Supplemental Nights, Volume 5
by
Richard F. Burton

Part 7 out of 9



the sire, so she joyed in him and he joyed in her. Now when he
had won his will of the twain and had left the house the women
foregathered and began talking and saying, "By Allah, this youth
hath given us both much amorous pleasure, far more than his
father ever did; but when our husband shall return let us keep
our secret even though he spake the words we heard: haply he may
not brook too much of this thing." So as soon as the man came
back with the wheat he asked the women saying, "What befel you?"
and they answered, "O Man, art thou not ashamed to say to thy
son, 'Go sleep with both thy father's wives?' 'Tis lucky that
thou hast escaped." Quoth he, "Never said I aught of this"; and
quoth they, "But we heard thee cry, 'The two of them.'" He
rejoined, "Allah disappoint you: I forgot my papooshes and said
to him, 'Go fetch them.' He cried out 'One of them or the two of
them?' and I replied, 'The two of them,' meaning my shoes, not
you." "And we," said they, "when he spake to us such words
slippered him and turned him out and now he never cometh near
us." "Right well have ye done," he rejoined, "'tis a fulsome
fellow." This was their case; but as regards the youth, he fell
to watching and dogging his father's path, and whenever the man
left the house and went afar from it he would go in to the women
who rejoiced in his coming. Then he would lie with one, and when
he had won his will of her he would go to the sister-wife and
tumble her. This lasted for some time, until the women said each
to other, "What need when he cometh to us for each to receive him
separately in her room? Let us both be in one chamber and when he
visiteth us let us all three, we two and he, have mutual joyance
and let him pass from one to the other." And they agreed to this
condition, unknowing the decree of Allah which was preparing to
punish the twain for their abandoned wantonness.--And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to
say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet
is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
not sleeping, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the
watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and
good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director,
the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of
deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the two women
agreed to partnership in iniquity with the youth their stepson.
Now on the next day the man went forth and left his house for
some pressing occasion and his son followed him till he saw him
far distant: then the youth repaired to the two wives and found
them both in one chamber. So he asked them, "Why doth not each of
you go to her own apartment?" and they answered, "What use is
there in that? Let us all be together and take our joy, we and
thou." So he lay between them and began to toy with them and
tumble them; and roll over them and mount upon the bubbies of one
and thence change seat to the other's breasts and while so doing
all were plunged in the sea of enjoyment.[FN#592] But they knew
not what lurked for them in the hidden World of the Future.
Presently, lo and behold! the father returned and entered the
house when none of them expected him or was ware of him; and he
heard their play even before he went into the chamber. Here he
leant against a side-wall and privily viewed their proceedings
and the lewd state they were in; and he allowed time to drag on
and espied them at his ease, seeing his son mount the breasts of
one woman and then shift seat to the bubbies of his other wife.
After noting all this he fared quietly forth the house and sought
the Wali complaining of the case; so the Chief of Police took
horse and repaired with him to his home where, when the two went
in, they found the three at the foulest play. The Wali arrested
them one and all and carried them with elbows pinioned to his
office. Here he made the youth over to the Linkman who struck his
neck, and as for the two women he bade the executioner delay till
nightfall and then take them and strangle them and hide their
corpses underground. And lastly he commanded the public Crier go
about all the city and cry;-- "This be the award of high
treason." And men also relate (continued Shahrazad) the





STORY OF THE TWO LACK-TACTS OF CAIRO AND
DAMASCUS.[FN#593]



Whilome in Cairo-city there was a man famed as a Lack-tact and
another in Damascus was celebrated for the like quality. Each had
heard of his compeer and longed to forgather with him and sundry
folk said to the Syrian, "Verily the Lack-tact of Egypt is
sharper than thou and a cleverer physiognomist and more
intelligent, and more penetrating, and much better company; also
he excelleth thee in debate proving the superiority of his lack
of tact." Whereto the Damascene would reply, "No, by Allah, I am
more tasteful in my lack of tact than yon Cairene;" but his
people ceased not to bespeak him on this wise until his heart was
filled full of their words; so one day of the days he cried, "By
Allah, there is no help for it but I fare for Cairo and forgather
with her Lack-tact." Hereupon he journeyed from Damascus and
ceased not wayfaring till he reached Cairo. The time was about
set of sun and the first who met him on the road was a woman; so
he asked her concerning certain of the highways of the city and
she answered, "What a Lack-tact thou must be to put such a
question at such an hour! Whoso entereth a strange place in the
morning enquireth about its highways, but whoso entereth at
eventide asketh about its caravanserai[FN#594] wherein he may
night." "Sooth thou sayest," rejoined he, "but my lack of tact
hath weakened my wits." He then sought news of the Khans and they
showed him one whereto he repaired and passed the night; and in
the morning--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Lack-tact of Damascus passed the night in the Wakalah and in the
morning he went forth and wandered about the highways of Cairo
questing her Lack-tact; and, when they informed him of his
rival's whereabouts, he forgathered with him and was received
with an honorable reception and was welcomed and kindly entreated
and comfortably seated that the twain might talk over the news of
the world. Presently quoth the Lack-tact of Damascus to the
Lack-tact of Cairo, "I would that we two test each other's
quality by playing a prank in turn; and whoso shall be preferred
by the testimony of the general, he shall lord it over his
rival." The Cairene asked, "Which of us shall begin?" and the
Damascene answered, "I," whereto the other rejoined, "Do whatso
thou willest." So the Syrian went forth and hired him an ass
which he drove out of the city to a neighbouring clump of
Ausaj-bushes[FN#595] and other thorns whereof he cut down a
donkey-load, and setting the net-full upon the beast's back
returned to the city. He then made for the Bab al-Nasr,[FN#596]
but he could not enter for the crowding of the folk frequenting
it and the Cairene was gladdened by his doings: so the man
stinted not standing there with his ass and load of thorns till
morn was near, when he lost his temper and urged his beast close
up to the gate. By so doing all the garments of the wayfarers
which were caught by the Ausaj-thorns were torn to rags and
tatters, and some of the people beat him and others buffetted him
and others shoved him about saying, "What a superior Lack-tact
thou art! Allah ruin thy natal realm! Thou hast torn folk's dress
to rags and tatters with that load of thorns." Still he drave his
donkey onwards albeit the people cried to him, "O man, withdraw
thee, the passengers are all jammed at the gate;" but he would
not retire and those present dealt him more blows and abuse.
Hereat he only cried, "Let me pass through!" and pushed on
whereby he obtained a severer beating. This lasted till
mid-afternoon, for he could on nowise enter by reason of the
crush at the Bab al-Nasr; but about sundown the crowd thinned and
so he drove on his ass and passed the gate. Then quoth to him the
Cairene, "What is this thou hast done? This is mere
horseplay[FN#597] and not lack of tact." Now on the morning of
the next day the Lack-tact of Cairo was required to play his
prank even as the Damascene had done; so he rose up and girded
his loins and tucked up his sleeves and took up a tray--And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
not sleeping, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the
watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and
good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director,
the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of
deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Egyptian rose
up and girded his loins and tucked up his sleeves, and taking him
a tray said to the Syrian, "Up and after me and see what I shall
do." Then he went out tray on head, and foregoing the Damascene
to a flower-garden he gathered a bundle of blooms and
sweet-scented herbs, pinks and roses and basil and
pennyroyal[FN#598] and marjoram and other such, until the tray
was filled, after which he turned to town. About noontide he
repaired to one of the Cathedral-mosques and entered the
lavatory,[FN#599] around which were some fifteen privies:[FN#600]
so he stood amiddlemost the floor considering the folk as they
entered the jakes to do their jobs in private lest the
bazar-people come upon them during their easement. And all were
sore pressed wanting to pass urine or to skite; so whenever a man
entered the place in a hurry he would draw the door to. Then the
Lack-tact of Cairo would pull the door open, and go in to him
carrying a posy of perfumed herbs, and would say, "Thy
favour![FN#601] O my brother," and the man would shout out
saying, "Allah ruin thy natal realm, are we at skite or at
feast?" whereat all standing there would laugh at him. Suddenly
one rushed into the lavatory sore pressed and hanging an
arse[FN#602] and crying aloud in his grievous distress, "O Allah,
O His Prophet, aid me!" for that he feared to let fly in his
bag-trousers. Then the Lack-tact would accost him holding in hand
his posy of perfumed herbs, and softly saying, "Bismillah-take
it, and give me thy favour;" and the man would roar at the top of
his voice, "Allah disappoint thee! what a Lack-tact thou art: I
am sore pressed; get thee out." And the further that man would
fare away from him the closer he would follow him saying, "Thy
favour! Take it! Smell it!" Now at that time all the cabinets of
easement were full of people, nor did one remain vacant, and the
distressed man stood there expecting someone to issue that he
might enter; but in his condition the delay was over-long--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Cairene Lack-tact kept bespeaking that sorely distressed man and
following him as he fled, crying out to him and saying, "Away
from me, am I not this moment about to skite or am I at a feast?"
till at last the excess of weight in his arse-gut caused him to
let fly in his bag-trousers and bewray all his behind. And during
this time none came out of the jakes, so the unhappy sat in his
unease and all the folk seeing him conskite himself fell to
laughing at him as he sat there, and the Lack-tact of Cairo
continued offering him the posy, saying, "Thy favour!" and the
other continned shouting his loudest, "Am I at skite or at a
feast?" Thereupon the Lack-tact of Damascus turned to his rival
and cried, "The Fatihah[FN#603] is in thy books, O Chief Joker of
Cairo. By Allah (and the Almighty grant thee length of life!)
thou hast excelled me in everything, and they truly say that none
can surpass or overcome the Cairene and men have agreed to
declare that the Syrian winneth his wish and gaineth only blame,
while the Egyptian winneth not his wish and gaineth thanks and
praise." And amongst other things it happened[FN#604] that a
Cairene went to borrow a donkey from another man, a Damascene,
wishing to ride it to a wedding, and when he met his friend he
saluted him and said, "Ho Such-an-one, lend me thine ass for such
a purpose." Now when the owner of the animal heard these words he
smote hand upon hand and cried, "O worshipper of Allah,[FN#605] a
little while ere thou camest to me, a man urgently asked it of me
and took it on loan: haddest thou been somewhat earlier I would
have lent it to thee. Verily I am put to shame by thee as thou
goest from me without thy need." The Egyptian said in his mind,
"By Allah, this one speaketh sooth, and had the donkey been in
his house assuredly he would have lent it to me." But the owner
of the animal said to himself, "Certainly Such-an-one begged it
of me, but the rest is a lie, for the beast is shut up in the
stable." However the Syrian who owned the beast went to his
gossip, the man who had begged a loan of it, and entering the
house salam'd to him and said, "Give me the donkey, O
Such-an-one;"--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoy able and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an
the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night
and that was

