THE HISTORY OF CAMARALZAMAN, PRINCE OF THE ISLE OF THE CHILDREN OF KHALEDAN, AND OF BADOURA, PRINCESS OF CHINA.

O KING, about twenty days’ sail from the coast of Persia, there is in the open sea an island, which is called the Isle of the Children of Khaledan. This island is divided into several large provinces, containing many large, flourishing, and well-peopled towns, and it forms altogether a very powerful kingdom. It was formerly governed by a king named Schahzaman, who, as was the custom, had four wives,^s all daughters of kings, and sixty concubines.

“Schahzaman esteemed himself the happiest sovereign on the whole face of the earth, for his reign had been a scene of prosperity and peace. One thing only diminished his happiness; he was already far advanced in years, and he had no children, notwithstanding the great number of his wives. He could not account in any way for this circumstance; and in the moments of his affliction he considered it the greatest misfortune that could befall him, to die without leaving one of his descendants as successor to the throne. For a considerable time he concealed the tormenting anxiety that preyed upon him, and he suffered the more from endeavouring to assume an air of cheerfulness. At length he broke silence; and one day, having complained of his misfortune in the bitterest terms of sorrow, in a private conversation he had with his grand vizier, he asked the minister if he knew of any means to remedy so great an evil.

“The wise vizier replied: ‘If what your majesty requires depended on the common application of human wisdom, you might soon have the gratification you so ardently desire; but I confess my experience and knowledge are not equal to solve the question you ask. To Allah alone you must apply in such cases: in the midst of our prosperity, which often makes us forget what we owe Him, He sometimes mortifies us by refusing one of our wishes, that we may turn our thoughts to Him, acknowledge His universal power, and ask of Him that which we cannot obtain but at His hand. You have amongst your subjects some men who devote

 

Birth of Camaralzaman.

themselves to the particular profession of knowing and serving Him, and who lead a life of penance and hardship for the love of Him: my advice is that your majesty should bestow alms on them, and request them to join their prayers to yours; perhaps, among the great number of these men, one may be sufficiently pure and acceptable to the Almighty to obtain from Him the completion of your wishes.’

“The king approved this advice, and thanked his grand vizier for it. He ordered alms to a considerable amount to be presented to each of these communities of people consecrated to prayer; he then desired the rulers of their houses to come to him; and after regaling them with a repast suited to their frugal manner of living, he declared his intention, and begged them to impart what he told them to the communities who were under their authority.

“Schahzaman obtained from heaven what he so much desired. One of his wives gave him hopes of an heir, and, at the expiration of nine months, presented him with a son. To testify his gratitude he sent fresh presents to the communities of devout Mussulmen, presents which were worthy of his dignity and greatness; and the birth of the prince was celebrated by public rejoicings for a whole week, not only in his capital, but throughout his extensive dominions. The young prince was brought to his father immediately on his birth, and Schahzaman thought him so very beautiful that he gave him the name of Camaralzaman, which means the Moon of the Age.

“Prince Camaralzaman was educated with all possible care, and when he reached a proper age, the sultan awarded him a prudent governor and able preceptors. These persons, who were distinguished by their superior understandings, found in the prince a boy of a docile and intelligent disposition, capable of receiving all the instruction they wished to give him for the forming of his morals and the cultivation of his mind in such acquirements as a prince in his situation ought to possess. As he advanced in years he learned various exercises with a great degree of facility, and acquitted himself with so much grace and address, that he charmed every beholder, but more particularly the sultan his father.

“When the prince had attained the age of fifteen years, Schahzaman, who loved him with the greatest tenderness, and gave him every day new and stronger proofs of his affection, conceived the design of bestowing on him the most striking mark of his regard, by descending from the throne himself, and raising his son to that distinguished position. He communicated his intention to his grand vizier, and added these words: ‘I fear that in the idleness of youth my son will lose not only those advantages which nature has bestowed on him, but also those he has successfully acquired by the good education I have given him. As I have now reached an age which makes me think of retiring from the world, I have almost resolved to give up the government to him, and to pass the rest of my days in retirement, satisfied to see him reign. I have laboured a long time, and I now want repose.’

“The grand vizier would not at that time represent to the sultan all the reasons that might dissuade him from putting this design into execution; on the contrary, he appeared to concur in his master’s wish. He replied: ‘O my lord, the prince is still too young, I think, to be entrusted at so early a period with a duty so heavy as that of governing a powerful state. Your majesty is fearful that he may be corrupted, if he be suffered to lead a life of inactivity and indolence. Your fears are reasonable; but to remedy that evil, would it not in your opinion be more proper to marry him first? Marriage is likely to render his affections steady, and to prevent him from plunging into dissipation; besides this, your majesty might give him admission to your councils, so that he might learn by degrees to sustain with dignity the brilliancy and weight of your crown; and when he is found sufficiently qualified, and you by experience consider him equal to the undertaking, you might still resign the crown in his favour.’

“Schahzaman thought this advice from his prime minister very reasonable and prudent; he therefore summoned his son, Prince Camaralzaman, to attend him as soon as the grand vizier had taken his leave.

“The prince, who hitherto had only seen the sultan at certain stated hours, without requiring a summons, was rather surprised at this order. Therefore, instead of presenting himself before him in his usual frank manner, he saluted his father with great respect, and stopped as soon as he was in his presence, fixing his eyes on the ground, and assuming an appearance of deep humility.

“The sultan perceived the reserve of the prince, and said to him, in a tone intended to inspire him with confidence, ‘My son, do you know on what account I sent for you?’ ‘My lord,’ replied the prince, modestly, ‘Allah alone can penetrate into the recesses of the heart: I shall rejoice greatly to learn the reason from your majesty’s lips. ‘The sultan resumed: ‘I sent for you to let you know that I wish you to marry. What do you think of my proposal?’

“Prince Camaralzaman heard these words with great concern. He was quite disconcerted; a burning flush arose on his face; and he knew not how to reply. After some moments passed in silence, he said, ‘O my lord, I entreat you to pardon me if I appear confused at the declaration your majesty has just made; I did not expect such a proposal at my very youthful age. I do not even know whether I shall ever be able to submit myself to the bonds of marriage, for I am well aware of the embarrassment and trouble occasioned by women; moreover, I have frequently read in our authors of their arts, their cunning, and their perfidy. Perhaps I may not always retain this opinion; at any rate, I feel that I should require a considerable length of time to induce me to agree to the design your majesty proposes to carry out.’

“This answer of the prince’s greatly afflicted the sultan his father. The monarch felt real grief at finding his son entertained so great a repugnance to matrimony. He did not, however, think proper to treat his answer as disobedience, or to employ the authority of a parent. He contented himself with saying: ‘I will not use any undue influence over you on this subject. I give you time to think of it, and to consider that a prince, destined as you are to govern a large kingdom, ought in the first place to turn his thoughts to provide a successor in his own family. In giving yourself this satisfaction you will afford me very great joy; for I desire to see myself live again in you and in the children who are to prolong my race.’

“Schahzaman said no more to Prince Camaralzaman. He allowed him free entrance to the councils of state, and in every other respect gave him reason to be satisfied with the affection and confidence he showed towards him. At the expiration of a year he took the prince aside, and said: ‘Well, my son, have you remembered to reflect on the design I formed last year of finding a wife for you? Will you still refuse me the joy I should experience from your compliance with my wishes, and do you intend that I should die without experiencing this satisfaction?’

“The prince appeared less disconcerted than on the former occasion, and did not long hesitate to reply with firmness in these words: ‘I have not, my lord, omitted to reflect upon the subject; I gave it all the attention which it deserves; but, after having maturely considered it, I am confirmed in my resolution to live without binding myself in the chains of marriage. The numberless evils which women have from time immemorial been the occasion of in the world, and of which I have been well informed by our histories, and the daily accounts I hear of their cunning and malice, are the reasons which determine me never to have any connection with them. Therefore your majesty will pardon me, if I venture to assure you that any arguments you may use to endeavour to persuade me to marry will be fruitless.’ He ceased speaking, and left the presence of the sultan in an abrupt manner, without even waiting for his father’s answer.

“Any monarch but Schahzaman would with difficulty have restrained himself if his son had made him a reply so rude and stubborn as this answer of Camaralzaman’s, and would have ordered him some punishment; but the king tenderly loved his son, and wished to employ every gentle means of persuasion before he had recourse to more rigid means. He communicated the new cause of sorrow, which Camaralzaman had given to him, to his prime minister. He said: ‘I have followed your advice, but my son is still more averse to matrimony than he was the first time I spoke to him on the subject; and he explained himself in such a determined manner that I needed all my reason and moderation to restrain my anger. Men who pray as ardently as I did that they may have children are madmen and fools, who seek to deprive themselves of that repose and quiet which they might otherwise tranquilly enjoy. Tell me, I entreat you, by what means I can reclaim a mind so rebellious to my desires.’

“The grand vizier answered: ‘O my lord, a great many things are accomplished by the help of patience. Perhaps this may not be a difficulty that can be conquered by such means; but your majesty will not have to reproach yourself with being too precipitate, if you consent to allow the prince another year to alter his determination. If during this interval he does not return to his duty, you will have a much greater satisfaction in the consciousness of having employed no method but that of paternal kindness, to obtain his obedience. If, on the contrary, he persists in his obstinacy, then, when the year is expired, I think your majesty will be fully justified in declaring to him, before the whole council, that the good of the state requires his marriage. It is not possible that he should be wanting in respect towards you before an assembly of enlightened and celebrated men whose deliberations you honour with your presence.’

“The sultan, who so passionately and ardently wished to see his son married that a year’s delay appeared ages to him, was very reluctant to consent to wait so much longer. But he was persuaded by the arguments of the grand vizier, which he could neither contradict nor disapprove.

“When the prime minister had retired, the Sultan Schahzaman went to the apartment of the mother of Prince Camaralzaman, to whom he had long since imparted the ardent desire he had of marrying his son. When he had related to her the painful disappointment he had just met with in this second refusal, and also the indulgence he still intended to grant the prince by the advice of his grand vizier, ‘O lady,’ he added, ‘I know that he has more confidence in you than in me, that you converse with him, and that he listens to you with great respect; I entreat you, therefore, to take an opportunity to speak to him seriously on this subject; and to make him sensible that, if he persists in his obstinacy, he will oblige me at last to have recourse to extremities, which I should be sorry to adopt, and which would make him repent of his disobedience.’

“Fatima (for this was the name of the prince’s mother) informed Camaralzaman, the next time she had a conversation with him, that she had made been acquainted with his fresh refusal to marry, which he had testified to the sultan, and expressed herself much chagrined that the prince had given his father so great a cause for anger. ‘O lady,’ Camaralzaman replied, ‘do not, I entreat you, renew my grief on this affair; I fear that, in my present state of mind, I might be guilty of saying something disrespectful to you.’ Fatima knew by this answer that it would be worse than useless to continue the subject; she therefore let it rest for the time.

“Some time after this Fatima thought she had met with an opportunity of renewing the conversation, and with more prospect of success in obtaining a hearing. She said: ‘My son, if it be not painful to you, pray tell me what are the reasons that have given you so great an aversion to marriage. If you have none stronger than the art and wickedness of women, believe me, you could not have chosen a plea more weak or unreasonable. I will not undertake the defence of artful or cunning women, for that there are numbers of that description I am well persuaded; but it is the most flagrant injustice to accuse the whole sex of this vice. Surely, my son, you do not form your opinion from the few examples which your books mention, of women who have, I confess, occasioned great disorder and confusion in the world! I will not attempt to justify such characters; but why, on the other hand, do you not remark also the many monarchs, sultans, and lesser princes, whose tyranny, barbarity, and cruelty excite the deepest horror, and are related in those histories, which I have read as well as yourself. For one woman who has been guilty of the crimes which frighten you, you will find a thousand men who have been barbarians and tyrants. And do you think the poor women who have the misfortune to be married to these wretches, and who are perhaps good and prudent wives, can be very happy?’

“ ‘O lady!’ replied Camaralzaman, ‘I do not doubt that there are in the world a great number of prudent, good, and virtuous women, of gentle dispositions and good morals. Would to Allah all women resembled you! But what deters me is the doubtful choice a man is obliged to make when he marries; or rather the fact, that he is often deprived of the liberty of making that choice himself.’

“He continued in these words: ‘Let us suppose that I had consented to contract a marriage, as the sultan my father so impatiently wishes me to do; whom would he give me for my wife? A princess, in all probability, whom he would demand of some neighbouring prince, and who would, no doubt, think us greatly honoured. Handsome or ugly, she must be received; but even supposing she excels every other princess in beauty, who can ensure that her mind will be equal to her appearance? that she will be gentle, obliging, affable, and engaging? that her conversation will not be frivolous? that she will not always be discoursing of dress, of ornaments, of good looks, and a thousand other trifles which must create contempt in a man of good sense? In a word, that she is not proud, haughty, irascible, disdainful—one who will ruin a whole kingdom by her frivolous expenses in dresses, jewels, trinkets, or in tasteless and empty magnificence?

“ ‘Now you see, madam, if we consider only this one point, how many things there are to give rise to my antipathy to matrimony. But even if this princess be so perfect and so accomplished that she is irreproachable on all these points, I have a great number of reasons still stronger than any I have expressed to make me continue in the same opinion, and adhere to my resolution.’

“Fatima hereupon exclaimed: ‘How, my son, can you add more objections to those you have already stated? I was going to answer you, and refute your arguments with one word.’ The prince answered: ‘Lady, I beg you to speak: I shall probably have some reply to make to your answers.’

“ ‘I was going to say, my son,’ resumed Fatima, ‘that it is easy for a prince who should have the misfortune to marry a princess of the character you describe, to leave her, and also to adopt such measures as might prevent her from ruining the state.’

“ ‘Then, madam,’ said Prince Camaralzaman, ‘do you not consider what a cruel mortification it must be to a prince to be under the necessity of having recourse to such extremities? Is it not much better both for his peace of mind and for his reputation that he should not expose himself to it?’

“But Fatima still persisted, and said, ‘My son, from the way in which you treat this matter, I conclude that you intend to be the last king of the race from which you are descended, and which has so gloriously filled the throne of the Island of the Children of Khaledan.’

 

The Sultan entreats Fatima to induce Camaralzaman to marry.

“The prince retorted: ‘Madam, I have no wish to survive the king my father. Even should I die before him, he ought not to be surprised, since there are many examples of children dying before their parents. But it is always glorious for a race of kings to end with a prince so worthy of being a sovereign as I should endeavour to make myself, by imitating my predecessors, and him with whom the line began.’

“After this, Fatima frequently had conversations on the same subject with the prince her son; and she left no means untried which might in any way eradicate his aversion to the married state. But he confuted all the reasons she could produce by others equally strong, to which she knew not what to reply; and he remained unshaken in his determination.

“The year passed, and to the great regret of the Sultan Schahzaman, Prince Camaralzaman did not show the least appearance of having altered his sentiments. At length one day when the grand council met, and the first vizier, the lesser viziers, the principal officers of the crown, and the generals of the army were assembled, the sultan thus addressed the prince: ‘It is now a long time, my son, since I expressed to you the anxious desire I have of seeing you married; and I expected that you would accede to the wishes of a father who required of you nothing but what was reasonable. The long resistance you have made has entirely exhausted my patience; and I now repeat to you, in the presence of my council, the request I once made in private. By persisting in your refusal you not only disoblige your father, but the welfare of my dominions requires your compliance; and all these nobles join with me in requesting it. Declare your sentiments in their presence, that from the answer you make me I may know what measures to adopt.’

