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 >!-.>
 
 BAGH O BAHAR; 
 
 OB 
 
 TALES OF 
 
 THE FOUR DARWESHES. 
 
 TBANSLATED FBOM THE HINDUSTAnF OF 
 
 MTR AMMAN OF DIHLI, 
 
 DUNCAN FORBES, LL.D., 
 
 rrofessor of Oriental Languages in King's CoUege, London ; Member of the Royal Atialia 
 Society of Great Britain find Inland ; and author of tevcral works on the 
 Hindustani and Persian Languages. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 WM. H. ALLEN & Co., 13, WATERLOO PLACE. S.W. 
 
 PUBLISHERS TO THE INDIA OFFICE. 
 
 Agents in f tibia : 
 
 Calcutta: Thacker, Spink, <& Co. ; Madras: Higginbotham & Co.; 
 Bombay: Thacker, Vining, & Co. 
 
 1874.
 
 Win. H. Aiieu & Co., Trinterg, 13. Waterloo 1'lacr-, Pall Mall
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE Bdgh Bahdr, or " Garden and Spring," has, 
 for the last half century, been held as a classical work 
 throughout our Indian empire. It highly deserves 
 this distinguished fate, as it contains various modes of 
 expression in correct language ; and displays a great 
 variety of Eastern manners and modes of thinking. 
 It is an excellent introduction not only to the colloquial 
 style of the Hindustani language, but also to a know- 
 ledge of its various idioms and popular phrases. 
 
 The tale itself is interesting, if we bear in mind the 
 fact, that no Asiatic writer of romance or history has 
 ever been consistent, or free from fabulous credulity. 
 The cautious march of undeviating truth, and a care- 
 ful regard to vraisemblance, have never entered into 
 their plan. Wildness of imagination, fabulous ma- 
 chinery, and unnatural scenes ever pervade the com- 
 positions of Oriental authors, even in most serious 
 works on history and ethics. Be it remembered, that 
 jinns, demons, fairies, and angels, form a part of the 
 Muhammadan creed. The people to this day believe 
 in the existence of such beings on the faith of the 
 Kur y dn; and as they are fully as much attached to 
 their own religion as we are to ours, we ought not to 
 be surprised at their credulity. 
 
 20O4821
 
 IV PRKFACE. 
 
 I have rendered the translation as literal as possible, 
 consistent with the comprehension of the author's mean- 
 ing. This may be considered by some a slavish and 
 dull compliance ; but in my humble opinion we ought, 
 in this case, to display the author's own thoughts and 
 ideas ; all we are permitted to do, is to change their 
 garb. This course has one superior advantage which 
 may compensate for its seeming dulness ; we acquire 
 an insight into the modes of thinking and action of 
 the people, whose works we peruse through the medium 
 of a literal translation, and thence many instructive 
 and interesting conclusions may be drawn. 
 
 To the present edition numerous notes are appended; 
 some, with a view to illustrate certain peculiarities of 
 the author's style, and such grammatical forms of the 
 language as might appear difficult to a beginner ; 
 others, which mainly relate to the manners and cus- 
 toms of the people of the East, may appear superfluous 
 to the Oriental scholar who has been in India ; but in 
 this case, I think it better to be redundant, than risk 
 the chance of being deficient. Moreover, as the book 
 may be perused by the curious in Europe, many of 
 of whom know nothing of India, except that it occupies 
 a certain space in the map of the world, these notes 
 were absolutely necessary to understand the work. 
 Finally, as I am no poet, and have a most thorough 
 contempt for the maker of mere doggerel rhymes, I 
 have translated the pieces of poetry, which are inter- 
 spersed in the original, into plain and humble prose. 
 
 D. FORBES. 
 
 58, BUBTON CRESCENT, 
 Jvb, 1R67.
 
 THE 
 
 PETITION OF MIR AMMAN, 
 
 OF DILLI. 
 
 WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO THE GENTLEMEN MANAGERS 
 OF THE COLLEGE [OF FOBT WILLIAM]. 
 
 MAY God preserve the gentlemen of great dignity, and 
 the appreciators of respectable men. This exile from 
 his country, on hearing the command [issued by] pro- 
 clamation, 1 hath composed, with a thousand labours 
 and efforts, the " Tale of the Four Darweshes," [en- 
 titled] the Bdgh Bahdr' 2 ' [i. e. Garden and Spring,] 
 in the Urdu, e Mu'aZld 3 tongue. By the grace of God it 
 
 1 The proclamation of the Marquis Wellesley, after the formation of the 
 college of Fort William ; encouraging the pursuit of Oriental literature 
 among the natives by original compositions and translations from the Per- 
 sian, &c., into Hindustani. 
 
 2 " The Bdyh O Bahdr" i. e. " The Garden and Spring ;" which may be 
 better called, " The Garden of Spring," or the " Garden of Beauty." The 
 less appropriate title of " Bdgh O Bahdr " was chosen merely in order that 
 tiie Persian letters composing these words, might, by their numerical 
 powers, amount to 1217, the year of the Hijra in which the book was 
 finished. Vide Hind. Gram., page 20. 
 
 * Mir Amman himself explains the origin and derivation of these words 
 iu his preface, and we cannot appeal to a better authority. 
 
 B 
 
 \
 
 2 THE PETITION OF MIR AMMAN. 
 
 has become refreshed from the perusal of all the gen- 
 tlemen 1 [of the college]. I now hope I may reap some 
 fruit from it ; then the bud of my heart will expand 
 like a flower, according to the word of Hakim Firdausi? 
 who has said [of himself] in the Shdhndma, 
 
 " Many sorrows I have borno for these thirty years ; 
 But I have revived Persia by tliis Persian [History.] 8 
 I having in like manner polished the Urdu tongue, 
 Have metamorphosed Bengal into Hindustan"* 
 
 You gentlemen are yourselves appreciators of merit. 
 There is no need of representation [on my part]. O 
 God ! may the star of your prosperity ever shine ! 
 
 1 Literally, " in consequence of its being traversed or walked over." 
 
 9 fJaJnm Firdausi> the Homer of Persia, who wrote the history of that 
 country, in his celebrated epic entitled the " SAdh-ndma," or Book of 
 Kings. 
 
 * I have translated into plain prose all the verses occurring in the 
 original. I have not the vanity to think myself a poet ; and I have a 
 horror of seeing mere doggrel rhymes such as the following 
 " Mighty toil I've borne for years thirty, 
 
 I have revived Persia by this Pdrsi." 
 These elegant effusions are of the " Non homines, non Di, &c." description. 
 
 4 That is to say, he has introduced the elegance and correctness of the 
 Urdu language, or that of the Upper Provinces, into Bengal. In fact, the 
 Bengalis who speak a wretched jargon of what they are pleased to call 
 Hindustani, (in addition to their native tongue,) would scarcely be under- 
 stood at Agra or DilR ; and those two cities are the best sites to acquire 
 the real Urdu in perfection ; there the inhabitants speii it not only <x* 
 redly but eleeantlv.
 
 MIR AMMAN'S PREFACE. 
 
 "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST MEHCIFUL AND GRACIOUS." 
 
 THE pure God ! what an [excellent] Artificer he is ! 
 He who, out of a handful of dust, hath created such a 
 variety of faces and figures of earth. IS' ot withstand- 
 ing the two colours [of men], one white and one black, 
 yet the same nose and ears, the same hands and feet, 
 He has given to all. But such variety of features has 
 He formed, that the form and shape of one [individual] 
 does not agree with the personal appearance of another. 
 Among millions of created beings, you may recognise 
 whomsoever you wish. The sky is a bubble in the 
 ocean of his [eternal] unity ; and the earth is as a drop 
 of water in it ; but this is wonderful, that the sea 
 beats its thousands of billows against it, and yet can- 
 not do it any injury. The tongue of man is impotent 
 to sound the praise and eulogy of Him who has such 
 power and might ! If it utter any thing, what can it 
 say ? It is best to be silent on a subject concerning 
 which nothing can be said. 
 
 VEKSE. 
 
 " From earth to heaven, He whose work this is, 
 If I wish to write his praise, then what power have I ; 
 When the prophet himself has said, ' I do not comprehend Him.' 
 After this, if any one pretends to it, he is a great fool. 
 Day and night the sun and moon wander through their course, and behold 
 
 his works 
 
 Yea, the form of every individual being is a sight of surprise : 
 He, whose second or equal is not, and never will be ; 
 No such a unique Being, Godhead is every way fit. 
 But so much I know, that He is the Creator and Nourisher. 
 In every way his favour and beneficence are upon me."
 
 4 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 And blessings on his friend, for whose sake He created 
 the earth and heavens, and on whom He bestowed the 
 
 dignity of prophet. 
 
 VERSE. 
 
 " The pure body of Mustafa is an emanation of Divine light, 
 For which reason, it is well known that his body threw no shadow. 1 
 Where is my capacity, that I should sufficiently speak his praise ; 
 Only with men of eloquence this is an established rule." 4 
 
 And blessings and salvation be on his posterity, who 
 fire the twelve Imams? 
 
 VERSE. 
 
 " The praise of God and the eulogy of the prophet having here ended ; 
 Now I begin that which is requisite to be done. 
 
 God ! for the sake of the posterity of thy prophet, 4 
 Render this my story acceptable to the hearts of high and low." 
 
 The reasons for compiling this work are these, that 
 in the year of the Hijra, 1215, A.D. 1801, correspond- 
 ing to the 4 Fasll year 1207, in the time of his Excel- 
 
 1 The Muhammadans believe that the body of their prophet cast no 
 shadow. Mustafa means " The Chosen," " The Elected," one of Muham- 
 mad's titles. 
 
 2 As a general rule, all Muhammadan books begin with a few sentences 
 devoted to the praise of God and the eulogy of the prophet Muhammad ; 
 to which some add a blessing on the twelve Imams. 
 
 3 The twelve Imams are the descendants of the prophet, by his daughter 
 Fatima, who was married to her cousin-german 'AS, who is considered as 
 the first Imam ; the other eleven were the following, viz., Hasan, the SOP 
 of 'AH; Husain, the sou of 'AR; 'AU, surnamed Zainu-l- Abidm, son of 
 Husain ; Muhammad, son of the last mentioned ; Jo! far Sddik, son of 
 Muhammad; Musa-l-Kdzim, son of Jdffar; J AR Baza, son of Musd; Mu- 
 hammad, son of 'AR Saza; 'AR 'Askari, son of Muhammad; Hasan 
 'Askari: and lastly Muhammad Mahdt. With regard to this last and 
 twelfth Imam, some say, very erroneously, that he is yet to appear. Now 
 the fact is, the twelfth Imam has appeared. He lived and died like the 
 rest of the sainthood ; otherwise wnat would be the use of praying for 
 him? The Muhammadans offer up prayers for the dead, but I never 
 heard of then- praying for the unborn. 
 
 4 Much nonsense has been written about this FasR sera. We are told 
 that " it dates from the Christian year 592J"! but the fact is that it wee
 
 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 5 
 
 lency the noble of nobles, Marquis Wellesley, Lord 
 Mornington, Governor-general, (in whose praise the 
 judgment is at a loss, and the understanding perplexed, 
 and in whom God has centred all the excellent quali- 
 ties that great men ought to possess. In short, it was 
 the good fortune of this country that such a chief came 
 here, from whose happy presence multitudes enjoy ease 
 and happiness. No one can now dare to injure or 
 wrong another ; and the tiger and the goat drink at 
 the same ghai y 1 and all the poor bless him and live,) 2 
 the pursuit of learning came into vogue, and the gen- 
 tlemen of dignity perceived that by acquiring the Urdu 
 tongue, they might hold converse with the people of 
 India, and transact with perfect accuracy the affairs of 
 the country ; for this reason many books were com- 
 piled during this same year, according to orders. 
 
 To those gentlemen who are learned, and speak the 
 language of Hindustan? I address myself, and say, that 
 this " Tale of the Four Darwesh " was originally corn- 
 established no further back than the reign of Akbar. It was engrafted on 
 the Hijri sera in the first year of that monarch's reign, with this proviso, 
 that the Fasli years should thenceforth go on increasing by solar calcu- 
 lation, and not by lunar ; hence, every century the Hijrf sera gains three 
 years on the Fasll, and in Mir Amman's tune the difference had amounted 
 to nearly eight years. 
 
 1 A ghat is a long flight of steps, of stone or brick, leading to a river 
 for the purpose of bathing, drawing water, embarking or disembarking. 
 It is a high object of ambition in India, among the wealthier classes of 
 natives, to construct these ghats, and this species of useful ostentation has 
 produced some magnificent structures of the kind on the rivers Ganges 
 and Jumna, which are of great public utility. 
 
 2 The reader will do well in the first place to pass over this very clumsy 
 parenthesis in the original ; and return to it after he has finished the rest 
 of the paragraph. 
 
 3 The Honourable Company's European servants, civil, military, and
 
 6 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 posed by Amir Khusru, 1 of Dilli* on the following 
 occasion ; the holy Nizdmu-d-JDin Auliyd, surnamed 
 Zan-Zar-bakk&h? who was his spiritual preceptor, (and 
 whose holy residence was near Dilli, three Kos* from 
 the fort, beyond the red gate, and outside the Matiyd 
 gate, near the red house), fell ill ; and to amuse his 
 preceptor's mind, Amir Khmru used to repeat this tale 
 to him, and attend him during his sickness. God, in 
 the course of time, removed his illness ; then he pro- 
 nounced this benediction on the day he performed the 
 ablution of cure : 5 " That whoever will hear this tale, 
 will, with the blessing of God, remain in health :" 
 since which time this tale, composed in Persian, has 
 been extensively read. 
 
 Now, the excellent and liberal gentleman, the judge 
 of respectable men, Mr. John Gilchrist, (may his good 
 fortune ever increase as long as the Jamuna and Ganges 
 flow !) with kindness said to me, " Translate this tale 
 into the pure Hindustani tongue, which the Urdu 
 people, both Hindus and Mussulmans, high and low, 
 
 1 A celebrated Persian poet of Dilti; his odes are very elegant, and have 
 great poetical genius ; he was, as a Persian poet, inferior to none : he is the 
 original author of this " Tale of the Four Darwesh." 
 
 2 The author seems to use Dilli or DihR indifferently for the northern 
 metropolis of India, vulgarly called Delhi. 
 
 3 Zari Zar-lakhsh means the hestower of gold ; Nizamu-d-Dln Auliya 
 was a famous holy personage of Upper India, and holds the first rank in 
 the list of the saints of Hindustan. His shrine is at Dim, and resorted to 
 by thousands of devotees, and many tales are told of his inspired wisdom, 
 his superior beneficence, his contempt of the good things of this world, and 
 Lis uncommon philanthropy. 
 
 4 The Kox is a measure of distance nearly equal to two English miles, 
 but varying in different provinces. 
 
 5 The Muhammadans, after being cured of sickness or woiinds, also their 
 women, after recovery from child-bed, always bathe in luke-wann water j 
 which ia called the ablution of cure.
 
 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 7 
 
 men, women and children, use to each other." In 
 accordance with his honour's desire, I commenced 
 translating it into this same dialect, just such as any 
 one uses in common conversation. 
 
 But first this guilty being, Mir Amman, of Dilli, 
 begs to relate his own story : " That my forefathers, 
 from the time of King Hmndyun, served every king, in 
 regular descent, with zeal arid fidelity ; and they * 
 also (i.e. the kings), with the eye of protection, ever 
 justly appreciated and rewarded our services. Jdglrs, 
 titles and rewards, were plentifully bestowed on us ; 
 and we were called hereditary 2 vassals, and old ser- 
 vants ; so that these epithets were enrolled in the 
 royal archives. 3 When such a family (owing to which 
 all other families were prosperous) dwindled to such a 
 point ! which is too well 4 known to require mention, 
 then Siiraj Mai, the /a/, 5 confiscated our Jdgir, and 
 
 1 A mere novice in the language would say that Mir Amman writes " bad 
 grammar" here! He uses the singular pronoun "wuA" instead of "we" 
 Now Mir Amman distinctly tells us that be gives us the language as it is. 
 He did not make it and, furthermore, nothing is more common among 
 Hindustani writers than to use the singular for the plural, and " vice 
 versa." Vide Grammar, page 114. 
 
 * Mr. Ferdinand Smith adds the following note : " How proud the slave 
 seems of his chains ! but such is the nature of Asiatic minds, under the 
 baneful influence of Asiatic despotism." Now, this criticism is absurd 
 enough. Have not we in England the titles of " Ladies in waiting," 
 " Grooms," &c., innumerable, which honours are borne by our nobility and 
 gentry P 
 
 3 The family of Taimur, or Tamerlane ; a pageant of which royal race 
 still sits on the throne of Dilli, under the protection of the British go- 
 vernment. He is happier, and has more comforts of life, than his family 
 have had for the last century. 
 
 4 Literally, " why explain that which is self evident " a Persian saying. 
 
 * The founder of the Jat principality ; they were once very powerful in 
 Upper- Hindustan. Ranjlt Hinff, Raja of Bhartpur at the commencement 
 of the present century, wh so gallantly defended that place against our
 
 8 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Ahmad Shah, the Durrani, 1 pillaged our home. Hav- 
 ing sustained such various misfortunes, I abandoned 
 that city, which was my native land, and the place of 
 my birth. Such a vessel, whose pilot was such a king, 
 was wrecked ; and I began to sink in the sea of des- 
 titution ! a drowning person catches at a straw, and I 
 sustained life for some years in the city of "" Azlm-aldd?- 
 experiencing both good and bad fortune there. At 
 length I left it also the times were not propitious ; 
 leaving my family there, I embarked alone in a boat, 
 and came in quest of a livelihood 3 to Calcutta, the 
 chief of cities. I remained unemployed for some 
 time, when it happened that Nawwdb Dildwar Jang 
 sent for me, and appointed me tutor to his younger 
 brother, Mir Muhammad Kdzim Khan. I stayed with 
 him nearly two years ; but saw not my advantage [in 
 remaining there any longer.] Then, through the assist- 
 ance of Mir Bahadur 'All Munshl, I was introduced 
 to Mr. John Gilchrist (may his dignity be lasting.) At 
 last, by the aid of good fortune, I have acquired the 
 protection of so liberal a person, that I hope better 
 
 arms, was a son of Suraj Mai, who was killed while reconnoitring the 
 Mughal army. The Jdts are the best agriculturists in India, and good 
 soldiers in self defence ; for since the spirit which Suraj Mai infused, 
 evaporated, they have always preferred peace to war. They built some of 
 the strongest places in India. 
 
 1 Ahmad Khan, the Durrani or Afghan, became king of Kabul after the 
 death of Nadir Shah. He was the father of Taimur Shah, who kept Upper 
 Hindustan in alarm for many years with threats of invasion. Shvja'u-l- 
 Mulk, whom we seated on the throne of Kabul some fifteen years ago, was 
 descended from him. 
 
 * 'Azim-dbid is the Muhammadan name of Patna. On the Muhammadan 
 conquest, many of the Hindu names of cities were changed for Muhamma- 
 'dan names, such as Jahdnyir-dbdd or Jahanglr-nagar for Dacca, AJcbar- 
 abdd for Agra, Shdhjahdn-dbdd for Dilli, &c. 
 
 * Literally, " water and grain."
 
 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 days ; if not, even this is so much gain, that I have 
 bread to eat, and having stretched my feet, I repose 
 in quiet ; and that ten persons in my family, old and 
 young, are fed ; and bless that patron. May God 
 accept [their prayers !] 
 
 " The account of the Urdu tongue I have thus heard 
 from my ancestors ; that the city of Dilll, according 
 to the opinion of the Hindus, was founded in the earliest 
 times, 1 and that their Rajas and subjects lived there 
 from the remotest antiquity, and spoke their own 
 peculiar Bhdkhd? For a thousand years past, the 
 Musalmdns have been masters there. Mahmud of 
 Ghazm* came [there first] ; then the Ghori and Lod'i* 
 became kings ; owing to this intercourse, the languages 
 of the Hindus and Musalmdns were partially blended 
 together. At last Amir Taimur* (in whose family the 
 name and empire remain to this day), conquered Hin- 
 dustan. From his coming and stay, the bazar of his 
 camp was settled in the city; for which reason the 
 
 1 Literally, "has existed during the four jugas" or fabulous ages of tlie 
 Hindus, i. e., since the creation of the world. 
 
 2 The Bhakha, or BhasM, par excellence, is the Hindu dialect spoken in 
 the neighbourhood of Agra, Mathura, &c. in the Braj district ; it is a very 
 soft language, and much admired in Upper Hindustan, and is well adapted 
 for light poetry. Dr. Gilchrist has given some examples of it in his grammar 
 of the Hindustani, language, and numerous specimens of it are to be found 
 in the Prem Sugar, and other works published more recently. 
 
 3 Mahmud, the first monarch of the dynasty of Qhazm, was the son of 
 the famous Sabaktagin. He invaded Hindustan in A. H. 392, or A. D. 1002. 
 The dynasty was called Ghaznawl, from its capital Ghazna, or as now com- 
 monly written Ghaznl. 
 
 4 Two dynasties of kings who reigned in Upper Hindustan before the race 
 of Taimur. 
 
 '" Tlmiir, (or Taimur as it is pronounced ill India) invaded Hindustan 
 A, i), 131)8.
 
 10 PRKFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 bazar of the city was called Urdu. 1 Then King Hn- 
 mdyHn, annoyed by the Pathdns, went abroad [to Per- 
 sia] ; and at last, returning from thence, he punished 
 the surviving [Pat/tans], and no rebel remained to 
 raise strife or disturbance. 
 
 When King Akbar ascended the throne, then all 
 tribes of people, from all the surrounding countries, 
 hearing of the goodness and liberality of this unequalled 
 family, flocked to his court, but the speech and dialect 
 of each was different. Yet, by being assembled to- 
 gether, they used to traffic and do business, and con- 
 verse with each other, whence resulted the common 
 Urdu language. When his majesty Shdhjahdn SdJtib 
 Kirdn z built the auspicious fort, and the great mosque, 3 
 and caused the walls of the city to be built; and in- 
 laid the peacock throne 4 with precious stones, and 
 
 1 The bazar, that part of a city where there are most shops ; but the word 
 is applied to various parts of a city, where various articles are sold, as the 
 cloth bdtdr, the jewel bazar, &c. 
 
 3 Shahjatuin was the most magnificent king of DilK, of the race of Taimur. 
 Sahib Kiran was one of his titles, and means, Prince of the Happy Conjunc- 
 tion; i. e. the conjunction of two or more auspicious planets in one of the 
 signs of the Zodiac at the hour of birth. Such was the case at the birth of 
 Taimur, who was the first we read of as Sahib- Kirdn. As a contradistinc- 
 tion, Shahjahan is generally called Sahib Kirdni Sam, or the second Sahib 
 Kirdn. It never waa applied, as Ferdinand Smith states, to all the em- 
 perors of DilU. It may be mentioned, that a very extraordinary conjunction 
 of the planets in the sign Libra took place in A. D. 1185, just about the 
 period of Jangis Khan's appearance as a conqueror ; but I am not aware 
 that he was thence called a Sahib Kiran, as he did not happen to be born 
 under the said conjunction. 
 
 3 The fort, or rather fortified place, of DilR, and the great mosque, called 
 the Junta' Masjid. 
 
 4 The famous TalMi Td,us, or peacock throne, made by the magnificent 
 Khahjahdn, the richest throne in the world ; it was valued at seven millions 
 sterling. Tavernier, the French jeweller and traveller, saw it and describes 
 it in his work. It was carried away by Nadir Shah when he plundered 
 Dilli in 173'J.
 
 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 11 
 
 erected his tent, made of gold and silver brocade; 
 and Nawwdb 'All Mar dan Khan cut the canal 1 [to 
 Ditti] ; then the king, being pleased, made great 
 rejoicings, and constituted the city his capital. Since 
 that time it has been called Shdjahdn-dbdd, (although 
 the city of Ditti is distinct from it, the latter being 
 called the old city, and the former the new,) and to 
 the bazar of it was given the title of Urdu-e Mualld.' 1 
 
 From the time of Amir Taimur until the reign of 
 Muhammad Shdh, and even to the time of Ahmad 
 Shah, and Alamglr the Second, the throne descended 
 lineally from generation to generation. In the end, 
 the Urdu language, receiving repeated polish, was so 
 refined, that the language of no city is to be compared 
 to it ; but an impartial judge is necessary to examine 
 it. Such a one God has at last, after a long period, 
 created in the learned, acute and profound Mr. John 
 Gilchrist, who from his own judgment, genius, labour 
 and research, has composed books of rules [for the 
 acquisition of it]. From this cause, the language of 
 Hindustan has become general throughout the pro- 
 vinces, and has been polished anew ; otherwise no 
 one conceives his own turban, language and behaviour, 
 to be improper. If you ask a countryman, he cen- 
 sures the citizen's idiom, and considers his own the 
 best ; " well, the learned only know [what is correct]." 3 
 
 When Ahmad Shdh Abddli, came from Kabul and 
 
 1 The expensive and useless canal which brought fresh water to DilR t 
 whilst the limpid and salutary stream of the Jumna flowed under its walls. 
 The advantages of irrigation to the country, through which it passed, wer* 
 nothing compared to the expense of its construction. 
 
 8 Literally, " the supreme camp or market." 
 
 8 A Persian expression.
 
 12 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
 pillaged the city ot Dilli, Shah 'Alam was in the east. 1 
 No master or protector of the country remained, and 2 
 the city became without a head. True it is, that the 
 city only flourished from the prosperity of the throne. 
 All at once it was overwhelmed with calamity : its 
 principal inhabitants were scattered, and fled wher- 
 ever they could. To whatever country they went, 
 their own tongue was adulterated by mixing with the 
 people there; and there were many who, after an 
 absence of ten to five years, from some cause or other, 
 returned to Dilli, and stayed there. How can they 
 speak the pure language of Dilli? somewhere or 
 other they will slip ; but the person who bore all mis- 
 fortunes, and remained fixed at Dilli , and whose five 
 or ten anterior generations lived in that city, and who 
 mixed in the company of the great, and the assemblies 
 and processions of the people, who strolled in its 
 streets for a length of time, and even after quitting it, 
 kept his language pure from corruption, his style of 
 speaking will certainly be correct. This humble being 
 [viz. Mir Amman], wandering through many cities, 
 and viewing their sights, has at last arrived at this 
 place. 
 
 1 Shah 'Alam, the emperor of Dilli, was then towards Patna a tool in 
 the hands of Shujd'u-d-Daula, the Nawwab of Lakhnau, and Kdsim 'All 
 K^an, the Nawwab of Murshid-ilbdd. 
 
 2 Alluding to the confusion which reigned in Upper Hindustan after the 
 assassination of 'Alamglr the Second, and the flight of Shah 'Alam. Upper 
 Hindustan was then in a sad plight, ravaged alternately by the Abdalis, the 
 Marhattas, and the Jdts the king a pageant, the nobles rebellious, the 
 subjects plundered and oppressed, and the country open to every invader 
 though this was near 100 years ago, and although they had some govern- 
 ment, justice, and security from 1782 to 1802, yet the country had not 
 even then recovered from the severe shock.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I NOW commence my tale ; pay attention to it, and 
 be just to its merits. In the " Adventures of the 
 Four Darwesh, 1 " it is thus written, and the narrator 
 has related, that formerly in the Empire of Rum* 
 there reigned a great king, in whom were innate jus- 
 tice equal to that of JVaus/iirwdn, 3 and generosity like 
 that of Hdtim .^ His name was Azdd-Bakht, and his 
 imperial residence was at Constantinople, 5 (which they 
 call Istambol.) In his reign the peasant was happy, 
 the treasury full, the army satisfied, and the poor at 
 
 1 The word is used in the singular, both by Mir Amman and the original 
 author, Amir Kkusru, according to a well-known rule in Persian syntax, 
 viz., " a substantive accompanied by a numerical adjective dispenses with 
 the plural termination," as "haft roz" "seven days," not "haft rozha. 
 The Persian term darwesh, in a general sense, denotes a person who has 
 adopted what by extreme courtesy is called a religious life, closely akin to 
 the " mendicant friar" of the middle ages ; i. e., a lazy, dirty, hypocritical 
 vagabond, living upon the credulous public. The corresponding term in 
 Arabic is Fakir ; and in Hindi, Jogi.. 
 
 2 The word Rum means that empire of which Constantinople is the 
 capital, and sometimes called, in modern times, Romania. It was originally 
 applied to the Eastern Roman Empire, and, at present, it denotes Turkey 
 in Europe and Asia. 
 
 3 Naushirwan was a king of Persia, who died in A. D. 578. He is cele- 
 brated in oriental history for his wisdom and justice. During his reign 
 Muhammad the prophet was born. The Persian writings are full of anec- 
 dotes of Naushirwan's justice and wisdom. 
 
 4 Hdtim or rather Hdtim Tai, is the name of an Arab chief, who is 
 celebrated for his generosity and his mad adventures, in an elegant Persian 
 work called Kissae Hdtim Tai. This work was translated into English for 
 the Asiatic Translation Fund in 1830. 
 
 * Called also Kustuntuniya by the Persians, and Istambol, also Isldmbol, 
 by the Turks.
 
 14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ease. They lived in such peace and plenty, that in 
 their homes the day was a festival, and the night 
 was a shabi bar at. 1 Thieves, robbers, pickpockets, 
 swindlers, and all such as were vicious and dishonest, 
 he utterly exterminated, and no vestige of them al- 
 lowed he to remain in his kingdom. 2 The doors of the 
 houses were unshut all night, and the shops of the 
 bazar remained open. The travellers and wayfarers 
 chinked gold as they went along, over plains and 
 through woods ; and no one asked them, " How many 
 teeth have you in your mouth," 3 or " Where are you 
 going ?" 
 
 There were thousands of cities in that king's do- 
 minions, and many princes paid him tribute. Though 
 he was so great a king, he never for a moment neg- 
 lected his duties or his prayers to God. He possessed 
 all the necessary comforts of this world ; but male 
 issue, which is the fruit of life, was not in the garden 
 of his destiny, for which reason he was often pensive 
 and sorrowful, and after the five 4 regulated periods of 
 
 1 The shabi barat is a Mahometan festival which happens on the full 
 moon of the month of Shd'ban; illuminations are made at night, and fire- 
 works displayed ; prayers are said for the repose of the dead, and offerings 
 of sweetmeats and viands made to their manes. A luminous night-scene 
 is therefore compared to the shabi barat. 
 
 2 I warrant you there were no "tickets of leave" granted in those 
 
 3 This means an impertinent, or rather a chaffing, question, like our 
 own classic interrogation, " Does your mother know you're out ?" 
 
 * It is incumbent on every good Musalman to pray five times in the 
 twenty-four hours. The stated periods are rather capriciously settled : 
 1st. The morning prayer is to be repeated between daybreak and sunrise ; 
 2nd. The prayer of noon, when the sun shows a sensible declination from 
 the meridian ; 3rd. The afternoon prayer, when the sun is so near the 
 horizon that the shadow of a perpendicular object is twice its length ; 
 4th. The evening prayer, between sunset and close of twilight ; 5th. The
 
 INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 prayer, he used to address himself to his Creator and 
 say, " O God ! thou hast, through thy infinite good- 
 ness blest thy weak creature with every comfort, but 
 thou hast given no light to this dark abode. 1 This 
 desire alone is unaccomplished, that I have no one to 
 transmit my name and support my old age. 2 Thou 
 hast everything in thy hidden treasury; give me a 
 living and thriving son, that my name and the vestiges 
 of this kingdom may remain." 
 
 In this hope the king reached his fortieth year; 
 when one day he had finished his prayers in the 
 Mirror Saloon, 3 and while telling his beads, he hap- 
 pened to cast his eyes towards one of the mirrors, and 
 perceived a white hair in his whiskers, which glittered 
 like a silver wire ; on seeing it, the king's eyes filled 
 with tears, and he heaved a deep sigh, and then said 
 to himself, " Alas ! thou hast wasted thy years to no 
 purpose, and for earthly advantages thou hast over- 
 turned the world. And all the countries thou hast 
 conquered, what advantage are they to thee ? Some 
 other race will in the end squander these riches. 
 
 prayer of night, any time during the darkness. The inhabitants of Ice- 
 land and Greenland would find themselves sadly embarrassed in complying 
 with these pious precepts, bequeathed by Muhammad to the true lelievers, 
 as they call themselves. 
 
 1 The Asiatics consider male children as the light or splendour of their 
 house. In the original there is a play upon the word " diya" which, as a 
 substantive signifies " a lamp ;" and as a verbal participle it deiioi.es 
 " given," or " bestowed." 
 
 2 The literal meaning is " There is no one as the bearer of his name, 
 and the giver of water." 
 
 3 The Mirror Saloon, called by the Persians, and from them by the 
 Hindustanis, SMsh Mahall, is a grand apartment in all oriental palaces, the 
 walls of which are generally inlaid with small mirrors, and their borders 
 richly gilded. Those of Dilll and Agra are the linebt ir Hindustan.
 
 16 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Death hath already sent thee a messenger ; ! and even 
 if thou livest a few years, the strength of thy body will 
 be less Hence, it appears clearly from this circum- 
 stance, that it is not my destiny to have an heir to 
 my canopy and throne. I must one day die, and 
 leave everything behind me ; so it is better for me to 
 quit them now, and dedicate the rest of my days to 
 the adoration of my Maker." 
 
 Having in his heart made this resolve, he descended 
 to his lower garden. 2 Having dismissed his courtiers, 
 he ordered that no one should approach him in future, 
 but that all should attend the Public Hall of Audi- 
 ence, 3 and continue occupied in their respective duties. 
 After this speech the king retired to a private apart- 
 ment, spread the carpet of prayer, 4 and began to 
 occupy himself in devotion : he did nothing but weep 
 and sigh. Thus the king, Azdd Bakhht passed many 
 days; in the evening he broke his fast with a date 
 and three mouthfuls of water, and lay all day and 
 night on the carpet of prayer. These circumstances 
 became public, and by degrees the intelligence spread 
 
 ; The messenger was the white hair in his majesty's whiskers. 
 
 2 Called in the original, Pain Sdgli. Most royal Asiatic gardens have a 
 Pain Bdyh, or lower terrace adorned with flowers, to which princes descend 
 when they wish to relax with their courtiers. 
 
 3 The I)lwdni 'Amm, or Public Hall of Audience in eastern palaces, is 
 a grand saloon where Asiatic princes hold a more promiscuous court than 
 in the lHwdni Khdf, or the Private Hall of Audience. 
 
 4 The Musalld is generally in Persia a small carpet, but frequently a fine 
 mat in Hindustan, which is spread for the performance of prayer. The 
 devotee kneels and prostrates himself upon it in his act of devotion. It is 
 superfluous to remark that the Muhammadans pray with their face turned 
 towards Mecca, as far as they can guess its direction. Jerusalem was tho 
 original point, but the prophet, (it is said,) in a fit of anger, changed it to
 
 INTRODUCTION. ] 7 
 
 over the whole empire, that the king having withdrawn 
 his hand from public affairs, had become a recluse. In 
 every quarter enemies and rebels raised their heads, 
 and stepped beyond the bounds [of obedience]; whoever 
 wished it, encroached on the kingdom, and rebelled ; 
 wherever there were governors, in their jurisdictions 
 great disturbance took place ; and complaints of mal- 
 administration arrived at court from every province. 
 All the coui tiers and nobles assembled, and began to 
 confer and consult. 
 
 At last it was agreed, " that as his Highness the 
 Wazir is wise and intelligent, and in the king's inti- 
 macy and confidence, and is first in dignity, we ought 
 to go before him, and hear what he thinks proper to 
 sny on the occasion." All the nobles went to his 
 Highness the Wazir, and said : " Such is the state of 
 the king and such the condition of the kingdom, that 
 if more delay takes place, this empire, which has been 
 acquired with such trouble, will be lost for nothing, 
 and will not be easily regained." The Wazir was an 
 old, faithful servant, and wise ; his name was Khirad- 
 mand, a name self-significant. 1 He replied, " Though 
 the king has forbidden us to come into his presence, 
 yet go you : 1 will also go may it please God that 
 the king be inclined to call me to his presence." 
 After saying this, the Wazir brought them all along 
 with him as far as the Public Hall of Audience, and 
 leaving them there, he went into the Private Hall of 
 
 1 Kkiradmatid means wise ; as a man's name it corresponds to our " Mr. 
 Wiseman," or as the French have it " Monsieur le Sage." It does not 
 necessarily follow, however, that every Mr. Wiseman is a sage. 
 
 C
 
 18 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Audience, 1 and sent word by the eunuch 2 to the royal 
 presence, saying, " this old slave is in waiting, and for 
 many days has not beheld the royal countenance ; he 
 is in hopes that, after one look, he may kiss the royal 
 feet, then his mind will be at ease." The king heard 
 this request of his Wazlr, and inasmuch as his majesty 
 knew his length of services, his zeal, his talents, and 
 his devotedness, and had often followed his advice, 
 after some consideration, he said, " call in Kkirad- 
 mand" As soon as permission was obtained, the 
 Wazlr appeared in the royal presence, made his obei- 
 sance, and stood with crossed arms. 3 He saw the 
 king's strange and altered appearance, that from ex- 
 treme weeping and emaciation his eyes were sunk in 
 their sockets, 4 and his visage was pale. 
 
 Kkiradmand could no longer restrain himself, but 
 without choice, ran and threw himself at [the king's] 
 feet. His majesty lifted up the Wazlr 's head with 
 his hands, and said, " There, thou hast at last seen 
 me; art thou satisfied? Now go away, and do not 
 disturb me more do thou govern the empire." K/tir- 
 admand, on hearing this, gnashing his teeth, wept and 
 said, "This slave, by your favour and welfare, Ca.: 
 
 1 The Diiodni Khass, or Private Hall of Audience, is a grand saloon, 
 where only the king's privy councillors or select officers of state are ad- 
 mitted to an audience. 
 
 2 As Asiatic princes in general pass the most part of their time in the 
 haram or in seclusion, eunuchs are the usual carrriers of messages, &c. 
 
 3 The posture of respect, as to stand motionless like a statue, the eyes 
 fixed on the ground, and tho arms crossed over the waist. 
 
 4 Literally, " rings or circles had formed round his eyes, and his visage 
 had turned yellow." The term "yellow* is used among the dark-com- 
 plexioned people of the East in the same sense as our word "pale," or the 
 Latin " pailidus," to indicate fear, grief, &c.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 always possess a kingdom; but ruin is spread over 
 the empire from your majesty's such sudden seclusion, 
 and the end of it will not be prosperous. What strange 
 fancy has possessed the royal mind ! If to this here- 
 ditary vassal your majesty will condescend to explain 
 yourself, it will be for the best that I may unfold 
 whatever occurs to my imperfect judgment on the 
 occasion. If you have bestowed honours on your 
 slaves, it is for this exigency, that your majesty may 
 enjoy yourself at your ease, and your slaves regulate 
 the affairs of the state ; for if your imperial highness 
 is to bear this trouble, which God forbid ! of what 
 utility are the servants of the state ? " The king re- 
 plied, " Thou sayest true ; but the sorrow which preys 
 on my mind is beyond cure. 
 
 "Hear, O Khiradmand! my whole age has been 
 passed in this vexatious career of conquest, and I am 
 now arrived at these years ; there is only death before 
 me ; I have even received a message from him, for my 
 hairs are turned white. There is a saying ; ' We have 
 slept all night, and shall we not awake in the morn- 
 ing ? ' Until now I have not had a son, that I might 
 be easy in mind ; for which reason my heart is very 
 sorrowful, and I have utterly abandoned everything. 
 Whoever wishes, may take the country and my riches. 
 I have no use for them. Moreover, I intend some day 
 or other, to quit everything, retire to the woods and 
 mountains, and not show my face to any one. In 
 this manner I will pass this life of [at best but] a few 
 days' duration. If some spot pleases me, I shall sit 
 down on it ; and by devoting my time in prayers to 
 God, perhaps my future state will be happy ; this
 
 20 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 world I have seen well, and have found no felicity in 
 it." After pronouncing these words, the king heaved 
 a deep sigh, and became silent. 
 
 Khiradmand had been the Wazir of his majesty's 
 father, and when the king was heir-apparent he had 
 loved him ; moreover, he was wise and zealous. He 
 said (to Azdd Bakht,} " It is ever wrong to despair of 
 God's grace ; He who has created the eighteen thou- 
 sand species of living beings 1 by one fiat, can give 
 you children without any difficulty. Mighty sire, 
 banish these fanciful notions from your mind, or else 
 all your subjects will be thrown into confusion, and 
 this empire, with what trouble and pains your royal 
 forefathers and yourself have erected it ! will be lost 
 in a moment, and, from want of care, the whole country 
 will be ruined ; God forbid that you should incur evil 
 fame ! Moreover, you will have to answer to God, 
 in the day of judgment, when he will say, ' Having 
 made thee a king, I placed my creatures under thy 
 care ; but thou hadst no faith in my beneficence, and 
 thou hast afflicted thy subjects [by abandoning thy 
 charge.'] What answer will you make to this accusa- 
 tion ? Then even your devotion and prayers will not 
 avail you, for the heart of man is the abode of God, 
 and kings will have to answer only for the justice 2 of 
 their conduct. Pardon your slave's want of respect, 
 
 1 The Asiatics reckon the animal species at 18,000 ; a number which 
 even the fertile genius of Buffon has not attained. Yet the probability 
 is, that the orientals are nearer the true mark ; and the wonder is, how 
 they acquired such correct ideas on the subject. 
 
 2 There is a well-known Eastern saying, that, " On the part of a kin?, 
 one hour's administration of justice will he of more avail to him on the 
 day of judgment than twenty years of prayer."
 
 INTRODUCTION. 21 
 
 but to leave their homes, and wander from forest to 
 forests the occupation of hermits, 1 but not thatof kings. 
 You ought to act according to your allotted station . 
 the remembering of God, and devotion to him, are not 
 limited to woods or mountains : your majesty has un- 
 doubtedly heard this verse, ' God is near him, and he 
 seeks him in the wilderness ; the child is in his arms, 
 and there is a proclamation [of its being lost] through- 
 out the city.' 
 
 " If you will be pleased to act impartially, and 
 follow this slave's advice, in that case the best thing 
 is, that your Majesty should keep God in mind every 
 moment, and offer up to him your prayers. No one 
 has yet returned hopeless from his threshold. In the 
 day, arrange the affairs of state, and administer jus- 
 tice to the poor and injured ; then the creatures of 
 God will repose in peace and comfort under the skirt 
 of your prosperity. Pray at night ; and after be- 
 seeching blessings for the pure spirit of the Prophet, 
 solicit assistance from recluse Darweshes and holy 
 men, [who are abstracted from worldly objects and 
 cares ;] bestow daily food on orphans, prisoners, poor 
 parents of numerous children, and helpless widows. 
 From the blessings of these good works and benevolent 
 intentions, if God please, it is to be fervently hoped 
 that the objects and desires of your heart will all be 
 fulfilled, and the circumstances for which the royal 
 mind is afflicted, will likewise be accomplished, and 
 your noble heart will rejoice ! Look towards the favour 
 
 1 Literally, " Fdklrs and Jogls ;" either term denotes " hermit " tl^e 
 former being applied to a Musalmdn, the latter to a Hindu.
 
 22 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of God, for he can in a moment do what he wishes." 
 At length, from such various representations on the 
 part of Khiradmand the Wazir, Azdd Bakht's heart 
 took courage, and he said, "Well, what you say is 
 true ; let us see to this also ; and hereafter, the will 
 of God be done." 
 
 When the king's mind was comforted, he asked 
 the Wazir what the other nobles and ministers were 
 doing, and how they were. He replied, that " all the 
 pillars of state are praying for the life and prosperity 
 of your majesty ; and from grief for your situation, 
 they are all in confusion and dejected. Show the 
 royal countenance to them, that they may be easy in 
 their minds. Accordingly, they are now waiting in 
 the Diwdni Amm" On hearing this, the king said, 
 " If God please, I will hold a court to-morrow : tell 
 them all to attend." Khiradmand was quite rejoiced 
 on hearing this promise, and lifting up his hands, 
 blessed the king, saying, " As long as this earth and 
 heaven exist, may your majesty's crown and throne 
 remain. Then taking leave [of the king,] he retired 
 with infinite joy, and communicated these pleasing 
 tidings to the nobles. All the nobles returned to 
 their homes with smiles and gladness of heart. The 
 whole city rejoiced, and the subjects became boundless 
 [in their transports at the idea] that the king would 
 hold a general court the next day. In the morning, 
 all the servants of state, noble and menial, and the 
 pillars of state, small and great, came to the court, 
 and stood each according to his respective place and 
 degree, and waited with anxiety to behold the royal 
 splendour.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 23 
 
 When onepakar 1 of the day had elapsed, all at once 
 the curtain drew up, and the king, having ascended, 
 seated himself on the auspicious throne. The sounds 
 of joy struck up in the Naubat-Khdna? and all the 
 assembly offered the nazars 3 of congratulation, and 
 made their obeisance in the hall of audience. Each 
 was rewarded according to his respective degree and 
 rank, and the hearts of all became joyful and easy. 
 At midday 4 his majesty arose and retired to the 
 interior of the palace; and after enjoying the royal 
 repast, retired to rest. From that day the king made 
 this an established rule, viz., to hold his court every 
 morning, and pass the afternoons in reading and in 
 the offices of devotion ; and after expressing penitence, 
 and beseeching forgiveness from God, to pray for the 
 accomplishment of his desires. 
 
 One day, the king saw it written in a book, that if 
 any one is so oppressed with grief and care as not to 
 be relieved by [any human] contrivance, he ought to 
 commit [his sorrows] to Providence, visit the tombs 
 
 1 In India, the day was formerly divided into four equal portions, called 
 pahars, or watches, of which the second terminated at noon ; hence, 
 do-pahar-din, mid-day. In like manner was the night divided; hence, 
 do-pahar-rdt, midnight. The first pahar of the day hegan at sunrise, and 
 of the night at sunset ; and since the time from sunrise to noon made 
 exactly two pahars, it follows that in the north of India the pahar must 
 have varied from three and a-half hours ahout the summer solstice, to two 
 and a-half in winter, the pahars of the night varying inversely. A shallow 
 commentator has said that " the pahar or watch is three hours, and that 
 the day commences at six a.m.," which is altogether incorrect. 
 
 2 The Naubat-lchana, or the royal orchestra, is, in general, a large room 
 over the outer gate of the palace for the martial music. 
 
 3 Nazars, presents made to kings, governors, and masters, &c., on joyful 
 occasions, and on public festivals, generally in silver and gold. 
 
 4 Literally, " when two pahars had elapsed." V. uote on pahar, supra,
 
 24 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of the dead, and pray for the blessing of God on 
 them, 1 through the mediation of the Prophet ; and 
 conceiving himself nothing, keep his heart free from 
 the thoughtlessness of mankind ; weep as a warning 
 to others, and behold [with awe] the power of God, 
 saying, "Anterior to me, what mighty possessors of 
 kingdoms and wealth have been born on earth ! but 
 the sky, involving them all in its revolving circle, has 
 mixed them with the dust." It is a bye-word, that, 
 "on beholding the moving handmill, Kabira? weep- 
 ing, exclaimed, ' Alas ! nothing has yet survived the 
 pressure of the two millstones.' ' 
 
 " Now, if you look [for those heroes], not one vestige 
 of them remains, except a heap of dust. All of them, 
 leaving their riches and possessions, their homes and 
 offsprings, their friends and dependants, their horses 
 and elephants, are lying alone ! All these [worldly 
 advantages] have been of no use to them ; moreover, 
 no one by this time, knows even their names, or who 
 they were ; and their state within the grave cannot be 
 discovered ; (for worms, insects, ants, and snakes have 
 eaten them up ;) or [who knows] what has happened 
 to them, or how they have settled their accounts with 
 God ? After meditating on these words in his mind, 
 he should look on the whole of this world as a perfect 
 farce ; then the flower of his heart will ever bloom, 
 and it will not wither in any circumstance." When 
 
 1 " On them," i.e., for the souls of the dead. 
 
 8 A celebrated Hindu poet of Tipper Hindustan; his poetry is of a 
 sombre hue, but natural and sympathetic; the simile here is, that no 
 creature has yet survived the pressure of the heavens and the earth ; the 
 heavens, being in motion, representing the upper millstone, and the earth 
 (nupposed to be at rest), the lower millstone.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 25 
 
 the king read this admonition in the book, he recol- 
 lected the advice of Kkiradmand the Wazir, and found 
 that they coincided. He became anxious in his mind 
 to put this in execution ; " but to mount on horseback, 
 [said his majesty to himself,] and take a retinue with 
 Hie, and go like a king, is not becoming ; it is better to 
 change my dress, and go at night and alone to visit 
 the graves of the dead, or some godly recluse, and 
 keep awake all night; perhaps by the mediation of 
 these holy men, the desires of this world and salvation 
 in the next, may be obtained." 
 
 Having formed this resolution, the king one night 
 put on coarse and soiled clothes, and taking some 
 money with him, he stole silently out of the fort, and 
 bent his way over the plain ; proceeding onwards, he 
 arrived at a cemetery, and was repeating his prayers 
 with a sincere heart. At that time, a fierce wind con- 
 tinued blowing, and might be called a storm. Sud- 
 denly the king saw a flame at a distance which shone 
 like the morning star ; he said to himself, " In this 
 storm and darkness this light cannot shine without 
 art, or it may be a talisman ; for if nitre and sulphur 
 be sprinkled in the lamp, around the wick, then let 
 the wind be ever so strong, the flame will not be 
 extinguished or may it not be the lamp of some holy 
 man which burns ? Let it be what it may, I ought 
 to go and examine it ; perhaps by the light of this 
 lamp, the lamp of my house also may be lighted, 1 and 
 the wish of my heart fulfilled." Having formed this 
 resolution, the king advanced in that direction ; when 
 
 A figurative expression, denoting, " I may yet have a son and lieir."
 
 26 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 he drew near, he saw four erratic fakirs, 1 with 
 on their bodies, and their head reclined on their 
 knees; sitting in profound silence, and senselessly 
 abstracted. Their state was such as that of a tra- 
 veller, who, separated from his country and his sect, 
 friendless and alone, and overwhelmed with grief, is 
 desponding and at a loss. In the same manner sat 
 these four Fakirs, like statues, 3 and a lamp placed on 
 a stone burnt brightly; the wind touched it not, as if 
 the sky itself had been its shade, 4 so that it burnt 
 without danger [of being extinguished.] 
 
 On seeing this sight, Azdd Bakht was convinced 
 [and said to himself] that " assuredly thy desires will 
 be fulfilled, by the blessing [resulting from] the foot- 
 steps of these men of God ; and the withered tree of 
 thy hopes shall revive by their looks, and yield fruit. 
 Go into their company, and tell thy story, and join 
 their society ; perhaps they may feel pity for thee, and 
 offer up for thee such a prayer as may be accepted by 
 the Almighty." Having formed this determination, 
 he was about to step forward, when his judgment told 
 him, fool, do not be -hasty ! Look a little [before 
 
 1 Faktrs are holy mendicants, who devote themselves to the expected 
 joys of the next world, and abstract themselves from those of this silly 
 transitory scene; they are generally fanatics and enthusiasts sometimes 
 mad, and often hypocrites. They are much venerated by the superstitious 
 Asiatics, and are allowed uncommon privileges, which they naturally often 
 abuse. 
 
 2 The kafni is a kind of short shirt without sleeves, of the colour of 
 brick dust, which Fakirs wear. 
 
 3 Literally, " paintings on a wall." 
 
 4 The f anils is a large glass shade open at the top, placed over a lamp or 
 candle as a protection from wind, or bats, &c., when the windows arc all 
 open, as is generally the case in hot weather.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 27 
 
 thee.] What dost thou know as to who they are, 
 from whence they have come, and where they are 
 going? How can we know but they may be Devs 1 
 or Ghuls' 2 ' of the wilderness, who, assuming the ap- 
 pearance of men, are sitting together ? In every way, 
 to be in haste, and go amongst them and disturb them, 
 is improper. At present, hide thyself in some corner, 
 and learn the story of these Darweshes." At last the 
 king did so, and hid himself in a corner with such 
 silence, that no one heard the sound of his approach ; 
 he directed his attention towards them to hear what 
 they were saying amongst themselves. By chance one 
 of the Fakirs sneezed, and said, " God be praised." 3 
 The other three Kalandars* awakened by the noise he 
 made, trimmed the lamp ; the flame was burning 
 bright, and each of them sitting on his mattrass, 
 lighted their hukkas? and began to smoke. One of 
 
 1 The Dev is a malignant spirit, one of the class called jinn by the Arabs, 
 vide Lane's " Arabian Nights," vol. i. p. 30. The jinn or genii, however, 
 occasionally behave very handsomely towards the human race, more espe- 
 cially towards those of the Muhammadan faith. 
 
 2 The Q-hul is a foul and intensely wicked spirit, of an order inferior to 
 i\\ejinn. It is said to appear in the form of any living animal it chooses, 
 as well as in any other monstrous and terrific shape. It haunts desert 
 places, especially burying grounds, and is said to feed on dead human 
 bodies. 
 
 3 This is a general exclamation when Asiatics sneeze, and with them, as 
 with the ancients, it is an ominous sign. 
 
 4 Kalandars are a more fanatic set of Fakirs. Their vow is to desert 
 wife, children, and all worldly connexions and human sympathies, and to 
 wander about with shaven heads. 
 
 s The introduction of the hulcka is an improvement of Kir Amman's; 
 as that luxury was unknown in Europe and Asia at the time of Amir 
 Khusru.
 
 28 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 these Azads^ said, " friends in mutual pain, and 
 faithful wanderers over the world ! we four persons, 
 by the revolution of the heavens, and changes of day 
 and night, with dust on our heads, have wandered for 
 some time, from door to door. God be praised, that 
 by the aid of our good fortune, and the decree of fate, 
 we have to-day met each other on this spot. The 
 events of to-morrow are not in the least known, nor 
 what will happen ; whether we remain together, or 
 become totally separated the night is a heavy load, 2 
 and to retire to sleep so early is not salutary. It is 
 far better that we relate, each on his own part, the 
 events which have passed over our heads in this 
 world, without admitting a particle of untruth [in our 
 narrations ;] then the night will pass away in words, 
 and when little of it remains, let us retire to rest." 
 They all replied, " leader, we agree to whatever you 
 command. First you begin your own history, and 
 relate what you have seen ; then shall we be edified." 
 
 1 The term Azdd, " free, or independent," is applied to a class of Dai-- 
 weshes who shave the beard, eyelashes and eyebrows. They vow chastity 
 and a holy life, but consider themselves exempt from all ceremonial obser- 
 M'.QCCS of the Muhammadan religion. 
 
 * Literally, " is an immense mountain."
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE FIRST DARWESH 
 
 THE first Darwesh, sitting at his ease, 1 began thus to 
 relate the events of his travels : 
 
 " Beloved of God, turn towards me, and hear this helpless one's narrative. 
 Hear what has passed over my head with attentive ears, 
 Hear how Providence has raised and depressed me. 
 1 am going to relate whatever misfortunes I have suffered ; hear the 
 whole narrative." 
 
 my friends, the place of my birth, and the country 
 of my forefathers, is the land of Yaman ; 2 the father of 
 this wretch was Malilm-t-Tujjdr? a great merchant, 
 named K/uoaja Ahmad. At that time no merchant or 
 banker was equal to him. In most cities he had 
 established factories and agents, for the purchase and 
 sale (of goods) ; and in his warehouses were lakhs of 
 rupls in cash, and merchandise of different countries. 
 He had two children born to him ; one was this pil- 
 
 1 The phrase do zdnu Tio lailJma denotes a mode of sitting peculiar, more 
 especially, to the Persians. It consists in kneeling down and sitting back 
 on one's heels, a posture the very reverse of easy, at least, so it appears to 
 us good Christians, accustomed to the use of chairs, &c. 
 
 2 Arabia Felix, the south-west province of the peninsula. 
 
 3 MaliJcu-t-Tujjdr means the chief of merchants ; it is a Persian or Arab 
 title. The first title the East India Company received from the court of 
 Dilli was ' Umdatu-t-Tujjdr, or the noble merchants. Hajl Khalll, the 
 ambassador from Persia to the Bengal government, who was killed at 
 Bombay, was MaliTcu-t- Tujjar ; and after him Muhammad Nabl Khan, who 
 likewise was ambassador from the Persian court, and came to Bengal ; he 
 has since experienced the sad uncertainty of Asiatic despotism ; being 
 despoiled of his property, blinded, and turned into the streets of Shlraz 
 to beg.
 
 80 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 grim, who, clad in the kafrii * and saili? is now in 
 your presence, and addressing you, holy guides ; the 
 other was a sister, whom my father, during his life 
 time, had married to a merchant's son of another city; 
 she lived in the family of her father-in-law. In short, 
 v\ Imt bounds could be set to the fondness of a father, 
 who had an only son, and was so exceedingly rich ! 
 This wanderer received his education with great ten- 
 derness under the shadow of his father and mother ; 
 and began to learn reading and writing, and the 
 science and practice of the military profession ; and 
 likewise the art of commerce, and the keeping of 
 accounts. Up to [the age of] fourteen years, my life 
 passed away in extreme delight and freedom from 
 anxiety ; no care of the world entered my heart. All 
 at once, even in one year, both my father and mother 
 died by the decree of God. 
 
 I was overwhelmed with such extreme grief, that I 
 cannot express [its anguish.] At once I became an 
 orphan ! No elder [of the family] remained to watch 
 over me. From this unexpected misfortune I wept 
 night and day; food and drink were utterly dis- 
 regarded. In this sad state I passed forty days : on 
 the fortieth day, 3 [after the death of my parents,] my 
 
 1 The peculiar dress worn by fakirs. V. " Qanooni Islam" 
 
 2 The sell, or sailt, is a necklace of thread worn as a badge of distinction 
 by a certain class of fakirs. 
 
 3 The fortieth day is an important period in Muhammadan rites ; it is 
 the great day of rejoicing after birth, and of mourning after death. To 
 dignify this number still more, sick and wounded persons are supposed, by 
 oriental novelists, to recover and perform the ablution of cure on the 
 fortieth day. The number " forty " figures much in the Sacred Scriptures, 
 for example, " The flood was forty days upon the earth." The Israelite* 
 forty years in the wilderness, &c., &c.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 31 
 
 relations and strangers of every degree assembled [to 
 perform the rites of mourning.] When the Fdtiha 1 
 for the dead was finished, they tied on this pilgrim's 
 head the turban of his father ; 2 they made me under- 
 stand, that, "In this world the parents of all have 
 died, and you yourself must one day follow the same 
 path. Therefore, have patience, and look after your 
 establishment ; you are now become its master in (he 
 room of your father ; be vigilant in your affairs and 
 transactions." After consoling me [in this friendly 
 manner,] they took their leave. All the agents, fac- 
 tors and employes [of my late father] came and waited 
 on me ; they presented their nazars, and said, " Be 
 pleased to behold with your own auspicious eye the 
 cash in the coffers, and the merchandise in the ware- 
 houses." When all at once my sight fell on this 
 boundless wealth, my eyes expanded. I gave orders 
 for the fitting up of a diwdn-khdna ; 3 the farrdshes 4 
 spread the carpets, and hung up the pardas 5 and 
 magnificent chicks? I took handsome servants into 
 
 1 The Fdtiha is the opening chapter of the Kur,dn, which, being much 
 read and repeated, denotes a short prayer or benediction in general. 
 
 2 This is the general mode of investiture in Hindustan to offices, places, 
 &c. ; to which a khil'at, or honorary dress, is added. 
 
 3 That part of a dwelling where male company are received. 
 
 4 Farrushes are servants whose duty it is to spread carpets, sweep them 
 and the walls ; place the masnads, and hang up the pardas and chicks, 
 pitch tents, &c. 
 
 s Pardas are quilted curtains, which hang before doors, &c. 
 
 6 Chicks are curtains, or hanging screens, made of fine slips of bamboos, 
 and painted and hung up before doors and windows, to prevent the persons 
 inside from being seen, and to keep out insects ; but they do not exclude 
 the air, or the light from without. If there is no light in a room, a person 
 may sit close to the chicle, and not be seen by one who is without. How- 
 ever, no description can convey an adequate idea of pardas and chicks to 
 the mere European.
 
 32 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 my service ; and caused them to be clothed in rich 
 dresses out of my treasury. This mendicant had no 
 sooner reposed himself in [the vacant] seat [of his 
 father] than he was surrounded" by fops, coxcombs, 
 "thiggars 1 and sornars," liars and flatterers, who be- 
 came his favourites and friends. I began to have 
 them constantly in my company. They amused me 
 with the gossip of every place, and every idle, lying 
 tittle tattle ; they continued urging me thus. " In 
 this season of youth, you ought to drink 2 of the 
 choicest wines, and send for beautiful mistresses to 
 participate in the pleasures thereof, and enjoy yourself 
 in 'their company." 
 
 In short, the evil genius of man is man : my dispo- 
 sition changed from listening constantly [to their per- 
 nicious advice.] Wine, dancing, and gaming occupied 
 my time. At last matters came to such a pitch, that, 
 forgetting my commercial concerns, a mania for de- 
 bauchery and gambling came over me. My servants 
 and companions, when they perceived my careless 
 habits, secreted all they could lay hand on ; one might 
 say a systematic plunder took place. No account was 
 kept of the money which was squandered ; from, whence 
 it came, or where it went : 
 
 " When the wealth comes gratuitously, the heart has no mercy on it." * 
 
 1 1 hope the reader will pardon me for the use of this old-fashioned Scottish 
 expression which conveys the exact meaning of the original, viz., " muft par 
 Mane-plne-wale" i. e, " gentlemen who eat and drink at another's cost." 
 The English terms, " pai'asites," or "diners out," do not fully express 
 the meaning, though very near it. 
 
 2 Literally, " quaff the wine of the Ketalcl, and pluck the flower of the 
 rose." The Ketakl, a highly odoriferous flower, was used in giving 
 fragrance to the wine. 
 
 3 A Persian proverb, like our own " Lightly come, lightly go."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 33 
 
 Had I possessed even the treasures of Kdrun? they 
 would not have been sufficient to supply this vast ex- 
 penditure. In the course of a few years such became 
 all at once my condition, that, a bare skull cap for 
 my head, and a rag about my loins, were all that re- 
 mained. Those friends who used to share my board, 
 and [who so often swore] 2 to shed their blood by the 
 spoonful for my advantage, disappeared ; yea, even if 
 I met them by chance on the highway, they used to 
 withdraw their looks and turn aside their faces from 
 me ; moreover, my servants, of every description, left 
 me, and went away ; no one remained to enquire after 
 me, and say, "what state is this you are reduced to ?" 
 I had no companion left but my grief and regret. 
 
 I now had not a half-farthing's worth of parched 
 grain [to grind between my jaws,] and give a relish to 
 the water I drank : I endured two or three severe 
 fasts, but could no longer bear [the cravings of] hunger. 
 From necessity, covering my face with the mask of 
 shamelessness, I formed the resolution of going to my 
 sister ; but this shame continued to come into my 
 mind, that, since the death of my father, I had kept 
 up no friendly intercourse with her, or even written 
 her a single line ; nay, further, she had written me 
 two or three letters of condolence and affection, to 
 which I had not deigned to make any reply in my 
 inebriated moments of prosperity. From this sense of 
 shame my heart felt no inclination [to go to my sister,] 
 
 1 A personage famed for his wealth, like the Croesus of the Greeks. 
 
 9 The reader will observe, in the original, that the terms rah-bat, a 
 "highway," and bhent-mulakat, "a meeting," consist each of two noun? 
 denoting precisely the same thing, only one of them is of Musalmdn usage, 
 and the other Hindu. Such expressions are very common in the language. 
 
