The Arabian Nights Entertainments, - [best autobiographies to read .txt] 📗

to cause proclamation to be made throughout all his dominions, that he pardoned Ganem the son of Abou Ayoub; but this proved of no effect, for a long time elapsed without any news of the young merchant. Fetnah concluded, that he had not been able to survive the pain of losing her. A dreadful uneasiness seized her mind; but as hope is the last thing which forsakes lovers, she entreated the caliph to give her leave to seek for Ganem herself; which being granted, she took a purse containing a thousand pieces of gold, and went one morning out of the palace, mounted on a mule from the caliph’s stables, very richly caparisoned.

Black eunuchs attended her, with a hand placed on each side of the mule’s back.

Thus she went from mosque to mosque, bestowing her alms among the devotees of the Mahummedan religion, desiring their prayers for the accomplishment of an affair, on which the happiness of two persons, she told them, depended. She spend the whole day and the thousand pieces of gold in giving alms at the mosques, and returned to the palace in the evening.

The next day she took another purse of the same value, and in the like equipage as the day before, went to the square of the jewellers’ shops, and stopping at the gateway without alighting, sent one of her black eunuchs for the syndic or chief of them.

The syndic, who was a most charitable man, and spent above two-thirds of his income in relieving poor strangers, sick or in distress, did not make Fetnah wait, knowing by her dress that she was a lady belonging to the palace. “I apply myself to you,” said she, putting the purse into his hands, “as a person whose piety is celebrated throughout the city. I desire you to distribute that gold among the poor strangers you relieve, for I know you make it your business to assist those who apply to your charity.

I am also satisfied that you prevent their wants, and that nothing is more grateful to you, than to have an opportunity of relieving their misery.” “Madam,” answered the syndic, “I shall obey your commands with pleasure; but if you desire to exercise your charity in person, and will be pleased to step to my house, you will there see two women worthy of your compassion; I met them yesterday as they were coming into the city; they were in a deplorable condition, and it moved me the more, because I thought they were persons of rank. Through all the rags that covered them, notwithstanding the impression the sun has made on their faces, I discovered a noble air, not to be commonly found in those people I relieve. I carried them both to my house, and delivered them to my wife, who was of the same opinion with me.

She caused her slaves to provide them good beds, whilst she herself led them to our warm bath, and gave them clean linen. We know not as yet who they are, because we wish to let them take some rest before we trouble them with our questions.”

Fetnah, without knowing why, felt a curiosity to see them. The syndic would have conducted her to his house, but she would not give him the trouble, and was satisfied that a slave should shew her the way. She alighted at the door, and followed the syndic’s slave, who was gone before to give notice to his mistress, she being then in the chamber with Jalib al Koolloob and her mother, for they were the persons the syndic had been speaking of to Fetnah.

The syndic’s wife being informed by the slave, that a lady from the palace was in her house, was hastening to meet her; but Fetnah, who had followed the slave, did not give her time: on her coming into the chamber, the syndic’s wife prostrated herself before her, to express the respect she had for all who belonged to the caliph. Fetnah raised her up, and said, “My good lady, I desire you will let me speak with those two strangers that arrived at Bagdad last night.” “Madam,” answered the syndic’s wife, “they lie in those beds you see by each other.” The favourite immediately drew near the mother’s, and viewing her carefully, “Good woman,” said she, “I come to offer you my assistance: I have considerable interest in this city, and may be of service to you and your companion.” “Madam,” answered Ganem’s mother, “I perceive by your obliging offers, that Heaven has not quite forsaken us, though we had cause to believe it had, after so many misfortunes as have befallen us.” Having uttered these words, she wept so bitterly that Fetnah and the syndic’s wife could not forbear letting fall some tears.

The caliph’s favourite having dried up hers, said to Ganem’s mother, “Be so kind as to tell us your misfortunes, and recount your story. You cannot make the relation to any persons better disposed to use all possible means to comfort you.” “Madam,”

replied Abou Ayoub’s disconsolate widow, “a favourite of the commander of the true believers, a lady whose name is Fetnah, is the occasion of all our misfortunes.” These words were like a thunderbolt to the favourite; but suppressing her agitation and concern, she suffered Ganem’s mother to proceed in the following manner: “I am the widow of Abou Ayoub, a merchant of Damascus; I had a son called Ganem, who, coming to trade at Bagdad, has been accused of carrying off Fetnah. The caliph caused search to be made for him every where, to put him to death; but not finding him, he wrote to the king of Damascus, to cause our house to be plundered and razed, and to expose my daughter and myself three days successively, naked, to the populace, and then to banish us out of Syria for ever. But how unworthy soever our usage has been, I should be still comforted were my son alive, and I could meet with him. What a pleasure would it be for his sister and me to see him again! Embracing him we should forget the loss of our property, and all the evils we have suffered on his account.