The Eight Hundred and Fortieth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Syrian
went to his gossip saying, "Give me the ass;" and when the other
heard this he showed his teeth[FN#606] and cried, "Allah
disappoint the donkey and the owner of the donkey and whoso
rideth the donkey," and flying into an exceeding fury at last
said, "Go, O my lord, and take it from the stable, and may Allah
never bring back nor thee nor the beast." So the Syrian went from
him saying in himself, "Allah disappoint this fellow, why did he
not give me the ass at first and then he had not had occasion to
abuse and curse himself and to revile me also." But they say and
say truly, "The Syrian winneth his wish, but gaineth only blame
while the Egyptian winneth not his wish and gaineth thanks and
praise!"





Tale of Himself Told by the King[FN#607]



I have a tale, O my lord the Kazi, which bewildereth the wits and
it is on this wise. By birth and origin I was the son of a
Khwajah, but my father owned much worldly wealth in money and
effect and vaiselle and rarities and so forth, besides of landed
estates and of fiefs and mortmains a store galore. And every year
when the ships of Al-Hind would arrive bringing Indian goods and
coffee from Al-Yaman the folk brought thereof one-fourth of the
whole and he three-fourths paying in ready cash and hard
money.[FN#608] So his word was heard and his works were preferred
amongst the Traders and the Grandees and the Rulers. Also he had
control[FN#609] in counseling the Kings and he was held in awe
and obeyed by the merchants, one and all, who consulted him in
each and every of their affairs. This endured until one year of
the years when suddenly he fell sick and his sickness grew upon
him and gained mastery over his frame, so he sent for me, saying,
"Bring me my son." Accordingly I went and entered to him and
found him changed of condition and nearing his last gasp. But he
turned to me and said, "O my son, I charge thee with a charge
which do thou not transgress nor contrary me in whatso I shall
declare to thee." "What may that be?" asked I, and he answered,
"O my son, do thou never make oath in Allah's name, or falsely or
truly, even although they fill the world for thee with wealth;
but safeguard thy soul in this matter and gain-say it not, nor
give ear to aught other." But when it was midnight the Divine
Mystery[FN#610] left him and he died to the mercy of Allah
Almighty; so I buried him, and expending much money upon his
funeral and graved him in a handsome tomb. He had left to me
wealth in abundance such as the pens could not compute, but when
a month or so had sped after his decease suddenly came to me a
party of folk, each and every claming by way of debt from me and
my sire the sum of some five thousand dinars. "Where be your
written bond given by my father?" asked I; but they answered,
"There be no instrument and if thou believe us not make oath by
Allah." Replied I saying, "Never will I swear at all," and paid
them whatso they demanded; after which all who feared not the
Lord would come to me and say, "We have such-and-such owing to us
by thy parent;" and I would pay them off until there remained to
me of ready moneys a matter neither great nor small. Hereupon I
fell to selling off my landed estates--And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawning of day and fell silent and ceased to say
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is
thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was

The Nine Hundred and Twelfth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
thus continued his relation to the Kazi:--I began selling off my
landed estates and fiefs and letting out my settlements of
bequeathal[FN#611] until naught of all that remained by me; so I
fell to vending the house-gear and goods and carpets and pots and
pans until I owned nothing whatever, and my case waxed straitened
and the affair was grievous to me. Then I quoth to myself,
"Allah's earth for Allah's folk!" and, albeit I had a wife and to
male children, I left them and went forth under cover of the
night a wanderer about the world and unknowing where I should
bring myself to anchor. But suddenly, O my lord the Kazi, I was
confronted by a man whose aspect bred awe, showing signs of
saintliness and garbed wholly in spotless white; so I accosted
him and kissed his hand, and he on seeing me said, "O my son,
there is no harm to thee!" presently adding,

"Do thou be heedless of thy cark and care * And unto Fate commit
thy whole affair;
The Lord shall widen what to thee is strait; * The Lord shall all
for breadth of space prepare:
The Lord shall gladly end they grievous toils; * The Lord shall
work His will, so jar forbear."

After these words he took my hand and walked with me athwart
those wilds and wolds till such time as we made a city and
entered its gates. Here, however, we found no signs of
creature-kind nor any mark of Son of Adam, and when I sighted
whit my condition changed and fear and affright entered my heart.
But presently the man turned to me and said, "Dread not nor be
startled, for that this city shall (Inshallah!) be thy portion,
and herein thou shalt become Sovran and Sultan." Quoth I to
myself, "Wallahi, verily this man be Jann-mad lacking wit and
understanding! How shall become King and Kaysar in such place
which is all ruins?" Then he turned to me yet another time,
saying, "Trust in Allah and gainsay Him not; for verily shall
come to thee joy out of that wherein thou wast of straitness and
annoy."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this
compared with that I would relate an the Sovran suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was,

The Nine Hundred and Thirteenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that quoth the
man to the youth[FN#612], "Trust in Allah, for verily joy shall
assuredly come to thee from the Almighty." "What joy?" quoth the
Khwajah's son, "and indeed this city is a ruinous heap nor is
there indweller or habitant or any to attest God's Unity." But
the man ceased not going about the highways of the deserted town
with his companion till such time as he reached the Palace of the
Sultanate, and the twain entering therein found it with its vases
and its tapestry like a bride tricked out[FN#613]. Bit the Spider
had tented therein, so both the wights fell to shaking and
sweeping for three days' space till they had cleaned away all the
webbing and dust of years; after which the elder man took the
younger and entered a closet. Herein he came upon a trap-door
which the two uplifted, when behold, they found a staircase
leading below; so they descended and walked till they ended at a
place with four open halls, one and all fulfilled with gold, and
amiddlemost thereof rose a jetting fount twenty ells long by
fifteen broad, and the whole basin was heaped up with glittering
gems and precious ores. When the merchant's son saw this sight,
he was wildered on his wits and perplext in his thoughts, but the
man said to him, "O my son, all this hath become thine own good."
After this the two replaced the trap-door as it was and quitted
that place; then the man took him and led him to another stead
concealed from the ken of man wherein he found arms and armour
and costly raiment; and the two stinted not wandering about the
palace until they reached the royal Throne-room. Now, when the
Khwajah's son looked upon it he waxed distraught and fell
a-fainting to the floor for awhile[FN#614] and presently when he
revived he asked his companion, "O my lord, what be this?"
Answered he, "This be the throne of the Sultanate wherewith the
Almighty hath gifted thee;" and quoth the other, "By Allah, O my
lord, I believe that there is not in me or strength or
long-suffering to take seat upon yonder throne." All this the
King (who erst was a merchant's son) recounted to the Judge and
presently resumed:[FN#615]--Then the man, O my lord, said to me,
"O my son, to all who shall come hither and seek thee be sure
thou distribute gifts and do alms-deeds; so the folk, hearing of
thy largesse, shall flock to thee and gather about thee and as
often as one shall visit thee, exceed in honour and presents from
the treasure-store thou hast sighted and whose site thou
weetest." And so speaking, O our lord the Kazi, he vanished from
my view and I wist not an he had upflown to the firmament or had
dived into the depths of the earth, but one thing I knew; to
with, that I was alone.--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this compared with that I would relate an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was,

The Nine Hundred and Fourteenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
merchant's son resumed to the Kazi:--Then the man vanisht from my
view and I wist no more thereof. So I seated me (and I was all
alone) in that city for the first day and the second, but on the
third behold, I saw a crowd making for me from the city-suburbs
and they were seeking a site wherefrom they had somewhat to
require. So I met them and welcomed them and seated them, and
soon I arose and cooking for them food ate in their company and
we nighted together; and when it was morning I presented each and
every of them with an hundred dinars. These they accepted and
fared forth from me and on reaching their homes they recounted
the adventure to other folk who also flocked to me and received
presents like those who preceded them. Anon appeared to me a
multitude with their children and wives who said,
"Billahi,[FN#616] O my lord, accept of us that we may settle
beside thee and be under thy protecting glance;" whereupon I
ordered houses be given to them. Moreover there was amongst them
a comely youth who showed signs of prosperity and him I made my
assessor; so we two, I and he, would converse together. The crowd
thickened, little by little, until the whilome ruined city became
fulfilled of inhabitants, when I commanded sundry of them that
they go forth and lay our gardens and orchards and plant
tree-growth; and a full-told year had not elapsed ere the city
returned to its older estate and waxed great as erst it was and I
became therein Sovran and Sultan. Such was the case of this
King;[FN#617] but as regards the matter of his wife and his two
sons, whenas he fared forth from them he left them naught to eat
and presently their case was straitened and the twain set out,
each in his own direction, and overwandered the world and endured
the buffets of life until their semblance was changed for stress
of toil and travail and transit from region to region for a while
of time. At last, by decree of the Decreer, the elder was thrown
by Eternal Fate into the very town wherein was his sire and said
to himself, "I will fare to the King of this city and take from
him somewhat."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day
and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this compared with that I would relate an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was,