 D
 
 34 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 but except her house, I had no other [to which I could 
 resort.] In the best way I could, on foot, empty- 
 handed, with much fatigue and a thousand toils, hav- 
 ing traversed the few [intervening] stages, I arrived at 
 the city where my sister lived, and reached her house. 
 My sister, seeing my wretched state, invoked a bless- 
 ing upon me, embraced me with affection, and wept 
 bitterly ; she distributed [the customary offerings to 
 the poor] on the occasion of my safe arrival, such as 
 oil, vegetables, and small coins, 1 and said to me, 
 " Though my heart is greatly rejoiced at this meeting, 
 yet, brother, in what sad plight do I see you?" I 
 could make her no reply, but shedding tears, I re- 
 mained silent. My sister sent me quickly to the 
 bath, after having ordered a splendid dress to be sewn 
 for me. I having bathed and washed, put on these 
 clothes. She fixed on an elegant apartment, near her 
 own, for my residence. I had in the morning sharbat? 
 and various kinds of sweetmeats for my breakfast ; in 
 the afternoon, fresh and dried fruits for my luncheon ; 
 and at dinner and supper she having procured for me 
 puldos? kabdbs* and bread of the most exquisite 
 
 1 Literally, " black taJcas" or copper coins, in opposition to " white" or 
 silver ; an expression similar to wliat we, in the vernacular call " browns." 
 
 2 Shwlat is a well-known oriental beverage, made in general with vege- 
 table acids, sugar and water ; sometimes of sugar and rose water only ; to 
 which ingredients some good Musalmans, on the sly, add a leetle rum or 
 brandy. 
 
 3 Pulao, (properly "pilav," as pronounced by the Persians and Turks,) is 
 a common dish in the East. It consists of boiled rice well dried and 
 mixed with eggs, cloves and other spices, heaped up on a plate, and inside 
 of this savoury heap is buried a well-roasted fowl, or pieces of tender meat, 
 such as mutton, &c. ; in short, any good meat that may be procurable. 
 
 4 Kabab is meat roasted or fried with spices ; sometimes in small pieces, 
 sometimes minced, sometimes on skewers, but never in joints as with ua, 
 though they make kdbabs of a whole lamb or kid.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 35 
 
 flavour and delicious cookery ; she saw rne eat them 
 in her own presence ; and in every manner she took 
 care of me. I offered thousands upon thousands of 
 thanksgivings to God for enjoying such comfort, after 
 such affliction [as I had suffered.] Several months 
 passed in this tranquillity, during which I never put 
 my foot out of my apartment. 
 
 One day, my sister, who treated me like a mother, 
 said to me, " brother, you are the delight of my eyes, 
 and the living emblem of the dead dust of our parents; 
 by your arrival the longing of my heart is satisfied.; 
 whenever I see you, I am infinitely rejoiced; you 
 have made me completely happy; but God has created 
 men to work for their living, and they ought not to 
 sit idle at home. If a man becomes idle and stays at 
 home, the people of the world cast unfavourable re- 
 flections on him ; more especially the people of this 
 city, both great and little, though it concerns them 
 not, will say, on your remaining [with me and doing 
 nothing,] * That having lavished and spent his father's 
 worldly wealth, he is now living on the scraps from 
 his brother-in-law's board.' This is an excessive want 
 of proper pride, and will be our ridicule, and the 
 subject of shame to the memory of our parents ; other- 
 wise I would keep you near my heart, and make you 
 shoes of my own skin, and have you wear them. Now, 
 my advice is that you should make an effort at tra- 
 velling; please God the times will change, and in 
 place of your present embarrassment and destitution, 
 gladness and prosperity may be the result." On 
 hearing this speech my pride was roused ; I approved 
 of her advice, and replied, very well, you are now in
 
 36 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 the place of my mother, and I will do whatever you 
 say. Having thus received my consent, she went into 
 the interior of her house, and brought out, by the 
 assistance of her female slaves and servants, fifty 
 tor as 1 of gold and laid them before me, saying, "A 
 caravan of merchants is on the point of setting out 
 for Damascus. 2 Do you purchase with this money 
 some articles of merchandise. Having put them 
 under the care of a merchant of probity, take from 
 him a proper receipt for them : and do you also pro- 
 ceed to Damascus. When you arrive there in safety, 
 receive the amount sales of your goods, and the profit 
 which may accrue [from your merchant,] or sell them 
 yourself [as may be most convenient or advantageous."] 
 I took the money and went to the bazar? and having 
 bought articles of merchandise, I delivered them 
 over in charge to an eminent merchant, and set my 
 mind at ease on receiving a satisfactory receipt from 
 him. The merchant embarked with the goods on 
 board a vessel, and set off by sea, 4 and I prepared to 
 go by land. When I took leave of my excellent 
 sister, she gave me a rich dress and a superb horse 
 with jewelled harness ; she put some sweatmeats in a 
 
 1 The tor a is a bag containing a thousand pieces (gold or silver). It is 
 used in a collective sense, like the term Msa, or " purse," among the Persians 
 and Turks ; only the Jdsa consists of five hundred dollars, a sum very 
 
 learly equal to 1000 rupis. 
 
 2 The word in the original is Damishk, an Indian corruption of the 
 Arabic Dimashk, which latter mode of pronunciation I have followed in 
 my printed edition. 
 
 3 The grand street where all the large shops are. In oriental towns of 
 considerable size, there is generally a distinct bazar for each species of goods, 
 such as "the cloth bazar" " the jewellery bazar," &c. 
 
 4 The merchant would have rather a puzzling voyage of it, if he went by 
 rea from Yaman to Damascus.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 87 
 
 leather bag and hung it to the pummel of my saddle, 
 and she suspended a flask of water from the crupper ; 
 she tied a sacred rupee on my arm, 1 and having 
 marked my forehead with fika* " Proceed," said she, 
 suppressing her tears, "I have put thee under the 
 protection of God ; thou showest thy back in going, 
 in the same happy state show me soon your face." I 
 also said, after repeating the prayer of welfare, " God 
 be your protector also. I obey your commands." 
 Coming out from thence, I mounted my horse, and 
 having placed my reliance on the protection of the 
 Almighty, I set forward, and throwing two stages into 
 one, I soon reached the neighbourhood of Damascus. 
 
 In short, when I arrived at the city gate, the night 
 was far advanced, and the door-keepers and guards 
 had shut them. I made much entreaty, and added, 
 " I am a traveller, who has come a long journey, at a 
 great rate ; if you would kindly open the gates, I 
 could get into the city and procure some refreshment 
 for myself and my horse." They rudely replied from 
 within, " There is no order to open the gates at this 
 hour ; why have you come so late in the night ? " 
 When I heard this plain answer of theirs, I alighted 
 from my horse under the walls of the city, and spread- 
 ing my housing, I sat down ; but to keep awake, I 
 often rose up and walked about. When it was ex- 
 
 1 The sacred rupee, or piece of silver, is a coin which is dedicated to the 
 Imam Zdmin, or " the guardian Imam," (a personage nearly allied to the 
 guardian saint of a good Catholic), to avert evils from those who wear 
 them tied on the arm, or suspended from the neck. 
 
 2 To mark the forehead with fika, or curdled milk, is a superstitious 
 ceremony in Hindustan, as a propitious omen, on beginniug a voyage or 
 journey. It is probable that the Musalmdns of India borrowed this 
 con-mony, among several others, from the Hindus.
 
 38 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 actly midnight, 1 there was a dead silence. What do 
 I see but a chest descending slowly from the walls of 
 the fortress ! When I beheld this [strange sight], I 
 was filled with surprise, thinking what talisman is 
 this ! perhaps God, taking pity on my perplexity and 
 my misfortunes, has sent me here some bounty from 
 his hidden treasure. When the chest rested on the 
 ground, I approached it with much fear, and perceived 
 it was of wood. Instigated by curiosity, I opened it ; 
 I beheld in it a beautiful lovely woman (at the sight 
 of whom the senses would vanish), wounded and wel- 
 tering in her blood, with her eyes closed, and in ex- 
 treme agonies. By degrees her lips moved, and these 
 sounds issued slowly from her mouth, " O faithless 
 wretch ! barbarous tyrant ! Is this deed which thou 
 hast done, the return I merited for all my affection 
 and kindness ! Well, well ! give me another blow 
 [and complete thy cruelty] : I entrust to God the 
 executing of justice between myself and thee." After 
 pronouncing these words, even in that insensible state, 
 she drew the end of her dopattd 2 over her face ; she 
 did not look towards me. 
 
 Gazing on her, and hearing her exclamations, I 
 became torpid. It occurred to me, what savage tyrant 
 could wound so beautiful a lady ! what [demon] pos- 
 sessed his heart, and how could he lift his hand against 
 her ! she still loves him, 3 and even in this agony of 
 
 1 Literally, " when half the night was on this side, and half on that." 
 
 2 The dopattd is a large piece of cloth worn by women, which covers the 
 head and goes round the body ; the act of drawing her dopattd over her face 
 is mentioned as a proof of her modesty. Men likewise wear the dopattd 
 flung over the shoulders, or wrapped round the waist. It is often of gauze 
 and muslin. 
 
 3 This is Mir Ammaris plain expression. Ferdinand Smith's translation
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 39 
 
 death, she recollects him ! I was muttering this to 
 myself; the sound reached her ear; drawing at once 
 her veil from her face, she looked at me. The moment 
 her looks met mine, I nearly fainted, and my heart 
 throbbed with difficulty; I supported myself by a 
 strong effort, and taking courage, I asked her, " tell 
 me true, who art you, and what sad occurrence is this 
 I see ; if you will explain it, then it will give ease to 
 my heart." On hearing these words, though she had 
 scarce strength to speak, yet she slowly uttered, " I 
 thank you ! how can I speak ? my condition, owing 
 to my wounds, is what you see ; I am your guest for 
 a few moments only ; when my spirit shall depart, 
 then, for God's sake, act like a man, and bury unfor- 
 tunate me in some place, in this chest ; then I shall 
 be freed from the tongue of the good and bad, and 
 you will earn for yourself a future reward." After 
 pronouncing these words, she became silent. 
 
 In the night I could apply no remedy ; I brought 
 the chest near me, and began to count the ghafis * of 
 the remaining night. I determined, when the morning 
 came, to go into the city and do all in my power for 
 the cure [of this beautiful woman]. The short, re- 
 maining night became so heavy 2 a load, that my heart 
 
 savours somewhat of the Hibernian, viz., " She still loves him who has 
 murdered her." 
 
 1 The gharl is the 60th part of 24 hours, or 24 of our minutes. It may 
 be observed that the gharl was a fixed quantity, not subject to variation, 
 -ike the pahar, which last, in the north of India, was made to vary from 
 seven to nine gharles, according to the season of the year, or as it referred 
 to the day or night in the same season. Since the introduction of European 
 watches and clocks, the term gharl is applied to the Christian hour of 
 gixty minutes. 
 
 2 Literally, "became such a mountain."
 
 40 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 was quite restless. At last, after suffering much 
 uneasiness, the morning approached the cock.crowed, 
 and the voices of men were heard. After performing 
 the morning prayer, I inclosed the chest in a coarse 
 canvas sack, and just as the gates opened, I entered 
 the city. I began to inquire of every man and shop- 
 keeper where I could find a mansion for hire ; and 
 after much search, I found a convenient, handsome 
 house, which I rented. The first thing I did, was to 
 take that beautiful woman out of the chest, and lay 
 her on a soft bed made up of flocks of cotton, which 
 1 had removed to a corner. I then placed a trusty 
 person near her, and went in search of a surgeon. I 
 wandered about, asking of every one I met who was 
 the cleverest surgeon in the city, and where he lived. 
 One person said, " There is a certain barber who is 
 unique in the practice of surgery, and the science of 
 physic ; and in these arts is quite perfect. If you 
 carry a dead person to him, by the help of God, he 
 will apply such remedies as will bring him to life. 
 He dwells in this quarter [of the city,] and his name 
 is 'Tsar l 
 
 On hearing this agreeable intelligence, I went in 
 search of him, and after several inquiries, I found out 
 his abode from the directions I had received I saw 
 a man with a white beard sitting under the portico of 
 his door, and several men were grinding materials for 
 plasters beside him. For the sake of complimenting 
 
 1 'Isa is the name of Jesus among the Mukammadans ; who all believe, 
 (from the New Testament, transfused into the Kuran,) in the resurrection 
 of Lazarus, and the numerous cures wrought by our Saviour. J Ihis, per- 
 haps, induced Mir Amman to call the wonder-performing barber and 
 Burgeon '/*.
 
 FIRST DARWESII. 41 
 
 him, I made him a respectful saldm? and said, 
 " having heard of your name and excellent qualities, I 
 am come [to solicit your assistance.] The case is 
 this : I set out from my country for the purpose of 
 trade, and took rny wife with me, from the great 
 affection I had for her ; when I arrived near this city, 
 I halted at a little distance, as the evening had set in. 
 I did not think it safe to travel at night in an unseen 
 country ; I therefore rested under a tree on the plains. 
 At the last quarter of the night, I was attacked by 
 robbers ; they plundered me of all the money and the 
 property they could find, and wounded my wife, from 
 avidity for her jewels. I could make no resistance, 
 and passed the remainder of the night as well as I 
 could. Early in the morning I came into this city, 
 and rented a house ; leaving her there, I am come to 
 you with all speed. God has given you this perfection 
 in your profession ; favour this [unfortunate] traveller, 
 and come to his humble dwelling ; see my wife, and 
 if her life should be saved, then you will acquire great 
 fame, and I will be your slave as long as I live." 
 1 Is fly the surgeon, was very humane and devout ; he 
 took pity on my misfortune, and accompanied me to 
 my house. On examining the wounds, he gave me 
 hopes, and said, " By the blessing of God, this lady's 
 wounds will be cured in forty days ; and I will then 
 cause to be administered to her the ablution of cure." 
 In short, the good man having thoroughly washed 
 
 1 The Arabic expression is saldtn 'alaiJcum or 'alaika, i. e. " Peace be n 
 you" or "on thee." This mode of greeting is used only towards Mitsnil- 
 mr2ns ; and when it has passed between them, it is understood to be a 
 pledge of friendly confidence and sincere good will.
 
 42 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 all the wounds with the decoction of mm, 1 he cleansed 
 them ; those that he found fit for stitching, he sewed 
 up ; and on the others he laid lint and plasters, which 
 he took out of his box, and tied them up with ban- 
 dages, and said with much kindness, " I will continue 
 to call morning and evening ; be thou careful that 
 she remain perfectly quiet, so that the stitches may 
 not give way ; let her food be chicken broth adminis- 
 tered in small quantities at a time, and give her often 
 the spirit of Bed-Mnshk? with rose water, so that her 
 strength may be supported." After giving these 
 directions, he took his leave. I thanked him much 
 with joined hands, 3 and added, " From the consolation 
 you have bestowed, my life also has been restored; 
 otherwise, I saw nothing but death before me ; God 
 keep you safe." And after giving him 'Itr* and betel t 
 I took leave of him. Night and day I attended on 
 that beautiful lady with the utmost solicitude ; rest to 
 myself I renounced as impious, and in the threshold 
 of God I daily prayed for her cure. 
 
 It came to pass that the merchant [who had charge 
 of my merchandise,] arrived, and delivered over to me 
 
 1 The mm is a large and common tree in India, the leaves of which are 
 Tery bitter, and used as a decoction to reduce contusions and inflamma- 
 tions ; also to cleanse wounds. 
 
 2 The spirit drawn from the leaves of an aromatic tree which grows in 
 Kashmir, called Sed-Mushk ; it is a tonic and exhilarating. 
 
 3 A humble deportment when addressing superiors in India; and through 
 complaisance, used sometimes to equals. 
 
 4 An act of ceremony ever observed amongst the well-bred in India, 
 when a visitor takes leave. 'Itr is the essence of any flower, more espe- 
 cially of the rose (by us corruptly called " otto of roses") ; and betel is a 
 preparation of the aromatic leaf so generally used in the East, more 
 especially in India. The moment they are introduced, it is a hint to the 
 visitor to take leave.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 43 
 
 the goods I had entrusted to his care. I sold them 
 as occasion required, and began to spend the amount 
 in medicines and remedies. The good surgeon was 
 regular in his attendance, arid in a short time all the 
 wounds filled up, and began to heal ; a few days after 
 she performed the ablution of cure. Joy of a wonder- 
 ful nature arose [in my heart] ! A rich khU'at, 1 and 
 [a purse of] gold pieces I laid before 'Isd, the surgeon. 
 I ordered elegant carpets to be spread for that fair 
 one, 2 and caused her to sit upon the masnad. 3 I dis- 
 tributed large sums to the poor [on the joyous occa- 
 sion,] and that day I was as happy as if I had gained 
 possession of the sovereignty of the seven climes. 4 
 On that beautiful lady's cure, such rosy, pure colour 
 appeared in her complexion, that her face shone like 
 the sun, and sparkled with the lustre of the purest 
 gold. I could not gaze on her without being dazzled 
 
 1 The Ickil'at is a dress of honour, in general a rich one, presented by 
 superiors to inferiors. In the zenith of the Murjhal empire these MdVats 
 were expensive honours, as the receivers were obliged to make rich presents 
 to the emperor for the khiVats they received. The khil'at is not neces- 
 sarily restricted to a rich dress ; sometimes, a fine horse, or splendid 
 armour, &c., may form an item of it. 
 
 2 The word part, " a fairy," is frequently used figuratively to denote a 
 beautiful woman. 
 
 3 Masnad means literally a sort of counterpane, made of silk, cloth, or 
 brocade, which is spread on the carpet, where the master of the house sits 
 and receives company ; it has a large pillow behind to lean the back 
 against, and generally two small ones on each side. It also, metaphorically, 
 implies the seat on which kings, naiowdbs, and governors sit the day they 
 are invested with their royalty, &c. So that to say that Shah - 'Alain sat 
 on the masnad on such a day, means that he was on that day invested with 
 royalty. 
 
 4 Asiatics divide the world into seven climes ; so to reign over the seven 
 chimes means, metaphorically, to reign over the whole world ; king of the 
 seven climes was one of the titles of the Mogul emperors.
 
 44 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 with her beauty. 1 I devoted myself entirely to her 
 services, and zealously performed whatever she com- 
 manded. In the full pride of beauty and conscious- 
 ness of high rank, if ever she condescended to cast a 
 look on me, she used to say, " Take care, if my good 
 opinion is desirable to you, then never breathe a 
 syllable in my affairs ; whatever I order, perform with- 
 out objection ; never utter a breath in my concerns, 
 otherwise you will repent." It appeared, however, 
 from her manners, that the return due to me for my 
 services and obedience, was fully impressed on her 
 mind. I also did nothing without her consent, and 
 executed her commands with implicit obedience. 
 
 A certain space of time passed away in this mystery 
 and submission I instantly procured for her what- 
 ever she desired. I spent all the money I had from 
 the sale of my goods, both principal and interest. 
 In a foreign country [where I was unknown], who 
 would trust me ? that by borrowing, affairs might go 
 on. At last, I was distressed for money, even for our 
 daily expenses, and thence my heart became much 
 embarrassed. With this anxious solicitude I pined 
 daily, and the colour fled from my face ; but to whom 
 could I speak [for aid]? What my heart suffered, 
 that it must suffer. "The grief of the poor man 
 [preys] on his own soul." 2 One day the beautiful lady, 
 from her own penetration, perceived [my distressed 
 state] and said, " O youth ! my obligations [to you] 
 
 1 Literally, "it was not in the power of eyesight to dwell upon her 
 splendour." 
 
 2 A Persian proverb, somewhat illustrative of a story told of a West 
 India "nigger," whom his master used to over-flog. "Ah, massa," said 
 Sambo, " poor man dare not vex him damned sorry though."
 
 FJRST DARWESH. 45 
 
 for the services [you have rendered] me are engraven 
 on my heart as indelible as on stone ; but their return 
 I am unable to make at present. If there be any 
 thing required for necessary expenses, do not be dis- 
 tressed on that account, but bring me a slip of paper, 
 pen, and ink." I was then convinced that this fair 
 lady must be a princess of some country, or else she 
 would not have addressed me with such boldness and 
 haughtiness. I instantly brought her the writing 
 materials, 1 and placed them before her she having 
 written a note in a fair hand, delivered it to me, and 
 said, " There is a Tirpauliyd 2 near the fort ; in the 
 adjoining street is a large mansion, and the master of 
 that house is called Sidi Bahdr ; 3 go and deliver 
 this note to him." 
 
 I went according to her commands, and by the 
 name and address she had given me, I soon found out 
 the house ; by the porter I sent word of the circum- 
 stance [of my having brought] a letter. The mo- 
 ment he heard [my message,] a handsome young 
 negro, with a flashy turban on his head, came out to 
 me ; though his colour was dark, his countenance was 
 full of animation. He took the note from my hand, 
 but said nothing, asked no questions, and at the same 
 pace [without a pause] entered the house. In a short 
 time he came out, accompanied by slaves, who carried 
 
 1 The Kalam-dan, literally " the pen-holder," means here the small tray 
 containing pens, inkstand, a knife, &c, 
 
 2 Tirpauliyd means three arched gates ; there are many such which 
 divide grand streets in Indian cities, and may be compared to our Temple 
 Bar in London, only much more splendid. 
 
 * Ethiopian, or Abyssinian slaves, are commonly called Sidzs. They are 
 held in great repute for honesty and attachment.
 
 46 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 on their heads eleven sealed trays covered with bro- 
 cade. He told the slaves, " Go with this young man, 
 and deliver these trays." I, having made my saluta- 
 tion, took my leave of him, and brought [the slaves 
 with their burdens] to our house. I dismissed the 
 men from the door, and carried in the trays entrusted 
 to me to the presence of the fair lady. On seeing 
 them she said, " Take these eleven bags of gold pieces 
 and appropriate the money to necessary expenses ; 
 God is most bountiful." I took the gold, and began 
 to lay it out in immediate necessaries. Although I 
 became more easy in my mind, yet this perplexity 
 continued in my heart. " O God, [said I to myself,] 
 what a strange circumstance is this ! that a stranger, 
 whose person is unknown to me, should, on the mere 
 sight of a bit of paper, have delivered over to me so 
 much money without question or inquiry. I cannot 
 ask the fair lady to explain the mystery, as she has 
 beforehand forbidden me." Through fear, I was 
 unable to breathe a syllable. 
 
 Eight days after this occurrence, the beloved fair 
 one thus addressed me: "God has bestowed on man 
 the robe of humanity which may not be torn or soiled ; 
 and although tattered clothes are no disparagement to 
 his manhood, yet in public, in the eyes of the world 
 he has no respect paid to him [if shabbily clothed]. So 
 take two bags of gold with thee, and go to the chauk, 1 
 to the shop of Yusuf the merchant, and buy there 
 some sets of jewels of high value, and two rich suits 
 of clothes, and bring them with thee." I instantly 
 
 1 The cha/uk is in general a large square in Asiatic cities, where are 
 situated the richest shops ; it is sometimes a large wide street.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 47 
 
 mounted my horse, and went to the shop described. 
 I saw there a handsome young man, clothed in a 
 saffron-coloured dress, seated on a cushion ; his beauty 1 
 was such, that a whole multitude stopped in the street 
 from his shop as far as the bazar to gaze at him. I 
 approached him with perfect pleasure, having made 
 my " saldm 'alaika." I sat down, and mentioned the 
 articles required. My pronunciation was not like that 
 of the inhabitants of that city. The young merchant 
 replied with great kindness, " Whatever you require 
 is ready, but tell me, sir, from what country are you 
 come, and what are the motives of your stay in this 
 foreign city ? If you will condescend to inform me 
 on these points, it will not be remote from kindness." 
 It was not agreeable to me to divulge my circum- 
 stances, so I made up some story, took the jewels and 
 the clothes, paid their price, and begged to take my 
 leave. The young man seemed displeased and said, 
 " O sir, if you wished to be so reserved, it was not 
 necessary to show such warmth of friendly greeting 
 in your first approach. Amongst well-bred people 
 these 2 amicable greetings are of much consideration." 
 He pronounced this speech with such elegance and 
 propriety, that it quite delighted my heart, and I did 
 not think it courteous to be unkind and leave 3 him so 
 hastily; therefore, to please him, I sat down again and 
 
 1 In the original there is a play on the word 'dlam, which signifies 
 "beauty," " the world," also "a multitude of people," or what the French 
 call " tout le monde." 
 
 2 Literally, "the observance of the [form of greeting] " sahib laldmat" at 
 " saldm 'alaiJca" by which he had been at first accosted by his customer. 
 Vide note on this subject, page 41. 
 
 1 The verb utTina like the Persian bar-khdstan is used idiomatically in 
 the sense of " to go away," to " vanish."
 
 48 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 said, I agree to your request with all my heart, 1 and 
 am ready [to obey your commands.] 
 
 He was greatly pleased with my compliance, and 
 smiling he said, " If you will honour my poor mansion 
 [with your company] to-day, then having a party of 
 pleasure, we shall regale our hearts for some hours [in 
 good cheer and hilarity."] I had never left the fair 
 lady alone [since we first met,] and recollecting her 
 solitary situation, I made many excuses, but that 
 young man would not accept any; at last, having ex- 
 torted from me a promise to return as soon as I had 
 carried home the articles 1 had purchased, and having 
 made me swear [to that effect,] he gave me leave to 
 depart. I, having left the shop, carried the jewels 
 and the clothes to the presence of the fair lady. She 
 asked the price of the different articles, and what 
 passed at the merchant's. I related all the parti- 
 culars of the purchase, and the teasing invitation I 
 had received from him. She replied, "It is incumbent 
 on man to fulfil whatever promise he may make; leave 
 me under the protection of God, and fulfil your en- 
 gagement ; the law of the prophet requires we should 
 accept the offers of hospitality." I said, " My heart 
 does not wish to go and leave you alone, but such are 
 your orders, and I am forced to go ; until 1 return, 
 my heart will be attached to this very spot." Saying 
 this, I went to the merchant's : he, seated on a chair, 
 was waiting for me. On seeing me, he said, " Come, 
 good sir, you have made me wait long." 2 
 
 Literally, "your command ia on my head and eyes," a phrase imitated 
 from the Persian " ba sa/r o chasTwi." 
 2 The phrase " rah dekhna" literally to look at the road," (by which a
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 49 
 
 He instantly arose, seized my hand, and moved on ; 
 proceeding along, he conducted me to a garden; it 
 was a garden of great beauty; in the basons and 
 canals fountains were playing; fruits of various kinds 
 were in full bloom, and the branches of the trees were 
 bent down with their weight ; l birds of various species 
 were perched on the boughs, and sung their merry 
 notes, and elegant carpets were spread in every apart- 
 ment [of the grand pavilion which stood in the centre 
 of the garden]. There on the border of the canal, we 
 sat down in an elegant saloon ; he got up a moment 
 after and went out, and then returned richly dressed. 
 On seeing him, I exclaimed, " Praised be the Lord, 
 may the evil eye be averted !" 2 On hearing this, ex- 
 clamation, he smiled, and said, "It is fit you, too, 
 should change your dress." To please him, I also put 
 on other clothes. The young merchant, with much 
 sumptuousness, prepared an elegant entertainment, 
 and provided every article of pleasure that could be 
 desired ; he was warm in his expressions of attach- 
 ment to me, and his conversation was quite enchant- 
 
 person is expected to come ;) hence, very naturally and idiomatically it 
 signifies " to be anxiously waiting for one." Again, rah dikhand is tlie 
 causal form, signifying " to make one wait," or " keep one waiting." 
 
 1 The word jdnwar means " an animal," in general ; but it is frequently 
 used in the more restricted sense of " a bird." 
 
 2 The " evil eye " is a superstitious notion entertained by the ignorant 
 vulgar in all countries even to this day. The Asiatics suppose that un- 
 common qualities of beauty, fortune, or health, raise an ominous admira- 
 tion, which injures the possessor. To tell parents that their children are 
 etout and healthy, is a mal-a-propos compliment ; also to congi-atulate 
 women on their healthy appearance is often unwelcome; the same ridiculous 
 and superstitious ideas accompany all admiration of beauty, fortune, &c. 
 For this reason, the visitor, in this case, does not compliment his host on 
 the beauty of his person or the splendour of his dress ; but instead, makes 
 use of the above exclamation. 
 
 E
 
 50 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 ing. At this moment a cupbearer appeared with a 
 flask [of wine] and a crystal cup, and delicious meats 
 of various kinds were served up. The salt-cellars were 
 set hi order, and the sparkling cup began to circulate. 
 When it had performed three or four revolutions, four 
 young dancing boys, very beautiful, with loose, flowing 
 tresses, entered the assembly, and began to sing and 
 play. Such was the scene, and such the melody, that 
 had Tan-Sen^ been present at that hour, he would 
 have forgot his strains; and Baiju- Ba^rd? would 
 have gone mad. In the midst of this festivity, the 
 young merchant's eyes filled suddenly with tears, and 
 involuntarily two or three drops trickled down [his 
 cheeks] ; he turned round and said to me, " Now 
 between us a friendship for life is formed ; to hide 
 the secrets of our hearts is approved by no religion. 
 I am going to impart a secret to you, in the confi- 
 dence of friendship and without reserve. If you will 
 give me leave I will send for my mistress into our 
 company, and exhilarate my heart [with her presence] ; 
 for in her absence, I cannot enjoy any pleasure." 
 
 He pronounced these words with such eager desire, 
 that though I had not seen her, yet my heart longed for 
 her. I replied, your happiness is essential to me, what 
 can be better [than what you propose] ; send for her 
 without delay ; nothing, it is true, is agreeable without 
 the presence of the beloved one. The young merchant 
 
 1 A celebrated musical performer in upper Hindustan, and considered aa 
 the first in his art. He lived in the reign of Akbar, some 300 years ago. 
 
 " A celebrated singer in upper Hindustan, who lived about 600 years 
 ago. Tan-Sen and d,ord are still held in the highest reverence by singers 
 and musical performers. In the original, there is a play on the words ta 
 and lOfOrd which scarcely needs to be pointed out.
 
 FIRST DARWEbfl. ol 
 
 made a sign towards the chick, and shortly a black 
 woman, as ugly as an ogress, on seeing whom one 
 would die without [the intervention of] fate, approached 
 the young man and sat down. I was frightened at her 
 sight, and said within myself, is it possible this she- 
 demon can be beloved by so beautiful a young man, 
 and is this the creature he praised 1 so highly, and 
 spoke of with such affection ! I muttered the form of 
 exorcism, 2 and became silent. In this same condition, 
 the festive scene of wine and music continued for 
 three days and nights ; on the fourth night, intoxica- 
 tion and sleep gained the victory ; I, in the sleep of 
 forgetfulness, involuntarily slumbered ; next morning 
 the young merchant wakened me, and made me drink 
 some cups of a cooling and sedative nature. He said 
 to his mistress, "To trouble our guest any longer 
 would be improper." 
 
 He then took hold of both my hands, and we stood 
 up. I begged leave to depart ; well pleased [with my 
 complaisance], he gave me permission [to return home]. 
 I then quickly put on my former clothes, and bent my 
 way homewards, waited on the angelic lady. But it 
 had never before occurred in my case, to leave her by 
 herself and remain out all night. I was quite ashamed 
 of myself for being absent three days [and nights], 
 and I made her many apologies, and related the whole 
 
 1 The original is, "jis Kl itni ta'rif aur ishtiyak zahir kiyd" where the 
 verb Tdya agrees with ishtiyak only, being the noun nearest. A shallow 
 critic would be apt to say that this is bad grammar. 
 
 2 "La haul parhnd," to repeat or recite the " La haul" or more fully, 
 " La haul wa Id kuwwat ilia b-Illdhi ; meaning, " there is no power nor 
 strength but in God." An exclamation used by Musalmdns in cases oi 
 sudden surprise, misfortune, &c.
 
 52 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 circumstances of the entertainment, and his not per- 
 mitting me [to come home sooner]. She was well 
 acquainted with the manners of the world, and smiling 
 said, " What does it signify, if you had to remain to 
 oblige your friend ; I cheerfully pardon you, where is 
 the blame on your part ; when a man goes on occasions 
 of this sort to any person's house, he returns when 
 the other pleases to let him. But you having eaten 
 and drunk at his entertainments for nothing, will you 
 remain silent, or give him a feast in return ? Now I 
 think it proper you should go to the young merchant, 
 and bring him with you, and feast him two-fold greater 
 than he did you. Give yourself no concern about the 
 materials [for such an entertainment] ; by the favour 
 of God, all the requisites will soon be ready, and in 
 an excellent style, the hospitable party will obtain 
 splendour." According to her desire, I went to the 
 jeweller, and said to him, " I have complied with your 
 request most cheerfully, now do you also in the way 
 of friendship, grant my request." He said, " I will 
 obey you with heart and soul." 
 
 Then I said, " If you will honour your humble ser- 
 vant's house with a visit, it will be the essence of con- 
 descension. That young man made many excuses and 
 evasions, but I would not give up the point. When 
 [at length] he consented, I brought him with me to 
 my house ; but on the way I could not avoid making 
 the reflection, that " if I had had the means, I could 
 receive my guest in a style which would be highly 
 gratifying to him. Now I am taking him with me, 
 let us see what will be the result." Absorbed in these 
 apprehensions, I drew near my house. Then how was
 
 FIUST DARWESII. 53 
 
 I surprised to see a great crowd and bustle at the 
 door ; the street had been swept and watered ; silver 
 mace and club bearers l were in waiting. I wondered 
 greatly [at what I saw], but knowing it to be mine 
 own house, I entered, and perceived that elegant car- 
 pets befitting every apartment, were spread in all 
 directions, and rich masnads were laid out. Betel 
 boxes, gulafo-paslies, 'itr-ddns, pik-ddns* flower pots, 
 narcissus-pots, were all arranged in order. In the 
 recesses of the walls, various kinds of oranges and 
 confectionery of various colours were placed. On one 
 side variegated screens of talk, with lights behind them 
 were displayed, and on the other side tall branches of 
 lamps in the shape of cypresses and lotuses, were 
 lighted up. In the hall and alcove camphorated can- 
 dles were placed in golden candlesticks, and rich glass 
 shades were placed over them ; every attendant waited 
 at his respective post. In the kitchen the pots con- 
 tinued jingling ; and in the dbddr-khdna* there was a 
 corresponding preparation ; jars of water, quite new, 
 stood on silver stands, with percolators attached, and 
 covered with lids. Further on, on a platform, were 
 placed spoons and cups, with salvers and covers :. 
 kulfis* of ice were arranged, and the goglets 5 were 
 being agitated in saltpetre. 
 
 1 The insignia of state among the grandees of India. 
 
 2 The gulab-pdsh is a silver or gold utensil, like a French bottle, to 
 sprinkle rose water on the company ; the 'itr-ddn is one to hold essences, 
 and pile-dans are of brass or silver to spit in, called by the French era- 
 choirs. 
 
 3 The ubdar-lchana is a room appropriated to the cooling of water in ice 
 or saltpetre, by the servant called the abddr. 
 
 4 Small leaden mtigs with covers for the congelation of ice. 
 
 8 To cool the water which they contain ; they are made of pewter.
 
 54 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 In short, every requisite becoming a prince was dis- 
 played. Dancing girls and boys, singers, musicians 
 and buffoons, in rich apparel, were in waiting, and 
 singing in concert. I led the young merchant in, and 
 seated him on the masnad; 1 I was all amazement 
 [and said to myself] " O God, in so short a time how 
 have such preparations been made?" I was staring 
 around and walking about in every direction, but I 
 could nowhere perceive a trace of the beautiful lady ; 
 searching for her, I went into the kitchen, and I saw 
 her there, with an upper garment on her neck, slippers 
 on her feet, and a white handkerchief thrown over her 
 head, plain and simply dressed, and without any 
 jewels. 
 
 "She on whom God hath bestowed beauty has no need of ornaments ; 
 Behold how beautiful appears the moon, without decorations." 
 
 She was busily employed in the superintendence of 
 the feast, and was giving directions for the eatables, 
 saying, " have a care that [this dish] may be savoury, 
 and that its moisture, its seasoning and its fragrance, 
 may be quite correct." In this toil that rose-like 
 person was all over perspiration. 
 
 I approached her with reverence, and having ex- 
 pressed my admiration of her good sense, and the 
 propriety of her conduct, I invoked blessings upon 
 her. On hearing my compliments, she was displeased, 
 and said, "various deeds are done on the part of 
 
 1 The masnad and its large back pillow are criterions of Asiatic etiquette. 
 To au inferior or dependant, the master of the house gives the corner of 
 the masnad to sit on ; to an equal or intimate friend, he gives part of t!io 
 large pillow to lean on ; to a superior, he abandons the whole pillow, and 
 betakes himself to the comer of the masnad.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 55 
 
 human beings which it is not the power of angels [to 
 perform] : what have I done that thou art so much 
 astonished ? Enough, I dislike much talk ; but say, 
 what manners is this to leave your guest alone, and 
 amuse yourself by staring about ; what will he think 
 of your behaviour 1 return quickly to the company, 
 and attend to your guest, and send for his mistress, 
 and make her sit by him." I instantly returned to 
 the young merchant, and shewed him every friendly 
 attention. Soon after, two handsome slaves entered 
 with bottles of delicious wine, and cups set with pre- 
 cious stones, and served us the liquor. In the mean- 
 time, I then observed to the young merchant, I am 
 in every way your friend and servant; it were well 
 that your handsome mistress, to whom your heart is 
 attached, should honour us with her presence ; it will 
 be perfectly agreeable to me, and if you please, I will 
 send a person to call her. On hearing this, he was 
 extremely pleased, and said, "Very well, my dear 
 friend, you have [by your kind offer] spoken the wish 
 of my heart." I sent a eunuch [to bring her]. When 
 half the night was past, that foul hag, mounted on an 
 elegant chaudol, 1 arrived like an unexpected evil. 
 
 To please my guest I was compelled to advance, 
 and receive her with the utmost kindness, and place 
 her near the young man. On seeing her, he became 
 as rejoiced as if he had received all the delights of the 
 world. That hag also clung round the neck of that 
 angelic youth. The [ludicrous] sight appeared, in 
 plain truth, such as when over the moon of the four- 
 
 1 A kind of palkl or sedan, for the conveyance of the women of people 
 of rank in India.
 
 56 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 teenth night, an eclipse comes. As many people as 
 were in the assembly began to put their fore-fingers 
 between their teeth, 1 saying [to themselves] " How 
 could such a hag subdue the affections of this young 
 man !" The eyes of all were turned in that direction. 
 Disregarding the amusements of the entertainment, 
 they began to attend only to this strange spectacle. 
 Some apart observed, " friends, there is an antago- 
 nism between love and reason ! what judgment cannot 
 conceive, this cursed love will show. You must behold 
 LaiH with the eyes of Mdjnun'"* All present ex- 
 claimed, " Very true, that is the fact." 
 
 According to the directions of the lady, I devoted 
 myself to attending on my guests ; and although the 
 young merchant pressed me to eat and drink equally 
 with himself, yet I refrained from fear of the fair 
 [one's displeasure], and did not give myself up to 
 eating and drinking, or the pleasures of the entertain- 
 ment. I pleaded the duties of hospitality as my ex- 
 cuse for not joining him [in the good cheer]. In this 
 scene of festivity three nights and days passed away. 
 On the fourth night, 3 the young merchant said to me 
 with extreme fondness, " I now beg to take my leave ; 
 for your good sake I have utterly neglected my affairs 
 these three days, and have attended you. Pray do 
 you also sit near me for a moment, and rejoice my 
 heart." I in my own heart imagined that " if I do 
 
 1 A sign of afflicting surprise. 
 
 2 Majnun, a lover famed in eastern romance, who long pined in unpro- 
 fitable love for Laill, an ugly hard-hearted mistress. The loves of Yusuf 
 and Zulaikha, Khusru and Shlrin, also of Laill and Majnun, are the fertile 
 themes of Persian romance. 
 
 * The Muhammadans reckon their clay from sunset.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 57 
 
 not comply with his request at this moment, then he 
 will be grieved; and it is necessary I should please 
 my new friend and guest ;" on which account I re- 
 plied, "it is a pleasure to me to obey the command 
 of your honour;" for "a command is paramount to 
 ceremony." 1 On hearing this, the young merchant 
 presented me a cup of wine, and I drank it off ; then 
 the cup moved in such quick successive rounds, that 
 in a short time all the guests in the assembly became 
 inebriated and stupefied ; I also became senseless. 
 
 When the morning came, and the sun had risen 
 the height of two spears, 2 my eyes opened, but I 
 saw nothing of the preparations, the assembly, or the 
 beautiful lady only the empty house remained but 
 in a corner [of the hall] something lay folded up in a 
 blanket ; I unfolded it, and saw the corpses of the 
 young merchant and of his [black] woman, with 
 their heads severed from their bodies. On seeing this 
 sight, my senses forsook me, and my judgment was of no 
 avail [in explaining to me] what this was and what had 
 happened. I was staring about me, in every direction 
 with amazement, when I perceived a eunuch (whom I 
 had seen in the preparations of the entertainment). I 
 was somewhat comforted on seeing him, and asked him 
 an explanation of these strange events. He replied 
 briefly, " What good will it do thee to hear an ex- 
 planation of what has happened, that thou askest it ?" 
 I also reflected in my mind, that what he said was 
 
 1 By sitting and drinking with the young merchant, when he ought to 
 wait on his guests, and attend to their entertainment. 
 
 2 A. figurative and highly poetic expression as old as Homer. In this 
 instance it is said to signify that the sun had been two gharts above the 
 Horizon.
 
 58 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 true; however, after a short pause, I said to the 
 eunuch, well, do not tell it to me; but inform me in 
 what apartment is the beloved lady. He answered, 
 " Certainly ; whatever I know I will relate to thee ; 
 but [I am surprised] that a man like thee, possessed 
 of understanding, should, without her ladyship's per- 
 mission, and without fear or ceremony, have indulged 
 in a wine-drinking party after an intimacy of only a 
 few days. 1 What does all this mean ?" 
 
 I became much ashamed of my folly [and felt the 
 justice] of the eunuch's reprobation. I could make 
 no other reply than to say, "indeed I have been 
 guilty, pardon me." At last the eunuch, becoming 
 gracious, pointed out the beloved lady's abode, and 
 took his leave ; he himself went to bury the two be- 
 headed bodies. I was free from any participation in 
 that crime, and was anxious to meet the beautiful 
 lady. After a painful and difficult search, I arrived at 
 eventide in that street, [where she then was] according 
 to (the eunuch's) direction ; and in a corner near the 
 door I passed the whole night in a state of agitation. 
 I did not hear the sound of any person's footsteps, 
 nor did any one ask me about my affairs. In this 
 forlorn state the morning came ; when the sun rose, 
 the lovely fair one looked at me from a window in the 
 balcony of the house. My heart only knows the state 
 of joy I felt at that moment. I praised the goodness 
 of God. 
 
 In the meanwhile, an eunuch came up to me, and 
 said, "Go and stay in this [adjoining] mosque ; per- 
 
 1 Literally, " a friendship of two days," where the number two is em- 
 ployed indefinitely to denote " few."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 59 
 
 haps your wishes may, in that place, be accomplished, 
 and you may yet gain the desires of your heart." 
 According to his advice I got up from the place [where 
 I had passed the night], and went to the mosque ; 
 but my eyes remained fixed in the direction of the 
 door of the house, to see what might appear from 
 behind the curtain of futurity. I waited for the ar- 
 rival of evening with the anxiety of a person who keeps 
 the fast [of Ramazan\. 1 At last the evening came, 
 and the heavy day was removed from my heart. All 
 at once the same eunuch who had given me the di- 
 rections to find out the lady's house, came to the 
 mosque. After finishing the evening prayer, having 
 come up to me, that obliging person, who was in all 
 my secrets, gave me much comfort, and taking me by 
 the hand, led me along with him, proceeding onwards 
 at last having made me sit down in a small garden, 
 he said : " Stay here until your desire [of seeing your 
 
 1 The montH of Ramazan, consisting of thirty days, is the Lent of the 
 Mwhammadans. During that whole period, a good Musalman or "true 
 believer," is not allowed either to eat, or drink, or smoke from sunrise to 
 sunset. This naturally explains the anxiety they must feel for the arrival 
 of evening ; more especially in high latitudes, should the Ramaz&n happen 
 in the middle of summer. As a mere religious observance this same fast, 
 enjoined by Muhammad, is the most absurd, the most demoralizing, and 
 the most hurtful to health that ever was invented by priestcraft. The 
 people are forced to starve themselves during the whole day, and conse- 
 quently they overeat themselves during the whole night, when they ought 
 to be asleep in their beds, as nature intended. Hence they fall by thousands 
 an easy prey to cholera, as happened in Turkey a few years ago. The fast 
 of Lent among the followers of the Pope of Rome is, though in a less 
 degree, liable to the same censure. Why, instead of these unwholesome 
 observances, do not the priests, whether of Mecca or of Rome, preach unto 
 tlie people temperance and regularity of living ? Ah, I forgot, the priests 
 both of Mecca and of Rome can always grant dispensations and indulgence 
 to such good people as can adduce weighty reasons to that effect.
 
 60 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 mistress] be accomplished." Then he himself having 
 taken his leave, went, perhaps, to impart my wishes 
 to the beautiful lady. I amused myself with admiring 
 the beauty of the flowers of the garden, and the bright- 
 ness of the full moon, and the play of the fountains 
 in the canals and rivulets, a display like that of the 
 mouths of Sdwan and Bliddon ; but when I beheld 
 the roses, I thought of the beautiful rose-like angel, 
 and when I gazed on the bright moon, I recollected 
 her moon-like face. All these delightful scenes with- 
 out her were so many thorns in my eyes. 
 
 At last God made her heart favourable to me. 
 After a little while that lovely fair one entered from 
 the [garden] door adorned like the full moon, wearing 
 a rich dress, enriched with pearls, and covered from 
 head to feet with an embroidered veil; she stepped 
 along the garden walk, and stood [at a little distance 
 from me]. By her coming, the beauties of that garden, 
 and the joy of my heart revived. After strolling for a 
 few minutes about the garden, she sat down in the al- 
 cove on a richly-embroidered masnad. I ran, and like 
 the moth that flutters around the candle, offered my life 
 as a sacrifice to her, and like a slave stood before her 
 with folded arms. At this moment the eunuch ap- 
 peared, and began to plead for my pardon and resto- 
 ration to her favour. Addressing myself to him, I said, 
 I am guilty, and culpable; whatever punishment is 
 fixed on me, let it be executed. The lady, though 
 she was displeased, said with hauteur, "The best 
 thing that can be done for him now is that he should 
 receive a hundred bags of gold pieces, and having
 
 FIRST DA11WESH. 61 
 
 got his property all right, let him return to his native 
 country." 
 
 On hearing these words, I became a block of 
 withered wood ; if any one had cut my body, not a 
 drop of blood would have issued ; all the world began 
 to appear dark before my sight; a sigh of despair 
 burst involuntarily from my heart, and the tears flowed 
 from my eyes. I had at that time no hope from any 
 one except God ; driven to utter despair, I ventured 
 to say, " Well, [cruel fair,] reflect a moment, that if to 
 this unfortunate wretch there had been a desire for 
 worldly wealth, he would not have devoted his life 
 and property to you. Are the acknowledgments due 
 to my services, and my having devoted my life to you, 
 flown all of a sudden from this world, that you have 
 shown such disfavour to a wretch like me ? It is all 
 well ; to me life is no longer of any use ; to the help- 
 less, half- dead lover there is no resource against the 
 faithlessness of the beloved one." 
 
 On hearing these words, she was greatly offended, 
 and frowning with anger, she exclaimed, " Very fine 
 indeed! What, thou art my lover! Has the frog 
 then caught cold P 1 O fool, for one in thy situation 
 to talk thus is an idle fancy; little mouths should 
 not utter big words : no more be silent repeat not 
 such presumptuous language ; if any other had dared 
 to behave so improperly, I vow to God, I would have 
 
 1 As frogs live in wet, they are not supposed to be extremely subject to 
 catch cold ; the simile is introduced to ridicule the extravagant idea of a 
 merchant's son presuming to be in love with a princess. The simile is a 
 proverb.
 
 62 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 ordered his body to be cut in pieces, and given to 
 the kites [of the air] ; but what can I do ? Your ser- 
 vices ever come to my recollection. Thou hadst best 
 now take the road [to thy home;] thy fate had 
 decreed thee food and drink only until now in my 
 house !" I then weeping, said, if it has been written 
 in my destiny that I am not to attain the desires of 
 my heart, but to wander miserably through woods 
 and over mountains, then I have no remedy left. On 
 hearing these words, she became vexed and said, 
 "These hints and this flattering nonsense are not 
 agreeable to me; go and repeat them to those who 
 are fit to hear them." Then getting up in the same 
 angry mood, she returned to her house. I beseeched 
 her to hear me, but she disregarded what I said. 
 Having no resource, I likewise left the place, sad and 
 hopeless. 
 
 In short, for forty days this same state of things 
 continued. When I was tired of pacing the lanes of 
 the city, I wandered into the woods, and when I 
 became restless there, I returned to the lanes of the 
 city like a lunatic. I thought not of nourishment 
 during the day, or sleep at night ; like a washerman's 
 dog, that belongs neither to the house nor the ghat* 
 The existence of man depends on eating and drinking; 
 he is the worm of the grain. Not the least strength re- 
 mained in my body. Becoming feeble, I went and lay 
 down under the wall of the same mosque; when one day 
 
 1 Washermen in India, in general, wash their linen at the ghats, and 
 their dogs of course wander thither from home after them, and back agaiii. 
 This is one of their proverbs, and answers to ours of " Kicked from 
 to post."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 63 
 
 the eunuch aforementioned came there to say his Friday 
 prayers, and passed near me ; I was repeating at the 
 time, slow from weakness, this verse : 
 
 " Give me strength of mind to bear these pang3 of the heart, or 
 
 give me death ; 
 Whatever may have been written in my destiny, O Grod ! let it 
 
 come soon." 
 
 Though in appearance my looks were greatly altered, 
 and my face was such that whoever had seen me for- 
 merly would not have recognised me to be the same 
 person ; yet the eunuch, hearing the sounds of grief, 
 looked at me, and regarding me with attention, pitied 
 me, and with much kindness addressed me, saying, 
 " At last to this state thou hast brought thyself." I 
 replied, what was to occur has now happened; I 
 devoted my property to her welfare, and I have sacri- 
 ficed my life likewise ; such has been her pleasure ; 
 then what shall I do ? 
 
 On hearing this, he left a servant with me, and went 
 into the mosque ; when he finished his prayers, and 
 [heard] the Khutba, 1 he returned to me, and putting me 
 into a miyana? had me carried along to the house of 
 that indifferent fair, and placed me outside the chik 
 [of her apartment]. Though no trace of my former 
 self remained, yet as I had been for a long while con- 
 stantly with the lovely fair one, [she must have recog- 
 nised me] ; however, though knowing me perfectly, 
 she acted as a stranger, and asked the eunuch who I 
 
 1 The Khutba is a brief oration delivered after divine service every Friday 
 (the Musalman Sabbath,) in which the officiating priest blesses Muhainmad t 
 his successors, and the reigning sovereign. 
 
 8 A kind of sedan chair, or ptilln.
 
 64 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 was. That excellent man replied, " This is that unfor- 
 tunate, ill-fated wretch who has fallen under the dis- 
 pleasure and reprehension of your highness ; for this 
 reason his appearance is such ; he is burning with the 
 fire of love ; how much soever he endeavours to quench 
 the flame with the water of tears, yet it burns with 
 double force. Nothing is of the least avail; more- 
 over he is dying with the shame of his fault." The 
 fair lady jocosely said, " Why dost thou tell lies ? I 
 received from my intelligencers, 1 many days ago, the 
 news of his arrival in his own country ; God knows 
 who this is of whom you speak." Then the eunuch, 
 putting his hands together, said, " If security be 
 granted to my life, 2 then I will be so bold as to address 
 your highness." She answered, " Speak ; your life is 
 secure." The eunuch said, "Your highness is by nature 
 a judge of merit ; for God's sake lift up the screen from 
 between you, and recognise him, and take pity on his 
 lamentable condition. Ingratitude is not proper. Now 
 whatever compassion you may feel for his present con- 
 dition is amiable and meritorious to say more would 
 be [to outstep] the bounds of respect ; whatever your 
 highness ordains, that assuredly is best." 
 
 On hearing this speech [of the eunuch], she smiled 
 and said, " Well, let him be who he will, keep him in 
 the hospital ; when he gets well, then his situation shall 
 
 1 The Khabar-dars are a species of spies stationed in various parts of 
 oriental kingdoms in order to forward intelligence to head quarters. 
 
 * A mode of humble address, when the inferior presumes to state some- 
 thing contrary to what the superior maintains or desires ; and as human 
 life in India was, in olden times, not only precarious, but considered us 
 insignificant, the oriental slave acts prudently by begging his life before ha 
 presumes to be candid.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 05 
 
 be inquired into." The eunuch answered, " If you 
 will condescend to sprinkle rose-water on him with your 
 own royal hands, and say a kind word to him, then 
 there may be hopes of his living; despair is a bad 
 thing ; the world exists through hope." Even on this, 
 the fair one said nothing [to console me]. Hearing 
 this dialogue, I also continued becoming more and 
 more tired of existence. I fearlessly said, " I do not 
 wish to live any longer on these terms ; my feet are 
 hanging in the grave, and I must soon die ; my remedy 
 is in the power of your highness ; whether you may 
 apply it or not, that you only know." At last the 
 Almighty 1 softened the heart of that stony-hearted 
 one ; she became gracious and said, " Send immedi- 
 ately for the royal physicians." In a short time they 
 came and assembled [around me] ; they felt my pulse 
 and examined my urine with much deliberation ; at 
 last it was settled in their prognosis, that " this person 
 is in love with some one; except the being united 
 with the beloved object, there is no other cure ; when- 
 ever he possesses her he will be well." When from 
 the declaration of the physicians my complaint was 
 thus confirmed, the fair lady said, " Carry this young 
 man to the warm bath, and after bathing him and 
 dressing him in fine clothes, bring him to me." They 
 instantly carried me out, and after bathing me and 
 clothing me well, they led me before the lovely angel j 
 then that beautiful creature said with kindness, " Thou 
 hast constantly, and for nothing, got me censured and 
 dishonoured ; now what more dost thou wish ? What- 
 ever is in thy heart, speak it out quite plainly ? " 
 
 1 Literally, " He who is the changer of hearts." 
 
 F
 
 66 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 0, Darweshes ! l at that moment my emotions were 
 such that [I thought] I should have died with joy, and 
 I swelled so greatly with pleasure, that my jama* could 
 hardly contain me, and my countenance and appearance 
 became changed; I praised God, and said to her, 'this 
 moment all the art of physic is centered in you, who 
 have restored a corpse like me to life with a single 
 word ; behold, from that time to this, what a change 
 has taken place in my circumstances [by the kindness 
 you have shewn]." After saying this, I went round 
 her three times, 3 and standing before her, I said, " your 
 commands are that I should speak whatever I have in 
 my heart ; this boon is more precious to your slave 
 than the empire of the seven climes ; then be generous 
 and accept this wretch ! keep me at your feet and 
 elevate me." On hearing this ejaculation, she became 
 thoughtful for a moment ; then regarding me askance, 
 she said, " Sit down ; your services and fidelity have 
 been such that "whatever you say becomes you ; they 
 are also engraven on my heart. Well ; I comply with 
 your request." 
 
 The same day, in a happy hour, and under a pro- 
 pitious star the kdzl* quite privately performed the 
 
 1 Here the first Darwesh addresses himself directly to the other three, 
 who were his patient listeners. 
 
 2 The jama is an Asiatic dress, something like a modern female gown, 
 only much more full in the skirts. It is made of white cloth or muslin. 
 
 * A superstitious custom in India ; it implies that the person who goes 
 round, sacrifices his life at the shrine of the love, prosperity and health 
 of the beloved object. 
 
 4 The kazi is the judge and magistrate in Asiatic cities ; he performs the 
 rites of marriage, settles disputes, and decides civil and criminal causes. As 
 the Muhammadan laws are derived from then- religious code, theA'r<z, tlie 
 kazi possesses both secular and ecclesiastical powers.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 67 
 
 marriage rites. After so much trouble and afflictions, 
 God shewed me this happy day, when I gained the 
 desires of my heart ; but in the same degree that my 
 heart wished to possess this angelic lady, it felt equally 
 anxious and uneasy to know the explication of those 
 strange events [which had occurred] ; for, up to that 
 day I knew nothing about who she was ; or who was 
 that brown, handsome negro, who on seeing a bit of 
 paper, delivered to me so many bags of gold ; and 
 how that princely entertainment was prepared in the 
 space of one pahar ; and why those two innocent 
 persons were put to death after the entertainment; 
 and the cause of the anger and ingratitude she showed 
 me after all my services and kindnesses ; and then all 
 at once to elevate this wretch [to the height of hap- 
 piness.] In short, I was so anxious to develop these 
 strange circumstances and doubts, that for eight days 
 after the marriage ceremonies, notwithstanding my 
 great affection for her, I did not attempt to consum- 
 mate the rites of wedlock. I merely slept with her at 
 night, and got up in the morning " re non effecta." 
 
 One morning I desired an attendant to prepare 
 some warm water in order that I might bathe. 1 The 
 princess smiling, said, " Where is the necessity for the 
 hot water ? " I remained silent ; but she was per- 
 plexed [to account] for my conduct ; moreover, in her 
 looks the signs of anger were visible ; so much so, that 
 she one day said to me, " Thou art indeed a strange 
 man ; at one time so warm before, and now so cold ! 
 what do people call this [conduct] ? If you had not 
 
 1 All good Musalmans bathe after performing the rites of Venus, hence 
 Wie purport of the princess's simple question is obvious enough.
 
 08 
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 manly vigour, then why did you form so foolish a wish ? 
 I then having become fearless, replied, " 0, my darling, 
 justice is a positive duty ; no person ought to deviate 
 from the rules of justice. She, replied, " What further 
 justice remains [to be done]? whatever was to happen 
 \ has taken place." I answered, in truth, that which 
 was my most earnest wish and desire I have gained ; 
 but my heart is uneasy with doubts, and the man 
 whose mind is filled with suspicions is ever perplexed ; 
 he can do nothing, and becomes different from other 
 human creatures. I had determined within myself 
 that after this marriage, which is my soul's entire 
 delight, I would question your highness respecting 
 sundry circumstances which I do not comprehend, and 
 which I cannot unravel ; that from your own blessed 
 lips I might hear their explanation; then my heart 
 would be at ease." The lovely lady frowning, said, 
 " How pretty ! you have already forgotten [what I 
 told you] ; recollect, many times I have desired you 
 not to search into my concerns, or to oppose what I 
 say ; and is it proper in you to take, contrary to custom, 
 such liberties ? " I laughing replied, as you have par- 
 doned me much greater liberties, forgive this also. 
 That angelic fair, changing her looks and getting warm, 
 became a whirlwind of fire, and said ; " You presume 
 too much; go and mind your own affairs; what 
 advantage can you derive from [the explanation of] 
 these circumstances ? " I answered, " the greatest 
 shame in this world is the exposure of our person; but 
 we are conversant with one another [in that respect], 
 hence as you have thought it right to lay aside this
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 69 
 
 repugnance with me, then why conceal any other 
 secrets from me ? " 
 
 Her good sense made her comprehend my hint, and 
 she said, " This is true ; but I am very apprehensive 
 if I, wretched, should divulge my secrets ; it may be 
 the cause of great trouble." I answered, what strange 
 apprehensions you form ! do not conceive in your 
 heart such an idea of me, and relate without restraint 
 all the events of your life; never, never, shall they 
 pass from my breast to my lips ; what possibility, then, 
 of their reaching the ear of another ? " When she per- 
 ceived that, without satisfying my curiosity she should 
 have no rest, being without resource, she said, "Many 
 evils attend the explanation of these matters, but you 
 are obstinately bent upon it. Well, I must please you ; 
 for which reason I am going to relate the events of my 
 past life take care ; it is equally necessary for you to 
 conceal them [from the world] ; my information is on 
 this condition." 
 
 In short, after many injunctions, she began the rela- 
 tion [of her life] as follows : " The unfortunate 
 wretch before you is the daughter of the King of 
 Damascus ; he is a great sovereign among sultans ; he 
 never had any child except me. From the day I 
 was born I was brought up with great delicacy and 
 tenderness, in joy and happiness under the eye of my 
 father and mother. As I grew up I became attached 
 to handsome and beautiful women ; so that I kept 
 near my person the most lovely young girls of noble 
 families, and of my own age ; and handsome female 
 servants of the like age, in my service. I ever enjoyed 
 the amusements of dancing and singing, and never had
 
 70 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 a care about the good or evil of the world. Contem- 
 plating my own condition thus free from care, ex- 
 cept the praises of God, nothing else occupied my 
 thoughts. 
 
 " It so happened that my disposition became sud- 
 denly of itself so changed, that I lost all relish for the 
 company of others, nor did the gay assembly afford 
 me any pleasure ; my temper became melancholic, and 
 my heart sad and confused ; no one's presence was 
 agreeable to me, nor did my heart feel inclined for 
 conversation. Seeing this sad condition of mine, all 
 the female servants were overwhelmed with sorrow 
 and fell at my feet [begging to know the cause of my 
 gloom]'. This faithful eunuch, who has long been in 
 my secrets, and from whom no action of my life is 
 concealed, seeing my melancholy, said, ' If the princess 
 would drink a little of the exhilarating lemonade, 1 it 
 is most probable that her cheerful disposition would 
 be restored ; and gladness return to her heart.' On 
 hearing him say so, I had a desire [to taste it], and 
 ordered some to be prepared immediately. 
 
 "The eunuch went out [to make it up], and returned, 
 accompanied by a young boy, who brought a goblet of 
 the lemonade, carefully prepared and cooled in ice. I 
 drank it, and perceived it produced the good effect 
 ascribed to it ; for this piece of service I bestowed on 
 the eunuch a rich Mil' at, 2 and desired him to bring 
 
 1 Called warku-l-khiydl ; it is made from the leaves of the charas, a 
 species of hemp ; it is a common inebriating beverage in India ; the different 
 preparations of it is called ganja, bhang, &c. 
 
 2 Literallv a " weighty khii 'at," owing to the quantity of embroidery en 
 The perfection of these oriental dresses is, to be so stiff as to stand on 
 
 .floor unsupported.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 71 
 
 me a goblet of the same every day at the same hour. 
 From that day it became a regular duty, that the 
 eunuch came, accompanied by the boy who brought 
 the lemonade, and I drank it. When its inebriating 
 quality took effect, I used in the elevation of my spirits 
 to jest and laugh with the boy, and beguile my time. 
 When his timidity wore off, he began to utter very 
 agreeable speeches, and related many pleasant anec- 
 dotes ; moreover, he began to heave sighs and sobs. 
 His face was handsome and worth seeing ; I began to 
 like him beyond control. I, from the affections of my 
 heart, and the relish I felt for his playful humour, 
 every day gave him rewards and gratuities ; but the 
 wretch always appeared before me in the same clothes 
 that he had been accustomed to wear, and they even 
 were dirty and soiled. 
 
 " One day I said to him, you have received a good 
 deal [of money] from the treasury, but your appear- 
 ance is as wretched as ever ; what is the cause of it ? 
 have you spent the money, or do you amass it ? When 
 the boy heard these encouraging words, and found that 
 I enquired into his condition, he said with tears in his 
 eyes, ' Whatever you have bestowed on this slave, my 
 preceptor has taken from me ; he did not give me one 
 paisd 1 for myself; with what shall I make up other 
 clothes, and appear better dressed before you? it is 
 not my fault, and I cannot help it.' At this humble 
 statement of his, I felt pity for him ; I instantly ordered 
 the eunuch to take charge of the boy from that day, 
 
 1 The paisd is the current copper coin of India ; it is the 64th part of a 
 rapeo, and is in value as nearly as possible f of our halfpenny, or a farthing 
 and a-half.
 
 72 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 to educate him under his own eye, and give him good 
 clothes, and not to allow him to play and skip about 
 with other boys ; moreover, that my wish was, he 
 should be taught a respectful mode of behaviour, to 
 fit him for my own princely service, and to wait on 
 me. The eunuch obeyed my orders, and perceiving 
 how my inclinations leaned, he took the utmost care 
 of him. In a little time, from ease and good living, 
 his colour and sleekness changed greatly, like a snake's 
 throwing off its slough ; I restrained my inclinations 
 as much as I could, but the [handsome] form of that 
 rogue l was so engraven on my heart, that I fondly 
 wished to keep him clasped to my bosom, and never 
 take my eyes off him for a moment. 
 
