered, and seized on 
 the unhappy pair. Sadak, unmindful of himself, 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 295 
 
 endeavoured to defend his beloved; and though 
 oppressed by numbers, yet he fell upon the eunuch 
 who held his Kalasrade, and tore him to the 
 ground. But the resistance of Sadak was vain; 
 the guards parted him from Kalasrade, and loaded 
 him with chains. As soon as Sadak was secured 
 by the guards, the chief of the eunuchs appeared 
 at the door of the apartment. 
 
 1 Slaves,' said he aloud, * is the vile miscreant 
 Sadak, who hath entered the sacred walls of Amu- 
 rath's seraglio, seized?' 
 
 ' He is, great Doubor,' answered the guards ; 
 ' the chain of death is on* him, and we wait but 
 your commands to send his soul among those who 
 rebel against their Prince.' 
 
 ' Hold, slave,' replied Doubor, ' and secure him 
 unhurt till the mighty Amurath approach.' 
 
 Sadak was confounded at the appearance and 
 behaviour of Doubor; and Kalasrade wished to 
 load him with reproach : but she feared she might 
 incur the censures of Adiram, as she knew not as 
 yet by what means her lord was discovered. 
 
 Ere long, the music of the seraglio sounded ; 
 and Doubor, the chief of the eunuchs, perceiving 
 that Amurath was near, hasted to receive him. 
 
 * Prince of my life,' said the chief of the eu- 
 nuchs, as the royal Amurath came forward with 
 the deadly frown on his brow, ' thy slaves have 
 secured the enemy of thy peace.' 
 
 ' Faithful Doubor,' replied Amurath, ' I com- 
 mend thy zeal: but where is this vile miscreant 
 who presumes to invade the recesses of Amurath's 
 seraglio ? ' 
 
 ' Here, tyrant ! ' said the stern Sadak, ( if the 
 oppressor dare look upon his injured ' 
 
 The guards who had secured Sadak, perceiving 
 by his speech that he meant to insult their Sultan, 
 
296 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 stopped with their hands all farther utterance, and 
 gagged him with a bit of iron. The wretched 
 Kalasrade, seeing her lord in such distress, broke 
 from the guards, and clasping the much-injured 
 Sadak in her amis — 
 
 ' Yile slave,' said she, * unhand my lord ! ' Then, 
 bursting into tears, — * Sadak, noble Sadak ! ' con- 
 tinued she; 'joy of my soul and fountain of my 
 life ! how have these wretches dared deform thy 
 noble image with their bonds of iron ! Why didst 
 thou not frown, my love, and fix them motionless 
 with awe and fear ! What is this puny Amurath, 
 and all his guards, against the noble effort of thy 
 uplifted arm ! Alas ! alas ! my Sadak, they have 
 bound you, while you slept, with ignominious 
 chains ; and now the tyrant laughs at your dis- 
 tress ! ' 
 
 As the wild Kalasrade uttered these incoherent 
 words, the guards and Doubor stood in fixed 
 amazement, fearing to interpose, or use the fair 
 one roughly, and yet alarmed at her bold speech. 
 Nor was the Sultan less confounded than his 
 guards ; each word she uttered stung him to the 
 soul ; and yet her beauty and her distress so 
 strongly affected Amurath, that his lips refused to 
 give forth the commands of his heart. But seeing 
 Kalasrade endeavouring to embrace her lord, his 
 fury returned, and he cried aloud — 
 
 ' Base eunuch, secure that mad female ; — and 
 slaves,' continued the enraged Sultan, 'your lives 
 shall answer for your base neglect in not destroying 
 the rebellious Sadak.' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs, having secured the 
 distressed Kalasrade, gave her into the custody of 
 the eunuchs ; and then he commanded the guards 
 to put the bowstring upon Sadak. The wild miser- 
 able Kalasrade, at the sight of the bowstring, 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 297 
 
 screamed aloud, and fell into the arms of the 
 eunuchs ; her fixed eyes were dilated with mad- 
 ness, and her teeth shook with the agonies of 
 death. Amurath saw the affecting change with 
 wild emotion, and fearful lest the soul of Kalas- 
 rade should escape, ordered the slaves to release 
 Sadak from the bowstring. 
 
 ' Slothful Doubor,' said Amurath, ' hasten to my 
 Kalasrade's assistance ; for, by the Othman faith I 
 swear, ye all shall follow if that fair one perish.' 
 
 The attempts of Doubor and his attendants 
 were vain; Kalasrade continued entranced, and 
 Amurath, in despair, ordered Sadak to be released, 
 that he might endeavour to recover his Kalasrade 
 from her alarming trance. As soon as the guards 
 had unbound Sadak, and released his mouth, they 
 signified to him the Sultan's orders, and led him 
 toward the motionless Kalasrade. 
 
 ' Happy Kalasrade,' said the brave Sadak, ' I 
 trust ere this the Prophet of the Faithful hath 
 delivered thee from the tyrant's power ; if not, 
 Sadak will not disturb thy fleeting spirit: pro- 
 ceed, thou divine spirit of innocence and virtue, 
 toward thy eternal mansion, and let not the rude 
 breath of Sadak's voice divert thee from thy righte- 
 ous course ! ' 
 
 ' Ah, blessed Alia ! ' said the faint Kalasrade, re- 
 viving at her Sadak's well-known voice, ' where am 
 I ? in what blissful seat hast thou placed me, where 
 the music of my Sadak's voice sings comfort to my 
 soul ? Ah ! surely the trance of death is passed, 
 and I am far removed from Amurath and all his 
 curses ! ' 
 
 ' Unfortunate Kalasrade ! ' said Sadak, starting, 
 * art thou again returned from the sweet sleep of 
 death to new-invented scenes of misery ! Then 
 bind me, slaves, again, and fix the bowstring to 
 
298 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 my neck : once more, thou virtuous partner of my 
 heart, I call thy faithful soul away. — Tyrant ! re- 
 lease me from the world ; for now I know Kalas- 
 rade will not stay behind.' 
 
 - No, proud rebel,' said Amurath, ' when Kalas- 
 rade's life is at stake, thy being is of trivial 
 moment ; at present live, that she may live. But 
 I demean my royalty in holding speech with such 
 a slave. — Doubor, separate these stubborn spirits, 
 and for Kalasrade's sake, let Sadak, though con- 
 fined, want not life's comfort. But, eunuch, watch 
 with steady eye my fair Sultana ; supply her wants 
 unbidden ; yet, on your life, take care her frantic 
 wildness is not suffered to prey upon herself: and, 
 Doubor, when these things are executed according 
 to the will of thy lord, let me see thee in the 
 Palace of Pictures.' 
 
 At these words the Sultan Amurath retired ; and 
 Doubor having executed his commission, hastened 
 to meet his lord. 
 
 ' Faithful eunuch,' said Amurath, as he entered, 
 ' I am pleased at thy contrivance : it had been dan- 
 gerous, as thou well observest, to have seized on 
 Sadak, the favourite of the Janissaries, in the pub- 
 lic face of day ; but now, by thy artifice, his life is 
 forfeit, and the silent bowstring will, unheard, re- 
 lease me from this enemy of my peace and love. 
 Wherefore I mean, that ere to-morrow's sun sur- 
 prise the wide-extended Othman empire, my faithful 
 Doubor, with a few attendants, seize on his forfeit 
 life.' 
 
 ' Lord of the Othman empire,' answered Doubor, 
 ' I shall obey the law of thy mouth.' 
 
 1 But, Doubor,' said Amurath, ' one circumstance 
 still hangs upon my doubtful mind. You say, this 
 Sadak entered the seraglio by your permission : 
 yet, Doubor, what need was there to bring him in 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 299 
 
 the silent hour of midnight to Kalasrade's apart- 
 ment ? to have detected him in our royal gardens, 
 were sufficient. Doubor, the thought breeds an- 
 guish in my soul ; traitor ! slave ! and Amurath is 
 betrayed ! ' 
 
 ' Most enlightened of Mussulmen,' answered 
 Doubor, ' the slave that dared attempt to deceive 
 my lord might justly tremble, as nothing can 
 escape thy penetrating eye. But listen to the poor 
 excuse of thy slave ere he forfeit the esteem of his 
 Sultan. Let the mighty Amurath deign to re- 
 member that when he met Doubor with the mute 
 at the door of the Sultana's apartment, he put into 
 his slave's hand his royal dagger, and bade him 
 obey his lord and begone. Fearful of the sinful 
 weakness of my own heart, I took with me the 
 mute, that if I should fail in my duty, he should 
 be at hand to accomplish my lord's commands. 
 "When w T e entered the apartment of the fair Kalas- 
 rade, and I beheld the wretched mute sink down, 
 and call himself her faithful Sadak, I summoned 
 the guards with all speed, while I fled to inform 
 my Sultan that his enemy had thrown himself once 
 more into his power, and sinned anew against the 
 clemency of his lord.' 
 
 ' Thou art pardoned, Doubor ! but hasten to 
 dispatch the presumptuous slave ; each moment 
 that he lives increases my disquiet. Yet, remember 
 his breath in secret pass, that not a sigh contami- 
 nate the air to wound Kalasrade's peace.' 
 
 No sooner was Doubor gone, than the wavering 
 Amurath began to repent that he had sent him. 
 
 ' How am I divided,' said he, ' by love and honour ! 
 Unless the Waters of Oblivion are obtained, my 
 sacred oath prevents me even from approaching 
 Kalasrade ; and if Sadak dies, who shall be able 
 to surmount the dangers that environ the Foun- 
 
300 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 tains of Oblivion! — Guards/ said the anxious 
 Sultan, ' call back the slave Doubor ; stop his 
 officious haste, and bring him here before your 
 Prince.' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs returned. — ' Peace/ 
 said he, ' be to the mighty Amurath ; and may all 
 his foes perish from before him ! ' 
 
 ' What ! wretched eunuch/ said Amurath hastily, 
 ' is Sadak numbered with the dead ? ' 
 
 ' The word of my lord/ replied Doubor, * was 
 pressing, and thy slave hastened to obey thy com- 
 mand : but, being recalled so suddenly by thy 
 guards, I stopped the slaves who drew the bow- 
 string ; and Sadak on his knees expects his doubt- 
 ful fate.' 
 
 ' Then all is well,' replied Amurath : ' for I mean 
 not, Doubor, to. destroy the wretch, through whom 
 alone (such has been thy master's folly) must Amu- 
 rath hope to obtain the hand of Kalasrade.' 
 
 * Alas !' replied Doubor, the chief of the eunuchs, 
 ' thy slave doth oft reflect upon the oath which robs 
 my Sultan of the haughty fair one ! ' 
 
 ' Yet, Doubor, think not,' continued Amurath, 
 * that, Christian-like, I mean to break my faith, 
 where interest or occasion tempt ; no, I have bound 
 this happy Sadak to draw his own destruction from 
 the Fountains of Oblivion ; and now, if he fail to 
 execute the vow, his life is justly forfeit, and Kalas- 
 rade at our own disposal. Wherefore, Doubor, let 
 a ship be prepared to convey him to that distant 
 island where the Waters of Oblivion are concealed.' 
 ''Lord of the Othman race,' answered Doubor, 
 'I shall haste to obey thy will: nevertheless, if 
 the weakness of Doubor's understanding might be 
 permitted to unfold itself in the sight of my Prince, 
 I would wish my lord appointed some one on whom 
 he might depend, as master of the ship in which 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 30I 
 
 the rebel sails. For well thou knowest, mighty 
 father of Mussulmen, that Sadak is beloved in the 
 army, and the admirals of the fleet look on him 
 with partial eyes. Was it not, O Light of the 
 world, in the insurrection of the Janissaries, in 
 the month Muharrem, that Sadak only was suffi- 
 cient to appease the tumult? He then was faithful 
 to his lord ; but, now he leaves Kalasrade in thy 
 possession, I fear his fierce unconquerable soul 
 may easily be led aside from his obedience.' 
 
 ' Then, Doubor,' answered Amurath, ' let him 
 perish ; for I will bear no rival in my power, or in 
 my love : yet surely, Doubor, the soul of Sadak 
 will not break through those bonds his faith has 
 formed : ere to-morrow's sun new gilds the Hel- 
 lespont, his vow must urge him to depart.' 
 
 ' True, Prince of the Faithful,' answered 
 Doubor ; ' nor need you fear a rival in this Sadak, 
 whose pale-glimmering glories are enlivened only 
 by the favour of Amurath.' 
 
 ' Well then,' replied the Sultan, ' since his courage 
 is necessary for our repose, to your care, faithful 
 eunuch, I commit him : and let him haste away ; for 
 Amurath's haughty mind ill brooks the tortures of 
 suspense.' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs hasted to obey the 
 command of Amurath ; and, returning to the dun- 
 geon where Sadak expected the end of his fate, he 
 ordered the mutes to release him. — Sadak, amazed 
 at the order of Doubor, arose; and the mutes, 
 having released him, retired. 
 
 ' Sadak,' said, Doubor, as the mutes retired, 
 ' behold the messenger of thy Sultan's mercy, who 
 spares thy forfeit life, because thy vow has dedi- 
 cated it to thy master's service !' 
 