Alas! I am fully persuaded he is only the innocent cause of them; and that he is no more guilty towards the caliph than his sister and myself.”

“No doubt of it,” said Fetnah, interrupting her there, “he is no more guilty than you are; I can assure you of his innocence; for I am that very Fetnah, you so much complain of; who, through some fatality in my stars, have occasioned you so many misfortunes. To me you must impute the loss of your son, if he is no more; but if I have occasioned your misfortune, I can in some measure relieve it. I have already justified Ganem to the caliph; who has caused it to be proclaimed throughout his dominions, that he pardons the son of Abou Ayoub; and doubt not he will do you as much good as he has done you injury. You are no longer his enemies. He waits for Ganem, to requite the service he has done me, by uniting our fortunes; he gives me to him for his consort, therefore look on me as your daughter, and permit me to vow eternal duty and affection.” “Having so said, she bowed down on Ganem’s mother, who was so astonished that she could return no answer. Fetnah held her long in her arms, and only left her to embrace the daughter, who, sitting up, held out her arms to receive her.

When the caliph’s favourite had strewn the mother and daughter all tokens of affection, as Ganem’s wife, she said to them, “The wealth Ganem had in this city is not lost, it is in my apartment in the palace; but I know all the treasure of the world cannot comfort you without Ganem, if I may judge of you by myself. Blood is no less powerful than love in great minds; but why should we despair of seeing him again? We shall find him; the happiness of meeting with you makes me conceive fresh hopes. Perhaps this is the last day of your sufferings, and the beginning of a greater felicity than you enjoyed in Damascus, when Ganem was with you.”

Fetnah would have proceeded, but the syndic of the jewellers coming in interrupted her: “Madam,” said he to her, “I come from seeing a very moving object, it is a young man, whom a camel-driver had just carried to an hospital: he was bound with cords on a camel, because he had not strength enough to sit. They had already unbound him, and were carrying him into the hospital, when I happened to pass by. I went up to the young man, viewed him attentively, and fancied his countenance was not altogether unknown to me. I asked him some questions concerning his family and his country; but all the answers I could get were sighs and tears. I took pity on him, and being so much used to sick people, perceived that he had need to have particular care taken of him.

I would not permit him to be put into the hospital; for I am too well acquainted with their way of managing the sick, and am sensible of the incapacity of the physicians. I have caused him to be brought to my own house, by my slaves; and they are now in a private room where I placed him, putting on some of my own linen, and treating him as they would do myself.”

Fetnah’s heart beat at these words of the jeweller, and she felt a sudden emotion, for which she could not account: “Shew me,”

said she to the syndic, “into the sick man’s room; I should be glad to see him.” The syndic conducted her, and whilst she was going thither, Ganem’s mother said to Jalib al Koolloob, “Alas!

daughter, wretched as that sick stranger is, your brother, if he be living, is not perhaps in a more happy condition.”

The caliph’s favourite coming into the chamber of the sick stranger, drew near the bed, in which the syndic’s slaves had already laid him. She saw a young man, whose eyes were closed, his countenance pale, disfigured, and bathed in tears. She gazed earnestly on him, her heart beat, and she fancied she beheld Ganem; but yet she would not believe her eyes. Though she found something of Ganem in the objets she beheld, yet in other respects he appeared so different, that she durst not imagine it was he that lay before her. Unable, however, to withstand the earnest desire of being satisfied, “Ganem,” said she, with a trembling voice, “is it you I behold?” Having spoken these words, she stopped to give the young man time to answer, but observing that he seemed insensible; “Alas! Ganem,” added she, “it is not you that I address! My imagination being overcharged with your image, has given to a stranger a deceitful resemblance. The son of Abou Ayoub, however indisposed, would know the voice of Fetnah.” At the name of Fetnah, Ganem (for it was really he) opened his eyes, sprang up, and knowing the caliph’s favourite; “Ah! madam,” said he, “by what miracle” He could say no more; such a sudden transport of joy seized him that he fainted away.

Fetnah and the syndic did all they could to bring him to himself; but as soon as they perceived he began to revive, the syndic desired the lady to withdraw, lest the sight of her should heighten his disorder.

The young man having recovered, looked all around, and not seeing what he sought, exclaimed, “What is become of you, charming Fetnah? Did you really appear before my eyes, or was it only an illusion?” “No, sir,” said