The Nine Hundred and Fifteenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the young
man went in to the Sultan and kissed the ground before him and
the King regarding him felt his heart yearn himwards and said,
"What wantest thou, O youth?" "My design is service with thee,"
said the other; and the King rejoined, "Then welcome to thee!" So
he abode in his employ for a term of four months until he became
like unto a Mameluke[FN#618] and his first case was changed: the
Sultan also drew him near and fell to consulting him in sundry
matters the which proved propitious, so quoth the King, "By
Allah, this young man meriteth naught less than to become my
Wazir," and accordingly made him his Minister of the Right. In
his new degree he became as another liege lord[FN#619] and his
word was heard, so the land was opened up by his hand and year by
year he derived from it corvees and taxes, nor did he cease to be
the Chief Councilor under the right hand of the King. Meanwhile
his brother who was the younger stinted not faring from land to
land until he was met by a party of wayfarers that said to him,
"O youth, verily the Sultan who ruleth in such a capital is a
liberal lord, loving the poor and paupers; so do thou seek him
and haply shall he show himself bounteous to thee." Quoth he, "I
know not the city," and quoth they, "We will lead thee thereto
for we purpose to go by his town." So they took him and he
accompanied them until they reached the city when he farewelled
them and entered the gates. After solacing himself with the
sights he passed that night in the Wakalah and as soon as it was
morning he fared forth to serve for somewhat wherewith he might
nourish himself,[FN#620] and it was his lot and the doom of the
Decreer that the Sultan, who had ridden forth to seek his
pleasure in the gardens, met him on the highway. The King's
glance fell upon the youth and he was certified of his being a
stranger and a wanderer for that his clothes were old and worn,
so he thrust his hand into pouch and passed to him a few gold
pieces which the other accepted right thankfully and blessed the
giver and enlarged his benediction with eloquent tongue and the
sweetest speech. The Sultan hearing this bade them bring to him
the stranger, and whenas they did his bidding he questioned him
of his case and was informed that he was a foreigner who had no
friends in that stead; whereupon the Sovran took him in and
clothed him and entreated him with kindness and
liberality[FN#621]. And after a time the Wazir of the Right
became kindly hearted unto him and took him into his household
where he fell to teaching him until the youth waxed experience in
expression and right ready of the reply and acquired full
knowledge of kingcraft. Presently quoth the Minister to the
Sultan, "o King of the Age, indeed this youth befitteth naught
save councillorship, so do thou make him Wazir of the Left." The
King said, "With love," and followed his advice; nor was it long
before his heart inclined o the hearts of his two Ministers and
the time waxed clear to him and the coming of these two youths
brought him serenity for a length of days and they also were in
the most joyous of life. But as regards their mother; when her
sons went forth from her, she bode alone--And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and
tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was,

The Nine Hundred and Sixteenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the woman
who bode alone having been abandoned by her husband and her
children, cried, "I am here sitting sans my mate and sans my
sons; whatso ever shall I do?" and anon the case became grievous
to her and she set out to bewander the regions saying, "Haply
shall Allah reunite me with my children and my husband!" And she
stinted not passing from place to place and shifting from site to
site until she reached a town upon the margin of the main and
found a vessel in cargo and about to sail.[FN#622] Now by the
decree of the Decreer the ship-captain having heard tell of the
Sultan's generosity and open-handedness had made ready for him a
present and was about to voyage therewith to his capital.
Learning this the woman said to him, "Allah upon thee, O Captain,
take me with thee;" and he did accordingly, setting sail with a
fair wind. He sped over the billows of that sea for a space of
forty days and throughout this time he kept all the precepts and
commandments of religion, as regards the woman,[FN#623] supplying
her with meat and drink; nay more, he was wont to address her, "O
my mother." And no sooner had they made the city than he landed
and disembarked the present and loading it upon porters' backs
took his way therewith to the Sovran and continues faring until
he entered the presence. The Sultan accepted the gift and
largessed him in return, and at even-tide the skipper craved
leave of return to his ship fearing lest any harm befal vessel or
passengers. So he said, "O King of the Age, on board with me is a
woman, but she is of goodly folk and godly and I am apprehensive
concerning her." "Do thou night here with us," quoth the Sovran,
"and I will dispatch my two Wazirs to keep guard over her until
dawn shall break." Quoth the Captain, "Hearing and obeying," and
he sat with the Sultan, who at night-fall commissioned his two
Ministers and placed the vessel under their charge and said,
"Look ye well to your lives, for an aught be lost from the ship I
will cut off your heads," So they went down to her and took their
seats the one on poop and the other on prow until near midnight
when both were seized by drowsiness; and said to each other,
"Sleep is upon us, let us sit together[FN#624] and talk."
Hereupon he who was afore returned to him who was abaft the
ship[FN#625] and they sat side by side in converse while the
woman in the cabin sat listening to them.--And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and
tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was,

The Nine Hundred and Seventeenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the two
sons foregathered in converse while the mother was listening and
anon quoth the elder to the younger, "Allah upon thee, O Wazir of
the Left, do thou relate to me whatso befel and betided thee in
thy time and what was the true cause of thy coming to this city;
nor conceal from me aught." "By Allah, O Wazir of the Right,"
quoth the other, "my tale is wondrous and mine adventure
marvelous and were it paged upon paper the folk would talk
thereanent race after race."[FN#626] "And what may that be?"
asked he, and the other answered, "'Tis this. My sire was son to
a mighty merchant who had of moneys and goods and estates and
such like what pens may not compute and which intelligence may
not comprehend. Now this my grandsire was a man whose word was
law and every day he held a Divan wherein the traders craved his
counsel about taking and giving and selling and buying; and this
endured until what while a sickness attacked him and he sensed
his end drawing near. So he summoned his son and charged him and
insisted thereon as his last will and testament that he never and
by no means make oath in the name of Allah or truly or falsely."
Now the younger brother had not ended his adventure before the
elder Wazir threw himself upon him and flinging his arms around
his neck cried, "Wallahi, thou art my brother by father and
mother!" and when the woman heard these words of the twain her
wits wandered for joy, but she kept the matter hidden until
morning. The two Wazirs rejoiced in having found each of them a
long-lost brother and slumber fled their eyes until dawned the
day when the woman sent for the Captain and as soon as he
appeared said to him, "Thou broughtest two men to protect me but
they caused me only trouble and travail." The man hearing these
words repaired forthright and reported them to the Sovran who
waxed madly wroth and bade summon his two Ministers and when they
stood between his hands asked them, "What was't ye did in the
ship?" They answered, "By Allah, O King, there befel us naught
but every weal;" and each said, "I recognized this my brother for
indeed hi is the son of the same parents," whereat the Sovran
wondered and quoth he, "Laud to the Lord, indeed these two Wazirs
must have a strange story." So he made them repeat whatso they
had said in the ship and they related to him their adventure from
the beginning to end. Hereupon the King cried, "By Allah, ye be
certainly my sons," when lo and behold! the woman came forwards
and repeated to him all that the Wazirs had related whereby it
was certified that she was the King's lost wife and their lost
mother.[FN#627] Hereupon they conducted her to the Harem and all
sat down to banquet and they led ever after the most joyous of
lives. All this the King related to the Judge and finally said,
"O our lord the Kazi, such-and-such and so-and-so befel until
Allah deigned re-unite me with my children and my wife.






End of Volume XV.





Appendix I.



CATALOGUE OF WORTLEY MONTAGUE
MANUSCRIPT CONTENTS.




I here proceed to offer a list of the tales in the Wortley
Montague MS. (Nos. 550-556), beginning with





VOL. I.,



which contains 472 pages=92 Nights. It is rudely written, with
great carelessness and frequent corrections, and there is a noted
improvement in the subsequent vols. which Scott would attribute
to another transcriber. This, however, I doubt: in vol. i. the
scribe does not seem to have settled down to his work. The MS.
begins abruptly and without caligraphic decoration; nor is there
any red ink in vol. i. except for the terminal three words. The
topothesia is in the land of Sasan, in the Isles of Al-Hind and
Al-Sind; the elder King being called "Baz" and "Shar-baz" and the
younger "Kahraman" (p. l, 11. 5-6), and in the same page (1. 10)
"Saharban, King of Samarkand"; while the Wazir's daughters are
"Shahrzadah" and "Dunyazadah" (p. 8). The Introduction is like
that of the Mac. Edit. (my text); but the dialogue between the
Wazir and his Daughter is shortened, and the "Tale of the
Merchant and his Wife," including "The Bull and the Ass," is
omitted. Of novelties we find few. When speaking of the Queen and
Mas'ud the Negro (called Sa'id in my text, p. 6) the author
remarks:--

Take no black to lover; pure musk tho' he be * Carrion-taint
shall pierce to the nose of thee.

And in the "Tale of the Trader and the Jinni " (MS. 1, 9: see my
transl. 1, 25) the 'Ifrit complains that the Merchant had thrown
the date-stones without exclaiming "Dastur!"--by thy leave.

The following is a list of the Tales in vol. i.:--

PAGE

Introductory Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9
Tale of the Trader and the Jinni, Night i.-ii. . . . . . . . . .9
The First Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Second Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Third Shaykh's Story, Night iv.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Scott, following "Oriental Collections," ii. 34, supposes that
the latter was omitted by M. Galland "on account of its
indecency, it being a very free detail of the amours of an
unfaithful wife." The true cause was that it did not exist in
Galland's Copy of The Nights (Zotenberg, Histoire d' 'Ala al-Din,
p. 37). Scott adds, "In this copy the Genie restores the
Antelope, the Dogs and the Mule to their pristine forms, which is
not mentioned by Galland, on their swearing to lead virtuous
lives."