“Prince Camaralzaman answered with so little respect, or rather with so much warmth, that the sultan, justly irritated by this behaviour of his son before the full council, exclaimed, ‘How, undutiful son! have you the insolence to speak thus to your father and your sultan?’ He immediately ordered some of the officers who were present to take the prince into their custody, and to carry him to an ancient tower which had long stood empty and neglected. Here the prince was confined, with only a bed and very little furniture, a few books, and one slave to attend him.

“Satisfied with the permission which was granted him to amuse himself with his books, Prince Camaralzaman bore his imprisonment with sufficient patience. Towards evening he washed himself, said his prayers, and, after reading some chapters in the Koran as tranquilly as if he had been in his own apartment in the palace of the sultan, he lay down without extinguishing his lamp, which he left by his bedside, and fell asleep.

“In this tower there was a well, which during the day formed a retreat of a fairy called Maimounè, the daughter of Damriat, the king or chief of a legion of genii. It was about midnight when Maimounè lightly darted to the top of the well, to prepare for her nightly excursion, as was her usual custom, and to wander about the world, wherever curiosity might lead her. She was much surprised to see a light in the chamber of Camaralzaman. She entered it; and without being stopped by the slave who was stationed at the door, she approached the bed, the magnificence of which attracted her attention. But her surprise was much increased at observing that somebody was lying asleep in the bed.

“Camaralzaman’s face was half concealed by the covering as he lay. Maimounè raised the covering a little, and beheld the handsomest youth she had ever seen in any part of the world, through the whole of which she had passed in her travels. She said to herself, ‘What brilliancy, or rather what a world of beauty must those eyes display, when no longer concealed, as they now are, by their well-formed eyelids! What cause can he have given to be treated in a manner so unworthy of his rank?’ For she had already heard of the prince’s disgrace, and did not doubt that this was he.

“Maimounè could not cease admiring the beauty of Prince Camaralzaman; at length, however, she kissed him gently on the cheek, and on the middle of his forehead, without waking him; then she replaced the covering as it was before, and flew away through the air. When she had risen very high towards the middle region of the clouds, she suddenly heard the sound of wings; and curiosity induced her to fly to the quarter from whence it came. On approaching she found that the noise had been occasioned by a genie—one of those rebellious spirits who rose up against the Almighty. Maimounè was, on the contrary, one of those angels whom the great Solomon had compelled to acknowledge his power.

“This genie, who was named Danhasch, and who was the son of Schamhourasch, recognised Maimounè, and was greatly terrified at meeting with her. He knew that she possessed considerable superiority over him, in consequence of her submission to Allah. He would fain, therefore, have avoided this encounter, but he found he was so close to her that he must either risk a battle or submit.

“Danhasch was the first to speak. He said, in a supplicating tone: ‘Good Maimounè, swear to me, by the great name of Allah, that you will not hurt me, and I promise you, on my part, not to annoy you.’

“ ‘Cursed genie,’ cried Maimounè, ‘what harm canst thou do me? I fear thee not. But I will grant thee this favour, and I take the oath thou requirest. Now tell me whence thou comest, what thou hast seen, and what thou hast done this night?’ ‘Beautiful lady,’ replied Danhasch, ‘we meet opportunely, for I can tell you wonderful news. Since you wish it, I will inform you that I come from the extremity of China, where its coast overlooks the farthest islands of this hemisphere. But, charming Maimounè,’ cried Danhasch, interrupting himself, for he trembled with fear in the presence of this fairy, and had some difficulty in speaking before her, ‘you promise at least to forgive me, and to permit me to depart, when I shall have satisfied your curiosity?’

“ ‘Proceed with thy story, thou wretch,’ replied Maimounè, ‘and fear nothing. Dost thou think I am as perfidious as thyself, and that I can break the terrible oath I have taken? But take heed to thyself that thou relatest nothing but what is true; otherwise I will cut thy wings and treat thee as thou deservest.’

“Danhasch felt a little relief by these words of Maimounè’s. He continued: ‘O beauteous lady, I will tell you nothing but what is very true; have but the goodness to listen to me. The country of China, from whence I come, is one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms in the world, and attached to it are the most extreme isles of this hemisphere, of which I spoke just now. The present king is named Gaiour. He has an only daughter, the most beautiful creature that ever was beheld on earth since this world has been a world. Neither you, nor I, nor the genii to whom you or those to whom I belong, nor all mankind together, can find words sufficiently expressive, or eloquence fiery enough, to convey the most distant idea of what she is in reality. Her hair is of a fine brown, and of such length that it reaches below her feet. It grows in such abundance that when she wears it in curls on her head it resembles a fine bunch of grapes, with berries of extraordinary size. Under her hair appears her well-formed forehead, as smooth as the finest polished mirror; her eyes are of a brilliant black, and full of fire; her nose is neither too long nor too short; her mouth small and tinted with vermillion; her teeth are like two rows of pearls, but surpass the finest of those gems in whiteness; and when she opens her mouth to speak, she utters a sweet and agreeable voice, and expresses herself in words which prove the liveliness of her wit. The most beautiful alabaster is not whiter than her neck. In short, from this feeble sketch, you may easily suppose that there is not a more perfect beauty in the world.

“ ‘A stranger who should behold the conduct towards her of the king her father would imagine, from the various proofs of affection he is continually giving her, that he is in love with her. The most tender lover was never known to do so much for the most beloved mistress as he has done for his daughter. The most violent jealousy never took such precautions as his love has caused him to take to render her inaccessible to every one, except the fortunate person who is destined to marry her; and that she might not feel the retreat irksome to which he has confined her, he has had seven palaces built for her, which surpass everything that was ever heard of in magnificence.

“ ‘The first palace is built of rock crystal, the second of bronze, the third of the finest steel, the fourth of another kind of bronze, more precious than the first description or the steel, the fifth of loadstone, the sixth of silver, and the seventh of massive gold. The king has furnished these palaces in the most sumptuous style, each in a manner appropriate to the materials of which it is built. Nor has he forgotten to embellish the gardens which surround the castles with everything that can delight the senses—smooth lawns, or pastures enamelled with flowers; fountains, canals, cascades; groves thickly planted with trees, through whose deep shades the rays of the sun never penetrate; and each garden has its own peculiar arrangement. King Gaiour’s paternal love alone has induced him to incur the enormous expense all this has occasioned.

“ ‘The fame of this princess’s incomparable beauty induced the most powerful of the neighbouring kings to send the most solemn embassies to demand her hand in marriage. The King of China received all their proposals with the same degree of ceremony; but as he had determined not to marry the princess except with her own entire consent, and as she did not approve of any of the offers made her, the ambassadors returned to their own countries with their mission unfulfilled; yet they were all highly gratified by the civilities and attentions they had received.

“ ‘The princess spoke to the King of China in the following terms: ‘O my lord, you wish to marry me, and you think by so doing to make me happy. I know your motive, and feel thankful to you for your kindness. But where should I find such gorgeous palaces and such delicious gardens as these that are mine in the territories of your majesty? Moreover, thanks to your goodness, I am under no restraint, and I receive the same honours that are paid to your own person. These are advantages which I should not enjoy in any other part of the world, to whatever prince I might be united. Husbands ever will be masters, and it is not in my nature to brook command.’

“ ‘After several embassies had been sent away, one at last arrived from a king who was richer and more powerful than any who had before applied for the hand of Giaour’s daughter. The King of China proposed this royal suitor to his daughter, and enlarged on all the advantages which would result from such an alliance. The princess entreated him to excuse her from obeying, urging the same reasons she had employed on former occasions.

“ ‘Her father pressed her to accede; but instead of obeying, she forgot the respect due to the king, and angrily cried, ‘O king, speak to me no more of this marriage, nor of any other; if you persist in your importunities I will plunge a dagger into my heart, and thus free myself from them.’

“ ‘The King of China was extremely irritated against the princess, and he replied in these words: ‘My daughter, you are mad, and I must treat you accordingly.’ In fact, he had her confined in an apartment of one of his palaces, and allowed her only ten old women as associates and attendants, the principal of whom was her nurse. Then, that the neighbouring kings, who had sent embassies to request her hand, might not cherish any further hopes of obtaining her, he despatched envoys to announce to them all her absolute repugnance to marriage. And as he supposed that his daughter had really lost her senses, he commanded the same envoys to make known in each court that, if there were any physician sufficiently skilful to restore her, he should receive the hand of the princess in marriage as a recompense.’

“The genie Danhasch proceeded in these words: ‘Beautiful Maimounè, matters are at present in this state, and I do not fail to go regularly every day to contemplate this wonderful beauty, whom I should be loth to injure in the slighest degree, notwithstanding my natural malicious inclinations. I entreat you to come and see her: you will be well repaid for your pains. When you are convinced by your own eyes that I do not tell an untruth, I am sure you will thank me for having shown you a princess who has no equal in beauty. I am ready to conduct you to her, and you have only to command.’

“Instead of replying to Danhasch, Maimounè burst into a loud fit of laughter, which continued for some time, and which very much astonished the genie, who did not know to what cause to attribute it. At last, however, she composed herself, and said, ‘Of a truth thou thinkest to impose on me. I thought thou wouldst have related to me something very surprising and extraordinary, and thou talkest to me only of a blear-eyed wench. Shame on thee! What wouldst thou say, thou wretch, if thou hadst seen the beautiful prince whom I have just been watching, and whom I esteem as he deserves? He indeed is a model of beauty. Thou wouldst run crazy for admiration of him.

 

How the slave presented himself before King Schahzaman.

“To this speech Danhasch replied: ‘Amiable Maimounè, may I inquire who this prince can be of whom you speak?’ ‘Know,’ said the fairy, ‘that nearly the same thing has happened to him as to the princess of whom thou hast been talking. The king his father insisted that he should take a wife; and after long and repeated importunities, the prince has frankly declared that he would not agree to the proposal. For this reason he is at this moment imprisoned in an ancient tower, where I take up my abode, and where I have had an opportunity of admiring him.’

“ ‘I will not absolutely contradict you,’ resumed Danhasch, ‘but, O my mistress, until I have seen your prince, you will give me leave to think that no mortal, either man or woman, can equal or even approach the beauty of my princess.’ ‘Peace, wretch!’ replied Maimounè; ‘I tell thee again that thou art wrong.’ Danhasch hereupon said very humbly, ‘I will not obstinately oppose you; the only means by which you can decide whether I speak truth or not, is that you accept the proposal I have made you to come and see my princess, and afterwards to show me your prince.’ ‘There is no occasion that I should take so much trouble,’ said Maimounè, ‘there is another method, by which we can both be satisfied; that is, to bring thy princess and place her beside my prince on his bed. We can then easily compare them with each other, and thus settle our dispute.’

“Danhasch consented to do as the fairy desired, and was going instantly to set off for China, but Maimounè stopped him, saying: ‘Stay; come with me first, that I may show thee the tower whither thou art to bring thy princess.’ They flew together to the tower; and when Maimounè had shown it to Danhasch, she said, ‘Now go and bring thy princess; be quick, and thou wilt find me here. But listen: I intend thou shalt pay me a forfeit if my prince proves to be handsomer than thy princess. I also will pay thee one, if thy princess is the most beautiful.’

“Danhasch quitted the fairy, flew to China, and returned with inconceivable swiftness, bearing in his arms the beautiful princess fast asleep. Maimounè took her from his hands, and carried her into the chamber of Prince Camaralzaman, where she placed her on the bed by the prince’s side.

“When the prince and princess were thus close to each other, a grand contest arose on the subject of their beauty between the genie and the fairy. They stood for some time admiring and comparing them in silence. Danhasch was the first to speak, and he addressed Maimounè in these words: ‘Now I trust you are convinced; I told you that my princess was more beautiful than your prince. Have you still any doubt?’

“ ‘How! any doubt?’ cried Maimounè, ‘yes, truly, I have great doubt. Thou must be blind not to see that my prince is infinitely superior to thy princess. She is beautiful, I confess; but be not over-hasty—compare them well one with the other, without prejudice, and then thou wilt see that I am right.’

“ ‘Were I to compare them for ever,’ Danhasch replied, ‘I should not think otherwise than I think now. I saw at the first glance what I now see, and time would show me no more than what is now visible to my eyes. This, however, will not prevent me from believing your judgment rather than mine, charming Maimounè, if you wish it.’ ‘It shall not be so,’ exclaimed the fairy; ‘I will never suffer a cursed genie, such as thou art, to show me favour. I will submit the contest to an arbitrator, and if thou dost not consent, I shall win the cause by thy refusal.’

“Danhasch, who was ready to show any degree of complaisance to Maimounè, at once consented, and the fairy struck the ground with her foot. The earth opened, and instantly a hideous genie appeared. He was hunchbacked, lame, and blind with one eye; he had six horns on his head, and long crooked claws on his hands and feet. As soon as he had risen to the surface, and the ground had closed under him, he perceived Maimounè, and threw himself at her feet; and, kneeling on one knee, he asked in what his very humble services could be useful to her.

“ ‘Rise, Caschcasch,’ said Maimounè (for this was the name of the genie); ‘I sent for you, that you might be judge in a dispute which has arisen between me and this cursed Danhasch. Cast your eye on that bed, and tell us, without favour, which appears to you the more beautiful, the young man or the young lady?’

“Caschcasch looked very attentively at the prince and princess, and showed every token of great surprise and admiration. After he had contemplated them very accurately for a long time, without being able to make up his mind, he said to Maimounè: ‘O my mistress, I confess to you that I should deceive you and dishonour myself, if I were to tell you that I thought one of these persons more handsome than the other. The more I examine them, the more each seems to me to have separately that sovereign perfection of beauty which they jointly possess; and neither has the least defect from which we can assert the other to be free, and consequently superior. If, indeed, any difference can be found between them, there seems to be only one method of discovering that difference. And this method is, to wake them separately, and to agree that the person who feels for the other the most violent love, and proves it by the strongest and most ardent expressions, shall be considered in some point or other to be the less beautiful.’

“The proposal of Caschcasch was approved both by Maimounè and by Danhasch. Maimounè then transformed herself into a flea, and jumped upon the neck of Camaralzaman. She gave him so sharp a bite that he awoke, and put his hand to the place; but he caught nothing, for Maimounè, prepared for this movement, had jumped away, and, taking her original form, became invisible, while with the other two genii she stood by the bedside in order to watch what would happen.

“As he drew back his hand, the prince let it fall upon that of the Princess of China. He opened his eyes, and his looks expressed great surprise at finding a lady by his side, and one, too, who possessed such marvellous beauty. He lifted his head up and supported it on his elbow, in order the better to observe her. The youth of the princess, and her incomparable beauty, kindled in an instant a flame in his heart to which he had hitherto been a stranger, and excited a feeling which he had till now never experienced.

“A passion of the most animated kind now took possession of his soul; and he could not help exclaiming: ‘What beauty! what charms! O my heart, my soul!’ and thus saying, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips, with so little precaution, that he must have broken her slumbers if she had not, through the enchantment of Danhasch, slept more soundly than usual.

