
In
\' \
(_‘\" 7‘2 Mblmwwy~k 5,3“
18¢?
\/ T An] €g$TeRN Romqice
B\/W\LL|A\N\ BGDCKFORD.
*5'7'17“'f¢‘1‘11*"-30"wen-‘qzvmm 61.1.
R " . v . I
A“ ‘ :“W4nm


LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
BOOKSTACKS


(I
. ,
I,‘ ‘
IQ,
I M
‘\
II


THE HISTORY OF THE‘
CALIPH VATHEK.
W


~ ‘0 an. ‘1.“ m 0‘ - IQ . - -w .a- - ~~..|;- “
1
- > ‘ _
'\ :l} ' ,‘\ i.|\ x ‘0;
If?!) ,‘.:!;.];'.*'.r;~a -
,,’ 1‘ . 3 1, ‘ “I. - 1 ’ .- :.\ '


I
I
\
L
,l[|,"'\|| v I “g
l
I
' : 31) -
S‘\:§l’:“\);\' 1' I I :""1\'y
. ‘ vi'm)‘ ghl'h" ~ ' p . , ~ \'|
o P'
<\ -dl 1 1”“‘w-QQUM'-
0
“I”; rvr aww 0“ 1 *~-u-—-ﬂ. VAOQ’WN”. ~H-‘ul
¢
Invv
up; u
' “ “P In. 0-. o
0- nl. av .~
¢1_._-.-


THE HISTORY OF
‘THE CALIPH ‘UA‘THEK.
BY
WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ.
‘. l
’ “007 Jr


PRINTED VERBATIM FROM FIRST EDITION, WITH THE
ORIGINAL PREFACE-Y AND NOTES
BY HENLEY.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW, SON, AND MARSTON,
cnowu ammmes, 188, FLEET smzm.
1868.


._ _ .vw “- _ “II—— _-.-_ I\—._’i_-m-_--_~~
m -——-V -__-J-


$976383
0 Eli
1&6 a


PREFACE.
ILLIAM BECKFORD, the author of
'3 “Vathek,” was born in 1759. He was the
_. son of the well-known and patriotic Lord
Mayor Beckford, the friend of the Earl of
Chatham. His father died when he was eleven years of
ge, leaving him property which accumulated during his
minority to an annual income of one hundred and ten
‘thousand pounds, and this in addition to a million in
,ready money.
His education was partially superintended by his
father’s old friend, the Earl of Chatham, whose son,
._William Pitt, he excelled in elocutionary powers. At
4 ~_the age of eighteen he published his “ Memoirs of Ex-
traordinary Painters," a work of considerable power
“and humour, and real knowledge of the subject, which
satirises some English artists under feigned names, and
‘ may even now be read with pleasure.
p, In 1780 he made a tour to the Continent, which formed
f	he subject of a series of letters picturesque and poeti-
v'cal, since published under the title of “ Italy, with
Sketches of Spain and Portugal.” On his return to
_ England, Mr. Beckford sat for the borough of Hindon in
b


ii PREFACE.
several parliaments. He afterwards went to Portugal,
and purchasing an estate at Cintra—that “glorious
Eden" of the south—he built himself a palace for a
residence.
“ There thou, too, Vathek ! England’s wealthiest son,
Once formed thy paradise, as not aware .
When wanton Wealth her mightiest deeds hath done,—
Meek Peace voluptuous lures was ever wont to shun.
Here didst thou dwell, here schemes of pleasure plan
Beneath yon mountain’s ever’beanteous brow;
But now, as if a thing unblest by man,
Thy fairy dwelling is as lone as thou:
Here giant weeds a passage scarce allow
To halls deserted, portals gaping wide;
Fresh lessons to the thinking bosom, how
Vain are the plesaunces on earth supplied,
Swept into wrecks anon by Time’s ungentle tide."
“Recollections of an Excursion to the Monasteries
of Alcobaqa and Batalha," was published in 1835.
The excursion was made in June 1794, at the desire of
the Prince Regent of Portugal. Mr. Beckford describes
the wonderful ancient ecclesiastical ediﬁce of Alcobaqa,
with its princely monks, its paintings, and antique
tombs and fountains, as only a mind of the highest
imagination could do. The kitchen, whither he and
his friends were conducted by the Abbot, to witness
the preparations made to regale them, must have been
worthy of an eastern sultan. “Through the centre of
the immense and nobly-groined hall, not less than sixty
feet in diameter, ran a brisk rivulet of the clearest
water, containing every sort and size of the ﬁnest river
ﬁsh. On one side loads of game and venison were
heaped up; on the other vegetables and fruits in end-
less variety. Beyond a. long line of stores extended a
row of ovens, and close to them hillocks of Wheaten


PREFA CE. iii
ﬂour whiter than snow, rocks of sugar, jars of the
purest oil, and pastry in vast abundance, which a nume-
rous tribe of lay brothers and their attendants were
rolling out and pufﬁng up into a hundred diﬁ'erent
shapes, singing all the while as blithely as larks in a
cornﬁeld.” This magniﬁcent monastery was plundered
and burnt by the French troops under Massena, in 1811.
“Vathek,” the fourth and last edition of which was
published in 1834, by Bentley, is unquestionably Beck-
ford's great work, the one for which he will always hold
a high rank amongst romantic and imaginative writers.
The ﬁrst edition of this work in French was printed in
1786. It was written at the age of twenty-two, at one
sitting, as Beckford himself told Cyrus Bedding. Day
and night he kept to his work, only stopping occasionally
for refreshment, and as might have been expected, such
protracted application brought on a ﬁt of illness.
“Vathek,” says Lord Byron, “bears such marks of
originality, that those who have visited the East will
have some diﬂiculty in believing it to be more than a
translation.”
In his own preface, Mr. Beckford says, “ J ’ai preparé
quelques épisodes ; ils sont indiqués a la page 200,‘
comme faisant suite a Vathek; peut-étre paraitront-ils
un jour." But they have not appeared yet. Beckford at
his house in Park Lane, in his eightieth year, read them to
Cyrus Bedding, in the twilight of a gloomy spring day, and
without spectacles; but Mr. Bedding does not appear to
have considered these episodes important. He (Mr.
Bedding) mentions the fact, that Beckford gave strict
orders for the purchase of a certain Eastern book, enti-

' We have given the titles of these Episodes; the only part
ever written.


iv PREFA CE_
tled “ Abdallah: les Aventures du Fils de Hanif, envoyé '
par le Sultan des Indes a la Découverte do l'Isle de
Borico on est la Fontaine merveilleuse dont l’eau fait
rajeunir." “ There was nothing in ‘Vathek,’ says Mr.
Bedding, “that might not have been found in ‘Ab-
dallah,' which is supposed. to be from an Arabic MS.
found in Batavia. The time in which the events of the
history occur is the reign of Chah-Jehan. The Hindoo
mythology is commingled in it with that of the Arabs.
Genius and Ginne, the Divs and Peris, the mountain
Kaf, and the empire of Ginnistan; in fact Indian and
Mohammedan notions intermingled, seemed to explain
the source, which, from happening to be in the hands of
young Beckford at the moment, supplied the images
and terms which were requisite in order to render the
Eastern illusion in ‘Vathek' complete. The two kinds
of Genii called Dives, or Divs and Peris masculine, and
Perises and Dives feminine, according to the Mohamme-
dan doctors, inhabited the earth before the creation of
Adam. Dazzial and his ass, Lutfallah, Gian's sword,
Ronschau and similar names or objects on which ela-
borate notes have been written, may all be found in the
work in question."
Byron praises “ Vathek" for its correctness of cos-
tume, beauty of description, and power of imagination.
“ As an Eastern tale,” he says, “even Rasselas must bow
before it; his Happy Valley will not bear a comparison
with the Hall of Eblis."
As might be expected, the aim of the fortune-favoured
author of “ Vathek" appears to have been to realize
through his surroundings the dreams and ﬁctions of his
fancy; yet he does not seem to have brought himself in
bondage to his entourage, for, in 1822, he sold Fonthill
Abbey, and left for Bath, taking with him his most pre-
cious valuables, and glad of the change.


PREFA CE. v
Fonthill Abbey, Hazlitt called, “A desert of magni-
ﬁcence, a glittering waste of laborious idleness, a
cathedral turned into a toy-shop, an immense museum
of all that is most curious and costly, and at the same
time most worthless in the productions of art and
nature." The tower of the abbey seems to have met
with the misfortunes incidental to all towers, from that
of Babel downwards. At one time it tumbled down; at
another was partially burnt, the owner himself watching
the ﬂames with as much composure as if they had not
devoured what it would cost a fortune to repair; but
Mr. Beckford had determined upon the completion of
his cherished scheme, and once the royal works of St.
George’s Chapel, \Vindsor, were abandoned, that 460
men might be employed night and day on Fonthill
Abbey. These men were made to relieve each other
by regular watches; and during the longest and darkest
nights of winter the astonished traveller might see the
tower rising under their hands, the trowel and torch
being associated for that purpose. This must have had
a very extraordinary appearance, and we are told that
it was another of those exhibitions which Mr. Beckford
was fond of contemplating. He is represented as sur-
veying the work thus expedited, the busy levy of masons,
the high and giddy dancing of the lights, and the strange
effects produced upon the architecture and woods below,
from one of the eminences in the walks, and wasting the
coldest hours of December darkness in feasting his
sense with this display of almost superhuman power.
Thus far the extinct Literary Gazette of 1822. Critics,
unless of a very rare kind indeed, are permitted to write
nonsense with impunity; it pleases them, and does us
little harm; but we may as well pause to ask what there
is of “superhuman power " in a millionaire, the son of a


vi PREFA CE.
lucky city merchant, spending his money foolishly, and
hastening to a rotten and unﬁnished completion a build-
ing which fell to decay before the paint was well dry,
on its rococo and false decorations? Beckford seems to
have been a secondhand Horace Walpole, plus two
millions of money, minus what wit the g05siping Horace
had. The master threw off as a tour de force a some-
what rubbishing gothic romance, the “ Castle of Otran—~
to ;” his imitator did, in a like manner, produce
“Vathek.” Both romances have little moral, and are
written with insufﬁcient knowledge of time or place,
yet both are so distant that the reader fails to detect
incongruities, and the books form pleasant reading.
Both authors claim to have merely played with letters.
Walpole kept himself awake with strong coffee, and wrote
his story “all at once." “Vathek” was also written “at
one sitting.” Walpole did not even know there was a
castle at Otranto. Beckford was equally ignorant of
the localities described in “ Vathek." Walpole was, how-
ever, fonder of his child than Beckford; probably he was
more truly the parent of his curiosity of literature, not-
the least curious part being that both books should be-
come in some sort classics. Beckford even carried his
imitation so far as to give in some respect a reproduc-
tion of Strawberry Hill at Fonthill. These details are
characteristic of Mr. Beckford, and form an interesting
illustration of his peculiar taste and genius.
In 1783, after three years of married life, his ﬁrst
wife died, and he immediately united himself to Lady
Margaret Gordon, daughter of the Earl of Aboyne, a
lady of wonderful sweetness of disposition, whom he met
at Bath. He was then only twenty-four.
“ His manners," says Cyrus Bedding, speaking of him
near the close of his long life, “his manners were those


PREFA CE. vii
of the school fashionable between 1790 and 1800. He
was above the middle height, well-formed, and slender
rather than stout. His features indicated intellectual
power. He had small, remarkably piercing grey eyes,
and, at eighty-four, had no need of spectacles. He
generally wore a green coat with cloth buttons, a buff-
coloured striped waistcoat, breeches of the same kind of
cloth as the coat, and brown-topped boots, the ﬁne
cotton stocking appearing over them. His voice was
agreeable, and his enunciation rapid; and when he
ceased talking he would frequently place his freckled'
ﬁngers over his lips. His bodily activity at eighty was
equal to that of a man of sixty: his face alone bore
signs of age, though not more than a hale man of seventy
would carry."
He was so passionately fond of old and rare books, that
it was a greater treat to him to be in their company than
in the society of the noblest men and women in England.
In his last illness he was still faithful to his books, and
pertinaciously read till he could read no longer, when he
quietly died after a short and comparatively painless
illness at Bath, in 1844, at the advanced age of eighty-
four.
The present edition, which is, we believe, the ﬁfth, is
printed verbatim from the ﬁrst English edition. The
ﬁrst was published, as Beckford tells us in his preface,
which we subjoin, in Paris, from a translation made
for the author. He would have us believe that this was
by a mistake; the probability is that it was merely the
result of aknowing calculation on the part of the author,
and copies of the French work having been circulated
in England, before the appearance of the original, there
was no doubt much talk about the book, since those who
were happy enough to get a glimpse at it, magniﬁed it:


viii PREFA CE.
beauties and its merits. Thus Lord Byron, who too
often wrote for effect, praises it as a work of genius,
and draws a comparison, where, indeed, none exists,
between the happy valley of Rasselas and the Hall of
Eblis of Vathek.
Truly that is the crowning scene, and in its prosaic
grandeur will bear reading even after the astounding
and sublime gloom of Milton and Dante, from the latter
of whom the image of the hearts for ever devoured by
ﬂames is no doubt taken. As a work of imagination,
full of a gloomy colouring, which is not, and an aimless
tyranny which is, truly Eastern, and as the last of a
long line of a class of stories, formerly so popular that
Pope says of Phillips, that he
“ Turned a Persian tale for half-a-crown."
Vathek is deserving the popularity it has gained, while
the fervour of its composition, and the verve of its too
careless style, will always preserve it. To make our
volume as complete as possible, we add the characteristic
preface to the third French edition by the author, and
for the same reason we have added the exhaustive
though somewhat pedantic notes to the ﬁrst edition by
Dr. Henley.


PREFACE TO THE THIRD FRENCH
EDITION.


ES editions de Paris et de Lausanne, etant
' devenu extrêmement rares, j'ai consenti
3 enﬁn a ce que l‘on republîat à Londres ce
, - " petit ouvrage tel que je l’ai composé.
La traduction, comme on sçait, a paru avant l’origi-
nal; il est fort aisé de croire que ce n’etoit pas mon
intention—des circonstances, peu intéressantes pour le
public, en ont été la cause.
J’ai preparé quelques Episodes; ils sont indiqués à la
page 200,“ comme faisant suite àVathek—peut-être
paraîtront-ils un jour.
W. Bncxronn.
1 Juin, 1815.
‘ These are the History of the two friendly Princes Alasi and
Firouz, shut up in the Palace of Subterranean Fire.
History of Prince Backiarohk, imprisoned in the Palace of
Subterranean Fire.
History of Prince Kahlah, and of the Princess Zulkais, shut
up in the Palace of Subterranean Fire.
C


' r ’ . Ion ?
J! , Vl‘liqai
.-- '-. \ w "1


in
; u/ 4'
, ,J’o" ” QJ
PREFACE TO THE FIRST ENGLISH
EDITION.
"' HE original of the following story, with
some others of a similar kind, collected in
' the East by a man of letters, was commu-
_ H nicated to the Editor above three years ago.
The pleasure he received from the perusal of it induced
him at. that time to translate it. How far the copy may
be a just representation, it becomes not him to deter-
mine. He presumes, however, to hope that, if the
difﬁculty of accommodating our English idioms to the
Arabic, preserving the correspondent tones of a diver-
siﬁed narration, and discriminating the nicer touches of
character through the shades of foreign manners, be
duly considered, a failure in some points will not pre-
clude him from all claim to indulgence, especially if
those images, sentiments, and passions, which, being
independent of local peculiarities, may be expressed in
every language, shall be found to retain their native
energy in our own.


THE HISTORY OF THE CALIPH
VATHE K.


ATHEK, ninth Caliph of the race of the
'- Abassides, was the son of Motassem, and
.:_ the grandson of Haroun Al Raschid. From
-' an early accession to the throne, and the
talents he possessed to adorn it, his subjects were in-
duced to expect that his reign would be long and happy.
His ﬁgure was pleasing and majestic; but when he was
angry one of his eyes became so terrible, that no person
could bear to behold it, and the wretch 'upon whom it
was ﬁxed instantly fell backward, and sometimes ex-
pired. For fear, however, of depopulating his dominions
and making his palace desolate, he but rarely gave way
to his anger.
Being much addicted to women and the pleasures of
the table, he sought by his aﬁ'ability to procure agreeable
companions ; and he succeeded the better as his genero-
sity was unbounded, and his indulgences unrestrained,
for he was by no means scrupulous, nor did he think
with the Caliph Omar Ben Abdalaziz, that it was neces-
. B


2 THE HIS T'ORY 0F
sary to make a hell of this world to enjoy Paradise in
the next.
He surpassed in magniﬁcence all his predecessors.
The palace of Alkoremmi, which his father Motassem
had erected on the hill of Pied Horses, and which com-
manded the whole city of Samarah, was in his idea far
too scanty; he added therefore ﬁve wings, or rather
other palaces, which he destined for the particular grati-
ﬁcation of each of his senses.
In the ﬁrst of these were tables continually covered
with the most exquisite dainties, which were supplied
both by night and by day according to their constant
consumption, whilst the most delicious wines and the
choicest cordials ﬂowed forth from a hundred fountains
that were never exhausted. This palace was called,
“ The Eternal or Unsatiating Banquet."
The second was styled “ The Temple of Melody, or
the Nectar of the Soul." It was inhabited by the most
skilful musicians and admired poets of the time, who not
only displayed their talents within, but dispersing in
bands without, caused every surrounding scene to rever-
berate their songs, which were continually varied in the
most delightful succession.
The palace named “ The Delight of the Eyes, or the
Support of Memory," was one entire enchantment.
Rarities collected from every corner of the earth were
there found in such profusion as to dazzle and confound,
but for the order in which they were arranged. One
gallery exhibited the pictures of the celebrated Mani,
and statues that seemed to be alive. Here a well-man-
aged perspective attracted the sight, there the magic of
optics agreeably deceived it; whilst the naturalist on
his part exhibited, in their several classes, the various
gifts that Heaven had bestowed on our globe. In a


THE CALHUI VATHEK. 3
word, Vathek omitted nothing in this palace that might
gratify the curiosity of those who resorted to it, although
he was not able to satisfy his own, for he was of all men
the most curious.
“The Palace of Perfumes," which was termed likewise
“ The Incentive to Pleasure," consisted of various halls
where the different perfumes which the earth produces
were kept perpetually burning in censers of gold. Flam-
beaus and aromatic lamps were here lighted in open day.
But the too powerful effects of this agreeable delirium
might be avoided by descending into an immense garden,
where an assemblage of every fragrant ﬂower diffused
through the air the purest odours.
The ﬁfth palace, denominated “ The Retreat of Joy,
or the Dangerous," was frequented by troops of young
females beautiful as the houris and not less seducing,
who never failed to receive with caresses all whom the
Caliph allowed to approach them ; for he was by no
means disposed to be jealous, as his own women were
secluded within the palace he inhabited himself.
Notwithstanding the sensuality in which Vathek in-
dulged, he experienced no abatement in the love of his
people, who thought that a sovereign immersed in plea-
sure was not less tolerable to his subjects than one that
employed himself in creating them foes. But the un-
quiet and impetuous disposition of the Caliph would not
allow him to rest there ; he had studied so much for his
amusement in the lifetime of his father, as to acquire a
great deal of knowledge, though not a suﬁiciencyto satisfy
himself; for he wished to know every thing, even sciences
that did not exist. He was fond of engaging in disputes
with the learned, but liked them not to push their oppo-
sition with warmth ; he stopped the mouths of those with
presents whose mouths could be stopped, whilst others,


4 TIIE HISTORY OF
whom his liberality was unable to subdue, he sent to
prison to cool their blood; a remedy that often succeeded.
Vathek discovered also a predilection for theological
controversy, but it was not with the orthodox that he
usually held. By this means he induced the zealots to
oppose him, and then persecuted them in return ; for be
resolved at any rate to have reason on his side.
The great prophet Mahomet, whose vicars the caliphs
are, beheld with indignation from his abode in the seventh
heaven the irreligious conduct of such a vicegerent.
“Let us leave him to himself," said he to the genii, who
are always ready to receive his commands ; “let us see
to what lengths his folly and impiety will carry him ; if
he run into excess we shall know how to chastise him.
Assist him, therefore, to complete the tower which, in
imitation of Nimrod, he hath begun, not, like that great
warrior, to escape being drowned, but from the insolent
curiosity of penetrating the secrets of Heaven; he will
not divine the fate that awaits him.”
The Genii obeyed, and when the workmen had raised
their structure a cubit in the day time, two cubits more
were added in the night. The expedition with which
the fabric arose was not a little ﬂattering to the vanity
of Vathek. He fancied that even insensible matter
showed a forwardness to subserve his designs, not con-
sidering that the successes of the foolish and wicked
form the ﬁrst rod of their chastisement.
His pride arrived at its height when, having ascended
for the ﬁrst time the eleven thousand stairs of his tower,
he cast his eyes below and beheld men not larger than
pismires, mountains than shells, and cities than bee-
hives. The idea which such an elevation inspired of
his own grandeur completely bewildered him; he was
almost ready to adore himself, till, lifting his eyes up


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 5
ward, he saw the stars as high above him as they ap-
peared when he stood on the surface of the earth. He
consoled himself, however, for this transient perception
of his littleness, with the thought of being great in the
eyes of others, and ﬂattered himself that the light of
his mind would extend beyond the reach of his sight,
and transfer to the stars the decrees of his destiny.
With this view the inquisitive Prince passed most of
his nights on the summit of his tower, till he became an
adept in the mysteries of astrology, and imagined that
the planets had disclosed to him the most marvellous
adventures, which were to be accomplished by an ex-
traordinary personage from a country altogether un-
known. Prompted by motives of curiosity he had always
been courteous to strangers, but from this instant he
redoubled his attention, and ordered it to be announced
by sound of trumpet, through all the streets of Sama-
rah that no one of his subjects, on peril of displeasure,
should either lodge or detain a traveller, but forthwith
bring him to the palace.
Not long after this proclamation there arrived in his
metropolis a man so hideous, that the very guards who
arrested him were forced to shut their eyes as they led
him along. The Caliph himself appeared startled at so
horrible a visage, but joy succeeded to this emotion of
terror when the stranger displayed to his view such
rarities as he had never before seen, and of which he
had no conception.
In reality nothing was ever so extraordinary as the
merchandize this stranger produced; most of his curio-
sities, which were not less admirable for their workman-
ship than splendour, had besides, their several virtues
described on a parchment fastened to each. There were
slippers which enabled the feet to walk; knives that cut


6 THE HISTORY OF
without the motion of a hand; sabres which dealt the blow
at the person they were wished to strike, and the whole
enriched with gems that were hitherto unknown.
The sabres, whose blades emitted a. dazzling radiance,
ﬁxed more than all the Caliph's attention, who promised
himself to decipher at his leisure the uncouth characters
engraven on their sides. \Vithout, therefore, demanding
their price, he ordered all the coined gold to be brought
from his treasury, and commanded the merchant to take
what he pleased; the stranger complied with modesty
and silence.
Vathek, imagining that the merchant’s taciturnity
was occasioned by the awe which his presence inspired,
encouraged him to advance, and asked him, with an air
of condescension, “\Yho he was? whence he came? and
where he obtained such beautiful commodities?" The
man, or rather monster, instead of making a reply, thrice
rubbed his forehead, which, as well as his body, was
blacker than ebony, four times clapped his paunch, the
projection of which was enormous, opened wide his
huge eyes which glowed like ﬁrebrands, began to laugh
with a hideous noise, and discovered his long amber-
coloured teeth bestreaked with green.
The Caliph, though a little startled, renewed his in-
quiries, but without being able to procure a reply; at
which, beginning to be ruﬁied,he exclaimed: “Knowest
thou, varlet, who I am? and at whom thou art aiming
thy gibes?" Then, addressing his guards, “Have ye
heard him speak? is he dumb ?”
“ He hath spoken,” they replied, “though but little.”
“Let him speak again then," said Vathek, “and tell
me who he is, from whence he came, and where he pro-
cured these singular curiosities, or I swear by the ass
of Balaam that I will make him rue his pertinacity.”


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 7
The menace was accompanied by the Caliph with one
of his angry and perilous glances, which the stranger
sustained without the slightest emotion, although his
eyes were ﬁxed on the terrible eye of the Prince.
No words can describe the amazement of the cour-
tiers when they beheld this rude merchant withstand
the encounter unshocked. They all fell prostrate with
their faces on the ground to avoid the risk of their lives,
and continued in the same abject posture till the Caliph
exclaimed in a furious tone: “ Up, cowards! seize the
miscreant! see that he be committed to prison and
guarded by the best of my soldiers! Let him, however,
retain the money I gave him, it is not my intent to take
from him his property, I only want him to spea ."
No sooner had he uttered these words than the
stranger was surrounded, pinioned with strong fettcrs,
and hurried away to the prison of the great tower, which
was encompassed by seven empalements of iron bars,
and armed with spikes in every direction longer and
sharper than spits.
The Caliph, nevertheless, remained in the most violent
agitation; he sat down indeed to eat, but of the three
hundred covers that were daily placed before him could
taste of no more than thirty-two. A diet to which he
had been so little accustomed was sufﬁcient of itself to
prevent him from sleeping; what then must be its effect
when joined to the anxiety that preyed upon his spirits?
At the ﬁrst glimpse of dawn he hastened to the prison,
again to importune this intractable stranger; but the
rage of Vathek exceeded all bounds on ﬁnding the
prison empty, the grates burst asunder, and his guards
lying lifeless around him. In the paroxysin of his
passion he fell furiously 0n the poor carcasses, and
kicked them till evening without intermission. His


8 THE HISTORY OF
courtiers and vizirs exerted their efforts to soothe his
extravagance, but ﬁnding every expedient ineffectual
they all united in one vociferation: “The Caliph is
gone mad! the Caliph is out of his senses l”
This outcry, which soon resounded through the
streets of Samarah, at length reaching the ears of Cara-
this his mother, she ﬂew in the utmost consternation to
try her ascendancy on the mind of her son. Her tears
and caresses called off his attention, and he was pre-
vailed upon by her entreaties to be brought back to the
palace. '
Carathis, apprehensive of leaving Vathek to himself,
caused him to be put to bed, and seating herself by him,
endeavoured by her conversation to heal and compose
him. Nor could any one have attempted it with better
success, for the Caliph not only loved her as a mother,
but respected her as a person of superior genius; it
was she who had induced him, being a Greek herself, to
adopt all the sciences and systems ofher country, which
good Mussulmans hold in such thorough abhorrence.
Judicial astrology was one of those systems in which
Carathis was a perfect adept; she began therefore with
reminding her son of the promise which the stars had
made him, and intimated an intention of consulting them
again.
“Alas!” sighed the Caliph. as soon as he could speak,
“ what a fool have I been! not for the kicks bestowed
on my guards who so tamely submitted to death, but for
never considering that this extraordinary man was the
same the planets had foretold, whom, instead of ill-
treating, I should have conciliated by all the arts of
persuasion.
“The past," said Carathis, “cannot be recalled, but it
behoves us to think of the future; perhaps you may


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 9
again see the object you so much regret; it is possible
the inscriptions on the sabres will afford information.
Eat, therefore, and take thy repose, my dear son; we will
consider, to-morrow, in what manner to act.”
Vathek yielded to her counsel as well as he could, and
arose in the morning with a mind more at ease. The
sabres he commanded to be instantly brought, and
poring upon them through a green glass, that their glit-
tering might not dazzle, he set himself in earnest to
decipher the inscriptions; but his reiterated attempts
were all of them nugatory; in vain did he beat his head
and bite his nails, not a letter of the whole was he able
to ascertain. So unlucky a disappointment would have
undone him again, had not Carathis by good fortune en-
tered the apartment.
“ Have patience, son !" said she; “ you certainly are
possessed of every important science, but the knowledge
of languages is atriﬂe at best, and the accomplishment
of none but a pedant. Issue forth a. proclamation that
you will confer such rewards as become your greatness
upon any one that shall interpret what you do not under-
stand, and what it is beneath you to learn, you will soon
ﬁnd your curiosity gratiﬁed."
“ That may be," said the Caliph; “but in the mean
time I shall he horribly disgusted by a crowd of smat-
terers, who will come to the trial as much for the plea-
sure of retailing their jargon as from the hope of gaining
the reward. To avoid this evil, it will be proper to add
that I will put every candidate to death who shall fail to
give satisfaction ; for, thank heaven! I have skill
enough to distinguish between one that translates and
one that invents.
“ Of that I have no doubt," replied Carathis; “ but
to put the ignorant to death is somewhat severe, and


10 THE HISTORY OF
may be productive of dangerous effects ; content your-
self with commanding their beards to he burnt,——beards
in a state are not quite so essential as men.”
The Caliph submitted to the reasons of his mother,
and sending for Morakanabad, his prime vizir, said:
“ Let the common criers proclaim, not only in Samarah,
but throughout every city in my empire, that whosoever
will repair hither and decipher certain characters which
appear to be inexplicable, shall experience the liber-
ality for which I am renowned; but that all who fail
upon trial shall have their beards burnt off to the last
hair. Let them add also that I will bestow ﬁfty beautiful
slaves, and as many jars of apricots from the isle of
Kirmith, upon any man that shall bring me intelli-
gence of the stranger."
The subjects of the Caliph, like their sovereign, being
great admirers of women and apricots from Kirmith,
felt their mouths water at these promises, but were
totally unable to gratify their hankering, for no one
knew which way the stranger had gone.
As to the Caliph’s other requisition, the result was
different. The learned, the half-learned, and those who
were neither, but fancied themselves equal to both, came
boldly to hazard their beards, and all shamefully lost.
them.
The exaction of these forfeitures, which found sufﬁ-
cient employment for the eunuchs, gave them such a
smell of singed hair as greatly to disgust the ladies of the
seraglio, and make it necessary that this new occupa-
tion of their guardians should be transferred into other
hands.
At length, however, an old man presented himself whose
beard was a cubit and a half longer that any that had
appeared before him. The ofﬁcers of the palace whis-


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 11
pered to each other, as they ushered him in, “ What a
pity such a beard should be burnt !" Even the Caliph,
when he saw it, concurred with them in opinion, but his
concern was entirely needless. This venerable person-
age read the characters with facility, and explained them
verbatim as follows: “We were made where every thing
good is made; we are the least of the wonders of a place
where all is wonderful, and deserving the sight of the
ﬁrst potentate on earth."
“You translate admirably i” cried Vathek; “ I know
to what these marvellous characters allude. Let him re-
ceive as many robes of honour and thousands of sequins
of gold, as he hath spoken words. Iam in some measure
relieved from the perplexity that embarrassed me !”
Vathek invited the old man to dine, and even to remain
some days in the palace. Unluckin for him he accepted
the offer ; for the Caliph, having ordered him next
morning to be called, said : “ Read again to me what you
have read already; I cannot hear too often the promise
that is made me, the completion of which I languish to
obtain.”
The old man forthwith put on his green spectacles, but
they instantly dropped from his nose on perceiving that
the characters he had read the day preceding had given
place to others of different import.
“ What ails you ?” asked the Caliph; “and why these
symptoms of wonder '1’”
“ Sovereign of the world,” replied the old man, “ these
sabres hold another language to-day from that they
yesterday held."
“ How say you?" returned Vathek—“ but it matters
not! tell me, if you can, what they mean."
“ It is this, my Lord,” rejoined the old man: “ Woe to
the rash mortal who seeks to know that of which he


12 THE HISTORY OF
should remain ignorant, and to undertake that which
surpasseth his power 1"
“And woe to thee! “ cried the Caliph, in a burst of
indignation; “to-day thou art void of understanding;
begone from my presence, they shall burn but the half
of thy beard, because thou wert yesterday fortunate in
guessing ;—my gifts I never resume."
The old man, wise enough to perceive he had luckily
escaped, considering the folly of disclosing so disgusting
a truth, immediately withdrew and appeared not again.
But it was not long before Vathek discovered abun-
dant reason to regret his precipitation; for though he
could not decipher the characters himself, yet by con-
stantly poring upon them he plainly perceived that they
every day changed, and unfortunately no other candidate
offered to explain them. This perplexing occupation
inﬂamed his blood, dazzled his sight, and brought on a
giddiness and debility that he could not support. He
failed not, however, though in so reduced :1 condition, to
he often carried to his tower, as he ﬂattered himself that
he might there read in the stars which he went to con~
sult something more congenial to his wishes: but in this
his hopes were deluded; for his eyes, dimmed by the
vapours of his head, began to subserve his curiosity so
ill, that he beheld nothing but a thick dun cloud, which
he took for the most direful of omens.
Agitated with so much anxiety, Vathek entirely lost
all ﬁrmness ; a fever seized him, and his appetite failed.
Instead of being one of the greatest eaters he became as
distinguished for drinking. So insatiable was the thirst
which tormented him, that his mouth, like a funnel, was
always open to receive the variousliquors that might be
poured into it, and especially cold water, which calmed
him more than every other.


THE CALIPH VA THEK. :3
This unhappy prince being thus incapacitated for the
enjoyment of any pleasure, commanded the palaces of
the ﬁve senses to be shut up, forbore to appear in public,
either to display his magniﬁcence or administer justice,
and retired to the inmost apartment of his harem. As
he had ever been an idulgent husband, his wives, over-
whelmed with grief at his deplorable situation, inces-
santly offered their prayers for his health and unremit-
tingly supplied him with water.
In the mean time the Princess Carathis, whose aﬁlic-
tion no words can describe, instead of restraining herself
to sobbing and tears, was closeted daily with the Vizir
Morakanabad, to ﬁnd out some cure or mitigation of the
Caliph’s disease. Under the persuasion that it was
caused by enchantment, they turned over together, leaf
by leaf, all the books of magic that might point out a
remedy, and caused the horrible stranger, whom they
accused as the enchanter, to be every where sought for
with the strictest diligence.
At the distance of a few miles from Samarah stood a
high mountain, whose sides were swarded with wild
thyme and basil, and its summit overspread with so de-
lightful a plain, that it might be taken for the paradise
destined for the faithful. Upon it grew a hundred
thickets of eglantine and other fragrant shrubs, a hun-
dred arbours of roses, jessamine and honeysuckle, as
many clumps of orange trees, cedar and citron, whose
branches, interwoven with the palm, the pomegranate,
and the vine, presented every luxury that could regale
the eye or the taste. The ground was strewed with
violets, hare-bells, and pansies, in the midst of which
sprung forth tufts of jonquils, hyacinths and car-
nations, with every other perfume that impregnates the
air. Four fountains, not less clear than deep, and so


14. THE HISTORY OF
abundant as to slake the thirst of ten armies, seemed
profusely placed here to make the scene more resemble
the garden of Eden, which was watered by the four
sacred rivers. Here the nightingale sang the birth of
the rose, her well-beloved, and at the same time lamented
its short-lived beauty; whilst the turtle deplored the
loss of more substantial pleasures, and the wakeful lark
hailed the rising light that reanimates the whole crea-
tion. Here more than any where the mingled melodies
of birds expressed the various passions they inspired, as
if the exquisite fruits which they peeked at pleasure had
given them a double energy.
To this mountain Vathek was sometimes brought for
the sake of breathing a purer air, and especially to drink
at will of the four fountains, which were reputed in the
highest degree salubrious and sacred to himself. His
attendants were his mother, his wives, and some eunuchs,
who assiduously employed themselves in ﬁlling capacious
bowls of rock crystal, and emulously presenting them to
him; but it frequently happened that his avidity ex-
ceeded their zeal, insomueh that he would prostrate
himself upon the ground to lap up the water, of which
he could never have enough.
One day when this unhappy prince had been long
lying in so debasing a posture, avoice, hoarse but strong,
thus addressed him : “Why assumest thou the function
of a dog, 0 Caliph, so proud of thy dignity and power ?”
At this apostrophe he raised his head and beheld
the stranger that had caused him so much afﬂiction.
Inﬂamed with anger at the sight, he exclaimed:
“ Accursed Giaour! what comest thou hither to do ?
is it not enough to have transformed a prince remark-
able for his agility into one of those leather barrels
which the Bedouin Arabs carry on their camels when


THE CALIPH VATHEK. r;
they traverse the deserts? Perceivest thou not that I
may perish by drinking to excess no less than by a total
abstinence ?"
“Drink then this draught,” said the stranger, as he
presented to him a phial of a red and yellow mixture;
“and, to satiate the thirst of thy soul as well as of thy
body, know that I am an Indian, but from a region of
India which is wholly unknown.”
The Caliph, delighted to see his desires accomplished
in part, and ﬂattering himself with the hope of obtaining
their entire fulﬁlment, without a moment’s hesitation
swallowed the potion, and instantaneously found his
health restored, his thirst appeased, and his limbs as
agile as ever.
In the transports of his joy Vathek leaped upon the
neck of the frightful Indian, and kissed his horrid mouth
and hollow cheeks as though they had been the coral
lips, and the lilies and roses of his most beautiful wives;
whilst they, less terriﬁed than jealous at the sight,
dropped their veils to hide the blush of mortiﬁcation
that suﬂ'used their foreheads.
Nor would the scene have closed here, had not Ca-
rathis, with all the art of insinuation, a little repressed
the raptures of her son. Having prevailed upon him to
return to Samarah, she caused a herald to precede him,
whom she commanded to proclaim as loudly as possible:
“The wonderful stranger hath appeared again, he hath
healed the Caliph, he hath spoken ! he hath spoken !"
Forthwith all the inhabitants of this vast city quitted
their habitations, and ran together in crowds to see the
procession of Vathek and the Indian, whom they now
blessed as much as they had before execrated, inces-
santly shouting: “He hath healed our sovereign, he
hath spoken! he hath spoken !" Nor were these words


16 THE HISTORY OF
forgotten in the public festivals which were celebrated
the same evening, to testify the general joy; for the
poets applied them as a chorus to all the songs they
composed.
The Caliph in the meanwhile caused the palaces of
the senses to be again set open; and, as he found him-
self prompted to visit that of taste in preference to the
rest, immediately ordered a splendid entertainment, to
which his great ofﬁcers and favourite courtiers were all
invited. The Indian, who was placed near the Prince,
seemed to think that as a proper acknowledgment of so
distinguished a privilege he could neither eat, drink nor
talk too much. The various dainties were no sooner
served up than they vanished, to the great mortiﬁcation
of Vathek, who piqued himself on being the greatest
eater alive, and at this time in particular had an excel-
lent appetite.
The rest of the company looked round at each other
in amazement; but the Indian without appearing to ob-
serve it quat'fed large bumpers to the health of each of
them, sung in a style altogether extravagant, related
stories at which he laughed immoderately, and poured
forth extemporaneous verses, which would not have been
thought had but for the strange grimaces with which
they were uttered. In a word his loquacity was equal
to that of a hundred astrologers, he ate as much as a
hundred porters, and caroused in proportion.
The Caliph, notwithstanding the table had been thirty
times covered, found himself incommoded by the vora-
ciousness of his guest, who was now considerably de-
clined in the prince’s esteem. Vathek however, being
unwilling to betray the chagrin he could hardly disguise,
said in a whisper to Bababalouk, the chief of his eunuchs :
“ You see how enormous his performances in every way


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 17
are, what would be the consequence should he get at my
wives! G0! redouble your vigilance, and be sure look
well to my Circassians, who would be more to his taste
than all of the rest."
The bird of the morning had thrice renewed his song
when the hour of the Divan sounded. Vathek in grati-
tude to his subjects having promised to attend, imme-
diately arose from table and repaired thither, leaning
upon his vizir, who could scarcely support him, so dis-
ordered was the poor Prince by the wine he had drunk,
and still more by the extravagant vagaries of his bois-
terous guest.
The vizirs, the ofﬁcers of the crown and of the law,
arranged themselves in a semicircle about their sove~
reign and preserved a respectful silence, whilst the
Indian, who looked as cool as if come from a fast, sat
down without ceremony on the step of the throne,
laughing in his sleeve at the indignation with which his
temerity had ﬁlled the spectators.
The Caliph however whose ideas were confused and
his head embarrassed, went on administering justice at
hep-hazard, till at length the prime vizir, perceiving his
situation, hit upon a sudden expedient to interrupt the
audience and rescue the honour of his master, to whom
he said in a whisper: “ My Lord, the Princess Carathis,
who hath passed the night in consulting the planets, in-
forms you that they portend you evil, and the danger is
urgent. Beware lest this stranger, whom you have so
lavishly recompensed for his magical gewgaws, should
make some attempt on your life; his liquor, which at
ﬁrst had the appearance of effecting your cure, may be
no more than a poison of a sudden operation. Slight
not this surmise, ask him at least of what it was com-
o


18 THE HISTORY OF
pounded, whence he procured it, and mention the sabres
which you seem to have forgotten. , -
Vathek, to whom the insolent airs of the stranger be-
came every moment less supportable, intimated to his
vizir by a wink of acquiescence that he would adopt his
advice, and at once turning towards the Indian said:
“ Get up, and declare in full Divan of what drugs the
liquor was compounded you enjoined me to take, for it
is suspected to be poison; add also the explanation I
have so earnestly desired concerning the sabres you
sold me, and thus show your gratitude for the favours
heaped on you."
Having pronounced these words in as moderate a tone
as a caliph well could, he waited in silent expectation
for an answer. But the Indian, still keeping his seat,
began to renew his loud shouts of laughter, and exhibit
the same horrid grimaces he had shown them before,
without vouchsaﬁng a word in reply. Vathek, no
longer able to brook such insolence, immediately kicked
him from the steps; instantly descending, repeated his
blow, and persisted with such assiduity as incited all who
were present to follow his example. 'Every foot was
aimed at the Indian, and no sooner had any one given
him a kick than he felt himself constrained to reiterate
the stroke.
The stranger aﬂ'orded them no small entertainment;
for, being both short and plump, he collected himself
into a ball, and rolled round on all sides at the blows of
his assailants, who pressed after him wherever he turned
with an eagerness beyond conception, whilst their num-
bers were every moment increasing. The ball indeed,
in passing from one apartment to another, drew every
person after it that came in its way, insomuch that the
whole palace was thrown into confusion, and resounded