PAGE
Conclusion of the Trader and the Jinni, Night v. . . . . . . . 43
The Fisherman and the Jinni, including the Tales of the Sage
Duban and the ensorcelled Prince
and omitting the Stories (1) of King Sindibad and his Falcon
(2) the Husband and the Parrot and (3) the Prince and the
Ogress.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night v. . . . . .100
The First Kalandar's Tale, Night xxxix.. . . . . . . . . . . .144
The Second Kalandar's Tale, Night xlviii.. . . . . . . . . . .152

(The beginning of this Tale is wanting in the MS. which
omits p. 151: also The Envier and the Envied, admitted into
the list of Hikayat, is here absent.)

The Third Kalandar's Tale, Night lv. . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
The Eldest Lady's Tale. Night lxvi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Tale of the Portress. Conclusion of the Story of the Porter and
Three Ladies of Baghdad,
Night lxii. (a clerical mistake for lxx.?). . . . . . . .260

(In Galland follow the Voyages of Sindbad the Seaman which
are not found in this copy.)

The Tailor and the Hunchback, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?). . .295
The Nazarene Broker's Story, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?) . . .308
The Youth whose hand was cut off, Night (?)[FN#628]. . . . . .312

(In p. 314 is a hiatus not accounting for the loss of hand.)

The Barber's Tale of his First Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .314
The Barber's Tale of his Second Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .317
The Barber's Tale of his Third Brother . . . . . . . . . . .323
The Barber's Tale of his Fourth Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .327
The Barber's Tale of his Fifth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .331
The Barber's Tale of his Sixth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .343
The end of the Tale of the Hunchback, the Barber and others,
Night lxviii.(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350

(Here Ends My Vol. I.)

Nur al-Din Ali and the Damsel Anis al-Jalis, Night lxviii. . .355
Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal, Night xci.[FN#629]. . . . .401
Tale of the Youth of Mosul whose hand was cut off, Night xcii466-472

(The Tale of the Jewish Doctor in my vol. i. 288-300.)

Vol. i. ends with a page of scrawls, the work of some by-gone
owner.





VOL. II.



Contains 316 pages, and includes end of Night xcii. to Night
clxvi. The MS. is somewhat better written; the headings are in
red ink and the verses are duly divided. The whole volume is
taken up by the Tale of Kamar al-Zaman (1st), with the episodes
of Al-Amjad and Al-As'ad, but lacking that of Ni'amah and Naomi.
In Galland Kamar al-Zaman begins with Night ccxi.: in my
translation with vol. iii. 212 and concludes in vol. iv. 29. This
2nd vol. (called in colophon the 4th Juz) ends with the date 20th
Sha'aban, A.H. 1177.





VOL. III.



Contains 456 pages, extending from Night cccvi. (instead of Night
clxvii.) to cdxxv. and thus leaving an initial hiatus of 140
Nights (cxvi.-cccvi. C. de Perceval, vol. viii. p. 14). Thus the
third of the original eight volumes is lost. On this subject Dr.
White wrote to Scott, "One or two bundles of Arabic manuscript,
of the same size and handwriting as the second volume of the
Arabian Tales, were purchased at the sale by an agent for Mr.
Beckford of Fonthill, and I have no doubt whatever but that the
part deficient in your copy is to be found in his possession." If
such be the case, and everything seems to prove it, this volume
was not No. iii. but No. iv. The MS. begins abruptly with the
continuation of the tale. There is no list of contents, and at
the end are two unimportant "copies of verses" addressed to the
reader, five couplets rhyming in imu (e.g. ta'dimu) and two
in--af (e.g. Salaf).

The following is a list of the contents:--

PAGE
Part of the Tale of Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccvi.-cccxxix 1-81
Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman[FN#630] and his Sons, told to
Al-Rashid by Hasan of Bassorah,
Nights cccxxix.-cccxxxiv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Story of the Three Sharpers,[FN#631] Nights cccxxxiv.-cccxlii. 96
The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a Darwaysh, Night
cccxlii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo, Night cccxliii.-cccxlviii124
Story of the First Lunatic,[FN#632] Night cccxlviii.-ccclv . .141
Story of the Second Lunatic, Night ccclv.-ccclvii. . . . . . .168
Story of the Sage and his Scholar, Night ccclvii.-ccclxii. . .179
Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with three foolish
Schoolmasters,
Night ccclxii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
Tale of the Mother and her Three Daughters, Night ccclxii. . .206
Story of the broke-back Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii . . . . .211
Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii. . . .214
Story of the limping Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiv.-ccclxv . . 219
Story of the three Sisters and their Mother the Sultanah, Night
ccclxvi.-ccclxxxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
History of the Kazi who bare a babe, Night ccclxxxvi.-cccxcii.322
Tale of the Kazi and the Bhang-eater, Night cccxciii.-cdiii. .344
History of the Bhang-eater and his wife, Night cccxciii.-cdiii348
How Drummer Abu Kasim became a Kazi, Night cdiii.-cdxii. . . .372
Story of the Kazi and his Slipper (including the Tale of the
Bhang-eater who became the Just
Wazir and who decided two difficult cases), Night
cdxii.-cdxiii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424
Tale of Mahmud the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Night
cdiii.-cdxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428
Tale of the Sultan and the poor man who brought to him fruit,
including the
Fruit-seller's[FN#633] Tale, Night cdxvi.-cdxxv. . . . .432
Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the
Enchanting Bird, which ends this
volume, Night cdxvii-cdxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437





VOL. IV.



PAGE
Contains 456 pages, and ranges between Nights cdxxvi. and dxcvi.

Continuation of the Story of the King of Al-Yaman[FN#634] and his
Three Sons and the
Enchanting Bird, Night cdxxvi.-cdxxxix . . . . . . . . 1-34

SCOTT prefers "The Sultan of the East," etc.

History of the First Larrikin, Night cdxxxix-cdxliv. . . . . . 34

SCOTT: "The first Sharper in the Cave," p. 185.

History of the Second Larrikin, Night cdxliii.-cdxlv . . . . . 46
History of the Third Larrikin, Night cdxlv.-cdxlvi . . . . . . 53
Story of a Sultan of Hind and his Son Mohammed, Night
cdxlvi.-cdlviii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Hind."

Tale of a Fisherman and his Son, Night cdlix.-cdlxix . . . . . 83
Tale of the Third Larrikin concerning himself, Night
cdlxix.-cdlxxii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

SCOTT: "The Unfortunate Lovers."

History of Abu Niyyah and Abu Niyyatayn, Night cdlxxii.-cdlxxxiii
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

SCOTT: "Abou Neeut, the well-intentioned Sultan of Moussul,
and Ab ou Neeutteen, the double-minded."

The Courtier's Story, or Tale of the Nadim to the Emir of Cairo,
Night cdlxxxiii.-cdxci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

SCOTT: "Story related to an Ameer of Egypt by a Courtier,"
p. 229.

Another relation of the Courtier, Night cdcxi. . . . . . . . .157

(Here Iblis took the place of a musician.)

The Shaykh with Beard shorn by the Shaytan, Night cdxcii . . .162
History of the King's Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah, Night
cdxci.-di. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Sind and Fatimah, daughter of
Ummir[FN#635] ('Amir) Ibn Naomann (Nu'uman)."

History of the Lovers of Syria, Night di.-dx . . . . . . . . .189

SCOTT: "The Lovers of Syria."

History of Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Young Sayyid, Night dx-dxx
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

SCOTT: "The Young Sayd and Hijauje."

Uns al-Wujud and the Wazir's Daughter Rose-in-hood, Night
dxxi.-dxli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

SCOTT: "Ins al-Wujood and Wird al-Ikmaum, daughter of
Ibrahim, Vizier of Sultan Shamikh."

Story of the Sultan's Son and Daughter of the Wazir, Night
dxli.-dxlv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293
Tale of Sultan Kayyish, Night dxlv.-dlvii. . . . . . . . . . .312

(A romance of chivalry and impossible contests of ten
knights against 15,000 men.)

The Young Lady transformed into a Gazelle by her Step-mother,
Night dlviii.-dlxiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
The History of Mazin, Night dlxviii-dxcv. (omitted, because it is
the same as "Hasan of Bassorah
and the King's Daughter of the Jinn," vol. viii. 7); to the
end of vol. iv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .456





VOL. V.



PAGE
Contains 465 pages from the beginning of Night dxcvi. to dccxlvi.

Continuation and end of the History of Mazin, Night dxcvi-dcxxiv1-94
Night adventure of Harun al-Rashid, Night dcxxxxv.-dcl . . . . 95

SCOTT: "Adventure of Haroon al-Rusheed, vol. vi. 343
(including Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed) by Ibn
Munsoor of Damascus, of his adventures at Bussorah; the
Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed by Munjaub (Manjab) and
Haroon's conduct on hearing the story of Munjaub."

Tale of the Barber and his Son (told by Manjab), Night dlxi.-dcli
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

SCOTT: "Story of the Sultan, the Dervishe and the Barber's
Son."

The Badawi Woman and her Lover, Night dclv.-dclvi. . . . . . .196
Story of the Wife and her two Gallants, Night dclvi.-dclx. . .199
Tale of Princess Al-Hayfa and Prince Yusuf, Night dclx.-dccx .210

SCOTT: "Story of Aleefah, daughter of Mherejaun, Sultan of
Hind, and Eusuff, Prince of Sind, related to Haroun
al-Rusheed by the celebrated reciter of Tales, Ibn Malook
Aleed Iowaudee," p. 352.

Adventures of the Three Princes of China, Night dccx.-dccxvii.362

SCOTT: "Adventures of the Three Princes, sons of the Sultan
of China."