“ ‘How! my beautiful lady,’ said the prince, ‘will not these marks of the love of Camaralzaman disturb your repose? Whoever you may be, here is one not unworthy of your affection.’ He was then going to wake her in good earnest; but he suddenly paused, exclaiming, ‘There cannot be a doubt but that this is the princess to whom the sultan my father wished to marry me. He has been much to blame not to let me see her sooner. I should not then have offended him by my disobedience and my rude behaviour towards him in the council; and he would thus have spared himself the sorrow which I have caused him.’ Prince Camaralzaman repented most heartily of the fault of which he had been guilty, and was again upon the point of waking the Princess of China, saying, ‘Perhaps, indeed, the sultan my father wished to surprise me; and he has therefore sent this lady to ascertain whether I really have so great an aversion to marriage as I have always shown. Who knows if he may not have brought her here himself—and perhaps he is concealed somewhere in the room, in order to see how I conduct myself, and make me ashamed of my former delusion. This second fault would be much worse than my first; but I will at least claim this ring in remembrance of her.’

“The Princess of China had a very beautiful ring on her finger; and as the prince concluded his speech, he drew it quietly off, and put one of his own in its place. He then turned from the fair lady, and it was not long before, through the enchantment of the genie, he fell into as deep a sleep as that which had first held him.

“As soon as Prince Camaralzaman’s eyes were completely closed, Danhasch, in his turn, transformed himself into a flea, and bit the princess directly under her lip. She awoke suddenly, and starting up, opened her eyes. Great was her astonishment at finding the prince sleeping beside her. From surprise she passed to admiration, and from admiration to joy, which became apparent as soon as she saw that her companion was a young, handsome, and agreeable man.

“She exclaimed: ‘Are you the prince whom the king my father has destined for my husband? How unfortunate am I in not having known this before! I should then never have thought with aversion of a husband whom I now feel that I shall love with my whole soul. Awake, and arouse yourself; it ill becomes a husband to sleep thus soundly on the very first night of his nuptials.’

“So saying, the princess shook Prince Camaralzaman by the arm in so violent a manner, that he must have started up, if Maimounè had not at that instant made deeper his sleep by means of enchantment. The princess shook him in this manner several times; then, as she found she could not prevent him from sleeping, she called out, ‘What can possibly have happened to you? What rival, jealous of our mutual happiness, has had recourse to magic, and thus thrown you into this marvellous fit of stupefaction, from which it seems almost impossible to rouse you?’ She then took hold of his hand, and, tenderly kissing it, she perceived the ring which he had on his finger. It appeared so like her own that she felt convinced it was the same; and at the same moment she observed that she herself had on a ring which was strange to her. She could not comprehend how this exchange of rings had been effected; but she did not for an instant doubt that it was a sure proof of her marriage. Fatigued with the useless efforts she had made to wake the prince, and satisfied, as she thought, that he could not leave her, she cried, ‘Since I am unable to awaken you from your sleep, I will continue no longer to attempt to interrupt it. We shall see each other again.’ And kissing his cheek as she pronounced these words, she lay down, and in a short time fell asleep.

“When Maimounè perceived that she might speak without danger of being heard by the Princess of China, she said to Danhasch: ‘Well, wretch, hast thou observed, and art thou convinced that thy princess is less beautiful than my prince? Begone, I forgive thee the wager thou hast lost; but another time believe me when I assert anything.’ Then turning towards Caschcasch, she added, ‘As for you, I thank you. Do you and Danhasch take the princess, and carry her back to the palace whence he brought her.’ Danhasch and Caschcasch executed the orders of Maimounè, while the latter retired to her well.

“When Prince Camaralzaman awoke the next morning, he looked on every side to see if the lady whom he had found by him in the night was still there; but when he perceived she was gone, he said to himself, ‘It is as I suspected; the king my father wished to surprise me: I am, however, happy that I was aware of his intention.’ He then called the slave, who was still asleep, and desired him to make haste and dress himself, but he did not say a word to him in explanation of the reason why he was in such a hurry. The slave brought a basin and water; the prince then washed himself, and, after saying his prayers, took a book and read for some time.

“After he had concluded his usual occupations, Prince Camaralzaman called the slave towards him, and said: ‘Come here, and be sure you do not tell me a falsehood. Inform me how the lady who slept with me last night came here, and who brought her.’

“ ‘O prince,’ the slave replied, in the greatest astonishment, ‘of what lady are you speaking?’ ‘Of her, I tell you,’ answered the prince, ‘who either came or was brought here, and who passed the night with me.’ The slave returned: ‘O prince, I swear to you that I know nothing about the matter. How could any lady possibly get in while I slept at the door?’ ‘Thou art a lying rascal!’ cried the prince, ‘and art in league with some one to vex and distress me.’ So saying, he gave the slave a blow and knocked him down; then, after having trampled on him, he tied the rope of the well round his body, and let him down into it, and plunged him several times in the water, exclaiming, ‘I will drown thee if thou dost not immediately acquaint me who the lady is, and who brought her hither.’

“The poor slave, who was in a sorry plight, half in and half out of the water, thought the prince had certainly lost his senses through grief, and that his only chance of safety lay in telling an untruth. So he cried, in a supplicating tone, ‘O prince, grant me my life, I conjure you, and I promise to tell you exactly how the matter stands.’

“The prince drew the slave up to the surface, and commanded him to speak. When he was out of the well, ‘O prince,’ the slave said, trembling, ‘you must be sensible that I cannot satisfy you in the state I am now in; allow me time to change my dress.’ ‘I grant it thee,’ replied the prince ‘but make haste, and look that thou dost not disguise the truth from me.’

“The slave went out, and, after fastening the door on the prince, he ran to the palace wet as he was. The king was engaged in conversation with his grand vizier, and was complaining of the restless night he had passed in consequence of his grief at the disobedience and ill-judged rashness of the prince his son in thus opposing his will.

 

The Prince presents the ring to King Schahzaman.

“The minister endeavoured to console his master, and convince him that the prince, by his disrespectful behaviour, had justly merited the punishment he endured. ‘O my lord,’ said he, ‘your majesty ought not to repent of having imprisoned him. If you will have the patience to suffer him to remain in confinement, you may be assured that he will lose this youthful impetuosity, and that he will at length be glad to perform whatever you may require of him.’

“The grand vizier had just uttered these words when the slave presented himself before King Schahzaman, and spoke the following words: ‘O king, I am sorry to be obliged to announce to your majesty a piece of intelligence that will no doubt occasion you great sorrow. The prince insists on speaking of a lady who slept with him last night; and this, together with the manner in which he has treated me, as your majesty may perceive, too plainly proves that he is not in his senses.’ He then gave an account of everything that Prince Camaralzaman had said, and of the violence he had been guilty of towards himself; and the scared manner in which he related this confirmed the truth of the account.

“The king, who was not prepared for this new affliction, exclaimed to the grand vizier, ‘This is indeed a very distressing event, and one which does not justify the hopes you flattered me with just now. Go, lose not a moment, and examine yourself into the truth of this affair, and then come and inform me of what you discover.’ The grand vizier immediately obeyed. When he entered the chamber of the prince, he found Camaralzaman seated with a book in his hand, which he was reading with apparent composure. He saluted the prince, and seating himself by his side, said: ‘I am very angry with the slave who attends you, for having alarmed your father by the intelligence he has just now brought him.’ ‘What is this intelligence,’ inquired the prince, ‘that has occasioned my father so much alarm? I have also great reason to complain of my slave.’

“The vizier replied: ‘O prince, Heaven forbid that what he has just said of you be true! The tranquil state in which I find you, and in which I pray that Allah may preserve you, convinces me there is no truth in his report.’ ‘Perhaps,’ said the prince, ‘he has not explained himself properly; but as you are here, I am glad to have an opportunity of asking you, who must know something about the matter, where the lady is who slept with me last night?’

“The grand vizier was quite astonished at this inquiry. He exclaimed: ‘Prince, do not be surprised at the astonishment this question causes me. How can it be possible that any man whatever, much less any lady, could have penetrated in the night into this place, to which there is no other entrance but by the door? and even then, how could any one enter without trampling on your slave, who was guarding it? I entreat you to collect your thoughts, and I am convinced you will find that some dream has left a strong impression on your mind.’

“ ‘I shall pay no attention to your arguments,’ resumed the prince, in a loud and angry voice: ‘I insist upon knowing what has become of this lady; I am in a position to make you obey me.’ This firmness of speech and manner embarrassed the grand vizier inexpressibly, and he now only thought of the best means to extricate himself from the difficulty. He tried the prince with soft words, and asked him, in the most humble and conciliating manner, if he had himself seen the lady.

“Camaralzaman answered: ‘Yes, indeed, I saw her, and soon perceived that you had placed her here with instructions to rouse my curiosity. She played the part you assigned her excellently well: she would not say a word, but pretended to sleep, and conveyed herself away as soon as I fell asleep again. You know all this, I doubt not: she has certainly given you an account of the whole transaction.’ ‘O prince,’ cried the grand vizier, ‘I swear to you that all you have been saying is a mystery to me, and that neither the king your father nor I sent you the lady you mention; we never had such an idea. Allow me once more to say, that this lady could only have appeared to you in a dream.’

“Then the prince cried out angrily, ‘Hast thou, too, come hither to mock me, and to tell me that what I have seen was only a dream?’ He then seized his visitor by the beard, and beat him most unmercifully, till his strength quite failed him. The poor grand vizier bore all this treatment from Prince Camaralzaman in a very resigned manner, merely saying to himself, ‘Here am I, precisely in the same situation as the slave; happy shall I be, if, like him, I can escape from this great danger.’ While the prince was still employed in beating him, he cried, ‘I entreat you, prince, to listen to me for one moment.’ The prince, tired of his own violence, suffered him to speak.

“The grand vizier said, as soon as he had liberty to speak: ‘I own to you, prince, that your suspicions are not unfounded; but you know that a minister is compelled to execute the orders of the king his master. If you will have the goodness to suffer me to go, I am ready to take to the king your father any message with which you will entrust me.’ The prince answered: ‘I give you leave to go. Tell my father that I will marry the lady whom he sent or brought me, and who slept with me last night. Be speedy, and bring me the answer.’ The grand vizier made a profound reverence on quitting the prince; but he hardly considered himself safe till he was out of the tower, and had fastened the door. He presented himself before King Schahzaman with an air of sorrow, which alarmed that monarch, who at once asked in what condition he had found his son. ‘O my lord,’ replied the vizier, ‘what the slave related to your majesty is but too true.’ He then gave the king an account of the conversation he had had with Camaralzaman, of the angry violence of the prince when he attempted to convince him that the lady he spoke of could not possibly have slept with him, of the cruel treatment inflicted upon himself, and of the excuse by which he had escaped from the prince’s fury.

“Schahzaman, who was the more grieved at this report, inasmuch as he had always loved the prince with the greatest tenderness, wished to investigate the truth of it himself: he went at once to the tower, and took the grand vizier with him. Prince Camaralzaman received his father with the greatest respect. The king sat down, and after requesting the prince to sit next him, he asked his son many questions, to which the young man replied with perfect good sense; so that from time to time he looked at the vizier, as if to say that the prince his son was not deranged in his intellects, as the minister had asserted, and that the prince’s conduct must have been misrepresented.

“At length the king mentioned the lady. He said: ‘My son, I beg you to tell me who this lady is, who, as I hear, slept with you last night.’ ‘My father, ’ replied Camaralzaman, ‘I entreat your majesty not to add to the vexation I have already had to endure on this subject; rather do me the favour to bestow her on me in marriage. Whatever aversion I may hitherto have evinced against women, this young and beautiful lady has so charmed me, that I feel no difficulty in confessing I have been wrong. I am ready to receive her from your hands, and to prove my gratitude in every possible way.’

“King Schahzaman was thunderstruck on receiving from the prince an answer which appeared to him so inconsistent with the good sense his son had shown in his former replies. He said: ‘O my son, you speak to me in a way that astonishes me beyond measure. I swear to you by the crown which is to adorn your brow when I shall be no more, that I know nothing of the lady of whom you speak. If any one has been with you I know nothing of her visit; but how is it possible that a lady should have penetrated into this tower without my consent? As to what my grand vizier said to you, he only invented a story to appease your anger. This supposed visit must have been a dream: recollect yourself I conjure you, and take some pains to ascertain the truth.’

“ ‘My lord,’ resumed the prince, ‘I should be for ever unworthy of your majesty’s goodness, if I refused to give credence to the solemn assurance you have given me; but I request you to have the patience to listen to me, and then judge if what I shall have the honour of relating to you can be a dream.’

“Prince Camaralzaman then told the king his father how he had suddenly awoke in the night. He gave him a glowing description of the beauty and charms of the lady he had found by his side, confessed the love which had instantaneously been kindled in his breast, and related all his fruitless endeavours to awaken the lady. He did not even conceal what had made him wake; and added that he fell asleep again after he had exchanged his ring for that of the lady. When he concluded, he took the ring from his finger, and presented it to the king, saying, ‘O my lord, you know the appearance of my ring, for you have seen it several times. After this, I hope you will be convinced that I have not lost my senses, as others would fain persuade you.’

“The king was so fully convinced of the truth of what the prince had related to him, that he had nothing to reply. His astonishment, moreover, was so excessive that he remained a considerable time incapable of answering a single word.

“The prince took advantage of these moments of silent amazement to say to the king: ‘O my father, the passion I feel for this charming lady, whose precious image is so deeply engraven on my heart, has already risen to so violent a pitch that I am sure I have not strength to endure it. I humbly supplicate you to feel compassion for the state I am in, and to procure me unspeakable happiness by bestowing her on me, and allowing me to call her mine.’

“To this Schahzaman answered: ‘After what I have now heard, my son, and after the evidence of this ring, I can no longer doubt the reality of your love, or question that you did absolutely see the lady whose appearance you have described. Would to Allah I knew her! Your wish should be gratified this very day, and I should be the happiest of fathers. But where am I to seek her? How and by what means could she enter here without my consent or knowledge? Why did she come only to sleep with you, to show you her beauty, to inspire you with love while she slept, and disappear as soon as you fell asleep again? I cannot comprehend this strange adventure; and, unless Heaven assists us, it will perhaps bring both you and me to the grave.’ The good king then took the prince by the hand, and added, in a mournful voice, ‘Come, my son, let us go and mingle our lamentations together; you, for loving without hope; I, for seeing your affliction without possessing the means of relieving it.’

“Schahzaman took the prince out of his prison, and led him to the palace, where the prince, quite in despair at feeling so violent a passion for an unknown lady, at once fell into a grievous sickness. The king shut himself up from all society for several days, and sat weeping with his son, desisting entirely from attending to the usual concerns of his kingdom.

“His prime minister, who was the only man to whom he did not refuse admission to his presence, came one day to represent to him that his whole court, as well as the people generally, began to murmur at not seeing their monarch administering justice, as it had been his daily custom to do; and the vizier added that no one could calculate the discontents and disorders that might arise in consequence of his seclusion. He continued: ‘I entreat your majesty to pay some attention to these complaints. I am convinced that your presence only serves to nourish the affliction of the prince, as the sight of his grief increases yours; but you must not suffer everything to go to decay. Allow me to propose to you, that you should remove with the prince to the castle on the little island situated at a short distance from the port, and that you should hold a council and audience twice a week only. This duty will oblige you to quit the prince occasionally, while the beauty of the spot, the delicious air, and the charming prospects of the surrounding country, will enable him to support these short absences with patience.’