 "At last, I made him enter into my companionship, 
 and dressing him in a variety of rich clothes and all 
 kinds of jewels, I used to gaze at him. In short, by 
 being always with me, my longing eyes were satisfied 
 and my heart comforted; I every moment complied 
 with his wants and wishes ; at last, my condition was 
 such, that if on any urgent occasion he was absent for 
 a moment from my sight, I became quite uneasy. In 
 a few years he became a youth, and the down appeared 
 on his cheeks ; his body and limbs were well formed ! 
 then there began to be a talk about him out of doors 
 among the courtiers. The guards of all descriptions 
 began to forbid him from coming and going within the 
 palace. At length, his entrance into it was quite 
 stopped, and without him I had no rest -, a moment 
 
 1 The word Tcafir denotes literally, " infidel," or " heathen." It is here 
 used as a term of endearment, just as we sometimes use the word " wicked 
 rogue."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 73 
 
 [of absence on his part,] was an age [of pain on mine]. 
 When I heard these tidings of despair, I was as dis- 
 tracted as if the day of judgment had burst over me ; 
 and such was my condition that I could not speak a 
 word [to express my wishes] : nor yet could I live 
 separated from him. I had no means of relief ; God, 
 what could I do ; a strange kind of uneasiness came 
 over me, and in consequence of my distraction I ad- 
 dressed myself to the same eunuch [who was in all my 
 secrets], and said to him, ' I wish to take care of this 
 youth. In fact, the best plan is for you to give him 
 a thousand gold pieces, to set him up in a jeweller's 
 shop in the chauk, that he may from the profit of his 
 trade live comfortably ; and to build him a handsome 
 house near my residence ; to buy him slaves, and hire 
 him servants and fix their pay, that he may in every 
 way live at his ease.' The eunuch furnished him with 
 a house, and set up a jeweller's shop for him to carry 
 on the traffic, and prepared everything that was requi- 
 site. In a short time, his shop became so brilliant 
 and showy, that whatever rich Mil 'ats or superb jewels 
 were required for the king and his nobles, could only 
 be procured there ; and by degrees his shop so 
 flourished, that all the rarities of every country were 
 to be found there ; and the daily traffic of all other 
 jewellers became languid in comparison with his. In 
 short, no one was able to compete with him in the 
 city, nor was his equal [to be found] in any other 
 country. 
 
 " He made a great deal of money 1 by his business ; 
 
 1 Literally, " lakhs of rupees." In India, money accounts are reckoned 
 by hundreds, thousands, lakhs and crores, instead of .hundreds, thousands,
 
 74 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 but [grief for his] absence daily preyed on my mind, 
 and injured my health ; no expedient could be hit upon 
 by which I might see him, and console my heart. At 
 last, for the purpose of consultation, I sent for the 
 same experienced eunuch, and said to him, ' I can 
 devise no plan by which I may see the youth for a 
 moment, and inspire my heart with patience. There 
 remains only this method, which is to dig a mine from 
 his house and join the same to the palace.' I had no 
 sooner expressed my wish, than such a mine was dug 
 in a few days, so that on the approach of evening the 
 eunuch used to conduct the young man through that 
 same passage, in silence and secrecy [to' my apartment]. 
 We used to pass the whole night in eating and drink- 
 ing, and every enjoyment; I was delighted to meet 
 him, and he was rejoiced to see me. When the morn- 
 ing star appeared, and the muwazzin 1 gave notice [of 
 the time for morning prayers], the eunuch used to 
 lead the youth by the same way to his house. No 
 fourth person had any knowledge of these circum- 
 stances ; [it was known] only to the eunuch and two 
 nurses who had given me milk, and brought me up. 
 
 " A long period passed in this manner ; but it hap- 
 pened one day that when the eunuch went to call him, 
 according to custom, then he perceived that the youth 
 
 and millions, as with us. A hundred thousands make a ZM, and a hun- 
 dred lakhs, a crore. As the Indian mode of reckoning, though simple 
 enough, is apt to perplex the beginner, let us take for example the number 
 123456789, which we thus point off, 123,456,789 ; but in India it would 
 be pointed as follows : 12,34,56,789, and read 12 crores, 34 lakhs, fifty- 
 six thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. 
 
 1 The muwazzin is a public crier, who ascends the turret or minaret of a 
 mosque and calls out to the inhabitants the five periods of prayers 5 more 
 especially the morning, noon and evening prayers.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 75 
 
 was sitting sorrowful and silent. The eunuch asked 
 him, * Is all well to-day ? why are you so sad ? Come 
 to the princess ; she has sent for you.' The youth 
 made no reply whatever, nor did he move his tongue. 
 The eunuch returned alone with a similar face, and 
 mentioned to me the young man's condition. As the 
 devil was about to ruin me, even after this conduct I 
 could not banish him from my heart ; if I had known 
 that my love and affection for such an ungrateful 
 wretch would have at last rendered me infamous and 
 degraded, and would have destroyed my fame and 
 honour ; then I should have at that moment shrunk 
 back from such a proceeding, and should have done 
 penance ; I never again should have pronounced his 
 name, neither should I have devoted my heart to 
 the shameless [fellow]. Bat it was to happen so ; for 
 this reason I took no heed of his improper conduct, 
 and his not coming I imagined to be the affectation 
 and airs of those [who are conscious of being] beloved ; 
 its consequences I have sadly rued, and thou art now 
 also informed of these events without hearing or seeing 
 them ; or else where were you, and where was 1 1 
 Well, what has happened is past. Bestowing not a 
 thought on the conceited airs of that ass, I again sent 
 him word by the eunuch, saying, ' if thou wilt not 
 come to me now, by some means or other I will come 
 to thee ; but there is much impropriety in my coming 
 there ; if this secret is discovered, thou wilt have 
 cause to rue it ; so do not act in a manner that will 
 have no other result than disgrace; it is best that 
 thou comest quickly [to me], otherwise imagine me 
 arrived [near thee]. When he received this message,
 
 76 ADVENTURES OP THE 
 
 and perceived tha,t my love for him was unbounded, 
 he came with disagreeable looks and affected airs. 
 
 " When he sat down by me, I asked him, ' what is 
 the cause of your coolness and anger to-day ; you 
 never showed so much insolence and disrespect be- 
 fore, you always used to come without making any 
 excuses.' To this he replied, ' I am a poor nameless 
 wretch ; by your favour, and owing to you, I am ar- 
 rived to such power, and with much ease and affluence 
 I pass my days. I ever pray for your life and pros- 
 perity ; I have committed this fault in full reliance on 
 your highness's forgiveness, and I hope for pardon. 
 As I loved him from my soul and heart, I accepted 
 his well-turned apology, and not only overlooked his 
 knavery, but even asked him again with affection, what 
 great difficulty has occurred that you are so thought- 
 ful ? mention it, and it shall be instantly removed/ 
 
 " In short, in his humble way, he replied, ' Every- 
 thing is difficult to me; before your highness, all 
 is easy.' At last, from the purport of his discourse 
 and conversation, it appeared that an elegant garden, 
 with a grand house in it, together with reservoirs, 
 tanks and wells, of finished masonry, was for sale, 
 situated in the centre of the city and near his house ; 
 and that with the garden a female slave was to be sold, 
 who sung admirably and understood music perfectly. 
 But they were to be sold together, and not the garden 
 alone, ' like the cat tied to the camel's neck ; 51 and that 
 
 1 This is a proverb, founded on a short story, viz. : " A certain Arab lost 
 his camel ; he vowed, if he found it, to sell it for a dinar, merely as a 
 charitable deed. The camel was found, and the Arab sorely repented him 
 of his vow. He then tied a cat on the camel's neck, and wont through tho
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 77 
 
 whoever purchased the garden must also buy the slave ; 
 the best of it was, the price of the garden was five 
 thousand rupees, and the price of the slave five hun- 
 dred thousand. [He concluded saying], 'Your de- 
 voted slave cannot at present raise so large a sum.' 
 I perceived that his heart was greatly bent on buying 
 them, and that for this reason he was thoughtful, and 
 embarrassed in mind ; although he was seated near 
 me, yet his looks were pensive and his heart sad : as 
 his happiness every hour and moment was dear to me, 
 I that instant ordered the eunuch to go in the morn- 
 ing and settle the price of the garden and the slave, 
 get their bills of sale drawn up, and deliver them to 
 this person, and pay 'the price to their owner from the 
 royal treasury. 
 
 " On hearing this order, the young man thanked 
 me, tears of joy came upon his face ; and we passed 
 the night as usual in laughing and delight ; in the 
 morning he took leave. The eunuch, agreeably to my 
 orders, bought and delivered over to him the garden 
 and the slave. The youth continued his visits at 
 night, according to custom [and retired in the morn- 
 ing]. One day in the season of spring, when the 
 whole place was indeed charming, the clouds were 
 gathering low, and the rain drizzling fell, the lightning 
 also continued to flash [through the murky clouds], 
 and the breeze played gently [through the trees] in 
 short, it was a delightful scene. When in the taks, 1 
 
 city of Baghdad, exclaiming, ' O, true believers, here is a camel to be sold 
 for a dinar, and a cat for a thousand dinars; but they cannot be sqld the 
 one without the other.' " 
 
 1 Tdks are small recesses in the walls of apartments in Asia, for holding 
 flower-pots, phials of wine, fruits, &c.
 
 78 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 the liquors of various colours, arranged in elegant 
 phials, fell upon my sight ; my heart longed to take 
 a draught. After I had drank two or three cupfulls, 
 instantly the idea of the newly purchased garden 
 struck me. An irrepressible desire arose within me, 
 when in that state, that for a short time I should enjoy 
 a walk in that [garden]. When the stream of mis- 
 fortune flows against us, we struggle in vain against 
 the tide. 1 I involuntarily took a female servant with 
 me, and went to the young man's house by the way 
 of the mine ; from thence I proceeded to the garden, 
 and saw that the delightful place was in truth equal 
 to the Elysian fields. As the raindrops fell on the 
 fresh green leaves of the trees, one might say they 
 were like pearls set in pieces of emerald, and the car. 
 nation of the flowers, in that cloudy day, appeared as 
 beautiful as the ruddy crepuscle after the setting sun ; 
 the basons and canals, full of water, seemed like sheets 
 of mirrors, over which the small waves undulated. 
 
 " In short, I was strolling about in every direction 
 in that garden, when the day vanished and the dark- 
 ness of night became conspicuous. At that moment, 
 the young man appeared on a walk [in the garden] ; 
 and on seeing me, he approached with respect and 
 great warmth of affection, and taking my hand in his, 
 led me to the pavilion. 2 On entering it, the splen- 
 dour of the scene made me entirely forget all the 
 
 1 In the original it is a proverb, " When evil comes, the dog will bite 
 even the man that is mounted on a camel," said of a person who is 
 extremely unfortunate. 
 
 2 The term Idrah-darl is applied either to a temporary pavilion, or a 
 permanent summer-house ; it is so called from the circumstance of its 
 having "twelve doors," in honour of the twelve Imams. Vide note, page 4.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 79 
 
 beauty of the garden. The illuminations within were 
 magnificent ; on every side, gerandoles, in the shape 
 of cypresses, and various kinds of lights in variegated 
 lamps were lighted up ; even the shabi dardt, with all 
 its moonlight and its illuminations, would appear dark 
 [in comparison to the brightness which shone in the 
 pavilion] ; on one side, fire- works 1 of every descrip- 
 tion were displayed. 
 
 "In the meantime, the clouds dispersed, and the 
 bright moon appeared like a lovely mistress clothed in 
 a lilac-coloured robe, who suddenly strikes our sight. 
 It was a scene of great beauty ; as the moon burst 
 forth, the young man said, ' Let us now go and sit in 
 the balcony which overlooks the garden.' I had be- 
 come so infatuated, that whatever the wretch pro- 
 posed I implicitly obeyed; now he led me such a 
 dance, that he dragged me up [to the balcony.] That 
 building was so high, that aU the houses of the city 
 and the lights of the ddzdr, appeared as if they were 
 at the foot of it. I was seated in a state of delight, 
 with my arms round the youth's neck ; meanwhile, a 
 woman, quite ugly, without form or shape, entered as 
 it were from the chimney, with a bottle of wine in 
 her hand ; I was at that time greatly displeased at 
 her sudden entrance, and on seeing her looks, my 
 heart became alarmed. Then, in confusion, I asked 
 the young man, 'who is this precious hag; from 
 whence have you grubbed her up ?' Joining his 
 hands together, he replied, ' This is the slave who was 
 bought with the garden through your generous assist- 
 
 1 The various kinds of fire-works here enumerated admit not of transla- 
 tion. Vide vocabulary.
 
 SO ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 aace.' I had perceived that the simpleton had bought 
 her with much eager desire, and perhaps his heart was 
 fixed on her ; for this reason, I, suppressing my inward 
 vexation, remained silent; but my heart from that 
 moment was disturbed and displeasure affected my 
 temper ; moreover, the wretch had the impudence to 
 make this harlot our cup-bearer. At that moment I 
 was drinking my own blood with rage, and was as 
 uneasy as a parrot shut up in the same cage with a 
 crow : I had no opportunity of going away, and did 
 not wish to stay. To shorten the story, the wine was 
 of the strongest description, so that on drinking it a 
 man would become a beast. She plied the young 
 man with two or three cups in succession of that fiery 
 liquor, and I also bitterly swallowed half a cupfull at 
 the importunity of the youth ; at last, the shameless 
 harlot likewise got beastly drunk, and took very un- 
 becoming liberties with that vile youth; and the 
 mean wretch also, in his intoxication, having become 
 regardless, began to be disrespectful, and behave 
 indecently. 
 
 " I was so much ashamed, that had the earth opened 
 at the moment I would have willingly jumped into it ; 
 but in consequence of my passion for him, I, infatu- 
 ated, even after all these circumstances, remained 
 silent. However, he was completely a vile wretch, 
 and did not feel the value of my forbearance. In the 
 fervour of intoxication, he drank off two cups more, so 
 that his little remaining sense vanished, and he com- 
 pletely drove from his heart all respect for me*. With- 
 { out shame, and in the rage of lust, the barefaced 
 villain consummated before me his career of infamous
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 81 
 
 indecency with his hideous mistress, who, in that 
 posture, began to play off all the blandishments of 
 love, and kissing and embracing took place between 
 the two. in that faithless man no sense of honour 
 remained ; neither did modesty exist in that shameless 
 woman; 'As the soul is, so are the angels.' 1 My 
 state [of mind] at the time was like that of a songstress 
 who having [lost the musical time,] sine;s out of 
 tune. I was invoking curses on myself for having 
 come there, saying that I was properly punished for 
 my folly. At last, how could I bear it ? I was on 
 fire from head to foot, and began to roll on live coals. 
 In my rage and wrath I recollected the proverb, that 
 ' It is not the bullock that leaps, but the sack ;' 2 who- 
 ever has seen a sight like this ?' in saying this to my- 
 self, I came away thence. 
 
 "That drunkard in the depravity of his heart thought, 
 if I was offended now, what then would be his treat- 
 ment the next day, and what a commotion I should 
 raise. So he imagined it best to finish my existence 
 [whilst he had me in his power.] Having formed 
 this resolution in his mind with the advice of the hag, 
 he put his patka? round his neck and fell at my feet, 
 and taking off his turban from his head, began to 
 supplicate [my forgiveness] in the humblest manner. 
 
 1 A proverb meaning that people or things are well matched ; as the soul, 
 at the hour of death, is committed to the charge of good or evil angels, 
 according to its dessert. 
 
 2 A proverb applied to those who act in a manner utterly at variance 
 with their condition. 
 
 3 The patM is a long and narrow piece of cloth or silk, which is wrapped 
 round the waist ; among the ricn a shawl is the general palled. The act 
 of throwing one's patkd round the neck and prostrating one's eeit' at 
 another's feet, is a most abject mark of submission. 
 
 a
 
 82 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 My heart was infatuated towards him ; whithersoever 
 he turned I turned ; and like the handmill I was en- 
 tirely under his control. I implicitly complied with 
 all he desired ; some way or other he pacified me, and 
 persuaded me to retake my seat. He again took two 
 or three cupfulls of the fiery liquor, and he induced 
 me to drink some also. I, in the first place, was 
 already inflamed with rage, and secondly, after drink- 
 ing such scrong liquor I soon became quite senseless 
 no recollection remained. Then that unfeeling, un- 
 grateful, cruel wretch wounded me with his sword ; yea, 
 further, he thought he had completely killed me. At 
 that moment, my eyes opened, and I uttered these 
 words, 'Well, as I have acted, so I have been re- 
 warded ; but do thou screen thyself from the conse- 
 quences of shedding unjustly my blood. Let it not 
 so happen that some tyrant should seize thee ; do thou 
 wash off my blood from thy garment ; what has hap- 
 pened is past.' 
 
 "Do not divulge this secret to any one ; I have not 
 been wanting to thee even with loss of life. Then 
 placing him under the protection of God's mercy, I 
 fainted [from the loss of blood], and knew nothing of 
 what afterwards happened. Perhaps, that butcher, 
 conceiving me dead, put me into the chest, and let 
 me down over the walls of the fortress, the same as 
 you yourself saw. I wished no one ill; but these 
 misfortunes were written in my destiny, and the lines 
 of fate cannot be effaced. My eyes have been the 
 cause of all these calamities : if I had not had a strong 
 desire to behold beautiful persons, then that wretch 
 would not have been my bane. 1 God so ordained 
 
 1 Literally, " a collar or yoke, round my neck."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 83 
 
 that He made thee arrive there ; and, He made thee 
 the means of saving my life. After undergoing these 
 disgraces, I am ashamed to reflect that I should yet 
 live and show my face to any one. But what can I 
 do ? the choice of death is not in our hands ; God, 
 after killing me, hath restored me to life ; let us see 
 what is written in my future fate. In all appearance, 
 your exertions and zeal have been of use, so that I 
 nave been cured of such wounds. Thou hast been 
 ready to promote my wishes with thy life and property, 
 and whatever were thy means, thou hast offered [them 
 cheerfully]. In those days, seeing thee without money 
 and sad, I wrote the note to Sidl Bahdr, who is my 
 cashier. In that note, I mentioned that I was in 
 health and safety in such a place, and I said, " convey 
 the intelligence of me unfortunate to my excellent 
 mother." 
 
 " The Sidl sent by thee those trays of gold for my 
 expenses ; and when I sent thee to the shop of Yusuf 
 the merchant, to purchase khiTats and jewels, I felt 
 confident that the weakminded wretch, who soon 
 becomes friends with every one, conceiving you a 
 stranger, would certainly form an intimacy with you, 
 and indulging his conceit, invite you to a feast and en- 
 tertainment. This stratagem of mine turned out right, 
 and he did exactly what I had imagined in my heart. 
 Then, when you promised him to return, and came to 
 me and related the particulars of his insisting upon it, 
 I was heartily pleased with the circumstance ; for I 
 knew that if you went to his house, and there ate and 
 drank, you would invite him in return, and that he 
 would eagerly come ; for this reason, I sent thee back
 
 fc* ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 quickly to him. After three days, when you returned 
 from the entertainment, and, quite abashed, made me 
 many apologies for staying away so long, to make you 
 easy in your mind, I replied, ' it is of no consequence ; 
 when he gave you leave then you came away ; but to 
 be without delicacy is not proper, and we should not 
 bear another's debt of gratitude without an idea of 
 paying it; now do you go and invite him also, and 
 bring him along with you.' When you went away to 
 his house, I saw that no preparations could be got 
 ready for the entertainment at our house, and if he 
 should all at once come, what could I do? but it 
 fortunately happened that from time immemorial, the 
 custom of this country has been for the kings to re- 
 main out for eight months in the year, to settle the 
 affairs of the provinces, and collect the revenues, and 
 for four months, during the rains, to stay [in the city] 
 in their auspicious palaces. In those days, the king, 
 this unfortunate wretch's father, had gone into the 
 provinces some two or four months previously to 
 arrange the affairs of the kingdom. 
 
 " Whilst you were gone to bring the young merchant 
 [to the entertainment], Sidi Bahdr imparted the par- 
 ticulars of my present situation to the queen (who is 
 the mother of me impure). Again I, ashamed of my 
 guilty conduct, went to the queen and related to her 
 all that happened to me. Although she, from motherly 
 affection and good sense, had used every means to 
 conceal the circumstance of my disappearance, saying, 
 ' God knows what may be the end of it ;' she con- 
 ceived it wrong to make public my disgrace for the 
 present, and for my sake she had concealed rny errors
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 85 
 
 in her maternal breast ; but she had all along been in 
 search of me. 
 
 " When she saw me in this condition, and heard all 
 the circumstances [of my misfortune], her eyes filled 
 with tears, and she said, ' unfortunate wretch ! thou 
 hast knowingly destroyed the honour and glory of the 
 throne ; a thousand pities that thou hadst not perished 
 also ; if instead of thee I had been brought to bed of 
 a stone, I should have been patient ; even now [it is 
 not too late to] repent ; whatever was in thy unfortu- 
 nate fate has happened ; what wilt thou do next ? 
 Wilt thou live or die?' I replied, with excessive 
 shame, that in this worthless wretch's fate it was so 
 written, that I should live in such disgrace and distress 
 after escaping such various dangers ; it would have 
 been better to have perished; though the mark of 
 infamy is stamped on my forehead, yet I have not been 
 guilty of such an action as can disgrace my parents. 
 
 "The great pain I now feel is, that those base wretches 
 should escape my vengeance, and enjoy their crime in 
 each other's company, whilst I have suffered such afflic- 
 tion from their hands : it is a pity that I can do nothing 
 [in order to punish them]. I hope one favour [from 
 your majesty], that you would order your steward to 
 prepare all the necessary articles for an entertainment 
 at my house, that I may, under the pretence of an enter- 
 tainment, send for those two wretches, and punish them 
 for their deeds and also inflict vengeance for myself. 
 In the same manner that he lifted his hand upon me 
 and wounded me, may I be enabled to cut them to 
 pieces ; then my heart will be soothed ; otherwise I 
 must continue glowing in this fire of resentment, and
 
 86 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 ultimately I must be burnt to cinders. On hearing 
 this speech, my excellent mother became kind from 
 maternal fondness, and concealed my guilt in her own 
 breast, and sent all the necessaries for the entertain- 
 ment by the same eunuch who is in my secrets. 
 Every necessary attendant came also, and each was 
 ready in his own appropriate occupation. In the time 
 of evening, you brought the [base villain who is now 
 dead] ; I wished the harlot should likewise come. 
 
 "For this reason I earnestly desired you to send 
 for her ; when she also came and the guests were as- 
 sembled, they all became thoroughly intoxicated and 
 senseless by drinking largely of wine ; you also got 
 drunk along with them, and lay like a corpse. I or- 
 dered a Kilmakinl* to cut off both their heads with a 
 sword ; she instantly drew her sword and cut off both 
 their heads, and dyed their bodies with their blood. 
 The cause of my anger towards thee was this, that I 
 had given thee permission for the entertainment, but 
 not to become an associate in wine-drinking, with 
 people thou hadst only known for a few days. Assuredly 
 this folly on thy part was anything but pleasing to 
 me; for when you drank till you became senseless, 
 then what hopes of aid from you remained ? But the 
 claims of thy services so cling around my neck, that, 
 notwithstanding such conduct, I forgive thee. And 
 now, behold, I have related to thee all my adventures 
 from the beginning to the end ; do you yet desire in 
 
 1 The Mughal princes in the days of their splendour had guards of Kal- 
 muc, or Kilmdk, women for their seraglios ; they were chosen for their size 
 and courage, and were armed ; other Tartar women were likewise taken, but 
 they all went by the general name of Kilmakinl.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 87 
 
 your heart any other [explanations] ? In the same 
 manner that I have, in compliance with your wishes, 
 granted all you requested, do you also in like manner 
 perform what I desire ; my advice on this occasion 
 is, that it is no longer proper either for you or me 
 to remain in this city. Henceforward you are mas- 
 ter." 
 
 O devoted to God ! l the princess having spoken 
 thus far, remained silent. I, who with heart and soul 
 considered her wishes paramount to everything, and 
 was entangled in the net of her affections, replied, 
 " whatever you advise, that is best, and I will without 
 hesitation carry the same into effect." When the 
 princess found me obedient, and her servant, she 
 ordered two swift and high-mettled horses (which 
 might vie with the wind in speed), to be brought 
 from the royal stables, and kept in readiness. I went 
 and picked out just such beautiful and high spirited 
 horses as she required, and had them saddled and 
 brought [to our house]. When a few hours of the 
 night remained, the princess put on men's clothes, 
 and arming herself with the five weapons, 2 mounted 
 
 1 Here the first Danuesh resumes his address to his three companions. 
 
 2 In a note to my edition of Mr. F. Smith's translation of the BdyUoba- 
 har, 1851, 1 inserted the following " petition." " May I request some friend in 
 India, for auld lang syne, to ask any intelligent munslii the exact meaning 
 of pdnchon hathiydr bdndhnd, showing him at the same time the original 
 where the expression occurs." To this request I received, a few months 
 ago, a very kind and satisfactory reply from Lieut. J. C. Bayley, 36th 
 Regt., M.N.I., which I have the pleasure here to insert ; and at the same 
 time, I beg to return my best thanks to that gentleman. "The five 
 weapons are, 1st, the talwdr or sword ; 2nd, the pesh-Jcabz or dagger ; 3rd, 
 the tabar or battle-axe ; 4th, the barchhl or lance ; 5th, the tlr o Jcaman 
 or the bow and arrows. The phrase, pdnchon Aathiydr bdndknd is very 
 nearly equivalent to our expression, ' to be armed cap & pie.' " I may add
 
 88 ADVENTURES OP THE 
 
 on one of the horses ; I got on the other, completely 
 armed, and we set out in the same direction. 
 
 When night was over, and the dawn began to 
 appear, we arrived on the banks of a certain lake ; 
 alighting from our horses, we washed our hands and 
 faces ; having breakfasted in great haste, we mounted 
 again and set off. Now and then the princess spoke, 
 and said, " I have for your sake left fame, honour, 
 wealth, country and parents all behind me ; now, may 
 it not so happen, that you also should behave to me 
 like that faithless savage." Sometimes I talked of 
 different matters to beguile the journey, and sometimes 
 replied to her questions and doubts, saying " O prin- 
 cess, all men are not alike; there must have been 
 some defect in that base villain's parentage, that by 
 him such a deed was done ; but I have sacrificed my 
 wealth and devoted my life to you, and you have dig- 
 nifieu me in every way. I am now your slave without 
 purchase, and if you should make shoes of my skin 
 and wear them, I will not complain." Such conver- 
 sation passed between us, and day and night to travel 
 onward was our business. If through fatigue we 
 sometimes dismounted somewhere, we then used to 
 hunt down the beasts and birds of the woods, and 
 having lawfully slain them, and applied salt from the 
 salt-cellar, and having struck fire with steel 1 (from 
 a flint), we used to broil and eat them. The horses 
 
 to Lieut. B.'s obliging account that in more recent times, the "bow and 
 arrows" are very naturally superseded by " a pair of pistols." Still the 
 meaning of the phrase is the same in either case. 
 
 1 The word chikmak, or chikmdk, is wrongly called " a flint " in the 
 dictionaries. It merely denotes the piece of stool used in striking a fire. 
 The flint is called chikmdk Tea pathar.
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 89 
 
 we let loose [to graze], and they generally found 
 sufficient to satisfy their hunger from the grass and 
 leaves. 
 
 One day we reached a large even plain, where there 
 was no trace of any habitation, and where no human 
 face could be seen ; even in this [solitary and dreary 
 scene], owing to the princess's company, the day ap- 
 peared festive and the nights joyful. Proceeding on 
 our journey, we came suddenly to a large river, the 
 sight of which would appal the firmest heart. 1 As we 
 stood on its banks, as far as the eye could reach, 
 nothing was to be seen but water ; no means of 
 crossing was to be found. God [cried I], how shall 
 we pass this sea ! we stood reflecting on this sad 
 obstacle for a few moments, when the thought came 
 into my mind to leave the princess there, and to go in 
 search of a boat ; and that until I could find some 
 means to pass over, the princess would have time to 
 rest. Having formed this plan, I said, " princess, 
 if you will allow me, I will go and look out for a ferry 
 or ford." She replied, " I am greatly tired, and like- 
 wise hungry and thirsty ; I will rest here a little, whilst 
 thou findest out some means to pass over [the river]." 
 
 On that spot was a large plpal^ tree, forming a 
 canopy [of such extent], that if a thousand horsemen 
 
 1 Literally, " at the seeing of which the liver would be turned into 
 water." 
 
 2 The pipal or " ficus religiosa," is a large tree venerated by the Hindus ; 
 it affords a most agreeable shade, as its leaves are large, in the shape of a 
 heart. Many writers confound it with the "ficus Indians" or " baniydn 
 tree," or rather, they devise an imaginary tree compounded of the two 
 species, investing it with the heart-shaped leaves of the former, and tha 
 dropping and multiplying stems of the latter.
 
 90 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 sheltered themselves under its wide-spread branches, 
 they would be protected from the sun and rain. 
 Leaving there the princess, I set out, and was looking 
 all around to find somewhere or other on the ground, 
 or the river, some trace of a human being. I searched 
 much, but found the same nowhere. At last, I re- 
 turned hopeless, but did not find the princess under 
 the tree ; how can I describe the state of my mind at 
 that moment ! my senses forsook me, and I became 
 quite distracted. Sometimes I mounted the tree, and 
 looked for her in every individual leaf and branch; 
 sometimes, letting go my hold, I fell on the ground, 
 and went round the roots of the tree as one who per- 
 forms the tasadduk. 1 Sometimes I wept and shrieked 
 at my miserable condition ; now I ran from west to 
 east, then from north to south. In short, I searched 
 everywhere, 2 but could not find any trace of the rare 
 jewel [I had lost] ; when, at last, I found I could do 
 nothing, then weeping and throwing dust over my 
 head, I looked for her everywhere. 
 
 This idea came into my mind, that perhaps some of 
 the jinns had carried her away, and had inflicted on 
 me this wound ; or else that some one had followed her 
 from her country, and finding her alone, had persuaded 
 her to return to Damascus. Distracted with these 
 fancies, I threw off and cast away my clothes, and 
 becoming a naked fakir, I wandered about in the 
 kingdom of Syria from morn until eve, and at night 
 lay down to rest in any place [I could find]. I wan- 
 dered over the whole region, but could find no trace 
 
 1 Respecting the ceremony called the tasadduk, vide note 3, p. 66. 
 8 Literally, " much dust did I sift the dust."
 
 FIRST DARWESH. 91 
 
 of my princess, nor hear any thing of her from any 
 one, nor could I ascertain the cause of her disappear- 
 ance. Then this idea came into my mind, that since 
 I could find no trace of that beloved one, even life 
 itself was a weariness. I perceived a mountain in 
 some wilderness ; I ascended it, and formed the design 
 of throwing myself headlong [from its summit], that I 
 might end my wretched existence in a moment, by 
 dashing my head to pieces against the stones, then 
 would my soul be freed from a state of affliction. 
 
 Having formed this resolution within myself, I was 
 on the point of precipitating myself [from the moun- 
 tain], and had even lifted up my foot, when some one 
 laid hold of my arm. In the meanwhile, I regained 
 my senses, and looking round, I saw a horseman 
 clothed in green, with a veil thrown over his face, who 
 said to me, " Why dost thou attempt to destroy thy 
 life ; it is impious to despair of God's mercy ; whilst 
 there is breath, so long there is hope. TUbreeDarwes/ies 
 will meet thee a few days hence, in the empire of Rum, 
 who are equally afflicted with thyself, entangled in the 
 same difficulties, and who have met with adventures 
 similar to thine ; the name of the king of that country 
 is Azdd Bakht; he is also in great trouble; when he 
 meets you and the other three Darweshes, then the 
 wishes and desires of the heart of each of you will be 
 completely fulfilled." 
 
 I instantly laid hold of the stirrup [of this guardian 
 angel,] and kissed it, and exclaimed, "O messenger of 
 God, the few words you have pronounced have con- 
 soled my afflicted heart ; but tell me, for God's sake, 
 who you are, and what is your name." He replied,
 
 92 ADVENTURES OF THE FIRST DARWESH. 
 
 " My name is Murtazd 'All,* and my office is this, 
 that to whomsoever there occurs a danger or difficulty, 
 I am at hand to afford relief." Having said this much, 
 he vanished from my sight. In short, having set my 
 heart at ease from the happy tidings I received from 
 my spiritual guide [Murtazd 'Ali\, " the remover of 
 difficulties," I formed the design of [proceeding to] 
 Constantinople. On the road I suffered all those mis- 
 fortunes which were decreed me by fate; with the 
 hopes of meeting the princess. Through the assistance 
 of God, I am come here, and by good fortune I have 
 become honoured by your presence. The promised 
 meeting has taken place between us, and we have 
 enjoyed each other's society and conversation ; now it 
 only remains for us to be known to, and acquainted 
 with, the king Azdd Bakht. 
 
 Assuredly after this, we five shall attain the desires 
 of our hearts. Do you also beseech the blessings of 
 God, and say amen. O ye holy guides ! such have been 
 the adventures which have befallen this bewildered 
 wanderer, which have been faithfully related in your 
 presence ; now let us look forward [to the time] when 
 my trouble and sorrows will be changed into joy and 
 gladness by the recovery of the princess. Azdd Bakht, 
 concealed in silence in his corner, having heard with 
 attention the story of the first DarwesJt, was greatly 
 pleased ; then he betook himself to listen to the ad- 
 ventures of the next Darwesh. 
 
 1 Murtaza 'Ati, the son-in-law of the prophet ; one of his surnames ia 
 MushJcil-Jcushd, or " the remover of difficulties." The Saiyids, who pretend 
 to be descended from 'Alt, wear green dresses, which is a sacred colour 
 among the Muhammadans.
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE SECOND 
 DARWESH. 
 
 WHEN it came to the turn of the second Darwesh to 
 speak, he placed himself at his ease, 1 and said 
 
 " O friends, to this fakir's story listen a little ; 
 I will tell it you, from first to tlie last, listen j 
 Whose cure no physician can perform ; 
 My pain is far beyond remedy, listen." 
 
 O ye clothed in the dalk ! 2 this wretch is the prince 
 of the kingdom of Persia ; men skilled in every science 
 are born there, for which reason the [Persian] proverb 
 " Isfahan nisf, JaMn," 3 or " Ispahan is half the 
 world," has become well known. In the seven climes, 
 there is no kingdom equal to that ancient kingdom ; 
 the star of that country is the sun, and of all the 
 seven constellations it is the greatest. 4 The climate of 
 
 1 The phrase char-zanu ho-baithna, signifies " to sit down with the legs 
 crossed in front as our tailors do when at work." It is the ordinary mode 
 of sitting among the Turks. 
 
 2 The dalk, or dilk, is a garment made of patches and shreds worn by 
 darweshes ; the epithet dolk-pash, '' a dalk wearer," denotes a"darwesh," 
 or "mendicant." 
 
 3 Ispahan was once a fine city. In the time of the Chevalier Chardin, 
 nearly two centuries ago, it was pronounced by that traveller to be the 
 largest in the world. It is now about the size of Brighton ; yet a few 
 weeks ago, we saw in the " Illustrated London News," an account of it by 
 a Frenchman (a fire-side traveller), who declares it to be,, still, " the largest 
 city in the world ! " 
 
 4 The Muhammadans divide the world into seven climes, and suppose 
 that a constellation presides over the destiny of each clime.
 
 94 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 that region is delightful, and the inhabitants are of 
 enlightened minds, and refined in their manners. My 
 father (who was the king of that country), in order to 
 teach me the rules and lessons of government, made 
 choice of very wise tutors in every art and science, 
 and placed them over me for my instruction from my 
 infancy. So, having received complete instruction in 
 every kind [of knowledge], I am now learned. With 
 the favour of God, in my fourteenth year I had learned 
 every science, polite conversation, and polished man- 
 ners ; and I had acquired all that is fit and requisite 
 for kings to know; moreover, my inclinations night and 
 day, led me to associate with the learned, and hear the 
 histories of every country, and of ambitious princes and 
 men of renown. 
 
 One day, a learned companion, who was well versed 
 in history, and had seen [a great deal of] the world, 
 said to me, " That though there is no reliance on the 
 life of man, yet such excellent qualities are often found 
 in him, that owing to them, the name of some men 
 will be handed down with praise on people's tongues 
 to the day of judgment." I begged of him to relate 
 circumstantially a few instances on that score, that I 
 might hear them, and endeavour to act accordingly. 
 Then that person began to relate as follows, some of 
 the "adventures of Hdtim Tal. " That there lived in 
 the time of Hdtim, a king of Arabia, named Naufal, 
 who bore great enmity towards Hdtim, on account of 
 his renown, and having assembled many troops, he 
 went up to give him battle. Hdtim was a God-fearing 
 and good man ; he thus conceived, that, ' If I likewise 
 prepare for battle, then the creatures of God will be
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 95 
 
 slaughtered, and there will be much bloodshed ; the 
 punishment of heaven for which will be recorded 
 against my name." Reflecting on this, he quite alone, 
 taking merely his life with him, fled and hid himself 
 in a cave in the mountains. When the news oi Hdtim s 
 flight reached Naufal, he confiscated all the property 
 and dwellings oi Hdtim, and proclaimed publicly, that 
 whoever would look out for him and seize him, should 
 receive from the king's treasury five hundred pieces of 
 gold. On hearing this [proclamation], all became 
 eager, and began to make diligent search for Hdtim. 
 
 " One day, an old man and his wife, taking two or 
 three of their young children with them, for the pur- 
 pose of picking up wood, strayed near the cave where 
 Hdtim was concealed; and began to gather fuel in that 
 same forest. The old woman remarked, ' If our days 
 had been at all fortunate, we should have seen and 
 found Hdtim somewhere or other, and seizing him, we 
 should have carried him to Naufal; then he would give 
 us five hundred pieces of gold, and we should live 
 comfortably, and be released from this toil and care.' 
 The old woodman said, 'What art thou prating about? 
 it was decreed in our fate, that we should pick up 
 wood every day, place it on our heads, and sell it in 
 the bazar, and [with its produce] procure bread and 
 salt j or one day the tiger of the woods will carry us 
 off: peace, mind thy work ; why should Hdtim fall into 
 our hands, and the king give us so much money?' 
 The old woman heaved a cold sigh, and remained 
 silent. 
 
 "Hdtim had heard the words of the two [old 
 people], and conceived it unmanly and ungenerous to
 
 96 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 conceal himself to save his life, and not to conduct 
 those helpless ones to the object of their desire. True 
 it is, that a man without pity is not a human being, 
 and he in whose heart there is no feeling is a butcher. 
 
 ' Man was created to exercise compassion, 
 Otherwise, angels were not wanting for devotion.' 
 
 In short, Hdtim s manly mind would not allow him to 
 remain concealed, after what he had with his own ears 
 heard [from the woodman]; he instantly came out, 
 and said to the old man, ' O friend, I myself am 
 Hdtim, lead me to Naufal ; on seeing me, he will give 
 thee whatever amount of money he has promised.' 1 
 The old woodman replied, 'It is true that my welfare 
 and advantage certainly consist in doing so, but who 
 knows how he will treat tbee ; if he should put thee 
 to death, then what shall I do ? This, on my part, 
 can never be done that I should deliver over thee 
 to thine enemy for the sake of my own avarice. In a 
 few days I shall spend the [promised] wealth, and how 
 long shall I live ? I must die at last ; then what 
 answer shall I give to God?' Hdtim implored him 
 greatly, and said, ' Take me along with thee I say 
 so of my own pleasure ; I have ever desired that, 
 should my wealth and life be of use to some one or 
 other [of my fellow creatures], then so much the better. 
 But the old man could not in any way be persuaded 
 to carry Hdtim along with him, and receive the [pro- 
 claimed reward. At last, becoming hopeless, Hdtim 
 
 1 The Arabic phrase lantardni, a corruption of la-an-taram, literally 
 signifies "egad, if you saw me [do so and so];" hence laniarani-wala is 
 equivalent to our terms, "an egregious egotist," or "great boaster."
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 97 
 
 said, ' If you do not carry me in the way I wish, then 
 I will go of myself to the king, and say, this old man 
 concealed me in a cave in the mountains/ The old 
 man smiled and said, ' If I am to receive evil for good, 
 then hard will be my fate.' During this conversation, 
 other men arrived, and a crowd assembled [around 
 them] ; perceiving the person they saw to be Hatim, 
 they instantly seized him and carried him along ; the 
 old man also, a little in the rear, followed them in 
 silent grief. When they brought Hdtirn before Naufal, 
 he asked, ' Who has seized and brought him here ? ' 
 A worthless, hard-hearted [boaster] answered, ' Who 
 could have performed such a deed except myself? 
 This achievement belongs to my name, and I have 
 planted the standard [of glory] in the sky.' Another 
 vaunting fellow clamoured, * I searched for him many 
 days in the woods, and caught him at last, and have 
 brought him here ; have some consideration for my 
 labour, and give me what has been promised. In this 
 manner, from avidity for the [promised] pieces of gold, 
 every one said he had done the deed. The old man, 
 in silence, sat apart in a corner, and heard all their 
 boastings, and wept for Hdtwi. When each had 
 recounted his act of bravery and enterprise, then 
 Hdtim said to the king, 'If you ask for the truth, 
 then it is this ; that old man, who stands aloof from 
 all, has brought me here ; if you can judge from ap- 
 pearances, then ascertain the fact, and give him for 
 my seizure what you have promised ; for in the whole 
 body the tongue 1 is a most sacred [member]. It 
 
 A novice in the language would say, " Here a distinction seems to be 
 drawn between the words zaban and jlbh. Both signify ' tongue,' but the 
 
 II
 
 98 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 is incumbent upon a man to perform what he has 
 promised ; for in other respects God has given tongues 
 to brutes likewise; then what would have been the 
 difference between a man and other animals ?' 
 
 " Naufal called the old wood-cutter near him, and 
 said, ' Tell the truth ; what is the real state of the 
 matter ; who has seized and brought Hdtim here ?' 
 The honest fellow related truly all that had occurred 
 from beginning to end, and added, ' Hdtim is come 
 here of his own accord for my sake/ Naufal, on 
 hearing this manly act of Hdtim 's, was greatly asto- 
 nished, and exclaimed, ' How surprising is thy libe- 
 rality ! even thy life thou hast not feared to risk [for 
 the good of others] ! ' With regard to all those who 
 laid false claims to having seized Hdtim, the king 
 ordered them to have their hands tied behind their 
 backs, and instead of five hundred pieces of gold, to 
 receive each five hundred strokes of a slipper on their 
 heads, so that their lives might perish [under the 
 punishment]. Instantly, the strokes of the slippers 
 began to be laid on in such a style, that in a short 
 
 former applies to men and the latter to animals." To this profound bit 
 of criticism I should reply Not so fast, Mr. Novice ; a distinction there 
 is, but that is not it. The word zaban in Persian and Hindustani means 
 both the fleshy member of the body, called the tongue, and also language 
 or speech, just like our word " tongue," which has both significations. In 
 the former sense it applies alike to man and beast ; in the latter it is mere 
 truism to say that it applies to man only. Jlbh, in Hindi and Hindustani, 
 means the tongue only in the sense of the member of the body, never in 
 the sense of speech ; hence it is equally applicable to man or brute. Ask 
 any physician who has practised in India the Hindustani for " show the 
 tongue," he will tell you jibh diHd,o, or zaban dilcld,o ; and if he was a 
 man of discernment, he would usejtbh with a Hindu, and zaban with a 
 Musalman; but I believe he would be perfectly understood, whichever 
 word he used to either party.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 99 
 
 time their heads became quite bald. True it is, that 
 to tell an untruth is such a guilt, that no other guilt 
 equals it ; may God keep every one free from this 
 calamity, and not give him a propensity for telling 
 lies ; many people persevere in uttering falsehoods, 
 but at the moment of detection they meet with their 
 dessert. 
 
 "In short, Naufal having rewarded all of them 
 according to their desserts, thought it contrary to 
 gentlemanly conduct and manliness of character to 
 harbour enmity and strife towards a man like Hdtim, 
 from whom multitudes received happiness, and who, 
 for the sake of the necessitous, did not even spare his 
 own life, and was entirely devoted to the ways of 
 God. He instantly seized Hdtim s hand with great 
 cordiality and friendship, and said to him, ' Why 
 should it not be the case? 1 such a man as you are 
 can perform such an action.' Then the king, with 
 great respect and attention, made Hdtim sit down 
 near him, and he instantly restored to him the lands 
 and property, and the wealth and moveables, he had 
 confiscated ; and bestowed on him anew the chieftain- 
 ship of the tribe of Td~i, and ordered the five hundred 
 pieces of gold to be given to the old man from the 
 treasury, who, blessing [the king], went away." 
 
 When I had heard the whole of this adventure of 
 Hdtim s, a spirit of rivalry came into my mind ; and 
 this idea occurred to me, viz., " Hdtim was the only 
 chief of his own tribe [of Arabs]. He, by one act of 
 liberality has gained such renown, that to this day it 
 
 1 The case is Hdtim's philanthropy in respect to the old woodman, which 
 on the part of any other than Hatim might seem super-human.
 
 100 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 is celebrated ; whilst I am, by the decree of God, the 
 king of all Iran ; and it would be a pity if I were to 
 remain excluded from this good fortune. It is certain 
 that in this world no quality is greater than generosity 
 and liberality; for whatever a man bestows in this 
 world, he receives its return in the next. If any one 
 sows a single seed, then how much does he reap from 
 its produce ! With these ideas impressed upon my 
 mind, I called for the lord of the buildings, and or- 
 dered him to erect, as speedily as possible, a grand 
 palace without the city, with forty high and wide 
 gates. 1 In a short time, even such a grand palace as 
 my heart wished for, was built and got ready, and in 
 that place every day at all times, from morning till 
 night, I used to bestow pieces of silver and gold on 
 the poor and helpless ; whoever asked for anything in 
 charity, I granted it to the utmost of his desire. 
 
 In short, the necessitous entered [daily] through 
 the forty gates, and received whatever they wanted. 
 It happened one day that a fakir came in from the 
 front gate and begged some alms. I gave him a gold 
 piece ; then the same person entered through the next 
 gate, and asked two pieces of gold; though I recollected 
 
 1 It is related by grave historians, that Hatim actually built an alms- 
 house of this description. On Hatim's death, his younger brother, who 
 succeeded him, endeavoured to act the generous in the above manner. His 
 mother dissuaded him, saying, " Think not, my son, of imitating Hatim : 
 it is an effort thou canst not accomplish ;" and in order to prove what she 
 said, the mother assumed the garb of & fakir, and acted as above related. 
 When she came to the first door the second time, and received her son's 
 lecture on the sin of avarice ; she suddenly threw off her disguise, and 
 said, " I told thee, my son, not to think of imitating Hatim. By Mm I 
 have been served three times running, in this very manner, without ever a 
 question being asked."
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 101 
 
 him [to be the same fakir], I passed over [the circum- 
 stance] and gave them. In this manner he came in 
 through each gate, and increased a piece of gold in 
 his demand each time ; and I knowingly appeared 
 ignorant [of the circumstance], and continued supply- 
 ing him according to his demand. At last he entered 
 by the fortieth gate, and asked forty pieces of gold 
 this sum I likewise ordered to be given him. After 
 receiving so much, the fakir re-entered from the first 
 gate and again begged alms : his conduct appeared 
 to me highly impudent, and I said, hear, O avaricious 
 man, what kind of afak'tr art thou, that dost not even 
 know the meaning of the three letters which compose 
 the word j*3 fakr (poverty) ; a fakir ought to act 
 up to them. He replied, " Well, generous soul, ex- 
 plain them yourself." I answered, " <j fe means 
 fdka (fasting) ; ,_> kdf signifies kina at (contentment) ; 
 and re means riydzat (devotion) j 1 whoever has not 
 these three qualities, is not a fakir. All this which 
 you have received, eat and drink with it, and when it 
 is done, return to me, and receive whatever thou re- 
 quirest. This charity is bestowed on thee to relieve 
 immediate wants and not for the purpose of accumula- 
 tion. avidious ! from the forty gates thou hast 
 received from one piece of gold up to forty ; add up 
 the amount, and see by the rule of arithmetical pro- 
 gression how many pieces of gold it comes to ; and 
 even after all this, thy avarice hath brought thee back 
 again through the first gate. What wilt thou do 
 after having accumulated so much money ? A [real] 
 
 1 This and the following jeu de mots cannot be easily explained to a per* 
 son who does not understand a little Arabic or Persian.
 
 102 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 fakir ought only to think [of the wants] of the passing 
 day ; the following day the great Provider [of neces- 
 saries] will afford thee a new pittance. Now evince 
 some shame and modesty ; have patience, and be con- 
 tent ; what sort of mendicity is this that thy spiritual 
 guide hath taught thee?" 
 
 On hearing these reproaches of mine, he became 
 displeased and angry, and threw down on the ground 
 all [the money] he had received from me, and said, 
 " Enough, sir, do not be so warm ; take back your 
 gifts and keep them, and do not again pronounce the 
 word generosity. It is very difficult to be generous ; 
 you are not able to support the weight of generosity, 
 when will you attain to that station ? J you are as yet 
 very far from it. The word c *^ Sakfn (generous), 
 is also composed of three letter's ; first act up to the 
 meaning of those three letters, then you will be called 
 generous." On hearing this I became uneasy, and 
 said to the fakir, well, holy pilgrim, explain to me the 
 meaning of those three letters. He replied, "from 
 (j~ sin is derived samd'i (endurance) ; from khe 
 comes khairfi Haiti (fear of God) ; and from c < y e 
 proceeds yad (remembrance of one's birth and death). 
 Until one is possessed of these three qualities, he 
 should not mention the name of generosity ; and the 
 generous man has also this happiness, that although 
 he acts amiss [in other points], yet he is dear to his 
 Maker [on account of his generosity]. I have travelled 
 through many countries, but except the princess of 
 Hasra, I have not seen a [person really] generous. 
 
 1 The original is, " as yet Dilll is a long way off," a proverb like that of 
 the Campbells " It is a far cry to Loch Awe."
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 103 
 
 The robe of generosity God hath shaped out on [the 
 person] of that woman ; all others desire the name, 
 but do not act up to it." On hearing this, I made 
 much entreaty, and conjured him [by all that was 
 sacred] to forgive my rebuke, and take whatever he 
 required. He would not, on any account, accept my 
 proffered gifts, but went away repeating these words, 
 " Now if thou wert to give all thy kingdom, I would 
 not spit upon it, nor would I even * * ." 1 The pilgrim 
 went away, but having heard such praises of the 
 princess of Basra, my heart became quite restless, 
 and no way could I be easy. Now this desire arose 
 within me, that by some means or other I must go to 
 Basra and take a look at her. 
 
 In the meantime, the king, my father, died, and I 
 ascended the throne. I got the empire, but the idea 
 [I had formed of going to Basra] did not leave me. 
 I held a consultation with the wazir and nobles, who 
 were the support of the throne, and the pillars of the 
 empire, saying, I wish to make a journey to Basra. 
 Do ye remain steady in your respective stations ; if I 
 live, then the duration of the journey will be short ; 
 I will soon be back. No one seemed pleased at the 
 idea of my going ; in my helplessness, my heart con- 
 tinued to become more and more sorrowful. One 
 day, without consulting any one, I privately sent for 
 the resourceful wazlr, and made him regent and pleni- 
 potentiary [during my absence], and placed him at 
 the head of the affairs of the empire. I then put on 
 the ochre coloured habit [of a pilgrim], and, assuming 
 
 1 The expression in the original is so plain as to need no translation.
 
 104 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 the appearance of a fakir, I took the road to Basra 
 alone. In a few days, I reached its boundaries, and 
 [constantly] began to witness this scene ; wherever I 
 halted for the night, the servants of the princess ad- 
 vanced to receive me, and made me halt at some 
 elegant house, and they used to provide me in perfec- 
 tion with all the requisites of a banquet, and to remain 
 in attendance on me all night with the utmost respect. 
 The following day, at the next stage, I experienced 
 the same reception. In this comfort I journeyedon- 
 wards for months ; at last I entered [the city of] 
 Basra. I had no sooner entered it, than a good- 
 looking young man, well dressed, and well-behaved, 
 who carried wisdom in his looks, came up to me, and 
 said with extreme sweetness of address, " I am the 
 servant of pilgrims ; I am always on the look out to 
 conduct to my house all travellers, whether pilgrims 
 or men of the world, who come to this city; except 
 my house alone, there is no other place here for a 
 stranger to put up at ; pray, holy sir, come with me, 
 bestow honour on my abode, and render me exalted. 
 
 I asked him, " what is the noble name of your 
 honour?" He replied, "they call the name of this 
 nameless one Beddr Bakht" Seeing his good qualities 
 and affable manners, I went along with him and came 
 to his house. I saw a grand mansion fitted up in a 
 princely style he led me to a grand apartment, and 
 made me sit down ; and sending for warm water, he 
 caused [the attendants] to wash my hands and feet ; 
 and having caused the dastar-khwan 1 to be spread, the 
 
 1 Some would-be knowing critics inform us that " Dastar-Mwjn literally 
 signifies the ' turband of the table" ! ! ! How they manage to make such a
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 105 
 
 steward placed before me alone a great variety of trays 
 and dishes, and large quantities of fruit and confec- 
 tionery. 1 On seeing such a grand treat, my very soul 
 was satiated, and taking a mouthful from each dish, 
 my stomach was filled ; I then drew back my hand 
 from eating. 2 
 
 The young man became very pressing, and said, 
 " Sir, what have you eaten ? all the dinner remains 
 as it were for a deposit ; 3 eat some more without 
 ceremony." I replied, there is no shame in eating ; 
 God prosper your house, I have eaten as much as my 
 stomach can contain, and I cannot sufficiently praise 
 the relish of your feast, and even now my tongue 
 
 meaning out of it is beyond ordinary research ; and when done, it makes 
 nonsense. They forget that the Orientals never made use of tables in the 
 good old times. The dastar-Mwan is, in reality, both table and table-cloth 
 in one. It is a round piece of cloth or leather spread out on the floor. The 
 food is then arranged thereon, and the company squat round the edge of it, 
 and, after saying Biam-Illah, fall to, with what appetite they may ; hence 
 the phrase dastar-Mfivan par baithna, to sit on, (not at,) the table. The 
 wise critics seem to be thinking of our modern mahogany, which is a very 
 different affair. 
 
 1 In the original, an infinite variety of dishes is enumerated, which are 
 necessarily passed over in the translation, simply, because we have no cor- 
 responding terms to express them in any Christian tongue. They would 
 puzzle the immortal Tide himself, or the no less celebrated Soyer, the pre- 
 sent autocrat of the culinary kingdom. But my chief reason for passing 
 them over so lightly is the following, viz. : I have fully ascertained from 
 officers home on furlough, that these passages are never read in India, nor 
 is the student ever examined in them. They can interest only such little 
 minds as are of the most contemptibly frivolous description. A 1 man may 
 be a first-rate English or French scholar, yea, an accomplished statesman, 
 without being conversant with the infinite variety of dishes, &c., set down 
 on the carte of a first-rate Parisian restaurateur. 
 
 2 The Asiatics eat with the right hand, and use no knives or forks ; so to 
 draw back the hand from eating is to leave off eating. Of course, spooiia 
 are used for broths, &c., which cannot be eaten by the hand. 
 
 3 As it were intended to be stored up and not eaten.
 
 106 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 smacks with their flavour, and every belch ] I make 
 is absolutely perfumed, now pray take them away. 
 When the dastar- khwdn was removed, they spread a 
 carpet of hdslidm velvet, and brought to me ewers and 
 basins of gold, with scented soap and warm water, 
 wherewithal I might wash my hands ; then betel was 
 introduced, in a box set with precious stones, and 
 spices of various kinds ; whenever I called for water 
 to drink, the servants brought it cooled in ice. When 
 the evening came, camphorated candles were lighted 
 up in the glass shades ; and that friendly young man 
 sat down near me and entertained me with his con- 
 versation. When one watch of the night had elapsed, 
 he said to me, " be pleased to sleep in this bed, in 
 front of which are curtains and screens." I said, O, 
 Sir, for us pilgrims a mat or a deer-skin is sufficient; this 
 [luxury] God has ordained for you men of the world. 
 He replied, "All these things are for pilgrims ; they 
 do not in the least belong to me." On his pressing 
 me so urgently, I went and lay down on the bed which 
 was softer than even a bed of flowers. Pots of roses 
 and baskets of flowers were placed on both sides of 
 the bedstead, and aloes and other perfumes were 
 burning ; to whichever side I turned, my senses were 
 intoxicated with fragrance ; in this state I slept. 
 When the morning came, [the attendants] placed 
 before'ine for breakfast, almonds, pistachio nuts, grapes, 
 figs, pears, pomegranates, currants, dates, and sharbat 
 made of fruit. In this festive manner I passed three 
 days and nights. On the fourth day I requested leave 
 
 1 This exceedingly plain expression is, so far from seeming gross or inde- 
 licate, considered as a very high compliment among Orientals.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 107 
 
 to depart. The young man said, with joined hands, 
 " Perhaps I have been deficient in my attentions to 
 you, for which reason you are displeased." I replied 
 with astonishment, for God's sake, what a speech is 
 this? the rules of hospitality [require one to stay] 
 three days these have I fulfilled ; to remain longer 
 would be improper ; and besides this, I have set out 
 to travel, and if I remain merely at one place, then it 
 will not suit ; for which reason I beg leave to depart ; 
 in other respects, your kindness is such that my heart 
 does not wish to be separated from you. 
 
 He then said, " Do as you please ; but wait a 
 moment, that I may go to the princess and in her 
 presence mention [the circumstance] ; and as you wish 
 to depart [ be it known to you], that all the wearing 
 apparel and bedding, also the vessels of silver and 
 gold, and the jewelled vessels in this guest's apartment, 
 are your property ; whatever directions you may give 
 for the purpose of taking them away, an arrangement 
 [to that effect] shall be made." I answered, " cease 1 
 to talk in this manner ; I am a pilgrim, and not a 
 strolling bard ; if such avarice had a place in my heart, 
 then why should I have turned pilgrim ; and where 
 would be the evil of [my leading] a worldly life ? " That 
 kind young man replied, " If the princess should hear 
 of this circumstance [of your refusal], she will discharge 
 me from my employment, and God knows what other 
 punishment I shall receive ; if you are so indifferent 
 [to possess them], then lock up all these articles in a 
 room, and put your seal on the door, and you may 
 hereafter dispose of them as you please." 
 
 1 Literally, "recite the Id haul" &c., vide note 2, p. 5.
 
 103 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 I would not accept [his offer], and he would not 
 submit [to me]. At last, this plan was adopted, I 
 locked them all up in a room, and put my seal on the 
 door, and waited [with impatience] for leave of depart- 
 ing. In the meantime a confidential eunuch, having 
 on his head an aigrette, and a short robe round his 
 loins, and a golden mace studded with gems in his 
 hand, accompanied by several other respectable attend- 
 ants, filling [various] offices, came near me with this 
 splendour and pomp. He addressed me with such 
 kindness and complaisance that I cannot express it, 
 and added, " O, sir, if shewing kindness and benevo- 
 lence, you do me the favour to dignify my humble 
 dwelling with your presence, then it will not be far 
 from courtesy and condescension. 
 
 Perhaps the princess will hear that a traveller had 
 been here, and no one had received him with courtesy - 
 and politeness ; and that he had gone away as he 
 came; for this reason God knows what punishment 
 she will inflict on me, or how far her displeasure will 
 be raised ; yea more, it is a matter affecting my life." 
 I refused to listen to his request, but through dint of 
 solicitations he overcame my resistance, and conducted 
 me to another house, which was better than the first. 
 Like the former host, he entertained me twice a daj 
 for three days and nights, with the same kind of meals, 
 and in the morning and afternoon sherbet, and fruits 
 for passing away the time, and he told me that I was 
 the master of all the rich gold and silver dishes, car- 
 pets, &c., and that I might do with them whatever I 
 pleased. 
 
 On hearing these strange proposals, I was quite
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 108 
 
 confounded, and wished that I might by some means 
 take my leave and escape from this place. On per- 
 ceiving my [embarassed] countenance, the eunuch said, 
 " O creature of God, whatever your wants or wishes 
 may be, impart them to me, that I may lay them before 
 the princess." I replied, " in the garb of a pilgrim, 
 how can I desire the riches of this world, which you 
 offer me unasked, and which I refuse?" He then 
 said, " The desire of worldly goods forsakes the heart 
 of no one, for which reason some poet has composed 
 these verses : 
 
 " I have seen [ascetics] with nails unpared ; 
 I have seen [others] with hair thickly matted ; 
 I have seen jogls ! with their ears split, 
 Having their bodies covered with ashes ; 
 I have seen the maimls 2 who never speak ; 
 I have seen the sevrds 3 with heads shaved ; 
 I have seen [the people] sporting, 
 In the forest of Ban-khandl ; 
 I have seen the brave, I have seen heroes ; 
 I have seen the wise and the foolish, all ; 
 I have seen those filled with delusion, 
 Continuing in forget fulness amidst their wealth ; 
 I have seen those [who were] happy from first to last. 
 I have seen those [who were] afflicted from their birth ; 
 But never have I 'seen those [men] 
 In whose minds avarice did not exist." 
 
 On hearing these [lines], I replied, what you say is 
 true, but I want nothing; if you will permit, I will 
 write out a note and send it which will express my 
 wish, and which you will convey to the presence of the 
 princess, it will be [doing me] a great favour, as if I 
 
 1 Jogls ara Hindu ascetics, or fanatics ; some of them let the nails grow 
 through the palm of their hands by keeping their fists shut, &c. 
 8 The maunls are Hindu ascetics who vow everlasting silence. 
 ? The sevras are mendicants of the Jain sects.
 
 HO ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 had received all the riches in the world. The eunuch 
 said, " I will do it with pleasure, there is no difficulty 
 in it." I immediately wrote a note to the following 
 purport : first, I began with the praise of God ; I 
 then related my circumstances and situation, saying, 
 " that this creature of God had, some days since, arrived 
 in the city, and from the munificence of her govern- 
 ment, had been taken care of in every way ; that I had 
 heard such accounts of her highness's generosity and 
 munificence, as had raised in me an ardent desire to 
 see her, and that 1 had found those qualities four-fold 
 greater than they had been represented. Your nobles 
 now tell me to set forth before you whatever wants or 
 wishes I may have ; for this reason I beg to represent 
 to you without ceremony the wishes of my heart. I 
 am not in want of the riches of this world. I am also 
 the king of my own country ; my sole reason for 
 coming so far and undergoing such fatigues, was the 
 ardent desire I had to see you, which motive only has 
 conducted me here in this manner quite alone. I now 
 hope through your benevolence to attain the wishes of 
 my heart; I shall then be satisfied. Any further 
 favours will rest with your pleasure ; but if the request 
 of this wretch is not granted, then he will wander about 
 in this same manner, encountering hardships, and 
 sacrifice his restless life to the passion he feels for you. 
 Like Majnun and Farhdd, 1 he will end his life in some 
 forest or mountain." 
 
 Having written my wishes, I gave the note to the 
 
 1 Majnun is a mad lover of eastern romance, who pined in yain for tho 
 cruel Lalli. Farhdd is equally celebrated as an unhappy cwiaut, who pe- 
 rished for Shlrin.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. ill 
 
 eunuch ; he carried it to the princess. After a short 
 while, he returned and called me, and conducted me to 
 the door of the seraglio. On arriving there, I saw an 
 elderly and respectable woman dressed in jewels, sitting 
 on a golden stool, and many eunuchs and other servants 
 richly clothed, were standing before her with arms 
 across. I imagining her to be the superintendent of 
 affairs, and regarding her as a venerable [person], made 
 her rny obeisance ; the old lady returned my salute 
 with much civility, and said, "Come and sit down, you 
 are welcome ; it is you who wrote an affectionate note 
 to the princess." I feeling ashamed, hung down my 
 head and remained sitting silent. 
 