 'If by thy master's gift alone, O treacherous 
 eunuch, I am to possess my life,' said Sadak 
 
302 -TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 sternly, ' he sends his mercy to a thankless slave. — 
 Mercy ! dare the tyrant thus miscall the malice of 
 his heart ? Go, obsequious eunuch, return to thy 
 proud pampered master, and tell him, Sadak wants 
 not his life upon such slavish terms.' 
 
 ' Alas ! unfortunate Sadak,' answered the chief of 
 the eunuchs, ' what will the big word avail thee ! 
 When Anmrath perceives that you mean not to 
 execute the vow you have made, he will hold him- 
 self no longer bound by that oath the duteous 
 Kalasrade has extorted from him.' 
 
 ' Slave,' returned Sadak, ' I understand thee 
 not : there is a show of friendship in thy speech, 
 and yet methinks I have more to fear when the 
 wily serpent glides beside me, than when his angry 
 hiss timely proclaims a generous defiance.' 
 
 ' The friendship of humanity,' said Doubor 
 coolly, ' I owe to all ; nor is my heart sufficiently 
 revengeful even to crush the ungrateful adder that 
 stings me while I cherish him. — But, Sadak, I 
 mean not to gall thee with reproach, but as a friend 
 advise thee to submit, where submission only can 
 yield thee hopes of comfort.' 
 
 ' Friendly Doubor,' answered Sadak, pausing, 
 'I submit: but the time prescribed is nearly 
 elapsed.' 
 
 ' Fear not,' answered Doubor : ' already orders 
 are given to equip you ; and ere night you shall be 
 conveyed to one of the Othman ships, with an 
 able commander to steer you to the destined spot. 
 But I can say no more ; Anmrath expects your 
 answer, and I haste to proclaim your obedience.' 
 
 Sadak now began to relent, and he accused his 
 heart, in suspecting the integrity of the chief of 
 the eunuchs. — But Doubor was fled, and Sadak 
 left alone in the dungeon of the seraglio. 
 
 ' Alia!' said the wretched Sadak, 'to thy all- 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 303 
 
 just protection I commit my faithful Kalasrade : 
 thou, who overrulest the princes of the world, canst 
 secure her in the fiery trial : relying on thy arm, 
 she shall stand as the water-fowl on the rock, and 
 see the tempestuous billows of the ocean spend 
 their vain force beneath her, unable to wash with 
 their rude waves the surface of her clwelling-place. , 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs, having declared to 
 Amurath the obedience of Sadak, waited till the 
 evening; when, entering the dungeon with the 
 guards of the seraglio, they conveyed Saclak through 
 the water-gate, to the ship which was prepared to 
 sail in quest of the Waters of Oblivion : neither 
 had the noble Sadak, by reason of the attendant 
 guards, any opportunity of expressing his gratitude 
 to Doubor, the chief of the eunuchs. As soon as 
 Sadak was embarked, the ship set sail ; and the 
 noble son of Elar found that the captain of the 
 ship was a Christian renegado : for Doubor had in 
 vain sought after one of his own nation who was 
 sufficiently skilled in navigation to perform the 
 voyage. 
 
 For several days, the ship ran swiftly before the 
 wind, and hurried the unfortunate Sadak from the 
 place of his beloved, as the vulture bears in his 
 talons the panting lamb from its mother's side. 
 But these winds were, after a short time, succeeded 
 by a calm; in which, being detained from their 
 purpose, and a small gale afterwards arising, the 
 captain of the vessel put into the island of Surfu, 
 and there continued for two months, neither suffer- 
 ing his men to land, nor permitting the natives to 
 enter his ship. Sadak, though astonished at the 
 behaviour of Gehari the captain, yet attempted not 
 to leave the ship, but spent his time chiefly in 
 solitude and contemplation. 
 
 A small vessel arriving from Constantinople, at 
 
304 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 length brought the captain the orders he expected ; 
 and the wind being favourable, he hoisted his sails 
 and steered for the Atlantic Ocean. And now they 
 were passing the island of Kirigou, when a storm 
 arose, and, after many days buffeting against the 
 wind, obliged them to sail into the bay which 
 embosoms the city of Koron. It w^as in vain the 
 citizens made signs for the ship to steer away from 
 their port ; the swelling ocean, and the fierce winds 
 united, drove them precipitately on the beach ; and 
 every one being terrified with the storm, they 
 hastened on shore, leaving the ship at anchor near 
 the beach. 
 
 f Unhappy mariners ! ' said an aged citizen to 
 them, as they walked up the beach, 'you have 
 escaped the womb of the sea to be buried in this 
 contagious city.' 
 
 The mariners hung down their heads at this 
 dreadful declaration : and Sadak perceived that the 
 plague was raging in the city of Koron. 
 
 The captain, whose Mahometan name was Gehari, 
 ordered the crew to seize on Sadak ; at the same 
 time sending notice to the governor of the city, 
 that he bore the commission of Amurath, and had 
 a state prisoner under his care. Sadak was amazed 
 at the captain's behaviour ; for he knew not before 
 that he was looked upon as a prisoner, or that 
 Gehari had any command over him. 
 
 ' My lord,' said Gehari, ' be not alarmed; I have 
 no commission to treat you ill ; and if I had, your 
 noble behaviour would prevent the execution of it : 
 only I w r as commanded, if possible, not to land in 
 the Othman empire, and if necessity drove me on 
 shore, I was to look upon you as my prisoner/ 
 
 * Gehari,' said Sadak, ' use me as you please ; 
 you have the commission of my Prince, before 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 305 
 
 whose lawful will I shall ever prostrate my obedient 
 spirit.' 
 
 It was happy for Gehari that this prisoner was 
 of a noble temper ; for such was the confusion of 
 the city, that the governor had neither guard nor 
 authority among his miserable subjects. 
 
 * Alas !' said Gehari to Sadak, as they entered 
 the city, ' to boast a power over you here, were to 
 carry human vanity even beyond the grave. Death 
 and destruction are the rulers of Koron, and deso- 
 lation tyrannises over the children of Alia.' 
 
 1 Not so, noble Gehari,' answered Sadak ; ' thou 
 hast yet but a Christian's faith, or thou wouldst 
 learn to acknowledge Alia the father of his children, 
 even in the grave of death. His hand, Gehari, 
 is on the famine and the plague : where he suffers, 
 they spread the dark wings of fate; and where 
 he stops, the mighty conquerors fall appeased. But 
 let us boldly enter these gates of sickness, and 
 while we have strength, administer to those over 
 whom the dark fiend hath thrown the purple 
 mantle of contagion.' 
 
 The mariners, animated by the words and ex- 
 ample of Sadak, boldly entered the city of Koron ; 
 and while the ghastly inhabitants sat trembling 
 and inactive in their houses, Sadak and his com- 
 panions exercised the compassionate offices of hu- 
 manity on the miserable objects that surrounded 
 them. But his laborious and dangerous employ- 
 ment soon overwhelmed the noble Sadak, and 
 he found the plague had seized his distempered 
 blood. Listless, and unable to serve others or to 
 help himself, the wretched son of Elar fell between 
 two carcasses, to preserve whom his utmost endea- 
 vours had proved abortive. The miseries that suc- 
 ceeded, nature kindly hid from his remembrance ; 
 X 
 
306 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the disorder pressed his brain, and he lay entranced 
 on the ground in the streets of Koron. After two 
 days he arose from the ground, his knees tottering 
 with the weight of his emaciated body ; he cast his 
 hollow eyes around him, and on every side saw the 
 dismal marks of the all-destructive plague. 
 
 But what engaged his chief attention, were two 
 youths, who were kneeling on the ground beside an 
 aged body, who was just sending forth his last 
 pestiferous breath, as a deadly legacy between his 
 children. Their pious tears, and their duteous at- 
 tention to the expiring sage, mixed with a sub- 
 missive resignation to the will of Alia, struck the 
 soul of Sadak, long before he perceived they were 
 the sons of his strength, who were performing the 
 last sad offices to Mepiki, the father of Kalasrade.' 
 
 8 My children, my duteous children,' said the 
 enervated Sadak, crawling, with trembling limbs, 
 to their assistance, ' may Alia bless your pious 
 care ! ye are indeed the sons of Sadak, and the off- 
 spring of Kalasrade ; and your father is better 
 pleased to see you thus active in this vale of death, 
 than crowned with the conquest of unnumbered 
 foes.' 
 
 The astonishment of Codan and Ahud at the 
 sight of their father did not jDrevent their attend- 
 ance on the dying Mepiki : they closed the eyes of 
 their departed friend with pious tears, and embraced 
 with reverence the dead body of their honoured 
 ancestor. 
 
 The soul of Sadak was overcome by the piety of 
 his children ; and he whom embattled armies could 
 not move from his post, became the tender victim 
 of paternal affection. 
 
 Codan and Ahud, perceiving their father fainting, 
 ran to his assistance ; new cares succeeded to in- 
 crease their affliction ; and the dying groans of 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 307 
 
 Mepiki were scarcely remembered, while Sadak 
 continued to faint in the arms of his children. 
 
 ' Thanks, gentle Codan ; thanks, tender Ahud/ 
 said Sadak to his children, as he arose from the 
 bondage of weakness : ' though nature is exhausted, 
 my soul is revived by the behaviour of my sons ; 
 and Sadak rejoices to see the tenderness of Kalas- 
 rade triumphant over thy father's fierceness.' 
 
 ' Fountain of our life, and leader of our thoughts/ 
 answered Codan, ' thy children lift up their hearts 
 to Alia, and bless him for the comforts he has 
 given us in this scene of terrors.' 
 
 ' Ah, my son !' said Sadak, ' why should I com- 
 plain of bodily weakness, when the weakness of my 
 mind is superior? Unsatisfied with the presence 
 of my children, I burn to know what strange fatality 
 has brought you to the city of Koron.' 
 
 ' Author of our being,' answered Ahud, ' thy chil- 
 dren have not been exempt from the misfortunes of 
 their parents. Soon after our father left us, under 
 the protection of the affectionate Mepiki, a slave 
 hastened toward the hut whither thy offspring had 
 retired from the rage of the flame. 
 
 ' * Aged Mepiki,' said the slave, ' retire with the 
 children of Sadak ; for behold, the royal Janissaries 
 are advancing, and Amurath hath commanded the 
 progeny of Sadak to be brought before him.' 
 
 ' Our aged parent wrung his hands at the relation 
 of the slave : the Janissaries were in sight, and 
 Codan and myself only with thy father Mepiki. 
 
 " Alas !' said the parent of our honoured mother 
 Kalasrade, ' five of my daughter's children are with 
 the eunuchs at the extremity of the garden ; and to 
 us there are little hopes of flight, to them is the 
 certainty of condemnation.' 
 
 ' ' Venerable sire,' answered the slave, ■ it w T ill be 
 vain to attempt the rescue of those who are absent 
 X2 
 
 i 
 
308 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 from hit lord : but if you and the children of Sadak 
 will follow rne into the forest that overshadows the 
 village, I will engage to lead you in safety from the 
 malice of your pursuers.' 
 
 ' \ Lead me, then,' replied our sire Mepiki ; ' lead 
 me, faithful slave, from the tyranny of Amurath ! 
 For myself, indeed, it little matters whether I 
 perish by age or by the sword ; but these may live 
 to revenge the blood of their ancestors.' 
 
 ' Thus saying, Mepiki leaned on the slave ; and, 
 Codan and myself drawing our scimitars, we issued 
 forth, and covered ourselves from the sight of the 
 Janissaries among the cedars of the forest. Here 
 we continued till night; when the faithful slave 
 besought us to follow him through the forest to 
 a town about four leagues from the habitation 
 of Mepiki. Thinking ourselves too near the arm 
 of Amurath, we departed thence the following 
 night to Barebo ; and there continued till a vessel 
 which was trading to Ismir took us on board, and 
 carried us to that pride of Asia. We continued in 
 Ismir but a few days ; the plague broke out in the 
 suburbs, and raged with such violence that Mepiki 
 resolved to embark in the first vessel that left the 
 city of Ismir. This happened to be a merchant's 
 sloop bound for Koron, in which we came with 
 favourable gales, and landed, not long since, in this 
 miserable city. 
 
 * The mariners who came with us escaped not 
 the pestilence, although they had left the city of 
 Ismir ; they were seized with the contagion as soon 
 as they landed ; and the disorder raged with such 
 violence, that, ere half the moon was elapsed, the 
 whole city groaned under its wretched influence. 
 The aged Mepiki for some time shut himself and 
 us up in an inner apartment, hoping to escape the 
 contagion : but when he found the deadly disorder 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 309 
 
 had seized him, he commanded us to carry him 
 forth into the open air ; which, in obedience to his 
 will, we performed this morning.' 
 
 ' And have ye, my children,' said Sadak hastily, 
 ' overcome the contagion, or hath it yet delayed to 
 seize on your youthful frames?' 
 
 * We have hitherto,' answered Codan, ' experi- 
 enced a doubtful life ; but, seeing our parent hath 
 escaped from the danger of the plague, we shall no 
 longer accuse our stars of leading us to the horrors 
 of this place.' 
 
 ' Son,' answered Sadak, ' to accuse fate is to 
 rebel against Alia: and no circumstance can justify 
 our imprecations, while our faith must assure us, 
 that He is the merciful Governor of all our 
 fortunes.' 
 