“The king approved of this advice; and as soon as the castle, which had not been inhabited for some time, was furnished and prepared for his reception, he removed thither with the prince, whom he never left except to hold the two stipulated audiences. He passed the rest of the time by his son’s pillow sometimes endeavouring to console him, and sometimes giving vent to his own grief.

“While these things were happening in the capital of King Schahzaman, the two genii, Danhasch and Caschcasch, had carried back the Princess of China to the palace where the king her father had confined her, and placed her in her bed.

“The next morning, when she awoke, the Princess of China looked about on each side of her; and when she found that Prince Camaralzaman was no longer near her, she called her women in so brisk a voice that they all came running quickly to her, and surrounded her. Her nurse approached her pillow, and asked her what she wished, and if anything had happened to her.

 

The Princess shows the ring to the King of China.

“The princess replied, ‘Tell me what is become of the young man who slept with me last night; for I love him dearly.’ ‘My princess,’ said the nurse, ‘we cannot understand your meaning unless you explain yourself more clearly.’ The princess hereupon cried: ‘I tell you that a young man of the most beautiful and elegant appearance that can be imagined slept by my side last night: I spoke to him for a considerable time, and did all I could to wake him, but in vain. I ask you where he is?’

“The nurse said: ‘O my princess, this is some merry jest of yours: will you please to rise now?’ ‘I speak seriously,’ said the princess, ‘and I desire to know where he is.’ But the nurse protested: ‘My dear princess, you were alone when we put you to bed last night, and no one has entered this place since, at least to our knowledge.’

“The Princess of China’s patience was quite exhausted. She seized her nurse by the head, and gave her several cuffs and blows, crying, ‘Thou shalt tell me the truth, thou old witch, or I will murder thee.’ The nurse struggled hard to get free from the princess’s hands: she at length succeeded, and instantly ran to seek the Queen of China, the mother of the princess. She presented herself before the queen, with tears in her eyes, and her face swollen and disfigured. Her appearance excited great surprise in the queen, who inquired what was the cause of her being in such a condition.

“The nurse replied: ‘O my queen, you see the effects of the treatment I have just received from the princess: she would have killed me entirely if I had not escaped as I did.’ She then related to the queen the cause of the princess’s anger and subsequent violent behaviour, at which the queen was greatly surprised and grieved. In conclusion the nurse said: ‘You see, my mistress, that the princess is out of her senses: you may judge of the fact yourself if you will take the trouble of coming to see her.’

“The Queen of China was too tenderly attached to her daughter not to feel extremely anxious, after the news she had just heard from the nurse; and she immediately went to the princess. When she reached the apartment where her daughter was confined, she seated herself beside the princess; first inquired tenderly if she was in good health, and then asked her what cause of complaint she had against her nurse that could have made her treat the old woman so cruelly as she had done. ‘Indeed, my daughter,’ said the queen, ‘you acted wrong, and a princess of your rank ought never to suffer herself to be led away by passion to commit such excesses. ’

“The princess answered: ‘O lady, I plainly perceive that your majesty has come to mock me; but I solemnly declare that I shall have neither peace nor rest till I have married the amiable and charming youth whom I saw last night. You certainly must know who he is; and I beg you to let him come again.’

“To this speech the queen replied: ‘My dear daughter, you astonish me, and I cannot understand what you mean.’ Forgetting the respect she owed to her mother, the princess answered hotly: ‘O my mother, the king my father and you have persecuted me for some time, to compel me to marry when I had no wish to change my state; but now the wish has at length taken possession of my breast, and I am fully determined either to marry the young man I told you of, or to kill myself.’

“The queen now attempted to prevail by gentle means, and expostulated thus with the princess: ‘You know well, my dear child, that you are alone in your chamber, and that no man can possibly enter it.’ But, instead of listening to her mother, the princess interrupted her, and fell into such a state of rage that the queen was obliged to leave her to calm herself, while she went and acquainted the king with what had happened.

“The King of China wished to convince himself in person of the truth of this report. He therefore immediately repaired to the apartment of the princess, and asked her if what he had heard was true. ‘O my lord,’ replied the princess, ‘let us not talk thus idly; only do me the favour to suffer the husband who was with me last night to return to me.’

“The king exclaimed, in amazement: ‘What do I hear? Did any one visit you last night?’ ‘How can you ask me such a question, my lord?’ interrupted the princess, ‘your majesty cannot be ignorant of the fact. He is the handsomest young man who was ever beheld under heaven. I entreat you to send him to me again; do not refuse my request, I conjure you. That your majesty may not entertain any doubts that I have seen this youth,’ she added, ‘that I have been with him, spoken to him, and used every effort to awaken him without success, look, I pray you, upon this ring.’ She held out her hand, and the King of China knew not what to think, when he perceived that she wore a man’s ring on her finger. But as he could not comprehend in the least what she said, and had shut her up originally because he considered she was mad, he now thought her still worse than before. So without speaking again to her, lest he should provoke her to commit violence on her own person, or on any one who might approach her, he had her chained and more closely confined than before; and ordered that no one, except her nurse, should approach her, and that a strong guard should be placed at her door.

“Quite inconsolable for the misfortune that had befallen the princess his daughter, in what he supposed to be a fit of madness, the King of China set himself to consider what methods should be taken to effect her recovery. He assembled his council, and after having announced the state in which she was, he made the following proclamation: ‘If any one who is here present is sufficiently skilful to undertake her cure, and to succeed in effecting it, I will bestow her on him in marriage, and will make him the heir of my crown and dominions.’

“The desire of winning so beautiful a princess, together with the hope of governing at some future period the large and powerful empire of China, made a strong impression on the mind of an emir who was present. Although he was already far advanced in years, being well skilled in magic he flattered himself he should succeed in curing the princess. He therefore offered his services to the king. The monarch replied: ‘I consent to let you make the attempt, but I must first inform you that it is on condition that you lose your head if you do not succeed. It would not be fair that you should have the prospect of gaining so great and desirable a reward without a corresponding risk. What I propose to you will, in the same way, be proposed to all who present themselves after you, in case you do not agree to the conditions, or in case you fail.’

“The emir accepted the conditions, and the king himself conducted him to the apartment of his daughter. The princess covered her face as soon as she perceived the emir, and said to her father: ‘My lord, your majesty surprises me, by bringing into my presence a man who is unknown to me, and to whom, as you well know, our holy religion forbids me to show my face.’ ‘O my daughter,’ the king replied, ‘do not suffer your delicacy to be wounded by his presence; he is one of my emirs, who requests your hand in marriage.’ The princess said: ‘This is not the husband you have already bestowed on me, whose faith is pledged to me by the ring I wear; be not angry if I refuse to accept any other.’

“The emir expected to find the princess behaving violently, and saying extravagant things. He was much surprised to find her collected and tranquil, and to hear the sensible words she spoke. He therefore was soon convinced that her supposed madness was nothing but a strong attachment to some object that had engaged her love. He did not, however, dare to explain his real sentiments to the king, who could not have endured the idea that his daughter had bestowed her heart on any other than the man whom he should present to her. So the emir prostrated himself at the feet of the king, and said: ‘O king, after what I have just heard from the lips of the princess, it would be in vain that I should undertake to cure her. I have no remedies that can be of any service to her in her present state; my life, therefore, is in your majesty’s hands.’ The king, irritated at the emir’s confession of his incompetency, and angry at the trouble he had occasioned him, ordered his head to be struck off.

“That he might not have to reproach himself with neglect of anything that could conduce to the recovery of the princess, this monarch ordered it to be proclaimed in his capital, a few days afterwards, that if there were any physician, astrologer, or magician inhabiting it, who was sufficiently experienced in his profession to restore the princess to her senses, he might appear before the council under the before-mentioned condition of losing his head if he failed in the attempt. He sent an order to have the same proclamation published in all the principal towns in his dominions, and also in the courts of the neighbouring princes.

“The first man who presented himself was an astrologer and magician, whom the king ordered to be conducted by an eunuch to the prison of the princess. The astrologer took from a little bag, which he had brought under his arm, a parchment covered with mystical signs,^t a small globe, a chafing-dish, various kinds of drugs proper for fumigation, a copper vessel, and several other things; and he requested that fire should be brought.

“The Princess of China asked the meaning of all this apparatus. The eunuch replied: ‘O princess, it is to conjure the evil spirit that possesses you, that he may be shut up in this copper vessel, and thrown into the sea.’

“ ‘Wretched astrologer!’ cried the princess, ‘know that I want none of thy preparations: I am in my right mind, and it is thou who art mad. If thy power extend so far, bring me but the prince I love, and then thou wilt indeed do me a service.’ ‘If this is true,’ replied the astrologer, ‘I can be of no use, O princess; the king your father can alone relieve your woes.’ He then replaced in his bag all the things he had taken from it, and went out, truly mortified at having so inconsiderately undertaken to cure an imaginary disease.

“When the eunuch had brought the astrologer back to the King of China, the magician did not wait till the eunuch should speak to the king, but spoke to him at once in a firm tone, saying, ‘O king, your majesty published to the world, and repeated to me, that the princess your daughter was mad; and I doubted not my power to restore her to her senses by means of my secret knowledge. But so soon as I saw her I was convinced that her only malady is violent love; and my art does not extend to the cure of pangs like these. Your majesty can best prescribe the remedy, if you will please to give her the husband for whom she pines.’ The king, angry at what he considered insolence in the astrologer, immediately commanded his head to be struck off.

“Not to weary your majesty with many repetitions, I will only say that, including astrologers, physicians, and magicians, one hundred and fifty men successively presented themselves, and shared the same fate; and their heads were ranged over the various gates of the city.

“The nurse of the Princess of China had a son, named Marzavan, the foster-brother of the princess, who had been nursed and brought up with her. During their childhood their friendship had been so intimate, that they treated each other as brother and sister so long as they lived together; and even when their more advanced age obliged them to be separated, their regard for each other continued.

“Among the various sciences which Marzavan had cultivated from his earliest youth, his inclination had led him more particularly to the study of judicial astrology, geomancy, and other secret sciences, in all of which he had attained considerable proficiency. Not satisfied with the information he could obtain from the masters under whose tuition he had studied, he began to travel as soon as he felt himself sufficiently strong to bear the fatigue. Every man who was celebrated for learning in any science or art did Marzavan seek out, even in the most distant countries; and he continued to associate with them until he had gained from them all the information and knowledge they had to bestow.

“After an absence of several years, Marzavan at length returned to the capital of China. The sight of the heads, which he observed ranged over the gate by which he entered the city, surprised him very much. As soon as he had arrived at his house he inquired the reason why they were placed there; but, above all, his chief inquiries were concerning the health of the princess his foster-sister, whom he had not forgotten. As the answer to his first question included a reply to his second, he heard news which soon occasioned him much pain; but he waited till his mother, the princess’s nurse, could give him full information of the whole affair. Although she was closely occupied by her attendance on the princess, yet so soon as she heard of the arrival of her beloved son, she contrived to steal away, to embrace him and pass a few moments in his company. After she had informed him, with tears in her eyes, of the pitiable state to which the princess was reduced, and the reason why the King of China had ordered her to be so harshly treated, Marzavan asked her if she could not procure him an interview with the princess without the knowledge of the king. The nurse meditated for some minutes; she then said: ‘I cannot give any reply to such a proposition at present; but I will meet you to-morrow at this hour, and I will then give you an answer.’

“No one, except the nurse, had access to the apartment of the princess without the permission of the eunuch who commanded the guard at the door. The nurse, knowing that he had been only lately appointed to his office, and was ignorant of what had previously taken place at court, addressed herself to him thus: ‘You know that I have nursed and brought up the princess from her earliest infancy; but perhaps you do not also know that at the same time I nursed a daughter of my own, who was of the same age. She is lately married; and the princess, who still does her the honour of feeling attached to her, desires to see her; but she wishes that the interview should be so contrived that no one may see my daughter come in or go out.’

“The nurse was going to add more, but the eunuch stopped her. ‘It is well,’ said he; ‘I will always, with the greatest pleasure, do everything in my power to oblige the princess. You may either tell your daughter to come, or go yourself to bring her hither at night, after the king has retired; the door shall be open to you.’ As soon as night came on the nurse went to her son Marzavan. She disguised him in woman’s clothes, so that no one could have suspected he was not a woman, and took him with her. The eunuch, who doubted not that he was admitting the nurse’s daughter, opened the door, and let them both go in.

“Before she presented Marzavan, the nurse went to the Princess Badoura, and said: ‘O lady, this is not a woman whom you see: it is my son Marzavan, who has just arrived from his travels, and whom I have found means to introduce into your chamber, disguised in this dress. I hope you will permit him to have the honour of paying his respects to you.’

“When she heard the name of Marzavan, the princess expressed great joy. She immediately cried out: ‘Come hither, O my brother, and take off that veil: it is not forbidden to a brother and sister to see each other’s faces.’ Marzavan saluted her with great respect, but the princess would not allow him time to speak. She continued: ‘I am delighted to see you again in good health after an absence of so many years, during which time no one, nay, not even your good mother, ever received any intelligence from you.’

 

Marzavan discovers the Prince.

“ ‘I am infinitely obliged to you for your kindness, O gracious princess,’ replied Marzavan. ‘I expected and hoped on my arrival to receive better accounts of you than those I have heard, and I am much grieved to find you in this condition. I feel very happy, however, to think that after the failure of so many men, I have arrived in time to administer the remedy you need for your disorder. If I have derived no other advantage from my studies and travels than that of being instrumental to your recovery, I shall deem it sufficient recompense.’

“As he uttered these words, Marzavan drew out a book and other things he had furnished himself with, which he supposed would be necessary, from the accounts his mother had given him of the illness of the princess. So soon as she perceived these preparations, she exclaimed: ‘What, brother! are you too deluded like those who imagine that I am mad? Listen to me, and be undeceived!’

“The princess then related to Marzavan all her history. She did not omit the most trifling circumstance; and she showed him the ring which had been exchanged for hers. In conclusion she said: ‘I have disguised nothing from you. In what I have told you I acknowledge that there is something mysterious which I cannot comprehend, and which leads them all to suppose that I am not in my right senses; but they pay no attention to the circumstances of my story, which are exactly as I have related.’

“When the princess had ceased speaking, Marzavan, who was filled with unutterable astonishment, remained for some time with his eyes fixed on the ground, unable to pronounce a syllable. At length, raising his head, he said: ‘If, O princess, what you have told me is true, as indeed I am persuaded it is, I do not despair of procuring you relief from your woes. I only entreat you to arm yourself with patience for some time longer, until I have visited those countries in which I have not yet been. When you hear of my return, be assured that the man for whom you now sigh with so much love and tenderness will not be very far distant from you.’ So saying, Marzavan took leave of the princess, and set forth on his travels on the following day.

“Marzavan wandered from city to city, from province to province, and from island to island. Wherever he went, rumour spoke of the Princess Badoura (for that was the name of his foster-sister), and of her extraordinary history. At the expiration of four months, Marzavan arrived at Torf, a large and populous maritime town, where he no longer heard of the Princess Badoura; for here every one was talking of Prince Camaralzaman, who was said to be ill; and the history they told was nearly similar to that of the Princess of China. Marzavan was seized with an indescribable transport of joy. He inquired in what part of the world this prince resided, and received the information he sought. He found there were two ways of reaching that country—one by land, and the other by sea. The latter was the shorter; therefore Marzavan chose it, and embarked in a merchant vessel, which had a good voyage till it came within sight of the capital of the kingdom of Schahzaman. But unfortunately, through the unskilfulness of the pilot, as the vessel was entering the harbour it struck on a rock, went to pieces, and sank just in sight of the castle in which Prince Camaralzaman passed his life, and where his father King Schahzaman was at that moment conversing with his grand vizier.