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 19
with a tremendous clamour. The women of the harem,
amazed at the uproar, ﬂew to their blinds to discover
the cause; but no sooner did they catch a glimpse of
the ball than, feeling themselves unable to refrain, they
broke from the clutches of their eunuchs, who to stop
their ﬂight pinched them till they bled, but in vain;
whilst themselves, though trembling with terror at the
escape of their charge, were as incapable of resisting the
attraction.
The Indian, after having traversed the halls, galleries,
chambers, kitchens, gardens and stables of the palace,
at last took his course through the courts; whilst the
Caliph, pursuing him closer than the rest, bestowed as
many kicks as he possibly could, yet not without receiv-
ing now and then one, which his competitors in their
eagerness designed for the ball.
Carathis, Morakanabad, and two or three old vizirs,
whose. wisdom had hitherto withstood the attraction,
wishing 'to prevent Vathek from exposing himself in the
presence of his subjects, fell down in his way to impede
the pursuit; but he, regardless of their obstruction,
leaped over their heads and went on as before. They
then ordered the Muezins to call the people to prayers,
both for the sake of getting them out of the way, and
of endeavouring by their petitions to avert the cala-
mity; but neither of these expedients was a whit more
successful; the sight of this fatal ball was alone suﬁEi7
cient to draw after it every beholder. The Muezins
themselves, though they saw it but at a distance, has-
tened down from their minarets and mixed with the
crowd, which continued to increase in so surprising a
manner, that scarce an inhabitant was left in Samarah,
except the aged, the sick conﬁned to their beds, and in-
fants at the breast, whose nurses could run more nimbly


7.0 THE HISTORY OF
without them. Even Carathis, Morakanabad, and the
rest were all become of the party.
The shrill screams of the females, who had broken
from their apartments and were unable to extricate
themselves from the pressure of the crowd, together
with those of the eunuchs jostling after them, terriﬁed
lest their charge should escape from their sight, in-
creased by the execrations of husbands urging forward
and menacing both, kicks given and received, stum-
blings and overthrows at every step; in a word, the
confusion that universally prevailed rendered Samarah
like a city taken by storm and devoted to absolute
plunder.
At last the cursed Indian, who still preserved his
rotundity of ﬁgure, after passing through all the streets
and public places, and leaving them empty, rolled on-
wards to the plain of Catoul. and traversed the valley
at the foot of the mountain of the Four Fountains.
As a continual fall of water had excavated an im-
mense gulf in the valley, whose opposite side was closed
in by a steep acclivit-y, the Caliph and his attendants
were apprehensive lest the ball should bound into the
chasm, and, to prevent it, redoubled their eﬂ'orts, but in
vain. The Indian persevered in his onward direction,
and, as had been apprehended, glancing from the pre-
cipice with the rapidity of lightning, was lost in the
gulf below.
Vathek would have followed the perﬁdious Giaour,
had not an invisible agency arrested his progress. The
multitude that pressed after him were at once checked
in the same manner, and a calm instantaneously ensued.
They all gazed at each other with an air of astonish-
ment; and, notwithstanding that the loss of veils and
turbans, together with torn habits and dust blended with


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 21
sweat, presented a most laughable spectacle, there was
not one smile to be seen; on the contrary all,with looks
of confusion and sadness, returned in silence to Sama-
rah and retired to their inmost apartments, without ever
reﬂecting that they had been impelled by an invisible
power into the extravagance for which they reproached
themselves; for it is but just that men, who so often
arrogate to their own merit the good of which they are
but instruments, should attribute to themselves the ab-
surdities which they could not prevent.
The Caliph was the only person that refused to leave
the valley. He commanded his tents to be pitched
there, and stationed himself on the very edge of the
precipice, in spite of the representations of Carathis and
Morakanabad, who pointed out the hazard of its brink
giving way, and the vicinity to the Magician that had
so severely tormented him. Vathek derided all their
remonstrances, and, having ordered a thousand ﬂam-
beaus to be lighted, and directed his attendants to pro-
ceed in lighting more, lay down on the slippery margin
and attempted, by help of this artiﬁcial splendour,
to look through that gloom which all the ﬁres of the
empyrean had been insufﬁcient to pervade. One
while he fancied to himself voices arising from the
depth of the gulf; at another he seemed to distinguish
the accents of the Indian, but all was no more than the
hollow murmur of waters, and the din of the cataracts
that rushed from steep to steep down the sides of the
mountain.
Having passed the night in this cruel perturbation,
the Caliph at day-break retired to his tent, where, with-
out taking the least sustenance, he continued to doze
till the dusk of evening began again to come on. He
then resumed his vigils as before, and persevered in ob-


22 THE HISTORY OF
serving them for many nights together. At length,
fatigued with so successless an employment, he sought
relief from change. To this end he sometimes paced
with hasty strides across the plain, and, as he wildly
gazed at the stars, reproached them with having deceived
him; but 10! on a sudden the clear blue sky appeared
streaked over with streams of blood, which reached from
the valley even to the city of Samarah. As this awful
phenomenon seemed to touch his tower, Vat-hek at ﬁrst
thought of repairing thither to view it more distinctly,
but feeling himself unable to advance, and being over-
come with apprehension, he muﬁled up his face in his
robe.
Terrifying as these prodigies were, this impression
upon him was no more than momentary, and served
only to stimulate his love of the marvellous. Instead
therefore of returning to his palace, he persisted in
the resolution of abiding where the Indian vanished
from his view. One night, however, while he was
walking as usual on the plain, the moon and the stars
at once were eclipsed, and a total darkness ensued;
the earth trembled beneath him, and a voice came
forth, the voice of the Giaour, who, in accents more
sonorous than thunder, thus addressed him : “ VVouldest
thou devote thyself to me ? Adore then the terrestrial
inﬂuences, and abjure Mahomet. On these conditions
I will bring thee to the palace of subterranean ﬁre;
there shalt thou behold in immense depositories the
treasures which the stars have promised thee, and which
will be conferred by those Intelligences whom thou
shalt thus render prepitious. It was from thence I
brought my sabres, and it is there that Soliman Ben
Daoud reposes, surrounded by the talismans that con-
trol the world.”


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 23
The astonished Caliph trembled as he answered, yet
in a style that showed him to be no novice in preter-
natural adventures: “ Where art thou? be present to
my eyes; dissipate the gloom that perplexes me, and
of which I deem thee the cause; after the many ﬂam-
beaus I have burnt to discover thee, thou mayst at
least grant a glimpse of thy horrible visage."
“ Abjure then Mahomet,” replied the Indian, “ and
promise me full proofs of thy sincerity, otherwise thou
shalt never behold me again.”
The unhappy Caliph, instigated by insatiable curio-
sity, lavished his promises in the utmost profusion.
The sky immediately brightened; and by the light of
the planets, which seemed almost to blaze, Vathek be-
held the earth open, and at the extremity of a vast
black chasm, a portal of ebony, before which stood the
Indian, still blacker, holding in his hand a golden key
that caused the lock to resound.
“ How,“ cried Vathek, “ can I descend to thee with-
out the certainty of breaking my neck ? come take me,
and instantly open the portal."
“Not so fast,“ replied the Indian, “impatient Caliph!
Know that I am parched with thirst, and cannot open
this door till my thirst be thoroughly appeased. I re-
quire the blood of ﬁfty of the most beautiful sons of
thy vizirs and great men, or neither can my thirst nor
thy curiosity be satisﬁed. Return to Samarah, procure
for me this necessary libation, come back hither, throw
it thyself into this chasm, and then shalt thou see 1”
Having thus spoken the Indian turned his back on
the Caliph, who, incited by the suggestion of demons,
resolved on the direful sacriﬁce. He now pretended to
have regained his tranquillity, and set out for Samarah
amidst the acclainations of a pe0ple who still loved him,


7.4, THE HISTORY OF
and forebore not to rejoice when they believed him to
have recovered his reason. So successfully did he
conceal the emotion of his heart, that even Carathis
and Morakanabad were equally deceived with the rest.
Nothing was heard of but festivals and rejoicings; the
ball, which no tongue had hitherto ventured to mention,
was again brought on the tapis; a general laugh went
round, though many, still smarting under the hands of
the surgeon from the hurts received in that memorable
adventure, had no great reason for mirth.
The prevalence of this gay humour was not a little
grateful to Vathek, as perceiving how much it con-
duced to his project. He put on the appearance of
atl'ability to every one, but especially to his vizirs, and
the grandees of his court, whom he failed not to regale
with a sumptuous banquet, during which he insensibly
inclined the conversation to the children of his guests.
Having asked with a good-natured air who of them
were blessed with the handsomest boys, every father at
once asserted the pretensions of his own, and the con-
test imperceptibly grew so warm that nothing could
have withholden them from coming to blows but their
profound reverence for the person of the Caliph. Un-
der the pretence therefore of reconciling the disputants,
Vathek took upon him to decide; and with this view
commanded the boys to be brought.
It was not long before a troop of these poor children
made their appearance, all equipped by their fond
mothers with such ornaments as might give the greatest
relief to their beauty, or most advantageously display
the graces of their age. But whilst this brilliant assem-
blage attracted the eyes and hearts of every one besides,
the Caliph scrutinized each in his turn with a malignant
avidity that passed for attention, and selected from their.


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 1.;
number the ﬁfty whom be judged the Giaour would
prefer.
With an equal show of kindness as before, he pro-
posed to celebrate a festival on the plain for the enter-
tainment of his young favourites, who he said ought to
rejoice still more than all at the restoration of his health,
on account of the favours he intended for them.
The Caliph's proposal was received with the greatest
delight, and soon published through Samarah; litters,
camels, and horses were prepared. Women and chil-
dren, old men and young, every one placed himself in the
station he chose. The cavalcade set forward, attended
by all the confectioners in the city and its precincts; the
populace following on foot composed an amazing crowd,
and occasioned no little noise; all was joy, nor did any
one call to mind what most of them had suffered when
they ﬁrst travelled the road they were now passing so
gaily.
The evening was serene, the air refreshing, the sky
clear, and the ﬂowers exhaled their fragrance ; the beams
of the declining sun, whose mild splendour reposed on
the summit of the mountain, shed a glow of ruddy light
over its green declivity and the white ﬂocks sporting up-
on it; no sounds were audible, save the murmurs of the
Four Fountains, and the reeds and voices of shepherds,
calling to each other from different eminences.
The lovely innocents proceeding to the destined sac-
riﬁce added not a little to the hilarity of the scene;
they approached the plain full of sportiveness, some
coursing butterﬂies, others culling ﬂowers, or picking up
the shining little pebbles that attracted their notice. At
intervals they nimbly started from each other, for the
sake of being caught again and mutually imparting a
thousand caresses. ~


16 THE HISTORY OF
The dreadful chasm, at whose bottom the portal of
ebony was placed, began to appear at a distance ; it
looked like a black streak that divided the plain. Mora—
kanabad and his companions took it for some work which
the Caliph had ordered; unhappy men! little did they
surmise for what it was destined.
Vathek, not liking they should examine it too nearly,
stopped the procession, and ordered a spacious circle to
be formed on this side, at some distance from the accursed
chasm. The body-guard of eunuchs was detached to
measure out the lists intended for the games, and pre-
pare ringles for the lines to keep off the crowd. The
ﬁfty competitors were soon stripped, and presented to the
admiration of the spectators the suppleness and grace of
their delicate limbs ; their eyes sparkled with 9. 0y which
those of their fond parents reﬂected. Every one offered
wishes for the little candidate nearest his heart, and
doubted not of his being victorious; a breathless sus-
pense awaited the contest of these amiable and innocent
victims.
The Caliph, availing himself of the ﬁrst moment to re-
tire from the crowd, advanced towards the chasm, and.
there heard, yet not without shuddering, the voice of the
Indian, who, gnashing his teeth, eagerly demanded:
“ Where are they ? where are they ? perceivest thou not
how my mouth waters ?"
“ Relentless Giaour l" answered Vathek with emotion,
“ can nothing content thee but the massacre of these
lovely victims? Ah! wert thou to behold their beauty
it must certainly move thy compassion."
“Perdition on thy compassion, babbler !" cried the
Indian; “Give them me, instantly give them, or my
portal shall be closed against thee for ever l”
“Not so loudly,” replied the Caliph, blushing.


THE CALIPH VA THEK, 27
“I understand thee,” returned the Giaour with the
grin of an ogre; “thou wantest to summon up more
presence of mind; I will for a moment forbear.“
During this exquisite dialogue the games went for-
ward with all alacrity, and at length concluded just as
the twilight began to overcast the mountains. Vathek,
who was still standing on the edge of the chasm, called
out, with all his might: “Let my ﬁfty little favourites
approach me separately, and let them come in the order
of their success. To the ﬁrst I will give my diamond
bracelet, to the second my collar of emeralds, to the
third my aigret of rubies, to the fourth my girdle of
topazes, and to the rest each a part of my dress, even
down to my slippers."
This declaration was received with reiterated accla-
mations, and all extolled the liberality of a Prince who
would thus strip himself for the amusement of his sub—
jects and the encouragement of the rising generation.
The Caliph in the meanwhile undressed himself by
degrees, and, raising his arm as high as he was able,
made each of the prizes glitter in the air; but whilst
he delivered it with one hand to the child, who sprung
forward to receive it, he with the other pushed the poor
innocent into the gulf, where the Giaour with a sullen
muttering incessantly repeated, “ More! more !"
This dreadful device was executed with so much dex-
terity, that the boy who was approaching him remained
unconscious of the fate of his forerunner; and as to
spectators, the shades of evening, together with their
distance, precluded them from perceiving any object
distinctly. Vathek, having in this manner thrown in
the last of the ﬁfty, and expecting that the Giaour, on
receiving them would have presented the key, already
fancied himself as great as Soliman, and consequently


28 THE HISTORY OF
above being amenable for what he had done: when, to
his utter amazement, the chasm closed, and the ground
became as entire as the rest of the plain.
N 0 language could express his rage and despair. He
execrated the perﬁdy of the Indian, loaded him with
the most infamous invectives, and stamped with his foot
as resolving to be heard; he persisted in this demea-
nour till his strength failed him, and then fell on the
earth like one void of sense. His vizirs and grandees,
who were nearer than the rest, supposed him at ﬁrst to
be sitting on the grass at play with their amiable chil-
dren ; but at length prompted by doubt, they advanced
towards the spot and found the Caliph alone, who
wildly demanded what they wanted?
“Our children ! our children !" cried they.
“It is assuredly pleasant,” said he, “to make me
accountable for accidents ; your children while at play
fell from the precipice that was here, and I should have
experienced their fate had I not been saved by a sudden
start back."
At these words the fathers of the ﬁfty boys cried out
aloud, the mothers repeated their exclamations an octave
higher, whilst the rest, without knowing the cause, soon
drowned the voices of both with still louder lamenta-
tions of their own.
“Our Caliph,” said they, and the report soon circu-
lated, “Our Caliph has played us this trick to gratify
his accursed Giaour. Let us punish him for his perﬁdy!
let us avenge ourselves ! let us avenge the blood of the
innocent! let us throw this cruel Prince into the gulf
that is near, and let his name be mentioned no more !"
At this rumour and these menaces, Carathis, full
of consternation, hastened to Morakanabad and said:
“ Vizir, you have lost two beautiful boys, and must


THE CALIPII VA THEK. 29
necessarily be the most afﬂicted of fathers, but you are
virtuous, save your master."
“I will brave every hazard,” replied the vizir, “to
rescue him from his present danger, but afterwards will
abandon him to his fate. Bababalouk," continued he,
“put yourself at the head of your eunuchs; disperse
the mob, and, if possible, bring back this unhappy
Prince to his palace.” Bababalouk and his fraternity,
felicitating each other in a low voice on their disability
of ever being fathers, obeyed the mandate of the vizir;
who, seeonding their exertions to the utmost of his
power, at length accomplished his generous enterprise,
and retired as he resolved to lament at his leisure.
No sooner had the Caliph re-entered his palace than
Carathis commanded the doors to be fastened; but,
perceiving the tumult to be still violent, and hearing
the imprecation which resounded from all quarters, she
said to her son: “\Vhether the populace be right or
wrong, it behoves you to provide for your safety; let
us retire to your own apartment, and from thence
through the subterranean passage, known only to our—
selves, into your tower; there, with the assistance of
the mutes who never leave it, we may be able to make
some resistance. Bababalouk, supposing us to be still
in the palace, will guard its avenues for his own sake;
and we shall soon ﬁnd, without the counsels of that
blubberer Morakanabad, what expedient may be the
best to adopt.
Vathek, without making the least reply, acquiesced
in his mother’s proposal, and repeated as he went:
“ N efarious Giaour! where art thou ? hast thou not yet
devoured those poor children? where are thy sabres?
thy golden key? thy talismans P”
Carathis, who guessed from these interrogations a


30 THE HISTORY OF
part of the truth, had no difﬁculty to apprehend in
getting at the whole, as soon as he should be a little
composed in his tower. This Princess was so far from
being inﬂuenced by scruples, that she was as wicked as
woman could be, which is not saying a little, fordthe
sex pique themselves on their superiority in every com-
petition. The recital of the Caliph, therefore, occa-
sioned neither terror nor surprise to his mother; she
felt no emotion but from the promises of the Giaour,
and said to her son: “This Giaour, it must be con-
fessed, is somewhat sanguiuary in his taste, but the
terrestrial powers are always terrible; nevertheless,
what the one hath promised and the others can confer
will prove a sufﬁcient indemniﬁcation; no crimes should
be thought too dear for such a reward ; forbear then to
revile the Indian ; you have not fulﬁlled the conditions
to which his services are annexed; for instance, is not
a sacriﬁce to the subterranean Genii required? and
should we not be prepared to offer it as soon as the
tumult is subsided? This charge I will take on myself,
and have no doubt of succeeding by means of your
treasures, which, as there are now so many others in
store, may without fear be exhausted.”
Accordingly the Princess, who possessed the most
consummate skill in the art of persuasion, went im~
mediately back through the subterranean passage; and,
presenting herself to the populace from a window of the
palace, began to harangue them with all the address of
which she was mistress, whilst Bababalouk showered
money from both hands amongst the crowd, who by these
united means were soon appeased; every person retired
to his home and Carathis returned to the tower.
Prayer at break of day was announced, when Carathis
and Vathek ascended the steps which led to the summit


THE CALIPH' VA THEK. 3!

of the tower, where they remained for some time, though
the weather was lowering and wet. This impending
gloom corresponded with their malignant dispositions;
but when the sun began to break through the clouds
they ordered a pavilion to be raised, as a screen from the
intrusion of his beams. The Caliph, overcome with
fatigue, sought refreshment from repose, at the same time
hoping that signiﬁcant dreams might attend on his
slumbers ; whilst the indefatigable Carathis, followed by
a party of her mutes, descended to prepare whatever she
judged proper for the oblation of the approaching night.
By secret stairs, known only to herself and to her son,
she ﬁrst repaired to the mysterious recesses in which were
deposited the mummies that had been brought from the
catacombs of the ancient Pharaohs; of these she ordered
several to be taken. From thence she resorted to a gal-
lery where, under the guard of ﬁfty female negroes,
mute and blind of the right eye, were preserved the oil
of the most venomous serpents, rhinoceros‘ horns, and
woods of a subtile and penetrating odour procured from
the interior of the Indies, together with a thousand other
horrible rarities. This collection had been formed for a
purpose like the present by Carathis herself, from a pre-
sentiment that she might one day enjoy some_intercourse
with the infernal powers to whom she had ever been
passionately attached, and to whose taste she was no
stranger.
To familiarize herself the better with the horrors in
view, the Princess remained in the company of her
negresses, who squinted in the most amiable manner
from the only eye they had, and leered with exquisite
delight at the skulls and skeletons which Carathis had
drawn forth from her cabinets, whose key she intrusted
to no one; all of them making contortions, and uttering


32 THE HISTORY OF
a frightful jargon, but very amusing to the Princess, till
at- last being stunned by their gibbering, and suffocated
by the potency of their exhalations, she was forced to
quit the gallery, after stripping it of a part of its
treasures.
Whilst she was thus occupied the Caliph, who instead
of the visions he expected had acquired in these insub-
stantial regions a voracious appetite, was greatly pro-
voked at the negresses ; for, having totally forgotten
their deafness, he had impatiently asked them for food,
and seeing them regardless of his demand, he began to
cuff, pinch, and push them, till Carathis arrived to ter-
minate a scene so indecent, to the great content of these
miserable creatures, who, having been brought up by
her, understood all her signs, and communicated in the
same way their thoughts in return.
“Son! what means all this?” said she, panting for
breath. “ I thought I heard as I came up, the shrieks
of a thousand bats tearing from their crannies in the re-
cesses of a cavern; and it was the outcry only of these
poor mutes, whom you were so unmercifully abusing.
In truth you but ill deserve the admirable provision I
have brought you.”
“ Give it me instantly,” exclaimed the Caliph; “ I am
perishing for hunger l”
“ As to that,” answered she, “ you must have an excel-
lent stomach, if it can digest what I have been pre-
paring."
“Be quick,” replied the Caliph; “ but, oh heavens!
what horrors! what do you intend ?"
“ Come, come,“ returned Carathis, “be not so squea-
mish, but help me to arrange everything properly, and
you shall see that what you reject with such symptoms
of disgust will soon complete your felicity. Let us get


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 3;
ready the pile for the sacriﬁce of to-night, and think not
of eating till that is performed; know you not that all
solemn rites are preceded by a rigorous abstinence ?"
The Caliph, not daring to Object, abandoned him-
self to grief and the wind that ravaged his entrails,
whilst his mother went forward with the requisite opera-
tions. Phials of serpents’ oil, mummies and bones were
soon set in order on the balustrade of the tower; the
pile began to rise, and in three hours was as many cuhits
high. At length darkness approached, and Carathis,
having stripped herself to her inmost garment, clapped
her hands in an impulse of ecstasy and struck light with
all her force. The mutes followed her example; but
Vathek, extenuated with hunger and impatience, was
unable to support himself, and fell down in a swoon.
The sparks had already kindled the dry wood, the veno-
mous oil burst into a thousand blue ﬂames, the mum-
mies dissolving emitted a thick dun vapour, and the
rhinoceros‘s horns beginning to consume, all together
diﬂ‘used such a stench, that the Caliph recovering started
from his trance, and gazed wildly on the scene in full
blaze around him. The oil gushed forth in a plenitude
of streams; and the negresses, who supplied it without
intermission, united their cries to those of the Princess.
At last the ﬁre became so violent, and the ﬂames re-
ﬂected from the polished marble so dazzling, that the
Caliph, unable to withstand the heat and the blaze,
effected his escape, and clambered up the imperial
standard.
In the meantime the inhabitants of Samar-ah, scared
at the light which shone over the city, arose in haste,
ascended their roofs, beheld the tower on ﬁre, and hurried
half naked to the square. Their love to their Sovereign
immediately awoke; and, apprehending him in danger
n


34 THE HISTORY OF

of perishing in his tower, their whole thoughts were oc-
cupied with the means of his safety. Morakanabad ﬂew
from his retirement, wiped away his tears, and cried out
for water like the rest. Bababalouk, whose olfactory
nerves were more familiarized to magical odours, readily
conjecturing that Carathis was engaged in her favourite
amusements, strenuously exhorted them not to be
alarmed. Him however they treated as an old poltroon,
and forbore not to style him a rascally traitor. The
camels and dromedaries were advancing with water, but
no one knew by which way to enter the tower. Whilst
the populace was obstinate in forcing the doors, a violent
east wind drove such a volume of ﬂame against them, as
at ﬁrst forced them off, but afterwards rekindled their
zeal; at the same time the stench of the horns and mum-
mies increasing, most of the crowd fell backward in a.
state of suffocation ; those that kept their feet mutually
wondered at the cause of the smell, and admonished each
other to retire. Morakanabad, more sick than the rest,
remained in a piteous condition; holding his nose with
one hand, he persisted in his eﬁ'orts with the other, to
burst open the doors and obtain admission. A hundred
and forty of the strongest and most resolute at length
accomplished their purpose; having gained the stair-
case by their violent exertions, they attained a great
height in a quarter of an hour.
Carathis, alarmed at the signs of her mutes, advanced
to the stair-case, went down a few steps, and heard
several voices calling out from below: “ You shall in
a moment have water!" Being rather alert, consider-
ing her age, she presently regained the top of the tower,
and bade her son suspend the sacriﬁce for some minutes,
adding: “We shall soon be enabled to render it more
grateful; certain dolts of your subjects, imagining no


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 35
doubt that we were on ﬁre, have been rash enough to
break through those doors which had hitherto remained
inviolate, for the sake of bringing up water; they are
very kind, you must allow, so soon to forget the wrongs
you have done them, but that is of little moment. Let
us offer them to the Giaour; let them come up; our
mutes, who neither want strength nor experience, will
soon dispatch them, exhausted as they are with fatigue."
“Be it so," answered the Caliph, “provided we ﬁnish
and I dine.”
In fact these good people, out of breath from ascend-
ing eleven thousand stairs in such haste, and chagrined
at having spilt by the way the water they had taken,
were no sooner arrived at the top than the blaze of the
ﬂames and the fumes of the mummies at once over-
powered their senses. It was a pity! for they beheld
not the agreeable smile with which the mutes and the
negresses adjusted the cord to their necks; these amiable
personages rejoiced, however, no less at the scene; never
before had the ceremony of strangling been performed
with so much facility; they all fell without the least
resistance or struggle, so that Vathek in the space of a
few moments found himself surrounded by the dead
bodies of his faithfullest subjects, all which were thrown
on the top of the pile.
Carathis, whose presence of mind never forsook her,
perceiving that she had carcasses sufﬁcient to complete
her oblation, commanded the chains to be stretched
across the stair-case, and the iron doors barricadoed,
that no more might come up.
N 0 sooner were these orders obeyed than the tower
shook, the dead bodies vanished in the ﬂames, which at
once changed from a swarthy crimson to a bright rose
colour; an ambient vapour emitted the most exquisite


36 THE HISTORY OF
fragrance, the marble columns rang with harmonious
sounds and the liqueﬁed horns diffused a delicious per-
fume. Carathis, in transports, anticipated the success
of her enterprise, whilst her mutes and negresses, to
whom these sweets had given the colic, retired to their
cells grumbling.
Scarcely were they gone when, instead of the pile,
horns, mummies and ashes, the Caliph both saw and felt,
with a degree of pleasure which he could not express, a
table covered with the most magniﬁcent repast ; ﬁagons
of wine, and vases of exquisite sherbet ﬂoating on snow.
He availed himself without scruple of such an enter-
tainment, and had already laid hands on a lamb stuﬂ'ed
with pistachios, whilst Carathis was privately drawing
from a ﬁligree urn a parchment that seemed to be end--
less; and which had escaped the notice of her son;
totally occupied in gratifying an importunate appetite,
he left her to peruse it without interruption, which
having ﬁnished, she said to him in an authoritative tone,
“Put an end to your gluttony, and hear the splendid
promises with which you are favoured!” She then
read as follows: “Vathek, my well-beloved, thou hast
surpassed my hopes; my nostrils have been regaled by
the savour of thy mummies, thy horns, and still more
by the lives devoted on the pile. At the full of the
moon cause the bands of thy musicians and thy tymbals
to be heard; depart from thy palace surrounded by all
the pageants of majesty; thy most faithful slaves, thy
best beloved wives, thy most magniﬁcent litters, thy
richest loaden camels, and set forward on thy way to
Istakhar; there await I thy coming; that is the region
of wonders; there shalt thou receive the diadem of Gian
Ben Gian, the talismans of Soliman, and the treasures
of the Preadamite Sultans; there shalt thou be solaced
with all kinds of delight. But beware how thou enterest


THE CALIPH VATIIEK. 37
any dwelling on thy route, or thou shalt feel the effects
of my anger."
The Caliph, who, notwithstanding his habitual luxury,
had never before dined with so much satisfaction, gave
full scope to the joy of these golden tidings, and betook
himself to drinking anew. Carathis, whose antipathy to
wine was by no means insuperable, failed not to supply
a reason for every bumper, which they ironically quaffed
to the health of Mahomet. This infernal liquor com-
pleted their impious temerity, and prompted them to
utter a profusion of blasphemies; they gave a loose to
their wit at the expense of the ass of Balaam, the dog
of the seven sleepers, and the other animals admitted
into the paradise of Mahomet. In this sprightly humour
they descended the eleven thousand stairs, diverting
themselves as they went at the anxious faces they saw
on the square through the oilets of the tower, and at
length arrived at the royal apartments by the subterra-
nean passage. Bababalouk was parading to and fro, and
issuing his mandates with great pomp to the eunuchs,
who were snufﬁng the lights and painting the eyes of
the Circassians. No sooner did he catch sight of the
Caliph and his Mother than he exclaimed, “ Hah! you
have then, I perceive, escaped from the ﬂames; I was
not however altogether out of doubt."
“Of what moment is it to us what you thought, or
think?" cried Carathis; “go, speed, tell Morakanabad
that we immediately want him; and take care how you
stop by the way to make your insipid reﬂections."
Morakanabad delayed not to obey the summons, and
was received by Vathek and his mother with great
solemnity; they told him, with an air of composure and
commiseration, that the ﬁre at the top of the tower was
extinguished; but that it had cost the lives of the brave
people who sought to assist them.


38 THE HISTORY OF
“Still more misfortunes!" cried Morakanabad, with
a sigh. “Ah, Commander of the faithful, our holy
Prophet is certainly irritated against us! it behoves you
to appease him.”
“We will appease him hereafter!" replied the Caliph,
with a smile that augured nothing of good. “ You will
have leisure sufﬁcient for your supplications during my
absence; for this country is the bane of my health. I
am disgusted with the mountain of the Four Fountains,
and am resolved to go and drink of the stream of
Rocnabad; I long to refresh myself in the delightful
valleys which it waters. Do you, with the advice of
my mother, govern my dominions, and take care to
supply whatever her experiments may demand; for you
well know that our tower abounds in materials for the
advancement of science."
The tower but ill suited Morakanabad's taste. Im-
mense treasures had been lavished upon it; and nothing
had he ever seen carried thither but female negroes,
mutes and abominable drugs. Nor did he know well
what to think of Carathis; who, like a cameleon, could
assume all possible colours; her cursed eloquence had
often driven the poor mussulman to his last shifts. He
considered, however, that if she possessed but few good
qualities, her son had still fewer; and that the alter-
native on the whole would be in her favour. Consoled,
therefore, with this reﬂection, he went in good spirits to
soothe the populace, and make the proper arrangements
for his master's journey.
Vathek, to conciliate the Spirits of the subterranean
palace, resolved that his expedition should be uncom-
monly splendid. With this view he conﬁscated on all
sides the property of his subjects, whilst his worthy
mother stripped the seraglios she visited of the gems


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 39
they contained. She collected all the sempstresses and
embroiderers of Samarah and other cities to the distance
of sixty leagues, to prepare pavilions, palanquins, sofas,
canopies and litters for the train of the Monarch. There
was not left in Masulipatan a single piece of chintz, and
so much muslin had been bought up to dress out Baha-
balouk and the other black eunuchs, that there remained
not an ell in the whole Irak of Babylon.
During these preparations Carathis, who never lost
sight of her great object, which was to obtain favour
with the Powers of darkness, made select parties of the
fairest and most delicate ladies of the city; but in the
midst of their gaiety she contrived to introduce serpents
amongst them, and to break pots of scorpions, under the
table; they all bit to a wonder; and Carathis would
have left them to bite, were it not that, to ﬁll up the
time, she now and then amused herself in curing their
wounds with an excellent anodyne of her own invention,
for this good Princess abhorred being indolent.
Vathek, who was not altogether so active as his
mother, devoted his time to the sole gratiﬁcation of his
senses, in the palaces which were severally dedicated to
them; he disgusted himself no more with the Divan
or the Mosque. One half of Samarah followed his
example, whilst the other lamented the progress of cor-
ruption.
In the midst of these transactions, the embassy re-
turned which had been sent in pious times to Mecca.
It consisted of the most reverend Moullahs, who had
fulﬁlled their commission and brought back one of those
precious besoms which are used to sweep the sacred
Caaba; a present truly worthy of the greatest potentate
on earth!
The Caliph happened at this instant to be engaged in


40 THE HISTORY OF
an apartment by no means adapted to the reception of
embassies, though adorned with a certain magniﬁcence,
not only to render it agreeable, but also because he
resorted to it frequently, and stayed a considerable time
together. \Vhilst occupied in this retreat, he heard the
voice of Bababalouk calling out from between the door
and the tapestry that hung before it: “Here are the
excellent Mahomet Ebn Edris al Shafci, and the sera-
phic Alv Mouhadethin, who have brought the besom
from Mecca, and with tears of joy intreat they may pre-
sent it to your majesty in person."
“Let them bring the besom hither; it may be of
use," said Vathek, who was still employed, not having
quite racked oﬁ‘ his wine.
“ How l” answered Bababalouk, half aloud and
amazed.
“ Obey,“ replied the Caliph, “for it is my sovereign
will; go instantly, vanish; for here will I receive the
good folk, who have thus ﬁlled thee with joy."
The eunuch departed muttering, and bade the vener-
able train attend him. A sacred rapture was dilfused
amongst these reverend old men. Though fatigued
with the length of their expedition, they followed Ba-
babalouk with an alertness almost miraculous, and felt
themselves highly ﬂattered, as they swept along the
stately porticoes, that the Calipb would not receive them
like ambassadors in ordinary in his hall of audience.
Soon reaching the interior of the harem (where, through
blinds of persian, they perceived large soft eyes, dark
and blue, that went and came like lightning) penetrated
with respect and wonder, and full of their celestial mis-
sion, they advanced in procession towards the small
corridors that appeared to terminate in nothing, but
nevertheless led to the cell where the Caliph expected
their coming.


THE CALIPH VA TIIEK. 4!
“What! is the commander of the faithful sick ?" said
Ebn Edris al Shafei in a low voice to his companion.
“Irather think he is in his oratory,” answered Al
Mouhadethin.
Vathek, who heard the dialogue, cried out: “What
imports it you how I am employed? approach without
delay.”
They advanced, and Bababalouk almost sunk with
confusion, whilst the Caliph, without showing himself,
put forth his hand from behind the tapestry that hung
before the door, and demanded of them the besom.
Having prostrated themselves as well as the corridor
would permit, and even in a tolerable semicircle, the
venerable Al Shafei, drawing forth the besom from the
embroidered and perfumed scarves in which it had been
enveloped, and secured from the profane gaze of vulgar
eyes, arose from his associates, and advanced with an
air of the most awful solemnity, towards the supposed
oratory; but with what astonishment! with what horror
was he seized! Vathek bursting out into a villanous
laugh, snatched the besom from his trembling hand, and,
ﬁxing upon some cobwebs that hung suspended from
the ceiling, gravely brushed away till not a single one
remained. The old men, overpowered with amazement,
were unable to lift their beards from the ground; for,
as Vathek had carelessly left the tapestry between them
half drawn, they were witnesses to the whole transac-
tion; their tears gushed forth on the marble, Al Mou-
hadethin swooned through mortiﬁcation and fatigue,
whilst the Caliph, throwing himself backward on his
seat, shouted and clapped his hands without mercy. At
last, addressing himself to Bababalouk: “My dear
black," said he, “go, regale these pious poor souls
with my good wine from Shiraz ; and, as they can boast


41. THE HISTORY OF
of having seen more of my palace than any one besides let
them also visit my ofﬁce courts, and lead them out by the
back steps that go to my stables. Having said this he
threw the besom in their face, and went to enjoy the
laugh with Carathis. Bababalouk did all in his power
to console the ambassadors, but the two most inﬁrm ex-
pired on the spot; the rest were carried to their beds,
from whence, being heart-broken with sorrow and shame,
they never arose.
The succeeding night Vathek attended by his mother
ascended the tower to see if everything were ready for
his journey; for he had great faith in the inﬂuence of
the stars. The planets appeared in their most favour-
able aspects. The Caliph, to enjoy so ﬂattering a sight,
supped gaily on the roof, and fancied that he heard
during his repast loud shouts of laughter resound through
the sky, in a manner that inspired the fullest assurance.
All was in motion at the palace; lights were kept
burning through the whole of the night; the sound of
implements and of artisans ﬁnishing their work, the
voices of women and their guardians who sung at their
embroidery, all conspired to interrupt the stillness of
nature and inﬁnitely delight the heart of Vathek, who
imagined himself going in triumph to sit upon the
throne of Soliman.
The people were not less satisﬁed than himself, all
assisted to accelerate the moment which should rescue
them from the wayward caprices of so extravagant a
master.
The day preceding the departure of this infatuated
Prince was employed by Carathis in repeating to him
the decrees of the mysterious parchment, which she had
thoroughly gotten by heart, and in recommending him
not to enter the habitation of any one by the way ; “ for


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 43
well thou knowest,” added she, “ how liquorish thy taste
is after good dishes and young damsels; let me, there-
fore, enjoin thee to be content with thy old cooks, who
are the best in the world, and not to forget that in thy
ambulatory seraglio there are three dozen pretty faces,
which Bababalouk hath not yet unveiled. I myself
have a great desire to watch over thy conduct, and visit
the subterranean palace, which no doubt contains what-
ever can interest persons like us; there is nothing so
pleasing as retiring to caverns; my taste for dead bodies
and every thing like mummy is decided, and I am con-
ﬁdent thou wilt see the most exquisite of their kind.
Forget me not then, but the moment thou art in posses-
sion of the talismans which are to open to thee the
mineral kingdoms and the centre of the earth itself, fail
not to dispatch some trusty genius to take me and my
cabinet, for the oil of the serpents I have pinched to
death will be a pretty present to the Giaour, who can-
not but be charmed with such dainties." .
Scarcely had Carathis ended this edifying discourse
when the sun, setting behind the mountain of the Four
Fountains, gave place to the rising moon; this planet
being that evening at full appeared of unusual beauty
and magnitude in the eyes of the women, the eunuchs
and the pages, who were all impatient to set forward.
The city re-echoed with shouts of joy and ﬂourishing of
trumpets ; nothing was visible but plumes nodding
on pavilions, and aigrets shining in the mild lustre of
the moon; the spacious square resembled an immense
parterre, variegated with the most stately tulips of the
East.
Arrayed in the robes which were only worn at the
most distinguished ceremonials, and supported by his
Vizir and Bababalouk, the Caliph descended the grand


44 THE HISTORY OF
staircase of the tower in the sight of all his people; he
could not forbear pausing at intervals to admire the
superb appearance which every where courted his view,
whilst the whole multitude, even to the camels with
their sumptuous burthens, knelt down before him. For
some time a general stillness prevailed, which nothing
happened to disturb but the shrill screams of some
eunuchs in the rear; these vigilant guards, having re-
marked certain cages of the ladies swagging somewhat
awry, and discovered that a few adventurous gallant-s
had contrived to get in, soon dislodged the enraptured
culprits, and consigned them with good commendations
to the surgeons of the serail. The majesty of so mag-
niﬁcent a spectacle was not, however, violated by inci-
dents like these. Vathek meanwhile saluted the moon
with an idolatrous air, that neither pleased Morakana-
bad nor the Doctors of the law, any more than the
vizirs and the grandees of his court, who were all as-
sembled to enjoy the last view of their Sovereign.
At length the clarions and trumpets from the top of
the tower announced the prelude of departure; though
the instruments were in unison with each other, yet a
singular dissonance was blended with their sounds; this
proceeded from Carathis, who was singing her direful
orisons to the Giaour, whilst the negresses and mutes
supplied thorough-base without articulating a word.
The good Mussulmans fancied that they heard the sullen
hum of those nocturnal insects which presage evil, and
importuned Vathek to beware how he ventured his
sacred person.
On a given signal the great standard of the Califat
was displayed, twenty thousand lances shone around it,
and the Caliph, treading loyally on the cloth of gold
which had been spread for his feet, ascended his litter
amidst the general awe that possessed his subjects.