History of the first Brave, Night dccxvii.-dccxxii . . . . . .385

SCOTT: "The Military Braggadocio;" OUSELEY, "Tier Gallant
Officer" and the Lat. list "Miles Gloriosus."

History of another Brave, Night dccxxii.-dccxxiii. . . . . . .395
The Merry Adventures of a Simpleton,[FN#636] Night
dccxxiii.-dccxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400

SCOTT: "The Idiot and his Asses."

The Goodwife of Cairo and the three Rakehells, Night
dccxxvi.-dccxxviii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409
Story of the righteous Wazir wrongfully gaoled, Night
dccxxviii.-dccxxxviii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416
Tale of the Barber, the Captain and the Cairene Youth, Night
dccxxxiii.-dcxxxvii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .430

(In the Lat. list we find "Tonsor et Juvenis Cahirensis.")

Story of the Goodwife of Cairo and her Gallants, Night
dccxxxviii.-dccxliii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .444

SCOTT: "The virtuous Woman of Cairo and her Suitors," p.
380.

The Kazi's Tale of the Tailor, the Lady and the Captain,[FN#637]
Night dccxlii.-dccxlvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .455

SCOTT: "The Cauzee's Story," p. 386.

Story of the Syrian and the Three Women of Cairo, Night
dccxlvi-and to end of vol. v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465





VOL. VI.



PAGE
Contains 365 pages, from Night dccxlvi. to Night dccclxxiii.

The following is a list of the contents:--

Continuation of the Story of the Syrian, Night dccxlvi.-dccxlix1-9
Tale of the Kaim-makam's Lady and her two Coyntes, Night
dccxlix.-dcclii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Tale of the whorish Wife who vaunted her virtues, Night
dcclii.-dcclv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Coelebs the Droll[FN#638] and his Wife and her four lovers, Night
dcclv.-dcclx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

SCOTT: "The Deformed Jester."

The Gate-keeper of Cairo and the wily She-Thief, Night
dcclix.-dcclxv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

SCOTT: "The aged Watchman of Cairo and the artful female
thief."

Tale of Mohsin and Musa, Night dcclxv.-dcclxxii. . . . . . . . 57

SCOTT: "Mhassun the liberal and Mousseh the treacherous
Friend."

Mohammed Shalabi[FN#639] and his Wife and the Kazi's Daughter,
Night dcclxxii.-dcclxxvii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

SCOTT: "Mahummud Julbee," etc.

The Fellah and his wicked Wife, Night dcclxxvii.-dcclxxx . . . 92
The Woman who humoured her Lover at her Husband's expense, Night
dcclxxx.-dcclxxxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

SCOTT: "The Adulteress."

The Kazi Schooled by his Wife, Night dcclxxxi.-dcclxxxv. . . .106
The Merchant's Daughter and the Prince of Al-Irak, Night
dccclxv.-dcccxxiv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

SCOTT: "Story of the Merchant, his Daughter, and the Prince
of Eerauk," p. 391. In the text we find 'Irak for Al-Irak.

The Story of Ahmad and Ali who cuckolded their Masters, Night
dcccxxiv.-dcccxxix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225

SCOTT: "The Two Orphans."

The Fellah and his fair Wife, Night dcccxxix.-dcccxxx. . . . .241
The Youth who would futter his Father's Wives, Night
dcccxxx.-dcccxxxviii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247

SCOTT: "The Vicious Son, translating the Arab. Al-Ibn
al-Fidawi."

The two Lack-tacts of Cairo and Damascus, including the short
'Tale of the Egyptian, the
Syrian and the Ass," Night dcccxxxviii.-dcccxl. . . . . .261

SCOTT: "The two wits of Cairo and Sind."

The Tale of Musa and Ibrahim, including Anecdotes of the
Berberines, Night dcccxl.-dcccxliii. . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
The Brother Wazirs, Ahmad and Mohammed, Night dcccxiv.-dccclxxiii
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280
And to end of vol. vi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365





VOL. VII.



Contains 447 pages, from Night dccclxxiii.-mi.

The following is a list of the contents:--

PAGE
Conclusion of the Brother Wazirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-69
Story of the thieving Youth and his Step-mother, Night
dcccxcvii.-cm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
The Kazi of Baghdad and his virtuous Wife, Night cm.-cmxi. . . 77
History of the Sultan who protected the Kazi's Wife, Night
cmxi.-cmxvii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
The Sultan of Al-'Irak, Zunnar ibn Zunnar, Night cmxvii.-cmxxi126
Ardashir, Prince of Persia, and the Princess Hayat al-Nufus,
daughter of Sultan Kadir, Night
cmxxi.-cmlxviii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Story of Shaykh Nakkit the Fisherman, Night cmlxviii.-cmlxxviii297
The Sultan of Andalusia, and the Prince of Al-'Irak who
deflowered the Wazir's daughter; a prose
replica of Al-Hayfa and Yusuf. MS. vol. v. 210. Night
cmlxxviii.-cmlxxxviii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329
Tale of Sultan Taylun and the generous Fellah, Night cmlxxxviii365
The retired Sage and his Servant-lad, Night cmxcviii . . . . .414
The Merchant's Daughter who married an Emperor of China, Night
cmxcviii.-mi.,
ending the work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .430-447

This MS. terminates The Nights with the last tale and has no
especial conclusion relating the marriage of the two brother
Kings with the two sisters.





Appendix II.



I.--NOTES ON THE STORIES CONTAINED IN VOLUME XIV.[FN#640]

By W. F. Kirby.




Story of the Sultan of Al-yaman and His Three Sons.



P. 5.--The hippopotamus has also been observed, at the Zoological Gardens, to
scatter his dung in the manner described.

P. 7.--It is evident from the importance which the author attaches to good
birth and heredity, that he would hardly approve of the Socialistic custom, so
prevalent in the East, of raising men of low birth to important offices of
State.





The Story of the Three Sharpers (pp. 10-23).



P. 10.--In quoting the titles of this and other tales of the Wortley Montague
MS., in which the word Ja'idi frequently occurs, Scott often wrote "labourer"
or "artisan" instead of "sharper." The term "sharper" is hardly applicable
here, for the fellows appear really to have possessed the knowledge to which
they laid claim. The "sharpers" in this story differ much from such impostors
as the Illiterate Schoolmaster (No. 93, vol. v. pp. 119-121), who escapes from
his dilemma by his ready wit, or from European pretenders of the type of
Grimm's Dr. Knowall, who escapes from his difficulties by mere accident; or
again from our old friend Ma'aruf (No. 169), whose impudent pretensions and
impostures are aided by astounding good luck.

P. 13.--This test was similar to that given to Ma'aruf (vol. x. pp. 16,17),
but there is nothing in the latter passage to show whether Ma'aruf had any
real knowledge of gems, or not. In the present story, the incident of the worm
recalls the well-known incident of Solomon ordering worms to pierce gems for
Bilkees, the Queen of Sheba.

P. 13.--English schoolboys sometimes play the "trussing game." Two boys have
their wrists and ankles tied together, and their arms are passed over their
knees, and a stick thrust over the arms and under the knees, and they are then
placed opposite each other on the ground, and endeavour to turn each other
over with their toes.

P. 15 note.--Can the word Kashmar be a corruption of Kashmiri?




History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo (pp. 25-35).



P. 25.--A few years ago, a travelling menagerie exhibited a pair of dog-faced
baboons in Dublin as "two monstrous gorillas!"

P. 28.--Ma'aruf's jewel has been already referred to. The present incident
more resembles the demand made by the king and the wazir from Aladdin and his
mother, though that was far more extravagant.

P. 29.--A more terrible form of these wedding disillusions, is when the
bridegroom is entrapped into marriage by an evil magician, and wakes in the
morning to find the phantom of a murdered body in the place of his phantom
bride, and to be immediately charged with the crime. Compare the story of
Naerdan and Guzulbec (Caylus' Oriental Tales; Weber, ii. pp. 632-637) and that
of Monia Emin (Gibb's Story of Jewad, pp. 36, 75). Compare my Appendix,
Nights, x. pp. 443, 449, 450.

P. 31.--There is a Western story (one of the latest versions of which may be
found in Moore's Juvenile Poems under the title of "The Ring") in which a
bridegroom on his wedding-day places the ring by accident on the finger of a
statue of Venus; the finger closes on it, and Venus afterwards interposes
continually between him and his bride, claiming him as her husband on the
strength of the ring. The unfortunate husband applies to a magician, who sends
him by night to a meeting of cross-roads, where a procession similar to that
described in the text passes by. He presents the magician's letters to the
King (the devil in the mediaeval versions of the story) who requires Venus to
surrender the ring, and with it her claim to the husband.

One of the most curious stories of these royal processions is perhaps the
Lithuanian (or rather Samoghitian) story of

The King of the Rats.[FN#641]

Once upon a time a rich farmer lived in a village near Korzian, who was in the
habit of going into the wood late in the evening. One evening he went back
again into the wood very late, when he distinctly heard the name Zurkielis
shouted. He followed the voice, but could not discover from whence the sound
proceeded.