“Marzavan was an expert swimmer. He therefore did not hesitate to throw himself into the sea, and made his way to the castle of King Schahzaman, where he was taken, and every assistance was given him, according to the orders of the grand vizier, who had received the king’s commands on this subject. Marzavan was provided with dry garments, and was treated with the greatest kindness. When he had recovered from his fatigue he was brought before the grand vizier, who had desired to see him.

“As Marzavan was a youth of a good appearance and engaging air, the vizier treated him with the utmost civility, and, from the sensible and proper answers he received to all the questions he asked his guest, soon conceived a great respect and esteem for the shipwrecked stranger. He discovered almost insensibly that Marzavan was a very learned man. At length he could not refrain from saying to him, ‘I plainly perceive from conversing with you that you are a man of no common ability. Would to Heaven that in the course of your travels you had learned some secret that could cure a young man, whose illness has for some time past plunged this court into the deepest affliction.’

“Marzavan replied, that if he were made acquainted with the disease under which the person in question laboured, he might be able to find a remedy for it. The grand vizier then explained to Marzavan the state of Prince Camaralzaman, relating the whole history from the very beginning. He concealed nothing from him. He spoke of the joy of the king at his birth, of his education, of the desire of King Schahzaman to see him married at an early age, and the extraordinary aversion the prince had shown to the idea of matrimony. He then went on to speak of the prince’s behaviour before the council, his subsequent imprisonment, and the extravagant actions he committed in prison, which had suddenly changed into a violent love for an unknown lady—a love for which there was no other foundation than a ring, which the prince persisted had belonged to this lady, who perhaps was not in existence. In short, the vizier related every circumstance of the prince’s case with the most faithful exactness.

“This account gave Marzavan great joy: he felt sure that in consequence of his shipwreck he had fortunately met with the object of his search and inquiry. He felt convinced, beyond all doubt, that Prince Camaralzaman was the person with whom the Princess of China was so deeply in love, and that the princess was equally the object of the prince’s ardent attachment. He did not mention his thoughts to the grand vizier; he only said to him, that an interview with the prince would better enable him to judge what remedies it might be necessary to administer. ‘Follow me,’ said the vizier; ‘you will find the king with him, and the king has already expressed a wish of seeing you.’

“The first thing that struck the eyes of Marzavan, when he entered the chamber, was the figure of the prince, who reclined on his bed with a languid air, and his eyes closed. Regardless of the situation in which he found King Schahzaman, who was seated by the side of the bed, and of the prince himself, whom such an exclamation might have alarmed and agitated, Marzavan exclaimed, ‘O Heavens! who ever saw so strong a likeness! ’ He alluded to the prince’s resemblance to the Princess of China, for, indeed, there was a great similiarity in their features.

“These words of Marzavan’s excited the curiosity of Prince Camaralzaman, who opened his eyes and looked at him. Marzavan, who had great quickness of invention, took advantage of this circumstance, and instantly repeated some complimentary verses, taking care to use such mysterious terms that the king and grand vizier did not comprehend the meaning of his words. He so well explained what had happened to him with the Princess of China, that the prince at once understood that his visitor knew her, and would be able to give him some information respecting her; and at the hope of hearing of her he felt a degree of joy that soon displayed itself in his eyes and countenance. When Marzavan had finished his compliment, the prince took the liberty of making a sign of entreaty to his father, begging that Schahzaman would rise from his seat, and permit Marzavan to take his place.

“Delighted to see in his son a change which gave a hope of his recovery, the king rose, and taking Marzavan by the hand, obliged him to sit down in the place he had just quitted. He asked him who he was, and whence he came; and after Marzavan had replied, that he was a subject of the King of China, and that he came from that monarch’s dominions, the king said to him, ‘May Heaven grant that you may restore my son to health, and divert his mind from the profound melancholy in which it is sunk; my obligations to you will be without bounds, and the proofs of my gratitude shall be of such a nature that the whole world shall say, “Never was service so largely recompensed.” ’ As he spoke these words he left the prince at liberty to converse with Marzavan, and went away with his grand vizier, rejoicing at this fortunate occurrence.

“Marzavan approached very close to Prince Camaralzaman, and said to him in a low voice: ‘O prince, the time is come when you may cease to pine thus piteously. The lady for whom you suffer is well known to me: she is the Princess Badoura, daughter of the King of China, whose name is Gaiour. From what she has herself related to me of her adventure, and from what I have already learned of yours, I am certain that I am speaking the truth. The princess is suffering as much from love of you as you endure from your affection towards her.’ He then related all that he knew of the history of the princess, since the fatal night of her very remarkable meeting with Camaralzaman. He did not omit also to inform him of the punishment that had been inflicted, by order of the King of China, on all those who undertook to cure the Princess Badoura of her supposed madness, and who had failed in the attempt. He concluded his speech with these words: ‘You are the only one who can accomplish her perfect recovery, and you may, therefore, present yourself for that purpose, without fear of incurring the dreadful penalty that attaches to failure. But before you can undertake so long a journey, you must yourself be in good health; we will then take the necessary measures for our departure. Endeavour, therefore, to regain your strength as quickly as possible.’

“This discourse of Marzavan produced a wonderful effect upon the hearer: Prince Camaralzaman was so comforted by the hope which had just been poured into his bosom, that he felt sufficiently strong to rise, and, with an air and countenance which gave the king his father inexpressible joy, he entreated King Schahzaman, who had again entered the apartment, to allow him to dress himself.

“Without inquiring the means by which so surprising a change had been instantaneously effected, the king embraced Marzavan, to express his thanks, and immediately went out of the room with the grand vizier, to proclaim this agreeable intelligence. He ordered public rejoicings for several days; he distributed presents to his officers and the populace; gave alms to the poor; and had all prisoners set at liberty. Joy and gladness reigned in the capital, and this happy change very soon spread its influence throughout the dominions of King Schahzaman.

“Prince Camaralzaman, who had been extremely weakened by continued want of sleep, and by his long abstinence from almost all kinds of food, soon recovered his usual health. So soon as he found himself sufficiently strengthened to be able to support the fatigue of a long journey, he took Marzavan aside, and said to him: ‘O beloved Marzavan, it is now time to fulfil the promise you have made me. The impatience I feel to see this charming princess, and to put an end to the dreadful torments she endures for my sake, will soon throw me back into the state in which you first saw me, unless we set out immediately. One circumstance alone grieves me, and makes me fear an obstacle to my departure; that is, the tender affection of my father, who will never be able to grant me permission to leave him. His refusal will drive me to despair, if you cannot devise some scheme to obviate it. I feel assured that he will never suffer me to quit his sight.’ The prince could not refrain from tears as he uttered these last words.

“Marzavan replied: ‘O prince, I have before now foreseen the great obstacle you mention; it remains with me so to act that your father will not prevent our departure. The first intention of my journey was to procure for the Princess of China a cure for her grief and sufferings. This I owed to the mutual friendship that has united us almost from our birth, and to the zeal and affection with which it is my duty to serve her. I should fail in that duty were I to neglect any means of obtaining consolation for her, and for you at the same time—if I failed to employ all the art I possess for that purpose. Listen, therefore, to the scheme I have devised to remove the difficulty of obtaining the king’s permission to accomplish what we both so earnestly desire. You have not left this apartment since I arrived here: express to your father a wish to take some exercise, and ask his leave to go on a short hunting excursion with me for two or three days. There is no reason to suppose he will refuse you this indulgence. When he has granted your request, you will give orders to have two good horses ready for each of us: one on which to set out, and the other for change; and leave the rest to me.’

“The next day Prince Camaralzaman watched his opportunity, and told the king his father how much he wished to go forth into the woods, and begged leave of absence to hunt for a day or two with Marzavan. The king replied: ‘I do not object to your departure; but you must promise me not to remain away longer than one night. Too much exercise at first might be injurious, and a longer absence would be painful to me.’ The king gave orders for the best horses to be chosen for the prince and Marzavan, and took care himself that all things necessary should be provided for the expedition. When everything was ready he embraced him, and having earnestly recommended him to the care of Marzavan, he let him depart.

“Prince Camaralzaman and Marzavan reached the open country; and, to deceive the two attendants who led the spare horses, they pretended to hunt, and got as far distant from the city as possible. At night they stopped at a caravanserai, where they slept till about midnight. Marzavan, who was the first to wake, called Prince Camaralzaman, without waking the attendants. He begged him to give him his dress, and to put on another, which one of the attendants had brought for him. They then mounted the fresh horses, and set out at a quick pace Marzavan leading one of the groom’s horses by the bridle.

“At daybreak the travellers found themselves in a forest, at a place where four roads met. At this spot Marzavan begged the prince to wait for him a moment, and rode into the thickest of the forest. He there killed the groom’s horse, tore the dress which the prince had worn on the preceding day, and dipped it in the horse’s blood. When he returned to the prince he threw the blood-stained garments into the middle of the path where the road divided.

“The prince asked Marzavan why he did this. Marzavan answered: ‘When the king your father perceives that you do not return to-night, as you promised, and when he hears from the servants that we set out without them while they were asleep, he will undoubtedly send people out in different directions to search for us. Those who come this way and find this blood-stained cloak will conclude that some beast of prey has devoured you, and that I have made my escape, to avoid the king’s anger and vengeance. Your father, thinking from their account that you are no longer alive, will desist from his search after us, and thus afford us the opportunity of continuing our journey without interruption, and we need not fear pursuit. The stratagem is certainly a violent one, and will occasion a tender parent the afflicting alarm of having lost a son whom he fondly loves; but the joy of your father will be beyond all bounds when he shall again discover that you are alive and happy.’ ‘O wise Marzavan,’ cried the prince, ‘I cannot but approve your ingenious invention, and feel additional obligations to you for your forethought.’

“The prince and Marzavan, who were well supplied with valuable jewels to defray their expenses, continued their travels by land and by sea, and found no obstacle but the length of the journey to prevent them from fulfilling their enterprise.

“They at length arrived at the capital of China. Instead of conducting the prince to his own house, Marzavan made him alight at a public khan for the reception of travellers. In this place they remained three days, to recover from the fatigue of the journey; and during this interval Marzavan had an astrologer’s dress made as a disguise for the prince. When the three days had expired, the friends went together to the bath, where Marzavan made the prince put on the astrologer’s dress; and when they left the bath, he conducted him within sight of the palace of the King of China, and there left Camaralzaman, while he himself went and acquainted his mother, the nurse of Princess Badoura, of his arrival, that she might prepare the princess for the interview.

“The prince, instructed by Marzavan as to his future proceedings, and furnished with everything necessary to support his assumed dress and character, approached the gate of the palace; and stopping before it, cried out with a loud voice, in the hearing of the guard and porters: ‘I am an astrologer, and I come to effect the cure of the illustrious Princess Badoura, daughter of the great and puissant monarch, Gaiour King of China, according to the conditions proposed by his majesty:—to marry her if I succeed, or to lose my life if I fail.’

“The novelty of this proclamation quickly drew together round Prince Camaralzaman a multitude of people, besides the guard and porters belonging to the palace. Indeed, it was a long time since either physician, astrologer, or magician had presented himself, such terror had been caused by the many tragical examples of people who had failed in their enterprise. It was supposed the race of astrologers was extinct, or at least that there remained none of the tribe so foolish as to expose themselves to almost certain death.

“On noticing the elegant figure of the prince, his noble air, and the extreme youth which was discernible in his countenance, every one present felt compassion for him. ‘What are you thinking of, O my master?’ said those who were nearest to him; ‘what can be your motive for thus sacrificing to certain death a life which seems to presage such flattering hopes? Have not the heads, which you have seen ranged at the top of the gates of the city, filled you with horror? In the name of Heaven, abandon this useless and fatal design, and withdraw.’

“The prince remained firm, notwithstanding all these remonstrances, and instead of listening to the entreaties of these people, as he saw that no one appeared to introduce him into the palace, he repeated his proclamation with an oath, which made every one shudder; and all the bystanders exclaimed, ‘He is resolved to die: may Allah have pity on his youth and on his soul!’ But the prince cried aloud, repeating his proclamation a third time, and then the grand vizier came forth himself, by order of the King of China.

“The minister conducted him into the presence of the king. So soon as the prince perceived the monarch seated on the throne, he prostrated himself, and kissed the earth before him. Among all the adventurers whose immeasurable presumption had lost them their heads, the king had not yet seen one so worthy of his attention as this youth; and he felt unfeigned compassion for Camaralzaman, when he considered the danger to which he exposed himself. He even showed him great honour; desiring him to approach and seat himself by his side. He said: ‘O fair young man, I can scarcely believe that at your youthful age you can have acquired sufficient experience to undertake the cure of my daughter. I wish you may be able to succeed; I would bestow her on you in marriage, not only without reluctance, but with the greatest possible pleasure and joy, whereas I should have felt truly unhappy if any of those men who have applied before you had obtained her. But I must declare to you, although it gives me pain to inform you of this condition, that if you fail, neither your youth, nor your noble and engaging appearance, can mitigate the penalty you will incur, and you must lose your head.’

“ ‘O mighty king,’ replied Prince Camaralzaman, ‘I am greatly obliged to your majesty for the honour you confer on me, and for the kindness you show to one who is an entire stranger to you. The country I come from is not so distant from your dominions that its name should be unknown there, and that I might, therefore, abandon my project with impunity. What would be said of my want of firmness were I to relinquish so great and praiseworthy a design, after having undergone so much danger and fatigue as I have already encountered? Would not your majesty lose that esteem which you already entertain for me? If I am to lose my life in the attempt, O king, I shall at least die with the satisfaction of not forfeiting that esteem after having obtained it. I entreat you, then, not to let me remain any longer in my present state of suspense, but let me prove the infallibility of my art by the means I am now ready to employ.’

“The King of China commanded the eunuch who guarded the Princess Badoura, and who was then present, to conduct Prince Camaralzaman to the apartment of his daughter. But before the prince departed, the king told him he was still at liberty to relinquish his enterprise. But the prince would not listen to him; he followed the eunuch with a resolution, or rather with an ardour, which astonished all beholders.

“Thus Prince Camaralzaman went with the eunuch; and when they reached a long gallery at the end of which the princess’s apartment was situated, the prince, delighted to find himself so near the dear object for whom he had shed so many tears and heaved so many fruitless sighs, hastened his pace and got before the eunuch. The eunuch mended his pace, but he had some difficulty to overtake the prince. ‘Where are you going so fast?’ said he, taking hold of his arm. ‘You cannot enter those apartments without me. You must be very desirous to get rid of life, that you run so eagerly into the arms of death. Not one of the astrologers I have seen and conducted to the place where you will arrive but too soon ever showed so much anxiety.’

“ ‘Friend,’ replied Prince Camaralzaman, looking at the eunuch, and slackening his pace, ‘the reason is, that all the astrologers you speak of were not so sure of their science as I am of mine: they were certain of losing their lives if they did not succeed, and they were not sure of success; they had therefore some reason to tremble as they approached the place whither I am going, and where I am convinced I shall meet with happiness and joy.’ As he pronounced these words they reached the door. The eunuch opened it, and brought the prince into a large room, which led to the chamber of the princess, and was divided from it only by a slight door. Before he entered the prince stopped; and speaking in a much lower tone of voice than he had yet employed, lest he should be heard in her apartment, he said to the eunuch: ‘To convince you that neither presumption, caprice, nor the fire of youthful ardour has stimulated me to this enterprise, I submit two alternatives to your choice: which do you prefer—that I should cure the princess while in her presence, or here, without going any farther, and without even seeing her?’