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 45
The expedition commenced with the utmost order and
so entire a silence, that even the locusts were heard
from the thickets on the plain of Cat-oul. Gaiety and
good-humour prevailing, six good leagues were past
before the dawn; and the morning star was still glit-
tering in the ﬁrmament when the whole of this numerous
train had halted on the banks of the Tigris, where they
encamped to repose for the rest of the day.
The three days that followed were spent in the same
manner; but on the fourth the heavens looked angry,
lightnings broke forth in frequent ﬂashes, re-echoing
peals of thunder succeeded, and the trembling Circas-
sians clung with all their might to their ugly guardians.
The Caliph himself was greatly inclined to take shelter
in the large town of Gulchissar, the governor of which
came forth to meet him, and tendered every kind of
refreshment the place could supply; but, having exa-
mined his tablets, he suﬁ'ered the rain to soak him almost
to the bone, notwithstanding the importunity of his ﬁrst
favourites. Though he began to regret the palace of
the senses, yet he lost not sight of his enterprise, and
his sanguine expectations conﬁrmed his resolution; his
geographers were ordered to attend him, but the weather
proved so terrible that these poor people exhibited a.
lamentable appearance; and, as no long journeys had
been undertaken since the time of Haroun al Raschid,
their maps of the different countries were in a still worse
plight than themselves; every one was ignorant which
way to turn; for Vathek, though well versed in the
course of the heavens, no longer knew his situation on
earth; he thundered even louder than the elements,
and muttered forth certain hints of the bow-string,
which were not very soothing to literary ears. Dis-
gusted at the toilsome weariness of the way, he deter-
mined to cross over the craggy heights and follow the


4,6 THE HISTORY OF
guidance of a peasant, who undertook to bring him in
four days to Rocnabad. Remonstrances were all to no
purpose; his resolution was ﬁxed, and an invasion com-
menced on the province of the goats, who sped away in
large troops before them. It was curious to view on
these half calcined rocks camels richly caparisoned, and
pavilions of gold and silk waving on their summits,
which till then had never been covered but with sapless
thistles and fern.
The females and eunuchs uttered shrill wailings at
the sight of the precipices below them, and the dreary
prospects that opened in the vast gorges of the moun-
tains. Before they could reach the ascent of the steepest
rock night overtook them, and a boisterous tempest arose
which, having rent the awnings of the palanquins and
cages, exposed to the raw gusts the poor ladies within,
who had never before felt so piercing a cold. The dark
clouds that overcast the face of the sky deepened the
horrors of this disastrous night, insomuch that nothing
could be heard distinctly but the mewling of pages and
lamentations of sultanas.
To increase the general misfortune, the frightful up-
roar of wild beasts resounded at a distance, and there
were soon perceived in the forest they were skirting the
glaring _of eyes which could belong only to devils or
tigers. The pioneers, who as well as they could had
marked out a track, and a part of the advanced guard
were devoured before they had been in the least apprized
of their danger. The confusion that prevailed was ex-
treme; wolves, tigers and other carnivorous animals,
invited by the howling of their companions, ﬂocked
together from every quarter; the crashing of bones
was heard on all sides, and a fearful rush of wings over-
head, for now vultures also began to be of the party.


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 4."
l
The terror at length reached the main body of the
troops which surrounded the monarch and his harem,
at the distance of two leagues from the scene. Vathek
(voluptuously reposed in his capacious litter upon cush-
ions of silk, with two little pages beside him of com-
plexions more fair than the enamel of Franguestan,
who were occupied in keeping oﬁ' ﬂies) was soundly
asleep, and contemplating in his dreams the treasures
of Soliman. The shrieks however of his wives awoke
him with a start, and, instead of the Giaour with his
key of gold, he beheld Babahalouk full of consternation.
“ Sire,” exclaimed this good servant of the most
potent of monarchs, “ misfortune is arrived at its
height; wild beasts, who entertain no more reverence
for your sacred person than for that of a dead ass, have
beset your camels and their drivers ; thirty of the
richest laden are already become their prey, as well as
your confectioners, your cooks, and purveyors; and,
unless our holy Prophet should protect us, we shall
have all eaten our last meal.”
At the mention of eating the Caliph lost all patience;
he began to bellow and even beat himself (for there was
no seeing in the dark). The rumour every instant in-
creased, and Bababalouk, ﬁnding no good could be done
with his master, stopped both his ears against the hurly-
burly of the harem, and called out aloud 2 “ Come, ladies
and brothers! all hands to work; strike light in a mo-
ment! never shall it be said that the Commander of the
faithful served to regale these inﬁdel brutes.”
Though there wanted not in this bevy of beauties a
sufﬁcient number of capricious and wayward, yet on the
present occasion they were all compliance; ﬁres were
visible in a twinkling in all their cages; ten thousand
torches were lighted at once ; the Caliph himself seized


4.8 THE HISTORY OF
a large one of wax; every person followed his example,
and, by kindling ropes ends dipped in oil and fastened
on poles, an amazing blaze was spread. The rocks were
covered with the splendour of sun~shine; the trails of
sparks wafted by the wind communicated to the dry fern,
of which there was plenty. Serpents were observed to
crawl forth from their retreats with amazement and his-
sings, whilst the horses snorted, stamped the ground,
tossed their noses in the air, and plunged about without
mercy.
One of the forests of cedar that bordered their way
took ﬁre, and the branches that overhung the path, ex-
tending their ﬂames to the muslins and chintzes which
covered the cages of the ladies, obliged them to jump out
at the peril of their necks. Vathek, who vented on the
occasion a thousand blasphemies, was himself compelled
to touch with his sacred feet the naked earth.
Never had such an incident happened before. Full of
mortiﬁcation, shame and despondence, and not knowing
how to walk, the ladies fell into the dirt. “ Must I go
on foot l" said one ; “ Must I wet my feet l" cried
another ; “ Must I soil my dress !“ asked a third ; “ Ex-
ecrable Bababalouk !" exclaimed all; “ Outcast of hell!
what hadst thou to do with torches? Better were it to
be eaten by tigers than to fall into our present condition !
we are for ever undone! Not a porter is there in the
army, nor a carrier of camels, but hath seen some part of
our bodies, and what is worse, our very faces I“ On say-
ing this the most bashful amongst them hid their fore-
heads on the ground, whilst such as had more boldness
ﬂew at Bababalouk; but he, well apprized of their hu-
mour and not wanting in shrewdness, betook himself to
his heels along with his comrades, all dropping their
torches and striking their tymbals.


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 4-9
It was not less light than in the brightest of the dog-
days, and the weather was hot in proportion; but how
degrading was the spectacle, to behold the Caliph be-
spattered like an ordinary mortal I As the exercise of
his faculties seemed to be suspended, one of his Ethiopian
wives (for he delighted in variety) clasped him in her
arms, threw him upon her shoulder like a sack of dates,
and, ﬁnding that the ﬁre was hemming them in, set 011'
with no small expedition, considering the weight of her
burden. The other ladies, who had just learnt the use
of their feet, followed her, their guards galloped after,
and the camel-drivers brought up the rear as fast as their
charge would permit.
They soon reached the spot where the wild beasts had
commenced the carnage, and which they had too much
spirit to leave, notwithstanding the approaching tumult
and the luxurious supper they had made; Bababalouk
nevertheless seized on a few of the plumpest, which were
unable to budge from the place, and began to ﬂay them
with admirable adroitness. The cavalcade being got so
far from the conﬂagration as that the heat felt rather
grateful than violent, it was immediately resolved on to
halt. The tattered chintzes were picked up, the scraps
left by the wolves and tigers interred, and vengeance
was taken on some dozens of vultures that were too much
glutted to rise on the wing. The camels, which had
been left unmolested to make sal ammoniac, being num-
bered, and the ladies once more enclosed in their cages,
the imperial tent was pitched on the levellest ground
they could ﬁnd.
Vathek, reposing upon a mattress of down, and tolera-
bly recovered from the jolting of the Ethiopian, who to
his feelings seemed the roughest trotting jade he had
hitherto mounted, called out for something to eat. But
a


50 . THE HISTORY OF
alas ! those delicate cakes which had been baked in silver
ovens for his royal mouth, those rich manchets, amber
comﬁts, ﬂagons of Schiraz wine, porcelain vases of snow,
and grapes from the banks of the Tigris, were all ir-
remediably lost I And nothing had Bababalouk to pre-
sent in their stead but a roasted wolf, vultures (3 la daube,
aromatic herbs of the most acrid poignancy, rotten
truﬁ‘les, boiled thistles, and such other wild plants as
must ulcerate the throat and parch up the tongue. Nor
was he better provided in the article of drink, for he
could procure nothing to accompany these irritating
vviands but a few vials of abominable brandy, which had
been secreted by the scullions in their slippers.
Vathek made wry faces at so savage a repast, and
Bababalouk answered them with shrugs and contortions ;
the Caliph however eat with tolerable appetite, and fell
into a nap that lasted six hours. The splendour of the
sun reﬂected from the white cliﬁ's of the mountains, in
spite of the curtains that enclosed him, at length dis-
turbed his repose ; he awoke terriﬁed, and stung to the
quick by those wormwood-colour ﬂies, which emit from
their wings a suffocating stench. The miserable Mon-
arch was perplexed how to act, though his wits were not
idle in seeking expedients, whilst Bababalouk lay snoring
amidst a swarm of those insects, that busily thronged to
pay court to his nose. The little pages, famished with
hunger, had dropped their fans on the ground, and ex-
erted their dying voices in bitter reproaches on the
Caliph, who now for the ﬁrst time heard the language of
truth. ,
Thus stimulated, he renewed his imprecations against
the Giaour, and bestowed upon Mahomet some soothing
expressions. “Where am I?" cried he; “what are
these dreadful rocks? these valleys of darkness? are


THE C'ALIPH VA THEK. 51
We arrived at the horrible Kaf ? is the Simurgh coming
to pluck out my eyes, as a punishment for undertaking
this impious enterprize?” Having said this he bellowed
like a. calf, and turned himself towards an outlet in the
side of his pavilion; but alas! what objects occurred to
his view? on one side a plain of black sand that ap-
peared to be unbounded, and on the other perpendicular
crags, bristled over with those abominable thistles which
had so severely lacerated his tongue. He fancied how-
ever that he perceived, amongst the brambles and briers,
some gigantic ﬂowers, but was mistaken; for these were
only the dangling palampores and variegated tatters of
his gay retinue. As there were several clefts in the
rock from whence water seemed to have ﬂowed, Vathek
applied his ear with the hope of catching the sound of
some latent runnel, but could only distinguish the low
murmurs of his people, who were repining at their jour-
ney, and complaining for the want of water.
“ To what purpose," asked they, “ have we been
brought hither? hath our Caliph another tower to
build? or have the relentless Afrits, whom Carathis so
much loves, ﬁxed in this place their abode?"
At the name of Carathis Vathek recollected the tablets
he had received from his mother, who assured him they
were fraught with preternatnral qualities, and advised
him to consult them as emergencies might require.
Whilst he was engaged in turning them over, he heard
a shout ofjoy and a loud clapping of hands; the cur-
tains of his pavilion were soon drawn back, and he
beheld Bababalouk, followed by a troop of his favourites,
conducting two dwarfs, each a cubit high, who brought
between them a large basket of melons, oranges and
pomegranates. They were singing in the sweetest tones
the words that follow . LIBRARY .
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS


51. THE HISTORY OF
“We dwell on the top of these rocks in a cabin of
rushes and canes; the eagles envy us our nest; a small
spring supplies us with Abdest, and we daily repeat
prayers which the Prophet approves. We love you, O
commander of the faithful! our master, the good Emir
F akreddin, loves you also; he reveres in your person
the vicegerent of Mahomet. Little as we are, in us
he conﬁdes; he knows our hearts to be good as our
bodies are contemptible, and hath placed us here to aid
those who are bewildered on these dreary mountains.
Last night, whilst we were occupied within our cell in
reading the holy Koran, a sudden hurricane blew out
our lights and rocked our habitation; for two whole
hours a palpable darkness prevailed, but we heard
sounds at a distance which we conjectured to proceed
from the bells of a Caﬁla passing over the rocks; our
ears were soon ﬁlled with deplorable shrieks, frightful
roarings, and the sound of tymbals. Chilled with terror,
we concluded that the Deggial, with his exterminating
angels, had sent forth their plagues on the earth. In
the midst of these melancholy reﬂections we perceived
ﬂames of the deepest red glow in the horizon, and found
ourselves in a few moments covered with ﬂakes of ﬁre;
amazed at so strange an appearance, we took up the
volume dictated by the blessed Intelligence, and, kneel-
ing by the light of the ﬁre that surrounded us, we
recited the verse which says: ‘Put no trust in any
thing but the mercy of Heaven; there is no help save
in‘the holy Prophet; the mountain of Kaf itself may
tremble, it is the power of Alla only that cannot be
moved.’ After having pronounced these words we felt
consolation, and our minds were hushed into a sacred
repose; silence ensued, and our ears clearly distin-
guished a voice in the air, saying: ‘Servants of my


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 53
faithful servant! go down to the happy valley of Fak-
reddin; tell him that an illustrious opportunity now
oﬁ'ers to satiate the thirst of his hospitable heart. The
Commander of true believers is this day bewildered
amongst these mountains, and stands in need of thy
aid.’ We obeyed with joy the angelic mission, and our
master, ﬁlled with pious zeal, hath culled with his own
hands these melons, oranges and pomegranates; he is
following us with a hundred dromedaries laden with the
purest waters of his fountains, and is coming to kiss the
fringe of your consecrated robe, and implore you to
enter his humble habitation, which, placed amidst these
barren wilds, resembles an emerald set in lead." The
dwarfs, having ended their address, remained still
standing, and, with hands crossed upon their bosoms,
preserved a respectful silence.
Vathek in the midst of this curious harangue seized
the basket, and long before it was ﬁnished the fruits
had dissolved in his mouth; as he continued to eat his
piety increased, and in the same breath which recited
his prayers he called for the Koran and sugar.
Such was the state of his mind when the tablets,
which were thrown by at the approach of the dwarfs,
again attracted his eye; he took them up, but was ready
to drop on the ground when he beheld, in large red
characters, these words inscribed by Carathis, which were
indeed enough to make him tremble.
“Beware of thy old doctors, and their puny mes-
sengers of but one cubit high; distrust their pious
frauds, and, instead of eating their melons, impale on a
spit the bearers of them. Shouldest thou be such a fool
as to visit them, the portal of the subterranean palace
will be shut in thy face, and with such force as shall
shake thee asunder; thy body shall be spit upon, and
bats will engender in thy belly."


54 THE HIS TORY 0F
“To what tends this ominous rhapsody?" cries the
Caliph; “and must I then perish in these deserts with
thirst, whilst I may refresh myself in the valley of
melons and cucumbers? Accursed be the Giaour, with
his portal of ebony! he hath made me dance attendance
too long already. Besides, who shall prescribe laws to
me? I forsooth must not enter any one's habitation!
Be it so; but what one can I enter that is not my
own!"
Bababalouk, who lost not a syllable of this soliloquy,
applauded it with all his heart, and the ladies for the
ﬁrst time agreed with him in opinion.
The dwarfs were entertained, caressed and seated with
great ceremony on little cushions of satin. The sym-
metry of their persons was the subject of criticism; not
an inch of them was suffered to pass unexamined;
knick-nacks and dainties were offered in profusion, but
all were declined with respectful gravity. They clam-
bered up the sides of the Caliph's seat, and, placing
themselves each on one of his shoulders, began to
whisper prayers in his ears; their tongues quivered like
the leaves of a poplar, and the patience of Vathek was
almost exhausted, when the acclamations of the troops
announced the approach of Fakreddin, who was come
with a hundred old grey-beards and as many Korans
and dromedaries; they instantly set about their ablu-
tions, and began to repeat the Bismillah; Vathek, to get
rid of these ofﬁcious monitors, followed their example,
for his hands were burning.
The good Emir, who was punctiliously religious and
likewise a great dealer in compliments, made an ha-
rangue ﬁve times more prolix and insipid than his har-
bingers had already delivered. The Caliph, unable any
longer to refrain, exclaimed:


THE 0A LIPH VA THEK- 5 5
“For the love of Mahomet, my dear Fakreddin, have
done! let us proceed to your valley, and enjoy the fruits
that heaven hath vouchsafed you.”
The hint of proceeding put all into motion; the
venerable attendants of the Emir set forward somewhat
slowly, but Vathek, having ordered his little pages in
private to goad on the dromedaries, loud ﬁts of laughter
broke forth from the cages, for the unwieldy curvetting
of these poor beasts, and the ridiculous distress of their
superannuated riders, afforded the ladies no small enter-
tainment.
They descended however unhurt into the valley, by
the large steps which the Emir had cut in the rock; and
already the murmuring of streams, and the rustling of
leaves began to catch their attention. The cavalcade
soon entered a path which was skirted by ﬂowering
shrubs, and extended to a vast wood of palm-trees,
whose branches overspread a building of hewn stone.
This ediﬁce was crowned with nine domes, and adorned
with as many portals of bronze, on which was engraven
the following inscription: “This is the asylum of pil-
grims, the refuge of travellers, and the depository of
secrets for all parts of the world."
Nine pages, beautiful as the day, and clothed in robes
of Egyptian linen, very long and very modest, were
standing at each door. They received the whole retinue
with an easy and inviting air. Four of the most amiable
placed the Caliph on a magniﬁcent taktrevan; four others,
somewhat less graceful, took charge of Bababalouk, who
capered for joy at the snug little cabin that fell to his
share; the pages that remained waited on the rest of the
train.
When everything masculine was gone out of sight,
the gate of a large enclosure on the right turned on its


56 THE HISTORY OF
harmonious hinges, and a young female of a slender
form came forth; her light brown hair ﬂoated in the
hazy breeze of the twilight; a troop of young maidens,
like the Pleiades, attended her on tip-toe. They has-
tened to the pavilions that contained the sultanas, and
the young lady, gracefully bending, said to them:
“ Charming Princesses, every thing is ready; we have
prepared beds for your repose, and strewed your apart-
ments with jasmine; no insects will keep off slumber
from visiting your eyelids, we will dispel them with a
thousand plumes; come then, amiable ladies! refresh
your delicate feet and your ivory limbs in baths of rose
water; and, by the light of perfumed lamps, your ser-
vants will amuse you with tales.
The sultanas accepted with pleasure these obliging
offers, and followed the young lady to the Emir's harem,
where we must for a moment leave them and return to
the Caliph.
Vathek found himself beneath a vast dome, illumi-
nated by a thousand lamps of rock crystal; as many
vases of the same material, ﬁlled with excellent sherbet,
sparkled on a large table, where a profusion of viands
were spread; amongst others were sweetbreads stewed
in milk of almonds, sali'ron soups, and lamb d In creme,
of all Which the Caliph was amazingly fond. He took
of each as much as he was able, testiﬁed his sense of the
Emir's friendship by the gaiety of his heart, and made
the dwarfs dance against their will, for these little
devotees durst not refuse the Commander of the faith-
ful; at last he spread himself on the sofa, and slept
sounder than he had ever before.
Beneath this dome a general silence prevailed, for
there was nothing to disturb it but the jaws of Bababa-
louk, who had untrussed himself to eat with greater ad:-


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 57
vantage, being anxious to make amends for his fast in
the mountains. As his spirits were too high to admit of
his sleeping, and not loving to be idle, he proposed with
himself to visit the harem, and repair to his charge of
the ladies, to examine if they had been properly lubri-
cated with the balm of Mecca, if their eyebrows and
tresses were in order, and, in a word, to perform all the
little ofﬁces they might need. He sought for a long time
together, but without being able to ﬁnd out the door;
he durst not speak aloud for fear of disturbing the Caliph,
and not a soul was stirring in the precincts of the palace ;
he almost despaired of effecting his purpose, when a low
whispering just reached his ear ; it came from the dwarfs,
who were returned to their old occupation, and, for the
nine hundred and ninety-ninth time in their lives, were
reading over the Koran. They very politely invited
Bababalouk to be of their party, but his head was full of
other concerns. The dwarfs, though scandalized at his
dissolute morals, directed him to the apartments he
wanted to ﬁnd; his way thither lay through a hundred
dark corridors, along which he groped as he went, and
at last began to catch, from the extremity of a passage,
the charming gossiping of the women, which not a little
delighted his heart. “ Ah, ha! what, not yet asleep ?"
cried he; and, taking long strides as he spoke, “ did you
not suspect me of abjuring my charge ? I stayed but to
ﬁnish what my master had left.”
Two of the black eunuchs, on hearing a voice so loud,
detached a party in haste, sabre in hand, to discover the
cause; but presently was repeated on all sides: “’Tis
only Bababalouk! no one but Bababalouk i“ This cir-
cumspect guardian, having gone up to athin veil of car-
nation-coloured silk that hung before the doorway, distin-
guished, by means of the softened splendour that shone


'58 , THE HISTORY OF
through it, an oval bath of dark porphyry, surrounded by
curtains festooned in large folds; through the apertures
between them, as they were not drawn close, groups of
young slaves were visible, amongst whom Bababalouk per-
ceived his pupils, indulgingly expanding their arms, as if
to embrace the perfumed water and refresh themselves
after their fatigues. The looks of tender languor, their
conﬁdential whispers, and the enchanting smiles with
which they were imparted, the exquisite fragrance of the
roses, all combined to inspire a voluptuousness, which
even Bababalouk himself was scarce able to withstand.
He summoned up however his usual solemnity, and, in
the peremptory tone of authority, commanded the ladies
instantly to leave the bath. Whilst he was issuing these
mandates the young Nouronihar, daughter of the Emir,
who was sprightly as an antelope, and full of wanton
gaiety, beckoned one of her slaves to let down the great
swing, which was suspended to the ceiling by cords of
silk, and whilst this was doing, winked to her companions
in the bath, who, chagrined to be forced from so soothing
a state of indolence, began to twist it round Bababalouk,
and teaze him with a thousand vagaries. '.
When Nouronihar perceived that he was exhausted
with fatigue, she accosted him with an arch air of re-
spectful concern and said: “ My Lord! it is not by any
means decent, that the chief eunuch of the Caliph, our
Sovereign, should thus continue standing; deign but to
recline your graceful person upon this sofa, which will
burst with vexation, if it have not the honour to re-
ceive you.”
Caught by these ﬂattering accents, Bababalouk gal-
lantly replied : “ Delight of the apple of my eye! I
accept the invitation of thy honeyed lips; and, to say
truth, my senses are dazzled with the radiance that beamsv
from thy charms."


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 59
“Repose then at your case,” replied the beauty, and
placed him on the pretended sofa, which, quicker than
lightning, gave way all at once. The rest of the women,
having aptly conceived her design, sprang naked from
the bath, and plied the swing with such unmerciful jerks,
that it swept through the whole compass of a very lofty
dome, and took from the poor victim all power of respir-
ation ; sometimes his feet rased the surface of the water,
and at others the skylight almost ﬂattened his nose; in
vain did he pierce the air with the cries of a voice that
resembled the ringing of a cracked basin, for their peals
of laughter were still more predominant.
Nouronihar, in the inebriety of youthful spirits, being
used only to eunuchs of ordinary harems, and having
never seen any thing so royal and disgusting, was far
more diverted than all of the rest; she began to parody
some Persian verses, and sung with an accent most de-
murely piquant :
“ O gentle white dove, as thou soar’st through the air,
Vouchsaf'e one kind glance on the mate of thy love;
Melodious Philmnel, I am thy rose;
Warble some couplet to ravish my heart ! ”
The sultanas and their slaves, stimulated by these plea-
santries, persevered at the swing with such unremitted
assiduity, that at length the cord which had secured it
snapt suddenly asunder, and Bababalouk fell ﬂoundering
like a turtle to the bottom of the bath. This accident
occasioned a universal shout; twelve little doors, till now
unobserved, ﬂew open at once, and the ladies in an in-
stant made their escape, after throwing all the towels on
his head, and putting out the lights that remained.
The deplorable animal, in water to the chin, over-
whelmed with darkness, and unable to extricate himself
\
v


60 THE HISTORY OF
from the wrap that embarrassed him, was still doomed
to hear for his further consolation the fresh bursts of
merriment his disaster occasioned. He hustled, but in
vain, to get from the bath, for the margin was become
so slippery with the oil spilt in breaking the lamps, that
at every effort he slid back with a plunge, which re-
sounded aloud through the hollow of the dome. These
cursed peals of laughter at every relapse were redoubled;
and he, who thought the place infested rather by devils
than women, resolved to cease groping and abide in the
bath, where he amused himself with soliloquies, inter-
spersed with imprecations, of which his malicious neigh-
bours reclining on down suffered not an accent to
escape. In this delectable plight the morning sur-
prised him. The Caliph, wondering at his absence, had
caused him to be everywhere sought for. At last he
was drawn forth, almost smothered from the wisp of
linen, and wet even to the marrow. Limping and
chattering his teeth, he appeared before his master, who
inquired what was the matter, and how he came soused
in so strange a pickle ?
“ And why did you enter this cursed lodge ?" an-
swered Bababalouk, gruﬂiy. “ Ought a monarch like
you to visit with his harem the abode of a grey bearded
emir, who knows nothing of life? And with what gra-
cious damsels doth the place, too, abound! Fancy to
yourself how they have soaked me like a burnt crust,
and made me’dance like a jack-pudding the live-long
night through, on their damnable swing. What an
excellent lesson for your sultanas to follow, into whom I
have instilled such reserve and decorum ! " -
Vathek, comprehending not a syllable of all this in-
vective, obliged him to relate minutely the transaction;
but, instead of sympathizing with the miserable suﬁ'erer,


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 61
he laughed immoderately at the device of the swing,
and the ﬁgure of Bababalouk mounting upon it. The
stung eunuch could scarcely preserve the semblance
of respect.
“ Ay, laugh, my lord! laugh,” said he; “but I wish
this Nouronihar would play some trick on you, she is
too wicked to spare even majesty itself."
Those words made for the present but a slight im-
pression on the Caliph; but they not long after re-
curred to his mind.
This conversation was cut short by Fakreddin, who
came to request that Vathek would join in the prayers
and ablutions to be solemnized on a spacious meadow,
watered by innumerable streams. The Caliph found
the waters refreshing, but the prayers abominably irk-
some; be diverted himself however with the multitude
of Calenders, Santons and Dervises, who were con-
tinually coming and going, but especially with the Brah-
mins, Fakirs and other enthusiasts, who had travelled
from the heart of India, and halted on their way with
the Emir. These latter had, each of them, some mum-
mery peculiar to himself. One dragged a huge chain
wherever he went, another an ouran-outang, whilst a
third was furnished with scourges, and all performed to
a charm; some clambered up trees, holding one foot
in the air; others poised themselves over a ﬁre, and
without mercy ﬁlliped their noses. There were some
amongst them that cherished vermin, which were not
ungrateful in requiting their caresses. These rambling
fanatics revolted the hearts of the Dervises, the Calen-
ders and Santons; however the vehemence of their
aversion soon subsided, under the hope that the presence
of the Caliph would cure their folly, and convert them
to the Mussulman faith ; but alas 1 how great was their


6:. THE HISTORY OF
disappointment! for Vathek, instead of preaching to
them, treated them as buﬂ'oons, bade them present his
compliments to Visnow and Ixhora, and discovered a
predilection for a squat old man from the isle of Seren-
dib, who was more ridiculous than any of the rest.
“ Come !” said he, “ for the love of your gods bestow
a few slaps on your chops to amuse me."
The old fellow, offended at such an address, began
loudly to weep; but, as he betrayed a villanous dri-
velling in his tears, the Caliph turned his back and
listened to Bababalouk, who whispered, whilst he held
the umbrella over him: “Your Majesty should be cau—
tious of this odd assembly, which hath been collected I
know not for what. Is it necessary to exhibit such
spectacles to a mighty Potentate, with interludes of
Talapoins more mangy than dogs ? \Vere I you I would
command a ﬁre to be kindled, and at once purge the
earth of the Emir, his harem, and all his menagery.”
“ Tush, dolt,” answered Vathek ; “ and know that all
this inﬁnitely charms me; nor shall I leave the meadow
till I have visited every hive of these pious mendicants.”
Wherever the Caliph directed his course objects of
pity were sure to swarm round him; the blind, the
purblind, smarts without noses, damsels without ears,
each to extol the muniﬁcence of F akreddin, who, as
well as his attendant grey-beards, dealt about gratis
plasters and cataplasms to all that applied. At noon a
superb corps of cripples made its appearance, and soon
after advanced by platoons on the plain, the completest
association of invalids that had ever been embodied till
then. The blind went groping with the blind, the lame
limped on together, and the maimed made gestures
to each other with the only arm that remained; the
sides of a considerable water-fall were crowded by


THE CALIPH' VATHEK. 63
the deaf, amongst whom were some from Pegﬁ with
ears uncommonly handsome and large, but were still less
able to hear than the rest; nor were there wanting
others in abundance with‘hump-backs, wenny necks,
and even horns of an exquisite polish.
The Emir, to aggrandize the solemnity of the festival
in honour of his illustrious visitant, ordered the turf to
be spread on all sides with skins and table—cloths, upon
which were served up for the good Mussulmans pilaus
of every hue, with other orthodox dishes; and, by the
express order of Vathek, who was shamefully tolerant,
small plates of abominations for regaling the rest. This
Prince, on seeing so many mouths put in motion, began
to think it time for employing his own; in spite there-
fore of every remonstrance from the chief of his eunuchs,
he resolved to have a dinner dressed on the spot. The
complaisant Emir immediately gave orders for a table
to be placed in the shade of the willows. The ﬁrst ser-
vice consisted of ﬁsh, which they drew from a river
ﬂowing over sands of gold at the foot of a lofty hill;
these were broiled as fast as taken, and served up with
a sauce of vinegar, and small herbs that grew on Mount
Sinai; for everything with the Emir was excellent and
pious.
The dessert was not quite set on when the sound of
lutes from the hill was repeated by the echoes of the
neighbouring mountains. The Caliph, with an emotion
of pleasure and surprise, had no sooner raised up his
head than a handful of jasmine dropped on his face; an
abundance of tittering succeeded the frolic, and instantly
appeared through the bushes the elegant forms of several
young females, skipping and bounding like roes. The
fragrance diﬁ'used from their hair struck the sense of
Vathek, who, in an ecstasy, suspending his repast, said to
Bababalouk: ‘


64. THE HISTORY OF
“ Are the Peries come down from their spheres? Note
her in particular whose form is so perfect, venturously
running on the brink of the precipice, and turning back
her head, as regardless of nothing but the graceful ﬂow
of her robe; with what captivating impatience doth she
contend with the bushes for her veil! could it be she
who threw the jasmine at me I?”
“ Ayl she it was; and you too would she throw from
the top of the rock,” answered Bababalouk ; “ for that is
my good friend Nouronihar, who so kindly lent me her
swing; my dear lord and master," added he, twisting a
twig that hung by the rind from a willow, “let me cor-
rect her for her want of respect; the Emir will have no
reason to complain, since (bating what I owe to his piety)
he is much to be censured for keeping atroop of girls on
the mountains, whose sharp air gives their blood too brisk
a circulation.
“ Peace, blasphemer,” said the Caliph; “ speak not
thus of her, who over her mountains, leads my heart a
willing captive; contrive rather that my eyes may be
ﬁxed upon hers, that I may respire her sweet breath, as
she bounds panting along these delightful wilds !" On
saying these words Vathek extended his arms towards the
hill, and directing his eyes with an anxiety unknown to
him before, endeavoured to keep within view the object
that enthralled his soul; but her course was as diﬂicult
to follow as the ﬂight of one of those beautiful blue but-
terﬂies of Cashmere, which are at once so volatile and
rare.
The Caliph, not satisﬁed with seeing, wished also to
hear Nouronihar, and eagerly turned to catch the sound
of her voice ; at last he distinguished her whispering to
one of her companions behind the thicket from whence
she had thrown the jasmine : “ A Caliph it must be


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 65
owned is a ﬁne thing to see, but my little Gulchenronz
is much more amiable ; one look of his hair is of more
value to me than the richest embroidery of the Indies;
I had rather that his teeth should mischievously press
my ﬁnger than the richest ring of the imperial treasure ;
where have you left him, Sutlememe? and Why is he now
not here ? "
The agitated Caliph still wished to hear more, but she
immediately retired with all her attendants; the fond
Monarch pursued her with his eyes till she was gone out
of sight, and then continued like a bewildered and be-
nighted traveller, from whom the clouds had obscured
the constellation that guided his way ; the curtain of
night seemed dropped before him ; everything appeared
discolonred; the falling waters ﬁlled his soul with de-
jection, and his tears trickled down the jasmines he had
caught from Nouronihar, and placed in his inflamed
bosom ; he snatched up a shining pebble, to remind him
of the scene where he felt the ﬁrst tumults of love. Two
hours were elapsed, and evening drew on before he could
resolve to depart from the place ; he often, but in vain,
attempted to go ; a soft languor enervated the powers of
his mind; extending himself on the brink of the stream,
he turned his eyes towards the blue summits of the
mountain and exclaimed: “ What concealest thou behind
thee ? what is passing in thy solitudes? Whither is she
gone? 0 heaven l perhaps she is now wandering in thy
grottos, with her happy Gulchenrouz I”
In the meantime the (lamps began to descend, and the
Emir, solicitous for the health of the Caliph, ordered the
imperial litter to be brought. Vathek, absorbed in his
reveries, was imperceptibly removed and conveyed back
to the saloon that received him the evening before.
But let us leave the Caliph, immersed in his new pas-
r


66 THE HISTORY OF
sion, and attend Nouronihar beyond the rocks, where
she had again joined her beloved Gulchenrouz. This
Gulchenrouz was the son of Ali Hassan, brother to the
Emir, and the most delicate and lovely creature in the
world. Ali Hassan, who had been absent ten years on
a voyage to the unknown seas, committed at his depar-
ture this child, the only survivor of many, to the care
and protection of his brother. Gulchenrouz could write
in various characters with precision, and paint upon vel-
lum the most elegant arabesques that fancy could de-
vise ; his sweet voice accompanied the lute in the most
enchanting manner, and when he sung the loves of Meg-
noun and Leileh, or some unfortunate lovers of ancient
days, tears insensibly overﬂowed the cheeks of his audi-
tors; the verses he composed (for, like Megnoun, he too
was a poet) inspired that unresisting languor so fre-
quently fatal to the female heart; the women all doted
upon him; for though he had passed his thirteenth year,
they still detained him in the harem; his dancing was
light as the gossamer waved by the zephyrs of spring,
but his arms which twined so gracefully with those of
the young girls in the dance, could neither dart the lance
in the chase, nor curb the steeds that pastured his
uncle's domains. The bow however he drew with a cer-
tain aim, and would have excelled his competitors in the
race, could he have broken the ties that bound him to
N ouronihar.
The two brothers had mutually engaged their chil-
dren to each other, and Nouronihar loved her cousin
more than her eyes ; both had the same tastes and
amusements, the same long, languishing looks, the same
tresses, the same fair complexions, and when Gulchen-
rouz appeared in the dress of his cousin he seemed to
be more feminine than even herself. If at any time he


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 67
left the harem to visit Fakreddin, it was with all the
bashfulness of a fawn, that consciously ventures from
the lair of its dam ; he was however wanton enough to
mock the solemn old greybeards to whom he was subject,
though sure to be rated without mercy in return ; whenever
this happened he would plunge into the recesses of the
harem, and sobbingrtake refuge in the arms of Nouro-
nihar, who loved even his faults beyond the virtues of
others.
It fell out this evening that, after leaving the Caliph
in the meadow, she ran with Gulchenrouz over the
green sward of the mountain that sheltered the vale
where Fakreddin had chosen to reside. The sun was
dilated on the edge of' the horizon ; and the young peo--
ple, whose fancies were lively and inventive, imagined
they beheld in the gorgeous clouds of the west the
domes of Shadukiam and Ambreabad, where the Peries
have ﬁxed their abode. Nouronihar, sitting on the
slope of the hill, supported on her knees the perfumed
head of Gulchenrouz; the air was calm, and no sound
stirred but the voices of other young girls, who were
drawing cool water from the streams below. The un-
expected arrival of the Caliph, and the splendour that
marked his appearance, had already ﬁlled with emotion
the ardent soul of Nouronihar; her vanity irresistibly
prompted her to pique the Prince's attention, and this
she before took good care to effect whilst he picked up
the jasmine she had thrown upon him. But when
Gulchenrouz asked after the ﬂowers he had culled
for her bosom, Nouronihar was all in confusion; she
hastily kissed his forehead, arose in a ﬂutter, and walked
with unequal steps on the border of the precipice.
Night advanced, and the pure gold of the setting sun
had yielded to a sanguine red, the glow of which, like


68 THE HISTORY OF
the reﬂection of a burning furnace, ﬂushed N ouronihar’s
animated countenance. Gulchenrouz, alarmed at the
agitation of his cousin, said to her with a supplicating
accent:
“ Let us be gone ; the sky looks portentous, the
tamarisks tremble more than common, and the raw
wind chills my very heart; come! let us be gone, 'tis a
melancholy night l”
Then, taking hold of her hand, he drew it towards
the path he besought her to go. Neuronihar uncon-
sciously followed the attraction, for a thousand strange
imaginations occupied her spirit; she passed the large
round of honeysuckles, her favourite resort, without ever
vouchsaﬁng it a glance, yet Gulchenrouz could not help
snatching off a few shoots in his way, though he ran as
if a wild beast were behind.
The young females seeing him approach in such haste,
and according to custom expecting a dance, instantly
assembled in a circle and took each other by the hand;
but Gulchenrouz, coming up out of breath, fell down at
once on the grass. This accident struck with conster-
nation the whole of this frolicsome party ; whilst N on-
ronihar, half distracted, and overcome, both by the vio-
lence of her exercise and the tumult of her thoughts,
sunk feebly down at his side, cherished his cold hands
in her bosom, and chafed his temples with a fragrant
unguent. At length he came to himself, and, wrapping
up his head in the robe of his cousin, entreated that she
would not return to the harem; he was afraid of being
snapped at by Shaban his tutor, a wrinkled old eunuch
of a surly disposition; for having interrupted the stated
walk of Nouronihar, he dreaded lest the churl should
take it amiss. The whole of this sprightly group, sitting
round upon a mossy knoll, began to entertain themselves


THE CALIPH VATHEK. ' 69-
with various pastimes, whilst their superintendents the
cunuchs were gravely conversing at a distance. The
nurse of the Emir's daughter, observing her pupil sit
ruminating with her eyes on the ground, endeavoured to
amuse her with diverting tales, to which Gulchenrouz,
who had already forgotten his inquietudes, listened with
a breathless attention; he laughed, he clapped his hands,
and passed a hundred little tricks on the whole of the
company, without omitting the eunuchs, whom he pro-
voked to run after him, in spite of their age and decrepi-
tude.
During these occurrences the moon arose, the wind
subsided, and the evening became so serene and inviting,
that a resolution was taken to sup on the spot. Sutle<
meme, who excelled in dressing a salad, having ﬁlled
large bowls of porcelain with eggs of small birds, curds
turned with citron juice, slices of cucumber, and. the
inmost leaves of delicate herbs, handed it round from
one to another, and gave each their shares in a large
spoon of Cocknos. Gulchenrouz, nestling as usual in
the bosom of' N ouronihar, pouted out his vermilion
little lips against the offer of Sutlememe, and would
take it only from the hand of his cousin, on whose mouth
he hung like a bee inebriated with the quintessence of
ﬂowers. One of the eunuchs ran to fetch melons, whilst
others were employed in showering down almonds from
the branches that overhung this amiable party.
In the midst of this festive scene there appeared a
light on the top of the highest mountain, which attracted
the notice of every eye; this light was not less bright
than the moon when at full, and might have been taken for
her, had it not been that the moon was already risen.
The phenomenon occasioned a general surprise, and no
one could conjecture the cause; it could not be a ﬁre,


70 THE HISTORY OF
for the light was clear and bluish, nor had meteors ever
been seen of that magnitude or splendour. This strange
light faded for a moment, and immediately renewed its
brightness; it ﬁrst appeared motionless at the foot of
the rock, whence it darted in an instant to sparkle in a
thicket of palm-trees; from thence it glided along the
torrent, and at last ﬁxed in a glen that was narrow and
dark. The moment it had taken its direction, Gulchen-
rouz, whose heart always trembled at anything sudden
or rare, drew Nouronihar by the robe, and anxiously
requested her to return to the harem ; the women were
importunate in seconding the entreaty, but the curiosity
of the Emir’s daughter prevailed; she not only refused
to go back, but resolved at all hazards to pursue the
appearance. Whilst they were debating what was best
to be done, the light shot forth so dazzling a blaze,
that they all ﬁed away shrieking; N ouronihar followed
them a few steps, but, coming to the turn of a little bye
path, stopped, and went back alone ; as she ran with an
alertness peculiar to herself, it was not long before she
came to the place where they had just been supping.
The globe of ﬁre now appeared stationary in the glen,
and burned in majestic stillness. Nouronihar, com-
pressing her hands upon her bosom, hesitated for some
moments to advance ; the solitude of her situation was
new, the silence of the night awful, and every object
inspired sensations which till then she never had felt;
the aﬁ'right of Gulchenrouz recurred to her mind, and
she a thousand times turned to go back, but this lumi-
nous appearance was always before her; urged on by
an irresistible impulse she continued to approach it, in
deﬁance of every obstacle that opposed her progress.
At length she arrived at the opening of the glen;
but, instead of coming up to the light, she found herself


THE UALIPH VATHEK. 7!
surrounded by darkness, excepting that at a consider-
able distance a faint spark glimmered by ﬁts. She
stopped a second time; the sound of water-falls ming-
ling their murmurs, the hollow rustlings amongst the
palm-branches, and the funereal screams of the birds
from their rifted trunks, all conspired to ﬁll her with
terror; she imagined every moment that she trod on
some venomous reptile; all the stories of malignant
Dives and dismal Goules thronged into her memory;
but her curiosity was, notwithstanding, more predomi-
nant than her fears; she therefore ﬁrmly entered a
winding track that led towards the spark, but, being a
stranger to the path, she had not gone far till she began
to repent of her rashness.
“Alas!” said she, “that I were but in those secure
and illuminated apartments where my evenings glided
on with Gulchenrouzl Dear child! how would thy
heart ﬂutter with terror wert thou wandering in these
wild solitudes like me !" At the close of this apostro-
phe she regained her road, and, coming to steps hewn
out in the rock, ascended them undismayed; the light,
which was now gradually enlarging, appeared above her
on the summit of the mountain; at length she dis-
tinguished a plaintive and melodious union of voices,
proceeding from a sort of cavern, that resembled the
dirges which are sung over tombs; a sound likewise,
like that which arises from the ﬁlling of baths, at the
same time struck her ear; she continued ascending, and
discovered large wax torches in full blaze planted here
and there in the ﬁssures of the rock; this preparation
ﬁlled her with fear, whilst the subtle and potent odour
which the torches exhaled caused her to sink almost
lifeless at the entrance of the grot.
Casting her eyes within in this kind of trance, she


72 THE HISTORY OF
beheld a large cistern of gold ﬁlled with a water, whose
vapour distilled on her face a dew of the essence of
roses; a soft symphony resounded through the grot; on
the sides of the cistern she noticed appendages of royalty,
diadems and feathers of the heron, all sparkling with
carbuncles; whilst her attention was ﬁxed on this dis-
play of magniﬁcence, the music ceased, and a voice in-
stantly demanded :
“ For what monarch were these torches kindled, this
bath prepared, and these habiliments, which belong,
not only to the sovereigns of the earth, but even to the
Talismanic Powers?"
To which a second voice answered: “ They are for
the charming daughter of the Emir Fakreddin."
“ What,” replied the ﬁrst, “ for that triﬂer, who con-
sumes her time with a giddy child, immersed in soft-
ness, and who at best can make but an enervated
husband ?"
“And can she," rejoined the other voice, “be amused
with such empty triﬂes, whilst the Caliph, the sovereign
of the world, he who is destined to enjoy the treasures
of the pre-adamite Sultans, a prince six feet high, and
whose eyes pervade the inmost soul of a female, is in-
ﬂamed with the love of her. No! she will be wise
enough to answer that passion alone that can aggran-
dize her glory; no doubt she will, and despise the
puppet of her fancy. Then all the riches this place
contains, as well as the carbuncle of Giamschid, shall be
hers."
“ You judge right,” returned the ﬁrst voice, “ and I
haste to Istakhar to prepare the palace of subterranean
ﬁre for the reception of the bridal pair."
The voices ceased, the torches were extinguished, the
most entire darkness succeeded, and Nouronihar, re-


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 73
covering with a start, found herself reclined on a sofa
in the harem of her father. She clapped her hands,
and immediately came together Gulchenrouz and her
women, who, in despair at having 10st her, had des-
patched eunuchs to seek her in every direction; Shaban
appeared with the rest, and began to reprimand her
with an air of consequence :
“ Little impertinent,” said he, “ whence got you false
keys? or are you beloved of some Genius that hath
given you a pick-lock? I will try the extent of your
power; come, to your chamber! through the two sky-
lights; and expect not the company of Gulchenrouz;
be expeditious! I will shut you up in the double
tower."
At these menaces Nouronihar indignantly raised her
head, opened on Shaban her black eyes, which, since the
important dialogue of the enchanted grot, were consider-
ably enlarged, and said: “ Go, speak thus to slaves, but
‘learn to reverence her who is born to give laws, and
subject all to her power."
She was proceeding in the same style, but was inter-
rupted by a sudden exclamation of “The Caliph! The
Caliph!" The curtains at once were thrown open, and
the slaves prostrate in double rows, whilst poor little
Gulchenrouz hid himself beneath the elevation of a sofa.
At ﬁrst appeared a ﬁle of black eunuchs, trailing after
them long trains of muslin embroidered with gold, and
holding in their hands censers, which dispensed as they
passed the grateful perfume of the wood of aloes; next
marched Bababalouk with a solemn strut, and tossing
his head as not overpleased at the visit; Vathek came
close after, superbly robed, his gait was unembarrassed
and noble, and his presence would have engaged admi-
ration, though he had not been the Sovereign of the


74 THE HIS TORY 0F
world; he approached Nouronihar with a throbbing
heart, and seemed enraptured at the full eﬂ'ulgence of
her radiant eyes, of which he had before caught but a
few glimpses; but she instantly depressed them, and her
confusion augmented her beauty.
Bababalouk, who was a thorough adept in coin-
cidences of this nature, and knew that the worst game
should be played with the best face, immediately made
a signal for all to retire; and no sooner did he perceive
beneath the sofa the little one’s feet, than he drew him
forth without ceremony, set him upon his shoulders, and
lavished on him as he went 06 a thousand odious
caresses; Gulchenrouz cried out, and resisted till his
cheeks became the colour of the blossom of the pome-
granate, and the tears that started into his eyes shot
forth a gleam of indignation; be cast a signiﬁcant glance
at Nouronihar, which the Caliph noticing asked: “Is
that then your Gulchenrouz ?"
“ Sovereign of the world l" answered she, “spare my‘
cousin, whose innocence and gentleness deserve not
your anger !"
“Take comfort,“ said Vathek, with a smile, “he is in
good hands; Bababalouk is fond of children, and never
goes without sweetmeats and comﬁts."
The daughter of Fakreddin was abashed, and suffered
Gulchenrouz to be borne away without adding a word.
The tumult of her bosom betrayed her confusion; and
Vathek, becoming still more impassioned, gave a loose
to his frenzy, which had only not subdued the last faint
strugglings of reluctance, when the Emir suddenly
bursting in, threw his face upon the ground at the feet
of" the Caliph, and said:
“ Commander of the faithful! abase not yourself to
the meanness of your slave."