 Codan, abashed at the reproof of Sadak, covered 
 his breast with his declining head. As Sadak held 
 this converse in the desolate streets of Koron, he 
 perceived the captain of the ship drawing near 
 him: but the fire of his countenance was ex- 
 tinguished, and the lamp of life glimmered but 
 palely in the cheeks of Gehari. 
 
 * Noble Gehari,' said Sadak, turning toward him, 
 1 1 perceive that equal misfortunes have oppressed 
 us : yet, in this victory of the grave, how much 
 are we indebted to Alia for our wonderful escape !' 
 
 * That I should bless Alia,' answered Gehari, 
 f is not wonderful ; for my enjoyments will pro- 
 bably be restored with my life : but surely, to the 
 much injured Sadak death had been a welcome 
 guest !' 
 
 * Gehari,' answered Sadak, ' it is by the gracious 
 Alla's appointment that I bear the standard of 
 affliction ; in which post, if I fall, blessed be his 
 will! but while I live, I mean not cowardly to 
 lament my situation.' 
 
310 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 'Well.' replied Gehari, 'dost thou unite the 
 determinations of the brave with the submissions 
 of the pious : nor are your virtues useless ; for 
 Amurath means to try their utmost strength, and 
 I am come, an unwilling slave, to urge your de- 
 parture from the city of Koron.' 
 
 ' If Gehari will point out the means of my de- 
 parture,' answered Sadak, * I am prepared : but 
 suffer me to take these my children as companions 
 in my toils.' 
 
 'Ah !' replied Gehari, starting, « are these the 
 sons of Sadak, on whose lives the Sultan sets so 
 high a price ? Now, Sadak, teach me the duty 
 that I owe my Prince, consistent with my friend- 
 ship to thy noble nature ! On pain of Amurath's 
 displeasure, is every one who owns the Othman's 
 sway bound to discover their knowledge of thy 
 children ; and yet, sooner shall Gehari perish, than 
 bring such exquisite distress on Sadak's generous 
 spirit.' 
 
 1 Gehari,' answered Sadak, ' obey thy Prince, and 
 let not friendship breed rebellion.' 
 
 ' What, my father !' interrupted Codan, ' will you 
 tamely yield your sons a prey to tyranny ? If so, 
 Mepiki's life is spent in vain ; better we had fallen 
 with our brethren, beneath the scimitars of the 
 Janissaries, than met at Koron with our father's 
 friend.' 
 
 ' Codan,' answered Sadak, sternly, ' it ill becomes 
 the sucker to vie with its parent stock : as a father, 
 in tenderness, I should forget your want of filial 
 duty ; but rebellion, son, shall meet with Sadak's 
 curse, though his uplifted dagger pierce his 
 Codan's heart : and yet, my son, I would this 
 mighty Amurath, for whom the slaves of Othman 
 live, did weigh in equal balance his own impetuous 
 pleasures and his people's comfort. Surely, Alia, 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 3 1 1 
 
 thou gavest us not our lives to be the tyrant's 
 sport, but didst intend the ruler of the Faithful 
 should be his subjects' joy ! If thou shalt judge 
 hereafter the princes of the earth, for every life in 
 wantonness destroyed, there is not a prince but 
 gladly would exchange his nature with a peasant !' 
 
 * Generous Sadak,' said Gehari, ' dispel the 
 gloom that overwhelms thee ; for Gehari means 
 not to betray thy sons : the spirited Codan, and 
 his more submissive brother, shall, if it pleaseth 
 thee, partake of their father's fortune. Of all our 
 mariners, but seven have escaped the plague : 
 Codan, therefore, and Ahud, shall supply the place 
 of two of my officers ; and the rest we must seek 
 for in some neighbouring port.' 
 
 1 Friendly Gehari,' answered Sadak, * how shall 
 I repay thy generous services ? Permit us only to 
 hide the corpse of our dear parent in the earth ; 
 and we will attend thy will.' 
 
 At these words, Gehari left Sadak and his chil- 
 dren, and calling together his scattered mariners, 
 returned to the ship. Sadak, in the mean time, 
 assisted his sons in their melancholy office ; and, 
 having covered up the body of Mepiki, he led them 
 to the vessel which Gehari commanded. The wind 
 blowing from the land, soon wafted them from the 
 city of Koron ; and Gehari, unwilling to return 
 toward Constantinople, sailed to Medan, and there 
 recruited the number of his mariners. 
 
 From Medan, after a tedious passage, they 
 reached the island of Gomerou ; where refreshing 
 themselves a short space, they steered to the 
 south, through the wide Atlantic, and, approaching 
 toward the sun, they encountered the sultry heats 
 of the torrid zone. Sadak, though unacquainted 
 with the sea, was not indolent ; the day was 
 spent in instructing his sons ; and in the night he 
 
3 1 2 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 strove with manly courage to surmount the oppres- 
 sions of his mind, which were aggravated by the 
 thoughts of Kalasrade's distress. 
 
 Having passed the warmer climates, they drew 
 near to the cold regions of the south, and Gehari, 
 perceiving land, steered his vessel towards the 
 shore, and anchored at a small distance from a 
 beautiful island. Here they found the blessings of 
 plenty ; and the mariners, quickly recovering from 
 the disorders of the sea, were enabled to pursue 
 the directions of the bold Gehari, who stayed no 
 longer than was necessary to refit his vessel and 
 renew his stores. 
 
 From this island they sailed toward the Straits 
 which divide the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean. 
 But as they approached the land, the wind arose, 
 and the sea beat in tempestuous billows against 
 the vessel of Gehari. The mariners in vain 
 pointed their vessel to the west ; her sides shook, 
 as fearful of the storm, and the ship started from 
 the face of the tempest, as the war-horse trembles 
 in the day of battle. 
 
 Sadak beheld the conflicting elements with 
 patience and calmness : but Codan was terrified at 
 the black mountainous ocean, which rose in broken 
 precipices above the masts of the ship. As the 
 vessel sunk, embosomed in hollow sounding bil- 
 lows, so sunk the heart of Codan, and Sadak in 
 vain attempted to give to his son a courageous 
 mind. 
 
 ' Is this Codan !' said his father, as he saw him 
 dissolved in tears, and trembling at his fate : * is 
 this the descendant of Elar, who so nobly sup- 
 ported the dying Mepiki ! Where, wretched son ! 
 is that undaunted mind which formerly endeared 
 thee to thy parents ? ' 
 
 ' Pardon, Sadak,' answered Codan, ' the mis- 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 313 
 
 givings of my soul ; it is not for myself, parent 
 of my life, but for thee my heart pants, and my 
 strength flies from me : was it not sufficient that 
 Amurath bereaved thee of Kalasrade, without 
 sending thee hither amidst these conflicting ele- 
 ments ? ' 
 
 ' Codan,' answered Sadak, ' thy fears for me dis- 
 cover a noble soul, and Sadak thanks thee for 
 them : but dismiss them quickly, Codan.' 
 
 As Sadak was uttering these words, a tremen- 
 dous swell broke over the ship, and the wave over- 
 whelmed both Sadak and his son. The father 
 instantly secured himself by embracing a part of 
 the ship, which saved him from the effects of the 
 wave : but Codan became a sacrifice to its violence, 
 and was driven over the sides of the vessel, into 
 the tumultuous ocean. 
 
 It was some time before Sadak recovered from 
 the confusion around, as the sea had nearly 
 stunned him in his passage : but when he found 
 his son was torn from him by the swell, and saw 
 him tossed on the billows, the undaunted Sadak 
 leaped forward, and was about to follow, had not 
 Ahud caught his father in his arms, and prevented 
 his intentions. 
 
 ' Wretched Ahud !' said Sadak sternly, * art thou 
 jealous of Codan's better spirit, that thou hast 
 dared prevent thy father in rescuing his first-born 
 from the womb of the sea ? ' 
 
 ' Protector of thy children !' answered Ahud, 
 ' forgive my presumption, and let Sadak be re- 
 served for the arms of his Kalasrade : Ahud 
 will either deliver his brother, or perish beside 
 him.' 
 
 * No,' replied Sadak, preventing the intentions 
 of Ahud, as his son struggled to fling himself into 
 the tempestuous ocean, ' I now am satisfied ; and 
 
314 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Sadak, thy father, shall restore thy Codan to his 
 brother's arms.' 
 
 In this tender struggle between Sadak and his 
 son, Gehari advanced; and, taking each by the 
 hand, — 
 
 ' Alas ! noble friend,' said he, ' will you increase 
 the misfortunes of Gehari ? The good Codan is 
 already the prey of our boisterous enemy ; and will 
 you likewise desert me in this perilous storm ? ' 
 
 ' We mean,' replied Sadak, struggling, ' to rescue 
 Codan, the beloved of our heart.' 
 
 ' Though I admire your affection,' replied Gehari 
 (still preventing the purpose of Sadak), ' yet I 
 must not suffer it to overpower your reason : to 
 sacrifice our lives in madness to the memory of 
 our friend, is neither prudent nor courageous ; and 
 greater fortitude is exercised in forbearance, than 
 in the vehement sallies of distempered passion.' 
 
 ' The words of Gehari,' answered Sadak, ' are as 
 oil to the wounded on the plain ; and we must 
 learn, Ahud, to submit, where Alia hath denied us 
 the conquest of aught but ourselves. — Yes, Gehari, 
 to see my breathless son extended on the wave, 
 and yet stand motionless beside him, is far more 
 difficult than to seek his embrace among the roar- 
 ings of the ocean: but Alia, Codan, is present 
 with thee, and Mahomet hath taken charge of thy 
 duteous body : it is we who are afflicted by the 
 storm, while thou art wafted from this scene of 
 misery to the mansions of the Faithful.' 
 
 The gentle Ahud yielded to the wise dictates of 
 his father ; and Gehari prevailed on his friends to 
 desist from their frantic purpose, as the sea was so 
 fierce that the ship could scarcely bear the billows 
 that broke around her. After some time the storm 
 abated, and Gehari prepared to run through the 
 Straits into the Pacific Ocean. The rest of the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 315 
 
 voyage passed uninterrupted by the wind or the 
 sea, but the serenity of the weather did but ill 
 compensate to Sadak the loss of his first-born. 
 
 After fifty days' sailing Gehari discovered a 
 great smoke, and in the night could distinguish, at 
 a distance, flames of fire. These increased every 
 hour, and so greatly terrified the mariners, that 
 Gehari was fearful they would rise up against 
 him, and refuse to proceed on their voyage. Nor 
 were the fears of Gehari groundless ; for, at their 
 nearer approach, the curling foam of the waves 
 each night appeared as liquid fire, and the ocean 
 glowed like the melting-pot of the refiner. The 
 mariners, aghast, viewed with despair the horrid 
 scene, and the fears which were expressed in their 
 countenances seemed to gather strength from the 
 pale deadly light which flashed on the broken sur- 
 face of the sea beneath them. Overpowered by 
 the gloomy terror, they fell with their faces on the 
 deck, and their captain in vain addressed them 
 with alternate promises and threats. 
 
 Sadak, perceiving the distress of Gehari, and 
 that their purpose would prove abortive if they 
 were suffered to persist in their fears, obtained 
 from Gehari permission to arouse them ; and with 
 his drawn sabre, walking into the midst of the 
 prostrate mariners, he thus addressed their coward 
 spirits : — 
 
 ' Sons of Mahomet, and brethren of the truth ! 
 why fall ye thus as the leaves of autumn on the 
 sandy plain ? What conquering enemy cometh 
 against you, whose terrifying aspect you dare not 
 behold ? Or what dangers are these which have 
 subdued the soldiers of our Prophet ? Come the 
 infidels of Europe against us ? or is the all-barter- 
 ing Christian arisen up in arms to oppose our 
 passage ? If these were in sight, my friends would 
 
316 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 doubtless arise, and vindicate the faith of Mussul- 
 men ; they would start from the slumbers of fear, 
 and put on the manly countenance of war. Shall 
 then the harmless wave affright you, when in 
 sportive gambols it imitates the brisk flashes of a 
 livelier element ? or shall you, who have undaunted 
 seen the ocean's hollow womb, and all its watery 
 caves, now shrink in terror back, when the heavy 
 sea casts its languid smiles upon you ? These, my 
 friends, are omens of our safety, and assure us of 
 success. But rise and see me pour this harmless 
 lightning on my hands, and thank our Prophet 
 that, in the starless night, he makes old Ocean 
 light us on our destined course.' 
 
 Thus saying, the bold Sadak drew from the sur- 
 rounding waves a bowl of water, which sparkled as 
 it rose, and poured it on his hands : the trembling 
 mariners raised up their fearful heads, and viewed 
 with wonder the innocent effect of Sadak's trial, 
 till, satisfied by the experiment, they again ven- 
 tured to arise, each blushing at his causeless fear. 
 But a few days' sailing again recalled their fears. 
 The island was now discovered, and in the middle 
 of it a huge mountain whose summit reached 
 above the fleeting clouds, where an immense vol- 
 cano vomited forth a wide deluge of liquid fire, 
 which broke forth from the mountain with terrible 
 roarings, and a mighty sound, as of winds burst- 
 ing from the deep caverns of the earth. The 
 glowing deluge descended down the mountain in a 
 sheet of fire, and rushing violently into the sea, 
 drove back the affrighted waves in dreadful hisses 
 from its surface ; and for a long time preserved its 
 fiery course beneath the waters that foamed above it. 
 The countenance of Gehari was now fixed with 
 astonishment and dread ; and he confessed to Sadak 
 that he dared not trust his ship any nearer the island. 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 317 
 
 ' Give me, then,' answered the undaunted war- 
 rior, ' a boat and a small portion of your provision, 
 and Sadak will alone risk the dangers that sur- 
 round the Fountains of Oblivion.' 
 