“The eunuch was extremely astonished at the confidence with which the prince spoke. He ceased to taunt him, and said seriously: ‘It matters not which course you pursue. In whatever manner you accomplish the business, you will acquire immortal glory, not only in this kingdom, but over all the habitable world.’ The prince answered: ‘Then it is better that I cure her without seeing her, that you may be a witness of my skill. However great may be my impatience to see the princess of exalted rank who is to be my wife, I will nevertheless, to gratify you, deprive myself for some moments of that happiness.’ As he was furnished with everything appropriate to his assumed character of an astrologer, he drew out his writing materials and some paper, and wrote the following letter to the Princess of China:—

“ ‘Prince Camaralzaman to the Princess of China.

 

“ ‘Adorable princess! The love-stricken Prince Camaralzaman does not tell you of the inexpressible woes he has endured since the fatal night when your charms deprived him of that liberty which he had resolved to maintain to the end of his life. He only assures you that he gave you his heart during your sweet sleep; a sleep that prevented him from viewing the animated brilliancy of your eyes, notwithstanding all his efforts to induce you to open them. He even had the presumption to place his ring upon your finger, as a token of his love, and in exchange to take yours, which he sends you enclosed in this letter. If you will condescend to return it to him as a reciprocal pledge of your affection, he will esteem himself the happiest and most fortunate of lovers. But should you not comply with his prayer, your refusal will cause him to submit to the stroke of death with the greater resignation, as he will have sacrificed his life to the love he bears you. He awaits your answer in your antechamber.’

“When Prince Camaralzaman had finished this letter, he wrapped it up in a small packet with the princess’s ring, which he enclosed without letting the eunuch see what the parcel contained which he placed in the hands of that officer, saying: ‘Take this, friend, and carry it to your mistress. If she is not cured the moment she has read this note and seen its contents, I allow you to proclaim to the world that I am the most worthless and impudent astrologer who has ever existed in the past, or can ever exist in the future.’

“The eunuch went into the princess’s chamber, and carried to her the packet from Prince Camaralzaman, saying: ‘O princess, an astrologer has just arrived, who, if I am not mistaken, has more assurance than any who have yet appeared. He declares that you will be cured as soon as you read this note, and see what it encloses. I wish he may prove neither a liar nor an impostor.’ The Princess Badoura took the packet and opened it with the utmost indifference; but when she recognised the ring, she scarcely allowed herself time to read it. She got up precipitately, and with an extraordinary effort broke the chain which confined her, and then ran to the door and opened it. The princess instantly recollected the prince, who at once recognised her. They ran into each other’s arms, and were locked in the tenderest embrace, without being able to utter a word from excess of

 

The meeting of the Prince and Badoura.

joy. They gazed at each other for a considerable time with emotions not to be described, mingled with surprise at the singularity of their interview, after their former meeting, which neither of them could comprehend. The nurse, who had run out with the princess, made them go into the chamber, where the princess returned her ring to the prince, saying, ‘Take it; I could not keep it without returning yours, which I am resolved not to part with till my dying day. Neither of our rings can be in better hands.’

 

Camaralzaman follows the bird.

“The eunuch in the meantime had gone to report this strange occurrence to the King of China. ‘O great king,’ said he, ‘all the physicians, astrologers, and magicians, who have hitherto presented themselves to undertake the recovery of the princess, were but ignorant fools. This last has not made use either of magic books, or of conjurations of wicked spirits, or of perfumes, or of any of the apparatus they employed; he has cured her without even seeing her.’ He related the manner in which the prince had proceeded, and the king went immediately, in a very agreeable surprise, to the apartment of the princess, whom he tenderly embraced. He embraced the prince also, took hold of his hand, and placing it in that of the princess, he exclaimed: ‘Happy stranger, whoever you may be, I keep my promise, and give you my daughter in marriage. But I feel assured within myself that you are not what you appear to be, and that you have only assumed a disguise.’

“Prince Camaralzaman thanked the king in the most submissive terms, the better to express his gratitude. ‘O king,’ he said, ‘as for my station, it is true that I do not practise astrology as my profession, as your majesty very rightly judged; I only put on the habit of one of that craft to ensure the success of my endeavour to obtain an honourable alliance with the most powerful monarch in the universe. I am a prince by birth, the son of a king and queen: my name is Camaralzaman, and my father is King Schahzaman, who reigns over the well-known Island of the Children of Khaledan.’ He then related his adventures, and the marvellous events which had originated his love for the princess: he declared furthermore that her affection for him was conceived at the same time, and that both these assertions were fully proved by the exchange of the two rings.

“The king exclaimed: ‘So extraordinary a history deserves to be handed down to posterity. I will have it written and deposited amongst the archives of my kingdom; then I will make it public, that from my dominions the knowledge of it may pass to the neighbouring nations.’ The ceremony of the nuptials was performed on that very day; and the most solemn festivities and rejoicings were held throughout the extensive dominions of China. Marzavan was not forgotten. The king granted him admission to the court, and bestowed on him an honourable office, with the promise that in time he should be promoted to others yet more considerable.

“Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura, who had thus reached the summit of their wishes, enjoyed the blessings of married love, and for several months the King of China did not cease to testify his happiness by continual feasts and entertainments.

“In the midst of these pleasures, Prince Camaralzaman one night had a dream, in which King Schahzaman, his father, appeared before him, lying at the point of death; and he seemed to say: ‘This son, whom I have begotten, whom I have tenderly cherished, has forsaken me, and he is the cause of my death.’ He awoke with so deep a sigh that it roused the princess also, and made her inquire the cause of his unhappiness.

“ ‘Alas!’ cried the prince, ‘perhaps, at this very moment while I am speaking, the king my father is breathing his last.’ He then told the princess his reason for giving way to these melancholy thoughts. The princess, who had no wish but to give him pleasure, and who knew that his earnest desire to see his father once more might diminish the satisfaction he felt at living with her in a country so distant from his native home, said nothing more at the time; but on that very day she availed herself of an opportunity of speaking to the King of China in private. ‘O my father,’ said she, respectfully kissing his hand, ‘I have a favour to request of your majesty; and I entreat you not to refuse it me. But lest you should imagine that the prince my husband has any part in the prayer I am about to make, I must first assure you that he is not acquainted with my intention. My petition is, that you would permit me to accompany him on a visit to my father-in-law, King Schahzaman.’

“ ‘Whatever sorrow such a separation may occasion me,’ the king answered, ‘I cannot disapprove of your resolution: it is worthy of you thus to despise the fatigue you must experience from so long a journey. Go—I give my consent; but it is only on condition that you remain no longer than one year at the court of King Schahzaman. He will not, I hope, object to this proposal, and that we should have you to reside with us alternately, that he may welcome his son and daughter-in-law, and I my daughter and son-in-law.’ The princess announced her father’s consent to Camaralzaman, who was much rejoiced at it, and thanked her for this new proof of her affection towards him.

“The King of China gave orders that the necessary preparations should be made for the journey; and when everything was ready, he set out with the young pair, and accompanied them for several days. At length they took leave of each other, not without many tears on either side. The king embraced his children tenderly, and after having begged the prince to continue to love his daughter with the same affection he had manifested until then, he left them to continue their journey, and returned to his capital, following the chase as he went.

“When the prince and princess had dried their tears, they began pleasurably to anticipate the joy that King Schahzaman would experience in seeing and embracing them, and their own delight when they should behold him.

“After they had been travelling about a month they came to a plain of vast extent, planted here and there with trees, which formed a very agreeable shade. As the heat on that day was great, Prince Camaralzaman thought it expedient to encamp here. He asked the Princess Badoura if she had any objection to this plan. The princess declared that she was at that moment going to propose that very measure to him. They immediately alighted in this beautiful spot; and as soon as their tents were pitched, the princess, who had been resting in the shade, retired to her pavilion, while Prince Camaralzaman went to give orders to the rest of the party. That she might be more at her ease, she took off her girdle, which her women placed by her side; she then fell asleep from fatigue, and her attendants left her alone.

“When Prince Camaralzaman had given all necessary orders, and made the requisite arrangements in the camp, he returned to the tent, and as he perceived that the princess had fallen asleep, he came in and sat down as silently as possible. As he reclined thus, himself half overcome by sleep, the girdle of the princess caught his eye. He examined one by one the different diamonds and rubies with which it was enriched, and he perceived a small silk purse sewn neatly to the girdle, and tied with a silken thread. On touching this purse, he felt that it contained something hard; curious to know what it was, he opened the purse and took out a cornelian, on which were engraven different figures and characters, all of them unintelligible to him. ‘This cornelian,’ said he to himself, ‘must certainly be of very great value, or my princess would not carry it about with her, and take such great care not to lose it.’ This cornelian was in truth a talisman, which the Queen of China had given to her daughter to ensure her happiness, assuring her that she would always be prosperous so long as she wore this about her.

“The better to examine this talisman, and as the tent was rather dark, Prince Camaralzaman went to the entrance; but as he held the jewel in his hand, a bird made a sudden dart from the air upon it, and carried it away.

“Nothing could exceed the astonishment and grief of the prince when he found the talisman thus unexpectedly snatched from him by the bird. This accident, the most tormenting that could have befallen him, and occasioned too by his own ill-timed curiosity, deprived the princess of a precious gift. This reflection rendered him for some minutes speechless with vexation.

“The bird flew away with his prize, but alighted on the ground at a little distance with the talisman still in his beak. Prince Camaralzaman ran towards him, in the hope the bird might drop it; but as soon as he approached, the bird flew a little way, and then stopped again. The prince continued to pursue him; the bird then swallowed the talisman, and took a longer flight. The prince again followed him, thinking to kill him with a stone. The farther the bird got from him, the more was Camaralzaman determined not to lose sight of him till he had recovered the talisman.

“Over hills and valleys the bird drew the prince after him for the whole day, always getting farther from the spot where he had left the Princess Badoura; and at the close of the day, instead of perching in a bush, in which Camaralzaman might have surprised him during the night, he flew to the top of a high tree, where he was in safety.

“The prince was extremely mortified at having taken so much useless trouble, and he began to deliberate whether he should return to his camp. ‘But,’ thought he, ‘how shall I return? Shall I climb the hills and traverse the valleys over which I came? Shall I not lose my way in the dusk of evening? and will my strength hold out? And even if I could find my way back, should I venture to present myself before the princess without her talisman?’ Absorbed in these disconsolate reflections, and overcome with fatigue, with hunger, thirst, and want of sleep, he lay down, and passed the night at the foot of the tree.

“The next morning Camaralzaman was awake before the bird had quitted the tree; and as soon as he saw the winged robber take flight, he got up to pursue him, and followed him the whole of that day with as little success as he had met with on the preceding one. He satisfied his hunger with the herbs and fruits he found in his way. He continued the pursuit till the tenth day, always keeping his eyes on the bird, and sleeping at night at the foot of the tree, while the bird perched on its highest branches.

“The bird constantly flew on, and Camaralzaman as constantly pursued it, till on the eleventh day they arrived at a great city. When the bird was near the walls he soared very high above them, and winged his course far away, so that the prince entirely lost sight of him, and with him lost the least hope of ever recovering the talisman of the Princess Badoura.

“Bowed down with many griefs, and hopeless of procuring relief to his sorrows, he entered the city, which was built on the sea shore and had a very fine harbour. He walked for a considerable time through the streets, not knowing where he was or whither he should go; at length he came to the harbour. Still more uncertain what to do, he walked along the shore till he came to the gate of a garden, which was open, and there he paused. The gardener, a good old man, who was at work among his flowers, happened to raise his head as Camaralzaman stood there. Directly he perceived the prince, and knew him to be a stranger and a Mussulman, he invited him to come in quickly and shut the gate. Camaralzaman accordingly entered, and, going up to the gardener, asked him why he had made him take this precaution of closing the gate. The gardener replied: ‘I did this because I see that you are a stranger newly arrived, and a Mussulman; and this city is inhabited for the most part by idolaters, who have a mortal hatred to Mussulmen, and ill-treat the few who dwell here, and who profess the religion of our prophet. I suppose you are ignorant of this circumstance; and I look on it as a miracle that you should have proceeded thus far without meeting with any disagreeable adventure. In fact, these idolaters are above all things watchful to observe the arrival of Mussulmen strangers, and they never fail to lay snares for those who are not aware of their wickedness. I praise Allah that he has led you into a place of safety.’

“Camaralzaman thanked this good man very gratefully for the retreat he so generously offered to shelter the stranger from insult. He was going to say more, but the gardener interrupted him, saying: ‘Let us have no more compliments: you are fatigued, and you must want food; come and rest yourself.’ He took his guest into his little house, and, after the prince had refreshed himself with the food and drink the gardener set before him with a cordiality that quite won the prince’s heart, he begged of him to have the goodness to relate the reason of his coming.

“Camaralzaman satisfied his host’s curiosity; and when he had finished his story, in which he disguised nothing, he asked, in his turn, by what means he might get back to the dominions of the king his father; ‘For,’ said he, ‘were I to attempt to go back to the princess, how should I find her, after I have been separated from her for eleven days by my luckless adventure? How do I know even that she is still alive?’ At this sorrowful reflection he could not avoid bursting into tears.

“In answer to the prince’s questions, the gardener told him that the city to which he had wandered was a whole year’s journey distant from those countries were Mussulmen lived, and which were governed by princes of their religion; but that by sea he might reach the Isle of Ebony in a much shorter time; and that from the latter country it would be more easy to pass to the Island of the Children of Khaledan. He added, that every year a merchant ship sailed to the Isle of Ebony, and that the prince might avail himself of that opportunity to return to the Island of the Children of Khaledan. ‘If you had arrived some days sooner,’ continued he, ‘you might have embarked in the vessel which sailed this year. But if you will wait till the sailing of next year’s ship, and like to live with me in the meantime, I offer you freely the hospitality of my house, such as it is.’

“Prince Camaralzaman esteemed himself very fortunate in having thus met with an asylum in a place where he knew no one, and had no interest to procure him acquaintances. He accepted the offer, and remained with the gardener; and while he waited the departure of a merchant vessel for the Isle of Ebony, he employed himself every day in working in the garden; but he passed the nights, when nothing prevented his thoughts from dwelling on his dear Princess Badoura, in sighs, tears, and lamentations.

We will quit him to return to the Princess Badoura, whom we left sleeping in her tent.

“The princess slept for some time; and when she woke was surprised that Prince Camaralzaman was not with her. She called her women, and asked them if they knew where he was. Whilst they were assuring her that they had seen him go into the tent, but had not noticed how or when he left it, she happened to take up her girdle, and at once perceived that the little bag was open, and that the talisman was no longer in it. She did not doubt that the prince had taken the jewel out to examine it, and that he would bring it back. She expected him till night with the greatest impatience, and could not imagine what could oblige him to be absent from her so long. When she perceived that night came on, and that it was already quite dark, and yet he did not return, she gave herself up to the deepest grief. She cursed the talisman a thousand times, and cursed the maker of it; and if respect had not restrained her tongue, she would have cursed the queen her mother, who had bestowed on her that fatal gift. Although she was distracted at her misfortune, which was the more afflicting inasmuch as she could not imagine why the talisman should be the cause of the prince’s departure, she did not lose her presence of mind, but, on the contrary, formed a design which showed a courage not usually given to her sex.