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 75
“No, Emir,” replied Vathek, “I raise her to an
equality with myself; I declare her my wife, and the
glory of your race shall extend from one generation to
another.”
“Alas! my lord," said Fakreddin, as he plucked off
the honours of his beard, “cut short the days of your
faithful servant, rather than force him to depart from
his word. Nouronihar, as her hands evince, is solemnly
promised to Gulchenrouz, the son of my brother Ali
Hassan; they are united also in heart, their faith is
mutually plighted, and alliances so sacred cannot be
broken."
“What thenl" replied the Caliph bluntly, “would
you surrender this divine beauty to a husband more
woinanish than herself? and can you imagine that Iwill
suffer her charms to decay in hands so inefﬁcient and
nerveless? No! she is destined to live out her life
within my embraces ; such is my will; retire and dis-
turb not the night I devote to the homage of her
charms.”
The irritated Emir drew forth his sabre, presented it
to Vathek, and, stretching out his neck, said in a ﬁrm
tone of voice: “ Strike your unhappy host, my lord! he
has lived long enough, since he hath seen the Prophet’s
Vicegerent violate the rites of hospitality."
At his uttering these words Nouronihar, unable to
support any longer the conﬂict of her passions, sunk
down in a swoon. Vathek, both terriﬁed for her life
and furious at an opposition to his will, bade Fakreddin
assist his daughter, and withdrew, darting his terrible
look at the unfortunate Emir, who suddenly fell back-
ward bathed in a sweat cold as the damp of death.
Gulchenrouz, who had escaped from the hands of
Bababalouk, and was that instant returned, called out


76 THE HISTORY OF
'for help as loudly as he could, not having strength to
atl'ord it himself. Pale and panting, the poor child
attempted to revive Noun-onihar by caresses; and it
happened that the thrilling warmth of his lips restored
her to life. Fakreddin beginning also to recover from
the look of the Caliph, with difﬁculty tottered to a seat,
and after warily casting round his eye to see if this
dangerous Prince were gone, sent for Shaban and Sutle-
meme, and said to them apart:
“My friends! violent evils require as violent reme-
dies; the Caliph has bronght desolation and horror into
my family, and how shall we resist his power? another
of his looks will send me to my grave. Fetch then that
narcotic powder, which the Dervish brought me from
Aracan; a dose of it, the effect of which will continue
three days, must be administered to each of these
children; the Caliph will believe them to be dead, for
they will have all the appearance of death ; we shall go
as if to inter them in the cave of Meimoune, at the
entrance of the great desert of sand, and near the cabin
of my dwarfs. When all the spectators shall be with-
drawn, you, Shaban, and four select eunuchs, shall con-
vey them to the lake, where provision shall be ready to
support them a month; for one day allotted to the sur-
prise this event will occasion, ﬁve to the tears, a fortnight
to reﬂection, and the rest to prepare for renewing his
progress, will, according to my calculation, ﬁll up the
whole time that Vathek will tarry, and I shall then be
freed from his intrusion.”
“ Your plan," said Sutlememe, “is a good one, if it
can but be effected. I have remarked, that N ouronihar
is well able to support the glances of the Caliph,
and that he is far from being sparing of them to her;
be assured therefore, notwithstanding her fondness for


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 77
Gulchenrouz, she will never remain quiet while she'
knows him to be here, unless we can persuade her that
both herself and Gulchenrouz are really dead, and that
they were conveyed to those rocks for a. limited season
to expiate the little faults of which their love was the
cause; we will add that we killed ourselves in despair,
and that your dwarfs, whom they never yet saw, will
preach to them delectable sermons. I will engage that
every thing shall succeed to the bent of your wishes."
“Be it so!" said Fakreddin, “I approve your pro-
posal; let us lose not a moment to give it effect."
They forthwith hastened to seek for the powder,
which, being mixed in a sherbet, was immediately
drunk by Gulchenrouz and Nouronihar. Within the
space of an hour both were seized with violent palpi-
tations, and a general numbness gradually ensued; they
arose from the ﬂoor, where they had remained ever
since the Caliph’s departure, and, ascending to the sofa,
reclined themselves at full length upon it, clasped in
each other’s embraces.
“Cherish me, my dear Nouronihar!" said Gulchen-
rouz; “ put thy hand upon my heart, for it feels as if
it were frozen. Alas! thou art as cold as myself! hath
the Caliph murdered us both with his terrible look ?"
“ I am dying l” cried she in a faltering voice; “ press
me closer, I am ready to expire !"
“Let us die then together," answered the little Gul-
chenrouz, whilst his breast laboured with a convulsive
sigh; “let me at least breathe forth my soul on thy
lips !" They spoke no more, and became as dead.
Immediately the most piercing cries were heard
through the harem, whilst Shaban and Sutlememe per-
sonated with great adroitness the parts of persons in
despair. The Emir, who was sufﬁciently mortiﬁed to


78 THE HISTORY OF
be forced into such untoward expedients, and had now
for the ﬁrst time made a trial of his powder, was under
no necessity of counterfeiting grief. The slaves, who
had ﬂocked together from all quarters, stood motionless
at the spectacle before them; all lights were extin-
guished save two lamps, which shed a wan glimmering
over the faces of these lovely ﬂowers, that seemed to be
faded in the spring-time of life; funeral vestments were
prepared, their bodies were washed with rose-water,
their beautiful tresses were braided and incensed, and
they were wrapped in simars whiter than alabaster.
At the moment that their attendants were placing two
wreaths of their favourite jasmines on their brows, the
Caliph, who had just heard the tragical catastrophe,
arrived; he looked not less pale and haggard than the
Goules, that wander at night among graves; forgetful
of himself and every one else, he broke through the
midst of the slaves, fell prostrate at the foot of the sofa,
beat his bosom, called himself “atrocious murderer ! ”
and invoked upon his head a thousand imprecations;
with a trembling hand he raised the veil that covered
the countenance of Nouronihar, and, uttering a loud
shriek, fell lifeless on the ﬂoor. The chief of the
eunuchs dragged him off with horrible grimaces, and
repeated as he went: “Ay, I foresaw she would play
you some ungracious turn !"
No sooner was the Caliph gone than the Emir com-
mandedbiers to be brought, and forbad that any one should
enter the harem. Every window was fastened, all in-
struments of music were broken, and the Imans began
to recite their prayers ; towards the close of this melan-
choly day Vathek sobbed in silence, for they had been
forced to compose with anodynes his convulsions of rage
and desperation.


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 79
At the dawn of the succeeding morning thewide folding
doors of the palace were set open, and the funeral pro-
cession moved forward for the mountain. The wailful
cries of “ La Ilah illa Alla l" reached to the Caliph, who
was eager to cicatrise himself and attend the ceremonial;
nor could he have been dissuaded, had not his excessive
weakness disabled him from walking; at the few ﬁrst
steps he fell on the ground, and his people were obliged
to lay him on a bed, where he remained many days in
such a state of insensibility, as excited compassion in
the Emir himself.
When the procession was arrived at the grot of Mei-
moune, Shaban and Sutlememe dismissed the whole of
the train, excepting the four conﬁdential eunuchs who
were appointed to remain. After resting some moments
near the biers which had been left in the open air, they
caused them to be carried to the brink of a small lake,
whose banks were overgrown with a hoary moss ; this
was the great resort of herons and storks, which preyed
continually on little blue ﬁshes. The dwarfs instructed
by the Emir soon repaired thither, and, with the help of
the eunuchs, began to construct cabins of rushes and
reeds, a work in which they had admirable skill ; a
magazine also was contrived for provisions, with a
small oratory for themselves, and a pyramid of wood
neatly piled, to furnish the necessary fuel, for the air
was bleak in the hollows of the mountains.
At evening two ﬁres were kindled on the brink of the
lake, and the two lovely bodies, taken from their biers,
were carefully deposited upon a bed of dried leaves
within the same cabin. The dwarfs began to recite the
Koran with their clear shrill voices, and Shaban and
Sutlememe stood at some distance, anxiously waiting
the effects of the powder. At length Nouronihar and.


80 THE HISTORY OF
Gulchenrouz faintly stretched out their arms, and gra-
dually opening their eyes, began to survey with looks of
increasing amazement every object around them; they
even attempted to rise, but, for want of strength fell
back again ; Sutlememe on this administered a cordial,
which the Emir had taken care to provide.
Gulchenrouz, thoroughly aroused, sneezed out aloud,
and raising himself with an effort that expressed his
surprise, left the cabin, and inhaled the fresh air with
the greatest avidity.
“ Yes," said he, “ I breathe again! again do I exist!
I hear sounds! I behold a ﬁrmament spangled over
with stars !"
N ouronihar, catching these beloved accents, extri-
cated herself from the leaves, and ran to clasp Gulchen-
rouz to her bosom. The ﬁrst objects she remarked
were their long simars, their garlands of ﬂowers, and
their naked feet; she hid her face in her hands to reﬂect ;
the vision of the enchanted bath, the despair of her
father, and, more vividly than both, the majestic ﬁgure
of Vathek recurred to her memory; she recollected also
that herself and Gulchenrouz had been sick and dying ;
but all these images bewildered her mind. Not know-
ing where she was, she turned her eyes on all sides, as
if to recognize the surrounding scene ; this singular
lake, those ﬂames reﬂected from its glassy surface, the
pale hues of its banks, the romantic cabins, the bull-
rushes that sadly waved their drooping heads, the storks
whose melancholy cries blended with the shrill voices of
' the dwarfs, everything conspired to persuade them that
the Angel of Death had opened the portal of some other
world.
Gulchenrouz on his part, lost in wonder, clung to the
neck of his cousin ; he believed himself in the region of


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 81'
phantoms, and was terriﬁed at the silence she preserved;
at length addressing her:
“ Speak,” said he, “ where are we? do you not see
those spectres that are stirring the burning coals? are
they Monker and Nakir, come to throw us into them?
does the fatal bridge cross this lake, whose solemn still-
ness perhaps conceals from us an abyss, in which for
whole ages we shall be doomed incessantly to sink ?"
“ N o, my children I " said Sutlememe, going towards
them, “take comfort! the exterminating Angel, who
conducted our souls hither after yours, hath assured us
that the chastisemeut of your indolent and voluptuous
life shall be restricted to a certain series of years, which
you must pass in this dreary abode, where the sun is
scarcely visible, and where the soil yields neither fruits
nor ﬂowers. These,” continued she, pointing to the
dwarfs, “ will provide for our wants, for souls so mun-
dane as ours retain too strong a tincture of their earthly
extraction; instead of meats your food will be nothing
but rice, and your bread shall be moistened in the fogs
that brood over the surface of the lake."
At this desolating prospect the poor children burst into
tears, and prostrated themselves before the dwarfs, who
perfectly supported their characters, and delivered an
excellent discourse of a customary length upon the
sacred camel, which after a thousand years was to con-
vey them to the paradise of the faithful.
The sermon being ended, and ablutions performed,
they praised Alla and the prophet, supped very indif-
ferently and retired to their withered leaves. N ouroni-
bar and her little cousin consoled themselves on ﬁnding
that, though dead, they yet lay in one cabin. Having
slept well before, the remainder of the night was spent
in conversation on what had befallen them, and both,
a


81. THE HISTORY OF
from a dread of apparitions, betook themselves for pro-
tection to one another‘s arms.
In the morning, which was lowering and rainy, the
dwarfs mounted high poles like minarets, and called
them to prayers; the whole congregation, which con-
sisted of Sutlememe, Shaban, the four eunuchs and some
storks, were already assembled. The two children came
forth from their cabin with a slow and dejected pace;
as their minds were in a tender and melancholy mood,
their devotions were performed with fervour. N o sooner
were they ﬁnished, than Gulchenrouz demanded of Sut-
lememe and the rest, “how they happened to die so
opportunely for his cousin and himself ?"
“We killed ourselves," returned Sutlememe, “in
despair at your death."
On this, said Nouronihar, who, notwithstanding what
was past, had not yet forgotten her vision: “And
the Caliph! is he also dead of his grief? and will he
likewise come hither ?"
The dwarfs, who were prepared with an answer, most
demurely replied: “Vathek is damned beyond all re-
demption !"
“I readily believe so,” said Gulchenrouz, “and am
glad from my heart to hear it; for I am convinced it
was his horrible look that sent us hither to listen to
sermons and mess upon rice."
One week passed away on the side of the lake un-
marked by any variety; N ouronihar ruminating on the
grandeur of which death had deprived her, and Gul-
chenrouz applying to prayers and to panniers, along
with the dwarfs, who inﬁnitely pleased him.
Whilst this scene of innocence was exhibiting in the
mountains, the Caliph presented himself to the Emir in
a new light; the instant he recovered the use of his


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 83
senses, with a voice that made Bababalouk quake, he
thundered out: “Perﬁdious Giaour! I renounce thee
for ever ! it is thou who hast slain my beloved N ouroni-
bar! and I supplicate the pardon of Mahomet, who
would have preserved her to me had I been more wise;
let water he brought to perform my ablutions, and let-
the pious Fakreddin be called to offer up his prayers
with mine, and reconcile me to him ; afterwards we will
go together and visit the sepulchre 0f the unfortunate
Nouronihar; I am resolved to become a hermit, and
consume the residue of my days on this mountain, in
h0pe of expiating my crimes.”
Nouronihar was not altogether so content, for though
she felt a fondness for Gulchenrouz, who, to augment
the attachment, had been left at full liberty with her,
yet she still regarded him as but a bauble, that bore no
competition with the carbuncle of Giamschid. At times
she indulged doubts on the mode of her being, and
scarcely could believe that the dead had all the wants
and the whims of the living. To gain satisfaction how-
ever on so perplexing a topic, she arose one morning
whilst all were asleep, with a breathless caution, from
the side of Gulchenrouz, and, after having given him a
soft kiss, began to follow the windings of the lake till it
terminated with a rock, whose top was accessible though
lofty; this she clambered up with considerable toil,
and, having reached the summit, set forward in a run,
like a doe that unwittingly follows her hunter ,though
she skipped along with the alertness of an antelope, yet
at intervals she was forced to desist and rest beneath
the tamarisks to recover her breath. Whilst she, thus
reclined, was occupied with her little reﬂections on the
apprehension that she had some knowledge of the place,
Vathek, who ﬁnding himself that morning but ill at


84. THE HISTOR Y 0F
ease had gone forth before the dawn, presented himself
on a sudden to her view; motionless with surprise, he
durst not approach the ﬁgure before him; which lay
shrouded up in a simar, extended on the ground,
trembling and pale, but yet lovely to behold. At length
Nouronihar, with a mixture of pleasure and afﬂiction,
raising her ﬁne eyes to him, said: “My lord! are
you come hither to eat rice and hear sermons with me ? “
“Beloved phantom !" cried Vathek; “dost thou
speak? hast thou the same graceful form? the same
radiant features? art thou palpable likewise?" and,
eagerly embracing her, added: “ Here are limbs and a.
bosom animated with a gentle warmth! what can such
a prodigy mean ?"
N ouronihar with diﬁ'idence answered : “You know,
my lord, that I died on the night you honoured me
with your visit; my cousin maintains it was from one
of your glances, but I cannot believe him; for to me
they seem not so dreadful. Gulchenrouz died with me,
and we were both brought into a region of desolation,
where we are fed with a wretched diet. If you be
dead also, and are come hither to join us, I pity your
lot; for you will be stunned with the noise of the
dwarfs and the storks; besides, it is mortifying in the
extreme that you, as well as myself, should have lost the
treasures of the subterranean palace.”
At the mention of the subterranean palace the Caliph
suspended his caresses, which indeed had proceeded
pretty far, to seek from Nouronihar an explanation of
her meaning. She then recapitulated her vision, what
immediately followed, and the history of her pretended
death, adding also a description of the place of expiation
from whence she had ﬂed, and all in a manner that
would have extorted his laughter, had not the thoughts


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 85
of Vathek been too deeply engaged. No sooner how-
ever had she ended, than he again clasped her to his
bosom and said:
“ Light of my eyes! the mystery is unravelled; we
both are alive ! 'your father is a cheat, who, for the sake
of dividing, hath deluded us both; and the Giaour,
whose design, as far as I can discover, is that we shall
proceed together, seems scarce a whit better; it shall
be some time at least before he ﬁnd us in his palace of
ﬁre. Your lovely little person in my estimation is far
more precious than all the treasures of the pre-adamite
Sultans, and I wish to possess it at pleasure, and in
open day, for many a moon, before I go to burrow
underground like a mole. Forget this little triﬂer,
Gulchenrouz, and "
“Ah! my lord!" interposed Nouronihar, “let me
entreat that you do him no evil."
“ N o, no !" replied Vathek, “ I have already bid you
forbear to alarm yourself for him; he has been brought
up too much on milk and sugar to stimulate my jealousy;
we will leave him with the dwarfs, who by the bye are
my old acquaintances; their company will suit him far
better than yours. As to other matters, I will return
no more to your father’s; I want not to have my ears
dinned by him and his dotards with the violation of the
rites of hospitality; as if it were less an honour for you
to espouse the Sovereign of the world than a girl dressed
up like a boy! ”
N ouronihar could ﬁnd nothing to oppose in a discourse
so eloquent; she only wished the amorous Monarch had
discovered more ardour for the carbuncle of Giamschid;
but ﬂattered herself it would gradually increase, and
therefore yielded to his will with the most bewitching
submission.


86 THE HISTORY OF
When the Caliph judged it proper he called for Baba-
balouk, who was asleep in the cave of Meimoune, and
dreaming that the phantom of N ouronihar, having
mounted him once more on her swing, had just given
him such a jerk, that he one moment soared above the
mountains, and the next sunk into the abyss; starting
from his sleep at the voice of his master, he ran gasping
for breath, and had nearly fallen backward at the sight,
as he believed, of the spectre by whom he had so lately
been haunted in his dream.
“Ah, my lord i" cried he, recoiling ten steps, and
covering his eyes with both hands : “ do you then per-
form the oflice of a goul ! ’tis true you have dug up the
dead, yet hope not to make her your prey; for after all
she hath caused me to suffer she is even wicked enough
to prey upon you.”
“ Cease thy folly," said Vathek, “ and thou shalt soon
be convinced that it is Nouronihar herself, alive and
well, whom I clasp to my breast; go only and pitch my
tents in the neighbouring valley; there will I ﬁx my
abode with this beautiful tulip, whose colours I soon
shall restore; there exert thy best endeavours to pro-
cure whatever can augment the enjoyments of life, till I
shall disclose to thee more of my will.”
The news of so unlucky an event soon reached the
ears of the Emir, who abandoned himself to grief and
despair, and began, as did all his old greybeards, to
begrime his visage with ashes. A total supineness
ensued, travellers were no longer entertained, no more
plaisters were spread, and, instead of the charitable
activity that had distinguished this asylum, the whole
of its inhabitants exhibited only faces of a half cubit
long, and uttered groans that accorded with their for-
lorn situation.


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 87
Though Fakreddin bewailed his daughter as lost to
him for ever, yet Gulchenrouz was not forgotten. He
despatched immediate instruction to Sutlememe, Shaban
and the dwarfs, enjoining them not to undeceive the
child in respect to his state, but, under some pretence,
to convey him far from the lofty rock at the extremity
of the lake, to a place which he should appoint, as safer
from danger; for he suspected that Vathek int-ended
him evil.
Gulchenrouz in the meanwhile was ﬁlled with amaze-
ment at not ﬁnding his cousin; nor were the dwarfs at
all less surprised; but Sutlememe, who had more pene-
tration, immediately guessed what had happened. Gul-
chenrouz was amused with the delusive hope of once
more embracing N ouronihar in the interior recesses of
the mountains, where the ground, strewed over with
orange blossoms and jasmines, offered beds much more
inviting than the withered leaves in their cabin, where
they might accompany with their voices the sounds of
their lutes, and chase butterﬂies in concert. Sutlememe
was far gone in this sort of description, when one of
the four eunuchs beckoned her aside, to apprize her of
the arrival of a messenger from their fraternity, who
had explained the secret of the ﬂight of N ouronihar,
and brought the commands of the Emir. A council
with Shaban and the dwarfs was immediately held;
their baggage being stowed in consequence of it, they
embarked in a shallop, and quietly sailed with the little
one, who acquiesced in all their proposals; their voyage
proceeded in the same manner till they came to the
place where the lake sinks beneath the hollow of the
rock; but as soon as the bark had entered it, and Gul-
chenrouz found himself surrounded with darkness, he
was seized with a dreadful consternation, and inces-


88 THE HISTORY OF
santly uttered the most piercing outcries; for he now
was persuaded he should actually be damned for hav-
ing taken too many little freedoms in his lifetime with
his cousin.
But let us return to the Caliph, and her who ruled
over his heart. Bababalouk had pitched the tents, and
closed up the extremities of the valley with magniﬁcent
screens of India cloth, which were guarded by Ethio-
pian slaves with their drawn sabres; to preserve the
verdure of this beautiful enclosure in its natural fresh-
ness, the white eunuchs went continually round it with
their red water vessels. The waving of fans was heard
near the imperial pavilion, where, by the voluptuous
light that glowed through the muslins, the Caliph
enjoyed at full view all the attractions of Nouronihar.
Inebriated with delight, he was all ear to her charming
voice which accompanied the lute; while she was not
less captivated with his descriptions of Samarah and the
tower full of wonders, but especially with his relation
of the adventure of the ball, and the chasm of the
Giaour with its ebony portal.
In this manner they conversed for a day and a night;
they bathed together in a basin of black marble, which
admirably relieved the fairness of Nouronihar. Baha-
balouk, whose good graces this beauty had regained,
spared no attention that their repasts might be served
up with the minutest exactness; some exquisite rarity
was ever placed before them; and he sent even to
Schiraz for that fragrant and delicious wine, which had
been hoarded up in bottles prior to the birth of Ma-
homet; he had excavated little ovens in the rock to
bake the nice manchets which were prepared by the
hands of N ouronihar, from whence they had derived a
ﬂavour so grateful to Vathek, that he regarded the ra-


THE CALIPH VATHE'K. 89
gouts of his other wives as entirely maukish; whilst
they would have died at the Emir‘s of chagrin, at ﬁnd-
ing themselves so neglected, if Fakreddin, notwith-
standing his resentment, had not taken pity upon them.
The Sultana Dilara, who till then had been the
favourite, took this dereliction of the Caliph to heart
with a vehemence natural to her character; for during
her continuance in favour, she had imbibed from
Vathek many of his extravagant fancies, and was ﬁred
with impatience to behold the superb tombs of Istakar,
and the palace of forty columns; besides, having been
brought up amongst the Magi, she had fondly cherished
the idea of the Caliph’s devoting himself to the worship
of ﬁre; thus his voluptuous and desultory life with her
rival was to her a double source of afﬂiction. The
transient piety of Vathek had occasioned her some
serious alarms, but the present was an evil of far
greater magnitude; she resolved therefore, without hesi-
tation, to write to Carathis, and acquaint her that all
things went ill; that they had eaten, slept and revelled
at an old Emir’s, whose sanctity was very formidable,
and that after all, the prospect of possessing the treasures
of the pre-adamite Sultans was no less remote than be-
fore. This letter was entrusted to the care of two
woodmen, who were at work on one of the great forests
of the mountains, and, being acquainted with the
shortest cuts, arrived in ten days at Samarah.
The Princess Carathis was engaged at chess with
Morakanabad, when the arrival of these wood-fellers
was announced. She, after some weeks of Vathek’s
absence had forsaken the upper regions of her tower,
because every thing appeared in confusion among the
stars, whom she consulted relative to the fate of her
son. In vain did she renew her fumigations, and extend


92 THE HISTORY OF
previously furnished her with an opiate to stay her
stomach, some of which she imparted to her mutes.
At the fall of night Alboufaki, making a. sudden stop,
stamped with his f00t, which to Carathis, who under-
stood his paces, was a certain indication that she was
near the conﬁnes of some cemetery. The moon shed a
bright light on the spot, which served to discover a long
wall, with a large door in it standing ajar, and so high
that Alboufaki might easily enter. The miserable
guides, who perceived their end approaching, humbly
implored Carathis, as she had now so good an oppor-
tunity, to inter them, and immediately gave up the
ghost. Nerkes and Cafour, whose wit was of a style
peculiar to themselves, were by no means parsimonious
of it on the folly of these poor people, nor could any
thing have been found more suited to their tastes than
the site of the burying ground, and the sepulchres
which its precincts contained; there were at least two
thousand of them on the declivity of a hill; some in the
form of pyramids, others like columns, and in short the
variety of their shapes was endless. Carathis was too
much immersed in her sublime contemplations to stop
at the view, charming as it appeared in her eyes; pon-
dering the advantages that might accrue from her pre-
sent situation, she could not forbear to exclaim:
“ So beautiful a cemetery must be haunted by gouls!
and they want not for intelligence; having heedlessly
suffered my guides to expire, I will apply for directions
to them, and as an inducement will invite them to regale
on these fresh corpses.”
After this short soliloquy she beckoned to N erkes and
Cafour, and made signs with her ﬁngers, as much as to
say, “Go, knock against the sides of the tombs, and
strike up your delightful warblings, that are so like


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 93
to those of the guests whose company I Wish to
obtain."
The negresses, full of joy at the behests of their mis-
tress, and promising themselves much pleasure from the
society of the gouls, went with an air of conquest, and
began their knockings at the tombs; as their strokes
were repeated a hollow noise was heard in the earth,
the surface hove up into heaps, and the gouls on all
sides protruded their noses, to inhale the eﬂiluvia, which
the carcasses of the woodmen began to emit.
They assembled before a sarcophagus of white marble,
where Carathis was seated between the bodies of her
miserable guides; the Princess received her visitants
with distinguished politeness, and, when supper was
ended, proceeded with them to business. Having soon
learnt from them everything she wished to discover, it
was her intention to set forward forthwith on her jour-
ney, but her negresses, who were forming tender con-
nections with the gouls, importuned her with all their
ﬁngers, to wait at least till the dawn. Carathis however,
being chastity in the abstract, and an implacable enemy
to love and repose, at once rejected their prayer, mounted
Alboufaki, and commanded them to take their seats in a
moment; four days and four nights she continued her
route, without turning to the right hand or left; on the
ﬁfth she traversed the mountains and half-burnt forests,
and arrived on the sixth before the beautiful screens
which concealed from all eyes the voluptuous wander-
ings of her son.
It was day-break, and the guards were snoring on
their posts in careless security, when the rough trot of
Alboufaki awoke them in consternation. Imagining
that a group of spectres ascended from the abyss was
approaching, they all without ceremony took to their


94 THE HISTORY OF
heels. Vathek was at that instant with Nouronihar in
the bath, hearing tales, and laughing at Bababalouk
who related them ; but no sooner did the outcry of his
guards reach him, than he ﬂounced from the water like
a carp, and as soon threw himself back at the sight of
Carathis, who, advancing with her negresscs upon Al-
boufaki, broke through the muslin awnings and veils of
the pavilion; at this sudden apparition Nouronihar
(for she was not at all times free from remorse) fancied
that the moment of celestial vengeance was come, and
clung about the Caliph in amorous despondence.
Carathis, still seated on her camel, foamed with indig-
nation at the spectacle which obtruded itself on her
chaste view ; she thundered forth without check or
mercy: “Thou double-headed and four-legged mon-
ster! what means all this winding and writhing? art
thou not ashamed to be seen grasping this limber sapling,
in preference to the sceptre of the pre-adamite Sultans ?
is it then for this paltry doxy that thou hast violated
the conditions in the parchment of our Giaour ‘1’ is it on
her thou hast, lavished thy precious moments? is this
the fruit of the knowledge I have taught thee? is this
the end of thy journey? tear thyself from the arms of
this little simpleton, drown her in the water before me,
and instantly follow my guidance."
In the ﬁrst ebullition of his fury Vathek resolved to
make a skeleton of Alboufaki, and to stuff the skins of
Carathis and her blacks; but the ideas of the Giaour,
the palace of Istakar, the sabres and the talismans, ﬂash-
ing before his imagination with the simultaneousness of
lightning, he became more moderate, and said to his
mother, in a civil but decisive tone: “ Dread lady ! you
shall be obeyed, but I will not drown N ouronihar ; she
is sweeter to me than a Myrabolan comﬁt, and is ena-


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 9;
moured 0f carbuncles, especially that of Giamschid,
which hath also been promised to be conferred upon
her ; she therefore shall go along with us, for I intend
to repose with her beneath the canopies of Soliman; I
can sleep no more without her.”
“ Be it so !" replied Carathis, alighting, and at the same
time committing Alboufaki to the charge of her women.
Nouronihar, who had not yet quitted her hold, began
to take courage, and said with an accent of fondness to
the Caliph 2 “ Dear Sovereign of my soul! I will follow
thee, if it be thy will, beyond the Kaf in the land of the
Afrits; I will not hesitate to climb for thee the nest of
the Simurgh, who, this lady excepted, is the most awful
of created existences.”
“ We have here then," subjoined Carathis, “ a girl
both of courage and science!”
N ouronihar had certainly both; but, notwithstanding
all her ﬁrmness, she could not help casting back a look
of regret upon the graces of her little Gulchenrouz, and
the days of tenderness she had participated with him;
she even dropped a few tears, which Carathis observed,
and inadvertently breathed out with a sigh: “Alas!
my gentle cousin ! what will become of him?”
Vathek at this apostrophe knitted up his brows, and
Carathis inquired what it could mean ?
“ She is preposterously sighing after a stripling with
languishing eyes and soft hair,who loves her," said the
Caliph.
“Where is he?" asked Carathis. “I must be ac-
quainted with this pretty child; for," added she, lower-
ing her voice, “I design before I depart to regain the
favour of the Giaour; there is nothing so delicious in
his estimation as the heart of a delicate boy, palpitating
with the ﬁrst tumults of love." /


96 THE HISTORY OF
Vathek, as he came from the bath, commanded Baha-
balouk to collect the women and other moveables of his
harem, embody his troops, and hold himself in readiness
to march in three days; whilst Carathis retired alone
to a tent, where the Giaour solaced her with encouraging
visions; but at length waking, she found at her feet
Nerkes and Cafour, who informed her by their signs,
that having led Alboufaki to the borders of a lake, to
browse on some moss that looked tolerably venomous,
they had discovered certain blue ﬁshes of the same kind
with those in the reservoir on the top of the tower.
“Ah! ha!" said she, “I will go thither to them;
these ﬁsh are past doubt of a species that, by a small
operation, 1 can render oracular; they may tell me
where this little Gulchenrouz is, whom I am bent upon
sacriﬁcing.” Having thus spoken, she immediately set
out with her swarthy retinue.
It being but seldom that time is lost in the accom-
plishment of a wicked enterprise, Carathis and her
negresses soon arrived at the lake, where, after burning
the magical drugs with which they were always pro-
vided, they, stripping themselves naked, waded to their
chins, Nerkes and Cafour waving torches around them,
and Carathis pronouncing her barbarous incantations.
The ﬁshes with one accord thrust forth their heads
from the water, which was violently rippled by the
ﬂutter of their ﬁns, and, at length ﬁnding themselves
constrained by the potency of the charm, they opened
their piteous mouths, and said: “From gills to tail we
are yours, what seek ye to know ?”
“Fishes,” answered she, “I conjure you, by your
glittering scales, tell me where now is Gulchenrouz ‘1’"
“ Beyond the roc ," replied the shoal in full chorus;
“will this content you? for we do not delight in ex-
panding our mouths."


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 9<7
“ It will,” returned the Princess ; “I am not to learn
that you like not long conversations; I will leave you
therefore to repose, though I had other questions to
propound.” The instant she had spoken the water he-
came smooth, and the ﬁshes at once disappeared.
Carathis, inﬂated with the venom of her projects
strode hastily over the rock, and found the amiable
Gulchenrouz asleep in an arbour, whilst the two dwarfs
were watching at his side, and ruminating their accus-
tomed prayers. These diminutive personages possessed
theﬁgift of divining whenever an enemy to good Mussul-
mans approached; thus they anticipated the arrival of
Carathis, who, stopping short, said to herself: “How
placidly doth he recline his lovely little head! how pale
and languishing are his looks! it is just the very child
of my wishes ! ”
The dwarfs interrupted this delectable soliloquylby
leaping instantly upon her, and scratching her face
with their utmost zeal. But Nerkes and Cafour, be-
taking themselves to the succour of their mistress,
pinched the dwarfs so severely in return, that they both
gave up the ghost, imploring Mahomet to inﬂict his
sorest vengeance upon this wicked woman and all her
household.
At the noise which this strange conﬂict occasioned in
the valley Gulchenrouz awoke,- and, bewildered with
terror, sprung impetuously upon an old ﬁg-tree that
rose against the acclivity of the rocks; from thence
gained their summits, and ran for two hours without
once looking back. At last, exhausted with fatigue, he
fell as if dead into the arms of a good old Genius, whose
fondness for the company of children had made it his
sole occupation to protect them, and who, whilst per-
forming his wonted rounds through the air, happening
:1


98 THE HISTORY OF
on the cruel Giaour at the instant of his growling in
the horrible chasm, rescued the ﬁfty little victims which
the impiety of Vathek had devoted to his maw; these
the Genius brought up in nests still higher than the
clouds, and himself ﬁxed his abode in a nest more
wapacious than the rest, from which he had expelled the
possessors that had built it.
These'inviolable asylums were defended against the
Dives .and the Afrits by waving streamers on which
Were inscribed, in characters of gold that ﬂashed like
lightning, the names of Alla and the Prophet. It was
there that Gulchenrouz, who as yet remained unde-
ceived with respect to his pretended death, thought
himself in the mansions of eternal peace; be admitted
without fear the congratulations of his little friends,
who were all assembled in the nest of the venerable
Genius, and vied with each other in kissing his serene
forehead and beautiful eyelids. This he found to be
the state congenial to his soul; remote from the in-
quietudes of earth, the impertinence of harems, the
brutality of eunuchs, and the lubricity of women; in
this peaceable society his days, months and years glided
on; nor was he less happy than the rest of his com-
panions; for the Genius, instead of burthening his
pupils with perishable riches and the vain sciences of
the world, conferred upon them the boon of perpetual
childhood.
Carathis, unaccustomed to the loss of her prey, vented
a thousand execrations on her negresses for not seizing
the child, instead of amusing themselves with pinching
to death the dwarfs, from which they could gain no
advantage. She returned into the valley murmuring,
and ﬁnding that her son was not risen from the arms of
Nouronihar, discharged her ill-humour upon both. The


‘ THE CALIPH VATHEK. 99
idea however of departing-next day for Istakar, and
cultivating, through the good ofﬁces of the Giaour, an
intimacy with Eblis himself, at length consoled her
chagrin. But Fate had ordained it otherwise.
In the evening, as Carathis was conversing with
Dilara, who, through her contrivance, had 'become of
the party, and whose taste resembled her own, Bababa-
louk came to acquaint her, “that the sky‘towards
Samarah looked of a ﬁery red, and seemed to portend
some alarming disaster." Immediately, recurring to
her astrolabes and instruments of magic, she took the
altitude of the planets, and discovered by her calcu-
lations, to her great mortiﬁcation, that a formidable
revolt had taken place at Samarah; that Motavakel,
availing himself of the disgust which was inveterate
against his brother, had incited commotions amongst
the populace, made himself master of the palace, and
actually invested the great tower, to which Moi-aka-
nabad had retired, with a handful of the few that still
remained faithful to Vathek.
“What!” exclaimed she; “must I lose then my
tower! my mutes! my negresses! my mummies! and,
worse than all, the laboratory in which I have spent so
many a night! without knowing at least if my hair-
brained son will complete his adventure? No! I will
not be the dupe! Immediately will I speed to support
Morakanabad; by my formidable art the clouds shall
sleet hailstones in the faces of the assailants, and shafts of
red-hot iron on their heads ; I will spring mines of ser-
pents and torpedos from beneath them, and we shall soon
see the stand they will make against such an explosion!”
Having thus spoken Carathis hastened to her son, who
was tranquilly banqueting with Nouronihar in his superb
carnation-coloured tent.