 1 No, my father,' answered the duteous Ahud, 
 ' there is yet one left that is ready to share with 
 thee the dangers of this horrid place.' 
 
 [ My son Ahud,' replied Sadak, ' Codan is no 
 more, and the javelins of Amurath have doubtless, 
 ere this, pierced the hearts of thy brethren: if 
 Sadak perish, yet shall his name live in Ahud ; 
 and Kalasrade shall yet have one to revenge her 
 wrongs !' 
 
 c It is not revenge alone,' answered Ahud, ' that 
 thy Kalasrade will require from her Ahud; she 
 will ask me also for thee, Sadak ; and when she 
 hears that I refused to share in my father's toils, 
 she will pour on me the imprecations of a heart- 
 broken parent.' 
 
 ' Sadak,' interrupted Gehari, ' yield to the 
 duteous voice of Ahud, whose presence with thee 
 may haply be the means of both your future 
 safety.' 
 
 Sadak, at length overcome by Ahud and Gehari, 
 consented; and the unhappy father and his son 
 descended from the side of the ship into the boat 
 which Gehari had prepared for their reception; 
 while the captain and his mariners poured after 
 them the unavailing tears of friendship and com- 
 passion. The boat was about three leagues distant 
 from the shore, when it parted from the ship ; and, 
 the wind blowing fair, Sadak steered briskly for 
 the island of the Waters of Oblivion. The nearer 
 they approached, the more tremendous looked the 
 rocks which surrounded the island, against which 
 the sea beat and roared, as if it strove in vain for 
 a place whereon it might rest. Being arrived 
 
318 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 within half a league, the boat struck on a quick- 
 sand ; and Sadak could neither move it, nor would 
 the treacherous sand bear his weight, when he 
 attempted to wade forward on its surface. After 
 many fruitless endeavours, he took several small 
 boards, which formed the bottom-floor of the boat, 
 and, tying them together, made two rafts, which he 
 laid on the sand, and moving one forward while he 
 stood on the other, he thus made some small pro- 
 gress toward the island. But this was an im- 
 perfect attempt, as the raft would bear but one at 
 a time ; and Ahud was left a helpless spectator in 
 the boat. To conquer this difficulty, Sadak re- 
 turned again to the boat, and by the help of the 
 oars and rudder, he made a third raft ; so that 
 Ahud, by following his father's steps, and giving 
 the raft which he stepped from to Sadak, who 
 w T ent before him, they with difficulty moved for- 
 ward to the rocks that surrounded the Waters of 
 Oblivion. The tide had been several hours falling 
 from the rocks, when Sadak arrived under their 
 prominent horrors ; and had left a narrow beach, 
 on which he and Ahud rested after their perilous 
 journey. Here Sadak and his wretched son re- 
 cruited their wearied bodies with such refreshment 
 as they had brought in their garments from the 
 boat, which, though scarcely sufficient for the next 
 day's support, was the only means of living they 
 could see before them ; unless they should be able 
 to scale the overhanging precipices, whose heads 
 seemed wrapped in the dark clouds that were 
 gathered around their rugged summits. 
 
 Sadak and Ahud, having refreshed their limbs, 
 arose and went about under the rocks in search of 
 some opening which might afford them an entrance 
 into the island ; but ere they could discover any 
 passage, they came in sight of the burning torrent, 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 3J9 
 
 and were obliged to retire from its destructive 
 influence. To add to this distress, the tide re- 
 turned with violence around them, and the swelling 
 ocean arose on the beach ; so that Sadak and his 
 son were half covered by the sea. Thus wretched, 
 they waded backward and forward on the beach, 
 till Ahud discovered a small cavern in the rock, 
 whose bottom the tide had not reached, when 
 Sadak and his son ascended into it. In this gloomy 
 cavern, which dripped with the salt tears of the 
 ocean, they obtained a few moments relief; but 
 the ascending swell followed them ere long into 
 the ^cavern, and, dashing its rude waves against 
 them, drove them on the rugged face of the rock. 
 The tide, however, rose not above them ; but, after 
 a long persecution, retired, and left them nearly 
 exhausted by its rude buffetings ; and the wretched 
 father and his duteous son, overcome with un- 
 natural toils, slumbered on the sea-weed, which 
 the water had left them for their miserable bed. 
 Yet short were the slumbers of these afflicted 
 Mussulmen ; the rocks and the mountains around 
 them were heaved in the night with dreadful earth- 
 quakes, and the island trembled with the adven- 
 turous Sadak and his son, as the wounded elephant 
 shakes the tottering turret in the armies of the 
 vanquished. The sea, agitated by contending 
 winds, rose in wild fragments to the clouds ; and 
 meteors gleaming through the troubled air, cast a 
 horrid light upon the watery profound, where 
 monsters, rising on the scattered waves, stirred up 
 a new commotion, and waged bloody war among 
 themselves, increasing still the terror of the night 
 with their discordant roarings, which the concave 
 echoing rocks again repeated ; and, over all, the 
 thunders from above joined in the general discord. 
 1 Ahud,' said Sadak, starting from his sleep (as 
 
320 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 he beheld the horrid scene before him), ' such 
 would all nature be, were evil spirits masters of 
 our fate ; but fear not, Ahud ; these gloomy rocks 
 hide not this disordered prospect from our Prophet's 
 sight ; he, through the tumult, looks on us, and 
 watches lest our faithless spirits sink from their 
 just dependence upon Alla's power.' 
 
 ' True,' answered the duteous Ahud, ' noble 
 parent ! and the man whose righteous heart obeys 
 the dictates of his God may calmly view these 
 desolated scenes.' 
 
 ' In us,' replied Sadak, ' whose slight frames 
 were formed to tremble at every shock, these 
 visions must awaken fear and horror; but the 
 tumults of the whole ocean, and the crush of the 
 wide earth itself, would be less disgustful to the 
 blessed Alia than the rebellious workings of a 
 wicked heart, though hidden beneath the gay 
 trappings of a voluptuous infidel. A wicked soul, 
 Ahud, is more dark and tumultuous than these 
 horrors that surround us ; yet often doth the 
 coward run with terror from the lightning's flash, 
 or even from an insect's presence, when he dare 
 cherish in his bosom the most dreadful of mon- 
 sters, a disobedient and rebellious spirit !' 
 
 But in the midst of his religious expressions, 
 the afflicted Sadak could not prevent some fears 
 that arose in his mind, when he reflected on the 
 exposed situation of his beloved Kalasrade ; who, 
 since the departure of her lord from the seraglio, 
 had suffered far greater terrors from oppression 
 and tyranny than Sadak had experienced from con- 
 tending elements. For several days she was per- 
 mitted, without molestation, to mourn the fate of 
 her Sadak, who she feared would be secretly de- 
 stroyed by the malice of Amurath. But the vile 
 Amurath could ill brook to have his hitherto 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 32 1 
 
 despotic will suspended. Every day he sent for 
 Doubor, to inquire how Kalasrade bore the loss of 
 Sadak ; and but for the prudent interposition of 
 the chief of the eunuchs, he would have invaded 
 the prisoner's solitude. 
 
 Doubor, who knew that persecution would rather 
 inflame than assuage the sorrows of the virtuous 
 Kalasrade, framed daily some new excuse to pre- 
 vent the applications of Amurath ; and at last, when 
 the monarch would be no longer withholden, he 
 went before, and assured Kalasrade that Sadak 
 was safe, and on his search after the Waters of Ob- 
 livion. 
 
 The presence of Amurath renewed the sorrows 
 of Kalasrade ; she looked upon him as the murderer 
 of her beloved ; and the softness and tenderness he 
 assumed, met with reproof and severity from the 
 eyes and the heart of the much injured Kalasrade. 
 The proud iVmurath, vexed at his ill success, 
 cursed the faithful Sadak : and although his oath 
 prevented him from executing the desires of his 
 heart, yet he resolved to revenge himself on the 
 man he hated, even through the heart of the tender 
 Kalasrade. Full of these resolutions, he left the 
 fair Kalasrade. 
 
 Immediate orders were given to the Janissaries 
 to seize on the children of Sadak, who were with 
 their grandsire Mepiki, on the opposite shores 
 of Asia. But ere the Janissaries could reach the 
 village, the two elder were flown away with the 
 aged Mepiki. Amurath in wrath cursed the Janis- 
 saries for their neglect, and ordered Doubor to dis- 
 pose of the five that were taken, in the prisons of 
 the seraglio. 
 
 The next morning the angry monarch appeared 
 before Kalasrade. ' Thy Sultan,' said he, ' hath 
 unwittingly bound himself by an oath not to force 
 
 y 
 
322 ' TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 thee to an union with him until thou hast tasted 
 the Waters of Oblivion. He now seeks an oath 
 from thee : he commands thee, holding in thy hand 
 the sacred book of the Koran, which no woman in- 
 deed is worthy to touch — to abjure Sadak, and to 
 invoke curses on him and on his children, if thou 
 shalt break thine oath.' 
 
 The wretched Kalasrade dropped the book which 
 the cruel monarch placed in her hands. ' Kill thy 
 slave, royal Amurath, and she will kiss thy hand 
 as it deals the blow.' 
 
 ' The alternative is not in thy life or death, un- 
 worthy Kalasrade,' exclaimed the enraged Sultan ; 
 and in the pride and fury of his soul, he com- 
 manded Doubor to bring the eldest of Kalasrade's 
 children before him. The little innocent was 
 dragged out of the dungeon, and came with trem- 
 bling limbs into the presence of Amurath. 
 
 ' Doubor,' said the Sultan, ' unsheathe thy scimi- 
 tar, and sacrifice that accursed image of Sadak 
 before mine eyes.' 
 
 The heart-wounded Kalasrade, who had long 
 been torn from her children, rejoiced at the sight 
 of Rachal, the eldest of her daughters ; and the 
 little Rachal, when she perceived her tender mother, 
 forgot the terrors of the dungeon and the frowns of 
 Amurath, and ran from the chief of the eunuchs, 
 and hid herself in the folds of Kalasrade's gar- 
 ments. The bold affections of a mother at that 
 instant animated the tender Kalasrade, and folding 
 her daughter in her arms, she passionately em- 
 braced the beauteous Eachal, and bedewed her 
 little cheeks with maternal tears. 
 
 The mighty Amurath could not behold the scene 
 unmoved ; but the thoughts that Sadak was the 
 father of Rachal, soon changed his breast from 
 pity to malice ; and the enraged monarch again 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 323 
 
 commanded Doubor to lead forth the little Kachal 
 to instant execution. 
 
 At the voice of Amurath, the eyes of Kalasrade 
 glistened with rage, and she viewed the Sultan, as 
 the lioness darts forth indignant flashes from her 
 eyes when disturbed in the lonely caverns of the 
 rocks by the adventurous hind. 
 
 1 Tyrant !' said she, ' death only shall divide my 
 best beloved Eachal from these widowed arms : 
 though Sadak might have civil duties to struggle 
 with against his love, a mother knows no superior 
 tie to withhold her from succouring the children of 
 her breast.' 
 
 ' Doubor,' said the wavering Amurath, ' what 
 means this foolish heart of mine, that dares not 
 encounter with a woman's will ? But, slave, thou 
 well mayst read thy master's mind: yet four are 
 left in thy possession ; sacrifice those to my neg- 
 lected love, and teach this stubborn beauty what 
 she owes to Amurath and her Prince.' 
 
 ' Ah ! what saidst thou, tyrant ?' interrupted the 
 distracted Kalasrade ; ' shall Camir, the lovely image 
 of his father's strength ; shall Elphan, ever sub- 
 missive to his mother's will; or the fair Ophu, 
 pretty mimic of my playful actions ; or the lovely 
 Isadi, sweetly smiling when Kalasrade smiles ; — 
 shall these dear precious innocents bleed beneath 
 the murdering knife of a slave's hand? O righteous 
 Alia, who gavest these pledges of my Sadak's love, 
 in painful labours to my arms, remember what 
 I suffered for their lives ; and let not a vile wretch 
 at once destroy what thou didst bring to light and 
 life !' 
 
 ' Art thou too turned to stone, by this wild 
 
 woman's talk,' said Amurath to Doubor, 'that, like 
 
 a stricken hart, thou pantest for thy breath ? Slave, 
 
 instantly retire, and bring the heads of these early 
 
 Y2 
 
324 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 rebels to my sight, who ape so soon the treacherous 
 features of their father's crimes !' 
 
 Doubor, with slow reluctance, obeying his Sultan, 
 left the apartment, and went, with downcast looks, 
 to seek the children of Kalasrade in the dungeon of 
 the seraglio. As soon as the little Camir and 
 Elphan saw the venerable eunuch approach, they 
 ran with sparkling eyes; and, seizing on his trem- 
 bling hands, they lifted up their smiling counte- 
 nances,, and told him they were glad to see him, 
 for the black ill-natured men who had watched 
 them had given them no provision for the day. 
 