“None but the princess and her women knew of Camaralzaman’s disappearance; for when he went away his people had all retired, and were sleeping in their tents. As she feared they might betray her if his absence came to their knowledge, she endeavoured to control her grief, and commanded her women not to say or do anything that might create the slightest suspicion. She then changed her dress for one of Camaralzaman’s; and, thus attired, she resembled the prince so strongly that his attendants mistook her for him when she made her appearance on the following morning, and commanded them to pack up the baggage and prepare to continue their journey. When all was ready, she made one of her women take her place in the litter, while she herself mounted Camaralzaman’s horse, and they set off.

 

The old gardener and Camaralzaman.

“After a journey of several months, by land and by sea, the princess, who had retained her disguise as a means of reaching the Island of the Children of Khaledan, arrived at the capital of the Isle of Ebony. The reigning king of this island was named Armanos. Those of the servants of the princess who disembarked first to seek a lodging for her, published in the town that the vessel which had just arrived carried Prince Camaralzaman returning from a long voyage, and obliged by bad weather to make for this port; and the intelligence soon reached the palace of the king.

“King Armanos, accompanied by the greater part of his court, immediately set out to receive the princess, and met her just as she quitted the vessel to proceed to the lodging that had been prepared for her. He gave her a welcome befitting the son of a king who was his friend and ally, and with whom he had always lived on terms of amity; and conducted her to his palace, where he lodged her and her whole suite, notwithstanding her earnest entreaties that he would allow her to have a lodging to herself. He conferred upon her many and great honours, besides entertaining her for three days with extraordinary magnificence.

“When the three days had expired, and King Armanos found that the princess, whom he still supposed to be Prince Camaralzaman, talked of re-embarking and continuing her voyage, he spoke privately to her (for he was quite charmed with the appearance and manners, as well as with the wit and knowledge, of the supposed prince). Therefore he spoke these words: ‘O prince, at the advanced age to which you see I have attained, and with little hope of living much longer, I endure the mortification of having no son to whom I can bequeath my kingdom. Heaven has bestowed on me an only daughter, who is possessed of beauty that might worthily be bestowed upon a prince of your high birth and honour, and of such mental and personal accomplishments as distinguish you. Instead, therefore, of preparing to return to your own country, remain with us, and receive her at my hands, together with my crown, which from this moment I resign in your favour. It is now time for me to repose, after having borne the weight of empire for so many years: I cannot retire with more satisfaction to myself than at a period when I am likely to see my state governed by so worthy a successor.’

“This generous offer of the King of the Island of Ebony, to give his only daughter in marriage to the Princess Badoura, who, being a woman, could not accept her, and of giving up to her all his dominions, occasioned his visitor a degree of embarrassment which she little expected. As she had told the king that she was Camaralzaman, and had supported the character with complete success, she thought it would be unworthy of a princess of her rank to undeceive him, and to declare that, instead of being the man she had represented herself, she was only his wife. But if she refused his offer, she had just reason to fear, from the extreme desire he had evinced for the arrangement of the marriage, that the king might change his friendship and good-will towards her into enmity and hatred, and might even attempt her life. Moreover, she could not be certain that she would find Camaralzaman at the court of King Schahzaman his father.

“These considerations, together with the prospect of acquiring a new kingdom for the prince her husband, when the time came that she should ever see him again, made Badoura resolve to accept the proposals of King Armanos. After a few minutes’ consideration, therefore, she replied, with her face overspread with blushes, which the king attributed to modesty: ‘O great king, I am under infinite obligations to your majesty for the good opinion you have conceived of me, and for the honour you propose to confer upon me, by offering me so great a favour, which I by no means deserve, yet dare not refuse. But, my lord, I cannot accept so great an alliance, except on condition that your majesty will assist me with your counsel; and that I undertake no measures of which you shall not previously have expressed your approval.’

“The marriage being thus agreed on and concluded, the ceremony of the nuptials was fixed for the following day; and the Princess Badoura took that opportunity of acquainting her officers, who still supposed her to be Prince Camaralzaman, of this new turn of affairs, that they might not be astonished at it; and she assured them that the Princess Badoura had given her consent. She spoke of the coming event to her women also, charging them to continue faithfully to keep her secret.

“The King of the Island of Ebony, overjoyed at having gained a son-in-law in whose favour he was entirely prepossessed, assembled his council on the morrow, and declared that he bestowed the princess his daughter in marriage on Prince Camaralzaman, whom he brought with him, and seated beside him near his throne; he told the nobles, moreover, that he resigned his crown to the prince, and enjoined them to accept him as their king, and to pay him homage. When he had concluded, he descended from the throne, and made the Princess Badoura ascend and take his place, where she received the oaths of fidelity and allegiance from the principal nobles who were present.

“When the council broke up, the new king was solemnly proclaimed throughout the city. Festivities were ordered for several days, and couriers were despatched to all parts of the kingdom, that the same ceremonies and the same demonstrations of joy might be everywhere observed.

“In the evening the whole palace was illuminated, and the Princess Haiatalnefous (for this was the name of the daughter of the King of the Island of Ebony) was presented, magnificently dressed, to the Princess Badoura, whom every one supposed to be a man. After the marriage ceremonies were concluded, the newly married pair were left alone, and retired to rest.

“The next morning, while the Princess Badoura received the compliments of a large assembly of courtiers on her marriage and her accession to the throne, King Armanos and his queen repaired to the apartment of the new queen their daughter. Instead of making any reply to their congratulations, she cast her eyes on the ground, and, by the expression of sorrow which overspread her countenance, plainly showed that she was dissatisfied with her marriage.

“In order to console Queen Haiatalnefous, the king said to her: ‘My dear daughter, be not disquieted: when Prince Camaralzaman landed here he only sought to return, as soon as possible, to King Schahzaman his father. Although we have prevented him from putting his design in execution by an arrangement with which he must be well satisfied, we must nevertheless expect that he feels much disappointment at being so suddenly deprived of the hope of ever again seeing his father, or any one belonging to his family. But you may be certain that when these emotions of filial tenderness are a little subsided, he will be as attentive to you as a good husband can.’

“In the character of Camaralzaman, and as the King of the Island of Ebony, the Princess Badoura passed the whole of that day in receiving the compliments of her court and in reviewing the regular troops belonging to the household. She also performed several other royal duties, with a dignity and ability which earned her the approbation of the whole court.

“The night was advanced when she entered the apartment of Queen Haiatalnefous, and she soon perceived, by the coldness with which the bride received her, that she was not satisfied with her husband. The Princess Badoura endeavoured to dissipate the sadness of Queen Haiatalnefous by a long conversation, in which she employed all her eloquence, of which she had no inconsiderable share, to persuade the bride that she loved her exceedingly. She at last gave her time to go to bed, and during this interval she began to say a prayer; but she remained so long thus employed that Queen Haiatalnefous fell asleep. Then the Princess Badoura ceased from praying, and lay down by her side without waking her. For her own part, she could not sleep, so much afflicted was she by the hard necessity of acting a character which did not become her, and by the loss of her beloved Prince Camaralzaman, whom she unceasingly lamented. She rose the next morning at break of day, before Queen Haiatalnefous awoke, and went to the council, attired in her magnificent royal robes.

“King Armanos did not fail to visit the queen his daughter again on this second day, and he again found her in tears. He at once surmised that her husband’s neglect was the cause of her affliction. Quite indignant at the affront which he thought had been put upon her, and of which he could not comprehend the cause, he said: ‘Daughter, have patience for one night more. I have raised your husband to my throne, but I have the power to cast him down, and to banish him hence with shame and ignominy, if he does not treat you properly. So indignant am I at seeing you treated with such neglect, that I do not know whether I shall be satisfied with merely driving him hence. It is not to you only, but to my person, that this unpardonable affront is offered.’

“The Princess Badoura returned to the chamber of Queen Haiatalnefous as late on that evening as on the preceding night. She conversed with her as she had done before, and was then going to say her prayers while the bride went to bed; but Queen Haiatalnefous prevented her, and obliged her to sit down again. ‘I see,’ said she, ‘you intend to treat me this night as you did last night and the night before. Tell me, I entreat you, in what way I have displeased you—I, who not only love, but adore you, and esteem myself the happiest of all princesses in the possession of so amiable a prince as you are for my husband? Any other princess who had been affronted as you have affronted me would have revenged herself by abandoning you to your luckless fate; but, even did I not love you as I do, the compassion I feel for the misfortunes even of those who are totally indifferent to me would cause me to warn you that the king my father is extremely displeased with your conduct, and that he only waits till to-morrow to make you feel the full effect of his anger, if you continue this usage of me. I conjure you not to drive to despair a princess who cannot help loving you.’

“This speech occasioned the Princess Badoura inexpressible embarrassment. She could not doubt the sincerity of Queen Haiatalnefous; the coolness which King Armanos had shown towards herself on that day fully indicated his displeasure. The only method that occurred to her of justifying her conduct, was to confess her sex to Queen Haiatalnefous. But although she had foreseen that she should be obliged to make this declaration, yet the uncertainty whether the princess would take it in good part made her tremble. But at last—when she reflected that if Prince Camaralzaman was still alive, he must necessarily stop at the Isle of Ebony on his way to the dominions of King Schahzaman, that she ought to be careful of herself for his sake, and that she could maintain her position only by discovering herself to Queen Haiatalnefous—she hazarded the confession.

“As the Princess Badoura stood silent and confused, Queen Haiatalnefous, becoming impatient, was going to speak again, when the Princess Badoura interrupted her with these words: ‘Too amiable and charming princess, I confess I am in fault, and I blame myself greatly; but I hope you will pardon me, and that you will keep inviolate the secret I am going to impart to you for my justification.’ So saying, the Princess Badoura uncovered her bosom, and continued: ‘See, if a woman and a princess, like yourself, does not deserve your pardon. I feel certain you will grant it freely when I have related my history to you, and when you are made acquainted with the misfortune which has obliged me to act a deceitful part.

“When the Princess Badoura had concluded her narration, and made herself known to the Princess of the Isle of Ebony, she entreated Queen Haiatalnefous a second time not to betray her secret, but, on the contrary, to help her to maintain the delusion, and pretend that Badoura was really her husband, until the arrival of Prince Camaralzaman, whom she hoped shortly to see again.

“Haiatalnefous replied: ‘O princess, it would indeed be a singular destiny if so happy a marriage as yours has been should have really come to an end after a mutual affection, conceived and preserved through so many marvellous trials and adventures. I sincerely wish with you that Heaven may soon re-unite you to your husband. Be assured in the meantime that I will most religiously preserve the secret you have imparted to me. I shall feel the greatest pleasure at being the only person in the great kingdom of the Isle of Ebony who really knows you, while you govern the land with the wisdom you have displayed at the commencement of your reign. I asked you to love me, but now I declare to you that I shall be fully satisfied if you do not refuse me your friendship.’ After this conversation the two princesses tenderly embraced, and, with many reciprocal promises of respect and esteem, they lay down to rest.

 

Camaralzaman finds the talisman of the Princess Badoura.

“The princesses lived together in great amity, as though they had really been husband and wife. Not only were the female attendants of the Princess Haiatalnefous deceived, but King Armanos, the queen his consort, and his whole court had no suspicion of the truth. And from this time the Princess Badoura continued to govern the kingdom in great tranquillity, to the complete satisfaction of the king and all his subjects.

“While these events were occurring in the Isle of Ebony, in which the Princesses Badoura and Haiatalnefous, King Armanos, the queen, the court, and indeed the whole kingdom were so closely interested, Prince Camaralzaman was still in the city of idolaters, dwelling with the gardener who had offered him a retreat.

“One morning very early, while the prince was preparing to work in the garden, according to his usual custom, the good old gardener came to him, and spoke these words: ‘The idolaters have a grand festival to-day, and as they abstain from all kinds of labour, and pass the time in public assemblies and rejoicings, they will not suffer Mussulmen to work; and to preserve peace and amity with the natives, the Mussulmen enter into their amusements, and are present at the various spectacles, which are well worthy of notice: so you may allow yourself a holiday to-day. I shall leave you here; and as the time approaches when the merchant vessel which I mentioned to you will sail for the Island of Ebony, I shall go to see some friends, and will inquire of them what day it is to set sail; and at the same time I will arrange matters for your embarkation.’ The gardener then put on his best dress, and went out.

“When Prince Camaralzaman found himself alone, instead of taking part in the public rejoicings which enlivened the whole city, he sat down alone, and the leisure he enjoyed brought to his mind in stronger colours than ever the sad recollection of his ever-beloved princess. Lost in melancholy reflection, he sighed and lamented as he walked through the garden, when suddenly the noise made by two birds, who had perched on a tree near him, attracted his attention, and induced him to lift up his head and watch them.

“Camaralzaman observed that these birds were fighting desperately, pecking each other with their beaks; and in a few minutes he saw one of them fall dead at the foot of a tree. The bird who remained conqueror flew away, and soon disappeared.

“At the same moment two other birds of a larger size, who had seen the combat from a distance, came flying down from a different quarter, and alighted, one at the head, the other at the feet of the dead bird. They gazed at it for a considerable time, shaking their heads, with gestures expressive of grief, and then dug a grave for the bird with their claws, and buried it.

“As soon as the birds had filled the grave with the earth they had thrown out, they flew away, and a short time afterwards returned, dragging between them the murderer, one holding him by the wing, and the other by the leg. The criminal uttered dreadful screams, and made violent efforts to escape. They brought him to the grave of the bird he had destroyed in his rage, and there inflicted upon him the just punishment he merited for the cruel murder he had committed; for they deprived him of life by pecking him with their beaks. They then tore open his body, and, leaving the corpse on the ground, flew away.

“Camaralzaman had remained all this time in silent admiration at this surprising spectacle. He now approached the tree where the scene had taken place, and casting his eyes on the body of the criminal, which lay extended on the ground, he perceived something red protruding from the stomach of the bird that had been torn to pieces. He took up the mangled remains, and taking out the red substance which had attracted his notice, he found it to be the talisman of the Princess Badoura, his dear and tenderly-beloved princess, the loss of which had cost him so much anxiety, pain, and regret. ‘Cruel bird!’ cried he, as he gazed at the talisman, ‘thou didst delight in evil actions, and I have great cause to complain of the grief thou hast caused me. But in proportion to what I have suffered through thee, do I wish well to those who have avenged my injuries, while they revenged the death of their companion.’

“It is impossible to express the joy of Prince Camaralzaman at this adventure. ‘Dearest princess,’ he exclaimed again, ‘this fortunate moment, in which I thus recover what is so valuable to you, is no doubt a happy omen that announces my meeting with you in the same unexpected manner, perhaps even sooner than I dare to hope! Blessed be the day in which I taste this happiness, and which, at the same time, opens to me the delightful prospect of the greatest joy that can be mine.’

“As he spoke these words Camaralzaman kissed the talisman; and, wrapping it up carefully, tied it round his arm. Since his separation from the princess he had passed almost every night without closing his eyes, and racked by tormenting reflections. He slept very tranquilly the whole of the night which succeeded this happy event; and the next morning, at break of day, he put on his working dress, and went to the gardener to receive directions for his labour. The gardener begged him to cut and root up a particular tree which he pointed out to him, for it was old, and no longer bore fruit.