:00 THE HISTORY OF
“ Glutton that thou art I" cried she, “ were it not for
me, thou wouldst soon ﬁnd thyself the commander only
of pies. Thy faithful subjects have abjured the faith
they swore to thee; Motavakel thy brother now reigns
on the hill of pied horses, and had I not some slight
resources in the tower, would not be easily persuaded
to abdicate; but, that time may not be lost, I shall only
add four words: Strike tent to-night, set forward, and
beware how thou loiterest again by the way; though
thou hast forfeited the conditions of the parchment, I
am not yet without hope; for it cannot be denied that
thou hast violated to admiration the laws of hospitality,
by seducing the daughter of the Emir after having par-
taken of his bread and his salt. Such a conduct cannot
but be delightful to the Giaour; and if on thy march
thou canst signalize thyself by an additional crime, all
will still go well, and thou shalt enter the palace of
Soliman in triumph. Adieu! Alboufaki and my negresses
are waiting."
The Caliph had nothing to oﬂ‘er in reply; he wished
his mother a prosperous journey, and eat on till he had
ﬁnished his supper. At midnight the camp broke up,
amidst the ﬂourishing of trumpets and other martial in-
struments; but loud indeed must have been the sound
of the tymbals to overpower the blubbering of the Emir
and his long-beards, who, by an excessive profusion of
tears, had so far exhausted the radical moisture, that
their eyes shrivelled up in their sockets, and their hairs
dropped off by the roots. Nouronihar, to whom such a
symphony was painful, did not grieve to get out‘of
hearing; she accompanied the Caliph in the imperial
litter, where they amused themselves with imagining
the splendour which was soon to surround them. The
other women, overcome with dejection, were dolefully


THE CALIPH VA THEK. IOI
rocked in their cages, whilst Dilara consoled herself
with anticipating the joy of celebrating the rites of ﬁre
on the stately terraces of Istakar.
In four days they reached the spacious valley of Roc-
nabad. The season of spring was in all its vigour, and
the grotesque branches of the almond trees in full blos-
som fantastically chequered the clear blue sky ; the
earth, variegated with hyacinths and jonquils, breathed
forth a fragrance which diffused through the soul a
divine repose ; myriads of bees and scarce fewer of San-
tons, had there taken up their abode; on the banks of
the stream hives and oratories were alternately ranged,
and their neatness and whiteness were set off by the
deep green of the cypresses that spired up amongst them.
These pious personages amused themselves with culti-
vating little gardens that abounded with ﬂowers and
fruits, especially musk-melons of the best ﬂavour that
Persia could boast; sometimes dispersed over the mea-
dow, they entertained themselves with feeding peacocks
whiter than snow, and turtles more blue than the sap-
phire; in this manner were they occupied when the
harbingers of the imperial procession began to proclaim:
“Inhabitants of Rocnabad! prostrate yourselves on the
brink of your pure waters, and tender your thanksgivings
to heaven that vouchsafeth to show you a ray of its glory ;
for lo! the Commander of the faithful draws near.”
The poor Santons, ﬁlled with holy energy, having
hustled to light up wax torches in their oratories and
expand the Koran on their ebony desks, went forth to
meet the Caliph with baskets of honeycomb, dates and
melons. But, whilst they were advancing in solemn
procession and with measured steps, the horses, camels
and guards wautoned over their tulips and other ﬂowers,
and made a terrible havoc amongst them. The Santons


THE CALIPH VATHEK. Io;
“ Fancy not,” said Vathek, “ that you can detain me;
your presents I condescend to accept, but beg you will
let me be quiet, for I am not over-fond of resisting
temptation; retire then; yet, as it is not decent for
personages so reverend to return on foot, and as you
have not the appearance of expert riders, my eunuchs
shall tie you on your asses, with the precaution that
your backs be not turned towards me, for they under-
stand etiquette."
In this deputation were some high-stomached sheiks,
who, taking Vathek for a fool, scrupled not to speak
their opinion. These Bababalouk girded with double
cords, and, having well disciplined their asses with
nettles behind, they all started with a preternatural
alertness, plunging, kicking and running foul of each
other in the most ludicrous manner imaginable.
Nouronihar and the Caliph mutually contended who
should most enjoy so degrading a sight; they burst out
in volleys of laughter to see the old men and their asses
fall into the stream; the leg of one was fractured, the
shoulder of another dislocated, the teeth of a third
dashed out, and the rest suffered still worse.
Two days more, undisturbed by fresh embassies, hav-
ing been devoted to the pleasures of Rocnabad, the ex-
pedition proceeded, leaving Shiraz on the right, and
verging towards a large plain, from whence were dis-
cernible on the edge of the horizon the dark summits of
the mountains of Istakar.
At this prospect the Caliph and Nouronihar were
unable to repress their transports; they bounded from
their litter to the ground, and broke forth into such
wild exclamations, as amazed all within hearing. Inter-
rogating each other, they shouted, “Are we not ap-
proaching the radiant palace of light ? or gardens more


104 THE HISTORY OF
delightful than those of Sheddad?" Infatuated mor-
tals! they thus indulged delusive conjecture, unable to
fathom the decrees of the Most High!
The good Genii, who had not totally relinquished the
superintendence of Vathek, repairing to Mahomet in
the seventh heaven, said: “Merciful Prophet! stretch
forth thy propitious arms towards thy Vicegerent, who
is ready to fall irretrievably into the snare which his
enemies, the Dives, have prepared to destroy him; the
Giaour is awaiting his arrival in the abominable palace
of ﬁre, where, if he once set his foot, his perdition will
be inevitable."
Mahomet answered with an air of indignation: “ He
hath too well deserved to he resigned to himself, but I
permit you to try if one eﬁ'ort more will be effectual to
divert him from pursuing his ruin."
One of these beneﬁcent Genii, assuming without delay
the exterior of a shepherd, more renowned for his piety
than all the Derviches and Santons of the region, took
his station near a ﬂock of white sheep on the slope of a
hill, and began to pour forth from his ﬂute such airs of
pathetic melody, as subdued the very soul, and, awakens
ing remorse, drove far from it every frivolous fancy.
At these energetic sounds the sun hid himself beneath
a gloomy cloud, and the waters of two little lakes, that
were naturally clearer than crystal, became of a colour
like blood. The whole of this superb assembly was in-
voluntarily drawn towards the declivity of the hill;
with downcast eyes they all stood abashed, each upbraid-
ing himself with the evil he had done; the heart of
Dilara palpitated, and the chief of the eunuchs with a
sigh of contrition implored pardon of the women, whom
for his own satisfaction he had so often tormented.
Vathek and Nouronihar turned pale in their litter,


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 105
and, regarding each other with haggard looks, reproached
themselves—the one with a thousand of the blackest
crimes, a thousand projects of impious ambition—the
other with the desolation of her family, and the perdition
of the amiable Gulchenrouz. Nouronihar persuaded
herself that she heard in the fatal music the groans of
her dying father, and Vathek, the sobs of the ﬁfty chil-
dren he had sacriﬁced to the Giaour. Amidst these
complicated pangs of anguish they perceived themselves
impelled towards the shepherd, whose countenance was
so commanding, that Vathek for the ﬁrst time felt over-
awed, whilst Nouronihar concealed her face with her
hands.
The music paused, and the Genius, addressing the
Caliph, said: “Deluded Prince! to whom Providence
hath conﬁded the care of innumerable subjects, is it thus
that thou fulﬁllest thy mission? Thy crimes are already
completed, and art thou now hastening towards thy
punishment P Thou knowest that beyond these moun-
tains Eblis and his accursed Dives hold their infernal
empire; and, seduced by a malignant phantom, thou art
proceeding to surrender thyself to them! This moment
is the last of grace allowed thee; abandon thy atrocious
purpose; return; give back N ouronihar to her father,
who still retains a few sparks of life; destroy thy tower
with all its abominations ; drive Carathis from thy
councils ; be just to thy subjects; respect the ministers
of the Prophet; compensate for thy impieties by an ex-
emplary life; and, instead of squandering thy days in
voluptuous indulgence, lament thy crimes on the sepul-
chres of thy ancestors. Thou beholdest the clouds that
obscure the sun; at the instant he recovers his splen-
dour, if thy heart be not changed, the time of mercy
assigned thee will be past for ever."


106 THE HISTORY OF
Vathek, depressed with fear, was on the point of pros~
trating himself at the feet of the shepherd, whom he per-
ceived to be of a nature superior to man; but, his pride
prevailing, he audacioust lifted his head, and, glancing
at him one of his terrible looks, said: “Whoever thou
art, withhold thy useless admonitions; thou wouldst
either delude me, or art thyself deceived. If what I
have done he so criminal as thou pretendest, there
remains not for me a moment of grace; I have traversed
a sea of blood to acquire a. power which will make
thy equals tremble; deem not that I shall retire when
in view of the port, or that I will relinquish her who is
dearer to me than either my life or thy mercy. Let the
sun appear ! let him illumine my career! it matters not
where it may end." On uttering these words, which
made even the Genius shudder, Vathek threw himself
into the arms of Neuronihar, and commanded that his
horses should be forced back to the road.
There was no difﬁculty in obeying these orders, for
the attraction had ceased; the sun shone forth in all his
glory, and the shepherd vanished with a lamentable
scream.
The fatal impression of the music of the Genius re-
mained notwithstanding in the heart of Vathek’s atten-
dants ; they viewed each other with looks of consterna-
tion ; at the approach of night almost all of them
escaped, and of this numerous assemblage there only
remained the chief of the eunuchs, some idolatrous
slaves, Dilara and a few other women, who, like herself,
were votaries of the religion of the Magi.
The Caliph, ﬁred with the ambition of prescribing
laws to the Intelligences of Darkness, was but little
embarrassed at this dereliction; the impetuosity of his
blood prevented him from sleeping, nor did he encamp


THE CALIPH VA THEK. 107
any more as before. Nouronihar, whose impatience if
possible exceeded his own, importuned him to hasten his '
march, and lavished on him a thousand caresses to be-
guile all reﬂection ; she fancied herself already more
potent than Balkis, and pictured to her imagination the
Genii falling prostrate at the foot of her throne. In
this manner they advanced by moonlight, till they came
within view of the two towering rocks that form a kind
of portal to the valley, at whose extremity rose the vast
ruins of Istakar. Aloft on the mountain glimmered the
fronts of various royal mausoleums, the horror of which
was deepened by the shadows of night. They passed
through two villages almost deserted, the only inhabi-
tants remaining being a few feeble old men, who, at the
sight of horses and litters, fell upon their knees and
cried out :
“O heaven! is it then by these phantoms that we
have been for six months tormented? Alas! it was
from the terror of these spectres and the noise beneath
the mountains, that our people have ﬂed, and left us at
the mercy of maliﬁcent spirits l”
The Caliph, to whom these complaints were but un-
promising auguries, drove over the bodies of these
wretched old men, and at length arrived at the foot of
the terrace of black marble; there he descended from
his litter, handing down N ouronihar; both with heating
hearts stared wildly around them, and expected with
an apprehensive shudder the approach of the Giaour;
but nothing as yet announced his appearance.
A deathlike stillness reigned over the mountain and
through the air; the moon dilated on a vast platform
the shades of the lofty columns, which reached from the
terrace almost to the clouds; the gloomy watch-towers,
whose numbers could not be counted, were veiled by no


108 THE HISTORY OF
roof, and their capitals, of an architecture unknown in
the records of the earth, served as an asylum for the
birds of darkness, which, alarmed at the approach of
such visitants, ﬂed away croaking.
The chief of the eunuchs,trembling with fear, besought
Vathek that a ﬁre might be kindled.
“ N o! " replied he, “there is no time left to think of
such triﬁes; abide where thou art, and expect my com-
mands."
Having thus spoken he presented his hand to Nou—
ronihar, and, ascending the steps of a vast staircase,
reached the terrace, which was ﬂagged with squares of
marble, and resembled a smooth expanse of water, upon
whose surface not a leaf ever dared to vegetate; on the
right rose the watch-towers, ranged before the ruins of
an immense palace, whose walls were embossed with
various ﬁgures; in front stood forth the colossal forms
of four creatures, composed of the leopard and the grifﬁn;
and, though but of stone, inspired emotions of terror;
near these were distinguished by the splendour of the
moon, which streamed full on the place, characters like
those on the sabres of the Giaour, that possessed the
same virtue of changing every moment; these, after
vacillating for some time, at last ﬁxed in Arabic letters,
and prescribed to the Caliph the following words :
“Vathek! thou hast violated the conditions of my
parchment, and deservest to be sent back ; but, in favour
to thy companion, and as the meed for what thou hast
done to obtain it, EBLIS permitteth that the portal of
his palace shall be opened, and the subterranean ﬁre
will receive thee into the number of its adorers.”
He scarcely had read these words before the moun-
tain against which the terrace was reared trembled, and
the watch-towers were ready to topple headlong upon


THE CALIPH VATHE'K. - 109
them; the rock yawned, and disclosed within it a stair-
case of polished marble that seemed to approach the
abyss; upon each stair were planted two large torches,
like those Nouronihar had seen in her vision, the cam-
phorated vapour ascending from which gathered into a
cloud under the hollow of the vault.
This appearance, instead of terrifying, gave new
courage to the daughter of Fakreddin. Scarcely
deigning to bid adieu to the moon and the ﬁrmament,
she abandoned without hesitation the pure atmosphere
to plunge into these infernal exhalations. The gait of
those impious personages was haughty and determined ;
as they descended by the effulgence of the torches they
gazed on each other with mutual admiration, and both
appeared so resplendent, that they already esteemed
themselves spiritual Intelligences ; the only circumstance
that perplexed them was their not arriving at the bottom
of the stairs ; on hastening their descent with an ardent
impetuosity, they felt their steps accelerated to such a
degree, that they seemed not walking, but falling from a
precipice. Their progress however was at length im-
peded by a vast portal of ebony, which the Caliph with-
out ditﬁculty recognized ; here the Giaour awaited them
with the key in his hand.
“Ye are welcome," said he to them with a ghastly
smile, “in spite of Mahomet and all his dependants. I
will now admit you into that palace where you have so
highly merited a place."
Whilst he was uttering these words he touched the
enamelled lock with his key, and the doors at once ex-
panded, with a noise still louder than the thunder of
mountains, and as suddenly recoiled the moment they
had entered.
The Caliph and Nouronihar beheld each other with


no ' THE HISTORY OF
amazement, at ﬁnding themselves in a place which,
though roofed with a vaulted ceiling, was so spacious and
lofty that at ﬁrst they took it for an immeasurable plain.
But their eyes at length growing familiar to the gran-
deur of the objects at hand, they extended their view
to those at a distance, and discovered rows of columns
and arcades, which gradually diminished till they ter-
minated in a point, radiant as the sun when he darts his
last beams athwart the ocean; the pavement, strewed
over with gold dust and saffron, exhaled so subtle an
odour as almost overpowered them; they however went
on, and observed an inﬁnity of censers, in which amber-
gris and the wood of aloes were continually burning;
between the several columns were placed tables, each
spread with a profusion of viands, and wines of every
species sparkling in vases of crystal. A throng of
Genii and other fantastic spirits of each sex danced
lasciviously in troops, at the sound of music which issued
from beneath.
In the midst of this immense hall a vast multitude
was incessantly passing, who severally kept their right
hands on their hearts, without once regarding any thing
around them; they had all the livid paleness of death;
their eyes, deep sunk in their sockets, resembled those
phosphoric meteors that glimmer by night in places of
interment. Some stalked slowly on, absorbed in pro-
found reverie; sorne, shrieking with agony, ran furiously
about, like tigers wounded with poisoned arrows; whilst
others, grinding their teeth in rage, foamed along, more
frantic than the wildest maniac. They all avoided each
other, and, though surrounded by a multitude that no
one could number, each wandered at random, unheedful
of the rest, as if alone on a desert which no foot had
trodden.


THE CALIPH VATHEK- ll]
Vathek and Nouronihar, frozen with terror at a sight
so baleful, demanded of the Giaour what these appear-
ances might mean, and why these ambulating spectres
never withdrew their hands from their hearts.
“ Perplex not yourselves,” replied he bluntly, “ with
so much at once, you will soon be acquainted with all;
let us haste and present you to Eblis."
They continued their way through the multitude;
but, notwithstanding their conﬁdence at ﬁrst, they were
not sufﬁciently composed to examine with attention
the various perspectives of halls and of galleries that
opened on the right 'hand and left, which were all illu-
minated by torches and braziers, whose ﬂames rose in
pyramids to the centre of the vault. At length they
came to a place where long curtains, brocaded with
crimson and gold, fell from all parts in striking con-
fusion; here the choirs and dances were heard no longer,
the light which glimmered came from afar.
After some time Vathek and Nouronihar perceived a
gleam brightening through the drapery, and entered a
vast tabernacle carpeted with the skins of leopards; an
inﬁnity of elders with streaming beards, and Afrits in
complete armour, had prostrated themselves before the
ascent of a lofty eminence, on the top of which, upon
aglobe of ﬁre, sat the formidable Eblis. His person
was that of a young man, whose noble and regular
features seemed to have been tarnished by malignant
vapours; in his large eyes appeared both pride and
despair; his ﬂowing hair retained some resemblance to
that of an angel of light; in his hand, which thunder
had blasted, he swayed the iron sceptre that causes the
monster Ouranahad, the Afrits, and all the powers of
the abyss to tremble; at his presence the heart of the
Caliph sunk within him, and for the ﬁrst time, he fell


II: THE HISTORY OF
prostrate on his face. Nouronihar however, though
greatly dismayed, could not help admiring the person
of Eblis; for she expected to have seen some stupendous
Giant. Eblis, with a voice more mild than might be
imagined, but such as transfused through the soul the
deepest melancholy, said :
“ Creatures of clay, I receive you into mine empire;
ye are numbered amongst my adorers; enjoy what-
ever this palace aﬁ'ords; the treasures of the preadamite
Sultans, their bickering sabres, and those talismans that
compel the Dives to open the subterranean expanses of
the mountain of Kaf, which communicate with these;
there, insatiable as your curiosity may be, shall you
ﬁnd suﬁicient to gratify it; you shall possess the exclu-
sive privilege of entering the fortress of Aherman, and
the halls of Argenk, where are pourtrayed all crea-
tures endowed with intelligence, and the various animals
that inhabited the earth prior to the creation of that
contemptible being, whom ye denominate the Father of
Mankind.”
Vathek and Nouronihar, feeling themselves revived
and encouraged by this harangue, eagerly said to the
Giaour:
“ Bring us instantly to the place which contains these
precious talismans.”
“Come!” answered this wicked Dive, with his malig-
nant grin, “come! and possess all that my Sovereign
hath promised, and more."
He then conducted them into a long aisle adjoining
the tabernacle, preceding them with hasty steps, and
followed by his disciples with the utmost alacrity.
They reached, at length, a hall of great extent, and
covered with a lofty dome, around which appeared ﬁfty
portals of bronze, secured with as many fastenings of


THE CALIPH VA. THEK. I I 3
iron ; a funereal gloom prevailed over the whole scene;
here, upon two beds of incorruptible cedar, lay recum-
bent the ﬂeshless forms of the Preadamite Kings, who
had been monarchs of the whole earth; they still pos-
sessed enough of life to be conscious of their deplorable
condition; their eyes retained a melancholy motion;
they regarded each other with looks of the deepest
dejection; each holding his right hand motionless on
his heart; at their feet were inscribed the events
of their several reigns, their power, their pride, and
their crimes; Soliman Raad, Soliman Daki, and Soliman '
Di Gian Ben Gian, who, after having chained up the
Dives in the dark caverns of Kaf, became so presump-
tuous as to doubt of the Supreme Power; all these
maintained great state, though not to be compared with
the eminence iof Soliman Ben Daoud.
This king, so renowned for his wisdom, was on the
loftiest elevation, and placed immediately under the
dome; he appeared to possess more animation than the
rest; though from time to time he laboured with pro-
found sighs, and, like his companions, kept his right hand
on his heart; yet his countenance was more composed,
and he seemed to be listening to the sullen roar of a
vast cataract, visible in part through the grated portals;
this was the only sound that intruded on the silence of
these doleful mansions. A range of brazen vases sur-
rounded the elevation.
“Remove the covers from these cabalistic depositaries,"
said the Giaour to Vathek, “ and avail thyself of the
talismans, which will break asunder all these gates of
bronze; and not only render thee master of the treasures
contained within them, but also of the spirits by which
they are guarded.
The Caliph, whom this ominous preliminary had en-
1


1 14. THE HSTORY OF
tirely disconcerted, approached the vases with faltering
footsteps, and was ready to sink with terror when he
heard the groans of Soliman. As he proceeded a voice
from the livid lips of the Prophet articulated these
words:
“ In my life-time I ﬁlled a magniﬁcent throne, having
on my right hand twelve thousand seats of gold, where
the patriarchs and the prophets heard my doctrines; on
my left the sages and doctors, upon as many thrones of
silver, were present at all my decisions. Whilst I thus
administered justice to innumerable multitudes, the birds
of the air librating over me served as a canopy from the
rays of the sun ; my people ﬂourished, and my palace rose
to the clouds ; I erected a temple to the Most High, which
was the wonder of the universe; but I hasely suﬂ‘ered
myself to be seduced by the love of women, and a eu-
riosity that could not be restrained by sublunary things ;
I listened to the counsels of Aherman and the daughter
of Pharaoh, and adored ﬁre and the hosts of heaven ; I
forsook the holy city, and commanded the Genii to rear
the stupendous palace of Istakar, and the terrace of the
watch-towers, each of which was consecrated to a star ;
there for a while I enjoyed myself in the zenith of glory
and pleasure; not only men, but supernatural exist-
ences were subject also to my will. I began to think, as
these unhappy monarchs around had already thought,
that the vengeance of Heaven was asleep; when at once
the thunder burst my structures asunder and precipi-
tated me hither; where however I do not remain, like the
other inhabitants, totally destitute of hope, for an angel
of light hath revealed that, in consideration of the piety
of my early youth, my woes shall come to an end when
this cataract shall for ever cease to ﬂow; till then I am
in torments, ineﬁ'able tormen ts! an unrelenting ﬁre
preys on my heart."


THE CALIPH VATHEK. 115
Having uttered this exclamation Soliman raised his
hands towards Heaven, in token of supplication, and the
Caliph discerned through his bosom, which was trans-
parent as crystal, his heart enveloped in ﬂames. At a
sight so full of horror Neuronihar fell back, like one
petriﬁed, into the arms of Vathek, who cried out with a
convulsive sob :
“ O Giaour ! whither hast thou brought us? Allow
us to depart, and I will relinquish all thou hast promised.
O Mahomet! remains there no more mercy ?"
“ None! none 1 " replied the malicious Dive. “ Know
miserable prince! thou art now in the abode of ven-
geance and despair; thy heart also will be kindled, like
those of the other votaries of Eblis. A few days are
allotted thee previous to this fatal period; employ them
as thou wilt; recline on these heaps of gold; command
the Infernal Potentates; range at thy pleasure through
these immense subterranean domains; no barrier shall
be shut against thee; as for me, I have fulﬁlled my mis-
sion ; I now leave thee to thyself." At these words he
vanished.
The Caliph and Nouronihar remained in the most ab-
ject afﬂiction; their tears unable to ﬂow, scarcely could
they support themselves. At length, taking each other
despondingly by the hand, they went faltering from this
fatal hall, indifferent which way they turned their steps;
every portal opened at their approach; the Dives fell
prostrate before them; every reservoir of riches was
disclosed to their view ; but they no longer felt the in-
centives of curiosity, pride or avarice. With like
apathy they heard the chorus of Genii, and saw the
stately banquets prepared to regale them; they went
wandering on from chamber to chamber, hall to hall,
and gallery to gallery, all without bounds or limit, all
distinguishable by the same lowering gloom, all adorned


116 THE HISTORY OF

with the same awful grandeur, all traversed by persons
in search of repose and consolation, but who sought
them in vain; for, every one carried within him a
heart tormented in ﬂames: shunned by these various
sufferers, who seemed by their looks to be upbraiding
the partners of their guilt, they withdrew from them to
wait in direful suspense the moment which should ren-
der them to each other the like objects of terror.
“ What ! " exclaimed Nouronihar; “ will the time
come when I shall snatch my hand from thine ?"
“Ah! ' said Vathek; “ and shall my eyes ever cease
to drink from thine long draughts of enjoyment! Shall
the moments of our reciprocal ecstasies be reﬂected on
with horror! It was not thou that broughtest me hither ;
the principles by which Carathis perverted my youth,
have been the sole cause of my perdition!" Having
given vent to these painful expressions, he called to an
Afrit, who was stirring up one of the braziers, and bade
him fetch the Princess Carathis from the palace of Sa-
marah.
After issuing these orders, the Caliph and Nouroni-
har continued walking amidst the silent crowd, till they
heard voices at the end of the gallery; presuming
them to proceed from some unhappy beings, who like
themselves were awaiting their ﬁnal doom, they followed
the sound, and found it to come from a small square
chamber, where they discovered sitting on sofas ﬁve
young men of goodly ﬁgure, and a lovely female, who
were all holding a. melancholy conversation by the
glimmering of a lonely lamp; each had a gloomy and
forlorn air, and two of them were embracing each other
with great tenderness. On seeing the Caliph and the
daughter of Fakreddin enter, they arose, saluted and
gave them place; then he who appeared the most con-


THE CALIPH VA THEK. I I7
siderable of the group addressed himself thus to
Vathek.
“Strangers! who doubtless are in the same state of
suspense with ourselves, as you do not yet hear your
hand on your heart, if you are come hither to pass
the interval allotted previous to the inﬂiction of our
common punishment, condescend to relate the adven-
tures that have brought you to this fatal place, and we
in return will acquaint you with ours, which deserve
but too well to be heard; we will trace back our crimes
to their source, though we are not permitted to repent;
this is the only employment suited to wretches like
us !"
The Caliph and Nouronihar assented to the proposal,
and Vathek began, not without tears and lamentations,
a sincere recital of every circumstance that had passed.
When the aﬁlicting narrative was closed, the young man
entered on his own.* Each person proceeded in order,
and when the fourth prince had reached the midst of
his adventures, a sudden noise interrupted him, which
caused the vault to tremble and to open.
Immediately a cloud descended, which gradually dis-
sipating, discovered Carathis on the back of an Afrit,
who grievously complained of his burden. She, in-
stantly springing to the ground, advanced towards her
son and said:
“ What dost thou here in this little square chamber?

' See note to the Author’s French preface; Beckford has
here added the titles of three stories related in the Hall of
Eblis. This is all that he has done, the three titles given be-
ing inserted in the third French edition, but not in the English
preface, between the paragraphs separated by an asterisk.
Beckford does not appear ever to have proceeded further with
these tales than the titles.


118 THE HISTORY OFv
As the Dives are become subject to thy beck, I ex-
pected to have found thee on the throne of the Pre-
adamite Kings.”
“ Execrable woman! " answered the Caliph; “cursed
be the day thou gavest Ine birth! go, follow this Afrit,
let him conduct thee to the hall of the Prophet Soli-
man; there thou wilt learn to what these palaces are
destined, and how much I ought to abhor the impious
knowledge thou hast taught me."
“ The height of power, to which thou art arrived, has
certainly turned thy brain," answered Carathis; “ but
I ask no more than permission to show my respect for
the Prophet. It is however proper thou shouldest know,
that (as the Afrit has informed me neither of us shall
return to Samarah) I requested his permission to
arrange my alfairs, and he politely consented; availing
myself therefore of the few moments allowed me, I set
ﬁre to the tower, and consumed in it the mutes,
negresses, and serpents which have rendered me so
much good service; nor should I have been less kind
to Morakanabad, had he not prevented me, by deserting
at last to thy brother. As for Bababalouk, who had the
folly to return to Samarah, and all the good brother-
hood to provide husbands for thy wives, I undoubtedly
would have put them to the torture, could I but have
allowed them the time; being however in a hurry, I
only hung him after having caught him in a snare with
thy wives, whilst them I buried alive by the help of my
negresses, who thus spent their last moments greatly to
their satisfaction. With respect to Dilara, who ever
stood high in my favour, she hath evinced the greatness
of her mind by ﬁxing herself near in the service of one
of the Magi, and I think will soon be our own.”
Vathek, too much cast down to express the indig-


THE CALIPH VA. THEK. 119
nation excited by such a discourse, ordered the Afrit to
remove Carathis from his presence, and continued im-
mersed in thought, which his companion durst not disturb.
Carathis however eagerly entered the dome of Soli-
man, and, without regarding in the least the groans of
the Prophet, undauntedly removed the covers of the
vases, and violently seized on the talismans; then, with
a voice more loud than had hitherto been heard within
these mansions, she compelled the Dives to disclose to
her the most secret treasures, the most profound stores,
which the Afrit himself had not seen; she passed by
rapid descents known only to Eblis and his most
favoured potentates, and thus penetrated the very
entrails of the earth, where breathes the Sansar, or icy
wind of death; nothing appalled her dauntless soul;
she perceived however in all the inmates who bore their
hands on their heart a little singularity, not much to
her taste. As she was emerging from one of the
abysses, Eblis stood forth to her view, but, notwith-
standing he displayed the full eﬁ'ulgence of his infernal
majesty, she preserved her countenance unaltered, and
even paid her compliments with considerable ﬁrmness.
This superb Monarch thus answered: “Princess,
whose knowledge and whose crimes have merited a
conspicuous rank in my empire, thou dost well to employ
the leisure that remains; for the ﬂames and torments,
which are ready to seize on thy heart, will not fail to
provide thee with full employment." He said this, and
was lost in the curtains of his tabernacle.
Carathis paused for a moment with surprise; but,
resolved to follow the advice of Eblis, she assembled
all the choirs of Genii, and all the Dives, to pay her
homage; thus marched she in triumph through avapour
of perfumes, amidst the acclamations of all the malig-


no THE HISTORY OF
nant spirits, with most of whom she had formed a pre-
vious acquaintance ; she even attempted to dethrone
one of the Solimans for the purpose of usurping his
place, when a voice, proceeding from the abyss of Death,
proclaimed, “All is accomplished ! " Instantaneoust
the haughty forehead of the intrepid Princess was cor-
rugated with agony; she uttered a tremendous yell, and
ﬁxed, no more to be withdrawn, her right hand upon
her heart, which was become a receptacle of eternal ﬁre.
In this delirium, forgetting all ambitious projects and
her thirst for that knowledge which should ever be
hidden from mortals, she overturned the offerings of the
Genii, and, having execrated the hour she was begotten
and the womb that had borne her, glanced of in a whirl
that rendered her invisible, and continued to revolve
without intermission.
At almost the same instant the samevoice announced to
the Caliph, Nouronihar, the ﬁve princes, and the princess,
the awful and irrevocable decree. Their hearts immedi-
ately took ﬁre, and they at once lost the most precioustof the
gifts of heaven—Hope. These unhappy beings recoiled
with looks of the most furious distraction; Vathek beheld
in the eyes of N ouronihar nothing buhrage and vengeance,
nor could she discern aught in his but aversion and
despair. The two princes who were friends, and till
that moment had preserved their attachment, shrunk
back, gnashing their teeth with mutual and unchange-
able hatred. Kalilah and his sister made reciprocal
gestures of imprecation, whilst the two other princes
testiﬁed their horror for each other by the most ghastly
convulsions, and screams that could not be smothered.
All severally plunged themselves into the accursed
multitude, there to wander in an eternity of unabating
anguish.


THE CALI PH VA. THEK. 1 z r

Such was, and such should be, the punishment of
unrestrained passions and atrocious actions! Such is,
and such should be, the chastisement of blind ambition,
that would transgress those bounds which the Creator
hath prescribed to human knowledge; and, by aiming
at discoveries reserved for pure Intelligence, acquire
that infatuated pride, which perceives not the condition
appointed to man is to be ignorant and humble.
Thus the Caliph Vathek, who, for the sake of empty
pomp and forbidden power, had sullied himself with a
thousand crimes, became a prey to grief without end,
and remorse without mitigation; whilst the humble and
despised Gulchenrouz passed whole ages in undisturbed
tranquillity, and the pure happiness of childhood.


NOTES.
PAGE 1.
‘ ALIPH. This title amongst the Mahometans
comprehends the concrete character of prophet,
priest, and king, and is used to signify the Vicar
_ of God on earth. Habesci’s State of the Ottoman
Empire, p. 9; Herbelot, p. 985.
One of his eyes became so terrible. The author of Nighi-
aristan hath preserved a fact that supports this account; and
there is no history of Vathek in which his terrible eye is not
mentioned.
Omar Ben Abdalaziz. This caliph was eminent above all
others for temperance and self-denial, insomuch that he is be-
lieved to have been raised to Mahomet’s bosom, as a reward for
his abstinence in an age of corruption. Herbelot, p. 690.
P. 2. Samarah. A city of the Babylonian Irak, supposed
to have stood on the site where Nimrod erected his tower.
Khondemir relates, in his life of Motassem, that this prince, to
terminate the disputes which were perpetually happening be—
tween the inhabitants of Bagdat and his Turkish slaves, wit-h-
drew from thence, and, having ﬁxed on a situation in the plain
of Gatoul, there founded Samarah; he is said to have had in
the stables of this city a hundred and thirty thousand pied
horses, each of which carried by his order a_sack of earth to a
place he had chosen; by this accumulation an elevation was


17.4, NOTES.
formed that commanded a view of all Samarah, and served for
the foundation of his magniﬁcent palace. Herbelot, p. 752,
808, 985; Anecdotes Arabes, p. 413.
In the most delightful succession. The great men of the
East have been always fond of music. Though forbidden by
the Mahometan religion, it commonly makes a. part of every
entertainment; female slaves are generally kept to amuse
them and the ladies of their harems. The Persian Khan-
yagere seems nearly to have resembled our old English min-
strel, as he usually accompanied his barbut, or lute, with
heroic songs; their musicians appear to have known the art of
moving the passions, and to have generally directed their
music to the heart. Al Farabi, a philosopher, who died about
the middle of the tenth century, on his return from the pil-
grimage of Mecca, introduced himself, though a stranger, at
the court of Seifeddoula, sultan of Syria; musicians were acci-
dentally performing, and he joined them,- the prince admired
him, and wished to hear something of his own; he drew a
composition from his pocket, and distributing the parts amongst
the band, the ﬁrst movement threw the prince and his courtiers
into violent laughter, the next melted all into tears, and the
last lulled even the performers asleep. Richardson’s Disserta-
tion on the Languages, &c. of Eastern Nations, p. 211.
Mani. This artist, whom Inatulla of Delhi styles the far-
famed, lived in the reign of Schabur, or Sapor, the son of
Ardichir Babegan, was founder of the sect of Manicheans, and
by profession a painter and sculptor; his pretensions, supported
by an uncommon skill in mechanical contrivances, induced the
ignorant to believe that his powers were more than human.
After having secluded himself from his followers, under the
pretence of passing a year in Heaven, he produced a wonderful
volume, which he afﬁrmed to have brought from thence, con-
taining images and ﬁgures of a marvellous nature. Herhelot,
p. 548. It appears from the Arabian Nights that Haroun Al
Raschid, Vathek’s grandfather, had adorned his palace and
furnished his magniﬁcent pavilion with the most capital per-
formances of the Persian artists.
P. 3. Hour-is. The Virgins of Paradise, called from their


NOTES. 125
large black eyes,1 Hur a1 oyun. An intercourse with these,
aocordingto the institution of Mahomet, is to constitute the
principal felicity of the faithful; not formed of clay like mortal
women, they are deemed in the hightest degree beautiful, and
exempt from every inconvenience incident to the sex. Al
Koran; passim.
P. 4. It was not with the orthodox that he usually held.
Vathek persecuted with extreme rigour all who defended the
eternity of the Koran, which the Sonnites, or orthodox, main-
tained to be uncreated, and the Motazalites and Schiites as
strenuously denied. Herbelot, p. 85, &c.
Mahomet in the seventh Heaven. In this heaven the para-
dise of Mahomet is supposed to be placed contiguous to the
throne of Alla. Hagi Khalfah relates that Ben Iatmaiah, a
celebrated Doctor of Damascus, had the temerity to assert

I Might not Akenside‘s expression:
In the dark heaven of Mira’s eye—
have been suggested by the eyes of the Virgins of Paradise?
The enthusiasm of the acute Winckelmnnn for the statuary of the
ancients was apt to mislead both his judgment and taste. What but
such a bias could induce him to maintain—after asserting that Homer
meant by the word Bearing, to characterise the beauty of Juno’s eyes, and
citing with approbation mmvwéumg—mn 1-0 “povwrroy as the gloss of
the Scholiast upon it—thnt the epithet the poet had selected was de-
signed by him to express, not what it naturally imports, but a sense in-
dependent of it. and which it could only be supposed to im ly, from being
placed in an absurd connexion! The eye 0 the nnima to which the
term belongs is no doubt large, if referred to the human countenance,
but not properly so in its own situation. Had Homer applied ﬂown; to
the statue of Juno, ﬂow-ing (as the Abbé contends) must have been inter-
preted large eyed, because in this relation no ides. except that of magni-
tude (unless we add prominence) could ossibly be extorted from it ; but
it must be allowed, on the same princip e, that an epithet taken from the
eye of the ass, or any other creature's of equal size, whatever were its
colour, would have become the statue of the goddess as well, and si niﬂed
plvecisely the same. On such commentators a poet might just y ex-
0 mm:
Pol, me occidistis, amici,
Non servastis!
In their descriptions of female beauty, the poets of the east fre uently
use the same image with Homer, and exactly in his sense; t us, in
particular, Lebeid: “A company of maidens were seated in theirvehicles,
with black eyes and graceful motions, like the wild heifers of Tudah."