On the next evening the farmer went into the wood, and did not wait long
before he heard the cry repeated, but this time much louder and more
distinctly. On the third evening the farmer went again to the wood; but this
time on Valpurgis-night--the Witch's Sabbath. Suddenly he saw a light appear
in the distance; then more lights shone out, and the light grew stronger and
stronger; and presently the farmer saw a strange procession advancing, and
passing by him. In front of the procession ran a great number of mice of all
sorts, each of whom carried a jewel in his mouth which shone brighter than the
sun. After these came a golden chariot, drawn by a lion, a bear, and two
wolves. The chariot shone like fire, and, instead of nails, it was studded
with dazzling jewels. In the chariot sat the King of the Rats and his consort,
both clad in golden raiment. The King of the Rats wore a golden crown on his
head, and his consort marshalled the procession. After the chariot followed a
vast procession of rats, each of whom carried a torch, and the sparks which
flew from the torches fell to the earth as jewels. Some of the rats were
shouting "Zurkielis" incessantly; and whenever a rat uttered this cry, a piece
of gold fell from his mouth. The procession was followed by a great number of
fantastic forms, which collected the gold from the ground, and put it into
large sacks. When the farmer saw this he also gathered together as much of the
gold and jewels as he could reach. Presently a cock crew, and everything
vanished. The farmer returned to his house, but the gold and jewels gave him a
very tangible proof that the adventure had not been a dream.

A year passed by, and on the next Valpurgis-night the farmer went back to the
wood, and everything happened as on the year before. The farmer became
immensely rich from the gold and jewels which he collected; and on the third
anniversary of the Valpurgis-night he did not go to the wood, but remained
quietly at home. He was quite rich enough, and he was afraid that some harm
might happen to him in the wood. But on the following morning a rat appeared,
and addressed him as follows: "You took the gold and jewels, but this year you
did not think it needful to pay our king and his consort the honour due to
them by appearing before them during the procession in the wood; and
henceforward it will go ill with you."

Having thus spoken, the rat disappeared; but shortly afterwards such a host of
rats took up their abode in the farmer's house that it was impossible for him
to defend himself against them. The rats gnawed everything in the house, and
whatever was brought into it. In time the farmer was reduced to beggary, and
died in wretchedness.




Story of the Second Lunatic (pp. 49-55).



This is a variant of "Woman's Craft" (No. 184 of our Table), or "Woman's
Wiles," (Supp. Nights, ii. pp. 99-107). Mr. L. C. Smithers tells me that an
English version of this story, based upon Langles' translation (Cf. Nights, x.
App., p. 440, sub "Sindbad the Sailor"), appeared in the Literary Souvenir for
1831, under the title of "Woman's Wit."


Pp. 51-56.--Concerning the Shikk and the Nesnas, Lane writes (1001 Nights, i.,
Introd. note 21): "The Shikk is another demoniacal creature, having the form
of half a human being (like a man divided longitudinally); and it is believed
that the Nesnas is the offspring of a Shikk and of a human being. The Shikk
appears to travellers; and it was a demon of this kind who killed, and was
killed by, 'Alkamah, the son of Safwan, the son of Umeiyeh, of whom it is well
known that he was killed by a Jinnee. So says El-Kazweenee.

"The Nesnas (above-mentioned) is described as resembling half a human being,
having half a head, half a body, one arm, and one leg, with which it hops with
much agility; as being found in the woods of El-Yemen, and being endowed with
speech; 'but God,' it is added, 'is all-knowing.' (El-Kazweenee in the
khatimeh of his work.) It is said that it is found in Hadramot as well as
El-Yemen; and that one was brought alive to El-Mutawekkil; it resembled a man
in form, excepting that it had but half a face, which was in its breast, and a
tail like that of a sheep. The people of Hadramot, it is added, eat it; and
its flesh is sweet. It is only generated in their country. A man who went
there asserted that he saw a captured Nesnas, which cried out for mercy,
conjuring him by God and by himself. (Mi-rat ez-Zeman.) A race of people whose
head is in the breast is described as inhabiting an island called Jabeh
(supposed to be Java) in the Sea of El-Hind or India; and a kind of Nesnas is
also described as inhabiting the Island of Raij, in the Sea of Es-Seen, or
China, and having wings like those of the bat. (Ibn El-Wardee.)" Compare also
an incident in the story of Janshah (Nights v. p. 333, and note) and the
description of the giant Haluka in Forbes' translation of the Persian Romance
of Hatim Tai (p. 47): "In the course of an hour the giant was so near as to be
distinctly seen in shape like an immense dome. He had neither hands nor feet,
but a tremendous mouth, situated in the midst of his body. He advanced with an
evolving motion, and from his jaws issued volumes of flame and clouds of
smoke." When his reflection was shown him in a mirror, he burst with rage.

I may add that a long-tailed species of African monkey (Cercopithecus
Pyrrhonotus) is now known to naturalists as the Nisnas.




Story of the Broken-backed Schoolmaster (pp. 72-74).



I once heard a tale of two Irishmen, one of whom lowered the other over a
cliff, probably in search of the nests of sea-fowl. Presently the man at the
top called out, "Hold hard while I spit on my hands," so he loosed the rope
for that purpose, and his companion incontinently disappeared with it.




Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster (pp. 74-77).



In Scott's "Story of the Wry-mouthed Schoolmaster" (Arabian Nights vi. pp. 74
75) the schoolmaster crams a boiling egg into his mouth, which the boy
smashes.




Night Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo (pp.
68-84).



P. 78.--Scott (vi. p. 403) makes the proclamation read, "Whoever presumes
after the first watch of the night to have a lamp lighted in his house, shall
have his head struck off, his goods confiscated, his house razed to the
ground, and his women dishonoured." A proclamation in such terms under the
circumstances (though not meant seriously) would be incredible, even in the
East.




Story of the Kazi Who Bare a Babe (pp. 130-144).



In the Esthonian Kalevipoeg we read of two giants who lay down to sleep on
opposite sides of the table after eating a big supper of thick peas-soup. An
unfortunate man was hidden under the table, and the consequence was that he
was blown backwards and forwards between them all night.




History of the Bhang-Eater and His Wife (pp. 155-161).



Selling a bull or a cow in the manner described is a familiar incident in
folk-lore; and in Riviere's "Contes Populaires Kabyles" we find a variant of
the present story under the title of "L'Idiot et le Coucou." In another form,
the cow or other article is exchanged for some worthless, or apparently
worthless, commodity, as in Jack and the Bean-stalk; Hans im Gluck; or as in
the case of Moses in the Vicar of Wakefield. The incident of the fool finding
a treasure occurs in Cazotte's story of Xailoun.[FN#642]





How Drummer Abu Kasim Became a Kazi (pp. 161-163).



I have heard an anecdote of a man who was sued for the value of a bond which
he had given payable one day after the day of judgment. The judge ruled, "This
is the day of judgment, and I order that the bill must be paid to-morrow!"




Story of the Kazi and His Slipper (pp. 163-165).



This story is well known in Europe, though not as forming part of The Nights.
Mr. W. A. Clouston informs me that it first appeared in Cardonne's "Melanges
de litterature orientale" (Paris, 1770). Cf. Nights x. App. pp. 450 and 452.




History of the Third Larrikin (pp. 231-233).



Such mistakes must be very frequent. I remember once seeing a maid stoop down
with a jug in her hand, when she knocked her head against the table. Some one
sitting by, thinking it was the jug, observed, "Never mind, there's nothing in
it."

Another time I was driving out in the country with a large party, and our host
got out to walk across to another point. Presently he was missed, and they
inquired, "Where is he?" There was a dog lying in the carriage, and one of the
party looked round, and not seeing the dog, responded, "Why, where is the
dog?"




Tale of the Fisherman and His Son (pp. 247-260).



The present story, though not very important in itself, is interesting as
combining some of the features of three distinct classes of folk-tales. One of
these is the anti-Jewish series, of which Grimm's story of the Jew in the
Bramble-Bush is one of the most typical examples. According to these tales,
any villainy is justifiable, if perpetrated on a Jew. We find traces of this
feeling even in Shakespeare, and to this day Shylock (notwithstanding the
grievous wrongs which he had suffered at the hands of Christians) rarely gets
much sympathy from modern readers, who quite overlook all the extenuating
circumstances in his case.[FN#643] Nor do we always find the Jew famous for
'cuteness in folk-tales. This phase of his reputation is comparatively modern,
and in the time of Horace, "Credat Judaeus" was a Roman proverb, which means,
freely translated, "Nobody would be fool enough to believe it except a Jew."

The present story combines the features of the anti-Jewish tales, the Alaeddin
series, and the Grateful Beasts series. (Compare Mr. W. A. Clouston's remarks
on Aladdin, Supp. Nights, App. iii., pp. 371-389; and also his "Tales and
Popular Fictions.")

In vol. 53 of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1884, pp. 24-39) I
find a Nicobar story which relates how Tiomberombi received a magic mirror
from a snake whose enemy he had killed. Its slaves obeyed all his orders if he
only put the key into the keyhole, but he was not allowed to open the mirror,
as he was too weak to face the spirits openly. He dwelt on an island, but when
a hostile fleet came against him, the gunners could not hit it, as the island
became invisible. The hostile chief sent an old woman to worm the secret out
of Tiomberombi's wife; the mirror was stolen, and Tiomberombi and his wife
were carried off. On reaching land, Tiomberombi was thrown into prison, but he
persuaded the rats to fetch him the mirror.[FN#644] He destroyed his enemies,
went home, and re-established himself on his island, warning his wife and
mother not to repeat what had happened, lest the island should sink. They told
the story while he was eating; the island sank into the sea, and they were all
drowned.




The History of Abu Niyyah and Abu Niyyatayn (pp.
264-279).



This story combines features which we find separately in Nos. 3b (ba); 162 and
198. The first story, the Envier and the Envied, is very common in folk-lore,
and has been sometimes used in modern fairy-tales. The reader will remember
the Tailor and the Shoemaker in Hans Christian Andersen's "Eventyr."
Frequently, as in the latter story, the good man, instead of being thrown into
a well, is blinded by the villain, and abandoned in a forest, where he
afterwards recovers his sight. One of the most curious forms of this story is
the Samoghitian




Truth and Injustice.[FN#645]



Truth and Injustice lived in the same country, and one day they happened to
meet, and agreed to be friends. But as Injustice brought many people into
trouble, Truth declared that she would have no more to do with her, upon which
Injustice grew angry, and put out the eyes of Truth. Truth wandered about for
a long time at random, and at last she came to a walnut-tree, and climbed up
it to rest awhile in safety from wild beasts. During the night a wolf and a
mouse came to the foot of the tree, and held the following conversation. The
wolf began, "I am very comfortable in the land where I am now living, for
there are so many blind people there that I can steal almost any animal I like
without anybody seeing me. If the blind men knew that they had only to rub
their eyes with the moss which grows on the stones here in order to recover
their sight, I should soon get on badly with them."