 After a short pause, she said, " O, young man, the 
 princess has sent you her saldm, 1 and said thus, ' Theie 
 is nothing wrong in my taking a husband ; you have 
 solicited me [in marriage] ; but to speak of your king- 
 dom, and to conceive yourself a king in this mendicant 
 state, and to be proud of it, is quite out of place ; for 
 this reason, that all men among each other are certainly 
 equal; although superior consideration ought to be 
 due to those who are of the religion of Muhammad. I 
 also have wished for a long while to marry, and as you 
 are indifferent to worldly riches, to me likewise God 
 has given such wealth as cannot be counted. But 
 there is one condition, that first of all you procure my 
 marriage portion.' 2 The marriage-gift of the princess," 
 
 1 The word saldm, " salutation," is used idiomatically in the sense of our 
 terms " compliments " or " respects," &c. And in that sense it has now 
 become, in India, adopted into the English language. 
 
 1 The marriage portion here alluded to is not to be taken in the vngue 
 sense we attach to the term. The word mahar denotes a present made to, 
 or a portion settled on, the wife at or before marriage.
 
 112 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 added the old lady, "is a certain task to perform, if 
 you can fulfil it." I replied, " I am ready in every way, 
 and I shall not be sparing of my wealth or life ; tell me 
 what the task is, that I may hear it. The old woman 
 then said, " Remain here to-day, and to-morrow I will 
 tell it to you." I accepted [her proposal] with plea- 
 sure, and taking my leave, I came out. 
 
 The day had in the meantime passed away, and when 
 the evening came, a eunuch called upon me, and con- 
 ducted me to the seraglio. On entering, I saw that 
 the nobles, the learned, the virtuous, and the 'sages of 
 the divine law were present. I likewise joined the 
 assembly and sat down. In the meantime the cloth 
 for the repast was spread, and eatables of every variety, 
 both sweet and salt, were laid out. They all began 
 to eat, and with courtesy solicited me to join them. 
 When dinner was over, a female servant came out from 
 the interior [of the seraglio] and asked, "Where is Bah- 
 rawar ? call him." The servants in waiting brought 
 him immediately ; his appearance was very respectable, 
 and many keys of silver and gold were suspended from 
 his waist. After saluting me, he sat down by me. The 
 same female servant said, " O, Bahrawar, whatever thou 
 hast seen, relate it fully [to this stranger]." 
 
 Bahrawar, addressing himself to me, began the 
 following narration : " O, friend ! our princess pos- 
 sesses thousands of slaves, who are established in 
 trade ; among them I am one of the humblest of her 
 hereditary servants. She sends them to different 
 countries with goods and merchandise, worth lakhs of 
 rupees, of which they have the charge ; when these 
 return [from the respective countries to which they
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 113 
 
 were sent to trade], then the princess, in her own 
 presence, inquires of them the state and manners of such 
 country, and hears [their different accounts]. Once 
 it so happened that this meanest [of her slaves] went 
 to the country and city of Nlmroz 1 to trade, and per- 
 ceiving that all the inhabitants were dressed in black, 
 and that they sighed and wept every moment, and it 
 appeared to me that some sad calamity had befallen 
 them. From whomsoever I asked the reason [of these 
 strange circumstances], no one would answer mv 
 inquiry. One day, the moment the morning appeared, 
 all the inhabitants of the city, little and great, young 
 and old, poor and rich, issued forth. They went out 
 and assembled on a plain ; the king of the country 
 went there also mounted on horseback, and surrounded 
 by his nobles ; then they all formed a regular line, 
 and stood still. 
 
 " I also stood among them to see the strange sight, 
 for it clearly appeared that they were waiting for [the 
 arrival of] some one. In an hour's time a beautiful 
 young man, of an angelic form, about fifteen or sixteen 
 years of age, uttering a loud noise, and foaming at 
 the mouth, and mounted on a dun bull, holding 
 something in one hand, approached from a distance, 
 and came up in front of the people; he descended 
 from the bull, and sat down [oriental fashion] on the 
 ground, holding the halter of the animal in one hand, 
 and a naked sword in the other; a rosy-coloured, 
 beautiful [attendant] was with him ; the young man 
 gave him that which he held in his hand ; the slave 
 
 1 Nlmroz is that part of Persia which comprehends the provinces of 
 Sijintan and Mikrdn, towards the south -east, i
 
 114 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 took it, and went along showing it to all of them from 
 one end of the line to the other ; but such was the 
 nature [of the object], that whoever saw it, the same 
 involuntarily wept aloud and bitterly [at the strange 
 sight]. In this way he continued to show it to every 
 one, and made every one weep ; then passing along 
 the front of the line, he returned to his master again. 
 
 " The moment he came near him, the young man 
 rose up, and with the sword severed the attendant's 
 head [from his body], and having again mounted his 
 bull, galloped off towards the quarter from whence 
 he had come. All [present] stood looking on. When 
 he disappeared from their sight, the inhabitants re- 
 turned to the city. I was anxiously asking every 
 one I met the real meaning of this strange occurrence ; 
 yea, I even held out the inducement of money and 
 beseeched and flattered them to get an explanation, 
 who the young man was, and why he committed the 
 deed [I had seen], and from whence he came, and 
 where he went, but no one would give me the slightest 
 information on the subject, nor could I comprehend it. 
 When I returned here, I related to the princess the 
 astonishing circumstance I had seen. Since then, the 
 princess herself has been amazed [at the strange event], 
 and anxious to ascertain its real cause. For which 
 reason she has been fixed on this very point as her mar- 
 riage portion, that whatever man will bring her a true 
 and particular account of that strange circumstance, 
 she will accept him [in marriage] ; and he shnll be 
 the master of all her wealth, her country, and her- 
 self." 
 
 [Bahrawar concluded by saying], " You have now
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 115 
 
 heard every circumstance ; reflect within yourself if 
 you can bring the intelligence [which is required] 
 respecting the young man, then undertake the jour- 
 ney towards the country of Nlmroz, and depart soon, 
 or else refuse [the conditions and the attempt], and 
 return to your home." I answered, " If God please, 
 I will soon ascertain all the circumstances [relating to 
 the strange event], and return to the princess with 
 success ; or if my fate be unlucky, then there is no 
 remedy ; but the princess must give me her solemn 
 promise she will not swerve from what she engages 
 [to perform]. And now an uneasy apprehension 
 arises in my heart ; if the princess will have the bene- 
 volence to call me before her, and allow me to sit 
 down outside iheparda, and hear with her own ears 
 the request I have made, and favour me with an 
 answer from her own lips ; then my heart will be at 
 ease, and every thing will be possible for me." These 
 my requests the female servant related to the fairy- 
 formed princess. At last, by way of condescension, 
 she ordered me to be called before her. 
 
 The same female returned, and conducted me to 
 the apartment where the princess was; what [a display 
 of beauty] I saw! Handsome female slaves and ser- 
 vants, and armed damsels, from Kilmdk, Turkistan, 
 Abyssinia, Uzbak Tartary and KdsJim'ir, were drawn 
 up in two lines, dressed in rich jewels, with their arms 
 folded across, and each standing in her appropriate 
 station. Shall I call this the court of Indra? or is it 
 a descent on the part of the fairies ? an involuntary 
 sigh of rapture escaped [from my breast], and my 
 heart began to palpitate ; but I forcibly restrained
 
 116 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 myself. Regarding them all around, I advanced on ; 
 but my feet became each as heavy as a hundred mans. 1 
 Whenever I gazed on one of those lovely women, my 
 heart was unwilling to proceed farther. On one side 
 [of the saloon] a screen was suspended, and a stool set 
 with precious stones was placed near it, as well as a 
 chair of sandal- wood ; the female servant made me a 
 sign to sit down on the [jewelled] stool ; I sat down 
 upon it, and she seated herself on the [sandal- wood 
 chair]; she said, "Now, whatever you have to say, 
 speak it fully and from the heart." 
 
 I first extolled the princess's excellent qualities, also 
 her justice and liberality ; I then added, that " ever 
 since I have entered the limits of this country, I saw 
 at every stage accommodations for travellers and 
 Jofty buildings ; and found everywhere servants of all 
 grades appointed to attend upon travellers and neces- 
 sitous persons. I have likewise spent three days at 
 every halting place, and the fourth day, when I wished 
 to take my leave, no one said with good will, " You may 
 depart;" and whatever articles and furniture had been 
 [applied to my use] at those places, such as chequered 
 carpets, 2 &c., &c., I was told that they were all mine, 
 and that I might either take them away or lock them 
 up in a room, and put my seal on it ; that, should it 
 be my pleasure, whenever I came back I might take 
 them away. I have done so ; but the wonder is, that 
 if a lonely pilgrim like me has met with such a 
 
 1 The man, commonly called " maund," a measure of weight, about eighty 
 pounds avoirdupois. 
 
 2 It is needless here to enumerate the stores of various articles detailed 
 in the original, as they will all be found in the vocabulary.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 117 
 
 [princely] reception, then there must be thousands of 
 such pilgrims who will resort to your dominions ; and 
 if every one is hospitably received in the same manner 
 [as myself j, sums incalculable must be spent. Now, 
 whence comes the great wealth of which there is such 
 an expenditure, and of what nature is it ? The trea- 
 sures of Kdrun would not be equal to it ; and if we 
 look at the princess's territories, it would appear that 
 their revenues would hardly suffice to defray the 
 kitchen charges, setting the other expenses aside. If the 
 princess would condescend to explain this [seeming won- 
 der] with her own lips, then, my mind being set at ease, 
 I shall set out for the country of Nimroz ; and reaching 
 it by some means or other, after having learned all 
 the particulars [of the strange circumstance], I will 
 return, if God should spare my life, to the presence of 
 the princess, and attain the desires of my heart." 
 
 On hearing these words, the princess herself said, 
 " O youth, if you have a strong desire to know the 
 exact nature of these circumstances, then stay here 
 to-day also. I will send for you in the evening, and 
 the account of my vast riches shall be unfolded to you 
 without any reservation." After this assurance, I 
 retired to my place of residence, and waited anxiously, 
 (saying,) " when will the evening arrive, that my cu- 
 riosity may be gratified ?" In the meantime a eunuch 
 brought some covered trays on the heads of porters, 
 and laid them before me, and said, " The princess has 
 sent you a dinner 1 from her own table ; partake of it." 
 
 1 Literally, "her own leavings." In the East it is considered a very 
 high compliment on the part of a person of rank to present lib gucs-t 
 with the remnants of his own dish.
 
 US ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 When lie uncovered the trays betore me, the rich fra- 
 grance [of the meats] intoxicated my brains, and my 
 soul became- satiated. I ate as much as I could, and sent 
 away the rest, and returned my grateful thanks [to the 
 princess.] At last, when the sun, the traveller of the 
 whole day, wearied and fatigued, reached his home, 
 and the moon advanced from her palace, attended by 
 her companions, then the female servant came to me 
 and said, " Come, the princess has sent for you." 
 
 I went along with her ; she led me to the private 
 apartment ; the effect of the lights was such that the 
 sftabi kadr* was nothing to it. A masnad, covered 
 with gold, was placed on rich carpets, with a pillow 
 studded with jewels ; over it an awning of brocade 
 was stretched, with a fringe of pearls on [silver] poles 
 studded with precious stones ; and in front of the 
 masnad artificial trees formed of various jewels, with 
 flowers and leaves attached, (one would say they were 
 nature's own production,) were erected in beds of 
 gold ; and on the right arid left, beautiful slaves and 
 servants were in waiting with folded arms and down- 
 cast eyes, in respectful attitude. Dancing women and 
 female singers, with ready -tuned instruments, attended 
 to begin their performances. On seeing such a scene 
 and such splendid preparations, my senses were be- 
 wildered. I asked the female servant [who came with 
 me] " there is here such gay splendour in the scene of 
 the day, and such magnificence in that of the night, 
 
 1 Literally, "night of power or grandeur," would in that place be "with- 
 out grandeur." The shabi kadr, or as the Arabs have it, lailatu-l-lfadri, 
 is a sacred festival heid on the 27th of Samazdn, being, according to the 
 Musdlmans, the night on which the Kurgan was sent down from heaven.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 119 
 
 that the day may very justly be called 'Id, and the 
 night shabi bardt ; moreover, a king who possessed 
 the whole world could not exhibit greater splendour 
 and magnificence. Is it always so at the princess's 
 court ? The servant replied, " The princess's court 
 ever displays the same magnificence you see now ; 
 there is no abatement [or difference], except that it is 
 sometimes greater : sit you here ; the princess is in 
 another apartment, I will go and inform her of your 
 arrival." 
 
 Saying this, the nurse went away and quickly re- 
 turned ; he desired me to come to the princess. The 
 moment I entered her apartment I was struck with 
 amazement. I could not tell where the door was, or 
 where the walls, for they were covered with Aleppo 
 mirrors, of the height of a man, all around, the frames 
 of which were studded with diamonds and pearls. 
 The reflection of one fell on the other, and it appeared 
 as if the whole room was inlaid with jewels. At one 
 end a pai 'da was hung, behind which the princess sat. 
 The female servant seated herself close to the parda y 
 and desired me to sit down also ; then she began the 
 following narrative, according to the princess's com- 
 mands : " Hear, intelligent youth ! The sultan of 
 this country was a potent king ; he had seven daugh- 
 ters born in his house. One day, the king held a 
 festival, and these seven daughters were standing be- 
 fore him [superbly dressed], with each sixteen jewels, 
 twelve ornaments, and in every hair an elephant pearl. 
 Something came into the king's mind, and he looked 
 towards his daughters and said, ' If your father had 
 not been a king, and you had been born in the house
 
 120 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 of some poor man, then who would have called you 
 princesses ? Praise God that you are called princesses ; 
 all your good fortune depends on my life.' 
 
 " Six of his daughters being of one mind, replied, 
 ' Whatever your majesty says, is true, and our happi- 
 ness depends on your welfare alone.' But the princess 
 now present, though she was younger [than all her 
 sisters], yet even in sense and judgment, even at that 
 age, she was superior to them all. She stood silent, 
 and did hot join her sisters in the reply they made ; 
 for this reason, that to say so was impious. The king 
 looked towards her with anger, and said, 'Well, my 
 lady, you say nothing; what is the cause of this?' 
 Then the princess, tying both her hands with a hand- 
 kerchief, humbly replied, ' If your majesty will grant 
 me safety [of my life], and pardon my presumption, 
 then this humble slave will unfold the dictates of her 
 heart.' The king said, ' Speak what thou hast to say.' 
 Then the princess said, ' Mighty king, you must have 
 heard, that the voice of truth is bitter ; for which 
 reason, disregarding life at this moment, I presume to 
 address your majesty ; whatever the great Writer has 
 written in [the book of] my destiny, no one can efface, 
 and in no way can it be evaded. " Whether you 
 bruise your feet [by depending on your own exer- 
 tions], or lay your head on the carpet [in prayer], 
 your fate [written] on the forehead, whatever it be, shall 
 come to pass." 
 
 " ' That Almighty Ruler, who has made you a king, 
 He indeed also has made me a princess. In the 
 arsenal of his omnipotence, no one has. power. You are 
 my sovereign and benefactor, and if I should apply the
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 121 
 
 dust which lies under your auspicious feet, as a coly- 
 rium [for my eyes], then it would become me; but 
 the destinies of every one are with every one.' The 
 king, on hearing this [speech], became angry; the 
 reply displeased him highly, and he said with wrath, 
 ' What great words issue from a little mouth ! Now 
 let this be her punishment, that you strip off what- 
 ever jewels she has on her hands and feet, and let her 
 be placed in a sedan-chair, and set down in such a 
 wilderness, where no human traces can be found ; 
 then we shall see what is written in her destinies." 
 
 "According to the king's commands, at that mid- 
 night hour, when it was the very essence of dark- 
 ness, the princess (who had been reared with such 
 delicacy and tenderness), and had seen no other place 
 except her own apartments, was carried by the porters 
 in a litter, and set down in a place where not even a 
 bird ever flapped its wing, much less did human 
 creatures there exist ; they left her there and returned. 
 The princess's heart was all at once in such a state 
 [as cannot be conceived] ; reduced to what she was, 
 from what she had been ! Then in the threshold of 
 God, she offered up her prayers, and said, " Thou art 
 so mighty [O Lord], that what thou hast wished, 
 Thou hast done ; and whatever Thou wiliest, Thou 
 dost ; and whatever Thou mayest wish, that Thou 
 wilt do : whilst life remains in my nostrils, I shall not 
 be hopeless of [thy protection']. Impressed with 
 these thoughts, she fell asleep. When the morn ap- 
 peared, the eyes of the princess opened ; she called 
 for water to perform her ablutions. Then, all at once, 
 the occurrences of last night came to her recollection ;
 
 122 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 she said to herself, ' Where art; them, and where this 
 speech ?' l Saying this to herself, she got up, and per- 
 formed the tayammum? said her prayers, and poured 
 forth the praises of her Maker ! O youth, the heart 
 is torn with anguish to reflect on the princess's sad 
 condition at that time. Ask that innocent and inex- 
 perienced heart what it felt. 
 
 "In short, she sat in the litter, and putting her 
 trust in God, she repeated to herself at that moment 
 these verses : 
 
 1 When I had no teeth, then thou gavest milk; 
 
 When thou hast given teeth, wilt thou not grant food ! 
 
 He who takes care of the fowls of the air, 
 
 And of all the animals of the earth, 
 
 He will also take care of thee. 
 
 Why art thou sad, simple-minded one ! 
 
 By being sorrowful thou'lt get nothing ; 
 
 He who provides for the fool, for the wise, and for the whole world, 
 
 Will likewise provide for thee.' 
 
 "It is true, that when no resource remains, then 
 God is remembered, or else every one in his own 
 plans, thinks himself a Lukmdn, and a BH 'All Stmd. 3 
 Now listen to the surprising ways of God. In this 
 manner three days clear passed away, during which 
 a grain of food did not enter the princess's mouth ; 
 her flower-like frame became quite withered as a [dry] 
 thorn ; and her colour, which hitherto shone like gold, 
 became yellow as turmeric ; her mouth became rigid, 
 
 1 Meaning that, under present circumstances, her commands were alto- 
 gether out of place. 
 
 2 It is incumbent on good Mussulmans to wash the hands and face before 
 prayers. Where water is not to be had, this ceremony, called tayammum, 
 is performed by using sand instead. 
 
 3 iMkman is supposed to be the Greek slave JEsop, the author of the 
 Fables. Bw 'All Slnd is the famous Arab physician and philosopher, 
 by mediaeval writers erroneously called Avicenna.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 123 
 
 and her eyes were petrified, but still a faint respiration 
 remained passing and re-passing. Whilst there is 
 life, there is hope. In the morning of the fourth day, 
 a hermit appeared of bright countenance, in appearance 
 like Khizr, 1 and of an enlightened heart. Seeing 
 the princess in that state, he said, ' daughter, 
 though your father is a king, yet these [sorrows] were 
 decreed in thy destiny. Now, conceive this old hermit 
 your servant, and think day and night of your Maker. 
 God will do what is right.' And whatever morsels 
 the hermit had in his wallet, he laid them before the 
 princess ; then he went in search of water ; he saw a 
 well, but where were the wheel and bucket by means of 
 which he might draw the water? He pulled off some 
 leave's from a tree, and made a cup, and taking off 
 his sash, he fastened the cup to it, and drew up 
 some water, and gave it to the princess. At last she 
 regained her senses. The holy man, seeing her help- 
 less and solitary state, gave her every consolation, and 
 cheered her heart ; and he himself began to weep. 
 When the princess saw his sympathetic grief, and 
 [heard] his kind assurances, she became easy in her 
 mind. Prom that day, the old man made this an 
 established rule, that in the morning he went to the 
 city to beg, and brought to the princess whatever 
 scraps or morsels he received. 
 
 1 Khizr or Khwaja Khizr is the name of a saint or prophet, of great 
 notoriety among the Muhammadans. The legends respecting his origin 
 and life are as numerous as they are absurd and contradictory. Some say 
 he was grand Vizir to Solomon, others to Alexander the Great. They 
 all agree, however, that he discovered the water of immortality, and that 
 in consequence of having drunk thereof, he still lives and wandera r.bout 
 on the earth.
 
 124 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 " In this way a few days passed. One day the prin- 
 cess designed to put some oil in her hair, and comb it ; 
 just as she opened the plaits of her hair a pearl round 
 and brilliant dropped out. The princess gave it to 
 the hermit, and desired him to sell it in the city, and 
 bring her the amount. He sold that pearl, and 
 brought back the money received for it to the 
 princess. Then the princess desired that a habi- 
 tation fit for her residence might be erected on 
 that spot. The hermit replied, ' O daughter, do you 
 dig the foundation for the walls, and collect some 
 earth ; I will, some of these days, bring some water, 
 knead the clay [for the bricks], and erect a room for 
 you.' The princess, on his advice, began to dig the 
 ground ; when she had dug a yard in depth, behold, 
 under the soil a door appeared. The princess cleared 
 away the earth [which lay before it] ; a large room 
 filled with jewels and gold pieces appeared : she took 
 four or five handfuls of gold and closed the door, and 
 having filled up the place with earth, made level its 
 surface. In the meantime the hermit returned. The 
 princess said to him, "bring good masons and builders, 
 and workmen of every kind, expert and masters in 
 their craft, so that a grand palace may be erected on 
 this spot equal to the palace of Kasra, 1 and superior 
 to the palace of Ni'rndn ; 2 and that the fortifications 
 of the city, a fort, a garden, a well, and an unrivalled 
 caravanserai [be built as soon as possible] ; but first 
 
 1 Kasrq is the title of the King of Persia, hence the Greek forms Cyrus 
 and Chosroes, and most probably the more modern forms Caesar, Kaisar, 
 and Czar. The form Kisra used in the text is generally applied to 
 2Tau$hirwan. Vide note 3, page 13. 
 
 J Ni'man, also Nu'man, the name of an ancient king of Htrett, in 
 Arabia.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 125 
 
 of all, draw out the plans ou paper and bring them to 
 me for approval." 
 
 "The hermit brought clever, skilful, intelligent 
 workmen, and had them ready. The erection of the 
 different buildings was soon begun according to the 
 princess's directions, and clever and trusty servants 
 for every office were chosen and entertained. The 
 news of the erection of such princely buildings by 
 degrees reached the king, the shadow of Omnipotence, 
 who was the princess's father. On hearing it, he be- 
 came greatly surprised, and asked every one, * Who is 
 this person who has begun to erect such edifices ? ' 
 No one knew anything of the matter to be able to 
 give a reply. All put their hands on their ears and 
 said, ' No one of your slaves knows who is the buikler 
 of them.' Then the king sent one of his nobles with 
 this message, ' 'I wish to come and see those buildings, 
 and to know also of what country you are the princess, 
 and of what family ; for I wish much to ascertain all 
 these circumstances." 
 
 " When the princess received this agreeable intelli- 
 gence, she was greatly pleased in her mind, and wrote 
 the [following letter] : ' To the protector of the world, 
 prosperity ! On hearing the intelligence of your ma- 
 jesty's visit, to my humble mansion, I am infinitely 
 rejoiced ; and it has been the cause of respect and 
 dignity to me, the meanest [of your slaves]. How 
 happy is the fate of that place where your majesty's 
 footsteps are impressed, and on the inhabitants of 
 which the shadow of the skirt of your prosperity 
 is cast ; may they both be dignified with the look 
 of favour! This slave hopes that to-morrow, being
 
 126 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 Thursday, is a propitious day, and to me, it is more 
 welcome than the day of Nan Eoz? your majesty's 
 person resembles the sun ; by condescending to come 
 here, be pleased to bestow, with your light, value and 
 dignity on this worthless atom, and partake of what- 
 ever his humble slave can provide; this will be the 
 essence of benevolence and courtesy, on the part of 
 your majesty : to say more would exceed the bounds 
 of respect." To the nobleman who brought the mes- 
 sage she made some presents, and dismissed him [with 
 the above reply.] 
 
 " The king read the letter, and sent word, saying, 
 ' We have accepted your invitation, and will certainly 
 come.' The princess ordered the servants and all the 
 attendants to get ready the necessary preparations for 
 an entertainment, with such propriety and elegance, 
 that the king, on seeing [the banquet] and eating 
 thereof, might be highly pleased ; and that all who 
 came with the king, great and little, should be well 
 entertained and return content. From .the princess's 
 strict directions, the dishes, of every kind, both salt 
 and sweet, were so deliciously prepared, that if the 
 daughter of a Brahman" 2 had tasted them, she would 
 have become a Musalmdn. 3 When the evening came, 
 the king went to the princess's palace, seated on an 
 
 1 The first day of the new year, which is celebrated with great splendour 
 and rejoicings. 
 
 2 The Brahmans, erroneously called Bramins, do not eat meat. 
 
 ? Literally, " she would have repeated the Kalima" or " Confession of 
 Faith" of the followers of Muhammad, which is as follows : " There is no 
 God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet." Some profane wags have 
 parodied this creed into a Jewish one, viz. " There ish no God but the 
 monish, and shent per shent (cent, per cent.) ish hish prophet" (profit.)
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 127 
 
 uncovered throne ; the princess, with her ladies in 
 waiting, advanced to receive him ; when she cast her 
 eyes on the king's throne, she made the royal obei- 
 sance with such proper respect, that on seeing it, the 
 king was still more surprised ; with the same profound 
 respect she accompanied the king to the throne, set 
 with jewels, which she had erected for him. The 
 princess had prepared a platform of 125,000 pieces of 
 silver - f l a hundred and one trays of jewels and of gold 
 pieces, and woollen shifts, shawls, muslins, silk and 
 brocades ; two elephants and ten horses, of ' Irak and 
 Yaman, with caparisons set with precious stones, were 
 likewise prepared [for the royal acceptance]. She pre- 
 sented these to his majesty, and stood before him herself 
 with folded arms. The king asked with great com- 
 placency, 'Of what country are you a princess, and 
 for what reasons are you come here ? ' 
 
 " The princess, after making her obeisance, replied, 
 ' This slave is that offender who in consequence of the 
 royal anger was sent to this wilderness, and all these 
 things which your majesty sees are the wonderful 
 works of God.' On hearing these words, the king's 
 blood glowed (with paternal warmth), and rising up, 
 he pressed the princess fondly to his bosom, and 
 seizing her hand, he ordered her to be seated on a 
 chair that he had placed near the throne ; but still 
 the king was astonished and surprised [at all he saw], 
 
 1 The common mode to present large sums in specie to princely visitors, 
 is to form a platform with the money, spread the masnad on it, and place 
 the visitor on the rich seat. Mr. Smith states that he had himself seeu 
 Jqsfu-d-Daula, the then Nawwdb of Lucknow, receive a lack of rupees ia 
 this way from Almas, one of his eunuchs.
 
 12S ADVENTURES OP 1 THE 
 
 and ordered that the queen, along with the princesses, 
 should come thither with all speed. When they 
 arrived, the mother and sisters recognised [the prin- 
 cess], and, embracing her with fondness, wept over 
 her, and praised God. The princess presented her 
 mother and sisters with such heaps of gold and jewels, 
 that the treasures of the world could not equal them 
 in the balance. Then the king, having made them all 
 sit in his company, partook of the feast [which had 
 been prepared]. 
 
 " As long as the king lived, the time passed in this 
 manner ; sometimes the king came [to visit the prin- 
 cess], and sometimes carried the princess with him to 
 his own palaces. When the king died, the govern- 
 ment of the kingdom descended to this princess ; for, 
 except herself, no other person [of her family] was fit 
 for this office. 0, youth, the history [of the princess] 
 is what you have heard. Finally, heaven-bestowed 
 wealth never fails, but the intentions of the possessoi 
 must [at the same time] be just ; moreover, how 
 much soever is spent [out of this providential wealth] 
 so much also is the increase : to be astonished at the 
 power of God, is not right in any religion." The 
 female servant, after finishing this narrative, said, 
 " Now if you still intend to proceed to the country of 
 Nlmroz, and if you are determined in your mind to 
 bring the requisite intelligence, then depart soon." 
 I replied, I am going this moment, and if God pleases 
 I shall be back very soon. At last, taking leave [of 
 the princess] and relying on the protection of God, I 
 set out for that quarter. 
 
 In about a year's time, after encountering many
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 
 
 difficulties, I arrived at the city of Nimroz. All the 
 inhabitants of that place that T saw, noble or common, 
 were dressed in black, and whatever I had heard, that I 
 fully perceived. After some days the evening 1 of the 
 new moon occurred. On the first day of the month, 
 all the inhabitants of the city, little and great, chil- 
 dren, nobles, prince, women and men, assembled on 
 a large plain. I also, bewildered and distracted in 
 my condition, went along with the vast concourse; 
 separated from my country and possessions, in the 
 garb of a pilgrim, I was standing to behold the strange 
 sight, and to see what might result from the myste- 
 rious scene. In the meantime, a young man advanced 
 from the woods, mounted on a bull, foaming at the 
 mouth, and roaring and shouting [in a frightful man- 
 ner]. I, miserable, who had undergone such labour, 
 and overcome so many dangers, and had come there 
 to ascertain the circumstances, yet on seeing the young 
 man I was quite confounded and stood silent with 
 astonishment. The young man, according to his 
 usual custom, did what he used to do, and returned 
 [to the woods] ; and the concourse of people from 
 the city likewise returned thither. When I had col- 
 lected my senses, I then repented [saying to myself], 
 " What is this you have done ? Now it is your lot to 
 wait anxiously for another whole month." Having no 
 remedy, I returned with the rest ; and I passed that 
 month like the month of Ramazan? counting one day 
 
 1 Chdnd-rat t is applied to the night on which the new moon is first 
 visible, which night, together with the following day till sunset, constitutes 
 ^he pahU tdrikh, or ghurra, that is the first of the lunar month. 
 
 7 Ramazan is the ninth Muhammadan month, during which they keep 
 Lcrt. Vide note, p. 59. 
 
 K
 
 l')0 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 after another. At last the new moon appeared, and 
 was hailed by me as 'Id. 1 On the first of the month, 
 the king and the inhabitants again assembled on that 
 same plain ; then I determined, that this time, let 
 what will happen, I would be resolute, and propound 
 this mysterious circumstance. 
 
 Suddenly the young man appeared, mounted, accord- 
 ing to custom, on a yellow bull, and, dismounting, sat 
 down [on the ground] ; in one hand he held a naked 
 sword, and in the other the bull's halter ; he gave the 
 vase to his attendant, who, as usual, showed it to 
 every one, and carried it back [to his master]. The 
 crowd, on seeing the vase, began to weep ; the young 
 man broke the vase, and struck such a blow on the 
 slave's neck as to sever his head from his body, and, 
 he himself remounting the bull, returned [towards the 
 woods]. I began to run after him, with all speed, 
 but the inhabitants laid hold of my hand, and ex- 
 claimed, " What is this you are going to do ? why, 
 knowingly, art thou about to perish ? If thou art so 
 tired of life, there are a great many ways of dying, 
 by which thou mayest end thy existence." How much 
 soever I beseeched them [to let me go], and even had 
 recourse to main force, in order that by some means I 
 might escape from their hands, yet I could not release 
 myself. Three or four men clung fast to me, and 
 having seized me, led me towards the city. 1 again 
 suffered for another whole month in a strange state of 
 disquietude. 
 
 1 The '/d is the grand festival after the Lent of Ramazan is over. There 
 is another '/rf, called Al-Kurban, in commemoration of Abraham's medi- 
 tated sacrifice of his son Isaac, or as the Muhammadans believe of his son 
 Ishmael.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 131 
 
 When that month passed also, and the last day of 
 it had elapsed, all the inhabitants assembled on the 
 plain on the following morning in the same manner. 
 I, apart from all, arose at the hour of [morning] prayer. 
 I went before all the others [were astir] into the woods, 
 and there lay concealed, exactly on the road by which 
 the young man was to pass ; for no one could there 
 restrain me [from executing my project]. The young 
 man came in the usual manner, performed the same 
 acts [already described], re-mounted, and was return- 
 ing. I followed him, and eagerly running up, I joined 
 him. The young man, from the noise of my steps, 
 perceived that some body was coming after him. All 
 at once, turning round the halter of his bull, he gave 
 a loud shout, and threatened me ; then drawing his 
 sword, he advanced towards me, and was about to 
 strike. I bent down with the utmost respect, and 
 made him my saldm, and joining both my hands 
 together, I stood in silence. That person being a 
 judge of respectful behaviour [restraining his blow], 
 said to me. " O pilgrim, thou wouldest have been 
 killed for nothing, but thou hast escaped thy life is 
 prolonged; getaway. Where art thou going?" He 
 then drew a jewelled dagger, having a tassel set with 
 pearls, from his waist, and threw it towards me, and 
 added, " At this moment I have no money about me 
 to give thee; carry this [dagger] to the king, and 
 thou wilt get whatever thou askest." To such a 
 degree did my fear and dread of him prevail, that I 
 had not power to speak or ability to move ; my voice 
 was choked, and my feet became heavy. 
 
 After saying this, the brave young man, roaring
 
 132 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 aloud, went on. I said to myself, "let what will 
 happen, to remain behind now is, in thy case, folly 
 thou wilt never again get such an opportunity [to 
 execute thy project]. Regardless, therefore, of my 
 life, 1 I also went on. He again turned round and 
 forbade me in great wrath [to follow him], and 
 seemed determined to put me to death. I stretched 
 forth my neck, and conjuring him [by all that was 
 sacred], I said, " Rustam 2 of these days, strike such 
 a blow that I may be cut clean in two ; let not a fibre 
 remain together, and let me be released from this 
 wandering and wretched state ; I pardon you my 
 blood." He replied, " O demon-faced ! why dost 
 thou for nothing bring thy blood on my head, and 
 makest me criminal ; go thy own way ; what ! is thy 
 life become a burden to thee ? " I did not mind 
 what he said, but advanced ; then he knowingly ap- 
 peared not to regard me, and I followed him. Pro- 
 ceeding on about two kos, we passed the wood, and 
 came to a square building ; the young man went up 
 to the door and gave a frightful scream; the door 
 opened of itself; he entered, and I remained altogether 
 outside. God, [said I] what shall I now do ? I was 
 perplexed ; at last, after a short delay, a slave came 
 out and brought a message, saying, "Come in, he has 
 called you to his presence; perhaps the angel of death 
 hovers over your head ; what evil fortune has befallen 
 you?" I replied, "Verily it is good fortune;" and with- 
 out fear, I entered along with him into the garden. 
 
 Literally, " having washed my hands of my life." 
 
 8 Rustam, a brave and famous hero of Persia, whose Herculean achieve* 
 incuts are celebrated in the Shah-Ndma.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 133 
 
 At last, he led me to a place where [the young man 
 was sitting] ; on seeing him, I made him a very low 1 
 saldm ; he beckoned me to sit down; I sat down with 
 respect. What do I see but the young man sitting 
 alone on a masnad, with the tools of a goldsmith lying 
 before him; and he had just finished a branch of 
 emeralds. When the time came for him to rise up, 
 all the slaves that were around the place concealed 
 themselves in [different] rooms ; I also from fear hid 
 myself in a small closet. The young man rose up, 
 and having fastened the chains of all the apartments, 
 he went towards the corner of the garden, and began 
 to beat the bull he usually rode. The noise of the 
 animal's roaring reached my ear, and my heart quaked 
 [with fear] ; but as I had ran all these risks to deve- 
 lop this mystery, I forced the door, though trembling 
 with fear, and under the screen of the trunk 2 of a tree, 
 I stood and saw [what was going on]. The young 
 man threw down the club with which he was beating 
 [the bull], and unlocked a room and entered it. Then, 
 instantly coming out, he stroked the bull's back with 
 his hand, and kissed its mouth ; and having given it 
 some grain and grass, he came towards me. On per- 
 ceiving this, I ran off quickly, and hid myself in the 
 room. 
 
 The young man unfastened the chains of all th 
 rooms, and the whole of the slaves came out, bringing 
 with them a small carpet, a wash-hand basin, and a 
 
 1 Literally, "a saldm a3 low as the carpet ;" or as we say, " a bow to tho 
 ground." 
 
 2 The various editions of the text read tunna, "a particular kind of tree." 
 In one of my MSS., however, the reading is tane, the inflected form of tana, 
 the " trunk of a tree," which is better sense.
 
 134 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 water pot. After washing his hands and face, he stood 
 up to pray; when he had finished his prayers, he 
 called out, "Where is the pilgrim?" On hearing 
 myself called, I ran out and stood before him ; he 
 desired me to sit down ; after making him a saldtn, 
 I sat down ; the dinner was served ; he partook of it, 
 and gave me some, which I also ate. When the 
 dishes were removed, and we had washed our hands, 
 he dismissed his slaves and told them to go to rest. 
 When no one [except ourselves] remained in the 
 apartment, he then spoke to me, and asked, "O friend, 
 what great misfortune has befallen thee that thou 
 goest about seeking thy death?" I related in full 
 detail all the adventures of my life, from beginning to 
 end, and added, that, " from your goodness, I have 
 hopes of obtaining my wishes." On hearing this, he 
 heaving a deep sigh, went raving mad, and began to 
 say, " O God ! who except thee is acquainted with the 
 tortures of love ! He whose chilblain has not yet 
 broken out, how can he know the pains of others 1 he 
 only knows the degree of this pain who has felt the 
 pangs of love ! 
 
 ' The anguish of love, you must ask of the lover, 
 Not of him who feigns, but of the true lover.' " 
 
 A moment after, coming to himself, he heaved a 
 heart-burning sigh ; the room resounded with it; then 
 I perceived that he was likewise tortured with the 
 pangs of love, and was suffering from the same malady 
 [as myself]. On this discovery, I plucked up courage 
 and said, " I have related to you all my own adven- 
 tures ; now do me the favour to impart to me tho past
 
 SECO1ND DARWESH. 135 
 
 events [of your life] ; I will then first of all assist you 
 as far as I can, and by exerting myself obtain for you 
 the desires of your heart." In short, that true lover, 
 conceiving ine his companion and fellow-sufferer, began 
 the relation of his adventures in the following manner. 
 " Hear, O friend ! I whose heart is tortured with 
 anguish, am the prince of this country of Nimroz ; the 
 king, that is to say, my father, at my birth, collected 
 together all the fortune tellers, astrologers and learned 
 men, and ordered them to cast and examine my horo- 
 scope, to fix my nativity, and to state in full to his 
 majesty whatever was to befall me every individual 
 moment, and hour, and pahar, and day, and month, 
 and year, [of my life]. They all assembled according 
 to the king's order, and consulting together, they, from 
 their mystical science, ascertained my future fate, and 
 said, ' By the blessing of God, the prince has been 
 begotten and born under such a propitious planet, and 
 in such a lucky moment, that he ought to be equal to 
 Alexander in extent of dominion, and in justice equal 
 to Naushlrwdn. He will be, moreover, proficient in 
 every science, and every [branch of] learning, and 
 towards whatever subject his heart is inclined, he will 
 accomplish it with perfection. He will in generosity 
 and bravery acquire such renown, that mankind will no 
 longer remember Hdtim and Rustam ; but until [he 
 attains] the age of fourteen, he is exposed to great 
 danger if he sees the sun or moon ; yea, it is to be 
 feared he may become a mad demoniac, and shed the 
 blood of many ; and restless [of living in society], he 
 will fly to the woods, and associate with beasts and 
 birds ; great and strict pains must be taken tlmt he
 
 130 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 should never behold the sun by day or the moon by 
 night, or cast a look even towards the heavens. If this 
 period [of fourteen years] pass away without danger 
 and in safety, then for the rest of his life he will 
 reign in peace and prosperity. 5 
 
 "On hearing this [prognostication], the king ordered 
 this garden to be laid out, and caused to be built in it 
 many apartments of various kinds. He gave an order 
 for me to be brought up in a vault, lined [on the inside] 
 with felt, so that not a single ray of light from the 
 sun or moon might penetrate [into my apartment]. I 
 had a wet nurse and all other kinds of female servants 
 and attendants attached to me, and was brought up 
 in this grand palace with this [imagined] security. A 
 learned tutor, who was skilled in public affairs, was 
 appointed to [superintend] my education ; so that I 
 might acquire every science and art, and the practice 
 of the seven varieties of penmanship ; and my father 
 always looked after me ; the occurrences of every day 
 and every moment were told to the king. I considered 
 that same place as the whole world, and amused my- 
 self with toys and flowers ; and I had procured for 
 me every delicacy the world [could produce] for my 
 food ; whatever I desired I had. By the age of ten 
 years, I had acquired every species of learning, and 
 every useful accomplishment. 
 
 " One day, beneath that dome, an astonishing 
 flower appeared from the sky-light, which increased 
 in size as I gazed upon it ; I wished to seize it with 
 my hands, but as I stretched them towards it, it as- 
 cended [and eluded my grasp]. I, having become 
 astonished, was looking steadfastly t it, when the
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 137 
 
 sound of a loud laugh reached my ear ; I raised my 
 head to look [towards the dome from which the noise 
 proceeded]. Then I saw that a face, resplendent as 
 the full moon, having rent the felt, continued issuing 
 forth. On beholding it, my reason and senses va- 
 nished. On coming to myself, I looked up, and saw 
 a throne of jewels raised on the shoulders of fairies ; 
 a person was seated on it, with a crown of precious 
 stones on her head, and clothed in a superb dress ; 
 she held in her hand a cup made of ruby, and seated, 
 was drinking wine. The throne descended by slow 
 degrees from its height, and rested on [the floor of] the 
 dome. Then the fairy called me, and placed me beside 
 her [on the throne] ; she began to make use of ex- 
 pressions of endearment, and having pressed her lips 
 to mine, she made me drink a cup of rosy wine, and 
 said, ' The human race is faithless, but my heart loves 
 thee.' The expressions she uttered were so endearing 
 and so fascinating, that in a moment my heart was 
 enraptured, and I felt such pleasure as if I had tasted 
 the supreme joys of life, and thus I conceived that I 
 had only on that day entered the world [of enjoy- 
 ment]. 
 
 " The result is my present state ! but no one [on 
 earth] hath ever seen, or heard such ecstatic pleasure ! 
 In that zest, with our hearts at ease, we both were 
 seated, when all at once our joys were dashed to 
 pieces ! Now listen to the unlooked-for circum- 
 stance [which produced this sudden change]. At the 
 moment, four fairies descended from the heavens, and 
 whispered something in that beloved one's ear. Chi 
 hearing it, her colour changed, and she said to roe,
 
 138 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 ' my beloved, I fondly wished to pass some moments 
 with you, and regale my heart, and to repeat my visits 
 in the same manner, or to take thee with me. But 
 fate will not permit two persons [like us] to remain in 
 one place in peace and felicity ; farewell, my beloved ! 
 may God protect you !' On hearing these [dreadful 
 words], my senses vanished, and my bliss fled from 
 my grasp. 1 I cried, ' O my charmer, when shall we 
 meet again ? what dreadful words of wrath are these 
 which you have made me hear ? If you will return 
 quickly, then you will find me alive, otherwise you 
 will regret the delay ; or else tell me your name and 
 place of residence, that I may from those directions, 
 by diligent search, conduct myself to you.' On hear- 
 ing this she said, ' God forbid [you should do so] ; 
 may the ears of Satan be deaf ; may your age amount 
 to a hundred and twenty years ; 2 if we live we shall 
 meet again; I am the daughter of the king of the 
 Jinns, and I dwell in the mountain of Kdf. 3 On 
 saying this, she caused the throne to ascend, 4 and it 
 ascended in the same manner as it had descended. 
 
 1 Literally, " the parrot of my hand flew away." 
 
 2 The Muhammadans reckon a hundred aud twenty years as the 'umri 
 tabi'l, or the natural period of man's life. 
 
 3 The mountain of Kdf, is the celebrated abode of thejinns, pans, and 
 dtvs, and all the fabulous beings of oriental romance. The Muhammadans, 
 as of yore all good Christians, believe that the earth is a flat circular plane ; 
 and on the confines of this circle is a ring of lofty mountains extending 
 all round, serving at once to keep folks from falling off, as well as forming 
 a convenient habitation for ihejinns, &c., aforesaid. The mountain, (1 am 
 not certain on whose trigonometrical authority) is said to be SQO.farasangs 
 or 2000 English miles in height. 
 
 4 With regard to the plain, simple sentence, "yih kahkar takht uthaya," 
 we have somewhere seen the following erudite criticism, viz. : " With 
 deference to Mir Amman, this is bad grammar. The nominative to kahfair
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 139 
 
 * 
 
 " Whilst the throne was in sight, our eyes were 
 fixed on each other ; when it disappeared from my 
 eyes, my state became such as if the shadow of a fairy 
 had fallen on me ; a strange sort of gloom was spread 
 over my heart, and my understanding and conscious- 
 ness left me ; the world appeared dark under my eyes ; 
 distracted and confused, I wept bitterly, and scattered 
 dust over my head, and tore my clothes; I became 
 regardless of food and drink, nor cared for good or 
 evil. 
 
 '"What various evils result from this same lovo! 
 lu the heart are produced sadness and impatience.' 1 
 
 " My misfortune was soon known to my nurse and 
 preceptor ; with fear and trembling they went before 
 the king, and said, ' Such is the state of the prince of 
 the people of the world ; we do not know how this 
 disaster has suddenly and of itself fallen upon him, so 
 that rest, food, and drink have all [on his part] been 
 abandoned.' [On hearing these sad tidings] the king 
 immediately came to the garden [where I resided], 
 accompanied by the wazir, intelligent nobles, wise 
 physicians, true astrologers, learned mullets, holy de- 
 votees, and men abstracted from worldly affairs. On 
 seeing my distracted, sighing, weeping condition, his 
 
 and uthayd ought to be the same ! ! !" Now, it is a great pity that the critic 
 did not favour us here with his notions of good grammar. Just observe, 
 O reader, how the expression stands in the text : " yih JcahJcar taJcht uthdya" 
 and you will naturally ask, " where is the fault in the grammar ?" The 
 nominative, or rather the agent, is pan, ne, hence the translation, "the 
 fairy, having thus spoken, took up the throne." The poor critic seenia 
 to confound " uthayd " with " utM." 
 
 1 One of the would-be poets of our day has translated the above most 
 elegantly and literally, as follows : 
 
 " What mischiefs through this love arise ! 
 What broken hearts and miseries!"
 
 140 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 
 
 mind became also distracted ; he wept, and with fond 
 affection clasped me to his breast, and gave orders for 
 my proper treatment. The physicians wrote out their 
 prescriptions, in order to strengthen my heart and 
 cure my brain, and the holy priests wrote out charms l 
 and amulets, some to be swallowed, and others to be 
 worn on my person, and having each repeated prayers 
 [of exorcism], they began to blow upon me ; the 
 astrologers said this misfortune had happened owing 
 to the revolution of the stars [for the averting] of it, 
 give pious donations. In short, every one advised 
 according to his science ; but what was passing within 
 me, my heart alone experienced; no one's assistance 
 or remedy was of avail to my evil destiny ; day after 
 day my lunacy increased, and my body became emaci- 
 ated from the want of nourishment. There remained 
 for me only to shriek and moan, day and night. 
 Three years passed away in this state. In the fourth 
 year, a merchant, who was on his travels, arrived, and 
 brought with him into the royal presence rare and 
 valuable articles of different countries ; he met with a 
 gracious reception. 
 
 1 The Muhammadans have great confidence in charms which are written 
 on slips of paper, along with numerous astrological characters. They 
 consist chiefly of quotations from the Kuran, and are often diluted in 
 water, and drank as medicine in various distempers. As the Indian ink 
 and paper can do no harm, and often act as an emetic, they are probably 
 more innocent than the physic administered by eastern physicians, who are 
 the most ignorant of their profession. The fact is, that the soi disant 
 " teachers " of mankind, in all ages and countries the African fetish, the 
 American Indian sachem, the Hindu jogz, the Musalmdn mulla, and the 
 Romish priest and miracle-monger have all agreed on one point, viz., to 
 impose on their silly victims a multitude of unmeaning ceremonies, and 
 absurd mummeries, in order to conceal their own contemptible vacuity of 
 intellect.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. "J41 
 
 " The king favoured him greatly, and after inquiries 
 respecting his health, he said to him, ' You have seen 
 many countries ; have you anywhere seen a truly 
 learned physician, or have heard of such from any 
 one ? ' The merchant replied, * Mighty sire, this slave 
 has travelled a great deal ; in the middle of the 
 [Ganges] river in Hindustan there is a small moun- 
 tain ; there a Jata-dkdrl Gusd'in l has built a large 
 temple to Mahddev? together with a place of worship, 
 and a garden of great beauty, and in that [mountain- 
 island] he lives ; and his custom is this, that once a 
 year on the day of Shevrdt? he comes out of his 
 dwelling, swims in the river, and enjoys himself. 
 After washing himself, when he is returning to his 
 abode, then the sick and afflicted of various countries 
 and regions, who come there from afar, assemble near 
 his door. Of these a numerous crowd is formed. 
 
 " 'The holy Gusd^in (who ought to be called the 
 Plato 4 of these days), moves along examining the 
 urine, and feeling the pulse of each, and giving each a 
 recipe. God has given him such healing power, that, 
 on taking his medicines, their effects are instantaneous, 
 and the disease utterly vanishes. These circumstances 
 I have seen with my own eyes, and adored the power 
 of God which has created such beings ! If your 
 
 1 The Jdtd-dhdn Gusd,m is a sect of fanatic Hindu mendicants, who let 
 their hair grow and matted, and go almost naked. 
 
 2 Mahddev is a Hindu idol ; the emblem of the creative power, and gene- 
 rally and naturally represented by the Lingum. 
 
 3 Shevrat is a Hindu festival, which corresponds nearly with the Maho- 
 metan shabi bardt. 
 
 4 Plato is supposed by the Muhammadans to have been not only a pro- 
 found philosopher, but a wise physician. In short, it is too general an 
 idea with them, that a clever man must be a good doctor.
 
 142 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 majesty orders it, I will conduct the prince of the 
 people of the world to that [wonderful man], and show 
 the prince to him ; I firmly hope he will soon be com- 
 pletely cured; moreover, this scheme is externally bene- 
 ficial, for from inhaling the air of various places, and 
 from the diet and drink of different countries [through 
 which we shall pass], the prince's mind will be re- 
 stored to cheerfulness.' The merchant's advice seemed 
 very proper to the king, and being pleased, he said, 
 ' Very well ; perhaps the holy man's treatment may 
 prove efficacious, and this melancholy may be removed 
 from my son's mind.' The king appointed a confi- 
 dential nobleman, who had seen the world, and had 
 been tried on [various] occasions, together with the 
 merchant, to attend me, and he furnished us with the 
 requisite equipment. Having seen us embark on 
 boats of every variety, together with our baggage, he 
 dismissed us. Proceeding onwards, stage after stage, 
 we arrived at the place [where the holy Gma'in lived]. 
 From change of air, and from living on a different diet, 
 my mind became somewhat composed ; but there still 
 remained the same state of silence ; and I wept inces- 
 santly. The recollection of the lovely fairy was not 
 for a moment effaced from my mind; if I spoke 
 sometimes, it was only to repeat these lines : 
 
 ' I know not what fairy-faced one has glanced over me, 
 But my heart was sound and tranquil not long ago.' 
 
 At last, when two or three months had passed away, 
 nearly four thousand sick had assembled on the rock, 
 and all said, ' If God please, the Gusd'in will shortly 
 come out of his abode, and bestow on us his advice, 
 and we shall be perfectly cured.' In short, when that
 
 SECOND DARWESU. 143 
 
 day arrived, the Gusd'in appeared in the morning, like 
 the sun, and bathed and swam in the river ; he 
 crossed over it and returned, and rubbed ashes of 
 cow-dung over his body, and hid his fair form like a 
 live coal under the ashes. He made a mark with 
 sandal wood on his forehead, girded on his lanyoti? 
 threw a towel over his shoulders, tied his long hair 
 up in a knot, twisted his mustachios, and put on his 
 shoes. It appeared, from his looks, that the whole 
 world possessed no value to him. Having put a small 
 writing desk set with gems under his arm, and looking 
 at each [patient] in turn, he gave them his recipes, and 
 came to me. When our looks met, he stood still, 
 paused for a moment, and then said to me, ' Come 
 with me.' I went along with him. 
 
 "When he had done with all the rest, he led me 
 into the garden, and into a neat and richly-ornamented 
 private apartment, and he said to me, ' Do you make 
 your residence here,' and went himself to his abode. 
 When forty days had elapsed, he came to me, and 
 found me better comparatively with [what I had been] 
 before. He then, smiling, said, 'Amuse yourself by 
 walking about in this garden, and eat whatever fruits 
 you like.' He gave me a china pot filled with majun? 
 and added, ' Take without fail six mds/tds 3 from this 
 
 1 The langot or langoil is a piece of cloth wrapped or fastened round the 
 loins, and tucked in between the feet. It barely conceals what civilization 
 requires should be bid from the public view. 
 
 2 Ma'jun is the extract from the intoxicating plant called charas or bhang, 
 a species of hemp; it is mixed with sugar and spices to render it palatable. 
 Th.e inebriation it produces fills the imagination with agreeable visions, and 
 the effects are different from those of wine or spirits. 
 
 5 Six mdshas amount to nearly a quarter of an ounce j a sicca rupee 
 weighs eleven
 
 144 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 pot every morning, fasting.' Saying this, he went 
 away, and I followed strictly his prescription. My 
 body perceptibly gained strength daily, and rny mind 
 composure, but mighty love was still triumphant ; that 
 fairy's form ever wandered before my eyes. 
 
 "One day I perceived a book 1 in a recess in the wall ; 
 I took it down, and saw that all the sciences relating 
 to the future and the present world were comprised 
 in it, as if the ocean had been compressed into a vase. 
 I used to read it at all times ; I acquired great skill 
 in the science of physic, and the mystical art of phil- 
 ters. A year passed away in the meantime, and again 
 that same day of joy returned ; the Gusd'in, having 
 arisen from his devotional posture, came out [of his 
 abode] ; I made him my saldm ; he gave me the 
 writing case, and said, 'Accompany me.' I [accord- 
 ingly] went along with him. When he came out of 
 the gate a vast crowd showered blessings on him. The 
 nobleman and the merchant, seeing me with the 
 Gusd'in, fell at his feet, and began to pour forth their 
 blessings on him, saying, " by the favour of your 
 holiness, this much at least has been effected." The 
 Gusd,in went to the ghdt of the river, according to 
 custom, and performed his ablutions and devotions, 
 as he was wont to do every year; returning [from 
 thence], he was proceeding along the line and examining 
 the sick. 
 
 " It happened, that in the group of lunatics, a hand- 
 some young man, who had scarce strength to stand 
 up, attracted the Gusd'ins attention. He said to me, 
 'Bring him with you.' After delivering his prescrip- 
 
 1 Literally, " a volume of a book."
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 145 
 
 tions of cure to all, he went into his private apartment 
 and opened a little of the young lunatic's skull ; ho 
 attempted to seize with his forceps the centipede which 
 was curled on his brain. An idea struck me, and I 
 spoke out, saying, * If you will heat the forceps in the 
 fire, and then apply it to the centipede's back, it will 
 be better, as it will then come out of its own accord ; 
 but if you thus attempt to pull it off, it will not quit 
 its grasp on the brain, and [the patient's] life will be 
 endangered.' 1 On hearing this, the Gmd } ln looked 
 towards me ; silently he rose up, and, without saying 
 a word, he went to the corner of the garden, and 
 seizing a tree in his grasp, he formed his long hair' 
 into a noose, and hanged himself. I went to the spot, 
 and saw, alas ! alas ! that he was dead. I became 
 quite afflicted at the strange and astonishing sight ; 
 but being helpless, I thought it best to bury him. 
 The moment I began to take him down from the tree, 
 two keys dropt from his locks ; I took them up, and 
 interred that treasure of excellence in the earth. 
 Having taken with me the two keys, I began to apply 
 them to all the locks. By chance I opened the locks 
 of two rooms with these keys, and perceived that they 
 were filled from the floor to the roof with precious 
 stones ; in one place I saw a chest covered with velvet, 
 with clasps of gold, and locked. When I opened it, 
 then I saw in it a book, in which was written the 
 " Most awful of Names," 2 and the mode of invoking 
 
 1 Tliis exceedingly absurd story is of Rabbinical origin. I have a strong 
 impression on my mind of having read soinetliing very like it long ago in 
 the works of Philo Judueus, the contemporary of Josephus. 
 
 2 The Ismi A'zam^ or the " Most Mighty Name" [of God] is a magis 
 
 L
 
 146 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 the genii, and the fairies, and the holding of inter 
 course with spirits, and how to subdue them, also the 
 mode of charming the sun. 
 
 " I became quite delighted at the idea of having 
 acquired such a treasure, and began to put those 
 [charms] in practice. I opened the garden door, and 
 said to the nobleman, and to those who had come 
 with me, ' Send for the vessels [which had brought us, 
 and embark in them all these jewels, specie, merchan- 
 dise, and books/ and having embarked myself in a 
 small vessel, I proceeded from thence to the main 
 ocean. When sailing along, I approached my own 
 country. The intelligence reached my father. He 
 mounted his horse, and advanced to meet us ; with 
 anxious affection he clasped me to his bosom ; I kissed 
 his feet, and said, ' May this humble being be allowed 
 to live in the former garden ?* 
 
 " The king replied, ' O my son, that garden appears 
 to me calamitous, and I have therefore forbidden its 
 being kept up ; that spot is not at present fit for the 
 abode of man ; reside in any other abode which your 
 heart may desire. You had best choose some place 
 in the fort, and live under my eyes ; and having there 
 formed such a garden as you wish, continue to walk 
 about and to amuse yourself.' I strenuously resisted 
 and caused the former garden to be repaired once 
 more, and having embellished it like a perfect para- 
 dise, I went to reside in it. There, at my ease, I 
 
 spell or incantation which the acquirer can apply to wonderful purposes. 
 God hath, among the Muhammadans, ninety-nine names or epithets ; the 
 Itmi A'zam is one of the number, but it is only the initiated few who can 
 ay which of the ninety-nine it is.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 147 
 
 fasted forty days for the purpose of subduing the 
 jinns to my will ; and having abandoned living crea- 
 tures, I began to practise [my spells] on the world of 
 spirits. 
 
 "When the forty days were completed, such a 
 terrible storm arose at midnight, that the very 
 strongest buildings fell down, and trees were up- 
 rooted and scattered in all directions ; an army of 
 fairies appeared. A throne descended from the air, 
 on which a person of dignified appearance was seated, 
 richly dressed, with a crown of pearls on his head. 
 On seeing him, I saluted him with great respect ; he 
 returned my salutation, and said, ' O friend, why hast 
 thou raised this commotion for nothing ? what dost 
 thou want with me ?' I replied, ' This wretch has 
 been long in love with your daughter, and for her I 
 have every where wandered about wretched, dis- 
 tracted, and am dead, though alive ; I am now sick 
 of existence, and have staked my life on this deed 
 which I have done. All my hopes now rest on your 
 benevolence, that you will exalt this unfortunate wan- 
 derer with your favour, and that you will bestow on 
 me life and happiness, by allowing me to behold [your 
 fair daughter] ; it will be an act of great merit.' 1 
 
 " On hearing my wishes he said, ' Man is made of 
 earth, and we are formed of fire ; connection between 
 two such [classes] is very difficult/ I swore an oath, 
 saying, ' I only desire to see her, and have no other 
 purpose.' Again the king [of the fairies] replied, 
 ' Man does not adhere to his promises ; in time of 
 
 1 The word tawab- strictly means, " the reward received in the nnxt world 
 for virtuous actions performed in the present state of existence."
 
 148 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 need he promises everything, but he does not keep it 
 in recollection. I say this for thy good ; for if ever 
 thou formest other wishes, then she and thou wilt be 
 ruined and undone ; moreover, it will endanger your 
 lives.' I repeated my oaths, and added, that what- 
 ever could injure both of us, I would never do, and 
 that all I desired was to see her sometimes. These 
 words were passing [between us], when suddenly, the 
 fairy (of whom we were talking) appeared before us, 
 with much splendour, and completely adorned; and 
 the throne of the king [of the fairies] remounted 
 thence. I then embraced the fairy with fond eager- 
 ness, and repeated this verse : 
 
 ' Why should not she of the arched eyebrows come [to my house], 
 She for whose sake I have fasted for forty days.' 
 
 Ih that state of felicity we resided together in the 
 garden. I dreaded through fear to think of other 
 joys ; I only tasted the superficial pleasure [of her 
 roseate lips], and constantly gazed upon her charms. 
 The lovely fairy, seeing me so true to my oath, was 
 surprised within herself, and used sometimes to say, 
 ' my beloved, you are indeed strictly faithful to 
 your promise; but I will give you, by the way of 
 friendship, a piece of advice ; take care of your 
 mystical book ; for the jinns, seeing you off your guard, 
 will purloin it some day or other.' I replied, ' I guard 
 this book as I would my life.' 
 
 " It so happened, that one night Satan led me astray; 
 in a fit of overpowering passion, I said to myself, ' Let 
 happen what will, how long can I restrain myself?' 
 I clasped the [lovely fairy] to my bosom, and attempted 
 to revel in ecstatic joys. Instantly, a voice came forth,
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 149 
 
 saying, ' Give me the book, for the great name of God 
 is written in it ; do not profane it.' In that fervour 
 of passion, I was insensible [to every other considera- 
 tion] ; I took the book from my bosom and delivered 
 it, without knowing to whom I gave it, and plunged 
 myself into the fervid joys of love. The beautiful 
 fairy, seeing my foolish conduct, said, ' Alas ! selfish 
 man, thou hast at last transgressed, and forgotten my 
 admonition.' 
 
 " On saying this, she became senseless, and I per- 
 ceived a jinn standing at the head of the bed, who 
 held the magical book in his hand ; I attempted to 
 seize him, and beat him severely, and snatch away the 
 book, when in the meantime another appeared, took 
 the book from his hand, and ran off. I began to 
 repeat the incantations I had learnt. The jinn, who 
 was still standing near me, became a bull ; but, alas ! 
 the lovely fairy had not in the least recovered her 
 senses, and that same state of stupor continued. Then 
 my mind became distracted, and all my joys were 
 turned into bitterness. From that day, man became 
 my aversion. I live in a corner of this garden ; and 
 for the sake of agreeably occupying my mind, I made 
 this emerald vase, ornamented with flowers, and every 
 month I go to the plain, mounted on that same bull, 
 break the vase, and kill a slave, with the hope that 
 every one may see my sad state and pity me ; perha-ps 
 some creature of God may so far favour me and pray 
 for me, that I even may regain the desire [of my 
 heart]. O faithful friend, such as I have related to 
 thee is the sad tale of my madness and lunacy." 
 I wept at hearing it, and said, " O prince, you have
 
 150 ADVENTURES OF THE SECOND DARWESH. 
 
 truly suffered greatly from love ; but I swear here by 
 God, that I will abandon my own wishes, and will 
 now roam among woods and mountains for your 
 good, and do all I can [to find out your beloved fairy] . 
 Having made this promise, I took leave of the prince, 
 and for five years wandered through the desert, sifting 
 the dust, like a mad man, but found no trace [of the 
 fairy]. At last, desponding of success, I ascended a 
 mountain, and wished to throw myself down [from its 
 summit], so that neither bone nor rib [in my frame] 
 might remain entire. The same veiled horseman, 
 [who saved you from destruction], came up to me 
 and said, " Do not throw away thy life ; in a few 
 days thou wilt be in possession of the desires of thy 
 heart." holy Darweshes ! I have at last seen you. 
 I have now hopes that joy and happiness will be our 
 lot, and all of us, now affected as we are, may attain 
 our wished-for objects.
 
 TALE OF AZAD BAKHT. 
 