:16 N O TES.
that, when the Most High erected his throne, be reserved a
vacant place for Mahomet upon it.
Gem'i. Genn or Ginn in the Arabic signiﬁes a genius or
demon, a being of a higher order, and formed of more subtile
matter than man. According to Oriental mythology, the
genii governed the world long before the creation of Adam;
the Mahometans regarded them as an intermediate race be-
tween angels and men, and capable of salvation, whence Ma-
homet pretended a commission to convert them. Consonant
to this, we read that when the servant of God stood up to in-
voke him, it wanted little but that the Genii had pressed on
him in crowds to hear him rehearse the Koran. Herbelot, p.
375; Al Koran, ch. 72.
Assist him to complete the tower. The genii, who were
styled by the Persians peries and dives, were famous for their
architectural skill; the pyramids of Egypt have been ascribed
to them, and we are told of a strange fortress which they con-
structed in the remote mountains of Spain, whose frontal pre-
sented the following inscription:
It is no light task to disclose the portal of this asylum :
The bolt, ruh passenger, is not of iron, but the tooth of a furious
dragon:
Know thou that no one can break this charm
Till Destiny shall have consigu‘d the key to his advent'ruus hand.
The Koran relates that the genii were employed by Solomon
in the erection of his magniﬁcent temple. Bailly sur l’Atlantide,
p. 146; Herbelot, p. 8; Al Koran, ch. 34.
P. 5. The stranger displayed such rarities as he had never
before seen. In the Tales of Inatulla we meet with a traveller who
like this was furnished with trinkets and curiosities of an ex-
traordinary kind; that such were much sought after in the
days of Vathek may be concluded from the encouragement
which Haroun Al Raschid gave to the mechanic arts, and the
present he sent by his ambassadors to Charlemagne; this con-
sisted of a clock, which when put into motion by means of a
clepsydrum, not only pointed out the hours in their round, but
also by dropping small balls on a bell struck them, and at the
same instant threw open as many little doors to let out an
equal number of horsemen ; besides these the clock displayed


NOTES. 127
various other contrivances. Ann. Reg. Franc. Pip. Caroli,
8w. ad ann. 807 ; Weidler, p. 205.
P. 6. Characters on the sabres. Such inscriptions often
occur in Eastern romances; we ﬁnd in the Arabian Nights a
cornelian, on which unknown characters were engraven, and
also a sabre like those here described. In the French King’s
library is a curious treatise, intitled Sefat Alaclam, containing
a variety of alphabets arranged under diﬁ'erent heads, such as
the prophetic, the mystical, the philosophic, the magical, the
talismanic, &c. which seems to have escaped the research of
the indefatigable Mr. Astle. Arabian Nights, vol. ii. p. 246,
vol. i. p. 143; Herbelot, p. 797.
P. 8. Endeavoured by her consolation to heal and compose
him. The same sanative quality is ascribed to soothing con-
versation, both by zEschylus and Milton :
Op'yn; wrung arw milpm My“.
Prometh. v. 378.
——-Apt words have power to snags
The tumours of a troubled mind;
And are as balm to fester’d wounds.
Samson Agon. v. 184.
P. 10. Beards burnt oﬂ". The loss of the beard from the
earliest ages was accounted highly disgraceful; an instance
occurs in the Tales of Inatulla of one being singed off; as a
mulct on the owner for having failed to explain a question pro-
pounded, and in the Arabian Nights a. proclamation may be
seen similar to this of Vathek. Vol. i. p. 268, vol. ii. p. 228.
P. 11. Robes of honour and sequins of gold. Such rewards
were common in the East. See particularly Arabian Nights,
vol. ii. p. 72, 125, vol. iii. p. 64.
The old man put on his green spectacles. This is an ap-
parent anachronism, but; such frequently occur in reading the
Arabian writers; it should be remembered, the diﬁiculty of
ascertaining facts and ﬁxing the dates of inventions must be
considerable in a vast extent of country, where books are com-
paratively few, and the art of printing unpractised; though the
origin of spectacles can be traced back with certainty no
higher than the thirteenth century, yet the observation of
Seneca, that letters appeared of an increased magnitude when


128 NOTES.
viewed through the medium of convex glass, might' have been
noted also by others, and a sort of spectacles contrived in con-
sequence of it; but however this might have been, the art of
staining glass is sufﬁciently ancient to have suggested in the
days of Vathek the use of green as a protection to the eye
from a glare of light.
P. 12. The stars which he went to consult. The phrase of
the original corresponds with the Greek expression, Aa'q'pn
BMZEO’QM, which in another view will illustrate St. Matthew,
xi. 12.
P. 14. To drink at will of the Four Fountains, which
were reputed in the highest degree salubrious, and sacred to
himself, or literally, to be of gold and sacred to himself.
Agathocles (cited by Athenaeus, 1. xi. p. 515) relates that
“there were certain fountains in these regions to the number
of seventy, whose waters were denominated golden, and of
which it was death for any one to drink save the king and his
eldest son.” In this number, as appears from our author‘s
epithet, the Four Fountains were formerly reckoned, whose
waters, as Vathek had no son, were sacred to his own use. The
citation from Agathocles may likewise explain the wish of King
David “for water from the well of Bethlehem,” unless we sup-
pose it to have arisen from a predilection like that of the Par-
thian monarchs for the water of Choaspes, which was carried
with them wherever they went, and from that circumstance
styled by Tibullus regia lympha, and by Milton
The drink of none but kings.
Bowls qf rock crystal. In the Arabian Nights Schemselni-
bar and Ebn Thaker were served by three of' their attendants,
each bringing them a goblet of rock crystal ﬁlled with curious
wme.
Accursed Giaour. Dives of this kind are frequently men-
tioned by Eastern writers; consult their tales in general, and
especially those of the Fisherman, Aladdin, and the Princess
of China.
P. 15. Drink this draught, said the stranger, as he presented
a phial. A phial of a similar potion is ordered to be instan-
taneously drank oﬂ‘ in one of the Tales of Inatulla. “These
brewed enchantments” have been used in the East from the


NOTES. 129
days of Homer. Milton in his Comus describes one of them,
which greatly resembles the Indian’s:
And ﬁrst behold this cordial jnlep here,
That ﬂames and dances in his crystal hounds,
With spirits of helm, and fro. ant syrups mix’d.
Not that N epenthes, which t e wife of Thone
In Egypt gave to Jove~boru Helena, '
Is of such ow’r to stir up joy as this;
To life so tli'iendly, or so cool to thirst.
Pt 16. The Poets applied them as a chorus to all the songs
they composed. Sir John Chardin, describing a public enter-
tainment and rejoicing, observes that the most ingenious poets
in Persia (as is related of Homer) sung their own works, which
for the most part are in praise of the king, whom they fail not
to extol, let him he never so worthy of blame and oblivion ; the
songs of this day were adapted to the occasion of the festival,
which was the restoration of the prime minister to his oﬁice—
he adds, “ I saw one that abounded in ﬁne and witty turns, the
burthen of which was this :
Him set aside, all men but equals are;
E'en Sol survey’d the spacious realms of air,
To see if he could ﬁnd another star,
A star, that like the polar star could reign,
And long he sought it, but he sought in vain.a
The ingenuity of the poet seems to consist in an allusion to
the prime minister’s title, Ivon Medave, or the Pole of Persia.
Bababalouk, the chief of his eunuchs. As it was the em-
ployment of the black eunuchs to wait upon and guard the
sultanas, so the general superintendence of the harem was par-
ticularly committed to their chief. Habesci‘s State of the
Ottoman Empire, pp. 165, 6.
P. 17. The Divan. This was both the supreme council and
court of justice, at which the caliphs of the race of the Abassides
assisted in person to redress the injuries of every appellant.
Herbelot, p. 298.
The qﬁcers arranged themselves in a semicircle. Such was

" See Lloyd’s Introduction to a Collection of Voyages end Travels
never before published in English, p. 21.
K


130 NOTES.
the etiquette constantly observed on entering the Divan. Arab.
Nights, vol. iv. p. 36; Herbelot, p. 912.
The prime vizir. Vazir, vezir, or as we express it, vizir,
literally signiﬁes a porter, and by metaphor the minister who
bears the principal burthen of the state.
P. 18. The Indian, being short and plump, collected himself
into a hall, (5’0. Happy as Horace has been in his description
of the wise man, the ﬁgurative expressions which ﬁnish the
character are literally applicable to our author’s Indian :—
in seipsc totus, teres atque rotundus;
Externi ne quid valeat per mve morari:
In quem manca. ruit semper fortuna.
P. 19. The Meuzins and their minarets. Valid, the son 0t
Abdalmalek, was the ﬁrst who erected a minaret or turret. and
this he placed on the grand Mosque at Damascus, for the
meuzin or crier to announce from it the hour of prayer. Her-
belot, p. 576.
P. 22. The subterranean palace of ﬁre. Of this palace,
which is frequently mentioned in Eastern romance, 8. full de-
scription will be found in the sequel.
P. 23. I require the blood qfﬁfly of the most beautiful sons
of the vizirs. Amongst the infatuated yotaries of the powers of
darkness, the most acceptable offering was the blood of their
children; if the parents were not at hand to make an immedi-
ate offer, the magistrates did not fail to select those who were
most fair and promising, that the demon might not be de-
frauded of his dues. On one occasion two hundred of the prime
nobility were sacriﬁced together. Bryant’s Observations, p.
279, &e.
P. 26. Give them me, cried the Indian. In the story of Co-
dadad and his brother, we read of a black like this who fed
upon human blood. Arab. Nights, vol. iii. p. 199.
P. 27. With the grin of an ogre. Thus in the History of the
Punished Vizir: “The prince heard enough to convince him
of his danger, and then perceived that the lady who called her—
self the daughter of an Indian king was an ogress, wife to one
of those savage demons called an ogre, who stay in remote


NOTES. 13I
places, and make use of a thousand wiles to surprise and devour
passengers.” Arab. Nights, vol. i. p. 56.
Bracelet. The bracelet, in the East, was an emblem of roy—
alty. Herbelot, p. 54-1.--F0r want of a more proper term to
denominate the ornament serkhooj, the word aigret is here
used.
P. 29. Mates. It has been usual in eastern courts from
time immemorial, to retain a number of mutes; these are not
only employed to amuse the monarch, but also to instruct his
pages in an art to us little known, of communicating everything
by signs, lest the sounds of their voices should disturb the
sovereign. Habesci’s State of the Ottoman Empire, p. 164.—
The mutes are also the secret instruments of his private
vengeance.
P. 30. Prayer announced at break of day. The stated sea-
sons of public prayer in the twenty-four hours were ﬁve: day-
break, noon, mid-time between noon and sunset, immediately
as the sun leaves the horizon, and an hour and half after it is
down.
P. 31. Mummies. Moumia (from Moum, wax and tallow)
signiﬁes the ﬂesh of the human body preserved in the sand,
alter having been embalmed and wrapped in cerements; they
are frequently found in the sepulchres of Egypt, but most of
the oriental mummies are brought from a cavern near Abin, in
Persia. Herbelot, p. 647.
Rhinoceros’ horns. Of their extraordinary qualities and ap-
plication a curious account may be seen in the Bibliothéquc
Orientale, and the Supplement to it.
Skulls and Skeletons. Both were usually added to the in-
gredients already mentioned. These magic rites sufﬁciently
resemble the witch scenes of Middleton, Shakespeare, &c., to
show their oriental origin; nor is it to be wondered if, amongst
the many systems adopted from the East, this should have
been' in the number. It may be seen from the Arabian Tales
‘that magic was an art publicly taught; and Father Angelo re-
lates of a rich enchanter whom he knew at Bassora, that his
pupils were so numerous as to occupy an entire quarter of the
cit '.
P. 36. Flagons of wine, and vases of sherbet ﬂoating on


132 NOTES.
snow. Sir John Chardin speaks of a wine much admired in the
East, and particularly in Persia, called roulmar, which is made
from the juice 0f the pomegranate, and sent abroad in large
quantities. The oriental sherbets, styled by St. Jerome sorbi-
tiunculzc delicate, consisted of various syrups (such as lemon,
liquorice, capillaire, &c.) mixed with water; to these Hassel-
quist adds several others, and observes that the sweet-scented
violet is a ﬂower greatly esteemed, not only for its smell
and colour, but especially for its use in sherbet, which, when
the Easterns intend to entertain their guests in an elegant
manner, is made of a solution of violet sugar. Snow, in the
rinfrescos of a hot climate, is almost a constant ingredient;
thus in the Arabian Nights, Bedreddin Hassan, having ﬁlled
a. large porcelain bowl with sherbet of roses, put snow into it.
A lamb stuﬁ‘ed with pistachios. The same dish is mentioned
in the Tale of the Barber’s Sixth Brother.
A parchment. Parchments of the like mysterious import
are frequent in the writings of the Easterns. One in particu-
lar amongst the Arabians is held in high veneration ; it was
written by Ali and Giafar Sadek in mystic characters, and is
said to contain the destiny of the Mahometan religion, and the
great events which are to happen previous to the end of the
world; this parchment is of camel’s skin; but it was usual with
Catherine of Medicis to carry about her person a legend in
cabalistic characters, inscribed on the skin of a dead-born in-
fant. Herbelot, p. 366; Wraxall‘s House of Valois.
Istakhar. This city was the ancient Persepolis and capital
of Persia, under the kings of the three ﬁrst races. The author
of Lebtarikh writes that Kischtab there established his abode,
erected several temples to the element of ﬁre, and hewed out
for himself and his successors sepulchres in the rocks of the
mountain contiguous to the city. The ruins of columns and
broken ﬁgures which still remain, defaced as they were by
Alexander, and mutilated by time, plainly evince that those
ancient potentates had chosen it for the place of their inter-
ment; their monuments however must not be confounded with
the superb palace reared by queen Homai in the midst of
Istakhar, which the Persians distinguish by the name of Tchil-
mmar, or the forty watch-towers. The origin of this city is


NOTES. 133
ascribed by some to Giamschid, and others carry it higher;
but the Persian tradition is that it was built by the peris or
fairies when the world was governed by Gian ben Gian. Her-
belot, p. 327.
Gian Ben Gian. By this appellation was distinguished the
monarch of that species of beings whom the Arabians denomi-
nate gian or ginn, that is genii, and the Tarikh Thabari, peris,
feez, or fairies ,- he was renowned for his warlike expeditions
and stupendous structures; according to oriental writers the
pyramids of Egypt were amongst the monuments of his power.
The buckler of this mighty sovereign, no less famous than that
of Achilles, was employed by three successive Solimans to
achieve their marvellous exploits; from them it descended to
Tahamurath, surnamed Divbend, or Conqueror of the Giants.
This buckler was endowed with most wonderful qualities,
having been fabricated by talismanic art, and was alone sufﬁ-
cient to destroy all the charms and enchantments of demons or
giants, which on the contrary were wrought by magic. Hence
we are no longer at a loss for the origin of the wonderful shield
of Atlante. The reign of Gian Ben Gian over the peris is said
to have continued for two thousand years, after which Eblis
was sent by the Deity to exile them on account of their dis-
orders, and conﬁne them in the remotest region of the earth.
Herbelot, p. 396; Bailly sur l’Atlantide, p. 147.
The talismans of Soliman. Amongst the most famous talis-
mans of the East, and which could control even the arms and
magic of the dives or giants, was mohur Solimani, the seal or
ring of Soliman Jared, ﬁfth monarch of the world after Adam;
by means of it the possessor had the entire command, not only
of the elements, but also of demons and every created being.
Richardson’s Dissertat. p. 272; Herbelot, p. 820.
Preadamite Sultans. These monarchs, which were seventy-
two in number, are said to have governed each adistinct species
of rational beings prior to the existence of Adam. Amongst
the most renowned of them were Soliman Read, Soliman Daki,
and Solirnan Di Gian Ben Gian. Herbelot, p. 820.
Beware how thou enterest any dwelling. Strange as this in-
junction may seem, it is by no means incongruous t0 the cus-
toms of the country. Dr. Pococke mentions his travelling


134 NOTES.
with the train of the governor of Faiume, who, instead of
lodging in a village that was near, passed the night in a grove
of palm trees. Travels, vol. i. p. 56.
P. 37. Every bumper, which they ironically quaﬂ'ed to the
health of Mahomet. There are innumerable proofs that the
Grecian custom, rumnm uanrZomvoug, prevailed amongst the
Arabs; but, had these been wanted, Carathis could not be sup-
posed a stranger to it; the practice was to hail the gods in the
ﬁrst place, and then those who were held in the highest vene-
ration; this they repeated as .often as they drank; thus St.
Ambrose: “Quid obtestationes potantium loquar? quid me-
morem sacramenta, qua: violare nefas arbitrantur? Bibamus,
inquiunt, pro salute imperatorum; et qui non biberit, sit reus
indeuotionis.”
The ass of Balaam, the dog of the seven sleepers, and the
other animals admitted into the paradise of d1ahomet. It was
a tenet of the Mussulman creed that all animals would be
raised again, and many of them honoured with admission to
paradise. The story of the seven sleepers, borrowed from
Christian legends, was this: In the days of the Emperor Decius
there were certain Ephesian youths of a good family, who, to
avoid the ﬂames of persecution, ﬂed to a secret cavern, and
there slept for a number of years. In their ﬂight towards the
cave they were followed by a dog, which, when they attempted
to drive him back, said: “ I love those who are dear unto God;
go sleep therefore, and I will guard you.” For this dog the
Mahometans retain so profound a reverence, that their harshest
sarcasm against a covetous person is, “he would not throw a
bone to the dog of the seven sleepers.” It is even said, that
their superstition induces them to write his name upon the
letters they send to a distance, as a kind of talisman to secure
them a safe conveyance. Religious Ceremonies, vol. vii. p.
74, n.; Sale’s Koran, ch. xviii. and notes.
Painting the eyes of the Circassians. It was an ancient
Custom in the East, and still continues, to tinge the eyes of
women, particularly those of a fair complexion, with an im-
palpable powder prepared chieﬂy from crude antimony, and
called surmeh. Ebni’l Motezz, in a passage translated by Sir


. NOTES. 1;;
W. Jones, hath not only ascertained its purple colour, but also
likened the violet to it:
Viola collegit folia sna, similia
Collyrio nigro, quod bibit Iachrymas die discessi’is,
Velut si esset super vusa in quihus fulgent
Primae ignis ﬂammnlae in sulphuris extremis partihus.
This pigment, when applied to the inner surface of the lids,
communicates to the eye (especially if seen by the light of
lamps) so tender and fascinating a languor as no language is
competent to express.‘ Hence the epithet wﬁmqmpoq, at—
tributed by the Greeks "f to the goddess of Beauty, and the
Arabian comparison of “ the eyelids of a. ﬁne woman bathed in
tears, to violets dropping with dew.” Perhaps also Shakes-
!
Peare s violets dim,
But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes
should be ultimately referred to the same origin ; but however
this may be, it is obvious (though his commentators have over-
looked it) that Anacreon alluded to the same cosmetic when he

‘ When Tasso represents Love as ambushed
sottn all’ ombra
Delle palpebre
he allegoricully alludes to that appearance in nature, which the artiﬁce
here described was meant to counterfeit.
't Both Homer and Hesiod have applied ‘zhxcﬁmhaeo; to Venus, in a
synonymous sense, as is evident from Pliny, who. amongst other pro-
perties of the helix, minutely speciﬁes itspurplish ﬂowers. This {mang
“psamwv will likewise explain ‘sNxanrlg.
Winkelmann and Grievius have each given diﬂ‘erentinterpretations,hnt
let them both speak for themselves ; “ ‘EMxot’As¢q€o; caractérise des yeux
dent les paupieres out an mouvement ondoyant que le poéte compare an
jeune ceps de la vigne.”—H1.'st. de l'Art de l’Antiq. tum. ii., p. 135.
“ ENqu et Equnnds; puellm Gruzcis djcuutur, qui sunt mohili oculo-
rum petulantia, ut Petron, loquitur, sive qua habent, ut idem elicit:
blandos oculos et inquietus
Et quadam propria nota loquuces.
Qui hinc Ovidio dicuntur ar uti. Aliter plerique sentiunt, et exponunt:
nigros oculus habentes. Se ea vera est quam dixi hujus vocis notio,
uam facile plurihus conﬂrmarem, nisi res ipsa loqueretur."—Lecti0nes
glemdew, cap. xx.


136 NOTES.
required of the painter that the eyelids of his mistress's por-
trait should, like her own, exhibit this appearance,
Exi'ro) 3", 5M); suemi,
Bhi¢apouy rruv ashamv,
and her eye both the bright citron" of llIinerva’s, and the
dewy radiance 1“ of Cytherea’s:
To 3‘: BMW“. wv amen);
A'KO 'ru arr/pa; rams-or
AMA, yhaumw, 5); adnmg'
Ago. 8' ‘uygw, 5); avenge-.1:
P. 38. Rocnabad. The stream thus denominated ﬂows near
the city of Schiraz ; its waters are uncommonly pure and
limpid, and their banks swarded with the ﬁnest verdure. Its
praises are celebrated by Hafez in an animated song, which
Sir W. Jones has admirably translated:
Boy, let yon liquid ruby ﬂow,
And bid thy pensive heart be glad;
Whate’er the frowning zealots say,
Tell them their Eden cannot show
A stream so clear as Rocnabad,
A bower so sweet as Mosellay.§
Do you, with the advice ofmy mother, govern. Females in
the east were not anciently excluded from power. In the story
of Zeyn Alasnam and the King of the Genii, the mother of Zeyn
undertakes, with the aid of his vizirs, to govern Balsora during
his absence on a similar expedition.
P. 39. Chintz and muslin. For many curious particulars
relative to these articles, consult Mr. Delaval’s Inquiry con-

. “ Eyen, bright citrin."—CHAUCER. No expression can be less exact
than blue-eyed when used as the characteristic of Minerva, nor any
perhaps more so than Chaucer‘s; unless yhauxmu; be literally rendered.
l ‘Tygog’—6 svxoil 0;. a; rag ﬁdova; ﬁiuua'hfourvog.—GIOSS. Bibl. Coislin.
t1l'léasw, in his Jerusn em, has well paraphrased the import of this epi-
e :
Qual raggio in onda, ls scintilla un riso
Negli umidi occhj tremulo et lascivo.
1: Ode xxviii. 18; 2 Kings ix. 30; Each. xxiii. 40; Herbelot, p. 832;
Lady M. W. Montagu's Letters, let. xx1x.
§ Mosella was an oratory on the banks of Rocnabad.


NOTES. I37
cerning the changes of' colours, &c., to which may be added,
Lucret. lib. iv. 5 ; Petron. c. 37; Martial, viii. ep. 28, 17, xiv.
ep. 160; Plutarch in Vita Catonis; Plin. viii. 48.
Serpents and scorpions. Various accounts are given of the
magical applications of these animals, and the power of sor-
cerers over them, to which even Solomon referred. Sir John
Chardin relates, that at Surat an Armenian, having seen some
of these creatures crawl and twine over the naked bodies of
children belonging to the charmers, darineg hazarded the
same experiment, but it soon proved fatal to him, for he was
bitten, and died in the space of two hours.
She amused herself in curing their wounds. Clorin, in the
Faithful Shepherdess of Fletcher, possessed the like skill:
Of all green wounds I know the remedies,
In men or cattle; be they stung with Snakes,
Or charm’d with powerful words pf wicked “art;
' o at
These I can cure.
Moullahs. Those amongst the Mahometans who were bred
to the law had this title; and from their order the judges of
cities and provinces were taken.
The sacred Caaba. That part of the Temple at Mecca which
is chieﬂy revered, and indeed gives a sanctity to the rest, is a
square stone building called the Caaba, probably from its quad-
rangular form; the length of this ediﬁce from north to south
is twenty-four cubits, and its breadth from east to west twenty-
three; the door is on the east side, and stands about four
cubits from the ground, the ﬂoor beinglevel with the threshold.
The Caaba has a double roof, supported internally by three
octangular pillars of aloes-wood, between which on a bar of
iron hangs a row of silver lamps; the outside is covered with
rich black damask, adorned with an embroidered band of gold ;
this hanging, which is changed every year, was formerly sent
by the caliphs. Sale’s Preliminary Discourse, p. 152.
P. 41. Babahalouk almost sunk with confusion, whilst, 51:.
The heinousness of Vathek’s profanation can only be judged of
by an orthodox Mussulman, or one who recollects the ablution
and prayer indispensany required on the exoneration of nature.


138 NOTES.
Sale’s Prelim. Disc. p. 139,- Al Koran, ch. 4 ; Habesci's State
of the Ottoman Empire, p. 93.
The tapestry that hung before the door. This kind of cur-
tain, at ﬁrst restricted to the serail or palace, was afterwards
adopted by the great, and gradually became of general use.
The author of Leb Tariin relates that Lohorashb, king of
Persia, having granted to the great oﬁicers of his household
and army the privilege of giving audience on seats of gold, re-
served to himself the right of the seraperdeh, or curtain, which
was hung before the throne to conceal him from the eyes of his
subjects, and thereby preserve their reverence for his person.
In later times, the daughter of a law professor, who occasionally
in her father’s absence ﬁlled his chair, had recourse to the
same expedient, lest the charms of her face should distract her
pupils’ attention. Abbé de Sade's Memoirs de Petrarque,
tom. i. p. 42.
The supposed oratory. The dishonouring such places as had
an appearance of being devoted to religious purposes, by con-
verting them to the most abject ofﬁces of nature, was an
Oriental method of expressing contempt, and hath continued
from remote antiquity. Harmer’s Observations, vol. ii. p.
493.
Regale these pious poor souls with my good wine from
Schiraz. The prohibition of wins in the Koran is so rigidly
observed by the conscientious, especially if they have performed
the pilgrimage to Mecca, that they deem it sinful to press
grapes for the purpose of making it, and even to use the money
arising from its sale. Chardin, Voy. de Perse, tom. ii. p. 212.
Schiraz was famous in the East for its wines of diﬂ'crent sorts,
but particularly for its red, which was esteemed more highly
than even the white wine of Kismische.
P. 42. The Caliph, to enjoy soﬂatteringa sight, supped gaily
on the roof. Dr. P0c0ck relates that he was entertained at Galilee
by the steward of the Sheik, with whom he supp'ed on the top
of the house. From a similar motive to Vathek’s, Nebuchad-
nezzar is represented by Daniel as contemplating his capital
from the summit of his palace when he uttered that exulting
apostrophe: “ Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?”
P. 43. The most stately tulips of the 'East. The tulip is


NOTES. 139
a ﬂower of Eastern growth, and there held in great estimation;
thus in an ode of Mesihi: “The edge of the bower is ﬁlled
with the light of Ahmed; among the plants the fortunate
tulips represent his companions.”
P. 44. Eunuchs in the rear. As the black eunuchs Were
the inseparable attendants of the ladies, the rear was conse-
quently their post; so in the argument to the poem of
Amriollrais : “One day when her tribe had struck their tents,
and were changing their station, the women as usual, came
behind the rest, with the servants and baggage in carriages
ﬁxed on the backs of camels.”
Certain cages of ladies. There are many passages of the
Moallakat in which these cages are fully described; thus, in
the poem of Lebeid: “How were thy tender atl'ections raised
when the damsels of the tribe departed, when they hid them-
selves in carriages of cotton, like antelopes in their lair, and the
tents as they were struck gave a piercing sound ! They were
concealed in vehicles whose sides were well covered with awn-
ings and carpets, with ﬁne-spun curtains and pictured veils."
Again Zohair: “Look my friend! dost than not discern a
company of maidens seated on camels, and advancing over the
high ground above the streams of Jort-ham? They leave'on
their right the mountains and rocky plains of Kenaan. Oh!
how many of my bitter foes, and how many of my ﬁrm allies
does Kenaan contain ! They are mounted in carriages covered
with costly awnings and with rose-coloured veils, the lining of
which have the hue of crimson Andemwood. They now ap-
pear by the valley of Subaan, and now they pass through it;
the trappings of all their camels are new and large. When
they ascend from the bosom of the vale they sit forward on the
saddle-cloths, with every mark of' a voluptuous gaiety.” Moal-
lakat, by Sir W. Jones, pp. 46, 35; see also Lady M. W. Mon-
tague, let. xxvi.
Swaggz'ng somewhat awry. Amriolkais, in the ﬁrst poem of
the Moallakat, hath related a similar adventure: “On that
happy day I entered the carriage, the carriage of Onaiza, who
said, ‘Woe to thee! thou wilt compel me to travel on foot.’
She added, while the vehicle was bent aside with our weight,
‘ O Amriolkais descend, or my beast also will be killed !’ I


140 NOTES.
answered, ‘ Proceed, and loosen his rein, nor withhold from me
the fruits {of thy love, which again and again may be tasted
with rapture. Many a fair one like thee, though not like thee
a virgin, have I visited by night.’ ”
Dislodged. Our language wants a verb equivalent to the
French denicher, to convey in this instance the precise sense of
the author.
Those nocturnal insects which presage evil. It is observable
that in the 5th verse of the 91st Psalm, the terror by night
is rendered in the old English version the bugge by night.‘
In the ﬁrst settled parts of North America, every nocturnal ﬂy
of a noxious quality is still generically named a. bug, whence
the term bugbear signiﬁes one that carries terror wherever he
goes. Beelzebub, or the Lord of ﬂies, was an Eastern appel-
lative given to the Devil, and thenocturnal sound called by the
Arabians azif was believed to be the bowling of demons.
Analogous to this, is a passage in Comus, as it stood in the
original copy:
But for that damn'd magician, let him be girt
With all the grisly legions that troop
Under the sooty ﬂag of Acheron,
Harpies and Hydras, or all the monstrous huggs
’Twixt Africa and Inde, I’ll ﬁnd him out.
P. 45. The locusts were heard from the thickets on the plain
of Catoul. The insects here mentioned are of the same species

I Instances are not wanted, both in the English and Greek versions,
where the translators have modiﬁed the sense of the original by their
own reconceived opinions. To this source may be ascribed thebugge of
our gible, and (Eammov inc-Meow) the noon-day demon of the seventy,
unless the copies of the latter be supposed to have read, not “1119‘ but
'IWI It“ the terror by night be taken in connexion with the pestilence
that walketh in darkness. and both opposed to the arrow that ﬂieth by
day and the destruction that wasteth at noon. it will seem to imply the
dread of real evil only, which may be explained in the language of the
poet by
Night, and all her sickly devvs.
But if the rendering of our old version, adopting that of the Seventy, he
founded, it will also include the imaginary evils that follow:
Her spectres wan and birds of boding cry.


NOTES. 14.1
with the T‘s-mg of the Greeks, and the Cicada of the Latins,
and are called locusts from their having been so denominated
by the ﬁrst English settlers in America.
Halted on the banks of the Tigris. It is a practice in the
East, and especially when large parties journey together, to
halt if possible in the vicinity of a stream ; thus Zohair: “ They
rose at day-break; they proceeded at early dawn ; they are ad-
vancing towards the valley of Ras directly and surely as the
hand'to the mouth. Now when they have reached the brink of
yon blue gushing rivulet, they ﬁx the poles of their tents, like
the Arab, in a settled mansion.”
The heavens looked angry, (5'0. This tempest may be deemed
somewhat the more violent from a supposition that Mahomet
interfered; which will appear the more probable, if the circum-
stance of its obliterating the road“ be considered. William of
Tyre hath recorded one of a similar kind that visited Baldwin
in his expedition against Damascus: “ He, against whose will
all projects are vain, suddenly overspread the sky with dark-
ness, poured down such torrents of rain, and so entirely eﬁ’aced
the roads, that scarce any hope of escaping remained. These
disasters were indeed portended by a gloominess in the air,
lowering clouds, irregular gusts of wind, increasing thunders,
and incessant lightnings, but as the mind of man knows not
what may befal him, these admonitions of Heaven were slighted
and opposed.”—Gesta Dei per Francos, p. 849.
He determined to cross over the craggy heights, #0., to Roc-
nabad. Oriental travellers have sometimes recourse to these
expedients for the sake of abridging the toilsZof their journeys ;
hence Amgrad, in the Arabian Nights, who had himself been
about six weeks in travelling from the isle of Ebene, could not
comprehend the possibility of coming in less time, unless by
enchantment, or crossing the mountains, which from the difﬁ-
culty of the pass were but seldom traversed.

' Exclusive however of preternatnral interference, it frequently hap-
pens that e sudden blast will arise on the vast deserts of the East, and
sWeep away in its eddies the tracks of the last passenger, whose camel
therefore in vain for the wanderer that follows,
“ Linquit humi pedibus vestigia pressa bisnlcis.”


142 NOTES.
P. 46. Tigers and vultures. The ravages of these animals in
the East are almost incredible.
Before them, Death with shrieks directs their way,
Fills the wild yell and leads them to their prey.
From the earliest days they have been the constant attendants
on scenes of carnage. In the sacred writings, David threatens
“to give the hosts of the Philistines to the fowls of the air,
and the wild beasts of the earth.” Antara boasts at the close
of a conﬂict of “having left the father of his foes, like avictim,
to be mangled by the lions of the wood, and the eagles“
advanced in years.” And in the narrative of the prisoners
taken at Bendore, the author relates that many of them were
devoured by tigers and vultures.
P. 47. Vathek—with two little pages. “ All the pages of the
seraglio are sons of Christians made slaves in time of war in
their most tender age. The incursions of robbers in the con-
ﬁnes of Circassia afford the means of supplying the seraglio,
even in times of peace.” Habesci’s State of the Ottoman Em-
pire, p. 157. That the pages here mentioned were Circassians,
appears from the description of their complexion: more fair
than the enamel of Franguestan.
Confectioners and cooks. What their precise number might
have been in Vathek’s establishment it is not now easy to de-
termine, but in the household of the present grand Seignior
there are not fewer than a hundred and ninety. Habesci's
State, p. 145.
Torches were lighted, 80. Mr. Marsden relates, in his His-
tory of Sumatra, that tigers prove most fatal and destructive
enemies to the inhabitants, particularly in their journeys ; and
adds that the numbers annually slain by those rapacious tyrants
of the woods is almost incredible; as these tremendous enemies

' Finely as Gray conceived the idea of the eagle awe-struck at the
corses of the bards, there is a langnor in his expression that wants to
be removed. Milton, as his best editor judiciously remarks, applied (he
inight have said conﬁned) the verb hurry to preternatural motion or
imaginary beings; adopting it therefore in a kindred sense, might we
not (for passes) advantageously rend
“ The famish’d eagle screams, and hurries by."


NOTES. 14.3

are alarmed at the appearance of ﬁre, it is usual for the natives
to carry a splendid kind of torch, chieﬂy to frighten them, and
also to make a blaZe with wood in different parts round their
villages. P. 149.
P. 48. One of the forests which bordered their way took ﬁre.
Accidents of this kind in Persia are not unfrequent. “It was
an ancient practice with the kings and great men to set ﬁre to
large bunches of dry combustibles, fastened round wild beasts
and birds, which being then let loose the air and earth appeared
one great illumination; and as those terriﬁed creatures natu-
rally ﬂed to the woods for shelter, it is easy to conceive that
coniiagrat-ions which would often happen must have been pecu-
liarly destructive.’ ' Richardson’s Dissertation, p. 185. In the
83rd Psalm, v. 14, there is a reference to one of those. ﬁres,
though arising from another cause; and Homer likewise has
taken a simile from thence:
Hu'ri vrvp Alhkw "mpksysi arm's-row bMv
Oupsoc Er mpvqu Emery 5‘: 1-5 <PaWE-rat am.
11. B. 455.
Hath seen some part of our bodies and, what is worse, our
veryfaccs. “ I was informed,” writes Dr. Cooke, “ that the Per-
sian women in general would sooner expose to public view any
part of their bodies than their faces.” Voyages and Travels,
vol. ii. p. 443.
P. 50. Cakes baked in silver ovens for his royal mouth.
Portable ovens were a. part of the furniture of eastern travel-
lers ; St. Jerom (on Lament. v. 10) hath particularly described
them. The Culiph’s were of the same kind, only substituting
silver for brass. Dr. Pococke mentions his having been enter-
tained in an Arabian camp with cakes baked for him. In what
the peculiarity of the royal bread consisted it is not easy to de-
termine, but in one of the Arabian tales a woman, to gratify
her utmost desire, wishes to become the wife of the Sultan’s
baker, assigning for the reason that she might have her ﬁll of
that bread which is called the Sultan’s. Vol. iv. p. 269.
Vases of snow, and grapes ﬁom the banks of the Tigris.
It was customary in Eastern climates, and especially in the


144 NOTES.
sultry season, to carry when journeying supplies of snow. These
amin nives (as Mamertinus styles them) being put into
separate vases, were by that means better kept from the air,
as no more was opened at once than might suﬁice for imme-
diate use; to preserve the whole from solution, the vessels that
contained it were secured in packages of straw. Gesta Dei, p.
1098. Vathek’s ancestor, the Caliph Mahadi, in the pilgrimage
to Mecca, which he undertook from ostentation rather than
devotion, loaded upon camels so prodigious a quantity as was
not only sufﬁcient for himself and his attendants amidst the
burning sands of Arabia, but also to preserve in their natural
freshness the various fruits he took with him, and to ice all
their drink whilst he staid at Mecca, the greater part of whose
inhabitants had never seen snow till then. Anecdotes Arabes,
. 326.
p Roasted wolf; Q0. In the poem of Amriolkais a. repast is
described, which in manner of preparation resembles the pre-
sent: “He soon brings us up to the foremost of the beasts,
and leaves the rest far behind, nor has the herd time to dis-
perse itself. He runs from wild bulls to wild heifers, and
overpowers them in a single heat, without being bathed or even
moistened with sweat. Then the busy cook dresses the game,
roasting part, baking part on hot stones, and quickly boiling
the rest in a vessel of iron.” Disgusting as this refection of
Vathek may be thought, Atlanta boasts to Ruggiero of having
fed him from his infancy on a similar diet:
Di midolle gid d’ orsi e di leoni
Ti porsi io dunque li primi alimentil
and we read that lion's ﬂesh was prescribed to Vathek, but on
a different occasion. Anecdot. Arab. p. 419. The vegetables
that made part of this entertainment were such as the Koran
hath ordained to be food for the damned.
Dropped their fans on the ground. Attendants for the same
purpose are mentioned in the story of the king of the Black
Isles: “ One day when she was at bath I found myself sleepy
after dinner, and lay down upon a sofa; two of her ladies who
were then in my chamber came and sat down, one at my head
and the other at my feet, with fans in their hands to moderate


NOTES. 14.5
the heat, and to hinder the ﬂies from disturbing nry slumber.”
The comfort of such an attendant in the hour of repose can be
known only in the climes of intolerable day.
P. 51. Horrible qu. This mountain, which in reality is
no other than Caucasus, was supposed to surround the earth
like a ring encompassing a ﬁnger; the sun was believed to rise
from one of its eminences (as over Oeta, by the Latin poets)
and to set on the Opposite, whence from Kaf to Kaf signiﬁed
from one extremity of the earth to the other. The fabulous
historians of the east aﬁirm that this mountain was founded
upon a stone called Sakhrat, one grain of which, according to
Lokman, would enable the possessor to work wonders; this
stone is further described as the pivot of the earth, and said to
be one vast emerald, from the refraction of whose beams the
heavens derive their azure. It is added, that whenever God
would excite an earthquake, he commands the stone to move
one of its ﬁbres (which supply in it the olﬁce of nerves) and,
that being moved, the part of the earth connected with it
quakes, is convulsed, and sometimes expands; such is the phi-
losophy of the Koran! The Tarikh Tabari, written in Persian,
analogous to the same tradition, relates that, were it not for
this emerald the earth would be liable to perpetual commo-
tions, and unﬁt for the abode of mankind. To arrive at the
Kaf a vast region, far from the sun and summer gale, must be
traversed; over this dark and cheerless desert the way is inex-
tricable without the direction of supernatural guidance. Here
the dives or giants were conﬁned after their defeat by the ﬁrst
heroes of the human race, and here also the peries, or fairies,
are supposed in ordinary to reside. Sukrage the giant was
king of Kaf, and had Rucail, one of the children of Adam for
his prime minister. The giant Argenk, likewise, from the
time that Tahamurah made war upon him, reigned here, and
reared a superb palace in the city of Aherman, with galleries
on whose walls were painted the creatures that inhabited the
world prior to the formation of Adam. Herbelot, p. 230, &c.
The Simurgh. This is that wonderful bird of the east con-
cerning which so many marvels are told; it was not only en-
dowed with reason, but possessed also the knowledge of every
language ; hence, it may be concluded to have been a. dive in
L


146 NOTES.
a borrowed form. This creature relates of itself that it had
seen the great revolution of seven thousand years twelve times
commence and close; and that in its duration, the world had
been sci'en times void of inhabitants, and as often replenished.
The Simurgh is represented as a great friend to the race of
Adam, and not less inimical to the dives. Tahamurath and
Aherman were apprised by its predictions of all that was des-
tined to bel'al them, and from it they obtained the promise of
assistance in every undertaking. Armed with the buckler of
Gian Ben Gian, Tahamurath was home by it through the air
over the dark desert to Kat'. From its bosom his helmet was
crested with plumes, which the most renowned warriors have
ever since worn. In every conﬂict the Simurgh was invulner-
able, and the heroes it favoured never failed ofsuccess; though
possessed of power sufﬁcient to exterminate its foes, yet the ex-
ertion of that power was supposed to be forbidden. Sadi, a
serious author, gives it as an instance of the universality of
Providence, that the Simurgh, notwithstanding its immense
bulk, is at no loss for sustenance on the mountain of Kaf.
Inatulla hath described Getiai'rose, queen of the genii, as seated
on a golden chariot, drawn by ten Simurghs, whose wings ex-
tended wide as the earth-shading bir,* and whose talons re-

' Or Banian, to which the epithet of Inatulla. most emphatically be-
longs. Milton hath accurately described this extraordinary tree, though
by another name:
The ﬂg-tree—not that kind for fruit renown’d:
But, such as at this day to Indians known,
In Malabar or Decnn, spreads her arms
Branching so broad and long, that in the ground
The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow
About the mother tree: a pillar’d shade
High over-arch'd and echoing walks between.
Was it not from hence that W'arburtou framed his hypothesis on the
origin of Gothic architecture? At least, here were materials sufﬁcient
for a fancy less forgetive than his. Mr. Ives, in his 'ourney from Persia,
thus speaks of this vegetable wonder : “ This is the lndian's sacred tree.
It grows to a prodigious height, and its branches spread a great way: the
limbs drop down ﬁbres, which take root and become another tree, united
by its branches to the ﬁrst, and so continue to do. until the trees covera
great extent of ground: the arches which those different stocks make are
gothic, like those we see in Westminster Abbey: the stocks not being
single but appearing as if composed of many stocks, are of a great cir-


NOTES. 147
sembled the proboscis of mighty elephants; but it does not
appear from any other writer that there ever was more than
one, which is frequently called the marvellous gryphon, and said
to be like that imaginary monster. Herbelot, p. 1017, 810,
&c.; Tales of Inatulla, vol. ii. pp. 71, 72. As the magic shield
of Atlante resembles the buckler of Gian Ben Gian, so his Ip-
pogrif apparently came from the Simurgh, notwithstanding the
reference of Ariosto to the veridical archbishop:
Non ho veduto mai, 1182 letto altrove,
Fuor che in Turpin, d’un si fatto animale.
Palampores, g0. These elegant productions, which abound
in all parts of the East, were of very remote antiquity; not only

Pillar’d shade high over-arch'd, and echoing walks between
as well as the


cumference. There is a certain solemnity accompanying those trees. nor
do I remember that I was ever under the cover of any of them, but that
my mind was at the time impressed with a reverential awe l” Page 460.
From the
Highest woods, impenetrable to star or sun-light
just before mentioned, and the name given to the tree, it is probable that
the poet’s description was principally founded on the account of Duret,
who in the chapter Du Figuier d’ Inde of his singular book (entitled,
“ Histoire admirable des plantes et herbes esmerueillables et miraculeusvs
en nature,” et a Paris, 1605), thus writes; “ Sa grosseur est quelquefois
telle, que trois hommes ne le scauroient embrasser; quelquefois vn on
deux de ces ﬁguiers font un bois avez grand, toﬂ'u, et ombraguex, dans
lequel les rayons du soleil ne peuuent aucunement penetrer, durant les
chaleurs d’esté et font ces ﬁguiers inﬁnies tonnes et cabinets si concaues
et couuerts de feuilles et de sinuositez [aisles and recesses, so arched over
with foliage and embowed ramiﬁcations] qu‘il s’y forme (les echos on
reuerberations de voix et sons, jusques a trois fois ; et est telle la moindre
d’vn seul ombre de ses arbres, qu’elle pent contenir soubs soy it couuert
huict cens ou mil personnes, et la plus grande ombre, trois mil hommes."
p. 124. This tree might well be styled the earth-shading.*
Though the early architecture of our island be confessedly of a doubt-
ful origin, it nevertheless deserves to be noted that the resemblance be-
tween the columns of the ruined chancel at Orford and those of Tank
Kesserah on the banks of the Tigris is much too strict to be merely
casual ; it may be added that the arches of this ediﬁce, and their orna-
ments, are of the style we call the early Norman.
“ “ The following is an account of the dimensions of a remarkable
Banyan tree near Manjee, twenty miles west of Patna in Bengal.
Diameter 363 to 375 feet; circumference of its shadow at noon, 1116
feet; circumference of the several stems (in number 50 or 60) 921 feet."
Marsdm’s History of Sumatra, p. 131.