The mouse responded, "I live in a district where the people have no water, and
are obliged to fetch it from a great distance. When they are away from home I
can enjoy as much of their provisions as I like; indeed, I can heap together
as large a store as I please without being disturbed. If the people knew that
they had only to cut down a great oak tree and a great lime tree which grow
near their houses, in order to find water, I should soon be badly off."

As soon as the wolf and the mouse were gone, Truth came down from her tree,
and groped about until she found a moss-covered stone, when she rubbed her
eyes with the moss. She recovered her sight immediately, and then went her way
till she came to the country where most of the people were blind. Truth
demanded that the blind people should pay her a fixed sum of money, when she
would tell them of a remedy by which they could recover their sight. The blind
men gave her the money, and Truth supplied them with the remedy which had
cured herself.

After this, Truth proceeded further till she came to the district where the
people had no water. She told them that if they would give her a carriage and
horses, she would tell them where to find water. The people were glad to agree
to her proposal.

When Truth had received the carriage and horses, she showed the people the oak
and the lime tree, which they felled by her directions, when water immediately
flowed from under the roots in great abundance.

As Truth drove away she met Injustice, who had fallen into poverty, and was
wandering from one country to another in rags. Truth knew her immediately, and
asked her to take a seat in her carriage. Injustice then recognised her, and
asked her how she had received the light of her eyes, and how she had come by
such a fine carriage. Truth told her everything, including what she had heard
from the wolf and the mouse. Injustice then persuaded her to put out her eyes,
for she wanted to be rich, and to have a fine carriage too; and then Truth
told her to descend. Truth herself drove away, and seldom shows herself to
men.

Injustice wandered about the country till she found the walnut tree, up which
she climbed. When evening came, the wolf and the fox met under the tree again
to talk. Both were now in trouble, for the wolf could not steal an animal
without being seen and pursued by the people, and the mouse could no longer
eat meat or collect stores without being disturbed, for the people were no
longer obliged to leave their home for a long time to fetch water. Both the
wolf and the mouse suspected that some one had overheard their late
conversation, so they looked up in search of the listener, and discovered
Injustice in the tree. The animals supposed that it was she who had betrayed
them, and said in anger, "May our curse be upon you that you may remain for
ever blind, for you have deprived us of our means of living."

After thus speaking, the animals ran away, but Injustice has ever since
remained blind, and does harm to everybody who chances to come in her way.





II.--NOTES ON THE STORIES CONTAINED IN VOLUME XV.

By W. F. KIRBY.




History of the King's Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah
(pp. 1-13).



P. 3.--This mixture of seeds, &c., is a very common incident in folk-tales.

P. 7.--Compare the well-known incident in John xviii. 1-11, which passage, by
the way, is considered to be an interpolation taken from the lost Gospel of
the Hebrews.




History of the Lovers of Syria (pp. 13-26).



P. 18.--Divination by the flight or song of birds is so universal that it is
ridiculous of Kreutzwald (the compiler of the Kalevipoeg) to quote the fact of
the son of Kalev applying to birds and beasts for advice as being intended by
the composers as a hint that he was deficient in intelligence.

In Bulwer Lytton's story of the Fallen Star (Pilgrims of the Rhine, ch. xix.)
he makes the imposter Morven determine the succession to the chieftainship by
means of a trained hawk.

P. 26, note 2.--Scott may possibly refer to the tradition that the souls of
the dead are stored up in the trumpet of Israfil, when he speaks of the
"receiving angel."




History of Al-hajjaj Bin Yusuf and the Young Sayyid
(pp. 26-44).



P. 30, note 2.--I doubt if the story-teller intended to represent Al-Hajjaj as
ignorant. The story rather implies that he was merely catechising the youth,
in order to entangle him in his talk.

P. 33.--Compare the story of the Sandal-wood Merchant and the Sharpers
(Nights, vi. p. 206) in which the Merchant is required to drink up the sea [or
rather, perhaps, river], and requires his adversary to hold the mouth of the
sea for him with his hand.

P. 38, note 1.--It is well known that children should not be allowed to sleep
with aged persons, as the latter absorb their vitality.




Night Adventure of Harun Al-rashid and the Youth Manjab
(pp. 45-80).



P. 77.--In the Danish ballads we frequently find heroes appealing to their
mothers or nurses in cases of difficulty. Compare "Habor and Signild," and
"Knight Stig's Wedding," in Prior's Danish Ballads, i. p. 216 and ii. p. 339.




Story of the Darwaysh and the Barber's Boy and the
Greedy Sultan (pp. 80-88).



This story belongs to the large category known to students of folk-lore as the
Sage and his Pupil; and of this again there are three main groups:

1. Those in which (as in the present instance) the two remain on friendly
terms.

2. Those in which the sage is outwitted and destroyed by his pupil (e.g.,
Cazotte's story of the Maugraby; or Spitta Bey's tales, No. 1).

3. Those in which the pupil attempts to outwit or to destroy the sage, and is
himself outwitted or destroyed (e.g., The Lady's Fifth Story, in Gibb's Forty
Vezirs, pp. 76-80; and his App. B. note v., p. 413).




The Loves of Al-hayfa and Yusuf (pp. 93-166).



P. 114, note 4.--I believe that a sudden attack of this kind is always
speedily fatal.




The Goodwife of Cairo and Her Four Gallants (pp.
193-217).



P. 194, note 2.--It may be worth while to note that Swedenborg asserts that it
is unlawful in Heaven for any person to look at the back of the head of
another, as by so doing he interrupts the divine influx. The foundation of
this idea is perhaps the desire to avoid mesmeric action upon the cerebellum.




Tale of Mohsin and Muss (pp. 232-241).



The notes on the story of Abu Niyyat and Abu Niyyateen (supra, pp. 356) will
apply still better to the present story.




The Merchant's Daughter, and the Prince of Al-irak (pp.
264-317).



Pp. 305-312.--The case of Tobias and Sara (Tobit, chaps. iii.-viii.) was very
similar: but in this instance the demon Asmodeus was driven away by fumigating
with the liver and heart of a fish.





Arabian Nights, Volume 15
Footnotes



[FN#1] In the same volume (ii. 161) we also find an "Introductory
Chapter of the Arabian Tales," translated from an original
manuscript by Jonathan Scott, Esq. neither MS nor translation
having any meet. In pp. 34, 35 (ibid.) are noticed the 'Contents
of a Fragment of the Arabian Nights procured in India by James
Anderson, Esq., a copy of which" (made by his friend Scott) "is
now in the possession of Jonathan Scott, Esq." (See Scott, vol.
vi. p. 451.) For a short but sufficient notice of this fragment
cf. the Appendix (vol. x. p. 439) to my Thousand Nights and a
Night, the able and conscientious work of Mr. W. F. Kirby. "The
Labourer and the Flying Chain" (No. x.) and "The King's Son who
escaped death by the ingenuity of his Father's seven Viziers"
(No. xi.) have been translated or rather abridged by Scott in his
"Tales, Anecdotes and Letters" before alluded to, a vol. of pp.
446 containing scraps from the Persian "Tohfat al-Majalis" and
"Hazliyat' Abbid Zahkani" (Facetiae of 'Abbid the Jester), with
letters from Aurangzeb and other such padding much affected by
the home public in the Early XIXth Century.

[FN#2] So called from Herr Uri, a Hungarian scholar who first
catalogued "The Contents."

[FN#3] W. M. MS. iv. 165 189: Scott (vi. 238 245), "Story of the
Prince of Sind, and Fatima, daughter of Amir Bin Naomaun":
Gauttier (vi. 342 348) Histoire du Prince de Sind et de Fatime.
Sind is so called from Sindhu, the Indus (in Pers. Sind b), is
the general name of the riverine valley: in early days it was a
great station of the so-called Aryan race, as they were migrating
eastwards into India Proper, and it contains many Holy Places
dating from the era of the Pur n s. The Moslems soon made
acquaintance with it, and the country was conquered and annexed
by Mohammed bin K sim, sent to attack it by the famous or
infamous Hajj j bin Y£suf the Thakafite, lieutenant of Al-'Ir k
under the Ommiade Abd al-Malik bin Marw n. For details, see my
"Sind Re-visited": vol. i. chapt. viii.

[FN#4] [In MS. "shakhat," a modern word which occurs in Spitta
Bey's "Contes Arabes Modernes," spelt with the palatal instead of
the dental, and is translated there by "injurier."--ST.]

[FN#5] In the text "Sahr¡j"; hence the "Chafariz" (fountain) of
Portugal, which I derived (Highlands of the Brazil, i. 46) from
"Sak r¡j." It is a "Moghrabin" word=fonte, a fountain, preserved
in the Brazil and derided in the mother country, where a New
World village is described as

--Chafariz,
Joam Antam e a Matriz:

which may be roughly rendered

--Parish church,
on the Green and Johnny Birch.

[FN#6] [Here I suppose the scribe dropped a word, as "yaht j," or
the like, and the sentence should read: it requires, etc.--ST.]

[FN#7] In text "S rayah," for "Sar yah," Serai, Government House:
vol. ix. 52.

[FN#8] A manner of metonymy, meaning that he rested his cheek
upon his right hand.