 WHEN the second Darwesh had likewise finished tell- 
 ing the relation of his adventures, the night ended, 
 and the time of morning was just beginning. The 
 king, Azdd Bakht, silently proceeded towards his own 
 kingly abode. On arriving at his palace, he said his 
 prayers. Then, having gone to the bathing-house, 
 and dressed himself superbly, he proceeded to the 
 Diwdni 'Jmm and mounted his throne; and he issued 
 an order, saying, " Let a messenger go and bring along 
 with him, with respect, to our presence, four Darweslies 
 who have [recently [arrived at such a place." The 
 messenger went there according to orders, and per- 
 ceived that the four Darweshes, after performing the 
 necessary calls, and washed their hands and faces, were 
 on the point of setting out on [their peregrinations], 
 and take their different roads. The messenger said to 
 them, " Reverend sirs, the king has called you four 
 personages ; come along with me." The four Dar- 
 weshes began to stare at each other, and said to the 
 messenger, " Son, we are the inonarchs of our own 
 hearts ; what have we to do with a king of this 
 world?" The messenger answered, " Holy sirs, there 
 is no harm in it, and it is better you should go."
 
 15.2 TALE OP 
 
 The four Darweshes then recollected that what 
 Mauld Murtazd 1 had said to them, that same had 
 now come to pass ; they were pleased at the recollec- 
 tion], and went along with the messenger. When 
 they reached the fort and went before the king, the 
 four Kalandars gave a benediction, saying, " Son, 
 may it be well with thee." The king then retired to 
 the Dlwdni Mass, and having called two or three of 
 his confidential nobles near him, he ordered the four 
 Darweshes to be brought in. When they went there 
 [before his majesty], he commanded them to sit down, 
 and asked them their adventures, saying, "From 
 whence come you, where do you intend to go, and 
 where is the residence of your worships ?" 
 
 " They replied, " May the king's age and wealth be 
 always on the increase ! we are Darweshes, and have 
 in this very manner for a long while wandered and 
 roamed about ; we bear our homes on our shoulders. 
 There is a saying, that ' a pilgrim's home is where 
 the evening overtakes him ;' and all we have seen in 
 this versatile world is too long a tale to relate." 
 
 Azdd Bakkt gave them every confidence and en- 
 couragement, and having sent for refreshment, he 
 made them breakfast before him. WTien they finished 
 [their meal] the king said to them, " Relate all your 
 adventures to me, without the least reserve ; whatever 
 services I can render you, I will not fail to do." The 
 Darweshes replied that, " whatever has happened to 
 us, we have not the strength to relate, nor will any 
 pleasure result to the king from hearing it ; therefore 
 
 1 The veiled horseman who rescued the first and second Darweshes from 
 self-destruction.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 158 
 
 pardon us." The king then smiled, and said, "Where 
 you were sitting on your couches last night and re- 
 lating each his own adventures, there I was likewise 
 present ; moreover, I have heard the adventures of 
 two of you; I now wish that the two who remain 
 would also relate theirs ; and stay with me a few days 
 in perfect confidence, for ' the footsteps of the Darwesh 
 scare away evil.'" 1 On hearing these words from 
 the king, they began to tremble in consequence of 
 their fear ; and having hung down their heads, they 
 remained silent they had not the power to speak. 
 
 When Azdd Bakht perceived that now through fear 
 their senses no longer remained with them, so as to 
 enable them to tell anything, he said [to revive their 
 spirits] " There is no person in this world to whom 
 rare and strange incidents have not occurred ; although 
 I am a king, yet I have even seen strange scenes, 
 which I will first of all relate to you [to inspire you 
 with confidence and remove your fears] ; do you listen 
 to it with your minds at ease." The Darweshes 
 replied, " O king, peace be on thee ! such are your 
 kindnesses towards us darweshes, condescend to relate 
 them." 
 
 Azdd Bakht began his adventures, and said, 
 
 " Hear, O pilgrims, the adventures of the king. 
 Whatever I hare heard or seen, O hear ! 
 I will relate to ye every tiling, from end to end. 
 My story with heartfelt attention hear." 
 
 When my father died, and I ascended the throne, it 
 was in the very season of youth, and all this kingdom 
 of Rum was under my dominion. It happened one 
 
 1 A Persian proverb.
 
 154 TALE OF 
 
 year, that some merchant from the country of Badakh- 
 shdn 1 came [to my capital] and brought a good deal 
 of merchandise. The reporters of intelligence 2 sent 
 notice to me to this effect, that so considerable a mer- 
 chant had never visited our city before : I sent for him. 
 " He came, and brought with him the rarities of every 
 country, which were worthy of being offered to me, as 
 presents. Indeed, every article appeared to be of in- 
 estimable value ; above all, there was a ruby in a box, 
 of an exceedingly fine colour, very brilliant, perfect in 
 shape and size, and in weight [amounting to] five 
 miskdls. 3 Though I was a king, I had never seen 
 such a precious stone, nor had I heard of such from 
 any other person. I accepted it, and bestowed upon 
 the merchant many presents and honours ; I gave him 
 passports for the roads, that throughout my empire no 
 one should ask him any duties ; that they should treat 
 him with kindness wherever he went ; that he should 
 be waited on, and have guards for his protection, and 
 that they should consider any loss he might experi- 
 ence as their own. The merchant attended at the 
 time of audience, and was well versed in the forms of 
 respect due to royalty ; his conversation and eloquence 
 were worth hearing. I used to send for the ruby 
 daily from the jewel office, and look at it at the time 
 of public audience. 
 
 1 SadaJchsMn is a part of the grand province of Khurasan, and the city 
 of Balkh is its metropolis, to the eastward of which is a chain of mountains 
 celebrated for producing fine rubies. 
 
 2 All Asiatic princes, like others nearer home, have spies, called "reporters 
 of intelligence," who inform themselves of what passes in public. They 
 *re, as a matter of course, the pest of society, and generally corrupt. 
 
 3 A mipkal is four and a half niashas ; our ounce contains twenty-foi* 
 ndshds. So the ruby weighed more than half an ounce.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 155 
 
 One day I was seated in the dlwd.ti 'dmm, and the 
 nobles and officers of state were in waiting in their re- 
 spective places, and the ambassadors of different sove- 
 reigns, who had come to congratulate me [on my acces- 
 sion to the throne], were likewise present. I then 
 sent for the ruby, according to custom ; the officer of 
 the jewel office brought it ; I took it in my hand and 
 began to praise it, and gave it to the ambassador of 
 the Franks [to look at it]. On seeing it, he smiled, 
 and praised it by way of flattery ; in the same manner 
 it passed from hand to hand, and every one looked at 
 it, and all said together, " The preponderance of your 
 majesty's good fortune has procured you this ; for 
 otherwise, even unto this day, no monarch has ever 
 acquired so inestimable a jewel." At that moment 
 my father's wazir, who was wise, and held the same 
 station under me, and was standing in his place, made 
 his obeisance and said, " I wish to impart something 
 [to the royal ear], if my life be granted." 
 
 I ordered him to speak ; he said, " Mighty sire, you 
 are king, and it is very unbecoming in kings to laud 
 so highly a stone ; though it is unique in colour, in 
 quality, and in weight, yet it is but a stone ; and at 
 this moment the ambassadors of all countries are pre- 
 sent in the court ; when they return to their respective 
 countries, they will assuredly relate this anecdote, say- 
 ing, ' What a strange king he is, who has got a ruby 
 from somewhere, and makes such a rarity of it, that 
 he sends for it every day, and praising it himself the 
 first, shows it to every one present.' Then whatever 
 king or raja * hears this anecdote, the same will cer* 
 
 1 The word raja is the Hindu term for a prince or sovereign. In mow
 
 156 TALE OF 
 
 tainly laugh at it in his own court. Great sire, there 
 is an insignificant merchant in Naishdpur, 1 who has 
 twelve rubies, each weighing seven miskdls? which he 
 has sewed on a collar, and put it round his dog's 
 neck." On hearing this, I became greatly displeased, 
 and said with anger, put this wazir to death. 
 
 The executioners immediately seized hold of his 
 hands, and were going to lead him out [to execution]. 
 The ambassador of the king of the Franks, joining his 
 hands [in humble supplication] stood before me. I 
 asked him what he wanted ; he replied, " I hope I may 
 become informed of the wazirs fault." I answered, 
 what can be a greater fault than to lie, especially 
 before kings. He replied, "His falsehood has not yet 
 been confirmed ; perhaps what he has said may be 
 true ; now, to put an innocent person to death is not 
 right." I said to him in reply, " It is not at all con- 
 sistent with reason, that a merchant, who, for the sake 
 of gain, wanders disconsolate from city to city and 
 from country to country, and hoards up every farthing 
 [he can save], should sew twelve rubies, which weigh 
 seven miskdls each, on the collar of a dog." The 
 ambassador in answer said, "Nothing is surprising 
 before the power of God ; perhaps it may be the case ; 
 such rarities often fall into the hands of merchants 
 and pilgrims. For these two [classes of people] go 
 into every country, and they bring away with them 
 
 recent times it has become a mere empty title, conferred upon rich Hindus 
 by the Emperor of Delhi. 
 
 1 Naishapur was once the richest and grandest city in the province of 
 Khurasan. It was utterly destroyed by Tull, the son of Jenghls Khan 
 (or more correctly, Changls Ka,dn), in A.D. 1221. 
 
 8 Seven mukals are more than an ounce and a quartet
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 157 
 
 whatever they find rare in [their travels]. It is most 
 advisable for your majesty to order the wazir to be 
 imprisoned, if he is as guilty [as you suppose] ; for 
 wazlrs are the intelligencers of kings, and such con- 
 duct as this appears unhandsome in the latter, that in 
 a case, the truth and falsehood of which is as yet un- 
 ascertained, to order them to be put to death, and 
 that the services and fidelity of a whole life should be 
 forgotten. 
 
 " Mighty sire, former kings have erected prisons for 
 this very reason, that when the kings or chiefs may 
 be in wrath towards any one, then they might confine 
 him. In a few days their anger will have entirely 
 subsided, and [the suspected one's] innocence will be- 
 come manifest, and the king will be exempt from the 
 stain of shedding innocent blood, and not have to 
 answer for it on the day of judgment." Though I 
 wished ever so much to refute him, yet the ambassador 
 of the Franks 1 gave such just replies, that he reduced 
 me to silence. Then I said, well, I agree to what you 
 say, and I pardon him his life. But he shall remain 
 imprisoned ; if in the space of a year his words are 
 proved to be true, that such rubies are round the neck 
 of a dog, then he shall be released ; otherwise, he 
 shall be put to death with many torments. I accord- 
 ingly ordered the wazir to be carried to prison. On 
 hearing this order, the ambassador made me his 
 humble obeisance, 2 and performed his parting salute. 
 
 1 The term Farang, vulgarly Frank, was formerly applied to Christian 
 Europe in general, with the exclusion of Russia. 
 
 2 laterally, " kissed the ground of obeisance," a Persian phrase, expres- 
 sive of profound respect.
 
 158 TALE OF 
 
 When this news reached the wazir s family, weep- 
 ing and lamentations took place, and it became a 
 house of mourning. The wazir had a daughter of 
 the age of fourteen or fifteen years, very handsome 
 and accomplished, perfect in writing and reading. 
 The wazir loved her greatly, and was extremely fond 
 of her ; so much so, that he had erected an elegant 
 apartment for her behind his own dlwdn khana ; 
 and had procured for her the daughters of noblemen 
 as her companions, and handsome female servants 
 waited on her; with these she passed her time in 
 laughter and joy, and playing and romping about. 
 
 It happened that on the day the wazir was sent to 
 prison, the girl was sitting with her young companions, 
 and was celebrating with [infantile] pleasure the mar- 
 riage of her doll ; and with a small drum and timbrel 
 she was making preparation for the night vigils ; and 
 having put on the frying pan, she was busy making up 
 sweetmeats, when her mother suddenly ran into her 
 apartment, lamenting and beating [her breasts], with 
 dishevelled tresses and naked feet. She struck a blow 
 on her daughter's head, and said, " Would that God 
 had given me a blind son instead of thee ; then my 
 heart would have been at ease, and he would have 
 been the friend of his father." The wazir s daughter 
 asked, " What use would a blind son have been to 
 you? whatever he could do, I can do likewise." The 
 mother replied, " Dust be on thy head ! such a cala- 
 mity hath fallen on thy father, that he is confined in 
 the prison for having used some improper expressions 
 before the king." The daughter asked, " What were 
 the expressions ? let me hear them." Then her mother
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 159 
 
 answered, " Your father said that there is a merchant 
 in N.ishdpur, who has fixed twelve inestimable rubies 
 on his dog's collar : the king would not believe him, 
 but conceived him a liar, and has imprisoned him. If 
 he had had to-day a son, he would have exerted him- 
 self by every means to ascertain the truth of the cir- 
 cumstance ; he would have assisted his father, be- 
 sought the king's forgiveness, and have got my hus- 
 band released from prison." 
 
 The wazir's daughter said [in reply], " mother, 
 we cannot combat against fate ; man under sudden 
 calamity ought to be patient, and place his hopes in 
 the bounty of God. He is merciful, and does not 
 hold any one's difficulties to be irremovables ; weeping 
 and lamentations are improper. God forbid that our 
 enemies should misrepresent [the motive of our tears] 
 to the king, and the teller of tales calumniate us, for 
 that would be the cause of further displeasure. On 
 the contrary, let us offer up our prayers for the king's 
 welfare ; we are his born slaves, and he is our master ; 
 even as he is wroth, so will he be gracious." The girl, 
 from her good sense, thus made her mother comprehend 
 these things, so that she became somewhat patient and 
 tranquil, and returned in silence to her palace. When 
 the night arrived, the wazlr-zddl 1 sent for her foster 
 father, [or nurse's husband], and fell at his feet and be- 
 seeched him greatly, and weeping, said, "I have formed 
 a resolution to wipe off the reproach my mother has 
 cast on me, so that my father may regain his freedom. 
 If you will be my companion, then I will set out for 
 Naishdpiir, and having seen the merchant [who has 
 
 1 "'Ike miuister's daughter," afterwards called 4< the young merchant."
 
 160 TALE OP 
 
 such rubies round his dog's neck], I will do all in ray 
 power [to the end that] I may release my father." 
 
 The man indeed made some excuses at first; at 
 length after much discussion, he agreed [to her request]. 
 Then the wazir-zadi said, " Make the preparations for 
 the journey in secrecy and silence, and buy some 
 articles of trade fit to be presented as offerings to 
 kings, and procure as many slaves and servants as may 
 be required; but do not let this circumstance be 
 revealed to any one." The foster father agreed [to 
 the project], and set about [the necessary] prepara- 
 tions. When all the materials were got ready, he 
 loaded the camels and mules, and set out ; the wazirs 
 daughter also put on the dress of a man, and joined 
 him. No one in the house knew anything whatever 
 Jof the departure]. When the morning came, it was 
 mentioned in the wazirs family, that the wazir-zddl, 
 had disappeared, and that it was uncertain where she 
 was gone. 
 
 At last, the mother, from fear of scandal, concealed 
 the circumstance of her daughter's disappearance ; 
 and there [on the journey] the wazir-zddi gave her- 
 self out as a " young merchant." Travelling onwards 
 stage by stage, they arrived at Naishdpwr ; and with 
 great pleasure they went and put up at the caravan- 
 serai, and unloaded all their merchandise. The 
 wazir-zadl remained there that night ; in the morning 
 she went to the bath; and put on a rich dress, accord- 
 ing to the costume of the inhabitants of Mum, and 
 went out to ramble through the city. Proceeding 
 along, she reached the chauk, and stood where the 
 four great streets crossed each other ; and a jeweller's
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 161 
 
 shop appeared on one side, where a great deal of 
 jewels were exposed [for sale], and slaves wearing 
 rich dresses were in waiting, with crossed arms ; and 
 a man, who was their chief, of about fifty years 1 of 
 age, dressed like rich persons in a short-sleeved jacket, 
 was seated there, with many elegant companions near 
 him, seated likewise on stools, and conversing among 
 themselves. 
 
 The wazir-zadi (who had represented herself as a 
 merchant's son, 2 ) was greatly surprised at seeing the 
 jeweller ; and, on reflection, she became pleased in 
 her own heart, saying, " God grant this be no delu- 
 sion ! it is most probable that this is the very mer- 
 chant, the anecdote of whom my father mentioned to 
 the king. 0, great God, enlighten me as to his cir- 
 cumstances." It happened, that on looking around 
 her, she saw a shop, in which two iron cages were 
 suspended, and two men were confined in them. 
 They looked like majnun in appearance, only skin and 
 bones remained; the hair of their heads and their 
 nails were quite overgrown, and they sat with their 
 heads reclined on their breasts ; two ugly negroes, 
 completely armed, were standing on each side [of the 
 
 1 The phrase pachas ek means " about fifty." It is strange that a certain 
 critic on this work, (who has a prodigiously high opinion of himself,) 
 should have rendered the above passage, " whose age was about forty or 
 fifty years '. ! !" Most assuredly, the merest tyro in Hindustani can tell 
 him that it cannot have such a latitude as to mean " about forty or fifty." 
 He might just as correctly have said " about fifty or sixty." The phrase 
 pachas ek, as I have stated, means simply " about fifty," Le., it may bo 
 one year more or less. 
 
 2 In the text, the wazlr-zadl is henceforth called tauddgar-baeha, or the 
 young merchant, being the character under which she, for some 
 figures. 
 
 M
 
 162 TALE OF 
 
 cages]. The young merchant was struck with amaze- 
 ment, and exclaimed, " God bless us." When she 
 looked round the other way, she saw another shop, 
 where carpets were spread, on which an ivory stool 
 was placed, with a velvet cushion, and a dog sat 
 thereon, with a collar set with precious stones around 
 his neck, and chained by a chain of gold ; and two 
 young handsome servants waited on the dog. One 
 was shaking [over him] a morchhal 1 with a golden 
 handle, set with precious stones, and the other held 
 an embroidered handkerchief in his hand, with which 
 he [from time to time] wiped the dog's mouth and 
 feet. The young merchant, having looked at the 
 animal with great attention, perceived on its collar 
 the twelve large rubies, as she had heard [them 
 described]. She praised God, and began to consider 
 thus : "By what means can I carry those rubies to 
 the king, and show them to him, and get my father 
 released?" She was plunged in these perplexing 
 reflections; meanwhile, all the people in the square 
 and on the road, seeing her beauty and comeliness, 
 were struck with astonishment, and remained utterly 
 confounded. All the people said one to another, 
 " Even unto this day, we have never seen a human 
 being of this form and beauty." The khwajcP also 
 
 1 MorchTials, vulgarly called chowrees, are fly-flaps, to drive away those 
 troublesome companions ; the best kind is made of the fine white long tail 
 of the mountain cow ; the others of the long feathers from the peacock's 
 tail, or the odoriferous roots of a species of grass called khas. They are like- 
 wise a part of the paraphernalia of state in India. 
 
 2 The title kwdja means " chief," or " master ;" it is generally applied 
 to rich merchants, &c., such as we would call " men of respectability." 
 The idiomatic London English for it is " governor," or (as it is pronounced) 
 * guv'ner."
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 1C3 
 
 perceived her, and sent a slave, saying, " Go thou and 
 entreat that young merchant to come to me." 
 
 The slave went up to her and delivered his master's 
 message, and said, " If you will have the kindness, 
 then my master is desirous of [seeing] your honour ; 
 pray come and have an interview with him." The 
 young merchant indeed wished this very thing, and 
 said in reply, " Very well." 1 The moment she came 
 near the khwdja, and he had a full view of her, the 
 dart of attachment pierced his breast ; he rose up to 
 receive her respectfully, but his senses were utterly 
 bewildered. The young merchant perceived that 
 "now he is entangled in the net" [of my charms]. 
 They mutually embraced one another; the khwaja 
 kissed the young merchant's forehead, and made him 
 sit down near him; and asked with much kindness, 
 " inform me of your name and lineage ? whence have 
 you come, and where do you intend to go ?" The young 
 merchant replied, " This humble servant's country is 
 JKum, and Constantinople has been for ages the birth- 
 place [of my ancestors.] My father is a merchant ; 
 and as he is now from old age unable to travel [from 
 country to country on his mercantile concerns] on this 
 account he has sent me abroad to learn the affairs of 
 commerce. Until now I had not put my foot out of our 
 door ; this is the very first journey that has occurred to 
 me. I had not courage 2 to come here by sea, I there- 
 fore travelled by land ; but your excellence and good 
 
 1 Literally, "What difficulty" (is there in so doing). 
 
 8 The city of Naishdpur being some 270 miles inland, it would not be 
 easy lor the young merchant to reach it by sea. Asiatic story-tellers ore 
 not at all particular in regard to matters of geography.
 
 164 TALE OP 
 
 name is so renowned in this country of ' Ajawf that to 
 have the pleasure only of meeting you I have come so 
 far. At last, by the favour of God, I have had the 
 honour of [sitting in] your noble presence, and have 
 found your good qualities exceed your renown ; the 
 wish of my heart is accomplished ; God preserve you 
 in safety, I will now set out from hence." 
 
 On hearing these [last words], the khwdjas mind 
 and senses were quite discomposed, and he exclaimed, 
 " O, my son, do not speak to me of such a thing ;" 
 stay some days with me in my humble abode ; pray 
 tell me where are your goods, and your servants ?" 
 The young merchant replied, " The traveller's abode 
 is the sard,e ; 2 leaving them there, I came to see you." 
 The kh dja said, " It is unbecoming [a person of your 
 consideration] to dwell in the sard,e ; I have some 
 reputation in this city, and much celebrity; send 
 quickly for your baggage, &c. ; I will prepare a house 
 for your goods ; let me see whatever commodities 
 you have brought; I will so manage it, that you 
 will get here great profit on them. At the same 
 time, you will be at your ease, and saved the 
 danger and fatigue [of travelling any farther for a 
 
 1 'Ajam means, in general, Persia ; the Arabs use it in the same sense as 
 the Greeks did the word " barbarian ;" and all who are not Arabs they 
 call 'Ajami ; more especially the Persians. 
 
 2 Sard } e, - sera,l, or caravanserai, are buildings for the accommodation of 
 travellers, merchants, &c., in cities, and on the great roads in Asia. Those 
 in Upper Hindustan, built by the emperors of Dilll, are grand and costly ; 
 they are either of stone or burnt bricks. In Persia, they are mostly of 
 bricks dried in the sun. In Upper Hindustan they are commonly sixteen 
 to twenty miles distant from each other, which is a manzil or stage. They 
 are generally built of a square or quadrangular form with a large open court 
 in the centre, and contain numerous rooms for goods, men, and beaete.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 165 
 
 market], and by staying with me a few days you 
 will greatly oblige me." The young merchant pre- 
 tended ' to make some excuses, but the khwdja would 
 not accept them, and ordered one of his agents, saying, 
 " Send quickly some burden-bearers, and bring the 
 goods, &c., from the caravanserai and lodge them in 
 such a place." 
 
 The young merchant likewise sent a slave of his 
 own with [the agent] to bring the property and 
 merchandise ; and he himself remained with the 
 khwdja until the evening. When the time of [the 
 afternoon] market had elapsed, and the shop was 
 shut, the khi.pa.ja went towards his house. Then one 
 of the two slaves took the dog up under his arm, and 
 the other took up the stool and carpet ; and the two 
 negro slaves placed the two cages on the heads of 
 porters, and they themselves, accoutred with the five 
 weapons, 2 went alongside of them. The khwdja took 
 hold of the young merchant's hand, and conversing 
 with him, reached his house. 
 
 The young merchant saw that the house was grand, 
 and fit for kings or nobles [to reside in]. Carpets 
 were spread on the border of a rivulet, and before 
 the masnad the different articles for the entertainment 
 were laid out. The dog's stool was placed there also, 
 and the khwdja and young merchant took their seats ; 
 he presented to him some wine without ceremony ; 
 they both began to drink. When they got merry, 
 the khwdja called for dinner ; the dastar-khwdn* was 
 
 1 Literally, made excuses from the surface of his heart," i.e., not serious 
 excuses. 
 
 2 That is, " completely armed." Vide note 2, page 87. 
 
 ' On the exact meaning of dastar-khwdn, see note, page 104.
 
 106 TALE OF 
 
 spread, and the good things of the world were 
 laid out. First they put some meat in a dish, and 
 having covered it with a cover of gold, they carried 
 jt to the dog, and having spread an embroidered 
 dastar-khwdn, they laid the dish before him. The dog 
 descended from his stool, ate as much as he liked, and 
 drank some water out of a golden bowl, then returned 
 and sat on his stool. The slaves wiped his mouth 
 and feet with a napkin, and then carried the dish and 
 bowl to the two cages, and having asked for the keys 
 from the khwdja, they opened the locks. 
 
 They took out the two men [who were confined in 
 the cages], gave them many blows with a great stick, 
 and made them eat the leavings of the dog and drink 
 the same water ; they again fastened the doors [of the 
 cages] and returned the keys to their master. When 
 all this was over, the khwdja began to eat himself. 
 The young merchant was not pleased at these circum- 
 stances, and did not touch the victuals from disgust. 
 How much soever the khwdja pressed him, yet he 
 flatly refused. Then the khwdja asked the reason of 
 this, saying, " Why do you not eat ?" The young 
 merchant replied, " This conduct of yours appears dis- 
 gusting to me, for this reason that man is the noblest 
 of God's creatures, and the dog is decidedly impure. 
 So to make two of God's own creatures eat the leav- 
 ings of a dog, in what religion or creed is it lawful ? 
 Do not you think it sufficient that they are your prison- 
 ers ? otherwise they and you are equal. Now, I 
 doubt if you are a Musulmdn ; who knows what you 
 are ? Perhaps you worship the dog ; it is disgusting 
 to me to eat your dinner, until this doubt is removed 
 from my mind."
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 167 
 
 The khwaja answered, " 0, son, I comprehend per- 
 fectly all that you say, and am generally censured for 
 these reasons ; for the inhabitants of this city have 
 fixed upon me the name of dog-worshipper, and call 
 me so, and have published it [everywhere] ; but may 
 the curse of God alight on the impious and the 
 infidel ! " The khiodja then repeated the kalima, 1 and 
 set the young merchant's mind at ease. Then the 
 young merchant asked, thus, " If you are really a 
 Musalmdn in your heart, then what is the reason of 
 this? By so acting, get yourself generally censured?" 
 The khwaja said in reply, " O, son, my name is repro- 
 bated, and I pay double taxes in the city, that no one 
 may know this secret [motive of my conduct]. It is 
 a strange circumstance, which, whoever hears, will get 
 nothing by the recital but grief and indignation. You 
 must likewise pardon me [from relating it] ; for I 
 shall not have strength of mind to recount it, nor will 
 you have the composure of mind to listen to it." The 
 young merchant thought within himself, " I have only 
 to mind my own business ; why should I to no purpose 
 press him further on the subject?" she accordingly 
 replied to the kh aja, " Very well ; if it is not proper 
 to be related, do not mention it." He then began to 
 partake of the dinner, and having lifted a morsel, began 
 to eat. The space of about two months 2 the young 
 merchant passed with the khwaja, with such prudence 
 and circumspection, that no one found out by any 
 chance that he was a woman [in disguise]. All thought 
 
 1 The Musalmdn confession of faith, see note 3, page 156. 
 
 2 The idiom ." do mdhme ek" about two months, similar to the phrase, 
 "pachas ek boras" v. note 1, page 161.
 
 168 TALE OP 
 
 that this [individual] was a male, and the khwdjas 
 affection for him increased daily, so that he could not 
 allow him to be a moment absent from his sight. 
 
 One day, in the midst of a drinking feat, the young 
 merchant began to weep. On seeing it, the khwaja 
 comforted her, and began to wipe away his tears with 
 his handkerchief, and asked him the cause of his 
 weeping. He answered, " O, father, what shall I say ? 
 would to God that I had never attained access to your 
 presence, and that your worship had never shown me 
 that kindness which you are shewing. I am now 
 distressed between two difficulties; I have no heart 
 to be separated from your presence, nor is there a 
 possibility of my staying here. Now, it is necessary 
 for me to go ; but in separating from you, I do not 
 perceive hopes of life." 
 
 On hearing these words, the khwdja involuntarily 
 wept so loudly, that he was nearly choked, and 
 exclaimed, " O, light of my eyes ! are you so soon tired 
 of your old friend, that you think of going away and 
 leaving him in such affliction ? banish from your heart 
 the idea of departing ; as long as I have to live, remain 
 here ; I shall not live a day in your absence, and must 
 [in such case] die before my appointed hour. The 
 climate of this kingdom of Persia is very fine and 
 congenial [to your health], you had best despatch a 
 confidential servant, and send for your parents and 
 property here ; I will furnish whatever equipages and 
 conveyances you require ; when your parents and all 
 their household come here, you can pursue your 
 commercial concerns at your ease. I also have in my 
 life gone through many hardships, and have wandered
 
 AZAD BAKIIT. 169 
 
 many countries. I am now old and have no issue; 
 I love you dearer than a son, and make you my heir 
 and head manager. Be you, on the other hand, care- 
 ful and attentive to my concerns. Give me a bit of 
 bread to eat whilst I live ; when I die, be pleased to 
 bury me, and then take [possession of] all my wealth 
 and effects." 
 
 To this the young merchant replied, "It is true, 
 you have, more than a father, shewn to me kindness 
 and affection, so that I have forgotten my parents; 
 but this humble culprit's father only allowed a year's 
 leave ; if I exceed it, then he in his extreme old age 
 will weep himself to death ; finally, a father's appro- 
 bation is meritorious before God, and if mine should 
 be displeased with me, then I fear he may curse me, 
 and I shall be an outcast from God's grace in this 
 world and the next. Now such is your worship's 
 kindness, that you will give me leave to obey my 
 father's commands, and fulfil the duties [of a son] 
 towards a parent ; I shall, while life lasts, bear on my 
 neck the gratitude I owe for your kindness. If I am 
 ever [so fortunate as] to reach my native country, I 
 will still ever think of your goodness with my heart 
 and soul. God is the Causer of causes ; perhaps some 
 such cause may again occur, that I may have occasion 
 to pay you my respects. In short, the young merchant 
 urged such persuasive and feeling arguments to the 
 khwaja, that he, poor man, being helpless, yielded to 
 their force. 1 Inasmuch as he was now completely 
 fascinated, he began to say in reply, " Well, if you 
 will not stay here, I will myself go with you. I con- 
 
 Literully, " began to smack his lips ;" denoting his satisfaction.
 
 170 TALE OF 
 
 sider you equivalent to my own life : hence, if my life 
 goes with you, of what use is a lifeless body ? If you 
 are determined to go, then proceed, and take me with 
 you." Saying this to the young merchant, he began 
 his preparations likewise for the journey, and gave 
 orders to his agents to get ready quickly the necessary 
 conveyances. 
 
 When the news of the khwajas departure became 
 public, the merchants of that city on hearing it, began 
 likewise their preparations to set out with him. The 
 dog-worshipping khwdja took with him specie and 
 jewels to a great amount, servants and slaves without 
 number, and rich rarities and property worthy of a 
 king, and having pitched his tents of various sorts 
 outside of the city, he went to them. All the other 
 merchants took articles of merchandise with them 
 according to their means, and joined theMwdja; they 
 became for themselves a [regular] army. 
 
 One day, having fixed on a lucky moment for 
 departure, they set out thence on their journey. 
 Having laden thousands of camels with canvas sacks 
 filled with goods, and the jewels and specie on mules 
 five hundred slaves from the steppes of Kapchdk, from 
 Zang, and from Rum, 1 completely armed, men used to 
 the sword, mounted on horses of Arabia, of Tartary, 
 and of Irak, accompanied [the caravan]. In the rear 
 of all came the khwdja and the young merchant, richly 
 dressed, and mounted on sedans; a rich litter was 
 lashed on the back of a camel, in which the dog 
 reposed on a cushion, and the cages of the two 
 prisoners were slung one on each side of another, 
 
 1 Tartar, African, and Turkish slaves.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 171 
 
 across a camel, and thus they marched onwards. Afc 
 every stage they came to, all the merchants waited on 
 the khwdja, and on his dastar-khwdn they ate of his 
 food and drank of his wine. The khwaja offered up 
 his grateful thanks to the Almighty for the happiness 
 of having the young merchant with him, and proceeded 
 on, stage by stage. At last, they reached the environs 
 of Constantinople in perfect safety, and encamped 
 without the city. The young merchant said [to the 
 khwdja'], " O, father, if you grant me permission, I 
 will go and see my parents, and prepare a house for 
 you, and when it is agreeable to you, you will be 
 pleased to enter the city." 
 
 The khwaja replied, " I am come so far for your 
 sake, well, go quickly and see [your parents], and 
 return to me, and give me a place to live in near your 
 own." The young merchant having taken leave [of 
 the khwaja~\, came to his own house. All the people 
 of the household of the wazir were surprised, and 
 exclaimed, " What man has entered [the house] ! " 
 The young merchant, that is, the wazir s daughter, ran 
 and threw herself at her mother's feet, and wept and 
 said, " I am your child." On hearing this, fhe wazir s 
 wife began to reproach her, by saying, " O, wanton 
 girl, thou has greatly dishonoured thyself ; thou hast 
 blackened thine own face, and brought shame on thy 
 family ; we had imagined thee lost, and, after weeping 
 for thee, had with resignation given thee up ; be gone 
 hence." 
 
 Then the wazir-zadi threw the turban off her head 
 and said, " 0, dear mother I did not go to an im- 
 proper place, and have done nuihing wrong ; I have
 
 172 TALE OF 
 
 contrived the whole of this scheme according to your 
 wishes to release my father from prison. God be 
 praised, that through the good effect of your prayers, 
 and through His grace, I, having accomplished the 
 entire object, am now returned ; I have brought that 
 merchant with me from Naiskdpur, along with the 
 dog (around whose neck are those rubies), and have 
 returned with the innocence you bestowed x on me. I 
 assumed the appearance of a man for the journey ; 
 now one day's work remains ; having done that, I will 
 get my father released from prison, and return to my 
 home ; if you give me leave, I will go back again, and 
 remain abroad another day, and then return to you." 
 "When the mother thoroughly comprehended that her 
 daughter had acted the part of a man, and had pre- 
 served herself in all respects pure and virtuous, she 
 offered up her grateful acknowledgments to God, and, 
 rejoicing [at the event], clasped her daughter to her 
 bosom and kissed her lips ; she prayed for her and 
 blessed her, and gave her leave to go, saying, " Do 
 what thou thinkest best, I have full confidence in 
 thee.' 
 
 The wazir-zddi having again assumed the appearance 
 of a man, returned to the dog-worshipping khwdja. 
 Be had been in the meantime so much distressed at 
 her absence, that through impatience he had left his 
 encampment. It so happened, that as the young 
 merchant was going out in the vicinity of the city, the 
 khwdja was coming from the opposite direction ; they 
 met each other in the middle of the road. On seeing 
 him, the khwdja exclaimed, " 0, my child ! leaving 
 
 1 Literally, " I have not proved false in what you have entrusted to mo."
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 173 
 
 this old man by himself, where wast thou gone?" 
 The young merchant answered, " I went to my house 
 with your permission, but the desire I had to see you 
 again would not allow me to remain [at home], and I 
 am returned to you." They perceived a shady garden 
 close to the gate of the city on the sea shore; they 
 pitched their tents and alighted there. The khwdja 
 and the young merchant sat down together, and began 
 to eat their kabdbs, and drink their wine. When the 
 time of evening arrived, they left their tents, and sat 
 out on high seats to view the country. It happened 
 that a royal chasseur passed that way ; he was asto- 
 nished at seeing their manners and their encampment, 
 and said to himself, " Perhaps the ambassador of some 
 king is arrived ;" he stood [and amused himself by] 
 looking on. 
 
 One of the kh djas messengers called him forward, 
 and asked him who he was. He replied, " I am the 
 king's head chasseur." The messenger mentioned 
 him to the khipaja, who ordered a negro slave, saying, 
 " Go and tell the chasseur that we are travellers, and 
 if he feels inclined to come and sit down, the coffee 
 and pipe are ready." l When the chasseur heard the 
 name of merchant, he was still more astonished, and 
 came with the slave to the khwdja 's presence ; he saw 
 [on all sides] the air of propriety and magnificence, 
 and soldiers and slaves. To the khwdja and the young 
 merchant he made his salutations, and on seeing the 
 dog's state and treatment, his senses were confounded, 
 and he stood like one amazed. The khwdja asked 
 
 1 The coffee and pipe are always presented to visitors in Turkey, Arabia, 
 and Persia, and they are considered as indispensable in good manners.
 
 174 TALE OP 
 
 him to sit down, and presented him coffee ; the chas- 
 seur asked the kh djas name and designation. When 
 he requested leave to depart, the khwdja having pre- 
 sented him with some pieces [of cloth] and sundry 
 rarities, dismissed him. In the morning, when the 
 chasseur attended the king's audience, he related ta 
 those present the circumstances of the khwdja; by 
 degrees it came to my knowledge ; I called the chas- 
 seur before me, and asked about the merchant. 
 
 He related whatever he had seen. On hearing of 
 the dog's exalted state, and the two men's confine- 
 ment in the cage, I was quite indignant, and exclaimed, 
 that reprobate of a merchant deserves death ! I or- 
 dered some of my executioners, saying, "Go imme- 
 diately, and cut off and bring me the heretic's head." 
 By chance, the same ambassador of the Franks was 
 present at the audience ; he smiled, and I became 
 still more angry, and said, " 0, disrespectful ; to dis- 
 play one's teeth l without cause in the presence of 
 kings, is remote from good manners; it is better to 
 weep than laugh out of season." The ambassador 
 replied, " Mighty sire, several ideas came across my 
 mind, for which reason I smiled ; the first was, that 
 the wazir had spoken truth, and would now be released 
 from prison ; secondly, that your majesty will be un- 
 stained with the innocent blood of the wazir ; and the 
 third was, that the asylum of the universe, without 
 cause or crime, ordered the merchant to be put to 
 death. At all these circumstances I was surprised, 
 
 1 The phrase " ddnt J&olne" is fully explained in my Grammar, page 129. 
 It appears to have sadly puzzled a learned critic, to whom I huve occa- 
 sionally alluded.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 175 
 
 that without any inquiry your majesty should, on the 
 tale of an idle fellow, order people to be put to death. 
 God in reality knows what is the merchant's real case ; 
 call him before the royal presence and inquire into his 
 antecedents ; if he should be found guilty, then your 
 majesty is master; whatever treatment you please, 
 that you can administer to him. 
 
 When the ambassador thus explained [the matter 
 to me], I also recollected what the wazlr had said, and 
 ordered the merchant, together with his son, the dog, 
 and the cages, to be brought in my presence imme- 
 diately. The messengers set off quickly [on the 
 errand], and in a short time brought them all. I 
 summoned them before me. First came the khwdja 
 and his son [the young merchant], both richly dressed. 
 All present were astonished and bewildered on behold- 
 ing the young merchant's extreme beauty ; he brought 
 in his hand a golden tray, loaded with precious stones, 
 (the brilliancy of every one of which illuminated the 
 room,) and laid it before my throne, made his obei- 
 sance and stood [in respectful silence]. The khwdja 
 also kissed the ground, and offered up his prayers [for 
 my prosperity] ; he spoke with such sweet modulation, 
 as if he were the nightingale of a thousand melodies. 
 I greatly admired his elegant and decorous speech ; 
 out, assuming a face of anger, I exclaimed, " O, you 
 Satan in human form ! what net is this that thou hast 
 spread, and in thine own path what pit hast thou 
 dug ? What is thy religion, and what rite is this I 
 see? Of what prophet's sect are thou a follower? 
 If thou wast an infidel, even then what sense is there in 
 thy conduct ? what is thy name, that thou actest thus ?
 
 17(? TALE OF 
 
 The khwaja calmly replied, " May your majesty's 
 years and prosperity ever increase ; this slave's re- 
 ligious creed is this, that God is one : he has no 
 equal, and I repeat the confession of faith of Muham- 
 mad the pure (the mercy of God be shown to him and 
 his posterity ; may he be safe !) After him, I con- 
 sider the twelve Imams as my guides ; and my rite is 
 this, that I say the five regulated prayers and I ob- 
 serve fasts, and I have likewise performed the pilgrim- 
 age, and from my wealth, I give the fifth in alms, 
 and I am called a Musalmdn. But there is a reason, 
 which I cannot disclose, that I appear to possess all 
 those bad qualities which have raised your majesty's 
 indignation, and for which I am condemned by every 
 one of God's creatures. Though I am [ever so much] 
 called a dog-worshipper, and pay double taxes, all this 
 I submit to ; but the secrets of my heart I have not 
 divulged to any one." On hearing this excuse, my 
 anger became greater, and I said, thou art beguiling 
 me with words ; I will not believe them until thou 
 explainest clearly the reasons which have made thee 
 deviate from the right path, that my mind may be 
 convinced of their truth ; then thy life will be saved ; 
 or else, as a retribution [for what thou hast done], I 
 will order thy belly to be ripped up, that the exem- 
 plary punishment may deter others in future from 
 transgressing the religion of Muhammad. 
 
 The khwaja replied, " king, do not spill the blood 
 of this unfortunate wretch, but confiscate all the wealth 
 I have, which is beyond counting or reckoning, and 
 having made me and my son a votive offering to your 
 throne, release us, and spare us our lives." I smiled,
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 177 
 
 and said, fool ! dost thou exhibit to me the tempta- 
 tion of thy wealth ? Thou canst not be released, 
 except thou speakest the truth. On hearing these 
 words, the tears streamed profusely from the khwdjas 
 eyes, ; he looked towards his son and heaved a deep 
 sigh, and said [to him] " I am criminal in the king's 
 eyes ; I shall be put to death ; what shall I do now ? 
 to whom shall I entrust thee?" I threatened him, 
 and said, dissembler ! cease ; thou hast made too 
 many excuses [already] ; what thou hast to say, say 
 it [quickly]. 
 
 Then, indeed, that man having advanced forward, 
 came near the throne and kissed the foot of it, and 
 poured forth my praise and eulogy, and said, " O 
 king of kings, if the order for execution had not been 
 issued in my case, I would have borne every torture, 
 and would not have disclosed my story; but life is 
 dear above every [consideration] ; no one of his own 
 accord jumps into a well ; to preserve life, then, is 
 right ; and the abandoning of what is right is contrary 
 to the mandates of God. Well, if such is the royal 
 pleasure, then be pleased to hear the past events of 
 this feeble old man. First, order the two cages, in 
 which the two men are confined, to be brought and 
 placed before your majesty. I am going to relate my 
 adventures ; if I falsify any circumstance, then ask 
 them to convict me, and let justice be done." I 
 approved of his proposal and sent for the cages, 
 took them both out, and made them stand near the 
 khwaya. 
 
 The khirdja said, " O king ! this man, who stands 
 on the right hand of your slave is my eldest brother, 
 
 N
 
 178 TALE OF 
 
 and he who stands on my left is my second 1 brother. 
 I am younger than they ; my father was a merchant 
 in the kingdom of Persia, and when I was fourteen 
 years of age, he died. After the burial ceremony 
 was over, and the flowers had been removed [from 
 the corpse on the Siyum\? ny two brothers said to 
 me one day, ' Let us now dMde our father's wealth, 
 whatever there is, and let each do [with his share] 
 whal he pleases.' On hearing [this proposal], I 
 laid, O brothers ! what words are these ! I am 
 your slave, and do not claim the rights of a brother. 
 Our father, on the one hand, is dead, but you both 
 are alive and in the place of that father. I only want 
 a dry loaf [daily] to pass through life, and to remain 
 alert in your service. What have I to do with shares 
 or divisions ? I will fill my belly with your leavings, 
 and remain near you. I am a boy, and have not 
 learnt even to read or write ? what am I able to do ? 
 At present do you confer instruction upon me. 
 
 " On hearing this, they replied, ' Thou wishest to 
 ruin and beggar us also along with thyself.' I was 
 silent, and retired to a corner and wept ; then I 
 reasoned with myself and said, my brothers, after all, 
 are my elders ; they are reproving [me for my good, 
 and] with a view to my education, that I may learn 
 some [profession]. In these reflections I fell asleep. 
 In the morning, a messenger from the kdzl came and 
 conducted me to the court of justice ; I saw that both 
 
 1 Literally, " middle brother ;" as there were three in number, of cours* 
 the "second" and "middle" are identical. 
 
 3 The Siyum are the rites performed for the dead on the third day after 
 demise ; it is called the tlja in Hinduvn,
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 179 
 
 my brothers were there in waiting. The kaw, asked 
 me, 'Why dost not thou accept thy share of thy 
 father's property?' I repeated to him what 1 had at 
 home said [to my brothers]. The latter said, ' If he 
 speaks this sentiment from his heart, then let him 
 give us a deed of release, saying he has no claims on our 
 father's wealth and property.' Even then I thought, 
 that as they both were my elders, they advised for my 
 good ; that if I got my share of my father's property I 
 might improperly spend it. So, according to their de- 
 sire, I gave them a deed of release, with the kdzis 
 seal. They were satisfied, and I returned home. 
 
 " The second day after this, they said to me, ' 
 brother, we require the apartment in which you live ; 
 do you hire another place for your residence, and go 
 and stay there.' 'Twas then I perceived that they 
 were not pleased that I should even remain in my 
 father's house ; I had no remedy, and determined to 
 leave it. protector of the world ! when my father 
 was alive, whenever he returned from his travels, he 
 used to bring the rarities of different countries, and 
 give them to me by way of presents ; for this reason, 
 that every one loves most the youngest child. I from 
 time to time sold these [presents], and raised a small 
 capital of my own ; with this [sum] I carried on some 
 traffic. Once, my father brought for me a female 
 slave from Tartary, and he once brought thence some 
 horses, from which he gave me also a promising 
 young colt ; and I used to feed it from my own little 
 property. 
 
 " At last, seeing the inhumanity of my brothers, I 
 bought a house, and went and resided there ; this dog
 
 180 TALE OF 
 
 also went along with me. I purchased the requisite 
 articles for housekeeping, and bought two slaves for 
 attendance ; with the remainder of my capital I opened 
 a shop as a cloth merchant, and placing my confidence 
 in God, I sat down quietly [in it], and felt contented 
 with my fate. Though my brothers had behaved un- 
 kindly to me, yet, since God was gracious, my shop in 
 three years' time increased so greatly, that I became 
 a man of credit. Whatever rarities [in the way of 
 clothes or dresses] were required in every great family, 
 went from my shop only. I thereby earned large 
 sums of money, and began to live in affluent circum- 
 stances. Every hour I offered up my prayers to the pure 
 God, and lived at my ease ; and often used to repeat 
 these verses on my [prosperous] circumstances : 
 
 * Why should not the prince be displeased ? 
 I have nothing to do with him. 
 Except thyself, O, mighty Prince, 1 
 What other [sovereign] can I praise ? 
 Why should not my brother be displeased ? 
 Nothing can he do [to harm me] ; 
 Thou alone art my help ; 
 Then to whom else should I go ? 
 Why should not the friend or foe be displeas'd, 
 During the whole [eight] watches, 
 Let me fix my affections on thy feet only. 
 Let the world be wrathful [with me], 
 But thou dost far transcend [the world] ; 
 All others may kiss my thumb, 
 Only it is my wish that thou be not displeased.' 
 
 " It happened, that on a Friday I was sitting at 
 home, when a slave of mine had gone to the bazar for 
 necessaries ; after a short time, he returned in tears. 
 I asked him the reason, and what happened to him, 
 
 1 Alluding to God.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 181 
 
 He replied with anger, ' What business is it to you ? 
 do you enjoy yourself; but what answer will you give 
 on the day of judgment ? ' I said, O, you Abyssinian, 
 what demon has possessed thee ? He answered, ' This 
 is the calamity, that the arms of your two elder 
 brothers have been tied behind their backs in the cJtaak 
 by a Jew ; he is beating them with a whip, and laughs 
 and says, ' If you do not pay my money, I will beat 
 you even unto the death [and if I lose my money by 
 the act], it will be at least a meritorious deed on my 
 part.' Such is your brother's treatment, and you are 
 indifferent; is this right? and what will the world 
 say ? ' On hearing these circumstances from the slave, 
 my blood glowed l [with fraternal warmth] ; I ran 
 towards the chauk with naked feet, and told my slaves 
 to hasten with money. The instant I arrived there, I 
 saw that all that the slave had said was true ; blows 
 continued to fall on my brothers. I exclaimed to the 
 magistrate's guards, for God's sake forbear awhile ; let 
 me ask the Jew what great fault [my brothers] have 
 committed, in retaliation for which, he so severely 
 punishes them. 
 
 " On saying this, I went up to the Jew and said, to 
 day is the sabbath day ; 2 why dost thou continue to 
 inflict stripes on them ? The Jew replied, * If you wish 
 to take their part, do it fully, and pay me the money 
 in their stead ; or else take the road to your house.' 
 I said, ' what is the amount ? produce the bond, and 
 I will count thee out the money.' He replied, ' that 
 he had just given the bond to the magistrate.' At this 
 
 1 Or it may mean, " my blood boiled " [with resentment], 
 ' The Muhammadan sabbath is Friday.
 
 182 TALE OP 
 
 moment, my slaves brought two bags of money. I 
 gave a thousand pieces of silver to the Jew, and re- 
 leased my brothers. Such was their condition, naked, 
 hungry, and thirsty, I brought them with me to my 
 own house, and caused them instantly to be bathed in 
 the bath, and dressed in new clothes, and gave them a 
 hearty meal. I never asked them what they had done 
 with our father's great wealth, lest they might feel 
 ashamed. 
 
 " king, they are both present ; ask them if I tell 
 truth, or falsify any of the circumstances. Well, after 
 some space of time, when they had recovered from the 
 bruises of the beating [they had suffered], I said to 
 them one day, * O brothers, you have now lost your 
 credit in this city, and it is better you should travel 
 for some days.' On hearing this, they were both 
 silent ; but I perceived they were satisfied [with my 
 proposal]. I began to make preparations for their 
 journey, and having procured tents and all necessary 
 conveyance, I purchased for them merchandise to the 
 amount of 20,000 rupees. A kafila x of merchants 
 was going to Bukhara ; 2 I sent them along with it. 
 
 "After a year, that caravan returned, but 1 heard no 
 tidings of my brothers ; at last, putting a friend on his 
 oath, I asked him [what had become of them]. He 
 
 1 A kafila means a company of merchants who assemble and travel toge- 
 ther for mutual protection. It is synonymous with caravan. 
 
 2 Bukhara is a celebrated city in Tartary ; it was formerly the capital of 
 the province called Mawaralnahr, or Transoxiana, before the Tartar con- 
 querors fixed on Samarkand. It lies to the northward of the river Oxus 
 OP Oihun, which divides Tartary from Persia, or as the Persian geographers 
 term it, Iran, from Turan. Bukhara is celebrated by Persian poets for ita 
 climate, its fruits, and its beautiful women.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 183 
 
 replied, ' When they went to Bukhara, one of them 
 lost all his property at the gambling house, and is now 
 a sweeper at the same house, and keeps clean and 
 plastered the place of gambling, and waits on the 
 gamblers who assemble there ; they, by way of charity, 
 give him something, and he remains there as a scullion. 
 The other brother became enamoured of a baza-ven- 
 dor s l daughter, and squandered all his property [on 
 her], and now he is one of the waiters at the boze- 
 khana? The people of the kafila do not mention these 
 circumstances to you for this reason, that you would 
 become ashamed [at hearing them]. 
 
 " On hearing these circumstances from that person, 
 I was in a strange state ; hunger and sleep vanished 
 through anxiety ; taking some money for [the expenses 
 of] the road, I set out instantly for Bukhara. When 
 I arrived there, I searched for them both, and I 
 brought them to the house [I had taken]. I had them 
 bathed and clothed in new dresses, and, from fear of 
 their being abashed with shame, I said not a word to 
 them [of what had happened]. I again purchased 
 some goods for merchandise for them, and returned 
 with them home. When we arrived near Naishdpur, 
 I left them in a village with all the goods and chattels, 
 and came [secretly] to my house, for this reason, that 
 no one might be informed of my return. After two 
 days, I gave out publicly that my brothers were re- 
 
 1 The loza is an intoxicating drink made of spirits, the leaves of the 
 char as plant, tdri, and opium. Tan, erroneously called todee, is the juice 
 of the palm tree. 
 
 2 Literally, ale-house, or tippling-house. One is strongly led to heliero 
 that this is the origin of our cant word boozing-ken, imported from the East 
 by the gipsies some four or five centuries ago.
 
 184 TALE OF 
 
 turned from their journey, and that I would go out to- 
 morrow to meet them. In the morning, as I wished 
 to set out, a peasant of that village came to me, and 
 began to make loud complaints ; on hearing his voice 
 I came out, and seeing him crying, I asked, why dost 
 thou make a lamentation ? He answered, ' Our houses 
 have been plundered, owing to your brothers ; would 
 to God that you had not left them there ! ' 
 
 " I asked, what misfortune has occurred ? He re- 
 plied, ' A gang of robbers came at night and plundered 
 their property and goods, and they at the same time 
 robbed our houses.' I pitied him, and asked, where 
 are these two now ? He answered, ' They are sitting 
 without the city, stark naked and utterly distressed/ 
 I instantly took two suits of clothes with me and went 
 [to them], and having clothed them, brought them to 
 my house. The people [of the city], hearing [the 
 circumstances of the robbery], continued coming to 
 see them, but they did not go out through shame. 
 Three months passed in this same manner ; at last I 
 reflected within myself, ' how long will they thus 
 remain squatted in a corner ? If it can be brought 
 about, I will take them with me on some voyage/ 
 
 " I proposed it to my brothers, and added, ' if you 
 please, I will go with you. They were silent. I again 
 made the necessary preparations for the voyage, pur- 
 chased some goods for the trade, and set out and took 
 them with me. After I had distributed the customary 
 alms [for a prosperous voyage], and loaded the mer- 
 chandise on the ship, we weighed anchor, and the 
 vessel set sail. This dog was sleeping on the banks 
 [of the river] ; when he awoke, and saw the ship in
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 185 
 
 the middle of the stream, he was surprised, and having 
 barked and jumped into the river, he began to swim 
 [after us]. I sent a skiff for him, at last having seized 
 [the faithful animal], they conveyed him into the ship. 
 One month passed in safety on the river ; somehow, 
 my second brother became enamoured of my slave girl. 
 One day, he thus spoke to our eldest brother, that, 
 ' to bear the load of our younger brother's favours is 
 very shameful; what remedy shall we apply to this 
 [evil]?' The eldest answered, 'I have formed a plan 
 in my mind ; if it can be executed, it will be a great 
 thing.' Both at last consulted together, and settled it 
 between them to destroy me, and seize all my property 
 and goods. 
 
 "One day, I was asleep in the cabin, and the female 
 slave was shampooing l me, when my second brother 
 came in hastily and awaked me. I started up in a 
 hurry, and came forth [on deck]. This dog also fol- 
 lowed me. I saw my eldest brother leaning on his 
 hands against the vessel's side, and intensely looking 
 at the wonders of the river, and calling out to me. I 
 went up to him and said, ' is all well ? ' He answered, 
 ' Behold this strange sight ; mermen are dancing in 
 the stream, with pearl, oysters, and branches of coral 
 in their hands.' If any other had related this circum- 
 stance so contrary to reason, I should not, indeed, have 
 believed it. I imagined what my brother said to be 
 true, and bent down my head to look at it. How 
 
 1 A grateful and luxurious operation in the warm climate of India, more 
 especially after the fatigue of travelling. Shampooing is a word of uncertain 
 etymology ; the French have a better term, masser. The natives say it has 
 a physical advantage, as it quickens their languid circulation ; perhaps they 
 are right.
 
 186 TALE OF 
 
 much soever I looked, I perceived nothing, and he kept 
 saying, 'Do you now see it?' Now, had there been 
 anything, I should have seen it. Perceiving me [by 
 this trick] off my guard, my second brother came 
 behind me, unperceived, and gave me such a push 
 that, without choice, I tumbled into the water, and 
 they began to scream and cry aloud, ' Run, run, our 
 brother has fallen into the river/ 
 
 " In the meantime the ship went on, and the waves 
 carried me away from it ; I was plunging in the water, 
 and drifting amidst the waves. I became at last quite 
 exhausted ; I invoked the aid of God, but nought was 
 of any avail. All of a sudden my hand touched some- 
 thing ; I looked at it, and saw this dog. Perhaps., 
 when they pushed me into the river, he also jumped 
 after me, and kept swimming close by my side. I 
 took hold of his tail, and God made him the cause of 
 my salvation. Seven days and nights passed in this 
 manner ; the eighth day we reached the shore. I had 
 no strength whatever left, but throwing myself on my 
 back, I rolled along as well as 1 could, and threw 
 myself on the land. I remained senseless for one 
 whole day ; the second day the dog's barking reached 
 my ears ; I came to myself, and I thanked God [for 
 my salvation], I began looking around me, and per- 
 ceived at a distance the environs of a city ; but where 
 had I strength, that I should attempt to reach it? 
 Having no other resource, I continued crawling along 
 about two paces, and then rested ; in this way I had 
 finished a kos l of the road by the evening. 
 
 " Half way [to the city] I reached a mountain, and 
 
 1 A kos ia nearV two English miles, being about fifteen furlongs.
 
 AZAD BAKTIT. 187 
 
 lay there all night ; the next morning I reached the 
 city ; when I came to the bazar and saw the shops of 
 the bakers and confectioners, my heart began to pal- 
 pitate, for I had not money to buy, nor did I feel 
 inclined to beg. In this way, I went along, saying to 
 myself, I will ask something in the next shop. At 
 last, strength had failed me, and my stomach * yearned 
 with extreme hunger; life was nearly quitting my 
 body. By chance, I saw two young men dressed 
 like Persians, walking along hand in hand. On seeing 
 them, my spirits revived, as they seemed [by their 
 dress] to be my countrymen perhaps some of my 
 acquaintance to whom, therefore, I might relate my 
 circumstances. When they drew near, [I perceived] 
 they were of a verity, my brothers ; and on perceiving 
 this, I was extremely rejoiced, and praised God, saying, 
 ' God has preserved my reputation ; and I have not 
 stretched forth my hands to strangers [for subsistence].' 
 I went up to them and saluted them, and kissed my 
 eldest brother's hand. Immediately on seeing me, 
 they made a great noise, and my second brother 
 struck me so forcibly that I staggered and fell down. 
 I seized my eldest brother's robe, thinking that he 
 would perhaps take my part ; but he gave me a violent 
 kick. 
 
 " In short, they both thoroughly pounded me, and 
 behaved to me as Joseph's brothers [did to him]. 
 Though I besought them in God's name [to desist] 
 and implored mercy, yet they felt no pity. A crowd 
 assembled [round us] ; and every one asked, ' What 
 is this man's crime ?' Then my brothers replied, 
 
 1 Literally, " the fire was kindled in niy stomach."
 
 188 TALE OF 
 
 * This rascal was our brother's servant and pushed him 
 over into the sea, and seized all his treasure and pro- 
 perty. We have been long in search of him, and 
 to-day he has appeared [to us] in this guise.' They 
 then continued questioning me, saying, ' villain ! 
 what [infernal idea] entered thy mind, that thou niur- 
 deredst our brother ? What injury had he done to 
 thee ? Had he behaved ill to thee, that he had made 
 thee superintendent [of his affairs] ?' They both then 
 tore their own clothes, and wept loudly with sham 
 grief for their brother, and continued to beat and 
 kick me. 
 
 " In the meantime, the soldiers of the governor 
 arrived, and having spoken to them threateningly, 
 said, ' Why do you beat him ?' And taking hold of 
 my hand, they carried me to the magistrate. These 
 two 1 also went with us, and repeated to the magistrate 
 the same [tale which they had told the crowd], and 
 having given him something by way of bribe, they 
 demanded justice, and insisted on blood for blood. 
 The magistrate asked me [what I had to say for my- 
 self]. Such was my condition from hunger and the 
 blows [I had received], that I had not strength to 
 speak ; hanging down my head, I remained standing 
 [in silence] ; no answer issued from my mouth. The 
 magistrate also became convinced that I was assuredly 
 a murderer ; he ordered me to be kd to the plain, 
 and placed on the stake. 2 O, protector of the world, 3 
 
 1 Pointing to his two brothers who were present, and heard his tale. 
 
 5 The stake was a common mode of punishment in India in former day?, 
 end, until recently, was practised among the Sikhs, Marhattas, and other 
 Asiatic princes, who were independent of our government. 
 
 * Addressing himself to the king Azdd
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 189 
 
 I had paid money, and got these [two here] released 
 from the Jew's bondage ; in return for which, they 
 having given money, endeavoured to take away my 
 life. They are both present ; ask them if [in all I 
 have related] I have varied a hair's breadth [from the 
 truth], Well, they led me out [to the plain] ; when 
 I saw the stake, I washed my hands of life. 
 
 " Except this dog, I had no one else to weep for me ; 
 his state was such that he rolled on every one's feet 
 and barked. Some beat him with sticks, and others 
 with stones, but he would not stir from that place. I 
 stood with my face towards the klbla, 1 and addressing 
 myself to God, I said, ' At this moment I have no one 
 except Thee to intervene and save the innocent ! Now, 
 if Thou savest, I am saved.' After this address, I 
 repeated the prayer of slialiadat? staggered, and then 
 feh 1 . By the dispensation of God, it so happened, that 
 the king of that country was attacked with the cholic ; 
 the nobles and physicians assembled ; whatever reme- 
 dies they applied, produced no good. One holy man 
 said, ' The best of all remedies is, that alms be given 
 to the destitute, and that all prisoners should be 
 released ; for in prayer there is greater efficacy than 
 in physic.' Instantly the royal messengers went off 
 running towards the prisons. 
 
 " By chance, some one came to that plain [where I 
 was], and seeing a crowd, he ascertained [from a by- 
 
 1 The term kibla signifies the " point of adoration," and is generally 
 applied to the Ka'ba, or holy edifice, situated in the sacred inelosure of 
 Mecca. To this point all Muhammadans must turn when they pray. 
 
 2 The prayer of martyrdom among the Musalmans, It is often repeated 
 wheii they go into action against Christians and Pagans.
 
 190 TALK OF 
 
 slander] that they were placing some person on the 
 stake. Immediately on hearing this, he galloped up 
 to the stake, and cut the ropes with his sword. He 
 threatened and chastised the magistrate's soldiers, and 
 said, 'At such a time, when the king is in such a state, 
 are you going to put a creature of God to death ?' and 
 he got me released. Upon which, these two brothers 
 went again to the magistrate, and urged him to put 
 me to death. As this official had already taken a 
 bribe from them, he [readily] acquiesced to do what- 
 ever they dictated. 
 
 " The magistrate said to them, ' Rest satisfied ; I 
 will now confine him in such a way, that he will of 
 himself, from want of food and drink, die of sheer 
 exhaustion, and no one will know anything about it/ 
 They re-seized me, and kept me in a corner. About 
 a kos without the city was a mountain, in which, in 
 the time of Solomon, the divs had dug a deep and 
 narrow well ; it was called Solomon's prison. Who- 
 ever fell greatly under the king's wrath, was confined 
 in that well, where he perished of himself [from hunger 
 and thirst. To shorten my story, thsse two brothers 
 and the magistrate's soldiers carried me at night, in 
 silence, to the mountain, and having cast me into 
 that pit, and thus set their own minds at ease, they 
 returned. king, this dog went with me, and when 
 they put me into the well, he remained lying on its 
 brink. I lay some time senseless in the inside, and 
 then a little consciousness returned to me; I con- 
 ceived myself to be dead, and that place my grave 
 At this time I heard the sounds of two men's voices, 
 who were saying something to each other; I con-
 
 AZAD BAKITT. 191 
 
 eluded that these were Naklr and Munkir, 1 who were 
 come to question me; and I likewise heard the 
 rustling of a rope, as if some one had let it down 
 there. I was wondering, and began to feel about 
 me on the ground, when some bones came into my 
 gripe. 
 