 Doubor, who had before secretly cherished the 
 little offspring of Kalasrade wondered not at the 
 innocent freedom of Camir or Elphan ; but the 
 good eunuch's eyes ran down with floods of tears, 
 when he beheld the smiling countenances of those 
 whose blood he was soon condemned to spill ! 
 
 Conquered by their artless love and freedom, the 
 tender Doubor took them to his arms, and kissed 
 them with a father's fondness : then partly drawing 
 forth a shining scimitar, the little family of Kalas- 
 rade, affrighted at its glittering sight, fled swiftly to 
 the extremity of the dungeon ; and Doubor, overcome 
 with friendly tenderness and zeal, thrust the cruel 
 blade back again into its scabbard, and fell to the 
 earth unable to perform the cruel purposes of his 
 master's will. 
 
 While Doubor was thus employed in the murky 
 dungeon, Amurath was not less irresolute in the 
 gilded apartments of Kalasrade ; now fully bent to 
 execute his rage on the sweet smiling Eachal, he 
 drew his crooked falchion, and made up to the wife 
 of Sadak ; when, awed by her maternal tenderness, 
 the weapon fell from his hand, and he dared not 
 strike. At length, mad with contending passions, 
 the monarch, with a frown boding severity and 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 325 
 
 wrath, broke suddenly from the apartment of 
 Kalasrade, and beckoning to some mutes who 
 stood at the entrance, — 
 
 1 Slaves,' said he, ' take that little urchin from 
 her frantic mother, and with your griping hands 
 cast over her infant face the rigid countenance 
 of death.' 
 
 The mutes, obedient to the orders of their royal 
 master, hastened into the apartments of the much- 
 trembling Kalasrade, and regardless of her en- 
 treaties, tore from her struggling arms her daughter 
 Kachal. The distracted Kalasrade in vain cast her 
 arms around her little daughter ; in vain called on 
 Alia, on Sadak, nay, even on Amurath, to relieve 
 her ; the unmoved wretches in silent steadiness 
 pursued their cruel orders, and with their barbarous 
 gripe, left Eachal in the agonies of death at the 
 feet of her frantic mother. 
 
 Kalasrade, being released from the mutes who 
 had held her fast, while the rest executed the hor- 
 rid commands of Amurath, sprang toward the ex- 
 piring infant, and kneeling on the ground, she 
 took the struggling Eachal in her arms, and pressed 
 her to her panting breast; then lifting up her lan- 
 guishing eyes, wearied with many a fruitless tear, — 
 * O Prophet, holy Prophet,' said the distracted fair 
 one, ' look down on a mother's anxious love, and 
 spare my Eachal ! spare her, Prophet of the just !' 
 After which, wildly folding her in her arms, the 
 miserable mother poured on her livid face the 
 copious streams of sorrow, and with a sigh that 
 might have rent the walls of the seraglio, she cried, 
 'Ah Eachal ! Eachal ! Heaven spare thee !' 
 
 Buried in tears, and sobbing over her child, 
 Doubor, with a pale face and bloody hands, entered 
 before her ; and while the faithful eunuch strove to 
 utter his melancholy tale, he saw the afflicted 
 
326 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 "mourner hanging over her expiring child. At such 
 a woful sight, pity touched his aged breast, and 
 the venerahle eunuch hasted to her assistance with 
 all a father's soft affection. 
 
 6 Wretched, miserable, and afflicted fair one !' 
 said the trembling eunuch, ' what fatal grief has 
 seized thy heart ? Ah !' said he, looking on the 
 distorted features of the innocent Rachal, 'what 
 rude murdering fiend hath spoiled this lovely 
 image of Kalasrade?' 
 
 Kalasrade, whose eyes were dim with grief, saw 
 not the eunuch till he came up to her, and poured 
 his lamentations over her wretched infant ; but, as 
 she saw his hands about to take her Rachal from 
 her arms, — ' Relentless villain !' said she, ' avaunt ! 
 thou shalt not feast upon my Rachal's flesh !' 
 Then, recollecting herself, — ' God of the Faithful/ 
 said she, ' it is the murderous eunuch, stained with 
 my children's blood. Steel-hearted executioner ! 
 hast thou eaten the hearts of Camir and his 
 brethren ? But thou shalt not bereave me of my 
 Rachal's heart !' 
 
 ' My much-honoured Kalasrade !' said the af- 
 frighted eunuch, ' I have no orders to bereave thee 
 of thy beauteous Rachal; I came here, seeking 
 Amurath, my lord ; but whatever misfortune has 
 befallen thy child, Doubor will gladly remedy the 
 evil.' 
 
 ■ What ! officious eunuch,' said the hasty Kalas- 
 rade, ' hast thou destroyed, and canst thou also 
 mock my griefs ? Full well thou knowest the 
 bloody orders of thy master's heart : four of my 
 babes thy murderous hands have stolen for ever 
 from my sight ; their bodies are now perhaps cast 
 forth, the portion of some ravenous animal, not 
 half so fell in heart as thou and Amurath ! — O my 
 children ! is the dear flesh I have so often printed 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 327 
 
 with a fond mother's kiss now torn between the 
 fangs of a merciless beast, or trodden under the 
 feet of black unfeeling slaves ? — Oh Prophet ! save 
 me from the pangs of such heart-riven thoughts !' 
 
 ' The righteous Alia knoweth,' answered the 
 chief of the eunuchs, 'how Doubor's heart was 
 racked at Amurath's command : I dare say no 
 more ; but here Kalasrade I have no command to 
 hurt or to distress ; and unless my heart deceive 
 me much, I can with ease recall this tender infant 
 into life again.' 
 
 'Do my children live, and art thou not just 
 reeking from their blood ? Ah ! forgive me, 
 Doubor ! excellent Doubor ! ' said she, recollecting 
 herself, ' didst thou not say thou wouldst recall my 
 dear Rachal into life again ? Then will I forgive 
 thee. — And yet thou wilt not say they live. — No/ 
 continued she, pausing, ' I never can forgive thy 
 murderous arms. Alia !' said she, again recollect- 
 ing herself, ' distracted with ten thousand ills I 
 know not what I utter ; but thou, O Alia, knowest 
 all ! and not to this base eunuch, but to thee, I lift 
 my expiring Rachal : Thou, Alia, canst call a bless- 
 ing from his bloody hands, and raise my child to 
 life, through him who has already scattered four- 
 fold death among my Sadak's lovely offspring !' . 
 
 The patient Doubor heard with deep anguish of 
 heart the wild and awful ejaculations of the miser- 
 able Kalasrade : ' I left them living, but I dare not 
 say they live,' he replied ; then, unwilling to lose 
 a moment, he pulled out a phial from the folds of 
 his garment, and poured some of its contents into 
 the mouth of the gasping Rachal. The powerful 
 medicine wrought a quick change in little Rachal's 
 frame ; the strong convulsions ceased, and the re- 
 viving female opened her blue eyes, which sparkled 
 with returning life like the morning star. As the 
 
328 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 eyes of Rachal brightened, so flashed with new life 
 and spirit the watery eyelids of the fond Kalasrade ; 
 and much her full heart meant to say — when a 
 mute abruptly entered, and commanded Doubor 
 instantly to attend his lord. 
 
 Doubor, leaving the apartments, found the se- 
 raglio in confusion. The rebel Janissaries pro- 
 claimed aloud in the courts the tyranny of Amurath, 
 and their leaders demanded the brave Sadak at the 
 hands of their monarch. Amurath, fearful of their 
 rage, sent for his faithful Doubor to appease their 
 clamour ; and when he saw the eunuch enter before 
 him, his conscience darkened every hope of safety, 
 as the black orb of night, when she spreads her 
 envious mantle over the face of the sun. 
 
 ' Wash, Doubor, in the sea,' said Amurath, ' those 
 murderous hands, and rather stain the whole Pro- 
 pontis with thy crime, than but one drop of blood 
 appear, to rob thy master of his tottering throne. 
 
 Doubor ! Doubor ! what seas of wealth would 
 
 1 not pour forth, to gather up the innocent blood 
 which thou hast this day spilled ! Go forth, good 
 eunuch, and ajDpease these clamorous spirits ; but 
 with thy guilty hand hide thy far guiltier heart, 
 and over all, throw the thick specious covering of 
 deceit ; and Doubor, if success attend thy friendly 
 cause, Sadak shall be restored to all his honours 
 and his children. — His children, Doubor, we will 
 forget. This day, O Prophet, save me from 
 destruction, and all my future life be thine ! ' 
 
 Doubor, not daring to declare that his hands 
 were unstained by the blood of Sadak ? s children, 
 and uncertain whether Amurath's rage had not 
 already given them to death, answered not ; but, in 
 obedience to Amurath, he endeavoured to go forth 
 among the tumultuous Janissaries; but, in their 
 rage, they would suffer none to speak, unless the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 329 
 
 brave Sadak was delivered to them. Doubor re- 
 turned with pale looks to Amurath's apartments. 
 
 ' My lord,' said the affrighted eunuch, ' it is vain 
 to stem the torrent. Your enemies increase every 
 moment ; and unless Sadak is delivered to them, 
 they vow revenge on thee and all thy slaves.' 
 
 * Then, Doubor,' said Amurath, falling, ' I am 
 lost indeed; and life, dear precious life, like a 
 departing friend, will take a short farewell of me.' 
 
 ' Glory of the Othman race !' answered Doubor, 
 6 suffer not your fears to interrupt your safety ; but 
 send some slave among the Janissaries, and pro- 
 mise, in a few hours to give them Sadak : in the 
 mean time I will remove thy best effects through 
 the water-gates ; and we may fly to some neighbour- 
 ing city, where thy loyal subjects shall still defend 
 their Sultan against these bold undaunted rebels.' 
 
 1 Friendly Doubor,' said Amurath, ' thy words 
 recall my sinking spirits : and, Doubor, neglect not, 
 among all my mutes and slaves, to carry fair Kalas- 
 rade with thee.' 
 
 The honest eunuch sighed at his master's words : 
 but, in such perilous circumstances, he thought 
 obedience a double virtue. With the fair Kalas- 
 racle, wondering at her fate, Doubor conveyed the 
 reviving Rachal to the shores of Asia, whom 
 Amurath soon followed, disguised like a mute, 
 among the slaves of the seraglio. The faithful 
 Doubor led the royal family to Iznimid, and there 
 proclaimed the arrival of Amurath, and the rebel- 
 lion of the Janissaries. 
 
 Abdulraham, the governor of Iznimid, immedi- 
 ately assembled the troops of the province ; and, 
 the royal standard being displayed, the army of 
 Amurath increased daily. During these prepara- 
 tions, Kalasrade was confined in the women's 
 apartments of Abdulraham's palace, and the little 
 
330 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 Kachal was suffered to attend on her wretched 
 mother. 
 
 The Janissaries of Constantinople, having chosen 
 the brave Bohiri for their general, after they were 
 apprised of the departure of Ainurath, resolved to 
 march to Iznimid to attack the royal troops, before 
 they were sufficiently strengthened by the neigh- 
 bouring provinces. The governor Abdulraham, 
 went out to meet the forces of Boluri : but the 
 battle soon proved favourable to the rebels, and 
 messengers arrived from the defeated Abdulraham, 
 advising Amurath to leave Iznimid, and fly to some 
 other city. 
 
 Boluri, elated by his success, the next day 
 marched to Iznimid : but the royal tyrant was tied 
 to a neighbouring castle, with a number of friends, 
 who came too late to join the forces of Abdulraham. 
 Here, in a place defended by nature, the Sultan 
 and his family remained several months, during 
 which time the rebels were unable to force the de- 
 fenders of Amurath from their impregnable castle. 
 
 A long and fatiguing siege succeeding, many of 
 the Janissaries grew tired of a war where there 
 were no hopes of plunder ; and Boluri, fearful that 
 Amurath might recover all, if suffered to depart 
 from the castle, would not listen to the advice of 
 his soldiers, who wished him to rove over the 
 provinces of Asia, and plunder those who would 
 not acknowledge his authority. This misunder- 
 standing produced discontent in the rebel army ; 
 and many of the officers, seeing there was little 
 prospect of plunder under Boluri, secretly offered 
 to give him up, if Amurath would pardon his 
 Janissaries. Amurath with great joy accepted the 
 unexpected terms ; Boluri was privately strangled 
 in his tent ; and the Janissaries laid down their 
 arms at the feet of Amurath. 
 
SADAK AND KALASKADE. 33 1 
 
 The royal monarch, being thus reinstated, forgot 
 his obligations to those who had betrayed Boluri; 
 and he commanded the ringleaders of the' rebel 
 army to be destroyed. 
 
 Thus secure from a second insurrection, he 
 marched back at the head of his army to Constan- 
 tinople ; and soon reducing the rebellion there, he 
 in a short time found himself reinstated in the 
 seraglio of his ancestors. 
 
 But now, forgetful of his former dangers, his 
 heart beat to accomplish his purposes ; he had not 
 yet avenged himself on Sadak, for he had not yet 
 obtained the hand of Kalasrade ; and fixed again 
 on his throne, he wondered that a weak oath should 
 have so long withholden him from the indulgence 
 of his royal will. 
 