[FN#9] For the sig. of this phrase=words suggested by the
circumstances, see vol. i. 121.

[FN#10] Mr. Charles M. Doughty ("Arabia Deserta," i. 223) speaks
of the Badawin who sit beating the time away, and for pastime
limning with their driving-sticks (the B k£r) in the idle land."

[FN#11] In text "Lam yanub al-W hidu min-hum nisf haff n." [I
cannot explain this sentence satisfactory to myself, but by
inserting "ill " after "min-hum." Further I would read
"nassaf"=libavit, delibavit degustavit (Dozy, Suppl. s. v.) and
"Hif n," pl. of "Hafna"=handful, mouthful, small quantity,
translating accordingly: "and none took his turn without sipping
a few laps."--ST.]

[FN#12] "Tarajjama": Suppl. vol. iv. 188. I shall always
translate it by "he deprecated" scil. evil to the person
addressed.

[FN#13] [The text, as I read it, has: "In wahadtu (read wajadtu)
f¡ h zih al-S ' h shayyan naakul-hu wa nam£t bi-hi nart h min
h z  al-Taab wa'l-mashakkah la-akultu-hu"=if I could find at this
hour a something (i.e. in the way of poison) which I might eat
and die thereby and rest from this toil and trouble, I would
certainly eat it, etc.--ST.]

[FN#14] See vol. i. 311 for this "tom-tom" as Anglo-Indians call
it.

[FN#15] i.e. Whereinto the happy man was able to go, which he
could not whilst the spell was upon the hoard.

[FN#16] Here ends this tale, a most lame and impotent conclusion,
in the W. M. MS. iv. 189. Scott (p. 244 5) copied by Gauttier
(vi. 348) has, "His father received him with rapture, and the
prince having made an apology to the sultana (!) for his former
rude behaviour, she received his excuses, and having no child of
her own readily adopted him as her son; so that the royal family
lived henceforth in the utmost harmony, till the death of the
sultan and sultana, when the prince succeeded to the empire."

[FN#17] W.M MS. iv. 189. Scott (vi. 246-258) "Story of the Lovers
of Syria, or, the Heroine:" Gauttier (iv. 348-354) Histoire des
Amans de Syrie.

[FN#18] Scott (vi. 246) comments upon the text:--"The master of
the ship having weighed anchor, hoisted sail and departed: the
lady in vain entreating him to wait the return of her beloved, or
send her on shore, for he was captivated with her beauty. Finding
herself thus ensnared, as she was a woman of strong mind . . .
she assumed a satisfied air; and as the only way to preserve her
honour, received the addresses of the treacherous master with
pretended complacency, and consented to receive him as a husband
at the first port at which the ship might touch."

[FN#19] The captain, the skipper, not the owner: see vols. i.
127; vi. 12; the fem. (which we shall presently find) is
"Ra'isah."

[FN#20] Scott (p. 246) has:--"At length the vessel anchored near
a city, to which the captain went to make preparations for his
marriage; but the lady, while he was on shore, addressed the
ship's crew, setting forth with such force his treacherous
conduct to herself, and offering such rewards if they would
convey her to her lover at the port they had left, that the
honest sailors were moved in her favour, agreed to obey her as
their mistress, and hoisting sail, left the master to shift for
himself."

[FN#21] In text "Kamrah," = the chief cabin, from the Gr.
{Greek}(?) = vault; Pers. Kamar; Lat. "Camara"; Germ. "Kammer."
It is still the popular term in Egypt for the "cuddy," which is
derived from Pers. "Kadah" = a room.

[FN#22] Scott makes the doughty damsel (p. 249), "relate to them
her own adventures, and assure them that when she should have
rejoined her lover, they should, if they choose it be honourably
restored to their homes; but in the mean time she hoped they
would contentedly share her fortunes."

[FN#23] In text "Fidawi," see "Fida'i" and "Fidawiyah," suppl.
col. iv. 220.

[FN#24] [In the text "Al-Kazanat," pl. of "Kazan," which occurs
in Spitta Bey's tales under the form "Kazan" on account of the
accent. It is the Turkish "Kazghan," vulgarly pronounced "Kazan,"
and takes in Persian generally the form "Kazkan." In Night 652 it
will be met again in the sense of crucibles.--ST.]

[FN#25] In text "Banj al-tayyar," i.e. volatile: as we should
say, that which flies fastest to the brain.

[FN#26] This marvellous bird, the "Ter-il-bas" (Tayr Taus?), is a
particular kind of peacock which is introduced with a monstrous
amount of nonsense about "Dagon and his son Bil-il-Sanan" and
made to determine elections by alighting upon the head of one of
the candidates in Chavis and Cazotte, "History of Yamalladdin
(Jamal al-Din), Prince of Great Katay" (Khata = Cathay = China).
See Heron, iv. 159.

[FN#27] Lit. "hath given it to him."

[FN#28] Arab. "Jihaz," the Egypt. "Gahaz," which is the Scotch
"tocher," and must not be confounded with the "Mahr" = dowry,
settled by the husband upon the wife. Usually it consists of
sundry articles of dress and ornament, furniture (matting and
bedding carpets, divans, cushions and kitchen utensils), to which
the Badawi add "Gribahs" (water-skins) querns, and pestles with
mortars. These are usually carried by camels from the bride's
house to the bridegroom's: they are the wife's property, and if
divorced she takes them away with her and the husband has no
control over the married woman's capital, interest or gains. For
other details see Lane M.E. chapt. vi. and Herklots chapt. xiv.
sec. 7.

[FN#29] [Arab. "Shuwar" = trousseau, whence the verb "shawwara
binta-hu" = he gave a marriage outfit to his daughter. See Dozy
Suppl. s. v. and Arnold Chrestom. 157, 1. --ST.]

[FN#30] Arab. "Ghashim," see vol. ii. 330. It is a favourite word
in Egypt extending to Badawiland, and especially in Cairo, where
it is looked upon as slighting if not insulting.

[FN#31] The whole of the scene is a replica of the marriage
between Kamar al-Zaman and that notable blackguard the Lady Budur
(vol. iii. 211), where also we find the pigeon slaughtered (p.
289). I have mentioned that the blood of this bird is supposed
throughout the East, where the use of the microscope is unknown,
and the corpuscles are never studied, most to resemble the
results of a bursten hymen, and that it is the most used to
deceive the expert eyes of midwives and old matrons. See note to
vol. iii. p. 289.

[FN#32] Scott (p. 254) makes his heroine "erect a most
magnificent caravanserai, furnished with baths hot and cold, and
every convenience for the weary traveller." Compare this device
with the public and royal banquet (p. 212) contrived by the
slave-girl sultaness, the charming Zumurrud or Smaragdine in the
tale of Ali Shar, vol. iv. 187.

[FN#33] In text "Shakhs," see vol. iii. 26; viii. 159.

[FN#34] This assemblage of the dramatis personae at the end of
the scene, highly artistic and equally improbably, reminds us of
the ending of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman (vol. iii. 112)

[FN#35] The King and the Minister could not have recognised the
portrait as neither had seen the original.

[FN#36] In text "Ishtalaka" = he surmised, discovered (a secret).

[FN#37] In the Arab. "she knew them," but the careless
storyteller forgets the first part of his own story.

[FN#38] Story-telling being servile work.

[FN#39] [In the MS. "istanatu la-ha." The translation in the text
presupposes the reading "istanattu" as the 10th form of "matt) =
he jumped, he leapt. I am inclined to take it for the 8th form of
"sanat," which according to Dozy stands in its 2nd form "sannat"
for "sannat," a transposition of the classical "nassat" = he
listened to. The same word with the same meaning of "listening
attentively," recurs in the next line in the singular, applying
to the captain and the following pronoun "la-ha" refers in both
passages to "Hikayah," tale, not to the lady-sultan who reveals
herself only later, when she has concluded her narrative.--ST.]

[FN#40] Here the converse is probably meant, as we have before
seen.

[FN#41] Scott ends (p. 258) "Years of unusual happiness passed
over the heads of the fortunate adventurers of this history,
until death, the destroyer of all things, conducted them to a
grave which must one day be the resting-place for ages of us all,
till the receiving (?) angel shall sound his trumpet."

[FN#42] Scott (vi. 259-267), "Story of Hyjuaje, the tyrannical
Governor of Coufeh, and the Young Syed." For the difference
between the "Sayyid" (descendant of Hasan) and the "Sharif,"
derived from Husayn, see vol. v. 259. Being of the Holy House the
youth can truly deny tat he belongs to any place or race, as will
be seen in the sequel.

[FN#43] This masterful administrator of the Caliphate under the
early Ommiades is noticed in vols. iv. 3, vii. 97. The succession
to the Prophet began--as mostly happens in the proceedings of
elective governments, republics, and so forth--with the choice of
a nobody, "Abubakr the Veridical," a Meccan merchant, whose chief
claim was the glamour of the Apostolate. A more notable
personage, and seen under the same artificial light, was "Omar
the Justiciary," also a trader of Meccah, who was murdered for an
act of injustice. In Osman nepotism and corruption so prevailed,
while distance began to dim the Apostolic glories, that the
blood-thirsty turbulence of the Arab was aroused and caused the
death of the third Caliph by what we should call in modern phrase
"lynching." Ali succeeded, if indeed we can say he succeeded at
all, to an already divided empire. He was only one of the four
who could be described as a man of genius, and therefore he had a
host of enemies: he was a poet, a sage, a moralist and even a
grammarian; brave as a lion, strong as a bull, a successful and
experienced captain, yet a complete failure as a King. A mere
child in mundane matters, he ever acted in a worldly sense as he
should have avoided acting, and hence, after a short and
disastrous reign, he also was killed. His two sons, Hasan and


 


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