 " After a moment, a noise like that made by the 
 mouth when some one is masticating, struck my ears. 
 I exclaimed, ' creatures of God, who are ye ; tell 
 me for God's sake ?' They laughed, and said, ' This 
 is the great Solomon's prison, and we are prisoners.' 
 I asked them, 'Am I really alive?' .They again 
 laughed heartily, and replied, * You are as yet alive, 
 but will soon die.' I said, ' You are eating ; what 
 would it be if you were to give me some?' They 
 then got angry, and gave me a dry answer, but 
 nothing else. After eating and drinking, they fell 
 asleep. I through faintness and weakness, fell into a 
 swoon, and wept and dreamed of God. Mighty sire, 
 I had been seven days in the sea, and so many days 
 since without food, owing to my brothers' false accu- 
 sation ; yea, instead of food, I had got a beating, and 
 was now ingulfed in such a prison, that not the least 
 appearance of release came even into my imagination. 
 
 " At last, life was leaving me ; sometimes it came, 
 and sometimes it left me. From time to time some 
 person used to come at midnight, and let down by 
 a rope some bread tied up in a handkerchief, and a 
 jar of water, and used to call out. Those two men 
 
 1 According to the Muhammadan belief, NaJcir and Munkir are **o 
 angels who attend &t the moment of death, and call to an account th 
 epirit of the deceased.
 
 192 TALE OP 
 
 who were confined near me used to seize it and eat 
 and drink. The dog constantly witnessing this 
 circumstance, exerted his intelligence, thus, ' In the 
 way in which this person lets down water and bread 
 into the pit, do thou also make some contrivance 
 whereby some food may reach this destitute one, who 
 is thy master, then may his life be saved." Thus 
 having reflected, he went to the city, [and saw that] 
 round cakes of bread piled up on the counter at a 
 baker's shop ; leaping up, he seized a cake in his 
 mouth, and ran off with it ; the people pursued him, 
 and pelted him with clods, but he would not quit 
 the cake ; they became tired [of pursuing him], and 
 returned ; the dogs of the city ran after him ; he 
 fought and struggled with them, and having saved 
 the cake, he came to the well, and threw in the 
 bread. There was sufficient light for me to see the 
 cake lying near me, and I heard, moreover, the dog 
 bark. I took up the cake ; and the dog, after throw- 
 ing down the bread, went to look for water. 
 
 " On the outskirts of a certain village, there was an 
 old woman's hut ; jars and pots filled with water stood 
 [at the door], and the old woman was spinning. The 
 dog went up to the pot, and attempted to seize it ; 
 the old woman made a threatening noise, and the pot 
 slipped from the dog's mouth and fell upon an earthen- 
 ware jar which was broken ; the rest of the vessels 
 were upset and the water spilt. The old woman 
 seized a stick, and rose up to beat [the animal] ; the 
 dog seized the skirt of her clothes, and began to rub 
 his mouth on her feet, and wag his tail ; then he ran 
 towards the mountain ; again having returned to her,
 
 AZAD 
 
 he sometimes seized a rope, and sometimes having 
 taken up a bucket in his mouth, he shewed it [to her ; 
 and he rubbed his face against her feet, and seizing 
 the hem of her garment, he continued pulling her. 
 The Almighty inspired the old woman's heart with 
 compassion, so that she took up the rope and bucket 
 and went along with him. He keeping hold of the 
 end of her clothes, after coming out of the hut, kept 
 going on before her. 
 
 " At last, he guided her to the very mountain ; the 
 old woman imagined, from the dog's conduct, that his 
 master was confined in the well, and that he, perhaps, 
 wanted water for him. In short, conducting the old 
 woman, he came to the mouth of the well. The old 
 woman filled the bucket with water and let it down 
 by a rope. I seized the vessel and ate a morsel of the 
 cake. I drank two or three gulps of the water, and 
 satisfied my hunger and thirst. 1 I thanked God [for 
 this timely supply], and retired to a corner, and waited 
 with patience for the interference of the Almighty, 
 saying, " Now let us see what is to come about." In 
 this manner, this dumb animal used to bring me 
 bread, and by means of the old woman, he used to 
 supply me with water to drink. When the bakers 
 perceived that the dog always carried off bread [in 
 this way], they took compassion on him, and made it 
 a rule to throw him a cake whenever they saw him ; 
 and if the old woman neglected to carry the water, he 
 used to break her pots; so that she, being helpless, 
 used to let down a bucket of water every day. This 
 faithful companion removed all my apprehensions for 
 
 1 Literally, " satiated the dog of my stoniaoh."
 
 194 TALE OF 
 
 bread and water, and he himself always lay at the 
 mouth of the prison. Six months passed in this man- 
 ner ; but what must be the condition of the man who 
 was confined so long in such a prison, where the air 
 of heaven could never reach him ? Only my skin and 
 bones remained ; life became a torment to me, and I 
 Used to say in my heart, ' God, it would be better 
 if my life became extinct ! ' 
 
 " One night, the two prisoners were asleep ; my 
 heart overflowed [with sorrow], and I began to weep 
 bitterly, and supplicate 1 the Almighty [to end my 
 woes]. At the last quarter [of the night], what do I 
 see ! that, by the dispensation of God, a rope was 
 hanging down in the well, and I heard [some one] in 
 a low voice saying, 'O, unfortunate wretch! tie the 
 end of the rope tightly to thy hands, and escape from 
 this place.' On hearing these words, I in my heart 
 imagined that my brothers had at last felt compassion 
 for me, and, from the ties of blood, had come in person 
 to take me out. With much joy I tied the rope 
 tightly to my waist ; some one pulled me up. The 
 night was so dark, that I could not recognise the per- 
 son who had hauled me up. When I was out, he 
 said, ' Come, be quick ; this is no place to tarry.' I 
 had no strength whatever left ; but from fear I rolled 
 down the hill as well as I could. Then I saw at the 
 bottom two horses standing, ready saddled j that per- 
 son mounted me one of them, and he mounted the other 
 himself, and took the lead. Proceeding on, we reached 
 the banks of a river. 
 
 1 Literally, to perform the act of " rubbing the nose on tho earth," ox- 
 preesiye of extreme humility.
 
 AZAD BAKT1T. 195 
 
 <c The morning appeared, and we had gone forth 
 ten or twelve kos from the city. I then saw the young 
 man [very clearly] ; he was completely armed, having 
 on a coat of mail, together with back, front, and side- 
 pieces [of burnished steel], 1 and with iron armour on 
 his horse ; he was looking at me with great rage, and 
 biting his lips, he drew his sword from the scabbard, 
 and springing his horse towards mine, he made a cut 
 at me. I threw myself off my horse [on the ground], 
 and called out for mercy, and said, * I am faultless ; 
 why are you about to kill me ? O, kind sir, from 
 such a prison you have taken me out, and now where- 
 fore this unkindness?' He replied, 'Tell me the 
 truth, who art thou.' I answered, I am a traveller, 
 and have been involved in unmerited calamity ; by 
 your humane assistance, I have at last come out alive. 
 And I addressed to him many other flattering expres- 
 sions. 
 
 " God inspired his heart with pity. He sheathed 
 his sword, and said, ' Well, what God wills, he does j 
 go, I spare thee thy life ; remount quickly ; this is no 
 place to delay.' We put our horses to their speed, 
 and went forward ; on the road he continued to sigh 
 and show signs of regret. By the time of mid-day, 2 
 we reached an island. There the young man got off 
 his horse, and made me also dismount ; he took off 
 the saddles and pads from the horses' backs, and let 
 them loose to graze ; he also took off his arms from 
 
 Literally, " having fastened [on his person] the four mirrors." 
 a The term zuJir strictly denotes the period devoted to the mid-day 
 prayer, which is offered up after the sun has perceptibly declined from the 
 meridian. Vide note 4, in page 14.
 
 190 I ALE OF 
 
 his own person, and sat down and said to me, ' O you 
 of evil destiny, relate now your story, that I may know 
 who you are/ I told him my name and place of resi- 
 dence, and whatever various misfortunes had befallen 
 me, I related to the end. 
 
 " When the young man had heard all my history, 
 he wept, and addressing himself to me, he said, ' O 
 youth, hear now my story. I am the daughter of the 
 raja of the land of Zerbdd, 1 and that young man who 
 is confined in the prison of Solomon, his name is 
 Bahramand ; he is the son of my father's prime 
 minister. One day the Mahdrdj [my father] ordered 
 that all the rdjds and Jcunwars" 1 should assemble on the 
 plain, which lay under the lattices [of the seraglio] to 
 shoot arrows, and play at chaugdn? so that the horse- 
 manship and dexterity of every individual might be 
 displayed. I was seated near the rani* my mother, 
 behind one of the lattices of the highest story, and 
 the female servants and slaves were in waiting around ; 
 there I was looking at the sport. The minister's son 
 was the handsomest [man] among them ; and having 
 caracoled his horse, he performed his exercises with 
 much address. He appeared very agreeable [in my 
 eyes], and my heart became enamoured of him. I 
 kept this circumstance concealed for a long while. 
 
 1 The name of the countries which lie, as the people of Hindustan term 
 it, below Bengal, i. e., to the south-east of it ; the name includes the king- 
 doms of Aya and Pegu. 
 
 3 Kunwar is the Hindu name for the son of a raja. 
 
 * The chaugan is a Persian sport performed on horseback, with a large 
 ball like a foot-ball, which is knocked about with a long stick like a shep- 
 herd's crook ; it is precisely the game called in Scotland " shintey," and 
 in England " hockey," only that the players are mounted. 
 
 4 Rani is the Hindu name of a raja's wife.
 
 A/AI) BAKHT. 19? 
 
 " ' At last, when I became quite restless, I men- 
 tioned it to my hand-maid, and gave her many pre- 
 sents [to gain her assistance]. She contrived, by some 
 means or other, to introduce the youth in secrecy into 
 my apartment; he then began to love me likewise. 
 Many days passed in these love interviews. In short, 
 the sentinels saw him one midnight going armed into 
 my apartment, and seized him, and informed the raja 
 of the circumstance. The raja ordered him to be put 
 to death ; through the solicitations of all the officers 
 of state, his life was pardoned, but he was ordered to 
 be thrown into the prison of Solomon ; and the other 
 young man, who is a fellow-prisoner with him, is his 
 brother, and was with him the night [he was seized]. 
 Both were put into the well, and it is now three years 
 since they were confined, but no one has yet found 
 out why the youth entered the rajas palace. God 
 has preserved my character [from public exposure], and 
 in return for his goodness, I conceived it my duty to 
 continue to supply the two prisoners with bread and 
 water. Since their confinement I go there every 
 eight days, and let them down eight days' provisions 
 at once. 
 
 " * Last night, I saw in a dream that somebody 
 advised me, saying, " arise quickly and take a horse, a 
 dress, a rope-ladder, and some money for expenses, 
 and go to that pit, and deliver from thence the 
 unfortunate prisoners. On hearing this, I started up 
 [from my sleep], and being greatly rejoiced, I dressed 
 myself like a man, filled a casket with jewels and gold 
 pieces, and taking this horse and some clothes with 
 me, I went to the prison to draw them out with the
 
 108 TALE OF 
 
 rope-ladder. It was in your fate to be delivered from 
 such a confinement in this manner; no one knows 
 what I have done ; perhaps he was some protecting 
 angel who sent me to enlarge yon. Well, whatever 
 was in my destiny, the same has come to pass/ After 
 finishing this relation, she took out some cakes fried 
 in butter, some wheaten bread, some pulse, and meat 
 curry from her handkerchief; but first, she dissolved 
 some sugar in a cup of water, and put some spirit of 
 bed-mushk in it, and gave it to me I took it from her 
 hand and drank it, and then ate some breakfast. After 
 a short while, she made me wrap a piece of cloth round 
 my waist, and led me to the river, and with scissors 
 she cut my hair and nails and bathing me, dressed me 
 in the clothes [she had brought], and made a new man 
 of me. I, having turned my face to the kibla, offered 
 up a prayer of thanksgiving ; the beautiful girl regarded 
 what I was doing. 
 
 " When I had finished from praying, she asked me, 
 ' What hast thou been thus doing ?' I answered, ' I 
 have been worshipping the Almighty God who has 
 created the whole world, and who has effected my 
 relief through a being lovely as thou art, and who 
 has inclined thy heart to kindness towards me, and 
 caused me to be released from such a prison. His 
 person is without an equal, 1 to Him I have performed 
 my devotions, and obeisance, and rendered my 
 thanks.' On hearing these words she said, 'You 
 are a Mmalma.n? I replied, ' Thanks be to God. I 
 am/ ' My heart/ said she, ' is delighted with your 
 
 1 Literally, " without a partner." The Musalman* consider our docirint 
 f the Trinity as a deadly error.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 199 
 
 pious expressions ; instruct me also, and teach me to 
 recite your kalima.' I said in my own heart, ' God be 
 praised that she is inclined to embrace our faith.' In 
 short, I recited [our creed], viz., 'There is no God 
 but God, and Muhammad is the apostle of God,' and 
 made her repeat it. Then mounting our horses, we 
 two set out from thence. When we halted at night, 
 she talked of [nothing else but] our religion and faith ; 
 and she listened and felt delighted [with my words]. 
 In this way we journeyed on incessantly day and 
 night, for two months. 
 
 " At last, we arrived in a country which lay between 
 the boundaries of the kingdoms of Zerbdd and Sardn- 
 dip ; J a city appeared, which was more populous than 
 Constantinople, and the climate very fine and agree- 
 able. On finding that the king of that country was 
 more renowned for his justice than Namhlrwdn? and 
 also for being the protector of his subjects ; my heart 
 was greatly rejoiced. Having there bought a house, 
 we took up our residence. After some days, when 
 we had got over the fatigues of the journey, I pur- 
 chased some necessary articles, and married the young 
 lady according to the law of Muhammad, and lived 
 with her. In the space of three years, I having freely 
 associated with the great and small of that place, esta- 
 blished my credit, and entered into an extensive trade. 
 At last, I surpassed all the merchants of that place. 
 One day, I went for the purpose of paying my respects 
 
 1 Sarandlp is the name for the island of Ceylon among the Arabs and 
 Persians, as well as the Musalmans of India. The ancient Hindu name 
 was Lanka, applied both to the island and its capital. 
 
 2 The term kisra is evidently applied here to Naushirwan, not to Cyrus, 
 as is stated in some books.
 
 200 TALE OF 
 
 to the first wazir, and saw a great crowd of people 
 assembled on a plain. I asked some one, ' Why is 
 there such a crowd here ?' I learnt that two persons 
 had been caught in the act of adultery and theft ; and 
 perhaps they had even committed murder ; they were 
 brought here to be stoned [to death]. 
 
 " On hearing this [circumstance], I recollected my 
 own case ; that once upon a time I had likewise been 
 led in the same manner to be empaled, and that God 
 preserved me. * Who can these be,' [I said to my- 
 self], ' that they should have become involved in such 
 calamity? I do not even know if they are justly 
 [punished], or, like me, the victims of a false accusa- 
 tion.' Pressing through the crowd, I reached [the 
 spot where the culprits stood], and perceived they 
 were my brothers, who were led along with their 
 hands tied behind their backs, and with bare heads 
 and feet. On seeing their sad state, my blood boiled, 
 and my liver was on fire. I gave the guards a hand 
 ful of gold pieces, and besought them to delay [the 
 execution] for a moment; and from thence, having 
 put my horse to his utmost speed, I went to the 
 governor's house. I presented to him, as a nazar, a 
 ruby of inestimable value, and made intercession for 
 them. He replied, 'A person has a plaint against 
 them, and their crimes have been fully proved ; the 
 king's mandate has been issued, and I have no al- 
 ternative.' 
 
 " At last, after much entreaty and supplication [on 
 my part], the governor sent for the complainant, and 
 made him consent that for five thousand pieces of 
 silver he should withdraw his charge of murder. I
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 201 
 
 counted out the money, and got his written engage- 
 ment [not to prosecute them again], and had them 
 released from their dire calamity. O protector of the 
 world ! ask them if I tell truth or falsehood." Here 
 the two brothers stood in silence, and hung down 
 their heads like those who are ashamed. "Well, [to 
 proceed], I got them released, and brought them to 
 my house, had them bathed and dressed, and gave them 
 apartments for their residence in the duudn-khdna. I 
 did not at that time introduce my wife to them ; I 
 myself attended to all their wants, and ate [and drank] 
 with them, and at the hour of sleep returned to my 
 apartment. For the space of three years [the time] 
 thus passed in my kind treatment of them, and on 
 their part, no evil action took place, so as to be the 
 cause of my displeasure. When I used to go out 
 riding any where, they remained at home. 
 
 " It happened, that my good wife went one day to 
 the bath ; when she came to the diwdn-khdna, seeing 
 no male person there, she took off her veil ; perhaps 
 my second brother was lying down there awake, and 
 immediately on seeing her, he became enamoured of 
 ner. He imparted [the circumstance] to our eldest 
 brother, and they formed a plan together for mur- 
 dering me. I had no knowledge whatever of this 
 circumstance ; on the contrary, I used to say to my- 
 self, ' God be praised, that this time, as yet, they have 
 done nothing such [as they formerly did] ; their con- 
 duct is now correct ; perhaps they have felt the effects 
 of shame.' One day, after dinner, my eldest brother 
 began to weep, and to praise our native country, and
 
 202 TALE OF 
 
 to describe the delights of Iran. 1 On hearing this, 
 the other brother began to sigh. I said, ' If you wish 
 [to return to] our native land; then it is well ; I am 
 devoted to your pleasure, and it is also my own wish. 
 Now, if it please God, I will go along with you.' I 
 mentioned the circumstance of my brothers' afflictions 
 to my wife, and also my own intentions. That sensible 
 woman replied, ' You may think so ; but they again 
 design to perpetrate some villany [towards you] ; they 
 are the enemies of your life ; you have fostered [a 
 brace of] serpents in your sleeve, and you still place 
 reliance on their regard. Act as you please, but 
 beware of those who are noxious.' At all events, the 
 preparations for the journey were completed in a short 
 time, and the tents pitched on the plain. A great 
 kdfila assembled, and they agreed to confer on me the 
 rank of leader and kdJUa-bdshl? A propitious hour 
 being ascertained, [the kdfila] set out ; but on my 
 part, I was on my guard against my brothers, though 
 in every way I obeyed their commands, and made 
 everything agreeable to them. 
 
 " One day [when we arrived] at our stage, my second 
 brother said that, ' one farsakh? from this place is a 
 
 1 Iran is the ancient name of Persia in its more .extended sense, that is, 
 the Persian Empire. Fars is sometimes used in the same sense. Strictly 
 speaking, it denotes Persia proper, which is only a province of Iran. 
 
 - The kafila-lashi is the head man of the ffafila, or company of mer- 
 chants, who travel in a hody for mutual safety, and compose what is com- 
 monly called a caravan, properly a kdrwdn; the richest and most respectable 
 merchant of the party is generally elected bashi; all the rest obey his orders, 
 and he directs the movements, &c., of the whole company, and moreover, 
 acts, in all cases of dispute, as judge and magistrate. 
 
 3 The farsatA, orfarsang, or parsang, is a measure of distance in Persia, 
 and contains at the present day about 3| English miles. Herodotus 
 reckoned the woa<yyn,' in his time at 30 Grecian stadia.
 
 AZAD BAKjTT. 203 
 
 running fountain like salsafal, 1 and in the [circumja- 
 cent] plain, for miles around, lilies, and tulips, and 
 narcissuses, and roses, grow spontaneously. In truth, 
 it is a delightful spot to walk in ; if we had our will, 
 we would go there to-morrow, and enliven our hearts 
 [with the sight], and recover from our fatigues.' I 
 said, ' you are masters here ; if you command it, we 
 will halt to-morrow, and having gone to that spot, we 
 will stroll about [and amuse ourselves].' They replied, 
 ' what can we do better ? ' I gave orders, saying, 
 * advertise the whole kafila that to-morrow there will 
 be a halt,' and I told my cook to prepare breakfast, of 
 every variety [of dishes] for next day, as we should go 
 on an excursion [of pleasure]. When the morning 
 came, these two brothers put on their clothes, and 
 having armed themselves, they reminded me to make 
 haste, that we might arrive there in the cool [of the 
 morning] and enjoy our walk. I ordered my horse, 
 but they observed thus, ' The pleasure which results 
 by viewing [the place] on foot, can the same be felt 
 in riding ? 2 Give orders to the grooms that they may 
 lead the horses after us.' 
 
 Two slaves carried the kaliydn^ and coffee-pot, and 
 went along with us. On the road, as we proceeded, 
 we amused ourselves by shooting arrows, and when 
 
 1 Salsabll is the name of a fountain of Paradise, according to Muhamma.' 
 dan belief. 
 
 2 The student is of course aware that in most languages a question is 
 frequently equivalent to a negative, as in this sentence. A sapient critic, 
 to whom I have more than once alluded, was pleased to honour me with 
 the following profound remark on the reading given in the original, viz. 
 " There is a slip here in Forhes's edition, as well as the Calcutta one. The 
 word natiin, ' not,' is omitted, which destroys the whole sense ! ! ! " 
 
 3 The Ttaliyan (or as the moderns say, kal'ymi) is the Persian h
 
 204 TALE OP 
 
 we had gone some distance from the kdfla, they sent 
 one of the slaves on some errand. Advancing a little 
 farther, they sent the other slave also to call back [the 
 former]. My unfortunate fate would have it [that I 
 remained silent] as if some one had put a seal on my 
 lips, and they did what they wished, and having 
 occupied my attention in talk, they continued to lead 
 me on ; this dog, however, remained with me. When 
 we had advanced a considerable distance, I saw neither 
 fountains nor gardens, but a plain covered with thorns. 
 There I had a call for making water, and sat me down 
 to perform it. I saw behind me a flash like that of a 
 sword; and, on looking back, my second brother 
 struck me such a sword-cut, that my skull was cleft 
 in twain. 1 Before I could call out, O savage ! why 
 dost thou murder me ; my eldest brother gave me [a 
 blow] on the shoulder. Both wounds were severe, and 
 I staggered and fell ; then these two pitiless ones 
 mutilated me at their ease, and left me weltering in 
 my blood. This dog, on seeing my condition, flew at 
 them, and they wounded him likewise. After this, 
 they gave themselves some slight wounds, and ran 
 back to the encampment with naked feet and heads, 
 and gave out, that * some robbers have murdered 
 our brother on that plain, and we ourselves also in a 
 close encounter with them, have been wounded. Move 
 off quickly, or else they will immediately fall on the 
 caravan, and utterly plunder us all/ When the people 
 of the kafila heard the name of robbers, they imme- 
 
 1 This is, as the vulgate hath it, " coming it a little too strong ;" but oe 
 it remembered that Oriental story-tellers do not mar the interest of tiieir 
 narrative by a slavish adherence to probability.
 
 AZAI) BAKHT. 205 
 
 diately became alarmed, and marched off and made 
 their escape. 
 
 " My wife had [already] heard of the [former] 
 conduct and precious qualities of these [brothers of 
 mine,] and of all the treachery they had practised 
 towards me ; hearing now from these liars the events 
 [that had occurred], she instantly stabbed herself to 
 death with her dagger, and restored her soul to her 
 Maker." O darweshes ! l when the dog- worshipping 
 khwdja had thus far told us of the adventures and 
 misfortunes, I wept involuntarily on hearing them. 
 The merchant having perceived [my grief,] said, "Lord 
 of the world ! if it were not a want of respect, I would 
 strip myself naked, and show the whole of my body." 
 Even on this, to [prove] the truth [of what he liad 
 related,] he tore his dress off his shoulders, and 
 showed to us [his person]. In truth, there was not 
 the space of four fingers on it free from wounds ; and 
 he took off his turban before me from his head, and 
 there was such a great dint in his skull, that a whole 
 pomegranate might be put into it. All the officers of 
 state who were present shut their eyes, they had not 
 the power of beholding [the shocking sight]. 
 
 The khwdja then continued his narrative, saying, 
 " O blessed majesty ! when these brothers, as they 
 thought, had finished their work and went away ; on 
 the one side, I lay wounded, and on the other side, 
 this dog lay wounded near me. I lost so much blood 
 from my body, that I had not the least strength or 
 sensation left, and I cannot conceive how life remained. 
 
 1 Here the king Azad Sakht speaks in his own person, and addresses 
 himself to the four darweshes.
 
 206 TALE OF 
 
 The spot where I lay was on the boundary of the 
 kingdom of Sardndip, and a very populous city was 
 situafed near the place ; in that city there was a great 
 pagoda, and the king of that country had a daughter 
 extremely well-favoured and beautiful. 
 
 " Many kings and princes were desperately in love 
 with her. There, the custom of [wearing] the veil was 
 unknown ; for which reason the princess used to roam 
 about, hunting all day with her companions. Near 
 [the spot where I lay] was a royal garden ; she had on 
 that day got leave from her father, and had come to 
 that same garden. Walking about by way of recrea- 
 tion, she chanced to pass over that plain ; some female 
 attendants also accompanied her on horseback. They 
 came to the spot where I lay, hearing my groans, they 
 stopped near me. Seeing me in this condition, they 
 rode off to the princess, and said, that ' a miserable 
 man and a dog are lying weltering in their blood.' 
 On hearing this from them, the princess herself came 
 near me, and, afflicted [at the sight,] she said, ' See if 
 any life still remains.' Two or three of the attendants 
 dismounted and having examined me, replied, ' He 
 still breathes.' The princess instantly ordered them 
 to lay me carefully on a carpet and carry me to the 
 garden. 
 
 "When they brought me there, [the princess] having 
 sent for the royal surgeon, gave him many injunctions 
 respecting the cure both of myself and of my dog, and 
 gave him hopes of a reward and a gratuity. The 
 surgeon having thoroughly wiped my whole body, 
 cleaned it from dust and blood, and having washed 
 the wounds with spirits, he stitched them and put on
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 207 
 
 plasters ; and he ordered the extract of the musk- 
 willow l to be dropped down my throat in lieu of water. 
 The princess herself used to sit at the head [of my 
 bed], and see that I was attended to ; and two or four 
 times during the day and night she made me swallow, 
 from her own hands, some broth or skarbat. At last, 
 when I came to myself, I heard the princess say with 
 sorrow, 'What bloody tyrant hath used thee so cruelly? 
 did he not fear even the great idol?' 2 After ten days, 
 with the efficacy of the spirit of bed-mushk, and shar- 
 bats, and electuaries, I opened my eyes ; and saw as if 
 the whole court of Indra were standing around me, 
 and the princess at the head of my bed. I heaved a 
 sigh and wished to move myself, but had not sufficient 
 strength. The princess said with kindness, ' O Persian, 
 be of good cheer, and do not grieve; though some 
 cruel oppressor hath used thee thus ; yet the great 
 idol has made me favourable towards thee, and thou 
 wilt now recover.' 
 
 " I swear by that God who is one, and without a 
 partner, that on beholding her I again became sense- 
 less ; the princess also perceived it, and sprinkled me 
 with rose water out of a phial held by her own fair 
 hand. In twenty days my wounds filled up and 
 granulated ; the princess used to come [regularly] at 
 night when all were asleep, and she then supplied me 
 with food and drink. In short, after forty days, I 
 performed the ablution [of perfect recovery] ; 3 the 
 princess was extremely rejoiced, and rewarded the sur- 
 
 1 With regard to the essence of bed-tnusM, vide note 2, page 42. 
 
 * The image of the Divine power in that country of Pagans. 
 
 * Vide note 3, page 30, respecting the nhilla, or " per/vd of forty."
 
 208 TALE OF 
 
 geon largely, and clothed me richly. By the grace of 
 God, arid the care and attentions of the princess, I 
 became quite stout and healthy, and my constitution 
 became sound ; the dog also grew fat. She made me 
 drink wine every day, listened to my conversation, and 
 was pleased. I used also to amuse her by relating 
 some agreeable stories and brief narratives. 
 
 " One day she asked to me, ' pray relate thy ad- 
 ventures, and tell me who you are, and how this acci- 
 dent has happened to you. 5 I related to her my whole 
 history from beginning to end. On hearing this, she 
 wept and said, c I will now behave to thee in such a 
 manner that thou wilt forget all thy [past] misfortunes.* 
 I replied, ' God preserve you ; you have bestowed on 
 me a second existence, and I am now wholly yours ; 
 for God's sake, be pleased ever to regard me in this 
 favourable manner.' In short, she used to sit all night 
 with me alone ; sometimes ths nurse likewise stayed 
 with her and heard my stories, and related [others 
 herself.] When the princess used to go away and I 
 remained alone, I used to perform my ablutions, and 
 concealing myself in a corner, I used to say my 
 prayers. 
 
 " Once it so happened, that the princess had gone 
 to her father, and I was repeating my prayers in per- 
 fect security, after having performed my ablutions, 
 when suddenly the princess, conversing with her nurse, 
 entered, saying,. 'Let us see what the Persian is now 
 doing ; whether he be asleep or awake ! ' But seeing 
 that I was not in my place, she was greatly surprised, 
 and exclaimed, ' Hey day ! where is he gone ? I hope 
 he has not formed an attachment with some one
 
 AZAD I AKHT. 209 
 
 She began to examine every hole and corner in search 
 of me, and at last came to where I was saying my 
 prayers. She had never seen any one perform his 
 prayers ; 1 she stood in silence, and looked on. When 
 I had finished my prayers, and lifted up my arms to 
 bless God, and prostrated myself, she laughed loudly, 
 and said, ' What ! is this man become mad ? what 
 various postures does he assume 1 ' 
 
 " On hearing the sound of her laughter, I became 
 alarmed. The princess advanced, and asked me, ' O 
 Persian, what wast thou doing?' I could make no 
 reply, on which the nurse said, ' May I take [the 
 responsibility of] thy evils, and become thy sacrifice, 
 t appears to me that this man is a Musalman, and the 
 enemy of Ldt andMandt;* he worships an unseen 
 trod. The princess immediately on hearing this struck 
 ner hands together, and said in great wrath, * I did 
 not know he was a Turk, 3 and an unbeliever in our 
 gods, for which reason he had fallen under the wrath 
 of our idol. I have erroneously saved him and kept 
 him in my house/ Saying this she went away. On 
 hearing [her words] I became disturbed, [and alarmed 
 to know] how she would now behave to me. Through 
 fear, sleep was driven from me, and until morning I 
 continued to weep, and to bathe my face with tears. 
 
 " I passed three days and nights, weeping in this 
 fear and hope. I never shut an eye [during this time.] 
 
 1 That is to say, she had never seen a Muhammadan at his prayers. 
 
 2 Ldt and Manut were the two great idols of Hindu worship in former 
 times. 
 
 * In the languages of southern India, Turk is the general appellation for 
 
 6 Musalttutu. 
 
 P
 
 210 TALE OF 
 
 . The third night, the princess came to my apartment 
 flushed with the intoxication of wine, and the nurse 
 along with her. She was full of anger ; and with a 
 bow and arrows in her hand, she sat down outside of 
 the room, on the border of the chaman ; l she asked 
 the nurse for a cup of wine, and after drinking it off, 
 she said, ' O nurse ! is that Persian who is involved in 
 our great idol's wrath, dead, or does he yet live?' 
 The nurse answered, ' May I bear your evils ! some 
 life still remains.' The princess said, ' He has now 
 fallen in my estimation; but tell him to come out.' 
 The nurse called me ; I ran forth and perceived that 
 the princess's face glowed through anger, and had 
 become quite red. My soul remained not in my body; 
 1 saluted her, and having joined both my hands to- 
 getner, stood before her [in silent respect.] Giving 
 i/x6 a look of anger, she said to the nurse, ' If I kill 
 tms enemy of our faith with an arrow, will the great 
 iaul pardon my guilt or not? I have already com- 
 mitted a great crime by having kept him in my house, 
 and by supplying [his wants.] ' 
 
 " The nurse answered, 'What is the princess's guilt? 
 you did not in the least know him to be an enemy 
 when you kept him [in your house ;] you took com- 
 passion upon him, and you will receive good for the 
 good you have done ; and this man will receive from the 
 great idol the reward of the evil which he has done.' 
 On hearing these words, the princess said, 'Nurse, tell 
 him to sit down.' The nurse made me a sign to sit 
 
 1 The chaman is a small garden or parterre, which is laid out before the 
 sitting room in the interior of the v omen's apartments ; it ineaiis in general, 
 parterres of flowers.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 211 
 
 down ; I accordingly sat down. The princess drank 
 another cup of wine, and said to the nurse, ' Give this 
 wretch also a cup, then he will take his killing with 
 more ease.' The nurse presented me a cup of wine ; 
 I drank it without hesitation, and made my saldm [to 
 the princess;] she never looked at me directly, but 
 continued all along to give me furtive side glances. 
 When I became elevated [with the effects of the wine,] 
 I began to repeat some pieces of poetry ; among 
 others, I recited the following couplet : 
 
 ' I am in thy power, and if alive yet, what then ? 
 Under the dagger, if one breathes awhile, what then ? ' 
 
 On hearing this verse, she smiled, and turning towards 
 the nurse, she said, ' What art thou sleepy ? ' The 
 nurse, guessing her motive, replied, * Yes, sleep over- 
 comes me.' She then took her leave, and went away. 1 
 After a short pause, the princess asked me for a cup 
 of wine ; I quickly filled it, and presented it to her ; 
 she took it gracefully from my hand and drank it off; 
 I then fell at her feet; she passed her hand kindly 
 over me, and said, ' O ignorant man ! what hast thou 
 seen bad in our great idol that thou hast betaken thy- 
 self to the worship of an unseen God ? ' I answered, 
 ' Pray, be just, and reflect a little, whether that God 
 [and He only, 3 is worthy of adoration, who, out of a 
 drop of water, hath created a lovely creature like thee, 
 and hath given such beauty and perfection, that in one 
 instant thou canst drive into distraction the hearts of 
 thousands of men. What a [contemptible] thing is an 
 
 1 The original uses a much stronger expression.
 
 212 TALE OF 
 
 idol that any one should worship it? The stone- 
 cutters have shaped a block of stone into a figure, and 
 have spread it as a net to entangle fools. Those whom 
 the devil beguiles, confound the Creator with the 
 created ; and they prostrate themselves before that 
 which their own hands have formed. We are Musal- 
 mdns, and we worship him who hath created us. For 
 those [misguided idolaters], He hath created hell ; for 
 us [true believers], He hath destined paradise ; if you 
 will place your faith in God, you will experience the 
 delights [of heaven], and distinguish truth from error, 
 and you will find that your [present] devotion is false/ 
 " At length, on hearing these pious admonitions, the 
 heart of that stony-hearted one became softened, and 
 through the favour and mercy of God she began to 
 weep, and said, ' Well, teach me thy faith.' I taught 
 her the kalima, which she repeated with sincerity of 
 heart, and having expressed penitence, and prayed for 
 pardon, she became a [true] Musalmdn. I then threw 
 myself at her feet [and thanked her]. Until the 
 morning she continued reciting the kalima, and pray- 
 ing for pardon. Again she said, ' Well, I have em- 
 braced your faith, but my parents are idolaters ; what 
 remedy is there for them ? ' I replied, ' what is that 
 to thee? as any one acts, so will he be treated.' She 
 said, ' They have betrothed me to my uncle's son, and 
 he is an idolator ; if I should be married to him to- 
 morrow, which God forbid, he, an idolator, would 
 cohabit with me, and I should bear issue, which would 
 be a dreadful misfortune. We ought immediately to 
 think of some remedy for this, so that I may be freed 
 from such a calamity.' I replied, * what you say is
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 213 
 
 indeed reasonable; do whatever you think proper.' 
 She said, ' I will remain here no longer, but go forth 
 somewhere else.' I asked, 'by what means can you 
 escape, and where will you go ? ' She answered, ' In 
 the first place, do you leave me here, and go and abide 
 with the Musalmans in the sardl, so that every one may 
 hear of it, and not suspect you. You will there con- 
 tinue on the look out for [the departure of] vessels, 
 and if any vessel sails for Persia, let me know ; for 
 which reason I will send the nurse to you frequently, 
 and when you send me word [that all is ready,] I will 
 come to you, and having embarked in the vessel, I will 
 effect my escape and obtain my release from the hands 
 of these ill-fated heathens.' I replied, ' I will devote 
 myself as a sacrifice for your life and safety, but what 
 will you do with the nurse ?' She answered, ' Her case 
 can be easily settled ; I will give her a cup of strong 
 poison. 1 The plan was fixed upon, and when the day 
 appeared, I went to the sardl, and hired a private 
 apartment and went and resided therein. During this 
 absence, I only lived in the hopes of meeting again. 
 Two months 2 [after this event,] when the merchants of 
 
 1 Literally, the poison of the Tialahal, an expression used to denote poison 
 of the strongest kind. The halahal is a fabulous poison, said to have been 
 produced from the ocean on the churning of it by the gods and daityas. 
 Our critic says, on this word, that it means " deadly ! ! !" will he favour us 
 with some authority on that point, better than his own ? 
 
 " On the phrase, do mahlne men, our critic comes out in great force. He 
 says, " Mir Amman here sins against grammar ; it should be, do mahmon 
 men ! ! .'" The critic is not aware, that when a noun follows a numeral it 
 never requires the inflection plural on, except when it is to be rendered 
 more definite ? In reality, Mir Amman would be wrong if he had employed 
 the reading recommended by the sapient critic ; do mahlne men means " in 
 two months ;" do mahinon men, " in the two months " (previously deter- 
 mined upon).
 
 214 TALE OF 
 
 Riim, of Syria, and of Isfahan were assembled together, 
 they formed the project of returning by water, and 
 began to embark their merchandise on vessels. From 
 residing together I had formed acquaintances with 
 most of them, and they said to me, ' Well, sir, will you 
 not also come [along with us] ; how long will you 
 stay in this country of infidels ? ' I answered, ' what 
 have I wherewith I can return to my country ? I have 
 as my property this only, a female slave, a chest, and 
 a dog ; if you could give me a little room to stay in 
 and fix its price, I shall then be at ease in my mind, 
 and embark likewise. 
 
 " The merchants allotted me a cabin, and I paid the 
 money for the hire of it. Having set my heart at ease, 
 I went to the nurse's house under some pretext, and 
 said, ' mother, I am come to take leave of thee, and 
 am now returning to my country ; if I could through 
 your kindness see the princess for a moment, it would 
 be a great satisfaction to me.' At last, the nurse com- 
 plied [with my request]. I said, ' I will return at night, 
 and wait in such a place ;' she replied, * Very well.' 
 Having settled [this point], I returned to the sardi, 
 and carried my chest and bedding on board the vessel 
 and delivered them in charge to the master, and added, 
 ' I will bring my female slave on board to-morrow 
 morning.' The master said, ' Come speedily, as we 
 shall weigh anchor to-morrow early.' I answered, 
 ' Very well.' When the night came, I went to the place 
 I had fixed upon with the nurse, and waited. After a 
 watch of the night had passed, the gate of the seraglio 
 opened, and the princess came out dressed in soiled 
 and dirty clothes, with a casket of jewels in her hand ;
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 215 
 
 she delivered the casket to me, and went along with 
 me. As soon as it was morning, we reached the sea- 
 side, and embarking on a skiff we went on board the 
 vessel ; this faithful dog also went with me. When it 
 was broad daylight, we weighed anchor and set sail. 
 We were sailing along in perfect security, when the 
 report of a cannon was heard from one of the ports. 
 All [on board] were surprised and alarmed ; the ship 
 was anchored, and a consultation was held among us 
 [to know] if the governor of the port intended some foul 
 play, and what could be the cause of the firing of cannon. 
 
 " It happened, that all the merchants had some 
 handsome female slaves [on board], and for fear lest 
 the governor of the port might seize them, they locked 
 them up in chests. I did so likewise, and having shut 
 up my princess in my chest, I locked it. In the 
 meanwhile, the governor and his suite appeared on 
 board a swift sailing vessel, and constantly nearing us, 
 he came and boarded our ship. Perhaps the cause of 
 his coming to us was this : that when the news of the 
 nurse's death and the princess's disappearance became 
 known to the king, in consequence of his being ashamed 
 to mention the [princess's] name, he sent orders to the 
 governor of the port, saying, ' I have heard that the 
 Persian merchants have very handsome slaves with 
 them, and as I wish to buy some for the princess, you 
 will stop them, and send all the slaves that may be in 
 the vessel to the royal presence. On seeing them, I 
 will pay the full value for such as may be approved of, 
 and the remainder shall be returned.' 
 
 " According to the king's orders, the governor of 
 the port came himself on board our vessel for this
 
 216 TALE OF 
 
 purpose. Near my cabin was [the berth of] another 
 person ; he also had a handsome female slave locked 
 up in his chest. The governor sat down on that chest, 
 and began to collect all the female slaves [that could 
 be found] ; I praised God, and said, ' Well, no men- 
 tion has been made of the princess.' In short, the 
 governor's people put into their own vessel all the 
 female slaves that were to be found ; and the governor, 
 laughing, asked the owner of the chest on which he 
 was sitting, 'Thou hadst also a female slave?' The 
 blockhead was frightened, and answered, * I swear by 
 your Honour's feet, I alone have not acted in this 
 manner ; all of us from fear of you have concealed our 
 [handsome] female slaves in our chests.' The governor, 
 on hearing this confession, began to search all the 
 chests. He opened my chest also, and having taken 
 out the princess, he carried her away with the rest. 
 I fell into a strange state of despair, and said to my- 
 self, ' such a [dreadful] circumstance has occurred 
 that thy life is gone for nothing ; and now we must 
 see how he will treat the princess.' 
 
 " In my anxiety for her, I forgot all fear for my own 
 life ; the whole day and night I spent in prayers to 
 God [for her safety]. When the next early morn 
 arrived, they brought back all the female slaves in 
 their own vessel. The merchants were well pleased, 
 and each took back his own. All returned, but the prin- 
 cess alone was not among them. I asked, * What is 
 the reason that my slave is not come back [with the 
 rest] ?' They answered, ' We do not know ; perhaps 
 the king may have chosen her.' All the merchants 
 began to console and comfort me, and said, ' Well,
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 217 
 
 what has happened is past ; do not afflict yourself ; 
 we will all subscribe and make up her price, and give 
 it to you.' My senses were utterly confounded; I 
 said, ' I will not now go to Persia.' Then I addressed 
 myself saying to the boatmen, ' O friends, take me 
 with you, and land me on the shore.' They agreed, 
 and I left the vessel and stepped into the boat ; this 
 dog likewise came along with me. 
 
 " When I reached the port, I kept to myself only 
 the casket of jewels which the princess had brought 
 with her; all my other property I gave to the go- 
 vernor's servants. I wandered everywhere in the way 
 of search, that perhaps I might get some intelligence 
 of the princess ; but I could find no trace of her, nor 
 could I get the smallest hint respecting that affair. 
 One night I entered the king's seraglio by a trick, and 
 searched for her, but got no intelligence. For nearly 
 the space of a month I sifted every lane and house in 
 the city ; and through sorrow I reduced myself almost 
 to death's door, and began to wander about like a 
 lunatic. At last, I fancied that * my princess must, in 
 all probability, be in the governor's house, and no- 
 where else.' I went round and inspected the governor's 
 house, to the intent that should I discover any passage 
 I might enter it. * 
 
 " I perceived a sewer high enough to allow a man to 
 go in and. out, but there was an iron grating at its 
 mouth ; I formed the resolution to enter [the house] 
 by the way of this sewer ; I took off my clothes, 
 and descended into that filthy channel. After a thou- 
 sand toils, I broke the grating, and entered the chor-
 
 218 TALE OF 
 
 9/iahall 1 through the sewer. Then, having put on the 
 dress of a woman, I began to search and examine all 
 around me. From one of the apartments a sound 
 reached my ear, as if some one was praying fervently. 
 Advancing towards the place, I saw it was the princess, 
 who was weeping bitterly and was prostrating herself 
 before her Maker, and praying to him thus, ' For the 
 sake of thy prophet and his pure offspring, 2 deliver 
 me from this country of infidels ; and restore me once 
 more in safety to the person who taught me the faith 
 of Islam.' On seeing her, I ran and threw myself at 
 her feet ; the princess clasped me to her bosom, and 
 upon us both a state of insensibility fell. When our 
 senses were restored, I asked her what had happened 
 to her; she answered, 'When the governor of the port 
 carried all the famale slaves on shore, I was offering 
 up this prayer to God that my secret might not any 
 how be known, and that I might not be recognised, 
 and that your life might not be endangered. He is 
 so great a concealer [of our shame], that no one knew 
 I was the princess. The governor was examining every 
 one with a view to purchase [some for himself]; when 
 it came to my turn, he chose me, sent me secretly to 
 his house ; the rest he forwarded to the king. 
 
 " ' When* my father did not see me among those 
 [slaves], he sent them all back. The whole of this 
 artifice was had recourse to on my account. He now 
 gives out, that the princess is very ill, and if I do not 
 soon appear, then in a few days the news of my death 
 
 J The chor-mahall is a private seraglio. 
 
 2 The twelve Imams. Vide note 3, page 4.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 219 
 
 will fly through the whole country ; then the king's 
 shame will not be [divulged]. But I am now greatly 
 distressed, as the governor has other designs upon me, 
 and always urges me to cohabit with him ; I do not 
 agree [to his desires]. Inasmuch as he [really] loves me, 
 he has as yet waited for my acquiescence, and therefore 
 he remains silent and quiet. But I dread [to think] 
 how long matters can go on in this way ; for which 
 reason I have determined within myself, that when he 
 attempts anything further, I will put myself to death. 
 But now that I have met thee, another thought has 
 arisen in my mind; if God is willing, except this 
 mode, I see no other for escape.' 
 
 " I replied, ' Let me hear it ; what sort of scheme 
 is it ?' She said, ' If you assist and exert yourself, it 
 can be accomplished.' I said, ' I am ready to obey 
 your commands ; if you order me, I will leap into the 
 burning flames, and if I could find a ladder, I would 
 for your sake ascend to the sky; [in short], I will 
 perform whatever you command.' The princess said, 
 ' Go, then, to the temple of the great idol ; and in the 
 place where [the people take off 1 their shoes, there 
 lies a piece of black canvas. The custom of this 
 country is, that whoever becomes poor and destitute, 
 he having wrapt himself up in that piece of canvas, sits 
 down in that spot. The people of this country who go 
 there to worship, give him something, each according 
 to his means. 
 
 " ' In three or four days, when he collects some money, 
 the head priests give him a Mil'at on the part of the 
 
 1 The threshold of a pagoda or mosque. The oriental people uncover 
 tlii'ir feet, as we do our heads, on entering a place of worship.
 
 220 TALE OF 
 
 great idol, and dismiss him ; having thus become rich, 
 he goes away, and no one knows who he was. Go 
 thou also, and sit under that canvas, and hide well thy 
 hands and face, and speak to no one. After three 
 days, when the priests and idolaters shall have given 
 thee a khiVai, and [wish greatly to] dismiss thee ; do 
 not thou on any account get up from thence. When 
 they entreat thee greatly, then tell them, " I do not 
 want money nor am I avaricious of riches. I am an 
 injured person, and am come to complain \ if the mo- 
 ther of the Brdhmans does me justice, it is well; 
 otherwise the great idol will do me justice ; and this 
 same great idol will attend to my complaint against 
 my oppressor." As long as the mother of the Brdh- 
 mans does not come herself to thee, let any one entreat 
 thee ever so much, consent thou not. At last, being 
 compelled to it, she will come to thee herself; she is 
 very old, for she is two hundred and forty years of age, 
 and six and thirty sons, that have been born of her, 
 are the chief priests of the temple ; and she is highly 
 respected by the great idol. For this reason she pos- 
 sesses such vast power that all the little and great of 
 this country deem her command [a matter of] felicity ; 
 whatever she orders, that they perform with all their 
 heart and soul. Lay hold of the skirt of her garment, and 
 say to her, " mother, if you do not exact justice from 
 the oppressor to this injured traveller, 1 will dash my 
 head on the ground before the great idol ; he will at 
 last pity me, and intercede for me with you." 
 
 " ' When, after this, she asks thee all the particulars 
 of thy complaint, tell her, " I am an inhabitant of 
 Persia ; I am come here from a great distance, both
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 
 
 to perform a pilgrimage to the great idol, and in con- 
 sequence of having heard of your justice. For some 
 days I lived here in peace ; my wife also came with 
 me ; she is young, her form and figure are excel- 
 lent, and her features perfect. I do not know how 
 the governor of the port saw her, but he forcibly took 
 her away from me, and shut her up in his house. With 
 us Musalmdns it is a rule, that if a stranger sees one 
 of our wives, or takes her away, it is right that the 
 stranger be put to death by whatever means it may be 
 accomplished, and the wife be taken back ; and other- 
 wise,we must abandon food and drink ; for whilst the 
 stranger lives, that wife is forbidden to the husband. 
 Now, having no other resource, I arn come hither ; let 
 us see what justice you do to me." When the princess 
 had fully instructed me in all these circumstances, I 
 took my leave, and came out by the same sewer, and 
 once more replaced the iron grating. 
 
 "As soon as the morning came, I went to the temple, 
 and, having covered myself with the black canvas, I sat 
 down. In three days' time so many pieces of gold, 
 and silver, and articles of apparel were heaped up near 
 me, that it appeared a regular store. On the fourth 
 day, the priests, performing their devotion, and sing- 
 ing and playing, came to me with a khiTat, and wished 
 to dismiss me. I would not agree to it, and called 
 on the great idol for protection, and said, ' I am not 
 come to beg, but to get justice from the great idol and 
 the mother of the Brdhmans ; and until I get justice 
 I shall not stir from hence.' On hearing this [deter 
 mination], they went to the presence of the old woman, 
 and related what I had said ; after which a Brahman
 
 422 TALE OF 
 
 came to me and said, ' Come, the mother calls you.' 
 I instantly wrapped myself up in the black canvas from 
 head to foot, and went to the threshold [of her apart- 
 ment]. I saw that the great idol was placed on a 
 jewelled throne in which were set rubies, diamonds, 
 pearls and coral ; and a rich covering was spread on a 
 golden chair, on which was seated, with great pomp 
 and dignity, an old woman dressed in black, with 
 cushions and pillows [around her], and near her stood 
 two boys, ten or twelve years old, one on her right and 
 one on her left. She called me before her ; I advanced 
 towards her with profound respect, and kissed the 
 foot of the throne, and then took hold of the skirt [of 
 her garments]. She asked me my story ; I related it 
 exactly as the princess had instructed me to do. 
 
 " On hearing it, she said, ' Do Musalmdns keep their 
 wives concealed ?' I replied, ' Yes, may it fare well with 
 your children ; it is an ancient custom of ours.' She 
 said, ' Thine is a good religion ; I will instantly give 
 orders that the governor of the port, together with 
 your wife, shall appear here, and I shall punish that 
 ass in such a manner that he will not act so another 
 time, and all shall prick up their ears and tremble.' 
 She asked her attendants, ' Who is the governor of 
 the port ? How dares he take away by force the wife 
 of another man ?' They answered, ' He is such a one.' 
 On hearing his name, she told the two boys who were 
 standing near her, 'Take this man along with you 
 instantly, and go to the king, and say, " That the 
 mother declares that this is the command of the great 
 idol, that whereas the governor of the port commits 
 excessive violence on the people ; for instance, he has
 
 AZAD BAJUIT. 2 '2 3 
 
 carried off [by force] this poor mairs wife, and his 
 guilt is proved to be great j therefore let an inventory 
 be quickly taken of the delinquent's effects and pro- 
 perty, and let them be delivered to this Turk, whom I 
 esteem, otherwise you will be destroyed to-night, and 
 you will fall under our wrath.' The two boys rose up, 
 came out of the place, and mounted their horses ; all 
 the priests, blowing their shells, and singing hymns, 
 went in their retinue. 
 
 " In short, the great and little of that country hav- 
 ing conceived the dust of the spot where the feet of 
 those boys trod as holy, used to take it up and put it 
 to their eyes. In this manner, they went to the 
 palace of the king. He heard of it, and came forth 
 with naked feet for the purpose of their reception, and 
 having conducted them with great respect, he placed 
 them on the throne near himself, and asked them, 
 ' What has given me the honour of your visit to-day ?' 
 The two young Brdhmans repeated on the part what 
 they had heard from the mother, and threatened him 
 with the great idol's anger. 
 
 " On hearing it the king said, ' Very well,' and 
 issued an order to his attendants, saying, ' Let some 
 officers of justice go, and let them immediately bring 
 the governor of the port, along with that woman into 
 our presence, then shall I, having investigated his 
 crime, inflict upon him deserved punishment.' On 
 hearing [this order], I was greatly alarmed in my own 
 heart, [and said to myself], ' This affair indeed is not 
 ^uite so well ; for if they bring the princess with the 
 governor of the port, the matter will be discovered ; 
 what then will be my situation ?' Being extremely
 
 224 TALE. OP 
 
 fear- stricken in my mind, I looked up to God, but my 
 countenance was overcast with anxiety, and my body 
 began to tremble. The boys seeing my colour change, 
 perhaps observed that this order was not ageeable to 
 my wish ; they instantly rose with vexation and anger, 
 and said harshly to the king, *O wretch, art thou 
 become mad, that thou steppest aside from the great 
 idol's obedience, and conceivest what we said to be 
 untrue, that thou wishest to send for them both and 
 verify [the circumstance] ? Now, take care, thou 
 hast fallen under the great idol's wrath ; we have 
 delivered our orders, now do thou look [to it], or the 
 great idol will look [to thee].' 
 
 " On hearing these words, the king was so greatly 
 alarmed, that, joining both his hands together, he stood 
 [before the boys] and trembled from head to foot. 
 Having made humble supplication, he endeavoured to 
 appease them ; but they would not sit down, and they 
 remained standing. In the meantime, all the nobles 
 who were present, began with one voice to speak ill 
 of the governor, saying, ' He is indeed such a wicked 
 man, and so tyrannical, and commits such offences, 
 that we cannot relate the same before the royal pre- 
 sence. Whatever the mother of the Brahmans has 
 sent word of, is all true ; inasmuch as it is the great 
 idol's decision ; how can it be false ?' When the 
 king heard the very same story from all, he was much 
 ashamed and regretful of what he had said. He 
 instantly gave me a rich khiVat ; and having written 
 an order with his own hand, and sealed 1 with his 
 
 v Asiatics do not sign their names, but put their seals to letters, bonds, 
 paper, &c. ; on the seal is engraven their names, titles, &c. ; which absurd
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 225 
 
 sign manual, he consigned it to me ; he also wrote a 
 note to the mother of the Brdhmans, and having laid 
 trays of gold and jewels before the boys as presents, 
 he dismissed them. I returned to the temple highly 
 pleased, and went to the old woman. 
 
 " The contents of the king's letter which had arrived 
 were as follows. After the usual compliments and 
 tenders of service and devotion, [the king] had written, 
 * That according to the orders of your highness, the 
 situation of governor of the fort has been conferred 
 upon this Musalmdn, and a khiVaP has been bestowed 
 on him. He is now at liberty to put the former 
 governor to death ; and all his effects and money now 
 belong to this Musalmdn ; he may do with him what 
 he pleases. 1 hope my fault will be forgiven.' The 
 mother of the Brdhmans was pleased with the letter, 
 and said, ' Let the music strike up in the naubat-khdna 
 of the pagoda? Then she sent with me five hundred 
 well-armed soldiers, who were good marksmen 2 with 
 the musket, to go with me, and gave them orders to go to 
 the port, seize its governor, and deliver him up to this 
 Musalmdn, in order that he may put him to death 
 
 practice has frequently given rise to much roguery, and even bloodshed, as it 
 is so easy, by bribes, to get a seal-cutter to forge almost any seal, a notorious 
 instance of which appeared some twenty years ago in the case of the Rdjd 
 of Sattdra. Though the Muhammadan laws punish with severe penalties 
 such transgressions, yet seal-cutters are not more invulnerable to the powers 
 of gold than other men. Kings, princes, nawwabs, &c., have a private 
 mark, as well as a public seal, to official papers ; and a private seal and 
 mark for private or confidential papers. 
 
 1 A khifat or honorary dress is generally bestowed on a person when he 
 is appointed to a new situation. 
 
 2 Literally, " who could hit a kauri suspended by a hair." The Jcaun 
 is a small round shell used to denote the minutest denomination of money. 
 In Bengal it is about the hundredth part of a paisa.
 
 22() TALE OF 
 
 with what torture he pleases. Also let them take 
 care that, except this honoured \Musalmdn\, no one 
 be permitted to enter the [governor's] seraglio, and 
 let them deliver over his money and effects [untouched 
 to the new governor]. When he sends them back 
 with his own accord, let them get a letter of approba- 
 tion from him, and return to me.' She then gave me 
 a complete dress from the wardrobe of the great 
 idol, and having caused me to mount, she dismissed 
 me. 
 
 " When I reached the port, one of my men pro- 
 ceeded before me, and informed the governor [of my 
 arrival]. He was sitting like one in great perplexity, 
 when I arrived my heart was already filled with rage ; 
 on seeing the harbour-master, I drew my sword, and 
 struck him such a blow on the neck, that his head 
 flew off like a stalk of Indian corn. Then having 
 ordered the agents, the treasurers, the superintendants 
 and other officials to be seized, I took full possession 
 of the records ; and then I entered the seraglio. There 
 I met the princess ; we embraced each other most 
 tenderly, and wept, and praised the goodness of God ; 
 we wiped each other's tears ; I then came out and sat 
 on the masnad, and gave khiVats to the officers [of the 
 port], and re-established them in their respective situ- 
 ations; to the servants and slaves I gave promotion. 
 To those people who had come as an escort from the 
 temple, I gave presents and gratuities, and having be- 
 stowed dresses on their officers, I dismissed them. 
 Then having taken with me jewels of great value, and 
 pieces of fine cloth, and shawls, and brocaded stuffs, 
 and goods, and rarities of every region, and a large
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 227 
 
 sum of money as a nazar l for the king, and for the 
 nobles, according to their respective ranks, and for 
 the priests and priestesses, to be divided among them, 
 after one week I went to the idol-temple and laid the 
 presents before the old woman. 
 
 " She gave me another khiTat of dignity, and a 
 title. I then went to the audience of the king, and 
 presented my pesk-kash. I addressed his majesty [on 
 the best means] to remove the evil consequences of 
 whatever acts of tyranny and injustice the [former] 
 governor of the port had committed. For this reason, 
 the king, the nobles, and the merchants were all well 
 pleased with me, and the king showered many favours 
 on me, and having given me a khiVat and a horse, he 
 bestowed on me a title and a ja-gir? with other dig- 
 nities and honours. When I came out from the royal 
 presence, I gave the servants and attendants so much, 
 that they all began to pray [for my welfare]. In short, 
 I became very happy in my condition ; and I passed my 
 days in that country in extreme ease and felicity, after 
 marrying the princess ; and I offered up thanks to God 
 [for the happiness I enjoyed]. The inhabitants were 
 quite happy through the equity of my administration ; 
 and once a month I used to go to the temple and the 
 
 1 The nazar or pesh-JcasJt is a sum of money, &c., which all oriental 
 officials pay to the prince of the country, or to his favourites, &c., when 
 appointed to their situations. Some people say that such things are done 
 bearer home, with this difference, that among us it is a private transaction ; 
 whereas, in the East, it is an open one. 
 
 2 Jd-glrs are donations of lands, or, ruther, of the revenues arising from 
 a certain portion of land ; strictly speaking, such a grant is a reward for 
 military service, though it is sometimes bestowed without that condition.
 
 228 TALE or 
 
 king's levee ; his majesty, from time to time, conferred 
 on me additional promotion. 
 
 " At last, he enrolled me as one of his privy coun- 
 sellors, and did nothing without my advice ; my life 
 began to pass in extreme delight ; but God only knows 
 that I often thought on these two brothers [and was 
 anxious to know] where they were and how they were. 
 After the space of two years, a kafila of merchants 
 arrived at the port from the country of Zerbdd, and 
 they were all bound for Persia ; they wished to return 
 to their own country by sea. It was the rule at that 
 port, that whenever a kdravdn arrived there, the chiefs 
 of the Mravdn used to present to me as a nazar some 
 rare presents and curiosities of different countries. On 
 the day following, I used to go to [the chief's] place of 
 residence, and to levy ten per cent, on the value of his 
 goods by way of duty ; after which, I gave him per- 
 mission to depart. In the same manner, those mer- 
 chants from Zerbdd likewise came to wait on me, and 
 brought with them presents beyond value ; the second 
 day I went to their tents. There I perceived two men 
 dressed in tattered old clothes, who bore packages 
 and bundles on their heads, right into my presence. 
 After I had examined [the packages], they carried 
 them back; they laboured hard, and attended con- 
 stantly. 
 
 " I looked at them with great attention, and per- 
 ceived they were, indeed, my two brothers. At that 
 time, shame and pride would not allow me to see them 
 in such servitude. When I returned home, I desired 
 my servants to bring those two men to me ; when they
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 229 
 
 brought them, I had clothes made up for them, and 
 kept them near me. But these incorrigible villains 
 again laid a plan to murder me. One day at mid- 
 night, * finding all off their guard, they came like 
 thieves to the head of my^ bed. I had maintained a 
 guard at rny door from apprehensions for my life, and 
 this faithful dog was asleep at the side of my bed ; 
 but the moment they drew their swords from the 
 scabbard, the dog first barked, then flew at them ; the 
 noise he made awaked all ; I, also alarmed, started 
 up. The guards seized them, and I knew them to be 
 themselves all over. Every one began to execrate 
 them, [and said] ' notwithstanding all this kindness 
 how infamously they have behaved ! ' 
 
 " O king, peace be upon you, I also became at last 
 alarmed [for my life]. There is a common saying, 
 ' That the first and second fault may be pardoned, but 
 the third punished.' 2 I determined then, in my own 
 heart, to confine them ; but if I had put them in the 
 prison, who would have taken care of them? They 
 might have perished from want of food and drink, or 
 they might have contrived more mischief. For this 
 reason, I have confined them in a cage, that they may 
 be always under my own eye, then my mind will be at 
 rest ; lest being absent from my sight, they may hatch 
 further wickedness. The honour and esteem which I 
 evince towards this dog, are on account of his loyalty 
 and fidelity. 0, great God, a man without gratitude 
 is worse than a faithful brute ! These were the past 
 events of my life, which I have related to your majesty, 
 
 J As I he Musalmans reckon their day from sun-set, this is no bull. 
 1 Literally, " the third fault is that of the mother."
 
 230 TALE OF 
 
 now, either order me to be put to death, or grant me 
 my life ; to the king command belongs." 
 
 On hearing this narrative, l I praised that man of 
 honour, and said, your kindness has been uninterrupted, 
 and there has been no limits to these fellows' shame- 
 less and villainous conduct ; so true is it, " That if you 
 bury a dog's tail for twelve years, it will still remain 
 crooked as ever." 2 After this, I asked the khwaja the 
 history of those twelve rubies which were in the dog's 
 collar ? He replied, " May the age of your majesty 
 be a hundred and twenty years ! After I had been 
 three or four years governor of that port, I was sitting 
 one day on the top of my house, which was high, for 
 the purpose of viewing and enjoying the sea and plain 
 beneath. I was looking in all directions, when sud- 
 denly, I perceived two human figures, who were coming 
 along from one side of the wood, where there was no 
 high road. Having seized a telescope, I looked at 
 them, and saw they were of a strange appearance : I 
 speedily sent some mace-bearers to call them [to my 
 presence.] 
 