 Doubor, apprised of his master's thoughts, la- 
 boured in vain to prevent the breach of his oath ; 
 and Amurath found that while his faithful slave 
 stood beside him, he should ever meet with an op- 
 position that he eould not brook. 
 
 To remove this obstacle, the Sultan ordered 
 Doubor to repair on a trifling message to Iznimid, 
 that his mind might be no longer controlled by the 
 presence of his faithful eunuch. 
 
 While these dark clouds were gathering over the 
 miserable Kalasrade, Sadak and his son were the 
 victims of the storm beneath the rocks of the 
 island of Oblivion : and on the same night that 
 Doubor departed for Iznimid, Ahud and his father 
 were buffeted by the tempest and the storm. 
 But the piety of Sadak, and the submission of 
 Ahud, alleviated in some measure the dreadful 
 hours of that night of horrors, till day arose, and 
 chased from their eyes the gloomy visions of the 
 night : but with the friendly day returned again 
 
332 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the unfriendly tide, buffeting their bruised limbs, 
 and smothering them with its waves, as the insect 
 which preys upon the plantain leaf is washed by 
 solstitial showers. After waiting with patience the 
 reflux of the tide from their cavern, Sadak, unwil- 
 ling to lose the benefits of the day, led Ahud out 
 on the narrow beach, while as yet they were forced 
 to wade through the sea ; and directing their steps 
 towards the left, they endeavoured to surround that 
 part of the island which was opposite to the burn- 
 ing torrent. This toilsome journey, though executed 
 with the utmost difficulty and hazard, was yet as 
 hopeless as the former : the black rocks, which had 
 been hollowed by the waves, hung in rude arch- 
 work over their heads each step they took, and 
 formed a continued barrier, without any interrup- 
 tion, except where the sea broke inward in deep 
 eddies, and formed, in the fissures of the rock, the 
 giddy whirlpool. 
 
 Wearied with this fruitless search, the wretched 
 Sadak led his duteous son back to the cavern, 
 before the swelling ocean rose again to exercise its 
 severity on them ; and after having encountered 
 its fury, they gladly sunk into a repose, which 
 lasted till the returning tide obliged them to rise. 
 But now, their provision being exhausted, or 
 spoiled by the water, still severer distresses encom- 
 passed them ; and the miserable Sadak beheld his 
 son wasted with fatigue, and overcome with hunger 
 and thirst. One drop of wine yet remained in a 
 little vessel which he had fastened to his sash ; this 
 the tender parent offered to pour on the parched 
 tongue of his afflicted Ahud ; and this the duteous 
 son refused, and with uplifted hands pressed the 
 vessel toward his parent's mouth. An affectionate 
 struggle ensued, and the duties which arose from 
 nature, prevailed over nature ; till Ahud, receiving 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 333 
 
 strength from the dictates of duty, started up, and 
 before his father was aware, suddenly forced the 
 liquor into his mouth ; then, falling on his knees 
 at his feet, — 'Ever-honoured parent,' said the 
 trembling youth, ' forgive the first disobedience I 
 have practised against you ; let these tottering 
 limbs bear witness what terrors possess my soul, 
 in that I have dared to exert my strength against 
 the author of my being ! Pardon,' said he, ' O 
 father ! rather strike me to the earth for my pre- 
 sumption ; and cast from thy sight these rebel 
 arms, which have prevailed against thy revered 
 image.' 
 
 1 Ahud, my son ! my son !' said Sadak, stoop- 
 ing, ' Alia shall doubtless bless thy filial prowess : 
 thou hast indeed prevailed, most noble youth ; but 
 thou hast prevailed in duty, and art thy father's 
 superior in - the triumphs of affection : yet how 
 dear, my son, shall thy victory prove, if, to add 
 a few short moments to thy father's age, thou hast 
 suffered the fair blossoms of thine own life to 
 wither and decay ! ' 
 
 The words of Sadak gave comfort to the duteous 
 soul of Ahud, and the cravings of hunger were 
 suspended while he heard the sweet rewards of his 
 duteous labours : — but short were the pleasures of 
 Ahud; excessive thirst parched up his lips, and 
 his supplicating eyes looking upwards on heaven 
 and Sadak, expressed the silent anguish of his 
 heart. 
 
 ' To see thee thus, my son,' said the distracted 
 Sadak, falling upon him, ' is worse than the death 
 thou hast for a moment driven from me. Oh, cruel 
 Ahud ! I will recall my forgiveness ; for thou hast 
 robbed me of a life far dearer than mine own.' 
 
 As Sadak spake these words, the wretched 
 Ahud, overcome by his hunger, fastened on his own 
 
334 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 flesh, and greedily sucked the issues of his life : 
 which unnatural relief for a short time subdued 
 his thirst, and he waited with patience till the tide 
 permitted them again to go in search of some 
 escape from their distresses. As Sadak passed 
 along the narrow beach, he observed the water 
 pouring from a small fissure in the rocks. 
 
 ' Ahud,' said the miserable Sadak, his eyes 
 sparkling with the distant hope, 'let us watch till 
 the tide turn, and observe whether the water return 
 through this fissure.' 
 
 Ahud rejoiced in his father's hopes ; and the 
 two descendants of Elar sat waiting in silence on 
 the fragments of the rocks. The conjectures of 
 Sadak were very right ; at the return of the tide 
 the waters formed a whirlpool, and were drawn 
 inwards through the fissure of the rocks. 
 
 ' Whatever be our fate,' said Sadak, ' this passage 
 only seems to promise us the means of life ; for on 
 this beach, ere two suns are passed, we must perish 
 by famine : wherefore, Ahud,' continued his father 
 Sadak, ' let us plunge together through this dark 
 eddy, and either meet an end to our toils, or a 
 reward to our labours.' 
 
 * Father,' said Ahud, faintly, ' let us not attempt 
 together the dangers of this whirlpool ; but, as I 
 have less means of life remaining in me than 
 yourself, I will first explore the secrets of this 
 watery cave.' 
 
 Thus spake the duteous Ahud ; not that he ex- 
 pected any relief from the uncertain undertaking, 
 but hoping thereby to prolong the life of his 
 honoured parent. Sadak, hoping his son might 
 succeed, yielded to his entreaties ; and Ahud 
 having promised, if possible, to return with the 
 ebbing tide, plunged into the foaming whirlpool, and 
 disappeared from the sight of his anxious father. 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 335 
 
 For a few moments the heart of Sadak was 
 buoyed up with pleasing expectations, and he 
 doubted not but Ahud was already in the land of 
 plenty: but as the wretched parent looked on the 
 foaming whirlpool, and saw its tumultuous eddies 
 rolling ungulfed beneath the rocky bed whereon he 
 stood, his weakened spirits sunk within him, and 
 he cried out in the agonies of despair, ' Oh, Ahud, 
 my son ! my son ! oh, treacherous ocean! thou hast 
 robbed me of both my sons !' 
 
 The tide rising, obliged the emaciated Sadak to 
 return to his cavern, where he sat wringing his 
 hands, weeping for his children, and bemoaning 
 the fate of his miserable Kalasrade. The calls of 
 hunger also increased with his distress ; and he 
 cut the sandals from his feet, and gnawed from 
 them a poor lifeless sustenance, till the waters pre- 
 vailing, obliged him to combat their resistless 
 fury. The next tide the worn-out Sadak returned 
 to the fissure in the rocks ; and although the 
 waters passed out, yet Ahud appeared not on their 
 surface. 
 
 Sadak now waited impatiently the return of the 
 tide, and with the first wave that entered, in 
 leaped the adventurous hero into the jaws of the 
 whirlpool. For several moments he was hurried 
 through the rocks, and bruised and wounded on all 
 sides by their rugged points, till light appeared 
 through the waters, and he found himself in a 
 deep cave, surrounded by rocks, and open at the 
 top. The rocks growing wider and wider, formed 
 an irregular ascent ; and with some difficulty the 
 wounded Sadak crawled upwards, till he had 
 attained to the summit of the rock. Here he 
 found an extended country, irregularly planted with 
 fruits and herbs, and plentifully watered with little 
 rivulets gushing out of many parts of the earth. 
 
336 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 As Sadak looked around on this delightful pros- 
 pect, he fell with his face to the earth, and said, 
 — ' Alia, thy creature poureth forth his praises 
 toward thee ; and the wretch w T hom thou hast 
 blessed adoreth thee for thy bounty !' 
 
 As Sadak spake these words, the pleasant vision 
 faded from his sight, and he found himself cast 
 forth by the waters on the beach whence he had 
 leaped in the morning. The heart of the un- 
 fortunate warrior fell at the sight ; and the spirits 
 of Sadak were nearly overwhelmed at the unex- 
 pected change. 
 
 1 But hold,' said the submissive Sadak, ' if this 
 change cometh through my devotions to Alia, 
 blessed be that change ; for Sadak had rather 
 acknowledge his God on the barren rocks, than 
 forget him in the mansions of festivity.' 
 
 As Sadak spake these words, he perceived the 
 eddies of the whirlpool to rise with an unusual 
 swell; and a female in vestments of gold came 
 forth from its surface. 
 
 ' Eighteous Sadak,' said the Genius Adiram, ' I 
 rejoice in thy fortitude, and am happy in being the 
 messenger of thy comfort : but ere I unfold to 
 thee the wonders thou hast seen, permit me to 
 lead thee in security to that place whence so lately 
 thou w r ast torn, as a sleeper from his dream.' 
 
 So saying, the waters ceased from the fissure ; 
 and the Genius and Sadak, descending into the 
 cave, shortly after attained to the summit of the 
 rocks, where Sadak had before seen the plains of 
 plenty. 
 
 As Sadak arrived on the plain, — ' Now,' said the 
 Genius Adiram to him, * arise, and satisfy thy ex- 
 hausted nature ; and then I will instruct thee in 
 the lessons of our race.' 
 
 ' But first,' answered Sadak, ' Genius, since 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 337 
 
 such is human weakness, that even seeming good 
 may be real mischief intended, let me address 
 myself to that God in whom no one shall be de- 
 ceived ; for if I partake of these viands, He first 
 whom I serve shall be blessed for his bounties.' 
 
 As Sadak spake thus, he fell on the earth, and 
 said : — ' O Alia ! thy creature poureth forth his 
 praises toward thee ; and the wretch whom thou 
 hast blessed adoreth thee for thy bounty.' 
 
 ' This noble instance of thy gratitude, and de- 
 pendence on Alia,' said the Genius Adiram, ' is 
 even beyond my hopes of thee, Sadak, thou 
 highly beloved ! To be brave and duteous when 
 misfortune cometh, is the lot of many ; but few 
 have fortitude to withstand the temptations of 
 pleasure and the delusions of security : as joy ap- 
 proacheth, the knowledge of Alia vanisheth from 
 the minds- of mortals; and when the prize is 
 attained, the elated conqueror looketh not on Him 
 that bestoweth it. The delusions of self-sufficiency 
 arise out of ease ; and man looketh on the unde- 
 served gift, and calleth it a reward, and the price 
 of his merit ; but happy is he who receiveth with 
 thankfulness, and forge tteth not that to Alia be- 
 longeth the praise and the glory.' 
 
 ' O bountiful Genius,' answered Sadak, ' though 
 much I am fortified by thy religious dictates, yet 
 doth my heart pant after Ahud, whom I have lost, 
 and after Kalasrade, whom I left in a tyrant's 
 power.' 
 
 ' As to Ahud,' answered the Genius Adiram, ' his 
 fate cannot yet be unrolled to thy sight ; and 
 Kalasrade still suffers for her contempt of that life 
 which Alia had commanded her to preserve. Ah, 
 poor Kalasrade ! the bird of Adiram can no longer 
 comfort thee ; and the oath of a lawless tyrant is 
 as a flaxen band around the flaming pile ! — But 
 z 
 
338 TALES OF THEGEHI. 
 
 haste and pursue the Waters of Ohlivion; for 
 many dangers yet surround thee : yet thou hast 
 well learned to he most aware when perils are un- 
 seen. Thy way is onward to the flaming mountain, 
 in which the waters are hidden.' 
 
 The Genius Adiram then departed from the sight 
 of Sadak : and after the laborious warrior had 
 finished his repast, he walked onward toward the 
 burning mountain. The plain whereon he walked 
 led him into a deep valley overgrown with bushes 
 and trees, through which he broke with the utmost 
 difficulty ; and when unsupported by the branches 
 of the trees, he fell into watery bogs, where he 
 had perished but for the broken fragments and 
 boughs which he had gathered to prevent his 
 sinking. 
 
 Having passed this morass, he arrived at a river 
 which ran among the rocks, whose source sprang 
 from a wild cataract, which came foaming with a 
 terrible noise in two divided torrents down the 
 rocks. Here the astonished Sadak stood looking 
 on the frightful waterfall in wild amaze ; and 
 stunned with the rapid dashing of the torrent, for 
 some time paused, unable to pursue his course, or 
 retreat from the dizzy scene. 
 