148 NOTES.
are nvhwag swam, ﬁnely ﬂowered linen-s, noticed by Strabo,
but Herodotus relates that the nations of Caucasus adorned
their garments with ﬁgures of various creatures by means of
the sap of certain vegetables, which, when macerated‘and diluted
with water, communicate colours that cannot be washed out,
and are no less permanent than the texture itself. Strabo, l.
xv. p. 709; Herodot. l. i. p. 96. The Arabian Tales repeatedly
describe these “ ﬁne linens of India, painted in the most lively
colours, and representing beasts, trees, ﬂowers,"&c.” Arab.
Nights, vol. iv. p. 217, &c.
Afrits. These were a kind of Medusa, or Lamia, supposed
to be the most terrible and cruel of all the orders of the dives.
Herbelot, p. 66.
Tablets fraught with preternatural qualities. Mr. Richard-
son observes, “ that in the east men of rank in general carried
with them pocket astronomical tables, which they consulted on
every affair of moment.” These tablets however were of the
magical kind, and such as often occur in works of romance.
Thus in Boiardo, Orlando receives from the father of the
youth he had rescued a book that would solve all doubts ; and
in Ariosto, Logistilla bestows upon Astolpho a similar directory.
The books which Carathis turned over with Morakanabad were
imagined to have possessed the like virtues.
Dwarfs. Such unfortunate beings as are thus “ curtailed of
fair proportion,” have been for ages an appendage of eastern
grandeur. One part of their ofﬁce consists in the instruction
of the pages. but their principal duty is the amusement of their
master. If a dwarf happen to be a mute he is much esteemed,
but if he be also a eunuch he is regarded as a prodigy, and no
pains or expense is spared to obtain him. Habesci’s State of
the Ottoman Empire, p. 164, &c.
P. 52. A cabin of rushes and canes. Huts of this sort are
mentioned by Ludeke, in his Expositio brevis Loc. Script. p.
51. Tuguriola seu palis, fruticibus viridibus, vel juncis circum-
datis et tectis, amboque quidem facillimé construuntur.
A small spring supplies us with Abdest, and we daily repeat
prayers, 80. Amongst the indispensable rules of the Maho-
metan faith, ablution is one of the chief; this rite is divided
into three kinds; the ﬁrst, performed before prayers, is called


l 50 NOTES.
is described as having but one eye and eyebrow, and on his
forehead the radicals of cafer (or inﬁdel) are said to be im-
pressed. According to the traditions of the faithful, his ﬁrst
appearance will be between Irak and Syria, mounted on an
ass; seventy thousand Jews from Ispahan are expected to
follow him; his continuance on earth is to be forty days;
all places are to be destroyed by him and his emissaries, except
Mecca or Medina, which will be protected by angels from the
general overthrow; at last, however, he will be slain by Jesus,
who is to encounter him at the gate of Lud. Herbelot, p. 282;
Sale’s Prelim. Disc. p. 106.
Dictated by the blessed Intelligence. That is, the angel
Gabriel. The Mahometans deny that the Koran was com-
posed by their prophet; it being their general and orthodox
belief that it is of divine original, nay even eternal and un-
ereated, remaining in the very essence of God; that the ﬁrst
transcript has been from everlasting by his throne, written on
a table of immense size called the preserved table, on which
are also recorded the divine decrees, past and future; that a
copy was by the ministry of the angel Gabriel sent down to the
lowest heaven, in the month of Ramadan, on the night of
power; from whence Gabriel revealed it to Mahomet by parcels,
some at Mecca. and some at Medina. Al Koran, ch. ii. &c.;
Sale’s Prelim. Disc. p. 85.
P. 53. Hath culled with his own hands these melons, (fa.
The great men of the East have ever been. what Herodotus
shrewdly styled them, Ampmpayoi. 0r gift-eaters; for no visitor
can approach them with empty hands. In such a climate and
situation, what present could be more acceptable to Vathek
than this refreshing collation ?
To kiss the fringe of thy consecrated robe. This observance
was an act of the most profound reverence. Arabian Nights,
vol. iv. p. 236, 860.
Fakreddin’s spring residence. It has long been customary
for the Arabs to change their habitations with the seasons.
Thus Antara: “ Thou hast possessed thyself of my heart; thou
hast ﬁxed thy abode, and art settled there, as a beloved and
cherished inhabitant. Yet how can I visit my fair one whilst
her family have their vernal mansion in Oneizatain, and mine


NOTES. 15:
are stationed in Ghailem?” Xenophon relates, in his Ana-
basis, that it was customary for the kings of Persia, GspiZew mu
qulew, to pass the summer and spring in Susa and Ecbatana;
and Plutarch observes further that their winters were spent in
Babylon, their summers in Media (that is Ecbatana), and the
pleasantest part of spring in Susa: Kama 78075 Hips-aw Baa-inn;
sluanagigw EV BaBuAmvi "rev Xeguwva B‘myov'mg' iv 82 Malia To 6590;"
iv 3‘: Zea-m, 'ro thew 78 54190;. De Exil. p. 604. This To
‘nl‘zm-ov of the vernal season is exquisitely described by Solo-
mon: “ Lo the winter is past, the rain is over; it is gone.
The ﬂowers appear on the earth, the season of singing is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The ﬁg-trce
putteth forth her green ﬁgs, and the vines with the tender grape
givea good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
An emerald set in lead. As nothing at the opening of
spring can exceed the luxuriant vegetation of these irriguous
valleys, so no term could be chosen more expressive of their
verdure. The prophet Ezekiel, emblematizing Tyre under the
symbol of paradise, hath described by the diﬂ'erent gems of
the east the ﬂowers that variegate its surface, and particularly
by the emerald its green : “ Thou hast been in Eden, the
garden of God: “1:13013 ﬂ‘lp’ EN"): thy carpet was an as-
semblage of every precious stone, the ruby, topaz, and the
diamond, the chrysolite, the onyx, and thejasper, the sapphire,
the emerald.” * Ch. xxviii. 13. It hath not perhaps been
hitherto observed, that the paradise of Ariosto was copied from
hence:

Zaﬂir, rubiui, oro, topaaj, e perle, _
E diamanti. e chrysolitl. e gmcinti
Potrianoi ﬁori assimigliar, che per le
Liete piagge v'avea l’aura dipinti.
Si verdi l'erbe. che potendo averle
Qua giu, ue foran gli smeraldi vinti.
Canto xxxiv. st. 49.
' The same kind of imagery abounds in the Oriental poets. Thus
Abu anas: “ Behold the gardens of the earth, and consider_ the
emblems of those thin swhich Divine power hath formed; eyes of silver
(daisies) everywhere dgisclosed, with pupils like molten gold, united to an
emerald stalk; these avouch that no one is e us] to God.” So likewise
Bsdi: “ He hath planted rubies and emeral s on the hard rock; the
ruby rose on its emerald stem." And Ebn Rumi, of the violet: “ It is
not a ﬂower, but an emerald bearing a purple gem."


NOTES. 153
of the most merciful God. It became not the initiatory for-
mula of prayer till the time of Moez the Fatimite. Herbelot,
p. 326. Ablution is of an origin long prior to Mahomet; it is
mentioned in Homer, and alluded to by the Psalmist: I will
wash my hands in innocency, and so will I compass thine altar,
O Lord.” Again: “Verily have I cleansed my heart in vain,
and washed my hands in innocency.”
P. 55. A vast wood qualm-trees. Perhaps the palm is no
where more abundant than in this region, that only excepted to
which Virgil refers, in a passage as yet not explained:
Primus Idurnaeas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas.
If the ingenuousness and delicacy of a Right Reverend Critic
(who is said to have owed his present dignity to a note on the
context) had not been long known,‘II an ordinary reader might
be startled at the resemblance between his Lordship’s critique
and Catrou’s, whilst a fastidious one in a splenetic mood might
apply, like another Edwards, the Marks of Imitation as so
many canons to annoy their founder. The hypothesis how-
ever of Hartley, Priestley, and those other physiologists, who
have so clearly deduced the phenomena of mind from organiza-
tion, and traced back the coincidences of thought to predis-
posing motives and similar associations, will enable us on the
idea of an internal conformity between the critics, to account
for their congruity of writing, without leaving room to surmise
that the one ever heard of the other. Not a breath then of
Achan and his wedge of gold! Catrou, supposing that Virgil
meditated the improvement of his writings after an excursion to
Greece and Asia, translates ego in patriam rediens, by a mon
retour en Italie; but the restricted sense in which the poet de-
lights to apply patria (as in his ﬁrst Eclogue:
Nos patriaz ﬁnes, et dulcia linquimus arva,
Nos patriam fugimus—)

as well as the mention of Mantua and the Mincius, precludes
this more extended construction; if therefore ego in patriam
* See the tract intituled “On the'Delicacy of Friendship, a seventh
dissertation, addressed to the author of the sixth."


I 54. NOTES.
rediens be literally taken, it will rather mark the design of
Virgil to retire from Rome to the sequestered scenes of his
native Mantua, where he was ﬁrst smitten with the love of
song, and whither he purposes to bring the sisterhood of the
Muses; but the clause least understood is that which immedi-
ately follows :
Primus Idummas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas.
Catrou hath inferred from it that Virgil actually projected a.
voyage to the Levant; to fetch palms no doubt! The bishop,
however, after remarking that the poet having held himself
forth as a conqueror, and declared the object of his conquest to
have been bringing the Muses captive from Greece, subjoins,
“ the palmy triumphal entry, which was usual to victors on their
return from foreign successes, follows:
Primns Idummas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas."
But with the deference due to so venerable a critic, will this ex-
plication sufﬁce? for may it not be asked, If to celebrate a
triumph for foreign successes palms from Idumaia were requi-
site? If victors were accustomed to go thither for them pre-
vious to their triumphal entry? Or (allowing Idumaeas to be,
sine mente sonum, a word without meaning‘) how could it
happen that the palmy triumphal entry should have been usual
to victors, and yet Virgil the ﬁrst whose success was to be
graced with it ‘I
Primus Idurua-as referam—palmas.
It is observable that this book of the Georgics opens with pro-
posing its subject, the novelty of which induces the author to
remark that, as the usual themes of the Roman poets were all
become trite, it would be his aim to seek fame from foreign ac-
' Thus also Martyn, because Idumma was famous for palms, interprets
Idumaess palmas, “ palms in general ;" and Heyne: “ ldummas autem
palmas poetico plane epitheto appellabat, a nobili sliqno genere;” yet he
immediately adds: " Idumen poets: pro Idumwa ac tots Judaea dicunt,
uam quidem palmis frequentem fuisse notum est :—arbusto palmarum
dives Idume. Lucan. iii. 216.”


NOTES. r55
quisitions, and his purpose to aggrandize the glory of his coun-
try by subjecting to its language the poetical beauties of Greece
and J udea.
If it be admitted that, under the allegory of leading the
Muses (who were peculiar to Greece) from the summit of the
Aonian mount, the poet intended to characterize the loftiest
ﬂights of Grecian poetry, or the epic,‘ it follows from parity of
reason that, under the symbol of their country,1- he equally de-
signed the prophetic strains of the Hebrews:
Primus ego in patrism mccum, modo vita. supersit,
Aoniu rediens dedncain vertice Musas :
Primus Idnmmas referam tibi, Mantua, palmns.
The verb referam in connection with tibi Mantua, implies that
Virgil had already brought ldumzean palms to his natal soil, and
what these meant is abundantly plain; for whoever will com-
pare the 4th Eclogue with the prophecy of Isaiah, must per-
ceive too close an agreement to suppose that the same images,
under similar combinations, and both new to a Roman poet,
should have occurred to Virgil rather from chance than a pre-
vious perusal of the prophetI in Greek. It only remains then
to be inquired whether Virgil, after having introduced in his
Pastorals some of the prophetic traits of Hebrew poetry, any
* It was in this light that the fEneis was regarded by Propertius, who
exclaims in reference to it (B. ii. El. xxxiv. v. 65)
Cedite Grail,
Nescio quid majus nascitur Iliade !
The author of an elegant and masterly pamphlet, entitled, “Critical
Observations on the Sixth Book of the Eneid” (published by Elmsly,
1770) sup oses Propertius in the context to have had his eye on the
shield of ngneas; but from comparing the passage itself with the Sixth
Elegy of the Fourth Book, it appears more likely that he alluded to the
battle of Actium, as described in En. viii. 704.
+ It was by this emblem that the Romans on their coins represented
Indies; and particularly on the medal, to signalize its reduction :
“ Beneath her palm here sad J udea weeps.”
I Tacitus mentions the Ancient Scriptures of the Jewish Priests, as
containing the prediction which Virgil is here supposed to have adopted.
Hist. 1. v. 33 13.


156 NOTES.
further availed himself of it in the Epic here projected ? For
a satisfactory answer to this question it might suﬂice to reply,
that if there be any characteristic which discriminates the
Eneid more than another, it is the prophetic:
In medio mihi Caesar erit, templumque tenebit.
As in the Pollio, the images employed by the prophet to pre-
ﬁgure the birth of the Messiah and the blessings of his reign,
were applied by the Roman poet to the birth of the expected
son of Augustus* and the return of the golden age under his
auspices; so in the ZEneid, he resumes the prediction, and ap-
plies it to Augustus himself:
Hic vir, hic est, tibi qnem promitti ssepius audis,
Augustus Cmsar. Divi genus; nures condet
Saecula qui rursus Latio, regnata per arva
Seturno quondum; su er et Garamantss et Indos
Proferet Imperium. acet extra sidera tellus,
Extra. anni solisque vies, 5L0.
En. VI. 792.
Inscription. Inscriptions of this sort are still retained ; thus
Ludeke, “Interni non solum Divani pluriumque conclavium pa-
rietes, sed etiam frontispicia super portasinscriptiones habent.”
—Expositio, p. 54. In the history of Amine we ﬁnd an in-
scription over a gate in letters of gold, analogous to this of
Fakreddin: “Here is the abode of everlasting pleasures an
content.” Arab. Nights, vol. i. p. 193. ‘
A magniﬁcent taktrevan. This kind of moving throne,
though more common at present than in the days of Vathek,
is still conﬁned to persons ofthe highest rank.
P. 56. Her light brown hair ﬂoated in the hazy breeze of the
twilight. Literally hyacinthine; the metaphor taken from
this ﬂower expressed by the word sunbul, is familiar to the
Arabians. Thus in Sir William Jones’s Solima, an eclogue
made up of eastern images :

The fragrant hyscinths of Azzs’s hair, _
That wanton with the laughing summer sir—
o By Scribonia, then pregnant of the infamous Julia. See Bishop
Chandler’s Vindication, and Masson’s Dissertation subjoined.


NOTES. I57
Nor was it less common to the Greeks; perhaps Milton in the
following lines,
Hyacinthin locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad—
adopted it from Lucian. The term manly, with the restriction
at the close, gives full scope for this conjecture, as in Lucian
the descriptions relate only to Women. The poet may be
further traced upon the snow of the classics in the use of the
term clustering, an equivalent expression being appropriated by
the ancients to that disposition of the curls which resembles the
growth of grapes, and may be observed on gems, coins, and
statues. Plutarch, Consol. Apoll. p. 196. It is singular that
both lexicographers and critics should have considered Bo'rpuo-
xm'm; and BWPUOlf-od'pwq as synonymous; this confusion however
appears to have arisen from both being attributes of Bacchus,
whose hair was not only adorned with clusters from the vine,
but like the locks of Apollo (“Mayan Bu’rpuniwig- Apollon.
Apyov. b. 677) was itself clustering."f Sir William Jones acutely
conjectures that Solomon alluded to the hair in that elliptical
speech of the Shulamite, Song i. 14.
'5 rm 15m ‘mm
*1: 1w am:
A cluster of grapes, 841:.
The like epithet, though adopted from a different fruit, occurs
in the poem of Amriolkais : “ Her long coal-black hair deco—
rated her hack, thick and diﬂ'used, like bunches of dates clus-
tering on the palm-tree.” The diffusion of hair here noticed,
and its ﬂoating as described by our author, are circumstances
so frequent in the works of Hafez and Jami, that there is
scarce a page of them in which the idea of the breeze playing

* Winckelmann hath strangelyﬂxed upon the reverse of this character
as an exclusive property of these divinities; and so infallible a criterion
does he make it, as even from it alone to ascertain their mutilated
statues. Hist. de l’Art d' Antiq. tom- ii. p. 146. However, in another
part of his work he refers to Plutarch as cited above.


152 NOTES.
with the tresses of a beautiful girl is not agreeably and variously
expressed.‘ An instance from Petrnreh resembling their
manner may be seen in the lines that follow:
Aura. che quelle ehiorne bionde e cresps
Circondi. e movi, e se' mossa ds loro
Soavemente, e spargi quel dolce are,
E poi'l raccogli, e’n bei nodi’l rincrespe.
Son. cxci,
P. 56. Your ivory limbs. The Arabians compare the skin
of a beautiful woman to the egg of the ostrich when preserved
unsulliedyl' thus Amriolkais: “Delicate was her shape, fair
her skin, and her body well proportioned; her bosom was as
smooth as a mirror, or like the pure egg of an ostrich, of a
yellowish tint blended with white.” Also the Koran : “ Near
them shall lie the virgins of Paradise, refraining their looks from
beholding any besides their spouses, having large black eyes,
and resembling the eggs of an ostrich covered with feathers
from dust.” Moallakat, p. 8 ; Al Koran, ch. 27. But though
the Arabian epithet be taken from thence, yet the word ivory
is substituted, as more analogous to European ideas, and not
foreign from the eastern; thus Amru: “And two sweet
breasts, smooth and white as vessels of ivory, modestly de-
fended from the hand of those who presume to touch them.”
Moallakat, p. 77.
Baths of rose-water. The use of perfumed waters for the
purpose of bathing is of an early origin in the east, where

' Preface to Jones‘s Poems, p. xii.
1' A fair skin is likened by the Italian Poets to curd: thus Blncuio-
inl:
I suoi teneri memhri un latte sieno
Che tremolante, ma. non rotto ancora,
Pose accorto Pastor so i verdi g‘iunchi.
' Amoroso Sdegna, iii. 2.
Likewise Tasso:
egli rivalse
I cupidi occhi in quelle membra belle,
Che, come snole tremolare, il latte
N e giuncbi. si parean morbide, e bianche.
Aminta, iii. 1.


NOTES. 159
every odoriferous plant sheds a richer fragrance than is known
to our more humid climates. The rose which yields this
lotion is, according to Hasselquist, of a beautiful pale blush
colour, double, large as a man’s ﬁst, and more exquisite in
scent than any other species. The quantities of this water
distilled annually at Fajhum, and carried to distant countries,
is immense. The mode of conveying it is in vessels of copper,
coated with wax. Voyag. p. 248. Ben Jonson makes Volpone
say to Celia:
Their bath shall be the juyce of gilliﬂowers,
Spirit of roses and of violets.
Amuse you with tales. Thus in the story of Alraoui: “ There
was an emir of Grand Cairo, whose company was no less coveted
- for his genius than his rank; being one day in a melancholy
mood, he turned towards a courtier and said: ‘Alraoui, my
heart is dejected and I know not the cause; relate to me some
pleasant story to dispel my chagrin.’ Alraoui replied: ‘the
great have with reason regarded tales as the best antidote to
care; if you will allow me, I will tell you my own.’ " 'l'rans-
lated from one of the unpublished MSS. mentioned in the
preface. “The Arabian Nights,” saith Colonel Capper in his
observations on the passage to India. through Egypt, and
across the Great Desert, “are by many people supposed to be
a spurious production, and are therefore slighted in a manner
they do not deserve; they are written by an Arabian, and are
universally read and admired throughout Asia by persons of all
ranks, both old and young; considered therefore as an original
work, descriptive as they are of the manners and customs of
the east in general, and also of the genius and character of the
Arabians in particular, they surely must be thought to merit
the attention of the curious; nor are they in my opinion en-
tirely destitute of merit in other respects; for although the ex-
travagance of some of the stories is carried too far, yet on the
whole one cannot help admiring the fancy and invention of the
author in striking out such a variety of pleasing incidents,
pleasing I call them because they have frequently afforded me
much amusement; nor do I envy any man his feelings who is
above being pleased with them; but before any person decides


l 60 NOTES.
on the merit of these books he should be eye-witness of the
effects they produce on those who best understand them. I
have more than once seen the Arabians on the desert sitting
round a ﬁre, listening to these stories with such attention and
pleasure, as totally to forget the fatigue and hardship with
which an instant before they were totally overcome; in short,
they are held in the same estimation all over Asia, as the ad-
ventures of Don Quixote are in Spain.” If the observation of
the Knight of La Mancha, respecting translation in general be
just—“ me parece, que el traducir de una lengua en otra, es
como quien mira 10s tapices ﬁamencos por el reves, que aunque
se ven las ﬁguras, son llenas de hilos que las escurecen, y no se
ven con la lisura y tez de la haz "—the wrong side of tapestry
will represent more truly the ﬁgures on the right, notwith-
standing the ﬂoss that blurs them, than any version, the pre-
cision and smoothness of the Arabian surface. The prospect of
a rich country in all the glories of summer is not more different
from its November appearance, than the original of those tales,
when opposed to the French translation; of which it may be
added, our version is at best but a moonlight view:
pallida la luna
Tingea d‘un lnme scolorito e incertn
La vasta solitudine ten-ens.
Lamb (2 la cre'me. No dish amongst the Easterns was more
generally admired; the Caliph Abdolmelek, at a splendid en-
tertainment to which whoever came was welcome, asked Amrou
the son of' Hareth what kind of meat he preferred to all others;
the old man answered: “An ass‘s neck, well seasoned and
roasted.” But what say you,” replied the Caliph, “to the leg
or shoulder of a lamb d la cre’me ?” and added :
“ How sweetly we live if a shadow would last? "
M.S. Laud. Numb. 161. A. Ockley’s Hist. of the Saracens,
vol. ii. p. 277.
Made the dwarfs dance against their will. Ali Chelebi al
Moufti, in a treatise on the subject, held that dancing after the
example of the Derviches, who made it a part of their devotion,
was allowable. But in this opinion he was deemed to be


NOTES. I6!
heterodox; for Mahometans in general place dancing amongst
the things that are forbidden. Herbelot, p. 98.
Durst not refuse the Commander of the Faithful. The man-
dates of Oriental potentates have ever been accounted irre-
sistible; hence the submission of these devotees to the will of
the Caliph. Esther i. 19; Daniel vi. 8 ; Ludeke Expos.
brevis, p. 60. .
He spread himself on the sofa. The idiom of the original
occurs in Euripides, and is from him adopted by Milton:
1851-: 1'07 I‘spaw’ a-
yam 2m cream
xupivov‘ a: 7'41).th- _
Heraclida, v. 70.
See how he lies at random, carelessly diﬂ‘us‘d,
With languish’d head unpropt,
As one past he e, abandon’d,
And by himse f given over.
Samson, v. 118.
P. 57. Properly lubricated with the balm of Mecca. Un-
guents, for reasons sufﬁciently obvious, have been of general use
in hot climates. According to Pliny, “at the time of the
Trojan war, they consisted of oils perfumed with the odours of
ﬂowers, and chieﬂy of roses ;” whence the was sum of Homer.
Hasselquist speaks of oil impregnated with the tuberose and
jessamine; but the unguent here mentioned was preferred to
every other. Lady M. W. Montagu, desirous to try its eﬁ'ects,
seems to have suffered materially from having improperly ap-
plied it.
If their eye-brows and tresses were in order. As perfuming
and decorating the hair of the Sultanas was an essential duty
of their attendants, the translator hath ventured to substitute
the term tresses for another more exact to the original. In
Don Quixote indeed a waiting woman of the duchess mentions
the same services with our author, but as performed by persons
of her own sex: hay en Candaya mugeres que andan de easa
en casa é. quitar e1 vello, y é. pulir las cejas, y hacer otros men-
jurges tocantes é. mugeres, nosotras las dueiias de mi seﬁora
por jamas quisimos admitirlas, porque las mas oliscan é ter-
ceras,” tom. iv. cap. 40, p. 42. Other ofﬁces of the dressing-
M
u


162 NOTES.
room and toilet may be seen in Lucian, vol. ii. Amor. 39, p.
441. The Arabians had a preparation of antimony and galls
with which they tinged the eye-brows of a beautiful black,
and great pains were taken to shape them into regular arches.
In combing the hair it was customary to sprinkle it with
perfumes, and to dispose it in a variety of becoming forms.
Richardson’s Dissertat. p. 481 ; Lady M. W. Montagu’s
Letters.
The nine hundred and ninety-ninth time. The Mahometans
boast of a doctor who is reported to have read over the Koran
not fewer than twenty thousand times. Herbelot, p. 75. ‘
Black eunuchs, sabre in hand. In this manner the apart—
ments of the ladies were constantly guarded. Thus in the story
of the enchanted horse, Firouz Schah, traversing a strange
palace by night, entered a room, “and by the light of a lanthorn
saw that the persons he had heard snoring were black eunuchs
with naked sabres by them, which was enough to inform him
that this was the guard chamber of some queen or princess.”
Arabian Nights, vol. iv. p. 189.
P. 58. Nourom'har, daughter of the Emir, was sprightly as
an antelope, and full of wanton gaiety. Solomon has com-
pared his bride to “a company of horses in Pharaoh’s cha-
riots ;” Horace, a sportive young female to an untamed ﬁlly;
Sophocles, a delicate virgin to a wild heifer; Ariosto, Angelica
to a fawn or kid; and Tasso, Erminia to a hind; but the
object of resemblance adopted by our author is of superior
beauty to them all.
To let down the great swing. The swing was an exercise
much used in the apartments of the eastern ladies, and not only
contributed to their health, but amusement. Tales of Inatulla,
vol. i. p. 259.
I accept the invitation qfthy honied lips. Uncommon as this
idiom may appear in our language, it was not so either to the
Hebrew or the Greek. Compare Proverbs xvi. 24—
:19?an warm:
with Homer, Iliad A. 249—
Tov um Mro ykwo'a'ng MEM'rar 77wmwv §Eiv duh—-


NOTES. 163
Theocritus, Idyl. xx. 26—
Ex c'ropa'rmv 5‘s
EH55: Mm qawva ykunipw-rspa. n Mihumpm—
And Solomon’s Song, iv. 11—-
n‘v: wvmnaw rusnn n5:
war
with Moschus, Idyl. i. 9—
idu AaMIua‘
n'a; MEN, qmva.
An Arabian fabulist, enumerating the charms of a consummate
beauty, hath used the identical expression of our author, but
probably in an extended sense, as
From her lip
Not words alone pleased him.
My senses are dazzled with the radiance that beams from
thy charms, or, to express an idiom for which we have no sub-
stitute, thy countenance, rayonnante de beautes et de graces.
Descriptions of this kind are frequent in Arabian writers; thus
Tarafa: “Her face appears to be wrapped in a veil of sun-
beams.” And in the Arabian Nights: “ Schemselnihar came
forward amongst her attendants with a majesty resembling the
sun amidst the clouds, which receive his splendour without
concealing his lustre.” To account for this compliment in the
mouth of Bababalouk, we should remember that he was, ex
qﬂicio, elegansformarum spectator.
P. 59. Melodious Philomel, I am thy rose. The passion of
the nightingale for the rose is celebrated over all the east;
thus Mesihi, as translated by Sir W. Jones:
Come. charming maid, and hear thy poet sing,
Thyself the rose, and he the bird of spring;
Love bids him sing, and love will be nbey'd,
Be gay; too soon the ﬂowers of spring will fade.
P. 60. Oil spilt in breaking the lamps. It appears from
Thevenot that illuminations were usual on the arrival of a.
stranger, and he mentions on an occasion of this sort two hun-
dred lamps being lighted; the quantity of oil therefore spilt by
Bababalouk may be easily accounted for from this custom.


164. NOTES.
Reclining on down. See Lady M. W. Montagu, let. xxvi.
P. 61. Calender-s. These were a sort of men amongst the
Mahometans who abandoned father and mother, wife and chil-
dren, relations and possessions, to wander through the world
under a pretence of religion, entirely subsisting 0n the fortui-
tous bounty of those they had the address to dupe. Herbelot,
Suppl. p. 204.
Santons. A body of religionists who were also called Abdals,
and pretended to be inspired with the most enthusiastic rap-
tures of divine love; they were regarded by the vulgar as
saints. Olearius, tom. i. p. 971; Herhelot, p. 6.
Dervises. The term demise signiﬁes a poor man, and is the
general appellation by which a religious amongst the Maho-
metans is named. There are however discriminations that dis-
tinguish this class from the others already mentioned; they are
bound by no vow of poverty, they abstained not from marriage,
and, whenever disposed they may relinquish both their blue
shirt and profession. Herbelot, Suppl. 214. It is observable
that these different orders, though not established till the reign
of Nasser a1 Samani, are notwithstanding mentioned by our
author as coeval with Vathek, and by the author of the Arabian
Nights as existing in the days of Haroun al Raschid; so that
the Arabian fabulists appear as inattentive to chronological
exactness in points of this sort as our immortal dramatist
himself.
Brahmins. These constituted the principal caste of the In-
dians, according to whose doctrine Brahma, from whom they
are called, is the ﬁrst of the three created beings by whom the
world was made. This Brahma is said to have communicated
to the Indians four books, in which all the sciences and cere-
monies of their religion are comprised. The word Brahma in
the Indian language signiﬁes pervading all things. The Brah-
mins lead a life of most rigid abstinence, refraining not only
from the use but even the touch of animal food, and are equally
’exemplary for their contempt of pleasures, and devotion to phi-
losophy and religion. Herbelot, p. 212; Bruckeri Hist. Philo-
soph. tom. i. p. 194.
Fakirs. This sect were a kind of religious anchorites, who
spent their whole lives in the severest austerities and mortiﬁ-


NOTES. :6;
cation. It is almost impossible for the imagination to form an
extravagance that has not been practised by some of them to
torment themselves; as their reputation for sanctity rises in
proportion to their sufferings, those amongst them are reve-
renced the most who are most ingenious in the invention of
tortures, and persevering in enduring them ; hence some have
persisted in sitting or standing for years together in one unva-
ried posture, supporting an almost intolerable burden, dragging
the most cumbrous chains, exposing their naked bodies to the
scorching sun, and hanging with the head downward before the
ﬁercest ﬁres. Relig. Ceremon. vol. iii. p. 264, &c.; White’s
Sermons, p. 504.
Some that cherished vermin. In this attachment they were
not singular; the Emperor Julian not only discovered the same
partiality, but celebrated with visible complacency the shaggy
and populous beard which he fondly cherished; and even the
historian of the Roman empire afﬁrms “ that the little animal
is a beast familiar to man, and signiﬁes love.” Vol. ii. p. 343.
P. 62. 'Visnow and Izhora. Two deities of the East In-
dians, concerning whose history and adventures more nonsense
is related than can be found in the whole compass of mythology
besides; the traditions of their votaries are no doubt alle-
gorical, but without a key to disclose their mystic import they
are little better than senseless jargon.
Talapoins. This order, which abounds in Siam, Laos, Pegu,
and other countries, consists of different classes and both sexes,
but chieﬂy of men. Relig. Ceremon. vol. iv. p. 62, &c.
Objects of pity were sure to warm round him. Ludeke
mentions the practice of bringing those who were suffering un-
der any calamity, or had lost the use of their limbs, 800., into
public for the purpose of exciting compassion; on an occasion
therefore of this sort when Fakreddin, like a pious Mussulman,
was publicly to distribute his alms, and the Commander of the
faithful to make his appearance, such an assemblage might well
be expected. The eastern custom of regaling a convention of
this kind is of great antiquity, as is evident from the parable of
the king in the Gospels, who entertained the maimed, the
lame, and the blind; nor was it discontinued when Dr. Po-
cocke visited the East. Vol. i. p. 182.


1 66 NOTES.
P. 63. Horns of an exquisite polish. Jacinto Polo de Me-
dina, in one of his epigrams has as unexpected a turn on the
same topic:
Cavando un sepuloro nn hombre
Baco largo, corvo y grueso,
Entre otros muchos, un hueso,
Que tiene cnerno por nombre :
Volviblo al sepulcro a1 punto:
Y viendolo un cortesa no.
Dijo: bien haceis, her-mane,
Que es hueso de ese defunto.
Small plates of abominations. The Koran hath established
several distinctions relative to different kinds of food; and
many Mahometans are so scrupulous as not to touch the ﬂesh
of any animal over which in the article of death the butcher
had omitted to pronounce the Bismillah. Relig. Cerem. vol.
vii. p. 110.
Fish which they drew from a river. According to Le Bruyn,
the Oriental method of ﬁshing with a line is by winding it
round the ﬁnger, and when the ﬁsherman feels that the bait
is taken he draws in the string with alternate hands; in this
way, he adds, a good dish of ﬁsh is soon caught. Tom. i. p.
564. It appears from a circumstance related by Galand that
Vathek was fond of this amusement. Herbelot, Suppl. p. 210.
Sinai. This mountain is deemed by Mahometans the noblest
of all others, and even regarded with the highest veneration,
because the divine law was promulgated from it. Herbelot,
. 812.
P P. 64. Peries. The word peri in the Persian language sig_
niﬁes that beautiful race of'creatures which constitutes the
link between angels and men. The Arabians call them ginn,
or genii, and we (from the Persian, perhaps) fairies; at least
the peries of the Persian romance correspond to that imagi-
nary class of beings in our poetical system. The Italians de-
nominate them fata, in allusion to their power of charming and
enchanting; thus the Manta fatidica of Virgil is rendered in
Orlando La fata Manta. The term ginn being common to both
peries and dives, some have erroneously fancied that the peries
were female dives; this appellation, however, served only to dis-
criminate their common nature from the angelic and human,


168 NOTES.
They still detained him in the harem. N oureddin, who was
as old as Gulchenrouz, had a similar indulgence of resorting to
the harem, and no less availed himself of it. Arab. Nights,
vol. iii. pp. 9, 10.
Dart the lance in the chase. Throwing the lance was a
favourite pastime with the young Arabians; and so expert
were they in this practice (which prepared them for the con-
ﬂicts both of the chase and of war) that they could bear off a
ring on the points of their javelins. Richardson’s Dissertat.
pp. 198, 281. Though the ancients had various methods of
hunting, yet the two which chieﬂy prevailed were those de-
scribed by Virgil,‘ and alluded to by Solomon,-l- Prov. vii. 22.

‘ Dum trepidant aim, saltusque indagine magnum—En. iv. 121.
Notwithstanding the explanations of alts which have been given by
Servius, Burman and others, there can scarce be a doubt but that Virgil
referred to the custom of scaring deer into bolts, with feathers fastened
on lines; a practice so eﬂ'ectnal to the purpose. that Linnwns character-
ized the dama or fallow deer, from it, arcetur ﬁlo horizontali. The same
stratagem is mentioned in the Georgics (iii. 371).
Punicezeve agitant pavidos formidine pinnaa:
and again in the Eneid (xii. 749)
Inclusum velnti si quando ﬂnmine nactus
Cervum, ant puniceaa septum formidine pinnm.
It is observable however that the poet, in these instances, hath studioust
varied his mode of expression; the sportsmen of Italy used inion
feathers, which. the better to answer their pur ose, they dye of a
Lybian red;I but as Africa abounded in birds w ose wings were im-
pregnated with the spontaneous and glossy tincture of nature, such an
expedient in that country must have been needless. If we advert then
to the scene of Dido’s chase, the reason will be obvious why Virgil
omitted punicete, and for pinnaa substituted alts. There is a passage in
Nemesianns which will at once conﬁrm the interpretation here given,
and illustrate the judgment of the poet in the choice of his terms :
Hinc [sc. ex Africa mage puniceas nativo munere sumes:
N amque illic sine ne, greges ﬂorentibus alis
Invenies avium, suaviqne rubescere lnto.
Cfi/negeticon, v. 317.
t The wide region of conjectural emendation cannot produce a happier
instance of critical skill than was discovered by t at accurate and

I Lybice fucantnr sandyce pinnw.—Gratii Cyneg. v. 86.


NOTES. 169
Nor curb the steeds. Though Gulchenrouz was too young
to excel in horsemanship, it nevertheless was an essential ac-
complishment amongst the Arabians; hence the boast of
Amriolkais: “ Often have I risen at early dawn, while the

judicious scholar, the late Dr. Hunt,* 'who, when the sense of the passage
referred to had for ages been lost, sagaciously restored it by curtailing a

letter. Proverbs vii. 22. As an hart (5“8 for 5’18) boundeth into the
toils, till a dart strike through his liver. When the game driven together
were either circumvented, as described by Virgil, or ensnared by the
foot (wodorgagn) as alluded to by Solomon, the hunters dispatched them
with their niissile weapons. Thus Xenophon (as cited in Dr. Hunt’s
Dissertation (X91 8’ my ﬁlm; sky—say pm {7 agimv um wgoc'mau gyro;- 704; 7a?
agar: waua, xau m; woo'w' avroéa av axoansw. When the animal 18 thus
caught, you must not, if it be a male, advance within his reach, for they
are apt to strike with their horns and their heels; it will be proper
therefore to pierce him at a distance.
* The correction with the context is this:
22. He goeth after her straightway,
As an ox goeth to the slaughter;
23. Or as an hart boundeth into the toils,
’Till a dart strike through his liver;
24. As a bird hasteth to the snare,
And knoweth not that it is for his'life.
Dr. J ubb well imagined (though he hath ill rendered 111821 in the 21st
verse, Irretivit illum) that the heedless haste of the bird towards the
snare might be caused by the lure of a female’s call, and adduced from
Oppian an apposite example:
‘57.; 8: n; oswvow-t “new Sokosv'la cpu'lsuwv
@nhstav Sap-vow; xa'laxgtm'lsl Aaa'tooo-w
quw, duo'ykwcrc-om mspmoeov néaula SW‘
‘1'! 35 N70; new Eouéov p.510; oi S’wovlsg
Hails; sma-ngXow'l, xau &; ﬁgoxov au'lov inlet;
@nhﬂsgn; 00mm wagavrkal'xésv'ls; lwm‘.
Halieut. iV. 120.
As when the fowler to the ﬁelds resorts,
His ca ed domestic partner of his sports
Behin some shade-projecting bush he lays,
And wreaths the wiry cell with blooming sprays.
The pretty captive to the groves around
Warbles her practised care-deluding sound.
The attentive ﬂocks pursue with ravish’d ear
The female music of the feather’d fair,
Forget to see, and rush upon the snare.
Jones.


:70
NO TE S.
birds were yet in their nest, and mounted a hunter with
smooth short hair, of a full height, and so ﬂeet as to make
captive the beasts of the forest; ready in turning, quick in
pursuing, bold in advancing, ﬁrm in backing, and performing
the whole with the strength and swiftness of a vast rock which
a torrent has pushed from its lofty base; a bright bay steed
from whose polished back the trappings slide, as drops of rain
slide hastily down the slippery marble. . . . . He makes
the light youth slide from his seat, and violently shakes the
skirts of a heavier and more stubborn rider.” Moallakat, p. 10.
The stud of Fakreddin consisted no doubt of as noble a breed,
though sprung neither from “ the mighty Tartar horse” (whose
gigantic rider was slain by Codadad), nor the sire of Clavileno
“and the wondrous horse of brass.” Milton’s allusion to the
last having occasioned much fruitless inquiry concerning his
pedigree,“i it shall here be made out, with that of his brother.
The principal qualities of
“ the horse of brass,” were—
The particulars of Clavileﬁo
are—that he was the produc-
that he was brought before
the Tartar King after the third
course of a feast, which was
solemnized at the commence-
ment of spring; that he was
able within the compass of a
natural day to carry his rider
wherever he might choose;
that he could mount into the
air as high as an eagle, and
with as equable and easy a
tion of an enchanter; was
capable of rising into the air
with the velocity of an arrow,
and carrying his rider to any
distance; was put into motion
by the turning of a pin on
his neck, and directed in his
course by another in his fore-
head; that he ﬂeeted so
steadily through the air as
not to spill a drop from a cup

" “Among the MSS. at Oriel Colle ein Oxford is an old Latin treatise
entitled ‘Fabula de mneo caballo.‘ ere I imagined I had discovered
the origin of Chaucer's ‘Squier's Tale,’ so replete with marvellous
imagery, and evidently an Arabian ﬁction of the middle ages; but I
was disappointed, for on examination, it appeared to have not even a
distant connexion with Chaucer's story. mention this that others,
on seeing such a title in the catalogue, might not be ﬂattered with spe-
cious expectations of so curious a discovery, and misled like myself by a
fruitless inquiry."—Wan'ron's edit. of Milton's Poems, p. 82.