 " When they came, I perceived they were a man 
 and a woman. I sent the woman into the seraglio to 
 the princess, and called the man before me ; I saw he 
 was a youth of twenty or twenty-two years of age, 
 whose beard and mustaches had commenced [growing;] 
 but the colour of his face had become black as that of 
 the tawa. 3 The hair of his head, and the nails of his 
 
 1 The king here resumes his address to the four danveshes. 
 
 2 A proverb synonymous to ours, of " What is bred in the bone, will 
 never come out of the flesh." 
 
 * The tawa is a circular plate of malleable or cast iron, used for baking 
 cakes or bannocks. It is slightly convex, like a watch-glass, on the upper
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 23 1 
 
 fingers owing to the heat of the sun were greatly grown, 
 and he looked like a man of the woods. He held on his 
 shoulder a boy of about three or four years old, and two 
 sleeves of a garment, filled [with something], were sus- 
 pended like a collar round his neck ; he cut a strange 
 appearance, and was oddly dressed. I was greatly sur- 
 prised, and asked him, ' O, friend, who art thou, and 
 of what country art thou the inhabitant, and in what a 
 strange condition do I see thee ? ' The young man 
 began to weep bitterly, and taking off the two filled 
 sleeves from around his neck, he laid them before me, 
 and cried out, ' Hunger, hunger ! for God's sake give 
 ine something to eat ; I have subsisted for a long while 
 on roots and herbs, and there is not a particle of 
 strength remaining in me.' I instantly ordered him 
 some bread, meat, and wine ; he began to devour them. 
 " In the meantime, the eunuch brought from my 
 haram several other bags which he found on [the 
 stranger's wife.] I ordered them all to be opened, 
 and saw that they contained precious jewels of every 
 kind, each of which was equal in value to the amount 
 of the king's revenue ; each one was more valuable 
 than another in weight, shape and brilliancy ; and the 
 whole apartment was illuminated with variegated co- 
 lours, from the reflection of their different coloured 
 rays. When the young man had eaten something, and 
 drank a cup of wine, his senses returned ; I then asked 
 him, ' where did you get these stones ? ' He an- 
 
 side, where the bread is kid o'n ; the under or concave side being, of course 
 perfectly black. In Scotland, and in the northern counties of England, 
 this domestic implement is called " the girdle," and is still in common use 
 in plaees remote from towns.
 
 TALE OF 
 
 swered, ' My native country is Azurbdljdn ; ' Having 
 separated from my home and parents in my infancy, 
 I have undergone many hardships ; I was for a long 
 while buried alive, and have often escaped from the 
 claws of the angel of death.' T said, 'pray, young 
 man, give me the details that I may fully comprehend 
 [your story].' Then he began to relate his adventures 
 as follows : ' My father was a merchant, and he used 
 to travel constantly to Hindustan, China, Khatd, Rum, 
 and Europe. When I was ten years of age, my father 
 set out for Hindustan, and wished to take me with him. 
 Although my mother and various aunts remarked that 
 I was yet a child, and not old enough to travel ; my fa- 
 ther did not mind them, and said, " I am now old ; if 
 he is not instructed under my own eye, I will carry the 
 regret with me to my grave ; he is the son of a man, 
 and if he does not learn now, when will he learn ?" 
 
 " ' Saying this, he took me with him, in spite of 
 their entreaties, and we set out. The journey was 
 performed in health and safety, and when we arrived 
 in Hindustan, we sold some of our goods there, and 
 taking some rarities with us from thence, we set out 
 for the country of Zerbdd. This journey was likewise 
 performed in safety ; there also we sold and bought 
 goods, and embarked on board a ship, to return the 
 quicker to our country. One day, about a month 
 after, we were overtaken by a storm and hurricane, 
 and the rain began to fall in torrents ; the whole 
 earth and sky became dark as a mass of smoke, and 
 the rudder broke ; the pilot and master began to beat 
 
 1 Till recently a province of Persia ; the northern part of ancient Media. 
 It is now, alas ! fallen into the deadly grasp of the unholy Muscovite.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 233 
 
 their heads ; for ten days the winds and waves carried 
 us where they pleased; the eleventh day the ship 
 laaving struck against a rock, went to pieces. I did 
 not know what became of my father, our servants and 
 our goods. 
 
 " ' I found myself on a plank, which floated for 
 three days and nights beyond any control [of mine]. 
 On the fourth day it reached the shore. I had just 
 life enough remaining. I got off the plank, crawled 
 along on my knees. I some how or other reached 
 the dry land. I saw some fields at a distance, and 
 many people were assembled there; but they were 
 all black, and as naked as the day they were born ; 
 they said something to me ; but I did not understand 
 their language in the least. It was a field of the 
 chand 1 pulse ; the men, having lighted a large fire were 
 parching the ears [of chana] and eating them; and 
 some houses also appeared [near the spot]. Perhaps 
 this was their usual food, and that they lived in those 
 houses ; they made signs to me also that I should eat. 
 1 plucked up some of the graum, roasted it, and began 
 to toss it into my mouth ; and having drank a little 
 water, I laid down to sleep in a corner of the field. 
 
 " ' After some time, when I awoke, a man, from 
 among them came to me, and began to show me [by 
 signs] the road ; I plucked up some more of ihegraum, 
 and followed the road [he pointed out]. A great 
 level plain appeared before me, vast as the plain of 
 
 1 A kind of pea common in India ; it is the ordinary food of horses, oxen, 
 camels, &c., likewise of the natives. By Europeans it is generally called 
 (/ram or "araum."
 
 234 TALE OF 
 
 the day of judgment. 1 I proceeded, eating the graum 
 as I went ; after four days, I perceived a fort ; when 
 I went near it, then I saw it was a very high fort, all 
 built of stone, and each side of which was two kos in 
 length, and the door was cut out of a single stone, and 
 had a large lock attached ; but I could see no trace 
 of any human being. I proceeded on from thence and 
 saw a hillock, the earth of which was in colour black 
 as surma? when I passed over the hillock, I saw a large 
 city, surrounded with a rampart with bastions at regular 
 intervals ; and a river of great width flowed on one 
 side of the city. Proceeding on, I reached a gate, 
 and invoking God, I entered it. I saw a person who 
 was dressed in the garment of the people of Europe, 
 and seated on a chair ; the moment he saw I was a 
 foreign traveller, and heard me invoke God, he desired 
 me to advance. I went up to him, and made him a 
 saldm; he returned my salutation with great kindness, 
 and laid on the table instantly some bread and butter, 
 and a roast fowl and wine, and said, " Eat thy belly 
 full." I ate a little, and drank [some of the wine], 
 and fell sound asleep. When the night came, I opened 
 my eyes, and washed my hands and face; he gave me 
 again something to eat, and said, " son, relate thy 
 story." I told him all that had happened to me. He 
 then said, "Why art thou come here?" I became 
 
 1 The Mnfyammadans believe that on the day of judgment all who have 
 died will assemble on a vast plain, to hear their sentences from the mouth 
 of God ; so the reader may naturally conceive the size of the plain. 
 
 2 The surma is a black powder made of antimony, which the Asiatic 
 women use on their eyelids, to give a superior lustre to their black or hazel 
 eyea ; when applied with taste, it certainly has that effect. It is likewise need 
 for sore eyes, but I cannot say with what success.
 
 AZAD BAKJJT. 235 
 
 vexed, and replied, " Perhaps thou art mad ; after 
 hardships of long duration, I have at last seen the 
 appearance of [human] dwellings. God has conducted 
 me so far, and thou askest me why I am come here." 
 He answered, " Go and rest thyself now ; I will to- 
 morrow tell thee what I have to say." 
 
 " ' When the morning came he said to me, " There 
 are in this room a spade, a sieve, and a leather bag ; 
 bring them out." I said to myself, God knows what 
 labour he will make me undergo because he has made 
 me eat of his bread ; having no help for it, I took up 
 those articles and brought them to him. He then 
 ordered me to go to the black hillock [I had passed] 
 and dig a hole a yard deep, and " whatever you find in 
 it pass it through this sieve ; whatever cannot pass 
 through, put it in the leather bag, and bring it to me." 
 I took all those implements and went there, and having 
 dug as much [as I was ordered], I passed it through 
 the sieve, and put what remained into the bag, (as 
 directed] ; I then saw they were all precious stones 
 of different colours, and my eyes were dazzled with 
 their brilliancy. In this manner I filled the bag up 
 to the mouth, and carried it to that person ; on seeing 
 it, he said, "Whatever is in the bag take it for thyself, 
 and go away from hence ; for thy stay in this city will 
 not do thee good." I gave for answer, "Your wor- 
 ship has, on your part, done me a great favour by 
 giving me these stones and pebbles ; but of what use 
 are they to me ? When I become hungry, I shall not 
 be able to eat them nor to fill my belly ; and if you give 
 me more of them, what use will they be to me?" 
 That person smiled, and said, " I pity thee, for thou,
 
 236 TALE OF 
 
 like me, art an inhabitant of the kingdom of Persia ; 
 for this reason I advise thee [against remaining here], 
 otherwise it rests with thee. If thou art determined, 
 at all hazards, to enter this city, then take my ring 
 with thee ; when thou readiest the centre of the 
 market place, thou wilt find sitting there a man with 
 a white beard his face and general appearance are 
 very like mine he is my eldest brother give him 
 this ring he will then take care of thee ; act conform- 
 ably to what he says, otherwise thou wilt lose thy life 
 for nothing ; my authority only extends as far as this ; 
 I have no entrance into the city." 
 
 " ' 1 took the ring from him, and, saluting him, 
 took my leave. I entered the city, and saw it was a 
 very elegant place ; the streets and market-places were 
 clean and the men and women without concealment 
 were buying and selling among themselves, and were 
 all well dressed. I continued advancing on, and 
 viewing sights. When I reached the four cross roads 
 of the market place, such a crowd there was, that if 
 you threw a brass plate, it would have skimmed over 
 the heads of the people. The multitude were so close 
 to each other, that one could with difficulty make his 
 way through. When the concourse became less, I, 
 pushing and jostling, advanced forward. I saw at 
 last the person [described], seated on a chair, and a 
 chummdk 1 set with precious stones lay before him. I 
 approached him, made him my saldm, and gave him 
 the ring ; he looked at me with a look of anger, and 
 
 1 Chummak is the Turkish name for a kind of baton set with precious 
 itones, and used by some of the officers of the palace as an insignia of stale, 
 like our rods, wands, &c.
 
 AZAD BAKJ1T. 237 
 
 said, " Why hast thou come here, and plunged thyself in 
 calamity ? Did not my foolish brother forbid thee ?" 
 " ' I replied, " he did forbid me, but I did not mind 
 him." I then related to him all my adventures from 
 beginning to end. That person got up, and taking 
 me with him, he went towards his own house ; his 
 residence appeared like the abode of a king, and he 
 had many servants and attendants. When he had 
 retired to his private apartment and sat down, he said 
 with mildness, " son, ! what folly hast thou com- 
 mitted, that on thine own feet thou hast walked to 
 thy grave ? What unfortunate blockhead ever comes 
 to this enchanted city ?" I answered, I have already 
 fully related to you my history ; now indeed fate has 
 brought me here ; but do me the kindness to enlighten 
 me on the customs and ways of this place, then shall 
 I know for what reasons you and your brother have 
 dissuaded me from staying here." The good man 
 answered, " The king and all the nobles of this city 
 have been excommunicated ; strange are their man- 
 ners and religion ! In an idol temple here there is an 
 idol, from whose belly the devil tells the name, sect, 
 and faith of every individual ; so, whatever poor 
 traveller arrives here, the king has information of it ; 
 and he conveys the stranger to the pagoda, and makes 
 him prostrate himself before the idol. If he pros- 
 trates himself, it is well; otherwise, they cause the 
 poor wretch to be immersed in the river ; and if he 
 attempts to escape from the river, his private parts 1 
 
 1 This ludicrous idea is to be found in the veracious " Voiage and Tra- 
 vailo" of Sir John Maundevile, Kt. Speaking of the " Yles abouten Ynde," 
 he says, "men fynden there an lie that is clept Crues," where " for the grete
 
 238 TALE OP 
 
 become elongated to such a degreee that he has t& 
 drag them along the ground. Such enchantment [has 
 God] ordained in this city. T feel pity for thee on 
 account of thy youth ; but for thy sake I am going 
 to execute a scheme I have formed that thou mayest 
 be able to live at least a few days, and be saved from 
 this calamity." 
 
 " ' I asked, " What is the nature of the project [you 
 have formed] ? impart it to me." He replied, " I 
 mean to have thee married ; and to get thee the 
 wazlr's daughter for thy wife." I gave for answer, 
 " How can the wazir give his daughter to a wretch 
 so poor and destitute as myself? Will it be when 
 I embrace his faith ? This is what I never can do." 
 He replied, " The custom of this city is, that whoever 
 prostrates himself before the idol, if he be a beggar 
 and demand the king's daughter, the king must deliver 
 her up to him in order to gratify his wish, and that 
 they may not grieve him. Now I am in the king's 
 confidence, and he esteems me, for which reason all 
 the nobles and officers of state of this place respect 
 me. In the course of every week, they go twice to 
 the pagoda on a pilgrimage, and there they perform 
 their worship ; so they will all assemble there to-morrow, 
 and I will carry thee with me." Saying this, he gave 
 me something to eat and drink, and sent me away to 
 sleep. When the morning came, he took me with 
 him to the pagoda ; when we arrived there, I saw that 
 people were going to and fro, and performing their 
 devotions. 
 
 distresse of the hete, mennes ballokkes hangen down to their knees, for thd 
 gret? dissolucioun of the body."
 
 AZAD BAKrfT. 289 
 
 "'The king and nobles in front of the idol, near 
 the priests, with heads uncovered, were respectfully 
 seated ; also unmarried girls and handsome boys, like 
 Hur and Ghilmdn, 1 were drawn up in lines on the 
 four sides. The good old man spoke to me and said, 
 "Now do whatever I say." I agreed, and said, 
 " Whatever you command, that I will perform." He 
 said, " First, kiss the king's hands and feet, then, lay 
 hold of the wazirs dress," I did so. The king asked, 
 " Who is this, and what has he to say ?" The man 
 replied, " This young man is my relation, and he is 
 come from far to have the honour to kiss your majesty's 
 feet, and with this expectation, that the wazlr will 
 exalt him by [admitting him] into his service, if the 
 order of the great idol and your majesty's approba- 
 tion be [to that effect]." The king said, " If he will 
 embrace our faith and sect, and adopt our customs, 
 then it will be auspicious [lor him]." Immediately, 
 [the drums of] the nakkdr-khdna 2 of the pagoda struck 
 up ; and I was invested with a rich khil'at; they then 
 put a black rope round my neck, and dragged me 
 before the seat of the idol, and having made me pros- 
 trate myself before it, they lifted me up. 
 
 " ' A voice issued from the idol, saying, " re- 
 spected youth, thou hast done well to enter into my ser- 
 vice ; rely on my mercy and favour." On hearing 
 these words, all the people prostrated themselves, and 
 
 1 The Hur are celestial females, and the GMlmdn beautiful youths, who 
 are to attend upon all good Mahometans in Paradise. 
 
 2 The nakkdr-Tchdna is the place at the portico of a temple or palace 
 where drums are beaten at stated intervals. It is somewhat akin to the 
 " belfry," of a Komish .church, the childish and everlasting noise of which 
 jj supposed to constitute an important part of Christianity.
 
 240 TALE OF 
 
 began to roll on the ground, and exclaimed, "Long 
 may you prosper ! why should it not be !" When the 
 evening came, the king and the wazir mounted, and 
 went to the wazir s house, and they made over to me 
 the wazir s daughter according to their rites and cere- 
 monies ; they gave a great dowry and presents with 
 her, and expressed themselves highly obliged, saying, 
 that according to the commands of the great idol, they 
 had given her to me. They settled us both in one 
 house ; when I saw that beauty, then [1 perceived 
 that] in truth her beauty was equal to that of a fairy, 
 perfect from top to toe. All the beauties we have 
 heard of, as peculiar to Padmini * females, were centred 
 in her. I cohabited with her without ceremony, and 
 experienced great delight. In the morning, after 
 having bathed, I waited on the king ; he bestowed on 
 me the khiVat of marriage, and ordered that I should 
 always attend his levee ; at last, after some days, t 
 became one of his majesty's counsellors. 
 
 " ' The king used to be much pleased with my so- 
 ciety, and often gave me presents and rich MiFats, 
 although I was rich in worldly treasures, for my wife 
 possessed so much gold property and precious stones, 
 that they exceeded all bounds and limits. Two years 
 passed in extreme delight and ease. It happened that 
 [my wife] the wazir s daughter, became pregnant; 
 when the seventh and eighth months had passed, and 
 she entered her full time, the pains came on; the 
 niirse and midwife came, and a dead child was brought 
 forth; its poison infected the mother, and she also 
 
 1 Padmim, the highest and most excellent of the four classes of women 
 among the Hindus.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 241 
 
 died. I became frantic with grief, and exclaimed, 
 what a dreadful calamity has burst upon me ! I was 
 seated at the head of the bed, and weeping; all at 
 once the noise of lamentations spread through the 
 whole house, and women began to pour in [upon me] 
 from all sides. Each as she entered, struck one or 
 two blows with her hands on my head, and stood 
 before my face, and began to weep. So many women 
 were assembled [round me], that I was perfectly hid- 
 den among them, and nearly expiring. 
 
 " ' In the mean time, some one from behind seized 
 me by the collar, and dragged me along ; I looked up, 
 and saw it was the same man of Persia who had mar- 
 ried me [to the wazlrs daughter]. He exclaimed, " 
 blockhead ! for what art tho* weeping ?" I replied, 
 " cruel ! what a question thou askest ! I have lost 
 my empire, and the repose of my house is utterly 
 gone, and thou demandest why I weep !" He said, 
 with a smile, " Now weep on account of thy own 
 death ; I told thee at first, that perhaps thine evil fate 
 had led thee here [to perish] ; so it has turned out ; 
 now, except death, thou hast no release." At last, 
 the people seized me, and led me to the pagoda ; I 
 saw that the king, the nobles, and thirty-six tribes of 
 his subjects were assembled there; the wealth and 
 property of my wife were all collected there ; whatever 
 article any one's heart desired, he took ; and put down 
 its price in cash. 
 
 " ' In short, all her property was converted into 
 specie ; with this specie precious stones were pur 
 chased, and locked up in a small box ; they then fillcA 
 a chest with bread, sweetmeats, roast meat, dried and 
 
 R
 
 242 TALE OP 
 
 green fruits, and other eatables ; and they put the 
 corpse of my wife into another chest, and slung both 
 the chests across a camel ; they mounted me on it, 
 and put the box of precious stones in my lap. All the 
 Srd/imans went before me singing hymns and blowing 
 their shells, and a crowd for the purpose of wishing 
 me joy came on behind. In this manner I was con- 
 ducted out of the city, through the same gate by 
 which I entered the first day. The moment when the 
 same keeper of the gate saw me, he began to weep, 
 and said, " O unfortunate, death-seized [wretch] ! thou 
 wouldst not listen to me, but by entering this city 
 thou hast lost thy life for nothing ! It is not my 
 fault; I did dissuade thee." He said this to me; 
 but I was so confounded, that I could not use my 
 tongue to reply to him; nor were my senses in their right 
 place, to foresee what would become of me at last. 
 
 " ' They conducted me at last to the same fort, the 
 door of which I had seen shut the first day [I entered 
 this country]. The lock was opened with the assist- 
 ance of many people united, and they carried in the 
 corpse and the chest of food. A priest came up to 
 me, and began to console me, saying, " Man is born 
 one day, and one day dies; such is the [mode of] 
 transmigration in this world; now these, thy wife, 
 thy son, thy wealth, and forty days' food are placed 
 here ; take them, and remain here until the great idol 
 is favourable to thee." In my wrath I wished to 
 curse the idol, the inhabitants of that place, and their 
 manners and customs, and to inflict blows and 
 buffets on that priest. That same man of Persia in 
 ms own tongue, forbade me, and said, " Take care,
 
 AZAD BAKI1T. 243 
 
 do not on any account utter a word ; if you should say 
 anything whatever, they will burn you immediately. 
 Well, whatever was in your destiny, that has taken 
 place r /ely now on the mercy of God ; perhaps He 
 will deliver you alive from this place." 
 
 " ' In short, all of them, having left me by myself, 
 went out of that fortress, and shut the door. At that 
 moment I wept bitterly at my solitary and helpless 
 state, and began to kick the corpse of that woman, 
 saying, " O cursed corpse, if thou wast to perish in 
 child-birth, why didst thou marry and become preg- 
 nant ? M After thoroughly beating her, I again sat 
 silent. In the meantime, the day advanced, and the 
 sun became very hot ; my brains began to boil, and I 
 was dying by reason of the stench. On whatever side 
 I looked, I saw the bones of the dead, and boxes of 
 precious stones in heaps. I then, having gathered 
 some old chests together, placed them over each other, 
 so that there might be a shed against the heat of the 
 day, and the dews of the night. I began to search 
 for water, and on one side I saw something like a 
 cascade, which was cut out of stone in the wall of the 
 inclosure, and had a mouth like a pot. In short, my 
 life was [sustained] for some time on the food [they 
 had left with me], and the water [I had found.] 
 
 " ' At last, the victuals were exhausted, and I be- 
 came alarmed and complained to God. He is so 
 beneficent that the door of the inclosure opened and 
 another corpse was brought in ; an old man accom- 
 panied it. When, having left him also, they went 
 away, it came into my head to kill the old man, and 
 take possession of his chest of provisions. So, having
 
 244 TALE OP 
 
 taken up the leg of an old chest, I went up to him ; 
 he was, poor wretch, sorely perplexed, seated with his 
 head resting on his knees. I came behind him, and 
 struck him such a blow, that his skull was fractured 
 and his brains came out, and he instantly resigned 
 his soul to God. I seized his stock of provisions, I 
 began to live on it. For a long while this was my 
 way, that whatever living beings came in with the 
 dead, I used to kill the former, and having taken their 
 provisions, I fared plentifully. 
 
 " * After some time, a young girl once came with a 
 corpse; she was very handsome, and I had not the 
 hard heart to kill her [as had hitherto been my 
 practice]. She espied me, and swooned away through 
 fear. I took up her stock of provisions, and carried 
 it to where I lived ; but I did not eat it alone ; when 
 I was hungry, I used to carry her some victuals, and 
 we ate together. When the young girl perceived 
 that I did not molest her, her timidity lessened daily 
 and she became more familiar, and used to come to 
 my shed. One day I asked her her story, and who 
 she was; she replied, "I am the daughter of the 
 king's waklli mutlak, 1 and had been betrothed to my 
 uncle's son. On the day of the marriage night he 
 was. attacked with a colic, and was in such agonies 
 from the pain, that he expired in an instant ; 2 they 
 brought me here with his corpse and have left 
 me." She then asked to hear my story; I also 
 
 1 The prime minister, or first officers of state, under the Mughal 
 emperors. 
 
 2 Literally, " instant of an instant." With regard to this idiomatic nsa 
 of the genitive case, vide " Grammar," page 96, paragraph b.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 245 
 
 related the whole to her, and said, " God hath sent 
 Ihee here for my sake." She smiled and remained 
 silent. 
 
 " 'In this way mutual affection increased between 
 us in a short time ; I taught her the principles of the 
 Mmalmdn faith, and made her repeat our kalima. 
 I then performed the marriage ceremony, and coha- 
 bited with her ; she also became pregnant and 
 brought forth a son. Nearly three years passed 
 in this manner. When she weaned the child, I said 
 to my wife, " How long shall we remain here, and 
 how shall we get out from hence?" She replied, 
 " If God takes us out, then we shall get out ; 
 otherwise we shall some day die here." I wept 
 bitterly at what she said, and at our confinement, and 
 continuing to weep, I fell asleep. I saw a person in 
 my dream, who said to me, " There is an outlet 
 through the drain ; go thou forth." I started up 
 with joy, and said to my wife, " Collect and bring with 
 you all the old nails and bolts which belonged to the 
 rotten chests, that I may [with their help] widen [the 
 mouth of the drain]." In short, I having applied a 
 large nail to the mouth of that drain, used to strike it 
 with a stone until I became quite tired ; however, after 
 a year's labour, I widened the opening so much that a 
 man could get through it. 
 
 " ' I then put the very finest of the precious stones 
 into the sleeves of the habits of the dead, and taking 
 them with us, we three got out through the opening 
 J. had made]. I offered up thanks to God [for our 
 deliverance], and placed the boy on my shoulders.
 
 246 TALE OF 
 
 It is a month since we quitted the high road from 
 fear, and have travelled through bye-paths of the 
 woods and mountains ; when hunger attacked us, we 
 fed on grass and leaves. I have not strength left to say 
 a word more ; these are my adventures which you have 
 ; ust heard.' mighty king, 1 1 took pity on his con- 
 dition, and having sent him to the bath, I had him 
 well dressed, and made him my deputy. In my own 
 house I had had several children by the princess, but 
 they died one after another, when young ; one son lived 
 to five years of age, and then died ; from grief for him 
 my wife died also. I was greatly afflicted, and that 
 country became disagreeable to me after her loss ; my 
 heart became quite sad, and I determined to return 
 to Persia. I solicited the king's leave to depart, and 
 got the situation of the governor of the port trans- 
 ferred to the young man [whose story I have just re- 
 lated]. In the meantime the king died also ; I took 
 this faithful dog and all my jewels and money with 
 me, and came to Naishdpur, in order that no one 
 should know the story of my brothers. I have become 
 well-known as the dog-worshipper ; and owing to this 
 evil fame, I to this day pay double taxes into the 
 exchequer of the king of Persia. 
 
 " It so happened that this young merchant went to 
 Naishdpur, and owing to him I have had the honour 
 to kiss your majesty's feet." I asked 2 the kkwdja 
 Is not this [young merchant] your son ? He an- 
 swered, " Mighty sire, he is not my son ; he is one of 
 
 1 Here the fchwaja resumes his own story to Azdd J?M. 
 ' The king, Azdd BaKht, speaks in his own person.
 
 AZAD BAKHT. 
 
 your majesty's own subjects ; but he is now my master 
 or heir, or whatever you choose to call him." On 
 hearing this, I asked the young merchant, " what mer- 
 chant's son art thon, and where do thy parents reside ?" 
 The youth kissed the ground, and beseeching pardon 
 for his life, replied, " This slave is the daughter of 
 your majesty's wazir ; my father came under the royal 
 anger on account of this very khwdja'a rubies, and 
 your majesty's orders were, that if in one year my 
 father's words should not be verified, he should be 
 put to death. On hearing [the royal mandate], I as- 
 sumed this disguise and went to Naishdpur ; God has 
 conducted the Mwdja, together with the dog and 
 rubies, before your majesty, and you have heard all 
 the circumstances ; I now am hopeful that my aged 
 father may be released." 
 
 On hearing these circumstances from the wazirzddl, 
 the khwdja gave a groan, and helplessly fell down. 
 When rose water was sprinkled over his face, he re- 
 covered his senses, and exclaimed, " O, dire mishap ! 
 that I should have come from such a distance, with 
 such toil and sorrows, in the hope that, having adopted 
 the young merchant for my son, I should make over 
 to him by a deed of gift, all my wealth and property, 
 that my name might not perish, and every one should 
 call him kbwya-zada; 1 but now my imaginations have 
 proved vain, and the affair has turned out quite the 
 contrary. He, by becoming a woman, has ruined the 
 old man. I fell into female snares, and now the say- 
 ing may be applied to me, ' Thou remainedst at home, 
 
 1 The s-on of n i&waja or merchant of the highest grade.
 
 248 TALE OF 
 
 and didst not go to pilgrimage; yet thy head was 
 shaved, and thou art scoffed by all.' " l 
 
 To shorten my story, I took pity on agitation, and 
 groans and lamentations, and called him near me, and 
 whispered in his ear some glad tidings, and added, 
 " do not grieve ; I will marry thee to her, and, if God 
 pleaseth, thou shalt have children from her, and she 
 shall [now] be thy master." On hearing these welcome 
 words, he became altogether comforted. I then or- 
 dered them to conduct the wazlrzddl to the seraglio, 
 and to take the wazlr out of prison, bathe him in the 
 bath, dress him in the khil'at of restoration to favour, 2 
 and bring him quickly before me. When the wazlr 
 arrived, I went to the end of ihefarsh 3 to receive him, 
 and conceiving him my superior, I embraced him, and 
 bestowed on him anew the writing case of the waz'ir- 
 s/iip* I conferred also titles mdjdyirs on the khwdja, 
 and fixing on a happy hour, I married him to the 
 wazlr s daughter. 
 
 In a few years, he had two sons and a daughter 
 born to him. In short, the eldest son is now Maliku- 
 t-Tujjdr, and the youngest, the chief manager of my 
 household. Danceshes, I have related these adven- 
 tures to you for this reason, that last night, I heard 
 
 1 When Musalmans go on pilgrimage to Mecca, they shave their heads 
 on their arrival there ; the ridicule is, to have incurred the shaving with- 
 out the merit of the pilgrimage. 
 
 2 Called the TthiVat sarafrazi, i. e. of exaltation. 
 
 3 The farsh is the carpet or cloth which is spread in the room, where 
 company is received, or the king's audience is held ; for the king to advance 
 to the end of the farsh to receive the wazir, is a mark of respect, which 
 Asiatic princes seldom pay, even to their equals. 
 
 4 The insignia of the wazir's office in India and Persia, is the 
 dun.
 
 AZAD BAKjJT. 249 
 
 the adventures of two of your number ; now you two 
 who remain, fancy to yourselves that I am still where 
 I was last night, and think me your servant, and my 
 house your takiya; 1 relate your adventures without 
 fear, and stay some days with me. When the Dar- 
 weshes perceived that the king was very kind to them, 
 they said, " Well, as your majesty condescends to form 
 amity with Darweshes, we both will also relate our 
 adventures : be pleased to hear them." 
 
 1 The abode of a fakir is called a takiya.
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE THIRD DARWESH. 
 
 THE third Darwesh, having sat down at his ease, 1 
 began thus to relate the events of his travels. 
 
 " O friends, the story of this pilgrim hear ; 
 That's to say, hear the tale of what has happened to me} 
 How the king of love hath behaved to me, 
 I am going to relate it in full detail, O, hear." 
 
 This humble being is the prince of Persia ; my father 
 was king of that country, and had no children except 
 myself. In the season of my youth, I used to play 
 with my companions at chaupar," 1 cards, chess, and 
 backgammon ; or mounting my horse, I used to enjoy 
 the pleasures of the chase. It happened one day, that 
 I ordered my hunting party, and taking all my friends 
 and companions with me, we sallied forth over the 
 plains. Letting loose the hawks [of various sorts] on 
 ducks and partridges, we followed [them] to a great 
 distance. A very beautiful piece of land appeared in 
 sight ; as far as the view extended, for miles around, 
 what with the verdure and the red flowers, the plain 
 seemed like a ruby. Beholding this delightful scene, 
 
 1 The phrase Tcot bandh baifhna signifies to squat down as a person does 
 when easing nature, the two hands being clasped together round the lega 
 a little below the knees. 
 
 3 Ckanpar is a very ancient Indian game of the nature of backgammon, 
 played by four people, each having four men or pieces. A full description 
 of it is given in the Ayeeni Akbary, London, 1800, vol. 1st, page 253.
 
 252 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 we dropped the bridles of our horses and moved on at 
 a slow pace [admiring the charming prospect]. Sud- 
 denly, we saw a black deer on the plain, covered with 
 brocade, and a collar set with precious stones, and a 
 bell inlaid with gold attached to its neck ; fearless it 
 grazed, and moved about the plain, where man never 
 entered, and where bird had never flapped a wing. 
 Hearing the sound of our horses' hoofs, it started, and 
 lifting up its head, looked at us, arid moved slowly 
 away. 
 
 On perceiving it, such became my eagerness that I 
 said to my companions, remain where you are, I will 
 catch it alive, take care you do not advance a step, 
 and do not follow me. I was mounted on such a 
 swift horse, that I had often gallopped him after deer, 
 and confounding their bounds, had seized them one 
 after another with my hand. I pushed after it ; on 
 seeing me, it began to bound, and swiftly fled away ; 
 my horse also kept pace with the wind, but could not 
 overtake the very dust it raised. The horse streamed 
 with sweat, and my tongue also began to crack from 
 thirst ; but there was no alternative. The evening 
 was approaching, and I did not know how far I had 
 come, or where I was. Having no other chance [of 
 getting the animal], I employed stratagem towards it, 
 and having taken out an arrow from the quiver, I ad- 
 justed my bow, drew the arrow to its full length, 
 aimed it at its thigh, and pronouncing the name of 
 God, I let it fly. The very first arrow entered its leg, 
 and, limping away, it went towards the foot of the 
 mountain. I dismounted from my horse, and followed 
 it on foot ; it took to the mountain, and I at the same
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 253 
 
 time gave it chase. After many ascents and descents, 
 a dome appeared ; when I got near it, I perceived a 
 garden and a fountain ; but the deer disappeared from 
 my sight. I was greatly fatigued, and began to wash 
 my hands and feet [in the fountain]. 
 
 All at once the noise of weeping struck my ears, as 
 issuing from the dome, and as if some one was ex- 
 claiming, " 0, child, may the arrow of my grief stick 
 in the heart of him who hath struck thee; may he 
 derive no fruit from his youth, and may God make 
 him a mourner like me." On hearing these words, 
 I went to the dome, and saw a respectable old man, 
 with a white beard, and well dressed, seated on a 
 masnad, and the deer lying before him ; he was draw- 
 ing the arrow from its thigh, and uttering imprecations 
 [on the shooter]. I made him my saldm, and joining 
 my hands together, I said, " Respectable sir, I have un- 
 knowingly committed this fault ; I did not know it 
 [was your deer] ; for God's sake pardon me." He 
 answered, " You have hurt a dumb animal ; if you 
 have committed this cruel act through ignorance, God 
 will forgive you." I sat down near him, and assisted 
 him in extracting the arrow; we pulled it out with 
 great difficulty ; and having put some balsam to the 
 wound, we let [the deer] go. We then washed our 
 hands, and the old man gave me some food to eat, 
 which was then ready; after satisfying my hunger 
 and thirst, I stretched myself out on a four-footed 
 bedstead. 
 
 After having fed well, 1 slept soundly through 
 fatigue. In that sleep, the noise of weeping and lamenta- 
 rion struck my ears; rubbing my eyes, when I looked
 
 254 ADVENTURES OP TUB 
 
 round, then neither the old man nor any one else was 
 in that apartment. I lay alone on the bed, and the 
 room was quite empty. I began to look with alarm 
 in all directions, and perceived a par da in a corner 
 which was down ; going to it, I lifted it up, and saw 
 that a throne was placed there, on which was seated 
 an angelic woman of about fourteen years of age ; her 
 face was like the moon, and her ringlets on both sides 
 [of her head] hung loose ; she had a smiling counte- 
 nance; and she was dressed like a European, and 
 with a most charming air; she was seated [on the 
 throne] and looking forward. The venerable old man 
 lay prostrate before her, with his head on her feet, 
 and he was weeping bitterly, and he seemed to have 
 lost his senses. On seeing the old man's condition, 
 and the woman's beauty and perfection, I was quite 
 lost, and having become lifeless, I fell down like a 
 corpse ; the old man seeing my senseless state, brought 
 a bottle of rose water, and began to sprinkle it over 
 my face ; when I recovered, I got up, and went up to 
 the angelic woman and saluted her; she did not in 
 the least return my salute, nor did she open her lips. 
 I said, " lovely angel, in what religion is it right to 
 be so proud, and not to return a salute. 
 
 " ' Although to speak little is becoming, yet not so much so ; 
 If the lover is dying, even then she would not open her lips.' 
 
 For the sake of Him who hath created thee, pray give 
 me an answer ; I am come here by chance, and the 
 pleasing of a guest is a requisite duty." I talked much 
 to her, but it was of no use ; she heard me, and sat 
 silent like a statue. I then advanced, and laid my
 
 DARWESH. 255 
 
 hand on her feet ; when I touched them, they felt 
 quite hard ; at last, I perceived that this beautifu. 
 object was formed of stone, and that Azur 1 had formed 
 this statue. I then said to the idol-worshipping old 
 man, " I struck an arrow in thy deer's leg, but thou 
 hast with the dart of love pierced my heart through 
 and through ; your curse has taken place ; now tell 
 me the full particulars of these [strange circum- 
 stances] ; why hast thou made this talisman, and 
 why, having left [human] habitations, dost thou dwell 
 in woods and mountains? Tell me all that has hap- 
 pened to thee." 
 
 When I pressed him greatly, he said, " This affair 
 has indeed ruined me ; dost thou also wish to perish 
 by hearing it ?" 1 exclaimed, " Hold, thou hast 
 already made too many evasions; answer to the 
 purpose, or else I will kill thee." Seeing me very 
 urgent, he said, " O youth, may God the Almighty 
 keep every person safe from the scorching flame of 
 love ; see what calamities this love hath produced ; 
 for love, the woman burns herself with her husband, 
 and sacrifices her life ; 2 and all know the story of 
 Farhdd and Majnun ; what wilt thou gain by hearing 
 my story ? Wilt thou leave thy home, fortune and 
 country, and wander for nothing ?" I gave for an- 
 swer, "Cease, keep thy friendship to thyself; con- 
 ceive me now thy enemy, and if life is dear to thee, 
 tell me plainly [thy story]." Perceiving there was no 
 
 1 Azur, the father of Abraham, was a famous statuary and idol-wor- 
 shipper, according to the ideas of Muhammadans. 
 
 2 Alluding to the Hindu custom of the wife's burning herself with the 
 corpse of her husband ; in these cases, perhaps, fear of the priesthood, &c., 
 u a stronger motive than love for the defunct.
 
 256 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 alternative, his eyes filled with tears, and he began to 
 say, " The following is this miserable wretch's story: 
 This humble servant's name is Nl'mdn Saiydh. I was 
 a great merchant ; arrived to these years, I have 
 traversed all parts of the world for the purpose of 
 trade, and have been admitted to the presence of 
 all kings. 
 
 " Once the fancy came into my mind that I had 
 wandered over the regions of the four corners [of the 
 world], but never went to the Island of the Franks, 1 
 and never saw its king, citizens and soldiers I knew 
 nothing of its manners and customs so that I ought 
 to go there also for once. I took the advice of my 
 acquaintances and friends, and resolved [on the voy- 
 age] ; I took with me some rarities and presents from 
 various places, such as were fit for that country, and 
 collecting a kafila of merchants, we embarked on board 
 a ship and set sail. Having favourable winds, we 
 reached the island in a few months and put up in the 
 city. I saw a magnificent city, to which no city could 
 be compared for beauty. In all the bazars and streets 
 the roads were paved and watered; such was the 
 cleanliness that a bit of etraw could not be seen ; why 
 then make mention of dirt? The buildings were of 
 every variety, and at night the streets were lighted, 
 at intervals, by two rows of lamps ; without the 
 city were delightful gardens, in which rare flowers 
 and shrubs and fruits were seen [in rich profusion} 
 
 1 By the Island of the Franks, it is most probable that the author means 
 Britain. The description of the capital is more adapted to London sixty 
 years ago than to any other European city. This, Mir Amman might have 
 .earned from some of the resident Europeans, while he filled up the rest 
 from his own luxuriant imagination.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 257 
 
 such as no where else could be [seen] except in Para- 
 dise. In short, whatever I may say in praise of this 
 [magnificent city] would not exceed [the truth]. 
 
 " The arrival of our merchants was much talked of. 
 A confidential eunuch 1 mounted on horseback, and 
 attended by many servants, came to our kajila, and 
 asked the merchants, " Who is your chief?" They all 
 pointed to me ; the eunuch came to my place ; I rose 
 up to receive him with respect, and we saluted each 
 other ; I seated him on the masnad, and offered him 
 the pillow ; after which I asked him to tell me what 
 was the occasion which afforded me the honour of his 
 visit ; he replied, ' The princess has heard that some 
 merchants are arrived, and have brought much mer- 
 chandise, for which reason she has desired me to 
 bring them to her presence ; so come, and take along 
 with you whatever merchandise may be fit for the 
 courts of kings, and gain the happiness of kissing her 
 threshold/ 
 
 " I gave for answer, ' To-day, indeed, I am greatly 
 fatigued ; to-morrow I will attend her with my life and 
 property ; whatever I have by me, I will present as a 
 nazar [to the princess], and whatever pleases her, the 
 same is her majesty's property.' Having made this 
 promise, I gave him rosewater and betel, and dismissed 
 him. I called all the merchants near me, and what- 
 ever rarities each had, we collected together, and those 
 of my own I took also, and went in the morning to 
 the door of the royal seraglio. The door-keeper sent 
 word of my arrival, and orders came to bring me to 
 
 1 The " eunuch " is of course out of place in a Christian city ; at least 
 he does not hold the same rank as in the East. 
 
 8
 
 258 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 the presence ; the same eunuch came out, and taking 
 my hand in his, he led me along, whilst we talked in 
 friendly converse. Having passed the apartments of 
 the female attendants of the princess, he conducted 
 me into a noble apartment. O friend, you will not 
 believe it, but so beautiful was the scene, that you 
 might say the fairies had been let loose there with 
 'heir wings shorn. On whatever side I looked, there 
 my sight became transfixed, and my limbs were 
 torn away [from under me] ; I supported myself with 
 difficulty, and reached the royal presence. The mo- 
 ment I cast my eyes upon the princess, I was ready 
 to faint, and my hands and feet trembled. 
 
 " I contrived, with some difficulty, to make my 
 salutation. Beautiful women were standing in rows 
 to the- right and left, with their arms folded. I laid 
 before the princess the various kinds of jewels, fine 
 clothes, and other rich rarities that I had brought 
 with me ; from these she selected some, (inasmuch 
 as they were all worthy of choice). She was greatly 
 pleased, and delivered them to her head -servant, and 
 he said to me, that their prices should be paid the 
 next day, according to the invoice. I made my 
 obeisance, and was pleased within myself that under 
 this pretext I should have to come again the next 
 day. When I took my leave and came out, I was 
 speaking and uttering words like those of a maniac. 
 In this state I came to the serai, but my senses were 
 not right ; all my friends began to ask what was the 
 matter with me ; I replied, that from going and re- 
 turning so far, the heat had affected my brain. 
 
 " In short, I passed that night in tossing and
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 259 
 
 tumbling [about in my bed]. In the morning, I went 
 again and presented myself [to wait on the princess], 
 and entered the seraglio along with the confidential 
 servant, and saw the same scene I had seen the day 
 before. The princess received me kindly, and sent 
 every one [present] away, each to his own occupation. 
 When there became a dispersion of them, she retired 
 to a private apartment, and called me to her. When 
 I entered, she desired me to sit down ; I made her 
 my obeisance, and sat down. She said, 'As you have 
 come here, and have brought these goods with you, how 
 much profit do you expect on them ?' I replied, ' I had 
 an ardent desire to see your highness, which God hath 
 granted, and now I have got all I wished ; I have 
 acquired the prosperity of both worlds. Whatever 
 prices are marked in the invoice, half is the prime 
 cost, and half profit.' She replied, ' No, whatever price 
 you have marked down shall be paid ; moreover, you 
 shall receive presents besides, on condition that you 
 will do one thing, which I am about to order you.' 
 
 " I replied, ' This slave's life and property are at your 
 service, and I shall think as the happiness of my 
 destinies if they can be of any use to your highness ; 
 I will perform [what you desire] with my life and 
 soul.' On hearing these words, she called for a kalam- 
 ddn, wrote a note, put it into a small purse made of 
 pearls, wrapped the purse in a fine muslin handker- 
 chief, and gave it to me ; she gave me likewise a ring 
 which she took from off her finger, as a mark [by which 
 I might make myself known] ; she then said to me, 
 ' On the opposite side [of the city] is a large garden , 
 its name is Dil-kushd, or "Delight of the Heart."
 
 2f)0 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 Go you there. A person named Kaikhvsru is the 
 superintendent [of the garden] ; deliver into his hands 
 the ring, and bless him for me, and ask a reply to this 
 note, but return quick, as if you ate your dinner there 
 and drank your wine here j 1 you will see what a 
 reward I shall give you for this service/ I took my 
 leave, and went along inquiring my way When I had 
 gone about two kos, I saw the garden. When I 
 reached it, an armed man seized me, and led me into 
 the garden gate. I saw there a young man with the 
 looks of a lion ; he was seated on a stool of gold, with 
 an air of state and dignity, having on an armour [forged] 
 by Dd,ud? with breast plates, and a steel helmet. Five 
 hundred young men, holding each in his hands a 
 shield and sword, and equipped with bows and arrows, 
 were drawn up in a line, and ready [to execute his 
 orders]. 
 
 " I made him my saldm, and he called me to him ; 
 I delivered him the ring, and, paying him many com- 
 pliments, I showed him the handkerchief, and mentioned 
 also the circumstance of having brought him a note. 
 The moment he heard me, he bit his finger with his 
 teeth, and slapping his head, he said, ' Perhaps your 
 evil destiny hath brought you here. Well, enter the 
 garden ; an iron cage hangs on a cypress tree, in which 
 a young man is confined ; give him this note, receive 
 his answer, and return quickly.' I immediately en- 
 tered the garden ; what a garden it was ! you might 
 say that I had entered alive into Paradise. Every in- 
 dividual parterre bloomed with variegated flowers; 
 
 1 In the original it is water ; the meaning is obvious enoiigh, 
 3 Most probably the name of some famous armourer.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 261 
 
 the fountains were playing, and the birds were warb- 
 ling [on the trees]. I went straight on, and saw the 
 cage suspended from the tree, in which I perceived a 
 very handsome young man. I bent my head with 
 respect, and saluted him, and gave him the sealed and 
 enveloped note through the bars of the cage. That 
 young man opened the note and read it, and inquired 
 of me about the princess with great affection. 
 
 " We had not yet done speaking, when an army of 
 negroes appeared, and fell on me on all sides, and 
 began to attack me without delay with their swords 
 and spears ; what could one single unarmed man do ? 
 In a moment they covered me with wounds ; I had 
 no sensation or recollection of myself. When I re- 
 covered my senses, I found myself on a bed, which 
 two soldiers were carrying along [on their shoulders] ; 
 they were speaking to each other ; one said, ' Let us 
 throw the corpse of this dead man on the plain ; the 
 dogs and crows will soon eat it u-p.' The other re- 
 plied, ' If the king should make investigation, and 
 learn this circumstance, he will bury us alive, and 
 grind our children to paste ; what ! are our lives be- 
 come a burthen to us, that we should act so rashly ?' 
 
 " On hearing this conversation, I said to the two 
 [ruffians] Gog and Magog, ' for God's sake take 
 some pity on me, I have still a spark of life left ; 
 when I die, do with me what you please ; the dead 
 are in the hands of the living ; l but tell me what has 
 happened to me ; why have I been wounded, and who 
 are you? pray explain thus much to me.' They then 
 having taken pity on me, said, * The young man who 
 
 1 A Persian proverb.
 
 2G2 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 is confined in the cage is the nephew of the king of 
 this country; and his father was previously on the 
 throne. At the time of his death he gave this injunc- 
 tion to his brother : ' My son, who is heir to my throne, 
 is as yet young and inexperienced ; do you continue 
 to guide the affairs of state with zeal and prudence ; 
 when he is of age, marry your daughter to him, and 
 make him master of the whole empire and treasury.' 
 
 " After saying this his majesty died, and the younger 
 brother became king ; he did not attend to the [late 
 king's] last injunctions; on the contrary, he gave it 
 out that [his nephew was] mad and insane, and put 
 him into a cage, and has placed such strict guards on 
 the four sides of the garden that no bird can there 
 flap its wing ; and many a time he has administered 
 to [his nephew] the poison called haldhal ; * but 
 his life is stronger and the poison has had no effect. 
 Now the princess and this prince are lover and mis- 
 tress ; she is distracted at home, and he in the cage ; 
 <she sent him a love-letter by your hands ; the spies 
 instantly conveyed intelligence [of this circumstance] 
 to the king ; a body of Abyssinians were ordered out 
 and treated you thus. The king has consulted his 
 wazir on the means of putting to death this imprisoned 
 princj, and that ungrateful wretch has persuaded the 
 princess to kill the innocent prince with her own 
 hands in the king's presence.' 
 
 " I said, ' Let us go, that I may see this scene even in 
 my dying moments.' They at last agreed [to my re- 
 quest^, and the two soldiers and my self, though wounded, 
 
 1 That is poison of the strongest kind. Vide note on this word iu 
 page 21.1.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 263 
 
 went to the scene and stood in silence in a retired corner. 
 We saw the king seated on his throne ; the princess 
 held in her hand a naked sword ; the prince was taken 
 out of the iron cage, and made to stand before [the 
 king] ; the princess, becoming an executioner, ad- 
 vanced with the naked sword to kill her lover. When 
 she drew near the prince, she threw away the sword 
 and embraced him. Then that lover said to her, ' I 
 am willing to die thus ; here, indeed, I desire thee, 
 there, also, I shall wish for thee.' 1 The princess said, 
 ' I have come, under this pretext to behold thee.' 
 The king, on seeing this scene, became greatly en- 
 raged, and reproached the wazir, and said, ' Hast 
 thou brought me here to see this sight ?' The [prin- 
 cess's] confidential servant separated the princess from 
 the prince, and conducted her to the seraglio. The 
 wazir took up the sword, and flew with rage at the 
 prince to end with one blow his unfortunate existence. 
 As he lifted up his arm to strike, an arrow from an 
 unknown hand pierced his forehead, so that [his head] 
 was cleft in twain, and he fell down. 
 
 " The king, seeing this mysterious event, retired 
 into his palace ; and they put the young prince again 
 into the cage, and carried him to the garden ; I like- 
 wise came out from where I was. On the road, a 
 man called me and conducted me to the princess; 
 seeing me severely wounded, she sent for a surgeon, 
 and enjoined him very strictly, ' cure this young man 
 quickly, and perform the ablution of recovery. Your 
 welfare depends on it ; as much care and attention as 
 you bestow on him, so many presents and favours you 
 
 1 Moaning in tins world and the next.
 
 264 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 will receive from me.' In short, the surgeon used his 
 skill and assiduity according to the princess's injunc- 
 tions, and at the end of forty days, having caused me 
 to be bathed and washed, he presented me to the 
 princess. She asked me, ' Is there now anything else 
 left to be done.' I replied, that through her humanity 
 I was quite recovered. The princess then gave me a 
 rich Mil' at and a large sum of money, as she had 
 promised ; yea, she even gave me as much more, and 
 then dismissed me. 
 
 * 
 
 " I took all my friends and servants with me, and 
 set out from that country [to return home]. When I 
 reached this spot, I desired all of them to return to 
 their native country, and I erected on this hill this 
 building, and got a statue made of the princess. I 
 took up my residence here, and having rewarded my 
 servants and slaves according to their respective merits, 
 I dismissed them, saying, whilst I live, I leave it to 
 you to provide me with food ; beyond this act, you 
 are your own masters. They supply me with subsist- 
 ence from gratitude, and I, with heart at ease, worship 
 this statue ; whilst I live, this will be my sole [care 
 and] employment ; these are my adventures which 
 you have just heard." O, Darweshes! on hearing his 
 story, I, having thrown the Tcafni over my shoulders, 
 and having put on the habit of a pilgrim, set out 
 with extreme desire to see the country of the Franks. 
 After long wandering over mountains and through 
 woods, I began to resemble Majnun Fdrhdd. 
 
 At last, my strong desire carried me to the same 
 [European] city [where the old statue-worshipper had 
 been] ; I wandered through its streets and lanes like
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 265 
 
 a lunatic, and I often remained near the seraglio of the 
 princess ; but I could get no opportunity to have an 
 introduction to her. I was greatly vexed that I should 
 not obtain the object for which I had undergone such 
 misery and toil, and come so far. On day, I was 
 standing in the bazar, when all at once the people be- 
 gan to run away, and the shopkeepers having shut up 
 their shops, also fled. What crowds there were [a 
 moment before], and how desert the place became 
 [all of a sudden] ! I soon perceived a young man 
 rushing forward from a side street ; he was like Rus- 
 tam in appearance, and roared like a lion ; he flourished 
 a naked sword in each hand ; he was in armour, with 
 a pair of pistols in his girdle, and kept muttering 
 something to himself like an inebriated maniac ; two 
 slaves followed him, clothed in woollen, and bearing 
 on their heads a bier covered with velvet of Kdshdn. 
 
 On seeing this sight, I determined to proceed with 
 it; those I met dissuaded me from it, but I would 
 not hear them. Pushing forward, the young man 
 went towards a grand mansion ; I also went along 
 with him. He looked back, and perceiving me, he 
 wished to give me a blow and cut me in two ; I swore 
 to him that this was the very thing I wished, saying, 
 " I forgive you my blood ; relieve me by some means 
 or other from the misery of life, for I am grievously 
 afflicted ; I have knowingly and voluntarily put my- 
 self in your way ; do not delay [my execution]." 
 Seeing me determined to die, God infused compassion 
 into his heart, and his anger cooled, and he asked me 
 with much kindness and gentleness, " Who art thou 
 and why art thou tired of life ?"
 
 2G6 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 I replied, " Sit down awhile that I may tell you ; my 
 story is very long and tedious. I am caught in the 
 claws of love, for which reason I am desperate." On 
 hearing this, he unfastened his waist band, and having 
 washed his hands and face, he took some food and 
 gave me some likewise. When he finished his meal, 
 he said, " Say what has befallen thee ?" I related all 
 the adventures of the old man and the princess, and 
 the cause of my going there, [i. e. to Europe]. On 
 hearing them he wept at first, and then said, " What 
 numbers of homes this unfortunate [princess] has 
 ruined ! Well, thy cure is in my hands ; it is pro- 
 bable that through the means of this guilty being 
 thou wilt attain thy wishes ; do not give way to 
 anxiety ; be confident." He then ordered the barber 
 to shave me, and to apply to me the bath j 1 his slave 
 brought me a suit of clothes and dressed me: then 
 the young man said to me, " This bier which thou 
 seest is that of the late young prince, who was confined 
 in the iron cage ; another wazlr murdered him at las 
 through treachery; he indeed has obtained release 
 though he has been wrongfully slain. I am his foster 
 brother ; I put that wazlr to death with a blow of my 
 sword, and made the attempt to kill the king ; but he 
 entreated mercy, and swore that he was innocent ; I 
 having spurned him as a coward, allowed him to 
 escape. Since then, my occupation has been this, to 
 carry the bier, in this manner, through the city, on the 
 first Thursday of every moon, and to mourn for the 
 [murdered prince]." 
 
 1 Barbers in Asia not only shave but wash persons in the private and 
 public baths.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 267 
 
 On hearing these circumstances, from his mouth, I 
 attained some consolation, saying, " If he should wish 
 it, then my desires will be accomplished ; God has 
 favoured me greatly, since he has made such a mad 
 man well inclined towards me ; so true is it, that if 
 God is favourable, all goes well." When the evening 
 came, and the sun set, the young man took up the 
 bier, and instead of one of the slaves, he put it on my 
 head and took me along with him. He said, " I am 
 going to the princess, and will plead for thee as much 
 as I am able ; do not thou open thy lips, but remain 
 silent and listen." I replied, " Whatever you advise, 
 I will strictly do ; God preserve you, for you feel pity 
 on my case." That young man proceeded towards 
 the royal garden, and when we entered it, I perceived 
 a marble platform of eight sides, in an open space of 
 the garden, on which was spread an awning of silver 
 tissue with pearl fringe, and erected on poles set with 
 diamonds ; a rich brocade masnad, with pillows, was 
 spread under the awning. The bier was placed there, 
 and we were both ordered to go and sit under a tree 
 [which he pointed out]. 
 
 In a short time, the lights of flambeaux appeared, 
 and the princess herself arrived, accompanied by some 
 female attendants before and behind her; melancholy 
 and anger were visible in her looks ; she mounted the 
 platform and sat clown [on the masnad}. The foster- 
 brother stood before her with folded arms, then sat 
 down at a respectable distance on a corner of ihefarsh. 
 The prayer for the dead was read ; then the foster- 
 brother said something ; I having applied my ear, was 
 listening with attention. At last, he said, " O princess
 
 268 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 of the world, peace be upon you ! The prince of the 
 kingdom of Persia, hearing, in your absence, of your 
 beauty and excellence, has abandoned his throne, 
 and becoming a pilgrim like Ibrahim Adham y 1 he is 
 arrived here, after overcoming many difficulties and 
 undergoing great fatigue. The pilgrim hath quitted 
 BalMi? for thee ; he hath wandered for some time 
 through this city in distress and misery ; at last, form- 
 ing the resolution to die, he joined rne ; I attempted 
 to alarm him with my sword ; he presented his neck, 
 and conjured me to strike without delay, adding, that 
 was his wish. In short, he is firmly in love with 
 you ; I have proved him well, and have found him 
 perfect in every way. For this reason I have men- 
 tioned him to you ; if you take pity on his case and 
 be kind to him, as he is a stranger, it would not be 
 doing too much [on the part] of one who fears God 
 and loves justice." 
 
 On hearing this speech, the princess said, " Where 
 is he ? if he is really a prince, then it does not signify, 
 let him come before us." The foster-brother got up 
 and came [to where I was] and took me with him. I, on 
 seeing the princess, became exceedingly overjoyed, but 
 my reason and my senses departed. I became dumb \ 
 I had not power to speak. The princess shortly 
 after returned [to her palace], and the foster-brother 
 came to his own residence. When we reached his 
 house, he said, " I have related all the circumstances 
 [you mentioned] to the princess from beginning to 
 
 1 A prince of Khurasan, who quitted a throne in order to lead a life of 
 piety. 
 
 3 A celebrated city of Khurasan, famous in former times for its riches.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 
 
 209 
 
 end, and have likewise interceded for you ; now do 
 you go there every night without fail and indulge in 
 pleasure and joy." I fell at his feet ; [he lifted me 
 up and] clasped me to his bosom. All the day, I 
 continued counting the hours until the evening came, 
 that I might go and see the princess. When the 
 night arrived, I took leave of that young man, and 
 went to the princess's lower garden ; I sat down on 
 the marble platform, reclining on my pillow. 
 
 A hour after, the princess came slowly, attended 
 by one female servant only, and sat down on the 
 masnad ; it was through my happy destinies that I 
 lived to see this day ! I kissed her feet j she lifted up 
 my head, and embraced me, and said, " Conceive this 
 opportunity as fortunate ; mind my advice ; take me 
 from hence, and go to some other country." I replied, 
 " Come along." After having thus spoken, we both 
 got out of the garden, but we were so confused, 
 through wonder and joy, that we could not use our 
 hands and feet, and we lost our road ; we went along, 
 in another direction, but found not a place of rest. 
 The princess got angry, and said, " I am now tired, 
 where is your house ? hasten to get there ; otherwise 
 what do you mean to do ? My feet are blistered ; I 
 shall [be obliged to] sit down somewhere on the 
 road." 
 
 I replied, " My slave's house is near ; we have now 
 reached it ; be easy in your mind, and inarch on." I 
 indeed told a falsehood, but I was at a loss where 
 to take her. A locked door appeared on the road j I 
 quickly broke the lock, and we entered the place ; it 
 was a fine house, laid out with carpets, and flasks full
 
 270 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 of wine were arranged in the recesses, and bread and 
 roast meat were ready in the kitchen. We were 
 greatly fatigued, and drank each of us, a glass of 
 Portugal wine with our meat, and passed the whole 
 night together in mutual bliss. In this scene of felicity 
 when the morning dawned, an uproar was raised in 
 the town that the princess had disappeared. Procla- 
 clamations were issued in every district and street ; 
 and bawds and messengers were despatched with 
 orders, that wherever she was to be found, she might 
 be seized [and brought to the king] ; and guards of 
 royal slaves were posted at all the gates of the city. 
 Those guards received orders not to let an ant pass 
 without the royal permission ; and that whoever would 
 bring any intelligence of the princess should receive a 
 khil'at and a thousand pieces of gold as a present. 
 The bawds roamed through the whole city and entered 
 every house. 
 
 I, who was ill fated, did not shut the door. An 
 old hag, the aunt of Satan (may God make her face 
 black), with a string of beads in her hand, and covered 
 with a mantle, finding the door open, entered without 
 fear, and standing before the princess, lifted up her 
 hands and blessed her, saying, " I pray to God that 
 he may long preserve you a married woman, and that 
 thy husband's turban may be permanent ! I am a 
 poor beggar woman, and I have a daughter who is in 
 her full time and perishing in the pains of child-birth ; 
 I have not the means to get a little oil which I may 
 burn in our lamp ; food and drink, indeed, are out of 
 the question. If she should die, how shall I bury 
 her? and if she is brought to bed, what shall I give
 
 THIRD DAItVVESH. 271 
 
 tlie midwife and nurse, or how procure remedies for 
 the lying-in woman ? it is now two days since she has 
 lain hungry and thirsty. O, noble lady ! give her, 
 out of your bounty, a morsel of bread that she may 
 eat the same along with a drink of water." 
 
 The princess took pity on her, and called her near 
 ler, and gave her four loaves, some roast meat, and a 
 ring from her little finger, saying, " having sold this, 
 make jewels [for your daughter] and live comfortably ; 
 and come occasionally to see me, the house is yours." 
 The old hag having completely gained the object she 
 came in search of, poured heartfelt blessings on the 
 princess, saluted her and trotted off. She threw away 
 the loaves and meat at the door, but kept the ring 
 snug, saying to herself, "the clue to trace the prin- 
 cess is now in my possession." As God wished to 
 preserve us from this calamity, just then the master of 
 the house arrived ; he was a brave soldier, mounted 
 on an Arab horse, with a spear in his hand, and a 
 deer hanging by the side of his saddle. Finding the 
 door of his house open, the lock broken, and the old 
 hag coming out of it, he was enraged, and seized her 
 by the hair and dragged her to the house. He tied 
 both her feet with a rope, and hung her on the branch 
 of a tree with her head down and her feet uppermost ; 
 so that in a short time the old devil died in agonies. 
 The moment I saw the soldier's looks, I was overcome 
 with such fear that I turned quite pale, and my heart 
 began to tremble with dread. That brave man seeing 
 us both alarmed, gave us assurances of safety, and 
 added, " You have acted very imprudently ; you have 
 done the deed and left the door open."
 
 272 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 The princess, smiling, said, "The prince said ii 
 was the house of his slave, and brought me here 
 under a deception." The soldier observed, " The 
 prince said truly, for all the people are the slaves and 
 servants of princes ; all are reared and fed from their 
 favour and protection. This slave is yours without 
 purchase ; but to conceal secrets is consonant to 
 good sense. O, prince, you and the princess's coming 
 to this humble roof, and honouring me with your 
 presence, will be a source of happiness to me in both 
 worlds ; and you have thus dignified your slave. I 
 am ready to sacrifice my life for you ; in no way will 
 I withhold either it or my property [from your service] ; 
 you may repose here in confidence ; there is now no 
 vlanger. If this vile bawd had gone away in safety, 
 she would have broLght calamity [upon you] ; remain 
 here now as long as you please, and let this servant 
 know whatever you require ; he will procure it. 
 What is the king ! angels themselves shall have no 
 tidings of your being here." The brave fellow spoke 
 such words of comfort, and gave such confidence, that 
 we became more easy in our mind. Then I spoke, 
 " Well said, you are a brave fellow ; when I am able, 
 I will show you the return for this kindness ; what is 
 your name ?" He answered, " This slave's name is 
 Bihzad Kkan. In short, for the space of six months, 
 ne performed from his heart and soul all the duty re- 
 quired, and we passed our time very comfortably. 
 
 One day, my country and my parents recurred 
 to my recollection, which made me pensive and 
 melancholy. Seeing my thoughtful looks, Bihzad 
 Kkan joined his hands together, and stood before
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 273 
 
 me, 1 and began to say, "If on the part of this slave 
 any failure has occurred in performing his duty, then 
 let the same be stated." I said, " For God's sake, 
 why mention this? you have behaved to us in such 
 a manner, that we have lived in this city as comfort- 
 ably as any one does in his mother's womb ; for I. had 
 committed such an act that every individual straw had 
 become my enemy. Who was such a friend to us, 
 that we could have tarried here a moment ? May God 
 preserve you in happiness ! You are a brave man." 
 Bihzdd Khan then said, " If you are tired of this 
 place, I will conduct you in safety wherever you wish 
 to go." I then said, " If I could reach my own 
 country, I should see my parents ; I am in this state ; 
 Lord knows what may have been their condition. I 
 have attained the object for which I quitted my 
 country ; and it is proper I should now return [to my 
 relations] ; they have no tidings of me, whether I am 
 dead or alive ; [God knows] what sorrow they may feel 
 in their hearts." That brave man replied, "It is 
 very proper, let us go." Saying this, he brought a 
 Turkish horse for me, which could travel a hundred 
 /cos a-day, and a swift quiet mare of undipped wings 2 
 for the princess, and made us both mount ; then putting 
 on his cuirass and arming himself completely, he 
 mounted on his horse and said, " I will go before, do 
 you follow me with full confidence." 
 