 No way appeared to pursue his journey, unless 
 he dared venture up the craggy precipice which 
 broke the two cataracts, and divided the roaring 
 currents from each other by its bed of stone. 
 Toward this middle rock the brave warrior crept, 
 his nature trembling at the bold determinations of 
 his heart ; and although his eyes swam, and his 
 imagination tottered, yet the steady Sadak seized 
 on the rock, and arose by degrees on its prominent 
 fragments. The foam and the surf of the neigh- 
 bouring torrents washed him as he arose, and the 
 noise of the impetuous currents overpowered him, 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 339 
 
 so that he heard not the fall of several rocky frag- 
 ments, which came tumbling on every side. 
 
 After his fatigue, and scrambling upward, he 
 reached a broad, flat, prominent rock, whereon he 
 laid his wearied body, and looked downward on the 
 waves below. Ten thousand colours played in his 
 eyes; and the rock whereon he lay extended, 
 seemed in his fancy to break, and falling with him, 
 to tumble headlong through the foaming waves. 
 
 Fear seized his body, though fortitude possessed 
 his soul ; and nature, tired of the struggle, kindly 
 stole him from himself, and consigned him to 
 oblivion : for a few minutes he lay entranced ; and 
 as he awoke, forgetful of his situation, he rolled 
 over to the brink of the rock, and was falling 
 downward, when he clasped the rock, and secured 
 himself with his hands. Having gained his former 
 situation by long struggle and labour, he ventured 
 not to look down from the precipice he had 
 escaped; but turning his eyes upward, he per- 
 ceived he had yet a third part of the rock to climb, 
 ere he could reach the top. 
 
 His perseverance in a short time prevailed, and 
 Sadak stood on the utmost summit of the rock, 
 whence he looked over an extended lake to the 
 burning mountain, whose smoke and eruptions 
 darkened the air, and filled it with sulphureous 
 stench. To pass this lake, Sadak determined to 
 plunge into it, and swim across ; but he saw that, 
 unless he could steer between the two currents, he 
 should be hurled headlong clown the perpendicular 
 torrent. Unabashed by the danger, Sadak boldly 
 leaped into the flood, and, striking forth his limbs 
 with the utmost dexterity, in a short time gained 
 the opposite shore of the lake. Here the hot 
 cinders blown from the mountain fell in black 
 showers upon him, and scorched his raiment and 
 z 2 
 
340 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 flesh ; till Sadak, gathering a large bundle of wet 
 flags which grew on the watery banks, tied them 
 with his sash, and placed them over his head for 
 his security against the burning coals. In this 
 manner he marched onward, the hot soil scorching 
 his feet, and the sulphureous stenches blasting his 
 lungs, till he perceived a huge cave, through which 
 ran a rivulet of black water. 
 
 Sadak, doubting not but that this was the Water 
 of Oblivion, ran eagerly into the cave, and saw at 
 the extremity of it a fair Virgin sitting in a musing 
 posture. At the sight of Sadak the Virgin arose, 
 and welcomed his arrival. 
 
 1 Noble stranger/ said she, ' it is now two 
 hundred hegiras since any one has been able to 
 reach this scene of horrors : but to you it is given 
 to taste the Waters of Oblivion, and to enjoy the 
 blessings of our immortal race.' 
 
 As the Virgin uttered these words with a 
 pleasing aspect, she drew of the fountain in a 
 goblet of gold, and presented the dark waters to 
 Sadak, who, turning the goblet from him with an 
 easy motion, thus replied to the solicitations of the 
 blooming Virgin : 
 
 ' Fair keeper of these enchanting fountains, 
 excuse my refusal ; it is not for myself that I seek 
 the fountain of oblivion : bound by a fatal oath, I 
 come a miserable exile from the Othman throne, 
 to seek a death more cruel by succeeding, than 
 others have found who failed of success.' 
 
 ' Then drink of jthis refreshing stream,' answered 
 the Virgin, ' and forget the curses which Amurath 
 hath heaped upon thy head : here drown thy 
 former anxious thoughts, and rise, refreshed in the 
 lethargic stream, to untried scenes of pleasure and 
 amusement ; thy sins, thy follies, and thy pains 
 forgot, here take a blessed renewal of thy life ; the 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 34 1 
 
 past be blotted from thy careworn breast, the 
 future all in prospect, all untried : then shall the 
 golden dream of hope spring forth afresh, and the 
 gay vision of unbounded joy again dance on thy 
 sprightly fancy ; wealth, power, and beauty — rich 
 in possessions, eminent in fame, in ecstasy dis- 
 solved — shall all by turns solicit thy divided mind, 
 while not a thought of what thou once hast felt 
 shall ever again molest thy troubled brain.' 
 
 * Such pleasures,' answered Sadak sternly, ' may 
 captivate the wretch whose conscience wishes all 
 the past one universal blot ; but Sadak has not 
 lived to wish the thread of life unravelled and 
 destroyed. No, Virgin ; though great are the ills 
 I feel, yet this in every ill supports my mind, — I 
 have not sought, nor yet deserved the ills that I 
 suffer.' 
 
 ' For the weak child of man to boast,' replied 
 the Virgin, ' argues neither sense nor merit : con- 
 ceited, vain, and ignorant, their path of life is 
 stained with error and perplexed with doubt ; pur- 
 blind they grope along in the bright meridian day, 
 and every action past they wish undone.' 
 
 ' It is not presuming on a well-spent life, that I 
 refuse your boon,' replied Sadak to the Virgin of 
 the cave ; ' but, conscious of no studied ill, I thank 
 my Prophet for his mercies past, and. value the 
 great Alla's former gifts too largely to desire 
 oblivion may prevent my future thanks : whatever 
 afflictions were endured were meant as blessings, 
 to increase my faith : these surely to forget were 
 base ingratitude. Whatever are the blessings that 
 Sadak has received, these yet reflect new comforts 
 on my soul ; and these to lose were little to 
 deserve the future mercies of my God. No, 
 Virgin ; one moment's recollection of Kalasrade's 
 truth is more delightful far to me than years of 
 
342 TALES OP THE GENII. 
 
 pleasure with another. Though dead, shall I 
 forget thee, Codan ! whose pious cares so lately 
 honoured good Mepiki's grave ? Though lost to 
 me, yet never from my mind shall Ahud's righteous 
 image pass. Ahud, duteous name ! who doubtless 
 now, beyond life's tyranny, quaffs the pure milky 
 streams of paradise above, richly repaid by his 
 kind Prophet for those few drops of life he nobly 
 gave the fountain whence he sprang ! Hail, 
 .righteous, suffering family of Elar ! And thou, 
 great parent of my life, look down, and curse this 
 ungrateful head when Sadak wishes to forget 
 thy truth I ' 
 
 ' Noble Sadak,' answered the Virgin, ' thou alone 
 art worthy to succeed, who hast learned rightly to 
 value the gift thou hast obtained ; take then this 
 goblet, and carry to thy Prince these Waters of 
 Oblivion ; and fear not the toils of returning, for 
 as soon as thou art in possession of the goblet, 
 thou shalt stand at the gates of the seraglio of 
 Amurath.' 
 
 * But, gentle Virgin,' replied Sadak, ' ere I re- 
 ceive from thine hands this inestimable gift, 
 inform me, I beseech thee, where is the duteous 
 Ahud, the glory of my years ? ' 
 
 1 Ahud,' answered the Virgin, ' is hidden from 
 my knowledge : but let this content thee, that thou 
 alone hast 'prevailed, and been able to bear hence 
 the Waters of Oblivion.' 
 
 Thus speaking, the Virgin gave into Sadak's 
 hand the golden goblet ; and as he received it, 
 the cave and fountain rolled off in a dark cloud 
 from before him, and Sadak found himself at the 
 gates of Amurath's palace. The Janissaries, who 
 recollected the features of their long-lost general, 
 shouted for joy ; and the populace in tumults 
 proclaimed the arrival of Sadak. The slaves of 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 343 
 
 Amurath hastened to inform him of Sadak's 
 arrival, and the eunuchs of the seraglio brought 
 him before the impatient Sultan. 
 
 As Sadak entered the royal apartment with the 
 goblet in his hand, he perceived Amurath sitting 
 with a disturbed visage on the embroidered sofa. 
 Sadak thrice prostrated himself before him ; and 
 Amurath, with a frown, commanded his slaves and 
 attendants to retire. 
 
 ' What, slave !' said the royal tyrant, as Sadak 
 arose, ' hast thou succeeded in thy employment ? 
 or dost thou bring thy forfeit head a tribute to 
 thy Prince? 5 
 
 * Lord of the Othman race,' answered Sadak, 
 'the great Alia whom I serve hath blessed the 
 cause of thy slave ; and Sadak is returned with 
 honour and success to the Othman court.' 
 
 ' Curse on thy honours, vain slave !' replied 
 Amurath hastily ; ( and cursed be the pride of thy 
 heart : thinkest thou that thou shalt triumph over 
 thy Prince ? or that Alia hath reserved for thee 
 joys superior to those which Amurath possesses?' 
 
 ' The blessings of Alia,' answered Sadak, ' have 
 refreshed my heart ; and the bounteous smile of 
 my all-gracious Maker hath enlightened my soul 
 in every horror I have passed.' 
 
 ' Blasphemous slave,' said Amurath, rising in 
 haste, ' thou liest ! Alia meant not to bless thee 
 beyond thy lord, but has buoyed up thy heart with 
 treacherous hope, to make thy disappointment 
 greater. Yes, slave, thy master has resumed him- 
 self, destroyed thy children, and taken thy Kalas- 
 rade to be the partner of his throne, that thou 
 mightest curse thy God and die ! ' 
 
 'Hast thou prevailed, thou tyrant?' said Sadak, 
 trembling ; ' then welcome the black contents of 
 this infernal bowl ; for now oblivion is all I ask.' 
 
344 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 ' Slaves,' said Amurath, clapping his hands, 
 6 seize from the frantic slave that precious bowl ! 
 it were luxury too great for him to taste and to 
 forget.' 
 
 But ere the slaves entered, Sadak put down the 
 bowl : ' Alia,' he said, ' thy wretched servant casts 
 himself on thee ; thy hand hast dealt the blow : 
 help him to bear it, or let the angel of death 
 bring him the oblivion he seeks ! ' 
 
 ' No, pious wretch,' answered Amurath, ' it is I 
 alone have blessings for thy heart : chained to a 
 damp dungeon's side, thou shalt learn how Alia 
 favours Sadak — how he loves Amurath.' 
 
 ' Thy faith, thy oath, thy honour lost; call not, 
 base Amurath,' said Sadak, ■ on Alia more : even 
 yet, since death and oblivion are denied me, I will 
 triumph over thee ; for in all the curses that afflict 
 poor Sadak' s heart, none can overwhelm his con- 
 science with such shame as thine.' 
 
 ■ Slave,' replied Amurath, ' thy speech is free ; I 
 love to hear thy pious resignation ; but death over- 
 takes thee, if again thy words reflect dishonour on 
 thy Prince ; for think not, wretch, so meanly of 
 me, that I approve of broken vows ; none are so 
 hardened but must tremble, though they cannot 
 relent: yes, slave, even I, while I triumph over 
 thee, curse myself : but these dull thoughts shall 
 be driven from my anxious breast. The Waters of 
 Oblivion are designed for mine and for Kalasrade's 
 peace ; wherefore bring me, slaves, the refreshing 
 goblet, for my gloomy soul pants for oblivion, and 
 I long to sin and think it virtue. Now welcome, 
 peace ; and conscience, thou base intruder, a long 
 farewell to all thy wretched admonitions ! But, 
 slaves, remember, ere I drink this, Sadak dies.' 
 
 As Amurath spake thus, he received the golden 
 goblet from the hands of the slaves who had rescued 
 
SADAK AND KALASEADE. 345 
 
 it from Sadak ; and, looking with a ferocious smile 
 on the wretched husband of Kalasrade, — ' See, 
 Sadak,' said he, ' how greatly Amurath doth honour 
 to his slave : I drink this bowl to be like thee ; and 
 fair Kalasrade, having tasted its sweet contents, 
 shall look on Amurath, and think him Sadak.' 
 
 The greedy monarch then raised the goblet to 
 his lips, and drank off the dark liquor it contained ; 
 which quickly spread its fatal influence through his 
 veins ; and the disappointed Amurath too late per- 
 ceived, that with oblivion death goes hand in hand. 
 Sadak, surprised, started at the unexpected effects 
 of the deadly goblet ; and the slaves of Amurath, 
 who ran to his assistance as he fell, finding their 
 endeavours to recover him ineffectual, now fell 
 trembling at the feet of Sadak, whom they imagined 
 the Janissaries would doubtless place on the Oth- 
 man throne. 
 
 ' Lord of our lives,' said the minions of the 
 seraglio, ' Alia hath justly punished the wretched 
 Amurath for his broken vows ; and thy slaves wait 
 thy commands, to cast his wretched carcass forth a 
 prey to the fowls of the air.' 
 
 ' Wretches,' said Sadak sternly to them, ' I seek 
 not the power you are so ready to bestow : let the 
 faithful Doubor be called, that the subjects of the 
 Othman throne may be acquainted with their loss.' 
 
 * Heir to the Othman glory,' answered the slaves, 
 ' Doubor, by Amurath's command, is gone k to Izni- 
 mid on affairs of state.' 
 