NOTES. 173
P. 67. With all the bashﬁzlness of a fawn. The fawn, as
better known, is here substituted for the gazelle of the Arabi-
ans, an animal uncommonly beautiful and shy.
Take refuge in the arms quourzmihar. Ample scope is
here left to the imagination of the reader, and Tasso will assist
him to ﬁll up the picture.
Sovrs. lui pende : ed ei uel grembo molle
Le posa il capo, e’l volto a1 volto attolle.
La Gems. xvi. 18.
Shadukiam and Ambreabad. These were two cities of the
peries in the imaginary region of Ginnistan ; the former signi-
ﬁes pleasure and desire, the latter the city of Ambergris. See
Richardson’s Dissertat. p. 169.
Young girls drawing cool water from the streams below. The
ofﬁce of fetching water in the East belongs to women, and par-
ticularly to “young women that are single.” The cool of the
evening was the season to procure a supply for the morrow;
this custom is of great antiquity; an instance of it occurs in
the writings of Moses, and in Homer not unfrequently. Shaw’s
Travels, p. 241 ; Chardin’s MS. (cited by Harmer) Gen. xxiv.
15—45; Odyss. xx. 154, X. 105, vii. 20.
P. 69. A spoon of Cocknos. The cocknos is a bird whose
beak is much esteemed for its beautiful polish, and sometimes
used as a spoon; thus in the History of Atalmulck and Zelica
Begum, it was employed for a similar purpose: “Zelica having
called for refreshment, six old slaves instantly brought in and
distributed Mahramas ; and then served about in a great basin
of martabam a salad made of herbs of various kinds, citron
juice, and the pith of cucumbers; they served it ﬁrst to the
princess in a cocknos’ beak; she took a beak of the salad, eat
it, and gave another to the next slave that sat by her on her
right hand, which slave did as her mistress had done ”
P. 71. Goules. Goul or ghul, in Arabic signiﬁes any terri-
fying object which deprives people of the use of their senses;
hence it became the appellative of that species of monster
which was supposed to haunt forests, cemeteries, and other
lonely places, and believed not only to tear in pieces the living,


174. NOTES.
but to dig up and devour the dead. Richardson’s Dissert. pp.
174—274. That kind of insanity called by the Arabians kut-
rub (a word signifying not only a wolf, but likewise a male
goul), which incites such as are afﬂicted with it to roam howl-
ing amidst those melancholy haunts, may cast some light on
the nature of the possesion recorded by St. Mark, chap. v.
1, &c.
P. 72. Feathers of the heron, workling with carbuncles.
Panaches of this kind are amongst the attributes of eastern
royalty. Tales of Inatulla, vol. ii. p. 205.
Whose eyes pervade the inmost soul of afenmle. The ori-
ginal in this instance, as in the others already noticed, is more
analogous to the French than the English idiom: dont l’oeil
pénétre jusqu’d la moelle desjeunes ﬁlles.
The carbuncle of Giamschid. This mighty potentate was the
fourth sovereign of the dynasty of the Pischadians, and brother
or nephewto Tahamurath ; his proper name was Giam or Gem,
and Schia', which in the language of the ancient Persians de-
nominated the sun, an addition ascribed by some to the majesty
of his person, and by others to the splendour of his actions.
One of the most magniﬁcent monuments of his reign was the
city of Istakhar, of which Tahamurath had laid the foundations.
This city, at present called Gihil-, or Tchil-minar, from the
forty columns reared in it by Homai, or (according to our
author and others“ Soliman Ben Daoud, was known to the
Greeks by the name of Persepolis; and there is still extant in
the east a tradition that when Alexander burnt the ediﬁces of
the Persian kings, seven stupendous structures of Giamschid
were consumed with his palace. This prince, after having sub-
jected to his empire seven vast provinces of Upper Asia, and
enjoyed in peace along reign (which some authors have pro-
tracted to seven hundred years), became intoxicated with his
greatness, and, foolishly fancying it would have no end, arro-
gated to himself divine honours; but the Almighty raised up,
even in his own house, a terrible instrument to abuse his pride,

" Examen Critique des Anciens Historiens d'Alexandre le Grand,
287.


NOTES. 175
by whom he was easily overcome and driven into exile. The
author of Giame al Tavatikh mentions the cup or concave
mirror of Giamschid, formed of a gem, and called the cup of
the sun; to this vessel the Persian poets often refer, and alle-
gorize it in different ways; they attribute to it the property of
exhibiting everything in the compass of nature, and even some
things that are preternatural ; the gem it consisted of appears
to be the carbuncle or oriental ruby, which, from its resem-
blance to a burning coal and the splendour it was supposed to
emit in the dark, was called schebgerag, or the torch of the
night; according to Strabo it obtained its high estimation
amongst the Persians, who were worshippers of ﬁre, from its
igneous qualities, and perhaps those virtues for which it hath
been styled “ the ﬁrst of stones.” Milton had a learned retro-
spect to its fabulous powers in describing the Old Serpent:
His head 0
Created aloft, and carbuncle his eyes.
Herbelot, pp. 392, 395, 780, &c.; Brights on Melancholie,
p. 321; Paradise Lost, is. 499.
The torches were extinguished. From the emblems of roy-
alty in the vision, and the closing declaration of the last voice,
it is evident that these torches, Mpﬂad‘a; am rm ruf4¢txnw 'rw
8mm”; ilan-m were lighted by the dive, to prognosticate‘ the
destined union, of which the water in the bath was a further
omen. Thus Lactantius: “A veteribus institutum est, ut sacra-
mento ignis et aquae nuptiarum foedera sanciantur, quod foetus
animantium calore et humore corporentur atque animentur ad
vitam. Unde aqua et igne uxorem accipere dicitur.” Ovid.
Fast. iv. 792; Var. de ling. Lat. iv. 10; Serv. ad Virg. En. iv.
167. Of the union here prefigured the sequel will allow to be
added:
Non Hymenxeus adest illi, non gratis. lecto;
Eumenides tenuere faces, de funere raptas :
Eumenides stravere torum.

* Mihi deductm fax omen prwtulit.
Propert. IV.'iii. l3.


176 NOTES.
P. 73. She clapped her hands. This was the ordinary method
in the east of calling the attendants in waiting. See Arabian
Nights, vol. i. pp. 5, 106, 193, &c.
Whence got youfalse keys? come, to your chamber! I will
shut you up in the double tower. It was the oi‘ﬁce of Shaban as
chief eunuch to keep the key of the ladies’ apartment. In the
story of Ganem, Haroun a1 Raschid commands Mesrour, the
chief of the eunuchs, “ to take the perﬁdious Fetnah, and shut
her up in the dark tower.” That tower was within the enclo-
sure of the palace, and commonly served as a prison for the
favourites who might chance to disgust the Caliph.
P. 74. Set him upon his shoulders. The same mode of car-
rying boys is noted by Sandys; and Ludeke has a passage still
more to the purpose: “ Liberos dominorum suorum grandius-
culos ita humeris portant servi, ut illi lacertis suis horum
collum, pedibus vero latera amplectantur, sicque illorum facies
super horum caput emineat.” Expositio Brevis, p. 37.
His cheeks became the colour of the blossom of the pome-
granate. The modest blush of an ingennous youth (which a
Grecian lady of admired taste averred to be the ﬁnest colour in
nature) is denominated by the Arabians from this very ﬂower.
Solomon, in his exquisite Idyllium, hath adopted the same
comparison, ch. iv. v. 3; 1hp‘i 111513 N753 Thy cheeks are like
the opening bloom * of the pomegranate. But a more apposite
use of this similitude occurs in an ode by a poet of Damascus:

' Simon interprets 7155 by eruptio 410113, and Guarini by balaus'tium;
senses, which the following passage om Pliny will support: “ Primus
pomi hujus partus ﬂore incipientis, Cytinus vocatur Grmcis—. In hoe
ipso cytino ﬁosculi suut, antequam scilicet malum ipsum prodeat, erum-
pentes. quos balaustium vocari dim'mus.” Nat. Hist. lib. xxiii. 59. 60‘
According to Dioscorides, i. 132, the balausfium w“ the blossom of the
wild, and the citynus of the cultivated pomegranate. Dr. Durell, justly
dissatisﬁed with the versions before him, both rendered the hemistich
thus; thy checks are like a piece of pomegranate—and adds: “The
checks are compared to a piece of this fruit, because the poms are
when whole is of a dull colour, but when out up of a lively beauti ul ver-
milion." But if this interpretation and reasoning be allowed, Solomon
was less put at u simile than Sancho; for whether the checks of a bloom-
ing bride-or the inwards of a man, “just cleft from noddle down to
nock”—b6 more like a split pomegranate? “ let the forest judge,"
Durell‘s Critical Remarks, p. 293; Don Quixote, tom. iii. p. 282.


171; NOTES.
cede the bier, praying as the procession moved on. Relig.
Cerem. vol. vii. p. 117.
P. 79. The wailful cries QfLa Ilah illa Alla! This excla-
mation, which contains the leading principle of Mahometan
belief, and signiﬁes there is no God but God, was commonly
uttered under some violent emotion of mind. The Spaniards
adopted it from their Moorish neighbours, and Cervantes hath
used it in Don Quixote: “En esto llegaron corriendo con
grits, lililies [literally professions of faith in Alla] y algazara. los
de las libreas, adonde Don Quixote suspenso y atonito estava.”
Parte Segunda, cap. lxi. tom. iv. p. 241. The same expression
is sometimes written by the Spaniards Lilaila, and Halo hil-
ahaila.
P. 80. The Angel of Death had opened the portal of some
other world. The name of this exterminating angel is Azrael,
and his ofﬁce is to conduct the dead to the abode assigned
them, which is said by some to be near the place of their in-
terment. Sale's Prelim. Disc. p. 101 ; Hyde in notis ad
Bohov. p. 19; R. Elias, in Tishbi; Buxtorf Synag. Jud. et
Lexie. Talmud.
P. 81. Monker and Nakir. These are two black angels of
a tremendous appearance, who examine the departed on the
subject of his faith; by whom if he give not a satisfactory
account, he is sure to be cudgelled with maces of red-hot iron,
and tormented more variously than words can describe. Relig.
Ceremon. vol. vii. pp. 69, 68, 118; vol. v. p. 290; Sale's Pre-
lim. Disc. p. 101, and one of the MSS. speciﬁed in the preface.
The fatal bridge. This bridge called in Arabic al Sirat,
and said to extend over the infernal gulf, is represented as nar-
rower than a spider’s web, and sharper than the edge of a
sword. Though the attempt to cross it be
More full of peril, and advent'rous spirit,
[ban to o'erwnlk a current, roaring loud,
On the unstesdfsst footing ofa spear;
yet the paradise of Mahomet can be entered by no other
avenue; those indeed who have behaved well need not be
alarmed, mixed characters will ﬁnd it difﬁcult, but the wicked
soon miss their standing and plunge headlong into the abyss.


NOTES. I79
Pocock in Port. Mos. p. 282, 860. Milton apparently copied
from this well-known ﬁction, and not as Dr. Warton conjectured,
from the Poet Sadi, his way
Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf
Tamely endur’d a. bridge of wond'rous length,
From hell continu'd, reaching the utmost orb
Of this frail world.
A certain series ofyears. According to the tradition from
the Prophet, not less than nine hundred nor more than seven
thousand.
The sacred camel. It was an article of the Mahometan
creed that all animals would be raised again, and some of them
admitted into paradise ; the animal here mentioned appears to
have been one of those white-winged camels,‘ caparisoned with
gold, which Ali afﬁrmed would be provided to convey the faith-
ful. Relig. Cer. vol. vii. p. 70; Sale's Prelim. Disc. p. 112;
Al Jauheri. Ebno’l Athir, &c.
P. 82. Panniers. This sort of basket-work hath been long
used in the east, and consists of the leaves of the date-bearing
palm. Panniers of this texture are of great utility in convey-
ing fruits, bread, &c., whilst heavier articles, or such as require
a more compact covering, are carried in bags of leather or
skin. Hasselquist’s Voyage, p. 261.
The Caliph presented himself to the Emir in a new light.
The propensity of a vicious person, in affliction, to seek con-
solation from the ceremonies of religion is an exquisite trait in
the character of Vathek.
P. 88. The waving offans. These fans consisted of the
trains of peacocks or ostriches, whose quills were set in a long
stem so as to imbricate the plumes in the gradations of their
natural growth. Fans of this fashion were formerly used in
England. Tojudge from the language of Burton—“ if he get
any remnant of her’s, a buske-point, a feather of her fanne, a
shoo-tye, a lace "—tliese fans soon after became common. It.

‘ Tarafa, amongst other circumstances in the description ofhis camel,
notices her “bushy tail, which appears as if the two winis of a large
white eagle were transﬁxed by an owl to the bone, and nag waving
round both her sides." Moullakat, p. 19.


180 NOTES.
was however to this kind that Milton alluded in a passage of
Paradise Lost, the collocation of which, though disjointed
through the mistake of his amanuensis, may by transposing a
word be restored:
his sleep
Was aery light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperate vapours bland, which th' only sound
of fuming rills and leaves, Aurora’s fan,
Lightly dispers’d, and the shrill matiu song
Of birds on ev’ry hough.
Trees whose branches are well covered with leaves may be not
improperly styled feathering; * and in the language of Milton
form the fan of Aurora, which, when waved by the breeze of
the morning, occasions the rustling that constitutes a third in
the complex sound referred to.
Wine boarded up in bottles prior to the birth of Mahomet.
The prohibition of wine by the prophet materially diminished
its consumption within the limits ofhis own dominions; hence
a reserve of it might be expected of the age here speciﬁed.
The custom of hoarding wine was not unknown to the Persians,
though not so often practised by them as by the Greeks and
the Romans. “ I purchase," says Lebeid, “the old liquor at a
dear rate, in dark leatheru bottles long reposited, or in casks
black with pitch, whose seals I break, and then ﬁll the cheerful
goblet.” Moallakat, p. 53.
Excavated ovens in the rock. As substitutes for the portable
ovens which were lost.
Manchets prepared by b'ouronihar. Herodotus mentions a
lady of equal rank performing a similar ofﬁce—h 5‘s yum 'ru
3110';ng aura no ﬁrm a'qu svrsa'o': ; 1‘ and the cakes which Tamar
made for Amnon are well known.
P. 90. Whirled herself round in a magical manner. The
Arabic verb (which corresponds to the Hebrew 1m: and sum) is
interpreted by Willmet scindere s. secare in orbem; inde notio
circandi, m0: gyrandi, et hinc a motu versatili Fascinavit, in-

' Thus Mr. Whateley, the ﬁrst authority in the language of picturesque
description; “ Large bonghs featherin down often intercept the sight."
1 Lib. vlil- p. 685. That film is to e understood in the sense above
given is certain from what immediately follows.


NOTES. 181
cantavit. An inﬂexion of the same verb is beautifully applied
in the Koran, and by Hariri to the fascinating power of elo-
quence.
Her great camel Alboufaki. There is a singular and laboured
description of a camel in the poem of Tarafa, but Alboufaki
possessed qualities appropriate to himself, and which rendered
him but little less conspicuous than the deformed dun camel 0f
Aad.
P. 91. To set forward, notwithstanding it was noon. The
employment of wood-fellers was accounted of all others the
most toilsome, as those occupied in it were compelled to forego
that midday cessation with which other labourers were in-
dulged. Inatulla. speaks proverbially of “ woodmen in the
meridian hour, scarce able to raise the arms of languor.” The
guides of Carathis being of this occupation, she adroitly availed
herself of it to urge them forward, without allowing them that
repose during the mid-day fervour which travellers in these
climates always enjoyed,‘ and which was deemed so essential
to the preservation of their health.
P. 92. The conﬁnes of some cemetery. Places of interment
in the east were commonly situated in scenes of solitude; we
read of one in the History of the First Calender, abounding with
so many monuments, that four days were successively spent in
it without the inquirer being able to ﬁnd the tomb he looked
for; and from the story of Ganem it appears that the doors of
these cemeteries were often left open. Arab. Nights, vol. i.
p. 112; vol. iii. p. 135.
P. 94. A Myrabolan comﬁt. The invention of this con—
fection is attributed by M. Cardonne to Avicenna, but there is
abundant reason, exclusive of our author’s authority, to suppose
it of a much earlier origin; both the Latins and Greeks were

‘ Psalm xci. 5. The explanatory iteration of the subsequent verse
points out acongrnity between the Hebrew poet and Homer. As the
contagion amongst the Greeks roduced by the excessive heat of the sun
was assigned in the Iliad to t e arrows of the God of light, so the de-
struction that wasteth at noon is attributed in the psalrn to the arrow
that ﬂieth by day. It has been observed by a nobleman of many accom-
plishments, that this verse should be added to the other passages of Scrip-
ture which have been noted in the writings ascribed to Aorosster.


182 NOTES.
acquainted with the balsam, and the tree that produced it was
indigenous in various parts of Arabia.
P. 96. Blue ﬁshes. Fishes of the same colour are men-
tioned in the Arabian Nights, and, like these, were endowed
with the gift of speech.
P. 98. Nests still higher than the clouds. The metaphor of
a nest for a secure habitation occurs in the sacred writings;
thus Habakkuk: “W0 to him that coveteth an evil covetous-
ness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that. he
may be delivered from the power of evil;” and Obadiah:
“though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set
thy nest among the stars," 860. The genius here mentioned
seems to have been adopted from the Jewish notion of guardian
angels, to whom the superintendence of children is supposed to
be committed, and to which our Saviour himself hath referred
(Matt. xviii. 10); whilst the original possessors of the nest
may be presumed to have been some of those marvellous birds
so frequently mentioned in Eastern romance.
Waving streamers on which were inscribed the names of
Alla and the Prophet. The position that “there is no God
but God, and Mahomet is his prophet," pervades every part
of the Mahometan religion. Banners, like those here de-
scribed, are preserved in the several mosques, and on the death
of extraordinary persons are borne before the bier in solemn
state. Relig. Cerem. vol. vii. p. 119, 20.
P. 99. Astrolahes. The mention of the Astrolabe may be
deemed incompatible at ﬁrst view with chronological exactness,
as there is no instance of any being constructed by a. Mussul-
man till after the time of Vathek. It may however be re-
marked, to go no higher, that Sinesius, bishop of Ptolemais,
invented one in the ﬁfth century; and that Carathis was not
only herself a Greek, but also cultivated those sciences which
the good Mussulmans of her time all held in abhorrence.
Bailly, Hist. de l'Astronom. Moderne, tom. i. p. 563, 573.
P. 101. On the bunks of the stream hives and oratories.
The bee is an insect held in high veneration amongst the
Mahometans, it being pointed out in the Koran “fora sign
unto the people that understand ;” the Santons therefore who


184. NOTES.
lighter than vanity.” And in Daniel, the sentence against the
king of Babylon inscribed on the wall: “ Thou art weighed in
the balance, and found wanting.”
P. 107. Balkis. This was the Arabian name of the Queen
of Sheba, who went from the south to hear the wisdom and
admire the glory of Solomon; the Koran represents her as a
worshipper of ﬁre. Solomon is said not only to have enter-
tained her with the greatest magniﬁcence, but also to have
raised her to his bed and his throne. Al Koran, ch. xxvii. and
Sale’s notes; Herbelot, p. 182.
P. 108. Of an architecture unknown in the records of the
earth—an immense palace, whose walls were embossed with
various figures, gc. Thus Pellegrino Gaudenzi, in his descrip-
tion of the palace of sin:
Enorme pondo al snolo, immensa mole
D' aspri macigni intesta e negri marmi
Per cni serpeggian di sanguigna tintn
Lugubri vene ; l’atterito sguardo
Mnto s'erresta sull' alters, fronte
Ch' entro le nubi si sospinge, e s’ also
Snperbamente a minacciar le stelle.
Sotto grand’ archi sn marmoree basi
Fan di se mostra simulacri orrendi
Che in faccia ad essa i Demon fabbri alznro.
La Nascita di Crista, c. i.
The chief of the eunuchs, trembling with fear, besought
Vathek that a ﬁre might be kindled. H-rop waxwwm, the very
heart of Bababalouk is congealed with apprehension. Where can
a more exquisite trait, both of nature and character, he found
than this request of the eunuch presents?
P. 109. They seemed not walking, but falling. A similar
kind of progression is described by Milton:
' By the hand he took me rais’d;
And over ﬁelds and waters, as in air,
Smooth-sliding without step last led me.
P. 110. The pavement strewed over with There are
several circumstances in the story of the Third Calender that
resemble those here mentioned, particularly a pavement strewed
with saffron and the burning of ambergris and aloes wood.
A throng ofgenii and other fantastic spirits, danced, Q'c. A


NOTES. I85
dance of the same kind, and by similar performers, occurs in
the History of Ahmed and the Peri Paribanon.
P. 111. Let us haste and present you to Eblis. If our
author’s description of the Arch-Apostate be examined by the
criterion of Arabian faith, and in reference to the circumstances
of the story, there can be no difficulty in appreciating its merit;
Gaudenzi, in the poem already cited, hath described the ap-
pearance of Satan previous to the birth of Christ, in a manner
that deserves to be noticed, though the poem itself were less

* Several expressions in this passage appear to have been imitated
from the following of Tasso :
scarce I
Fra. questo orror do. sue radici scosso
Trema repente il suolo, e all’ Uriente
Ardua montagna con rimbombo estremo
S'apre per mezzo: immense foce oscura
Mugghia. dal fondo, e fumo, e ﬁamme, e lampi
Sboccano a un tratto; i sfracellati massi
Rotando ardenti nel sulfureo ﬂutto
Stampan la piaggia di profonda traccia.
Dai neri gorghi e1 dolente regno
Con furibondo orribile muggito
Rimonta per l’aperta ampia vorago
L’Angiol d’abisso a funestar la terra.
Come dell’ ocean sola tiranna
Sconcia Balena per li ondosi campi
Move animosa, e coll’ enorme petto
L’ampia spezzando rimugghiante massa
Alzasi al giorno, e nel turbato fondo
Il muto armento di sua. mole adombra;
Tale Satan per vasto mar di ﬁamme
Ergesi a nuoto : immense ali protese
Alto ﬂa ellan con sonoro scroscio
L’onda infernal, che in rosseggianti righe
Sbalza stridente, e il ciel veste di foco.
Sotto grand’ archi di vellute, ciglia,
Quasi comete sanguinose erranti
Per tenebrose vie, di rabbis. pregni
Volvonsi gli occhi, e in cavernoso speco
Orrida s’apre l’inﬁammata bocca
Aure spirante di veleno infette.*
Orrida maesta nel fero aspetto
Terrore accresce, e piu superbo il rende :
Rossegian gli occhj, e di veneno infetto,
Come infausta cometa, il guardo splende :
Gl’ involve il mento, e su ’irsuto petto
Ispida e folta la gran barba scende :
E in guise. di voragine profonda,
S'npre la bocca d’atro sangue immonda.
La Gems. c. iv. st. 7.


186 NOTES.
Ein s’avanza, e il suol guatando e il cielo,
Impaziente con le negre brncuia
Le rupi sﬁ'era, e d'un immense slancio
Bulza al contin clella frapposta arena.
Mille del suo furor segunci Spirti
Ch“ erangli sotto per “1' igniti gorghi
Sﬂlang-i dietro. e coll’ intento sguardo
In lui rivnlti gli si fanno al ﬁance.
In sua possanza alteramente ﬁera
Stnssi l’oste d’ Averno, e adombra il pianoI
Siccome mille a mille annose quercie
Che a’ pie d’un' alts ferruginen rupe
Aride e negre al cielo ergon le teste.
S’adllopian l’ombre della notte, e sols
Al fol orsr degl‘ infernali sguardi
Arde s lnngi la sclinga piaggia,
Come spezzata da funeste vampe
Massa di nembi.
Ouranabad. This monster is represented as a ﬁerce ﬂying
hydra, and belongs to the same class with the Rakehe, whose
ordinary food was serpents and dragons, the Soham which had
the head of a horse with four eyes and the body of a. ﬂame-
coloured dragon, the Syl, a basilisk with a face resembling the
human, but so tremendous that no mortal could bear to behold
it, the Eider and others. See these respective titles in Rich—
ardson’s Dictionary, Persian, Arabic, and English.
P. 112. She expected to have seen some stupendous giant.
Such is the representation which Dante hath given of this in-
fernal sovereign:
Lo ‘mperador del doloroso regno
De mezzo ’l petto nscia fuor della ghiaccis:
E piﬁ con un gigante '1’ mi convegno,
Che i giganti non fan con 1e sue brsccia.
It is more than probable (though it has not been noticed) that
Don Quixote’s mistake of the windmills for giants was sug-
gested to Cervantes by the following simile, in which the tre-
mendous personage above mentioned is so compared:
Pei-0 dinanzi mira,
Disse ‘l maestro mio, se tn '1 discerni.
Come quando nna grosss nebbia spira‘
O quaudo 1’ emisperio nostro annotta
Par (is lungi un mulin che 'l veuto gira,
Veder mi parve un tal diﬂcio nllotta.
What conﬁrms this conjecture is the reply to Sancho’s question,


188 - NOTES.
Direste che spiravano, e se prive
Non fossero di voce, ch’ eran vive.
Quivi una Bestia uscir della foresta
Parea di crudel vista, odiosa, e brutta,
Che avea. 1e orecchie d’asino. e la testa
Di lupoI e i denti, e per gran fame asciutta;
Branche avea di leon; l’ultro, che resta,
Tutto era volpe.
P. 113. Holding his right hand motionless on his heart.
Sandys observes that the application of the right hand to the
heart is the customary mode of eastern salutation ; but the per-
severance of' the votaries of Eblis in this attitude was intended
to express their devotion to him both heart and hand.
P. 114. In my lie time Iﬁlled, Q‘s. This recital agrees
with those in the Koran and other Arabian legends.
An unrelenting ﬁre preys on my heart. Hariri, to convey
the most forcible idea of extreme anxiety, represents the heart
as tormented by ﬁerce burning coals; this form of speech it
is observed is proverbial, but do we not see whence the proverb
arose ? Chappelow's Six Assemblies, p. 106.
P. 115. In the abode of vengeance and despair. Thus
Dante’s description over the gate of hell :
Per me si va nella cittd dolente :
Per me si va nell’ eterno dolore :
Per me si va tra la perduts genre.
Ginstizia mosse ’l mio alto fattore:
Fecemi ls. divins. potestste.
La somma. sapienza, e 'l primo amore.
Dinanzi a me non fur cose create,
Se non eterne, ed i0 eterno duro:
Lasciate ogni speranza, voi che 'ntrats.
Canto 3.
Through me you pass to Mourning's dark domain ;
Through me to scenes where Grief must ever pine;
Through me, to Misery’s devoted train.
Justice and power in my Great Founder join,
And love and wisdom all his fabrics rear;
\Visdom above control, and love divine!
Before me Nature saw no works a pear,
Save works eternal : such was i ordained.
Quit every hope, all ye who enter here.
How much have the public to regret, after the specimen given,
that Mr. Hayley did not complete the Inferno!


NOTES. 189
P. 117. Carathis on the back of an qfrit. The expedition
of the afrit in fetching Carathis is characteristic of this order
of dives. We read in the Koran that another of the fraternity
offered to bring the Queen of Saba's throne to Solomon before
he could rise from his place, ch. 27.
P. 118. Brotherhood. There being a lacune in his transcript
of the original, the translator has ventured to insert this word,
as the only one he could substitute to agree with the context.
P. 120. Glanced oﬁ'in a whirl that rendered her invisible.
It was not ill conceived to punish Carathis by a rite of that
science in which she supremely delighted, and which was the
primary cause of her own and Vathek’s perdition. A deriva-
tive of the verb before rendered to whirl in a magical manner
(see note, p. 180), signiﬁes in the Koran the glimmering of
twilight, a sense deducible from the shapeless glimpses of ob-
jects when hurried round with the velocity here described.
They at once lost the most precious of the gifts of heaven—
Hope. It is a soothing reﬂection to the bulk of mankind that
the commonness of any blessing is the true test of its value;
hence hope isjustly styled “the most precious of the gifts of
heaven," because, as Thales long since observed—oi; 470.0 pnhv,
uv-rn wagsnv—it abides with those who are destitute of every
other.
THE END.

CHISWICK PRESS i—PRXNTED BY WHITTINHHAM AND WKLKINS,
TooK’B CUUBT, CHANCEBY LANE.


' List of Publications. 5


The Bayard Series ,—
THE ESSAYS OF ABRAHAM COWLEY. Comprising all
his Prose Works; the Celebrated Character of Cromwell, Cutter of Cole-
man Street, &c. &c. With Life, Notes, and Illustrations by Dr. Hard and
others. Newly edited.
“ Praised in his day as a great Poet; the head of the school of poets
called metaphysical. he is now chieﬂy known by those prose essays, all too
short. and all toolfew, which, whether for thought or for expression, have
rarely been excel ed by any writer in any language.”—Mary Russell
Mitford’s Recollections.
“ Cowley’s prose stamps him as a man of genius, and an improver of the
English language.”—Thos. Campbell.
ABDALLAH AND THE FOUR-LEAVED SHAMROCK.
By Edouard Laboullaye, of the French Academy. Translated by Mary
L. Booth.
One of the noblest and purest French stories ever written.
TABLE-TALK ANl) OPINIONS ()F NAPOLEON THE
FIRST.
A compilation from the best sources of this great man’s shreu'd and
often prophetic thoughts, forming the best inner life of the most extraordi-
nary man of modern times.
VATHEK, by William Beckford.
CAVALIER AND PURITAN SONGS, by Henry Morley.

“ [f the publishers go on as they have begun, they will have furnished us
with one of the most valuable and attractive series of books that have ever
been issued from the press.”—Sunday Times.
“ There has, perhaps, never been produced anything more admirable,
either as regards matter or manner."—0xford Times.
“ ‘ T he Bayard Series ’ is a perfect marvel of cheapness and of exquisite
taste in the binding and getting up. We hope and believe that these deli-
cate morsels of choice literature will be widely and gratefully welcomed."
Nonconformist.


Sampson Low and 0'0.’s


The Gentle Life Series.
Printed in Elzevir, on Toned Paper, and handsomely bound,
forming suitable Volumes for Presents.
Price 68. each; or in calf extra, price 105. 6d.
1.
THE GENTLE LIFE. Essays in Aid of the Formation of
Character of Gentlemen and. Gentlewomen. Seventh Edition.
“ His notion of a gentleman is of the noblest and truest order. . .
The volume is a capital specimen of what may be done by honest reason,
high feeling, and cultivated intellect. . . . A little compendium of
cheerful philosophy.“—Daily News.
“ Deserves to be printed in letters of gold, and circulated in every
house.”—Chambers’s Journal.
“ The writer’s object is to teach people to be truthful, sincere, generous :
to be humble-minded, but bold in thought and action.” ~Spectator.
“ Full of truth and persuasiveness, the book is a valuable composition,
and one to which the reader will often turn for companionship.”—Morning
Post.
“ It is with the more satisfaction that we meet with a new essayist who
delights without the smallest pedantry to quote the choicest wisdom 0 our
forefathers, and who abides by those old-fashioned Christian ideas 0 duty
which Steele and Addison, wits and men. of the world, were not ashamed
to set before the young Englishmen of 1713.”—London Review.
II.
ABOUT IN THE WORLD. Essays by the Author of “ The
Gentle Life.” .
“ It is not easy to open it at any page without ﬁnding some’happy idea."
Morning Post.
“ Another characteristic merit of these essays is, that they make it their
business, gently but ﬁrmly, to apply the qualiﬁcations and the corrections,
which all philanthropic theories, all general rules or maxims, or principles,
stand in need of before you can make them work.”—Literary Churchman.


‘ List of Publications. 9

LITERATURE, WORKS OF REFERENCE, ETC.
HE Origin and History of the English Language, and
of the early literature it embodies. y the Hon. George P.
Marsh. U. S. Minister at Turin, Author of “ Lectures on the
English Language." 8vo. cloth extra, 16s.
Lectures on the English Language; forming the Introductory
Series to the foregoing Work. By the same Author. 8vo. Cloth, 16s.
This is the only author’s edition.
Man and Nature; or, Physical Geography as Modiﬁed by Human
Action. By George P. Marsh, Author of “ Lectures on the English Lan-
guage,” &c. 8vo. cloth, 148.
“Mr. Marsh, well known as the author of two of the most scholarly
works yet published on the English language, sets himself in excellent
spirit, and with immense learning, to indicate the character, and, aphp'rori-
mately, the extent 0 the changes produced by human action in the p sical
condition of the g obe we inhabit. landfour divisions of his war , Mr.
Marsh traces the history of human i ustry as shown in the extensive
modiﬁcation and extirpation of animal and vegetable li e in the woods, the
waters, and the sands ,- and, in a concluding chapter, discusses the pro-
bable and possible geographical changes yet to be wrought. The whole of
Mr. Marsh’s book is an eloquent showing of the duty of care in the estab-
lishment o harmony between man’s life and the orces of nature, so as to
bring to t eir highest points the fertility of the sod, the vigour of the animal
life, and the salubrity 0f the climate, on which we have to depend for the
physical well-being of mankind.”—Examiner.
Her Majesty’s Mails: a History of the Post Ofﬁce, and an
Industrial Account of its Present Condition. By \Vm. Lewins, of the
General Post Ofﬁce. 2nd Edition. revised and enlarged, with a Photo-
graphic Portrait of Sir Rowland Hill. Small post 8vo. 6s.
“ Will take its stand as a really useful book of reference on the history
0 the Post. We heartily recommend it as a thoroughly careful per-
ormance."-Saturday Review.
A History of Banks for Savings ; including a full account of the
ori 'n and progress of Mr. Gladstone’s recent prudential measures. By
Wi liam Lewins, Author of “ Her Majesty’s Mails.” 8vo. cloth. 12s.
The English Catalogue of Books: giving the date of ublication
of every book published from 1835 to 1863, in addition to t e title, size,
price, and publisher, in one alphabet. An entirely new work, combining
the Copyrights of the “ London Catalogue” and the “ British Catalogue.”
One thick volume of 900 pages, half morocco, 45s. I


List of Publications. 1 1

BIOGRAPHY, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE-
, HE Life of John James Audubon, the Naturalist, in-
cluding his Romantic Adventures in the back woods of
America. Correspondence with celebrated Euro eans, 8w.
Edited, from materials supplied by his widow, by {obert Bu-
chanan. 8vo. [Shortly
Christian Heroes in the Army and Navy. By Charles Rogers,
LL.D. Author of “ Lyra Britannica.” Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.
Leopold the First, Kine of the Belgians; from unpublished
documents, by Theodore uste. Translated by Robert Black, M.A.
[In preparation.
Fredrika Bremer’s Life, Letters, and Posthumous Works.
Edited by her sister, Charlotte Bremer; translated from the Swedish
by Fred. Milow. Post 8v0. cloth. 10s. 6d.
The Rise and Fall of the Emperor Maximilian: an Authentic
History of the Mexican Empire, 1861-7. Together with the Imperial
Correspondence. With Portrait, 8vo. price 103. 6d.
Madame Recamicr, Memoirs and Correspondence of. Trans-
lated from the French and edited by J. M. Luyster. With Portrait.
Crown 8m. 7s. 6d.
Plutarch’s Lives. An entirely new Library Edition, carefully
revised and corrected, with some Original Translations by the Editor.
Edited by A. H. Clough, Esq. sometime Fellow of Oriel Colle e, Oxford,
and late Professor of English Language and Literature at uiversity
College. 5 vols. 8vo. cloth. 21. 10s.
Social Life of the Chinese: a Daguerreotype of Daily Life in
China. Condensed from the \Vork of the Rev. J. Doolittle, by the Rev.
Paxton Hood. With above 100 Illustrations. Post 8vo. price 83. 6d.
The Open Polar Sea: a Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery
towards the North Pole. By Dr. Isaac I. Hayes. An entirely new and
cheaper edition. With Illustrations. Small post 8vo. 68.
The Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology; or, the
Economy of the Sea and its Adaptations, its Salts, its Waters. its Climates,
its Inhabitants, and whatever there may be of general interest in its Com-
mercial Uses or Industrial Pursuits. By Commander M. F. Maury, LL.D.
Tenth Edition. With Charts. Post 8vo. cloth extra, 5s.


Captain Hall’s Life with the Esquimaux. New and cheaper
Edition, with Coloured Engravings and upwards of 100 Woodcuts. \Vith
a Map. Price 73. 6d. cloth extra. Forming the cheapest and most popu-
lar Edition of a work on Arctic Life and Exploration ever published.
“ T his is a very remarkable book. and unless are very much misunder-
stand both him and his book, the author is one of those men of whom great
nations do well to be proud.”—Spectator.


14 Sampson Low and O .’s

Under the Waves; or the Hermit Crab in Society. By Annie
E. Ridley. Impl. 16mo. cloth extra, with coloured illustration. Cloth,
4s. ; gilt edges, 4s. 6d. -
Also beautifully Illustrated :—
Little Bird Red and Little Bird Blue. Coloured, 5s.
Snow-Flakes, and what they told the Children. Coloured, 58.
Child’s Book of the Sagacity of Animals. 5s.; or coloured, 7s. 6d.
Child’s Picture Fable Book. 5s. ; or coloured, 7s. 6d.
Child’s Treasury of Story Books. 5s. ; or coloured, 7s. 6d.
The Nursery Playmate. 200 Pictures. 5s. ; or coloured, 9s.
Golden Hour; a Story for Young People. By Sir Lascelles
\Vraxall, Bart. With Eight full page Illustrations, 5s.
Also, same price, fall of Illustrations :—
Black Panther; a Boy's Adventures among the Red Skins.
Stanton Grange; or, Boy Life at a Private Tutor’s. By the Rev. C. J.
Atkinson.
Paul Duncan’s Little by Little; a Tale for Bo s. Edited by
Frank Freeman. ‘With an Illustration by Charles eene. Fcap. 8vo.
cloth 2s. ; gilt edges, 2s. 6d. Also, same price, -
Boy Missionary; a Tale for Young People. By Mrs. J. M. Parker.
Difﬁculties Overcome. By Miss Brightwell.
The Babes in the Basket: a Tale in the West Indian Insurrection.
Jack Buntline ;‘ the Life of a Sailor Boy. By W. H. G. Kingston.
The Swiss Family Robinson; or, the Adventures of a Father and '
Mother and Four Sons on a Desert Island. With Explanatory Notes and
Illustrations. First and Second Series. New Edition, complete in one
volume, 38. 6d.
Geography for my Children. By Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Author of “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” &c. Arranged and Edited by an Eng-
lish Lady, under the Direction of the Authoress. With upwards of Fifty
Illustrations. Cloth extra, 4s. 6d.
Stories of the Woods ; or, the Adventures of Leather-Stocking :
A Book for Boys. compiled from Cooper’s Series of “ Leather-Stocking
Tales.” Fcap. cloth, Illustrated, 58.
Child’s Play. Illustrated with Sixteen Coloured Drawings by
E. V. B., printed in fac-simile by W. Dickes’ process, and ornamented
with Initial Letters. New edition, with India. a er tints, royal 8vo.
cloth extrahbevelled cloth, 7s. 6d. The Original Edition of this work
was published at One Guinea.


List of Publications. 15

BELLES LETTERS, FICTION, &c.
Q AVID GRAY; and other Essays, chieﬂy on Poetry.
_ By Robert Buchanan. author of “London Poems,” "North
Coast," die. In one vol. fcnp. 8vo. price 6s.
“ Ihe book is one to possess as well as read, not only or the
biographical essay on David Groy,—on essay of muc more
than deep interest, of rare power, and a strange unimpassioned pathos,—
but also for certain passages of ﬁne original cn'tieism. occurring in essays—
thzckly sprinkled, we admit. with foreign mibstanees—on poetry, and the
religion and aims which modern poets should put before them_"—Spectntor.
The Book of the Sonnet; being, Selections, with an Essay on
Sonnets and Sonneteers. By the late Leigh Hunt. Edited. from the
original MS. with Additions, by S. Adams Lee. 2 vols. price 18:.
" Reading a book of this sort should make us feel proud of our language
and of our literature, and proud also of that cultivnted common nature
which can raise so many noI/lc thoughts and images out of this hard. sullen
world into a thousand enduring forms of beauty. The ' Book of the Son-
net] should be a classic. and the professor as well as the student 0 English
will ﬁnd it a work of deep interest and completeness."—London eview.
English and Scotch Ballads, &c. An extensive Collection. De-
signed as a Complement to the Works of the British Poets. and embracing
nearly all the Ancient and Traditionnry Ballads both of England and
Scotland. in all the important varieties of form in which they are extant,
with Notices of the kindred Ballads of other Nations. Edited by F. J.
Child, new Edition. revised by the Editor. 8 vols. fcnp. cloth, 3s. 6d. each
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. By Oliver Wendell
Holmes, LL.D. Popular Edition, ls. Illustrated Edition, choicely
printed, cloth extra, 68.
The Professor at the Breakfast Table. Bv Oliver Wendell Holmes,


Author of “The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table.” Cheap Edition,
fcap. 38. 6d.
“ A welcome book. It may be taken up again and again. and its pages
paused over for the ,',_, ‘ o the r' ‘ ‘ ‘ and ‘7, "
passages which they contain."——Athenmum.
The Guardian Angel: :3. Romance. By the Author of “ The
Autocrnt of the Breakfast Table.” Second Edition. 2 vols. post 8vo.
Bee-Keeping. By “The Times” Bee-master. Small post 8vo.
numerous Illustrations. cloth. 5s.
“ Our friend the Bee-master has the knack of exposition, and knows
how to tell a story well; over and above which, he tells a story so that
thousands can take a practical, and not merely a speculative interest in it."
—Times.
The Rooks’ Garden. and other Papers. By Cuthbert Bede,
Author of “ The Adventures of Mr. Verdnnt Green.” Cheap Edition.
Post 8vo. cloth, gilt edges. 38. 6d.
The White Wife; with other stories, Supernatural, Romantic
and Legendary. Collected and Illustrated by Cuthbert Bede. Post 8vo.
cloth, 6:. Cheap Edition, fancy boards, 2:. 6d.


<
w:
. . . 5.2.“;in z... a. . .n.
. . _ . _&__ r: . _ v». e _. . r .
.-.v..\ - . 1 . i.\
___ .. Talkiessase
liar.
. l . as ..
._ s w. .. . wsW A\ . v . I
.. . . . a . . in?» .n .s&* 1, f “41.1.
. , , . s/ .. s
a. .
P;
a.