 When we came to the city gate, he gave a loud cry, 
 
 The attitude of respect, common in the East, when a servant lias a 
 request to make of his master ; or a very inferior person of one who is 
 greatly his superior. 
 
 2 Meaning, " of surpassing speed." 
 
 T
 
 274 ADVENTURES OP THE 
 
 and with his mace broke the bolt, and frightened the 
 guards ; he vociferated to them, " Ye rascals, go and 
 tell your master that Bihzdd Khan is carrying off the 
 princess Mihrnigdr, and the prince Kamgar, who is 
 his son-in-law ; if he has any spark of manhood, then 
 let him come out and rescue her; do not you be 
 saying that I carried her off in silence and by stealth, 
 otherwise let him stay in the fort and enjoy his 
 repose." This news soon reached the king; he 
 ordered the wazir and general to seize the three 
 rebellious ones, and bring them tied neck and heels 
 to the royal presence, and cut off their heads and lay 
 them before the throne. After a short time, a nume- 
 rous body of troops appeared, and the heavens and 
 earth were darkened by a whirlwind of dust. Bihzdd 
 Khan placed the princess and me on the abutment of 
 an arch of the bridge which, like the bridge of 
 Jaunpur, consisted of twelve arches, and he himself 
 turned about, and pushed his horse towards the 
 troops; he rushed in among them like a growling 
 lion ; the whole body was dispersed like a flock of 
 sheep, 1 and he penetrated to the two chiefs and cut 
 off both their heads. When the chiefs were killed, 
 the troops dispersed, as the saying is, that " All 
 depends on the head ; when it is gone, all is lost." 
 The king came immediately to their assistance, with 
 a body of armed troops ; Bihzdd Khan completely de- 
 feated them also. 
 
 The king fled ; so true it is that " God alone gives 
 
 1 In the original, the word is leal, or the green scum that floats on stag- 
 nant water. " Sihzdd Khan dispersed the enemy as Mi is dispersed wheu 
 u stone is thrown into the water," is nearly the original simile.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 275 
 
 victory ;" but Bihzdd Khan behaved so bravely, that 
 perhaps even Rustam himself could not have equalled 
 his valour. When he saw that the field of battle was 
 cleared, and that no one remained to pursue him, and 
 that there was nothing to apprehend, he came confi- 
 dentially to the place where we were, and taking the 
 princess and me along with him, he pushed forward. 
 The duration of the journey is rendered short; we 
 reached the boundaries of my country in a short time. 
 I despatched a letter to the king, (who was my father), 
 mentioning my safe arrival ; he was quite rejoiced on 
 reading it, and thanked God [for His goodness]. As 
 the withered plant revives by water, so the joyful 
 tidings renovated his drooping spirits ; he took all his 
 amirs with him, and advanced for the purpose of 
 receiving me as far as the banks of a large river, and 
 an order for boats [to cross us over] was issued to the 
 superintendent of rivers. I saw the royal train from 
 the opposite bank ; from eagerness to kiss my father's 
 feet, I plunged my horse into the river, and swimming 
 over, I rode up to the king ; he clasped me with eager 
 fondness to his [paternal] bosom. 
 
 At this moment, another unforeseen calamity over- 
 whelmed us. The horse on which I was mounted was 
 perhaps the colt of the mare on which the princess 
 rode, or they had been perhaps always together, for 
 seeing my horse plunge into the river, the mare became 
 restive, followed my horse, and likewise plunged into 
 the river with the princess, and began to swim. The 
 princess being alarmed, pulled the bridle ; the mare 
 was tender mouthed and turned over ; the princess 
 struggled, and sank with the mare, so that not a
 
 276 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 trace of either was ever seen again. On seeing this 
 circumstance, Bihzdd Khan dashed into the river on 
 horseback to afford assistance to the princess ; he got 
 into a whirlpool and could not extricate himself; all 
 his efforts with his hands and feet were vain, and he 
 also sank. The king seeing these sad circumstances, 
 sent for nets and had them thrown into the river, and 
 ordered the boatmen and divers [to look for the bodies] ; 
 they swept the whole river, but could find nothing. 1 
 O Darweshes ! this dreadful occurrence affected me 
 so much that I became mad and frantic ; I became a 
 pilgrim, and wandered about, ever repeating these 
 words, " Such has been the fate of these three ; that 
 you have seen, now view the other side." If the 
 princess had vanished or died anywhere, I should then 
 have some kind of consolation for my heart, for I 
 would have gone in search of her, or have borne the 
 loss with patience ; but when she perished before my 
 eyes [in this dreadful manner], I could not support 
 [the shock]. At last, I determined to perish with her 
 in the stream, that I might perhaps meet my beloved 
 one hi death. 
 
 I according plunged into that same river one night 
 in order to drown myself, and went up to the neck in 
 the water ; I was on the point of stepping forward and 
 diving down, when the same veiled horseman who 
 saved you two, 2 came up and seized my arm; he 
 consoled me, and said to me, "Be comforted; the 
 princess and Bihzdd Khan are alive ; why do you 
 uselessly throw away your life ? such events do occur 
 
 1 Literally, "merely continued bringing up the soil from the bottom." 
 8 The first and second Darweslies.
 
 THIRD DARWESH. 277 
 
 in the world. Do not despair of the help of God ; 
 if you live, you will some day or other meet the two 
 persons [for whom you are going to sacrifice your 
 ]ife]. Proceed now to the empire of Hum; two 
 other unfortunate Darweshes are gone there already; 
 when you meet them, you will attain your wisnes." 
 Darweshes ! I am come here to you, according to 
 the advice of my heavenly Mentor ; I firmly hope that 
 each of us will gain the desires of his heart. These 
 have been this pilgrim's adventures, which he hath 
 related to you fully and entirely.
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE FOURTH 
 DARWESH. 
 
 THE fourth Jjarwesh began with tears the relation of 
 his adventures in the following manner : 
 
 " The sad tale of my misfortunes now hear, 
 Pay some attention, and my whole story hear ; 
 From what causes I distressed have come thus far, 
 I will relate it all, do you the reason hear." 
 
 O, guides [to the path] of God, 1 bestow a little at- 
 tention. This pilgrim, who is reduced to this wretched 
 state, is the son of the king of China ; I was brought 
 up with tenderness and delicacy, and well educated. 
 I was utterly unacquainted with the good and evil of 
 this world, and imagined [my life] would ever pass in 
 the same manner. In the midst of this extreme 
 thoughtlessness this sad event took place ; the king, 
 who was the father of this orphan, departed [this life]. 
 In his last moments, he sent for his younger brother, 
 who was my uncle, and said to him, " I now leave my 
 kingdom and wealth behind me, and am going to 
 depart ; but do you perform my last wishes, and act 
 the part of an elder. Until the prince, who is the 
 heir to my throne, has become of age, and has sense 
 
 1 One of the many epithets applied to Darwesbes in the East.
 
 280 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 to govern his kingdom ; do you act as regent, and do 
 not permit the army and the husbandmen to be in- 
 jured or oppressed. When the prince Jias arrived at 
 the years of maturity, give him advice, and deliver 
 over to him the government ; and having married him 
 to your daughter, Roshan Akktar, retire yourself from 
 the throne. By this conduct, the sovereignty will 
 remain in my family, and no harm will accrue to it." 
 
 After this speech, [the king] himself expired ; my 
 uncle became ruler, and began to regulate the affairs 
 of government. He ordered me to remain in the 
 seraglio, and that I should not come out of it until I 
 reached [the years of] manhood. Until my fourteenth 
 year I was brought up among the princesses and female 
 attendants, and used to play and frisk about. Having 
 heard of [my intended] marriage with my uncle's 
 daughter, I was quite happy, and on this hope I be- 
 came thoughtless, and said to myself, that I shall now 
 in a short time ascend the throne and be married ; 
 " the world is established on hope." 1 I used often to 
 go and sit with Mubarak, a negro slave, who had been 
 brought up in my late father's service, and in whom 
 much confidence was [placed], as he was sensible and 
 faithful. He also had a great regard for me, and 
 seeing me advancing to the years of manhood, he was 
 much pleased, and used to say, " God be praised, 
 prince, you are now a young man, and, God willing, 
 your uncle, the shadow of Omnipotence, will shortly 
 fulfil the injunctions [of your late father], and give 
 you his daughter, and your father's throne." 
 
 1 A Persian proverb.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 281 
 
 One day, it happened that a common female slave 
 gave me, without cause, such a slap, that the marks 
 of her five fingers remained on my cheek. I went, 
 weeping, to Mubarak; he clasped me to his bosom, 
 and wiped away my tears with his sleeve, and said, 
 " Come, I will conduct you to-day to the king ; he 
 will perhaps be kind to you on seeing you, and, con- 
 ceiving you qualified [in years], he may give up to you 
 your rights." He led me immediately to my uncle's 
 presence ; my uncle showed me great affection before 
 the court, and asked me, " why are you so sad, 
 and wherefore are you come here to-day ?" Mubarak 
 replied, " Pie is come here to say something [to your 
 majesty]." On hearing this, he said of himself, " I 
 will shortly marry the young prince." Mubarak an- 
 swered, " It will be a most joyful event." The king 
 immediately sent for the astrologers and diviners into 
 his presence, and with feigned interest asked them, 
 " In this year what month, what day, and what hour 
 is auspicious, that I may order the preparations for 
 the prince's marriage ?" They perceiving what were 
 [the king's real wishes], made their calculations, and 
 said, " Mighty sire, the whole of this year is unpropi- 
 tious ; no day in any of the lunar months appears 
 happy ; if this whole year pass in safety, then the 
 next is most propitious for a happy marriage." 
 
 The king looked towards Mubarak, and said, " Re- 
 conduct the prince to the seraglio , if God willing, 
 after this year is over, I will deliver up my trust to him ; 
 let him make himself perfectly easy, and attend to his 
 studies." Mubarak made his saldm, and taking rne 
 along with him, reconducted me to the seraglio. Twc
 
 282 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 or three days after this, I went to Mubarak; on seeing 
 me, he began to weep; I was surprised, and asked 
 him, saying, " My father, is all well ? what is the cause 
 of your weeping ?" Then, that well wisher, (who loved 
 me with heart and soul), said, " I conducted you the 
 other day to that tyrant ; if I had known it, I would 
 not have carried you there," I was alarmed, and asked 
 him, " What harm has occurred from my going ? pray 
 tell me truly." He then said, " All the nobles, minis- 
 ters, and officers of state, small and great, of your 
 father's time, were greatly rejoiced on seeing you, and 
 began to offer up thanks to God, saying, * Now, our 
 prince is of age, and fit to reign, Now, in a short 
 time, the right will devolve upon the rightful [heir] ; 
 then he will do justice to our merits, and appreciate 
 the length of our services. 5 This news reached the 
 ears of that faithless wretch, 1 and entered his breast 
 like a serpent. He sent for me in private, and said, 
 '.0 Mubarak, act now in such a manner, that by some 
 stratagem or other the prince may be destroyed; 
 and remove the dread of his [existence] from my heart, 
 that I may feel secure.' Since then I am quite con- 
 founded, for your uncle is become the enemy of your 
 life." When I heard this dreadful news from Mubarak, 
 I was dead without being murdered, and fell at his 
 feet from fear of my life, and said, " For God's sake, 
 I relinquish my throne ; by any means, let my life be 
 saved." That faithful slave lifted up my head, clasped 
 me to his breast, and said, "There is no danger, a 
 thought has struck me ; if it turns out well, then 
 
 1 The regent ; the fourth DarweaVs uucle.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 283 
 
 there is nothing to fear ; whilst we have life, we have 
 everything. " It is probable that, by this scheme [of 
 mine] your life will be preserved, and you will attain 
 your '.Jshes." 
 
 Giving me these hopes, he took me with him, and went 
 to the apartment where tjie deceased king, my father, 
 used to sit and sleep ; and gave me every confidence. 
 There a stool was placed ; he told me to lay hold of 
 one of its legs, and taking hold of the other himself, 
 we removed the stool, and he lifted up the carpet that 
 was beneath it, and began to dig the floor. A win- 
 dow appeared suddenly, to which were attached a 
 chain and lock. He called me near him ; I appre- 
 hended within myself that he wished to butcher me, 
 and bury me in the place he had dug. Death appeared 
 [in all its horrors] before my eyes ; but having no other 
 alternative, I advanced slowly and in silence towards 
 him, repeating within myself my prayers to God. I 
 then saw a building with four rooms inside of that 
 window, and in every room ten large vases of gold 
 were suspended by chains ; on the mouth of each 
 vase was placed a brick of gold, on which was set 
 the figure of a monkey inlaid with precious stones. I 
 counted thirty-nine vases of this kind in the four 
 rooms, and saw one vase filled with pieces of gold, on 
 the mouth of which there was neither the brick, nor 
 the figure of the monkey, and I also saw a vat filled 
 to the brim with precious stones. I asked Mubarak, 
 " O my father, what talisman is this? whose place 
 is this, and for what use are those figures?" He 
 replied, "The following is the story of those figures 
 of monkeys which you see : Your father from his
 
 284 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 youth formed a friendship and kept up an intercourse 
 with Maliki Sddik, who is the king of the jinns. 
 
 " Accordingly, once every year, [his late majesty] 
 used to visit Maliki Sddik and stay near a month with 
 him, having carried thither with him many kinds of 
 essences, 1 and the rarities of this country, [as a present]. 
 When he took his leave, Maliki Sddik used to give 
 him the figure of a monkey made of emerald, and our 
 king used to bring it and place it in these lower 
 rooms ; no one but myself knew the circumstance. 
 Once I observed to your father, O mighty king, you 
 Carry with you thousands of rupees'-worth of rarities, 
 and you bring back from thence the figure of a life- 
 less monkey in stone ; what is the advantage of this 
 [exchange] in the end ? In answer to my question, 
 he smiling, said, 'Beware, and do not, in any way, 
 divulge this secret; the information [you receive] is 
 on this condition. Each one of these lifeless monkeys 
 which thou seest has a thousand powerful demons 1 at 
 his command, ready to obey his orders ; but until I 
 have the number of forty monkeys complete, so long 
 are all these of no use, and will be of no service to me/ 
 So one monkey was wanting [to complete the efficient 
 number] in that very year, when the king died. 
 
 " All this toil then has been of no avail, nor has the 
 advantage of it been displayed. prince, I recollected 
 this circumstance on seeing your forlorn situation, and 
 determined within myself to conduct you by some 
 
 1 According to the fabulous system of jinns, dlvs, paris, &c., in Asia, it is 
 supposed that the jinns and pans live on essences, &c. The dlvs are malia* 
 nant spirits or beings, and live on less delicate food 
 
 1 Dlvs or demons ; the malignant race ofjinnt.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 285 
 
 means or other to Maliki Sddik, and mention to him 
 your uncle's tyranny. It is most likely that he, re- 
 collecting your father's friendship for him, may give 
 you the one monkey which is wanting [to complete 
 the number] ; then, with their aid, you may get your 
 empire, and reign peaceably over China and Mdckm? 
 and your life, at least, will be secured by this pro- 
 ceeding, if nothing else can be done ; I see no other 
 way to escape from the hands of this tyrant, except 
 the plan I propose." On hearing all these consoling 
 circumstances from Mubarak, I said to him, " friend, 
 you are now the disposer of my life ; do whatever is 
 best with regard to me." Giving me every confidence, 
 he went to the bazar to buy some 'itr and bukhur? and 
 whatever he deemed fit to be carried [as a present for 
 Maliki Sddik\. 
 
 The next day, he went to my impious uncle, who 
 was a second Abu-Jahal? and said, " Protector of the 
 world, I have formed a plan in my heart for destroy- 
 ing the prince, and if you order me, I will relate it." 
 That wretch was quite pleased, and said, " What is the 
 plan ?" Then Mubarak said, " By putting him to 
 death [here], your majesty will be highly censured in 
 every way ; but I will take him out to the woods, 
 finish him, bury him, and return ; no one will be con- 
 versant [of the fact]." On hearing this plan of Muba- 
 rak's, the king said, "It is an excellent [plan] ; I 
 
 1 Chin and MacTiln is the general name of China among the Persians. 
 
 3 Bukhur is a kind of frankincense. 
 
 3 Abu-Jahal, or " the father of obstinacy," or " of brutality," was the 
 name of an Arab. He was uncle to the prophet Muhammad, and an inve- 
 terate opposer of the latter's new religion.
 
 286 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 desire this, that he may not live in safety; I am 
 greatly afraid of him in my heart, and if thou relievest 
 me from this anxiety, then in return for that service 
 thou shalt obtain much; take him where thou wilt, 
 and make away with him, and bring me the welcome 
 tidings." 
 
 Being in this manner at ease with regard to the 
 king, Mubarak took me with him, and having also 
 taken the presents, he set out from the city at mid- 
 night, and proceeded towards the north. Tor a whole 
 month he went on without stopping ; one night we 
 were trudging along, when Mubarak observed, " God 
 be praised, we are now arrived at the end of our 
 journey." On hearing this exclamation, I said, " O 
 friend, what dost thou say ?" He replied, " O prince, 
 do not you see the army of thejinns?" I answered, 
 "I see nothing except you." Mubarak then took out a 
 box containing surma, and with a needle applied to 
 both my eyes the surma of Sulaimdn. I instantly began 
 to see the host of tlaejinns and the tents and encamp- 
 ments of their army ; they were all handsome, and well 
 dressed. Recognising Mubarak, they all embraced 
 him, and spake to him facetiously. 
 
 Proceeding onwards, we at length reached the 
 royal tents, and entered the court. I saw they were 
 well lighted, and stools of various kinds were arranged 
 in double rows, on which were seated men of learning, 
 philosophers, darweshes, nobles, and the officers of 
 state ; servants of various grades with their arms across 
 were in waiting, and in the centre was placed a throne 
 set with precious stones, on which was seated with an air 
 of dignity, the king, Maliki Sddik, with a crown of his
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 287 
 
 head, and clothed in a tunic set with pearls. I ap- 
 proached him and made my salutation ; he desired me 
 with kindness to sit down, and then ordered dinner ; 
 after having finished [our repast], the dastar-khwdn 
 was removed, and he having looked towards Mubarak, 
 asked my story. Mubarak replied, " This prince's 
 uncle now reigns in the room of his father, and is 
 become the enemy of his life, for which reason I have 
 run off with him from thence, and have conducted 
 him to your majesty ; he is an orphan, and the throne 
 is his due ; but no one can do anything without a 
 protector ; with your majesty's assistance, this injured 
 [youth] may get his rights ; recollect the return due 
 for his father's services, afford him your assistance, and 
 give him the fortieth monkey, that the number may 
 be completed, and the prince, having gained his rights 
 [with their aid], 1 will pray for your majesty's long 
 life and prosperity ; he has no other visible resource 
 except your majesty's protection." 
 
 On hearing all these circumstances, Maliki Sddik, 
 after a pause, said, " In truth, the return for the de 
 ceased king's services, and his friendship for me, are 
 great; and, considering that this helpless prince is over- 
 whelmed with misfortunes, that he has quitted his 
 lineal throne to save his life, and is come as far as this, 
 and has taken shelter under the shadow of our pro- 
 tection, I shall in no way be wanting [to afford him my 
 assistance] as far as I am able, nor will I pass him over ; 
 but I have an affair in hand ; if he can do it and does 
 
 1 The forty figures of monkeys would give the possessor a power over the 
 diva and jinns, and having them at his command, he coidd easily overset 
 the usurper, alias his uncle.
 
 288 ADVENTURES OP THE 
 
 not deceive me if he executes it properly, and acquits 
 himself fully in the trial, I then promise that I will be 
 a greater friend to him than I was to the late king, 
 his father, and that I will grant him whatever he 
 asks," I joined my hands, and replied, " This ser- 
 vant will most cheerfully perform as far as he is able, 
 whatever services your majesty may require ; he 
 will execute them with prudence and vigilance, and 
 without deceit, and think it a happiness to him in both 
 worlds." The king of the jinns observed, " You are 
 as yet a mere boy, for which reason I warn you so 
 repeatedly, that you may not deceive me, and plunge 
 yourself in calamity." I answered, " God, through 
 the good fortune of your majesty, will make it easy to 
 me, and I will, as far as in me lies, exert myself to 
 your satisfaction." 
 
 Maliki Stidik, on hearing [these assurances], called 
 
 me near him, and taking out a paper from his pocket 
 
 book, showed it to me, and said, " Search where you 
 
 think proper for the person whose portrait this is ; find 
 
 her out and bring her to ine ; when you find out her 
 
 name and place, go before her, and express great 
 
 affection to her from me ; if you perform this service, 
 
 then whatever expectations you may have from me, I 
 
 will exceed them in the performance ; otherwise you 
 
 will be treated as you deserve." When I looked on 
 
 that paper, I perceived such a beautiful portrait in it, 
 
 that a faintness came over me ; I supported myself 
 
 with difficulty through fear, and answered, " Very well, 
 
 I take my leave ; if God favours me, I shall execute 
 
 what your majesty commands." Saying this, I took 
 
 Mubarak with me, and bent my course towards the
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 289 
 
 woods. I began to wander from city to city, from 
 town to town, from village to village, and from coun- 
 try to country, and to inquire of every one [I met] the 
 name and place [of the fair one whose portrait I had] ; 
 but no one said " Yes, I know her," or " I have heard 
 of her from some one/' I passed seven years in this 
 wandering state, and suffered every misery and per- 
 plexity ; at last, I reached a city which was populous, 
 and contained many grand edifices ; but every living 
 creature there was repeating the great name, 1 and 
 worshipping God. 
 
 I saw a blind beggar of Hindustan begging alms, 
 but no one gave him a kauri, or a mouthful ; I won- 
 dered at it, and pitied him ; I took out a piece of gold 
 from my pocket, and gave it to him ; he took it, and 
 said, " O donor ! God prosper you ; you are perhaps 
 a traveller, and not an inhabitant of this city." I 
 replied, " In truth, I have wandered distractedly for 
 seven years ; I cannot find the smallest trace of the 
 object for which I set out, and have this day reached 
 this city. The old man poured blessings on me, and 
 went on ; I followed him ; a grand building appeared 
 without the city ; he entered it, and I also followed, 
 and saw that here and there the building had fallen 
 down, and was out of repair. 
 
 I said to myself, " This edifice is fit for princes ; 
 what an agreeable place it will be when in repair ? and 
 now, through desolation, what an appearance it has ! 
 but I cannot conceive why it is fallen into ruin, and 
 why this blind man lives in it." The blind man was 
 
 1 The I ami A'zam, or great name of God. See note 2, p. 145. 
 
 V
 
 290 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 going on feeling his way with his stick, when I heard 
 a voice, as if some one was saying, " father, I hope 
 ill is well; why have you returned so early to-day?" 
 The old man, on hearing this question, replied, 
 " Daughter, God made a youthful traveller have 
 pity on my condition ; he gave me a piece of gold ; it 
 is many a-day since I have had a bellyful of good food. 
 So I have purchased meat, spices, butter, oil, flour, and 
 salt ; and I have also procured such clothes for you as 
 were necessary; cut them out, sew them and wear 
 them ; and cook the dinner, that we may partake of 
 it, and then offer up our prayers for the generous man 
 [who has been kind to us] ; although I do not know 
 the desires of his heart, yet God knows and sees all ; 
 and will grant the prayers of us destitute ones." 
 When I heard the circumstance of his severe fasting, 
 I wished much to give him twenty pieces of gold 
 more ; but looking towards the quarter from whence 
 the sounds came, I saw a woman who resembled exactly 
 the portrait I had. I drew it out and compared it, 
 and perceived that there was not a hairbreadth of 
 difference. A deep sigh escaped from my bosom, and 
 I became senseless. Mubarak took me in his arms 
 and sat down, and began to fan me ; I recovered a 
 little sensation, and was gazing at her, when Mubarak 
 asked, " What is the matter with you ?" I had not 
 yet answered him, when the beautiful female said, 
 " O young man, fear God, and do not look at a 
 strange female ; l shame and modesty are necessary to 
 every one." 
 
 1 Alluding to the Asiatic custom of the women being concealed from Ilia 
 view of all, except their husbands or very near relations.
 
 FOURTH DAUWESH. 291 
 
 She spoke with such propriety that I became en- 
 chanted with her beauty and manners. Mubarak 
 comforted me greatly, but he did not know the state 
 of my heart ; having no alternative, I called out and 
 said, "O you creatures of God, and inhabitants of this 
 place ! I am a poor traveller ; if you call me near you, 
 and give me some place to put up in, it will be an 
 important matter [for me]." The old man called me 
 to him, and recognising my voice, he embraced me, 
 and conducted me to where the lovely woman was 
 seated ; she went and hid herself in a corner. The 
 old man asked me thus : " Tell thy story ; why hast 
 thou left thy home, and wandered about alone, and of 
 whom are you in search ?" I did not mention Maliki 
 Sddik's name, nor did I say anything about him ; but 
 thus told [my supposed tale]. "This wretch is the 
 prince of China and Mdehin ; so that my father is still 
 king ; he purchased from a merchant this picture for 
 four lakhs of rupees ; from the moment when I beheld 
 it, my peace of mind fled, and I put on the dress of a 
 pilgrim ; I have searched the whole world, and have 
 now found the object here ; the same is in your 
 power." 
 
 On hearing these words, the old man heaved a heavy 
 sigh, and said, " O friend, my daughter is entangled in 
 great misfortunes ; no man can presume to marry her 
 and enjoy her." I replied, " I am in hopes you will 
 explain more fully." Then that strange man related 
 thus his story ; " Hear, O prince ! I am a chief and 
 grandee of this unfortunate city ; my forefathers were 
 celebrated, and of a great family; God the Most 
 High bestowed on me this .daughter; when she
 
 292 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 became a woman, her beauty and gracefulness and 
 elegance of manners were celebrated; and over the 
 whole country it was said, that in such a person's 
 house is a daughter, before whose beauty even angels 
 and fairies are abashed ; how can a human creature, 
 therefore, be compared to her ! The prince of this 
 city heard these praises, and became enamoured of her 
 by report without seeing her; he quitted food and 
 drink, and became quite restless. 
 
 " At last, the king heard of this circumstance, and 
 called me at night in private and mentioned to me how 
 matters stood ; he coaxed me so with fine speeches, 
 that at last he got my consent to an alliance [by 
 marriage] with him. I likewise [naturally] reflected 
 that as a daughter was born to me, she must be 
 married to some one or other; then what can be 
 better, than to marry her to the prince ? this the king 
 also entreats, t accepted the proposal, and took my 
 leave. From that day the preparations for the marriage 
 were begun by both parties; and on an auspicious 
 hour, all the kdzls and muftis, 1 the learned men and 
 the nobles were convened, and the marriage rites were 
 performed; the bride was carried away with great 
 eclat, and all the ceremonies were finished. At night, 
 when the bridegroom wished to consummate the 
 nuptial rites, such a noise and uproar arose in the 
 palace, that the people without who mounted guard 
 were surprised. They wished that having opened 
 the door of the room, they might see what was the 
 
 The kazls and muftis are the judges in Turkey, Arabia, Persia and 2K- 
 , of all civil and religious causes ; they likewise marry, divorce, &c.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 293 
 
 matter ; but it was so fastened from the inside, that 
 they could not open it. A moment after, the noise of 
 lamentation became less ; they then broke open the 
 door from its hinges, and saw the bridegroom with 
 his head severed from his [body], and [his limbs] 
 still quivering ; and the bride foamed at the mouth, 
 and rolled senseless in the dust mingled with [her 
 husband's] blood. 
 
 " On seeing this horrible sight, the senses of all 
 present forsook them ; that such grief should succeed 
 such felicity ! The dreadful intelligence was conveyed 
 to the king ; he flew [to the spot], beating his head ; 
 all the officers of state were soon assembled there, but 
 no one's judgment was of any use in ascertaining the 
 [cause of] this [mysterious] affair ; at length the king, 
 in his distracted state, ordered the ill-fated, luckless 
 bride's head to be cut off likewise. The moment this 
 order was issued from the king's lips, the same 
 clamour arose ; the king was alarmed, and from fear 
 of his life, he ran off, and ordered the bride to be 
 turned out of the palace. The female attendants 
 conveyed this [unfortunate] girl to my house. The 
 account of this strange event soon spread over the 
 whole kingdom, and whoever heard it was amazed ; 
 and owing to the prince's murder, the king himself 
 and all the inhabitants of the city became bitte 
 enemies of my life. 
 
 " When the public mourning was over, and the 
 fortieth day completed, the king asked counsel of the 
 officers of state, saying, 'What is next to be done?' They 
 all said, ' Nothing else can be done ; but in order 
 to console your majesty's mind, and inspire it with
 
 294 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 patience, to put the girl and her father to death, and 
 confiscate their property/ When this punishment of 
 me and mine was determined on, the magistrate 
 received orders [to put it in execution] ; he came and 
 surrounded my house [with guards] on all sides, and 
 sounded a trumpet at the gate, and was about to 
 enter in order to execute the king's orders. From 
 some hidden quarter, such showers of stones and 
 bricks were poured on them that the whole band could 
 not stand against it, and covering their faces, they 
 were dispersed hither and thither ; and these dreadful 
 sounds issued, which even the king himself heard in 
 his palace ; ' What misfortune impels thee ! what 
 demon possesses thee ! if thou desirest thy welfare, 
 molest not that fair one, or else the fate that thy son 
 met with by marrying her, thou shalt experience the 
 like doom by being her foe ; if thou now molestest 
 her, thou wilt rue its consequences.' 
 
 " The king fell into a fever through fear, and in- 
 stantly ordered that ' No ope should molest these 
 evil-fated persons ; to say nothing to them, to hear 
 nothing from them, but to let them remain in their 
 house, and that no one should injure or oppress 
 them/ From that day, the magicians, conceiving 
 this mysterious event to be witchcraft, have used all 
 their exorcising arts and spells to destroy its effects ; 
 and all the inhabitants of this city read [prayers] from 
 the glorious Kur,an, and pronounced the great name 
 of God. It is a long while since this awful scene 
 took place, but to this day the mysterious secret has 
 not been devoloped, nor do I know anything about 
 it ; I once asked the girl what she had seen with her
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 295 
 
 own eyes ; she replied, I know nothing more than 
 that when my husband wished to consummate our 
 marriage, I saw the roof instantly open, and a throne 
 set with precious stones descended through the aper- 
 ture, on which was seated a handsome young man 
 dressed in princely robes, and many persons in attend- 
 ance upon him, came into that apartment ; and were 
 ready to put the prince to death. That young man 
 came up to me and said, " Well, my love, where to 
 will you now escape from me ?" They had the appear- 
 ance of men, but with feet like goats ; my heart palpi- 
 tated, and I fainted through fear ; I do not know what 
 afterwards happened/ 
 
 " From that period we have both thus lived in this 
 ruined place ; and from the fear of offending the king, 
 all our friends have forsaken us ; when I go out to 
 beg, no one gives me a kauri ; moreover, it is not 
 allowed me even to stand before their shops; this 
 unfortunate girl has not a rag to cover her nakedness, 
 nor sufficient food to satisfy her hunger. From God 
 I only pray for this, that our deaths should ensue, or 
 that the earth may open out and swallow this ill-fated 
 girl : death is better than such existence ; God has 
 perhaps sent thee here for our good; so that thou 
 tookest pity on us, and gave us a piece of gold, which 
 has enabled us to have good food and clothes for rny 
 daughter. God be praised, and blessed be thou; if 
 she was not under the influence of some jinn or 
 fairy, then I would give her for thy service like a 
 slave, and think myself happy. This is my wretched 
 story ; do not think of her, but abandon all thoughts 
 on that head."
 
 290 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 After hearing this sad narrative, I entreated the old 
 man to accept me as his son-in-law, and if evil be my 
 future doom, then let it come ; but the old man would 
 on no account agree to my request. When the even- 
 ing came, I took my leave of him, and went to the 
 sardl. Mubarak said, " Well, prince, rejoice, God has 
 favoured you, and your labours are not thrown away." 
 I answered, " 1 have to-day used many fair speeches, 
 but that infidel old man will not consent ; God knows 
 if he will give her to me or not." My mind was in 
 such a state that I passed the night in great restless- 
 ness, and wished the morning was come that I might 
 return [and see her] ; I sometimes fancied, that if 
 the father should be kind and agree to my wishes, 
 Mubarak would carry her away for Maliki Sddik. I 
 then said to myself, " Well, let us once get possession 
 of her ; I will then get over Mubarak, and enjoy her." 
 Again my heart was filled with apprehensions, that 
 even if Mubarak should likewise agree to my project, 
 the jinns would serve me as they had served the 
 prince ; moreover the king of this city will never 
 consent, that after the murder of his son, another 
 should enjoy [his bride]. 
 
 I passed the whole night without sleep, agitated by 
 tlvs project. When the day appeared, I issued forth, 
 and went to the cliauk, and purchased some pieces of 
 fine cloth and lace, and fresh and dried fruits ; and 
 carried them to the old man. He was greatly pleased, 
 and said, " That to every one nothing is dearer than 
 life, but even if my life could be of any use to thee, I 
 would not grieve to sacrifice it, and give thee now my 
 daughter ; but I fear that by doing so, I might en-
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 297 
 
 danger thy life, and the stain of this reproach would 
 remain upon me to the day of judgment." I answered, 
 " I am now in this city, helpless, it is true, and you 
 are rny father in every respect, temporal and spiritual, 
 but [consider] what pains, fatigues and miseries' I 
 have undergone, and what bufferings I have for a long 
 while suffered to attain the object of my wishes, before 
 I arrived here. God has likewise made you kind 
 towards me, since you consent to marry her to me, 
 and only hesitate on account of my safety ; be just 
 for a moment, and reflect that to save our heads from 
 the sword of love, and screen our lives from its danger, 
 is not commendable in any religion ; let what will 
 happen, I have lost myself in every way; and to 
 possess the object of my love, I consider as my exist- 
 ence. 1 do not care if I live or perish ; moreover, 
 despair will finish my days without the assistance of 
 fate, and I will stand forth as your accuser on the day 
 of judgment." 
 
 In short, in such altercations, in hesitations between 
 refusal and acquiescence, a tedious month passed heavily 
 over my head, accompanied with future hopes and fears; 
 I used every day to devote my services to the old man, 
 and every day, with flattering speeches, I entreated 
 him [to grant my boon]. It came to pass, that the 
 old man fell sick ; I attended him during his illness ; 
 1 used always to relate his case to the physician, and 
 whatever medicine he ordered, I used to get them, 
 and administer them to him ; I used to dress with 
 my own hand his rice and pulse and other light diet, and 
 gave it to him to eat. One day he was [uncommonly] 
 kind, and said, "O young man, thou art very obstinate;
 
 298 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 I have repeatedly told thee of all the evils which will 
 ensue if thou persistest in thy object, and have often 
 warned thee not to think of it. Whilst we have life, 
 we have every thing, but thou art determined to jump 
 into the abyss ; well, I will to-day mention thee to my 
 daughter; let us hear what she says." O holy Dar- 
 weshes, on hearing these enchanting words, I swelled 
 so with joy, that my clothes could scarce contain me ; 
 I fell at the old man's feet, and exclaimed, " You 
 have now laid the foundation of my [future happiness 
 and] existence." I then took my leave and returned 
 to my abode, I passed the whole night in talking of 
 this circumstance with Mubarak; where was sleep, 
 and where was hunger ! Early in the morning I 
 again went and saluted the old man ; he said, " Well, 
 I give you my daughter God bless you with her I 
 have put you both under his protection whilst I have 
 life, stay with me ; when my eyes are closed, then do 
 what you wish ; you will then be master of your own 
 actions." 
 
 A few days after [this conversation], the old man 
 died; we mourned for him and buried him. After 
 the tijd, 1 Mubarak brought this beautiful daughter to 
 the serai in a doll? and said to me, " She belongs, 
 [pure and untouched], to Maliki Sddik; beware you 
 jlo not play false, and lose the fruits of your labour." 
 
 replied, " O friend, what has Maliki Sddik to do 
 nere? my heart will not mind me, and how can I 
 have patience? let what will happen, whether I live 
 or perish, let me now enjoy her." Mubarak, having 
 
 1 The tija ia the same as the siyum. See note 2, page 187. 
 3 A kind of litter for the conveyance of women and the sick.
 
 SECOND DARWESH. 299 
 
 lost all patience, replied, with anger, " Do not act like 
 a boy ; now, in an instant, matters will change dread- 
 fully; do you think Maliki Sddik far off, that you 
 disregard his injunctions? He explained every cir- 
 cumstance to you on taking leave, and warned you of 
 the consequences ; if you act according to his direc- 
 tions, and convey her safe and sound to him, he has a 
 royal mind, and may regard the toils you have under- 
 gone with a favourable eye, and give her to you ; how 
 different will the case be then ! you will preserve his 
 unbounded friendship, and gain the sincere affection 
 [of your mistress]." 
 
 At last, [from the force of his] threats and admoni- 
 tions, I remained silent ; I bought two camels, and 
 mounting on kajdwas, 1 we set out for the country of 
 Maliki Sddik. We pursued our journey, and at last 
 reached a plain, where loud noises were heard. 
 Mubarak exclaimed, " God be praised, our labours 
 have turned out well, for lo ! the army of the jinns is 
 here arrived." He met them at last, and asked them 
 where they intended to go. They replied, " The king 
 has sent us forward for the purpose of receiving you, 
 and we are now under your orders ; if you command 
 us, we will convey you in a moment to the presence 
 [of the king]." Mubarak, turning to me, said, " See 
 how, after all our toils and dangers, God has favoured 
 us before the face of the king ; what is the need of 
 haste now ? if some misconduct should occur, which 
 God forbid, then the fruits of our labours would be 
 lost, and we should fall under the king's displeasure." 
 
 1 A kind of litter for travelling in Persia and Arabia ; two of them are 
 oiling across a camel or a mule ; those for camels carry four persons.
 
 300 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 They all answered, " You are the sole master in this ; 
 proceed as you please." Although we were comfort- 
 able in every way, yet we made it our business to 
 march day and night. 
 
 When we approached [the place where the king 
 was], I, seeing Mubarak asleep, fell at that beautiful 
 woman's feet, and bewailing to her the restless state 
 of my heart, and my helpless condition, owing to the 
 threats of Maliki Sddik, and that from the day I had 
 seen her picture, I had forsworn sleep and food and 
 repose ; and now that God had shewn to me this day, 
 I still remained an utter stranger to her. She replied, 
 " My heart is also inclined towards you, for what toils 
 and dangers have you undergone for my sake, and 
 with what labour and difficulty have you brought me 
 away ; remember God, and do not forget me ; let us 
 see what may be revealed from behind the curtain of 
 mystery." On saying this, she wept so loud that she 
 was nearly suffocated. Such was my state, and such 
 was hers ! In the meantime, Mubarak's slumbers were 
 broken, and seeing us both in tears, he was greatly 
 affected, and said, " Be comforted ; I have an ointment 
 which I will rub over the body of this fair one ; from 
 the smell of it the heart of Maliki Sddik will be dis- 
 gusted, and he will perhaps abandon her to you." 
 
 On hearing this plan of Mubarak's, my heart was 
 greatly revived; and, embracing him fondly, I said, 
 " friend, you are now in the place of a father to 
 me ; owing to you my life was saved, now also act so 
 that I may still live on, otherwise I must perish in this 
 grief." He gave me every friendly assurance. When 
 the day appeared, we heard the noise of thejtft**, and
 
 FOURTH DAKWESH. 301 
 
 sa'.v that many personal attendants of Maliki Sddik 
 were arrived, and had brought two rich khiTats for us, 
 and a covered litter with a net work of pearls accompanied 
 them. Mubarak rubbed the ointment over my be- 
 loved's body; and having caused her to be richly 
 dressed, he conveyed her to Maliki Radik. On be- 
 holding her, the king rewarded me greatly, and having 
 honoured and dignified me, he made me sit down 
 [near himself], and said, " I will behave to thee such 
 as no one has as yet done to any one ; the kingdom 
 of thy father awaits thee, besides which thou art in the 
 place of a son to me." He was talking to me in this 
 gracious manner, when the beautiful woman appeared 
 before him, and suddenly at the smell of that oint- 
 ment, his brain became confused, and his mind dis- 
 tracted ; he could not endure that smell ; having got 
 up, he went out and called Mubarak and me; he 
 addressed himself to Mubarak, and said, " Well, sir, 
 you have truly performed the injunctions [I gave]. 
 
 " I had warned you, that if you deceived me, you 
 would incur my displeasure ; what smell is this ? now 
 see how I will treat you." He was very angry ; 
 Mubarak, from fear, opened his trowsers, and showed 
 his condition, 1 and said, "Mighty king, when I undertook 
 this business, according to your commands, I then cut 
 off ray privities, and put them in a box, sealed it, and 
 delivered it over in charge to your treasurer, and put- 
 ting some ointment of Solomon on the mutilated parts, 
 I set out on the errand." On hearing this reply from 
 Mubarak, the king of the jinns looked sternly at me, 
 
 1 Viz., his state of castration.
 
 302 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 and said, " Then, this is thy doing ;" and getting into 
 a rage, he began to abuse me. I immediately perceived 
 from his words that he would put me to death. When 
 I felt convinced of this from his looks, despairing of 
 life, I became desperate, and snatching the dagger 
 from Mubarak's waist, I plunged it into the king's 
 belly; on receiving the stab, he bent down and 
 staggered; I wondered, for I thought he must 
 assuredly have perished ; I then perceived that the 
 wound was not so effective as I imagined, and could 
 not account for it ; 1 was staring [with surprise] when 
 he rolled on the ground, and assuming the appearance 
 of a tennis ball, he flew up to the sky. He ascended 
 so high, that at last he disappeared ; a moment after, 
 flashing like lightning, and vociferating some mean- 
 ingless words in his rage, he descended, and gave me 
 such a kick, that I swooned away, and fell flat on my 
 back, and became as one lifeless. God knows how 
 long I remained ere I came to my senses ; but when 
 I opened my eyes I saw that I was lying in such a 
 wilderness, where, except thorns and briars, nothing 
 else was to be seen ; at that moment my understanding 
 was of no avail to fix on what I should do, or where I 
 should go. In this state of despondence, I gave a sigh, 
 and followed the first path that offered ; if I met any 
 one any where, I inquired after the name of Maliki 
 Sddik ; he, thinking me mad, answered that he had 
 not even heard his name. 
 
 One day, having ascended a mountain, I likewise 
 determined to throw myself [off its summit], and 
 end my existence; just as I was ready to jump 
 off, the same veiled horseman, the possessor of Zii-l-
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 303 
 
 fukdr, 1 appeared and said, " Why do you throw away 
 your life ; man is exposed to every pain and misery ; 
 your unhappy days are now over, and your propitious 
 ones are coming ; go quickly to Rum three afflicted 
 persons like thee are gone there before thee meet 
 them, and see the king of that country ; the wishes of 
 all five will be fulfilled 'in the same place." This is 
 my story which I have just related ; at last, from the 
 happy tidings of our difficulty- solving guardian, 2 I am 
 come into the presence of your worships, and have 
 also been kindly received by the king, who is the 
 shadow of Omnipotence ; we ought all now to be 
 comforted." 
 
 This conversation was passing between the king 
 Azdd Bakht and the four Darweshes, when a eunuch 
 came running from the royal seraglio and with re- 
 spectful salutation, wished his majesty joy, and added, 
 " This moment a prince is born, before whose reful- 
 gent beauty the sun and moon are abashed." The 
 king was surprised, and asked, " No one was pregnant 3 
 in appearance j who has brought forth a son ?' 
 The eunuch replied, " Mdhru, the female slave, who 
 for some time hath lain under your majesty's dis- 
 pleasure, and lived like an outcast in a corner [of the 
 seraglio], and no one from fear ever went near her or 
 asked after her state ; on her the grace of God hath 
 been such, that she hath borne a son like the moon." 
 
 The king was so rejoiced, that he nearly expired 
 from excessive joy ; the four Darweshes also blessed 
 
 1 Zii-l-jakdr, the name of a famous sword that ''All used to wear. 
 
 8 The yelled horseman, 'AK Muslikil-Kusha. 
 
 * In the original there is a play on the words haml and hamal.
 
 304 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 him, and said, " May thy house be ever happy, and 
 may thy son prosper ; and may he grow up under thy 
 shadow." The king replied, " This is owing to your 
 propitious arrival, for otherwise I had no idea of such 
 an event; if you give me leave, I will go and see 
 him." The Darweshes answered, "In the name of 
 God, go." The king went to the seraglio, and took 
 the young prince in his lap, and thanked God ; his 
 mind became easy ; pressing the infant to his bosom, 
 he brought it and laid it at the Darweshes' feet ; they 
 blessed it, and exorcised all evil spirits from approach- 
 ing it. The king commanded the preparations of a 
 festival to be made [on the happy occasion], and the 
 royal music struck up, and the door of the treasury was 
 opened; with princely donations he made the poor 1 rich ; 
 on all the officers of state he bestowed a two-fold increase 
 of lands and higher titles, and to the army he gave 
 five years' pay as a present ; to the learned and holy 
 he gave pensions and lands ; and the wallets of the 
 beggars were filled with pieces of gold and silver; 
 and the ryots* 1 were excused from paying any revenue 
 for three years, and that whatever they cultivated 
 during this period, they should keep for themselves. 
 
 Throughout the whole city, in the houses of the 
 high and the low, wherever one looked, there were 
 
 1 Literally, " he made the man in want of a kauri the master of a ldk& 
 [of rupees], 
 
 2 Eyots (a corruption of the word ra'tyat) are the husbandmen in India; 
 the tillers of the soil who rent small parcels of land from the government, 
 through the medium of the zamin-ddr, who is a servant of government and 
 not the proprietor of the land, as some have erroneously supposed. The 
 word means keeper of the land, and not the proprietor. In fact, he is lik 
 the Irish middleman, hi every sense of the word.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 305 
 
 merry dances; in their joy, every one, small and 
 great, felt himself a prince. In the midst of these 
 rejoicings, the sounds of lamentation and weeping 
 issued suddenly from the seraglio ; the female ser- 
 vants, of all descriptions, and the eunuchs, ran out, 
 scattering dust upon their heads, and said to the 
 king, " When we had washed and bathed the prince, 
 and delivered him to the bosom of the nurse, a cloud 
 descended from the sky and enveloped the nurse ; a 
 moment after, we saw the nurse prostrate and sense- 
 less, and the little prince gone; what a dreadful 
 calamity has occurred !" The king was thunderstruck 
 on hearing this wonderful occurrence ; and the whole 
 country mourned [for the sad event] ; for two days no 
 one dressed any victuals, but fed on their grief, and 
 drank their own blood, for the prince's loss. 
 
 In short, they began to despair of their lives, living 
 in this manner ; on the third day the same cloud ap- 
 peared, and a cradle studded with jewels, and with a 
 covering of pearls, descended from it into the area of 
 the seraglio ; the cloud then disappeared, and the 
 servants found the little prince in the cradle sucking 
 his thumb ; the royal mother immediately invoking 
 blessings upon him, took him up in her arms, and 
 pressed him fondly to her bosom ; she saw that he 
 was dressed in a jacket of fine muslin embroidered 
 with pearls, and had a child's bib of brocade, and 
 many ornaments set with jewels on his hands and 
 feet, and a necklace with nine gems on his neck, and 
 there was a child's rattle with golden balls placed by 
 his side. Through joy all [the female attendants] were 
 transported ; and they began to offer up prayers,
 
 ADVENTURES OF THE 
 
 saying, " May all thy mother's wishes be gratified, 
 and mayest thou attain a period of mature old age." 
 
 The king ordered a new grand palace to be built 
 and furnished with carpets, and kept the four Dar- 
 weshes in it ; when he was disengaged from the affairs 
 of state, he used to go there, sit with them, and to 
 provide everything for them and wait on them ; but 
 on the first Thursday night of every month the same 
 cloud descended, and took away the prince, and after 
 keeping him two days, it used to bring him back, with 
 such rich toys and rarities of every country, and of 
 every description, in his cradle, that on beholding 
 them, the minds of the spectators were confounded 
 with astonishment. In this manner, the prince reached 
 in safety his seventh year ; on the birthday the king 
 Azad' Bakht said to the Darweshes, " O holy men, I 
 cannot conceive who carries the prince away and brings 
 him back ; it is very wonderful ; let us see what will 
 be the end of it." The Darweshes said, " Do one 
 thing ; write a friendly note to this purport, and put 
 it into the prince's cradle, viz. : ' Having seen your 
 friendship and kindness [to my son], my heart wishes 
 most anxiously to meet you, and if by way of amity 
 you favour me with your tidings, my heart will be 
 highly gratified, and my wonder will cease.' ' The 
 king, according to the Darweshes' advice, wrote a note 
 to this purport on paper sprinkled with gold, and put 
 it in the golden cradle. 
 
 The prince, according to custom, disappeared ; and 
 in the evening Azad Bakht was sitting with the Dar- 
 weshes and conversing with them, when a folded paper 
 fell near the king ; he opened it and read it, and found
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 307 
 
 that it was an answer to his note ; these two lines 
 were written in it : " Conceive me likewise anxious to 
 see you ; a throne goes for you ; it is best that you 
 should come now, that we may meet ; all the prepara- 
 tions of enjoyment are ready ; your majesty's place 
 alone is empty." The king Azdd Bakht took the 
 Darweshes with him, and ascended the celestial 
 throne ; it was like the throne of Solomon, and 
 mounted into the air; proceeding on, it descended 
 in a place where grand edifices and sumptuous prepa- 
 rations appeared ; but it could not be perceived if any 
 one was there or not. In the meantime some one 
 rubbed the eyes of all five with the surma of Sulaiman; 
 two drops of tears fell from the eyes of each, and they 
 saw an assembly of the fairies, who were waiting to 
 receive them, dressed in rich habits of various colours, 
 with vials of rose-water in their hands. 
 
 Azdd Bakht advanced amidst two rows consisting 
 of thousands of fairy-born creatures, standing in re- 
 spectful order, and in the centre was placed an 
 elevated throne inlaid with emeralds, on which was 
 seated leaning on pillows, with an air of great dignity, 
 Malik Shah Bed, the son of Shdh-rukh ; a beautiful 
 little girl of the fairy race was seated before him, and 
 was playing with the young prince Bakhtiydr. Chairs 
 and seats were arranged in rows on both sides of the 
 throne, on which the nobles of the fairy race were 
 seated. Malik Shah Bdl stood up on seeing the king 
 Azdd Bakht and descended from his throne and em- 
 braced him, and taking him by the hand, he seated 
 him on the throne by the side of himself, and they 
 began to converse together with much cordiality ; the
 
 308 ADVENTURES OF THK 
 
 whole day passed in feasting and hilarity, and music 
 and dancing. The second day, when the two kings 
 met, Shah Bdl asked Azdd Bakht the reason for 
 bringing the Darweshes with him. 
 
 Azdd Bakht related fully their adventures as he had 
 previously learned, and interceded for them, and asked 
 [the king's] assistance, saying, "These have under- 
 gone many hardships, and suffered great misfortunes ; 
 arid if now, through your favour, they attain their 
 wishes, it will be an act of great merit, and I also 
 will be grateful for it through life ; by your kind 
 assistance they will all reach the summit of their 
 desires." Malik Shdh Bdl, after hearing [these ad- 
 ventures, replied, " Most willingly ; I will not fail to 
 obey your commands." Saying this, he looked sternly 
 at the divs and fairies [who were present], and he 
 wrote letters to the great jinns, who were chiefs in 
 different places, and ordered them, that on receiving 
 his commands, they must repair speedily to the pre- 
 sence, and if any one should delay in coming, he 
 should be punished, and brought as captive ; and that 
 whoever possessed any persons of the human species, 
 male or female, he must bring them along with him ; 
 that if [a jinn] having concealed any one, should detain 
 the same, and it be known hereafter, the concealer and 
 his wife and family shall be exterminated, and no 
 vestige of them will remain. 
 
 Receiving these written orders, the divs were dis- 
 patched in all directions. A great warmth of friend- 
 ship arose between the two kings, and they passed their 
 time in amicable conversation, amidst which Malik 
 Shdh Bdl, turning round to the Darweshes , said, " I
 
 FOURTH DAHWESH. 
 
 had a great wish to have children, and had resolved, 
 if God gave me a son or a daughter, to marry it to 
 the offspring of some king of the human race. After 
 this resolve, I learned that my wife was pregnant : 
 at last, after counting. with anxiety each day and hour, 
 the full period arrived, and this girl was born. Ac- 
 cording to my determination, I ordered the jinns to 
 search the four corners of the world, and that what- 
 ever king had a prince born to him, to bring the child 
 quickly to me with care ; agreeably k> my orders, the 
 jinns flew instantly to the four corners of the earth, 
 and after some delay, brought this young prince 
 to me. 
 
 " I thanked God, and took the child in my lap, and 
 loved it dearer than my own daughter ; I could not 
 bring myself to separate him from my sight for a 
 moment, but used to send him back for this reason, 
 that if his parents did not see him, they would be 
 greatly afflicted. For this reason I sent for him once 
 every month, and after keeping him with me a few- 
 days, I sent him back. If it please God the Most 
 High, now that we have met, I will marry them to 
 each other ; all are liable to death, then let us, whilst 
 we are alive, see their marriage performed." 
 
 The king Azdd Bakht, on hearing this proposal of 
 Shah Bdl's, and seeing his amiable qualities, was 
 greatly pleased and said, " At first the prince's dis- 
 appearance and re-appearance raised very strange 
 aprchensions in my breast, but I am now, from your 
 conversation, easy in my mind, and perfectly satisfied ; 
 this son is now yours ; do with him whatever you 
 please." In short, the intercourse between the two
 
 310 ADVENTURES OF THR 
 
 kings was like that of sugar and milk, and they fully 
 enjoyed themselves. In the space of less than ten 
 days, mighty kings of the race of the jinns, from the 
 rose garden of Iram, 1 and from mountains and is- 
 lands, (to call whom the fairies had been dispatched) 
 all arrived at the court [of Shah Bdf\. In the first 
 place, Maliki Sddik was ordered to produce the human 
 creature he had in his possession ; he was much vexed 
 at it, and sad, but having no remedy, he produced 
 the rosy-cheeked fair one [the blind man's daughter]. 
 Next, he demanded of the king of 'Ummdn 2 the 
 daughter of one of the jinns, for whom the prince of 
 Nlmroz, the bull rider, went mad ; he likewise made 
 many excuses, but produced her at last. When the 
 daughter of the king of the Franks and Bihzdd 
 Khan were demanded, all present denied having any 
 knowledge of them, and swore by Solomon [to 
 that effect]. 
 
 At last, when the king of the sea of Kulzum was 
 asked if he knew anything of them, he hung down 
 his head, and remained silent. Malik Shdh Bdl had 
 a deference for him, and entreated him to give them 
 up, and gave him hopes of future favour and even 
 threatened him. Then he also joined his hands to- 
 gether, and said, " Please your majesty, the particulars 
 of that circumstance are as follows : When the king 
 
 1 A famous garden in Arabia Felix ; it ia also applied to the garden in 
 Paradise, in which all good Mahometans, according to their belief, are to 
 revel utter death. 
 
 2 ' Ummdn is the name of the southern part of Yaman or Arabia Felix ; 
 the country which lies between the mouth of the Persian Gulf and the 
 mouth of the Red Sea ; the sea which washes this coast is called the sea of 
 
 Ummdn in Persia and Arabia, as the .Red Sea is called the sea of Kvizutn,
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 311 
 
 [of Persia] came to the river Kulzum to meet his son, 
 and the prince from eagerness plunged his horse into 
 the flood, it chanced that I had gone out that day to 
 roam about and to hunt. I passed by the place, and 
 the cavalcade stopped to behold the scene. When the 
 princess's mare carried her also into the stream, my 
 looks met hers, and I was enchanted, and gave instant 
 orders to the fairy race to bring her to me, together 
 with the mare. Eihzdd Khan plunged in also after 
 her on horseback ; I admired his bravery and gal- 
 lantry, and had him seized likewise ; I took him with 
 me, and returned home ; so they are both safe, and 
 with me." 
 
 Saying this, he sent for them both before Malik 
 Shah Bal, Great search had been made for the 
 daughter of the king of Syria, and strict inquiries 
 were put to all present, but no one acknowledged 
 having her, or knowing anything about her. Malik 
 Shah Sal then asked if any king or chief was absent, 
 and if all were arrived ; the jinns answered, " Mighty 
 sire, all are present except one named Musahal Jddu, 
 who has erected a fort on the mountain Kaf by the 
 means of magic ; he, from haughtiness, is not come, 
 and we, your majesty's slaves, are not able to bring 
 him by force ; the place is strong, and he himself also 
 is a great devil." 
 
 On hearing this, Malik Shah Hal was very argiy, 
 and an army of jinns, 'afrits and fairies were sent with 
 orders, that if he came of his own accord, and brought 
 the princess with him, well and good, but otherwise 
 subdue him, and bring him tied by the neck and 
 heels, and raze his fort to the ground, and drive the
 
 312 ADVENTURES OP THK 
 
 plough, drawn by an ass, over it. Immediately, on 
 the orders being given, such numbers of troops fle,\v 
 to the place, that in a day or two the rebellious 
 haughty chief was brought in irons to the presence. 
 Malik Shah Bdl repeatedly asked about the princess, 
 but the haughty rebel gave no reply. The king at 
 length got angry, and ordered him to be cut to pieces, 
 and his skin stretched and filled with chaff; 1 a body 
 of fairies were ordered to go to the mountain of Kof, 
 and search for the princess; they went and found her, and 
 brought her to Malik Shah Bdl. All these prisoners 
 and the four Darweshes, seeing the strict orders and jus- 
 tice of the king Shalt Bdl, were greatly rejoiced, and 
 admired him highly ; the king Azdd Bakht was also 
 much pleased. Malik Shdh Bdl then ordered the men 
 to the palace, and the women to the royal seraglio ; 
 the city was ordered to be illuminated, and the prepa- 
 rations for the marriages to be quickly completed; [all 
 was instantly made ready], as if the order alone was 
 wanted to be given. 
 
 One day, a happy hour being fixed upon, the prince 
 Bakhtiydr was married to the princess Roshan Akhtar; 
 and the young merchant of Yaman 2 was married to 
 the princess of Dimas/ek; and the prince of Persia s 
 was married to the princess of Basra ; and the prince 
 of 'Ajam 4 was married to the princess of the Franks ; 
 Bihzdd Khan was married to the daughter of the king 
 
 1 A mode of punishment used in tormer times in Persia, India, and Arabia, 
 against great enemies or atrocious delinquents. Such treatment the poor 
 emperor Valerian experienced from the haughty Sftiipsir or ShAbitr (tlie 
 Saporcs of the Greeks), king of Persia or Purthiu. 
 
 2 The first darwesh. 3 The second darwesh. 
 The third danoesh.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 313 
 
 of Nlmroz ; and the prince of Nlmroz was married to 
 \\iGJmns daughter; and the prince of China 1 was 
 married to the daughter of the old blind man of Hin- 
 dustan ; she who had been in the possession of Maliki 
 Sdd'ik. Through the favour of Malik Shah Sal, 
 every hopeless person gained his desires, and obtained 
 his wishes ; afterwards, they all enjoyed themselves 
 for forty days, and passed their time, night and day, 
 in pleasures and festivity. 
 
 At last, Malik Shah Bdl gave to each prince rich 
 and rare presents, and dismissed them to their different 
 countries. All were pleased and satisfied, and set out 
 and reached their homes in -safety, and began their 
 reigns ; but Bihzdd Khan, and the merchant's son of 
 Yaman, of their own accord, remained with the king 
 Azdd Bakht, and in the end the young merchant of 
 Yaman was made head steward to his majesty, and 
 Bihzdd Khan generalissimo of the army of the fortu- 
 nate prince Bakhtiydr ; whilst they lived, they en- 
 joyed every felicity. O God ! as these four Darweshes 
 and the king Azdd Bakht attained their wishes, in 
 like manner grant to all hopeless beings the wishes of 
 their hearts, through thy power and goodness, and by 
 the medium of the five pure bodies, 2 the twelve Imams, 
 and the fourteen innocents, 3 on all of whom be the 
 blessing of God ! Amen, God of the universe. 
 
 When this book was finished, through the favour of 
 God, I took it into my mind to give it such a name, 
 
 1 The fourth darwesh. 
 
 2 The five pure bodies are Muhammad, the prophet; Fatima, hia daughter | 
 AH, her husband ; and Hasan and Husain, their children. 
 
 3 The fourteen innocents are the children of Hasan and Husain.
 
 314 ADVENTURES OP THE 
 
 that the date should be thereby found out. 1 When I 
 made the calculation, I found that I had begun to 
 compose this work in the end of the year of the Hijra 
 1215, and owing to want of leisure, it was not finished 
 until the beginning of the year 1217 ; I was reflecting 
 on this circumstance, when it occurred to me that the 
 words Bdgh Bahdr formed a proper title, as it an- 
 swered to the date of the year when the work was 
 finished ; so I gave it this name. Whoever shall read 
 it, he will stroll as it were through a garden ; more- 
 over, the garden is exposed to the blasts of winter, 
 but this book is not ; it will ever be in verdure. 
 
 When this Bdgh &ahdr was finished, the year 
 was 1217 ; do you now stroll through it night and 
 day, as its name and date is Bdgh Bahdr ; the 
 blasts of winter can do it no injury ; for this Bahdr 2 
 is ever green and fresh ; it hath been nourished with 
 the blood of my heart, and its (the heart's) pieces are 
 its leaves and fruits ; all will forget me after death ; 
 but this book will remain as a souvenir; whoever 
 reads it, let him remember me. This is my agreement 
 with the readers ; if there is an error, excuse it ; for 
 
 1 By an arithmetical operation called in Persian Abjad; as Persian letters 
 have arithmetical powers, the letters which compose the words Bdgh O Bahd: 
 added up, produce the sum 1217. From the inscription on most Muham- 
 madan tombs, and those on the gates of mosques, the dates of demise and 
 erection can be ascertained. We had the same barbarous custom in Europe 
 about the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ; see the Spectator (No. 60,) on 
 this ridiculous subject, which was considered as a proof of great ingenuity. 
 
 a A pun on the word Bahdr, which means spring, when flowers are in full 
 bloom ; but the French word printemps conveys more exactly the compound 
 signification ; for Bahar not only means spring, but an agreeable spring. 
 The Persians are as fond of these double entendres as any other people ; 
 their poetry is strewed with them, and so is their prose. It is not, bowever, 
 to be considered as a model ok' puro tuste.
 
 FOURTH DARWESH. 3] 5 
 
 amidst flowers lie concealed the thorns-; man is liable 
 to faults and errors, and he will fail, let him be ever 
 so careful. I have no other wish except this, and it 
 is my earnest prayer, O my Creator, that I may ever 
 remain in remembrance of Thee, and thus pass my 
 nights and days ! That I may not be questioned with 
 severity on the night of death, and the day of reckon- 
 ing ! O God, in both worlds shower thy favours oil 
 me, through the mediation of the great prophet ! 
 
 SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE. 
 
 It must be allowed, that the author has displayed great adroitness in the 
 ' denouement" of his tale. In the course of a few pages all the principal 
 characters, male and female, are suddenly produced, safe and unscathed, 
 before the reader. To be sure, this is done by the aid of a little " diablerie," 
 but then it is done very neatly, much more so than in some of the clumsy 
 fictions of the late Ettrick Shepherd, to say nothing of the edifying legends 
 anent the Romish saints which the good people of southern Europe are 
 taught to swallow as gospel. Finally, be it remembered, that Oriental 
 story-tellers have never subscribed to Horace's precept, 
 
 " Nee deus intersit, nisi dignus Tin dice nodus 
 
 Incident." 
 
 On the contrary, their rule is, when, by a free use of the supernatural, you 
 have got the whole of your characters into a regular fix, it is but fair that 
 vou should get them off by the same means. 
 
 THE END.
 
 Anwari Solieli. 
 
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