 ' Then,' said Sadak, ' carry forth the body of our 
 departed Sultan, and show his pale limbs to the 
 brave soldiers of the court, to whom (since no suc- 
 cessor by inheritance or will is left) the choice of a 
 new monarch falls. As to myself, tell them, I 
 seek no honour. Cursed in all I held most dear, 
 to me honour were a grievous burden. Kalasrade, 
 
346 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 the virtuous Kalasrade, is dead to Sadak, and he 
 will retire for ever from the world!' 
 
 The report of Sadak's arrival, and the death of 
 Amurath, was now spread through every part of 
 the seraglio ; and while part of the officers hastened 
 to acknowledge Sadak for their Sultan, others 
 found out the melancholy Kalasrade, and declared 
 every circumstance of the joyful news to the 
 mourning fair one. Meanwhile Sadak, having 
 given audience to the officers of the army, the 
 viziers, and the hashaws of the Othman court, de- 
 clined their proffered honours ; hut the voice of the 
 multitude prevailed, and he was constrained to bear 
 the weight of empire on his brow. 
 
 The shouts of the Faithful rent the air with 
 notes of triumph, when Sadak yielded to his people's 
 supplication. In the midst of their clamour, a 
 messenger arrived in the seraglio, and declared 
 the approach of Doubor from Iznimid. A gleam 
 of comfort shot through Sadak's soul, as he heard 
 the name of Doubor pronounced ; and he sent his 
 viziers to welcome his arrival, and bring him into the 
 presence of his friend. The faithful Doubor soon 
 arrived, and having learned from his friends the 
 wondrous change, fell prostrate at the feet of Sadak. 
 
 6 Since he whom Doubor long revered is dead/ 
 said the faithful eunuch, ' Doubor rejoices at the 
 public choice of Sadak's virtue to succeed him ; yet 
 forgive me, royal master, if Doubor play the courtier 
 but awkwardly before thee : born for his service, I 
 lived in the smiles of Amurath, my lord ; and let 
 these tears bear witness for me, I cannot ever for- 
 get the kindness of my master.' 
 
 ■ Doubor,' said Sadak, sternly, ' thou art not the 
 only afflicted soul that Amurath hath left behind 
 him ; deep are his curses stricken on Kalasrade's 
 heart, and woes unutterable are Sadak's portion.' 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 347 
 
 * Surely, my lord,' returned Doubor, the chief of 
 the eunuchs, ' the mighty Amurath did never pre- 
 sume to break his oath?' 
 
 ' Yes, he broke it, slave ; nay, more, and 
 triumphed in his sin,' said Sadak, fiercely ; ' and 
 thou, I fear, hast borne a part in all his vengeful 
 malice. All other evil I with patience bore; but 
 this extremest cruelty loads my distracted thought 
 past human sufferance. 5 
 
 ' My lord,' answered Doubor, ' permit me to lead 
 thee to fair Kalasrade 's apartment : I yet must 
 hope, some mystery unravelled hurts your peace.' 
 
 * To soothe with words ambiguous, when mis- 
 fortunes past can never be redeemed, is a slave's 
 province,' said Sadak ; ' but Sadak has a soul not 
 to be lulled by women's tales.' 
 
 ' Noble and royal Sadak,' answered Doubor, pros- 
 trate on the earth, ' I beseech you to consider 
 what mighty ills you heap on fair Kalasrade, if, 
 unheard, you cast her from your presence, and 
 accuse our Prophet, whose boundless mercy, like 
 the mountains' shades, preserves and comforts 
 every faithful mind.' 
 
 ' Doubor,' replied Sadak, 'thou ever wast to God 
 and man an acceptable slave, and duly temperest 
 submission to thy prince with faithfulness to Alia. 
 I yield, good Doubor ; lead the way to dear Kalas- 
 rade's apartment, and Alia grant success attend 
 our search ! ' 
 
 The chief of the eunuchs, preceding the trem- 
 bling Sadak, led him to those apartments of the 
 seraglio where he had been formerly seized by the 
 guards of Amurath ; and commanding the doors to 
 be flung open, Sadak discovered Kalasrade sitting 
 on the sofa, with her surrounding attendants. 
 
 At sight of Sadak, the beauteous sultana arose 
 with wild distracted looks ; and turning to her 
 
348 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 slaves, — ' Who is this,' said she, ' that hasely apes 
 the majesty of Othman's Prince ? Whoever thou 
 art, hold slave,' continued she, ' depart, lest the 
 royal Amurath punish thy bold intrusion/ 
 
 ' O Prophet of the just ! ' said Sadak, hastening 
 to her, ' what means this wondrous change ? — ' Tis 
 Sadak, my beloved ; Sadak, who comes to be 
 convinced that thou never hast submitted to 
 Amurath.' 
 
 ' Submitted, wTetch ! ' said Kalasrade, with a 
 haughty frown ; 'dost thou then call the royal pre- 
 sence of thy Sultan an evil ? and presume to ap- 
 proach the royal bride of Amurath.' 
 
 1 Just, righteous Alia ! ' said Sadak, falling back, 
 ' what are these sounds that rack my jealous ears ? 
 Have I then lived to hear Kalasrade prize a tyrant, 
 and despise her lord? — No; it cannot be. I see 
 wild passion rolls her eye, and madness has pos- 
 sessed her brain; borne down by former evils, 
 and depressed by anxious cares, the wish, yet dread 
 of meeting me has for ever driven fair reason from 
 her seat. Oh Kalasrade ! Kalasrade ! Yet Alia 
 still is great and good, though a cloud veils Him 
 now from wretched Sadak ! ' 
 
 The pious words of Sadak were attended with 
 unusual omens : from the left the vivid lightning 
 flashed, the palace shook, and a thick cloud filled 
 the apartment where Sadak stood; out of the 
 midst of which came forward the stately Adiram, 
 and thus addressed the consort of Kalasrade : — 
 
 ' Noble Sadak, the trials of your fortitude are 
 now finished ; and Adiram is the joyous messenger 
 of your future peace. The beauteous female who 
 stands before you is not the real Kalasrade, as you 
 will perceive when she shall restore to Doubor the 
 enchanted ring. 
 
 ' After your departure from the seraglio, in search 
 
SADAK AND KALA SHADE. 349 
 
 of the Waters of Oblivion, I perceived that the 
 obligations of an oath could not bind the man that 
 was influenced by revenge, and unmoved by the 
 tender calls of humanity ; I therefore sent, by my 
 little winged messenger, an enchanted ring to Dou- 
 bor, declaring its virtues, and bidding him use . it 
 when Kalasrade's distress should most require its 
 assistance. The friendly Doubor had in vain em- 
 ployed both artifice and persuasion to prevent his 
 master from yielding to his evil passions ; every 
 contrivance proved abortive, and Amurath was de- 
 termined to make Kalasrade his wife without wait- 
 ing for the Waters of Oblivion. 
 
 ' In this distress, I sent the enchanted ring to 
 Doubor ; commanding him to put it on the finger 
 of one of the ladies of the seraglio, who should 
 thereby be enabled to personate Kalasrade and de- 
 ceive the Sultan. Doubor, overjoyed, carried it to 
 the fair and haughty Zurac, who had long pined 
 unnoticed in the walls of the seraglio. Zurac ten- 
 derly loved Amurath ; but her lord had never re- 
 turned her affections. She received the ring with 
 joy, and willingly personated the miserable Kalas- 
 rade. 
 
 ' On the very day before you arrived from the 
 fountain of the Waters of Oblivion, the mighty 
 Amurath raised his supposed Kalasrade to the pin- 
 nacle of female greatness. 
 
 ' Though accustomed to indulge his passions 
 without control, yet was the soul of Amurath not 
 yet dead to a sense of honour. Though his revenge 
 was satisfied, remorse filled his breast, at having 
 broken an oath held sacred by the Othman race. 
 Before you arrived, your submissive resignation to 
 the will of Alia again roused his spleen, and urged 
 him (permitted by Alia) to drink down the deadly 
 potions of Oblivion. As soon as Amurath was 
 
350 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 dead, I appeared to Doubor, who was travelling to- 
 ward Constantinople ; and I commanded him not 
 to take the ring from Zurac, or to reveal the secret 
 to any one, till he should see me again. 
 
 ' And now, Doubor,' continued the Genius, ' be 
 you the messenger of these happy tidings to 
 Kalasrade, and prepare her heart to receive her 
 lord ; and acquaint her also with the safety of her 
 children whom Amurath commanded thee to 
 destroy, whom thou secretly hast preserved. Codan 
 and Ahud both live : Codan was flung on an un- 
 inhabited island ; and Ahud, having passed the 
 whirlpool into which he had plunged, and ascended 
 the rocks, came to the fruitful plain ; and over- 
 joyed at the sight of the fruits that grew thereon, 
 the duteous youth plucked several, and folding 
 them in his garments, he descended down the 
 rocks, resolving not to taste them till he had 
 carried them to Sadak his father : but as, through 
 his haste to relieve the fainting Sadak, he neg- 
 lected to thank Alia for the gift, the evil Genii 
 claimed a power over him; limited however, by 
 Mahomet, to a short period, on the expiration of 
 which he is to be conveyed to the ship of Gehari, 
 which in its course will touch at Codan's island. 
 And, if both continue faithful to Alia, they will 
 return within the space of a year to their parents' 
 arms.' 
 
 Thus spake the Genius Adiram, and retiring 
 into the dark cloud, she left the brave Sadak in 
 the royal seraglio ; who, after he had assured the 
 fair Zurac that she should enjoy the honours of 
 Amurath's sultana, hastened to meet his beloved. 
 
 Doubor, who, in obedience to Adiram, had im- 
 parted the glad message to Kalasrade, was present- 
 ing her five children to the happy fair one, when 
 Sadak entered the apartment. The sight of his 
 
SADAK AND KALASRADE. 351 
 
 long-lost children filled the happy father with the 
 liveliest transports ; and the honour of his Kalas- 
 rade so happily restored to him, gave new graces 
 to his beauteous consort. They met, with tears of 
 joy running like fountains from their pious eyes : 
 and while in silent rapture they hung entwined in 
 each other's arms, their beauteous children kneeled 
 around, and bathed their robes with streams of 
 tears. 
 
 Conscious that passion had formerly transported 
 them beyond the bounds of reason, they both in 
 secret prayed for Alla's grace to moderate their 
 joy ; and having borne the trials of adversity, they 
 now strove to obey the sober dictates of calmness 
 and humility. 
 
 And first kneeling in the midst of their duteous 
 family, with hearts and eyes uplifted to the throne 
 of Heaven; they poured forth their pious praises 
 for their Maker's mercies ; then, in modest tender- 
 ness, indulged in mutual converse, by turns em- 
 bracing all their children, and blessing their long- 
 lost offspring : and with their tears of joy fell some 
 few piteous drops for righteous Codan and duteous 
 Ahud's absence. 
 
 These happy duties finished, the royal Sadak 
 arose and went toward Doubor, the faithful 
 eunuch. 
 
 ■ Friend of my bosom, arid great instrument of 
 all my joy,' said Sadak, embracing him, 'not all 
 the monarch of the Othman throne can do for thee 
 can ever repay thy generous services ! happy am 
 I, to think that Alia will reward thee with the 
 heartfelt pleasures of an approving conscience, — 
 that, Doubor, shall be thy chief reward: for worldly 
 pleasures, command thy Sadak's fortune ; the 
 wealth of all my empire is at thy disposal.' 
 
 The beauteous Kalasrade and her children fol- 
 
352 TALES OF THE GENII. 
 
 lowed the example of Saclak, and all with joy 
 acknowledged Doubors generous kindness, and the 
 efforts he had made to restore them to happiness. 
 
 The good old man, overcome by the affecting 
 scene, in silence lifted up his watery eyes to 
 Heaven, then fell at Sadak's feet, and would have 
 kissed his sandals ; but the grateful Sadak raised 
 him up, and seatedhim beside his amiable Kalasrade. 
 
 Serenity and mildness succeeded in the affec- 
 tionate interview, where all were happy in each 
 other, and where all acknowledged, the source of 
 their happiness in the bounties of Alia. 
 
 The Genius Adirain thus finished her tale ; and 
 Iracagem and the surrounding Genii bowed from 
 their thrones ; the children of earth were filled 
 with firm resolutions of fortitude, and the noble 
 image of Sadak fired their youthful imaginations. 
 
 • AVhile the sons of the Faithful,' said Iracagem, 
 ' have received the impressions of fortitude from 
 the lips of our sister Adirain, the daughters of 
 our Prophet have been well instructed in constancy 
 and truth, by the glorious example of the firm 
 Kalasrade : and doubt not, ye beauteous offspring, 
 but virtue and fidelity shall be as greatly distin- 
 guished, and as fully rewarded in the female sex, 
 as ye see it honoured and approved among the 
 sons of men. Born for each other, and alike en- 
 dowed with an ever-living soul, the great Alia im- 
 partially regards the sufferings and the virtues of 
 all his children; and where weakness most pre- 
 vail-, there most his gracious strength supports and 
 comforts in the unequal conflict Remember, then, 
 that no power of evil can achieve a conquest over 
 
 the mind with<>iu its own consent, and that while 
 you trust in Alia, and distrust yourselves, wisdom 
 and power will be given you to do His Will.' 
 
 LONDON: G. PHIPP8. PUINTbk., l3 Jt 14, TOTUILL STBF.ET, W KSTMIN8TEB. 
 
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