“Camaralzaman took an axe, and set to work. As he was cutting a part of the root he struck something which resisted the axe, and made a loud noise. He removed the earth, and discovered a large plate of brass, under which he found a staircase with ten steps. He immediately descended, and when he had reached the bottom, he found himself in a sort of cave or vault, about fifteen feet square, in which he counted fifty large bronze jars, ranged round the walls, each with a lid. He uncovered these vases, one after the other, and found them filled with gold dust. He then left the vault, quite overjoyed at having discovered this rich treasure. He replaced the plate over the staircase, and continued to root up the tree, while he waited for the gardener’s return.

“The gardener had been informed on the preceding day, that the vessel which sailed annually to the Isle of Ebony was to depart very soon; but those who had given him this intelligence could not acquaint him with the precise day on which it would sail; they promised, however, to tell him this on the morrow. He had been to gain the information he wanted, and returned with a countenance which displayed the joy he felt at being the bearer of good news for Camaralzaman. ‘My son,’ said he to him, for by his great age he claimed the privilege of addressing the prince by this endearing title, ‘rejoice, and hold yourself in readiness to embark in three days; the vessel will certainly sail in that time, and I have agreed with the captain about your passage and departure.’

“ ‘O my friend,’ Camaralzaman replied, ‘you could not at the present moment come to me with more joyful news. But, in return, I also have intelligence to communicate to you, which will give you great pleasure. Have the goodness to follow me, and you will see the good fortune that Heaven has sent you.’ Camaralzaman conducted the gardener to the spot where he had rooted up the tree, and made him go down into the vault; then, showing him the number of jars it contained, all filled with gold dust, he expressed his joy that Heaven, his kind protector, had given the good man a reward for all the toil and pain he had undergone for so many years.

“The gardener answered: ‘O my son, what is this you say? Do you suppose that I will possess myself of this treasure? No; it is all your own: I have no claim to any part of it. During the eighty years that I have worked in this garden since my father’s death, I have never chanced to discover it. This is a sign that it was destined for you alone, since Heaven led you to find it. This wealth is more suited to a prince like you than to me, who am on the brink of the grave, and want nothing more. Allah sends it to you very opportunely at the time when you are about to return to the kingdom which is to belong to you, and where you will make a good use of it.’

“Prince Camaralzaman would not be behindhand with the gardener in generosity, and they had a great contest on this point. He at length solemnly protested that he would not touch any of the gold unless the gardener retained half for his own share. At length the gardener consented to this proposal, and they divided the jars, each taking twenty-five.

“After the division had been made, the gardener said, ‘My son, this is not all; we must now devise some plan for embarking this wealth on the vessel, and taking them with you so secretly as not to give any suspicion of its presence, otherwise you might run a risk of losing your gold. There are no olives in the Isle of Ebony, and those which come from here are in great request. As you know, I have a good stock of olives, gathered from my own garden. You must, therefore, take the fifty jars, and fill the lower half of each with the gold dust, and the other half with olives up to the top; and we will have them taken to the ship when you yourself embark. ’

“Camaralzaman adopted this advice, and employed himself for the rest of the day in filling and arranging the fifty jars; and as he feared that he might lose the talisman of the Princess Badoura if he wore it constantly on his arm, he took the precaution to put it in one of these jars, on which he set a mark to know it again. By the time he had completed his work, and the jars were ready for removal, night was approaching. Therefore he went home with the gardener, and entering into conversation with him, related the battle of the two birds, and the circumstances by which he had recovered the talisman of the Princess Badoura. The gardener was surprised, and rejoiced at this account for the sake of his guest.

“Whether it was from his great age, or because he had taken too much exercise on that day, the gardener passed a bad night; his illness increased on the following day, and the third morning he found himself still worse. As soon as it was day, the captain of the vessel, with some of his seamen, came and knocked at the garden-gate. Camaralzaman opened it, and they inquired for the passenger who was to embark on board their vessel. The prince replied: ‘I am he. The gardener who took my passage is ill, and cannot speak to you; however, pray come in, and take away these jars of olives, together with my baggage; and I will follow you as soon as I have taken my leave of my old friend.’

“The seamen carried away his jars and baggage, and, on leaving Camaralzaman, desired him to follow them immediately; For: the captain said, ‘the wind is fair, and I only wait for you to set sail.’

“As soon as the captain and seamen were gone, Camaralzaman returned to the gardener, to bid him farewell and thank him for all his kindness towards a desolate stranger; but he found the old man at the point of death; and had scarcely obtained from him the profession of his faith, which all good Mussulmen repeat on their death-bed, when the gardener fell backward, and expired.

“The prince, who was under the necessity of embarking immediately, used the utmost diligence in performing the last duties to the deceased. He washed the body, wrapped it in grave-clothes, and dug a grave in the garden; for, as Mahometans were barely tolerated in the city of idolaters, they had no public cemetery. The burial of his friend occupied him till the close of the day. He then set out to embark; and that he might lose no time, he took the key of the garden with him, intending to deliver it to the proprietor, or, if he could not find him, to give it to some trusty person, in the presence of witnesses, that it might be sent to the owner. But when he arrived at the harbour, he was informed that the ship had weighed anchor some time before, and it was already out of sight. His informant added that it waited for him three full hours before it had set sail.

“As may be supposed, Camaralzaman was vexed and distressed to the utmost degree when he found himself obliged to remain in a country where he had no motive for wishing to form any acquaintance, and where he must wait another year before the opportunity he had just lost would again present itself. He was still more mortified to think that he had parted with the talisman of the Princess Badoura, which he now gave up for lost. Nothing was left for him but to return to the garden he had left, to rent it of the landlord to whom it belonged, and to continue to cultivate the ground, while he deplored his misfortune. As the labour of cultivating the garden was more than he could endure alone, he hired a boy to assist him; and that he might not lose the second half of the treasure, which came to him by the death of the gardener, who had died without heirs, he put the gold dust into fifty other jars, and covered them with olives, as he had done in the first instance, intending to take them with him when the time came for him to embark.

 

Death of the old gardener.

“While Prince Camaralzaman was thus entering upon another year of toil, sorrow, and impatience, the vessel continued its voyage with a favourable wind, and arrived without mishap at the capital of the Isle of Ebony.

“As the palace was on the sea shore, the new king, or rather the Princess Badoura, who happened to notice the vessel sailing into port with all its flags flying, inquired what ship it was, and was told that it came every year, at that season, from the city of idolaters, and that it was in general laden with very rich merchandise.

“The princess, who, in the midst of all the state and splendour that surrounded her, had her mind constantly occupied with the idea of Camaralzaman, imagined that he might have embarked on board that vessel, and it occurred to her that she might go to meet him when he landed—not with the intention to make herself known to him, for she was convinced he would not recognise her; but to observe him, and take the measures she thought most proper for their meeting. Under pretence, therefore, of inspecting the merchandise, and even of being the first to see and to choose the most valuable for herself, she ordered a horse to be brought to her. She went to the harbour, accompanied by several officers who happened to be present at the time, and arrived at the moment when the captain came on shore. She desired him to come to her, and inquired of him from whence he had sailed, how long he had been at sea, what good or evil fortune he had met with during his voyage, and if he had among his passengers any stranger of distinction. Above all, she required to know of what his cargo consisted.

“The captain gave satisfactory answers to all these questions. As regarded passengers, he assured her he had none except the merchants who were accustomed to trade to the Island of Ebony, and that they brought very rich stuffs from different countries, linens of the finest texture, white and dyed, precious stones, musk ambergris, camphor, civet, spices, medicinal drugs, olives, and many other articles.

“The Princess Badoura happened to be exceedingly fond of olives. Directly she heard them mentioned, she said to the captain, ‘I will buy all you have on board. Let them be unladen immediately, that I may purchase them of you. As for the other merchandise, you will request the owners to bring me the most beautiful and valuable of their goods before they show them to any one.’

“ ‘O king,’ replied the captain, ‘there are fifty large jars of olives on board, but they belong to a merchant who was left behind. I had informed him of my intended departure, and even waited for him for some time. But as I found he did not come, and that his delay would prevent my profiting by a favourable wind, I lost all patience, and set sail without him.’ ‘Let them be carried ashore nevertheless,’ said the princess; ‘this shall not prevent my purchasing them.’

“The captain sent his boat to the ship, and it soon returned, bringing the jars of olives. The princess inquired what the value of the fifty jars might be in the Isle of Ebony. The captain replied: ‘O king, the merchant is very poor; your majesty will confer a great obligation on him by giving him a thousand pieces of silver.’ ‘That he may be perfectly satisfied,’ said the princess, ‘and in consideration of his great poverty, you shall have a thousand pieces of gold counted out to you, which you will take care to deliver to him.’ She gave orders for the payment of this sum, and, after she had desired that the jars might be taken away, she returned to the palace.

“When evening came the Princess Badoura retired to the interior of the palace, and went to the apartment of the Princess Haiatalnefous, where she had the fifty jars of olives brought to her. She opened one of the jars to taste the contents, and poured some into a dish, when, to her great astonishment, she found the olives mixed with gold dust. ‘What a wonderful circumstance!’ she exclaimed. She immediately ordered the other jars to be opened and emptied in her presence by the women of Haiatalnefous, and her surprise increased when she perceived that the olives in each jar were mixed with gold dust. But when that jar was emptied in which Camaralzaman had deposited the talisman, her emotions on beholding it were so powerful that she was quite overcome, and fainted away.

“The Princess Haiatalnefous and her women ran to her assistance, and, by throwing water on her face, at length brought her to herself. When she had recovered her senses, she took up the talisman, and kissed it several times; but as she did not choose to reveal her secret before the princess’s women, who were ignorant of her disguise, and as it was moreover time to retire to rest, she dismissed them. But she said to Haiatalnefous, as soon as they were alone, ‘O princess, after what I have related to you of my adventures, you no doubt guessed that it was the sight of this talisman which caused my fainting. It is mine, and has been the fatal cause of the separation that has taken place between my beloved husband, Prince Camaralzaman, and myself. But as it was the occasion of an event so painful to both of us, I feel certain it will be the means of our speedy reunion.’

“The next morning, as soon as day appeared, the Princess Badoura sent for the captain of the vessel. When he came into her presence, she said to him, ‘I beg you to give me some additional particulars concerning the merchant to whom the olives belonged that I bought yesterday. I think you told me that you left him in the city of idolaters: can you inform me what was his occupation there?’

“The captain answered: ‘O great king, I can answer your majesty with certainty, for I know how the merchant employed himself. The bargain for his passage was made with a gardener, who was extremely old, and who told me that I should find my passenger in his garden, the situation of which he pointed out to me, and where he told me this merchant laboured: this made me tell your majesty that he was poor. I went to this very garden to seek him, and to tell him that I was going to embark, and spoke to him there myself.’

“Then the princess said: ‘If what you tell me is true, you must set sail again to-day, and return to the city of idolaters to search for this young gardener, and bring him hither, for he is my debtor. If you refuse, I declare that I will confiscate not only all the goods which belong to you and those of the merchants you have on board, but will also make your life and the life of every one on board your ship to answer for my debtor. By my command the magazines where your cargo is deposited shall be sealed up, and the seals shall not be taken off until you have delivered into my hands the young man I require. This is what I have to say to you. Go and obey my orders.’

“The captain dared not demur at this command, for he saw that to disobey would involve him and all his friends in one common ruin. He reported the supposed king’s words to them, and they were no less anxious than himself for the immediate departure of the vessel. He laid in a store of water and provisions for the voyage, and made his preparations with so much expedition that he set sail on that very day.

“The ship had a very good voyage, and the captain made such haste that he arrived by night at the city of idolaters. When he was as near land as he thought necessary, he did not cast anchor, but while the vessel lay to he got into his boat, and disembarked at a spot not far from the harbour. From thence he went to the garden of Camaralzaman, accompanied by six of his most resolute seamen.

“The prince was not asleep. His separation from the beautiful Princess of China still overwhelmed him with affliction, and he mourned and cursed the moment when he had suffered himself to be tempted by curiosity first to touch and then to examine her girdle. In this manner he was passing the hours which should have been dedicated to repose, when he heard a knocking at the gate of the garden. He went, half dressed, to open it, and directly he appeared the captain and sailors, without speaking a word, seized him and dragged him by main force to the boat. They then put him on board the ship, which set sail again as soon as they had re-embarked.

“Camaralzaman, who, as well as the captain, and seamen, had till then preserved a profound silence, now asked the captain, whose features he recollected, what reason he had for thus violently dragging him away. ‘Are you not a debtor to the King of the Island of Ebony?’ inquired the captain in his turn. ‘How can I be a debtor to the King of the Island of Ebony?’ exclaimed Camaralzaman, with amazement: ‘I do not know him; I never had any dealings with him, nor did I ever set my foot in his dominions. ’ ‘You must know more about that matter than I can tell you,’ replied the captain; ‘but you shall speak to him yourself; however, remain here quietly, and be patient.’

“The vessel had as successful a voyage in carrying Camaralzaman to the Isle of Ebony as it had experienced in going for him to the city of idolaters. Although night had closed in when they arrived in port, the captain at once went ashore to take Prince Camaralzaman to the palace, where he requested to be admitted to the king’s presence.

“The Princess Badoura had already retired to the inner palace; but as soon as she was informed of his return, and of the arrival of Camaralzaman, she went out to speak to him. When she had cast her eyes on her beloved prince, for whom she had shed so many tears since their separation, she instantly recognised him, even in his labourer’s dress. As for the prince, who trembled in the presence of a king to whom he was to answer for an imaginary debt, he had not the least idea that he stood in the presence of her whom he desired so ardently to meet. Had the princess yielded to her inclinations, she would have run to him, and made herself known by her tender embraces; but she restrained her emotions, as she thought it for the interest of both that she should continue to sustain the character of king for some time longer, before she revealed her secret to the prince. She contented herself with recommending Camaralzaman particularly to the care of an officer who was present, charging him to pay his prisoner every attention, and treat him well until the following day.

“When the Princess Badoura had arranged everything that related to Prince Camaralzaman, she turned towards the captain, to recompense him for the important service he had rendered her. She immediately despatched an officer to take off the seal which had been placed on his merchandise, as well as that of the merchants, and dismissed him with a present of a rich and precious diamond, which fully repaid him the expense of the second voyage. She told him also that he might keep for himself the thousand pieces of gold which had been paid for the jars of olives, and that she would settle the matter with the merchant he had brought back with him.

“She at length returned to the apartment of the Princess of the Isle of Ebony, to whom she told how successful her project had been. She begged Queen Haiatalnefous not to disclose the secret, and to entrust her with the measures she thought it necessary to adopt, before she discovered herself to Prince Camaralzaman and acknowledge who he himself was. ‘There is,’ she said, ‘so great a distance between the rank of a great Prince and that of a gardener, that there might be some danger in his passing from one of the lowest classes of the people to the very highest station, however just his claim to the higher rank might be.’ Far from being faithless to her promise, the Princess of the Isle of Ebony concurred with Badoura in the design she had formed. She even assured her that she would contribute all in her power to forward it, on receiving instructions as to her mode of proceeding.

“The next day, after taking care to have Prince Camaralzaman conducted to the bath very early in the morning, and afterwards dressed in the robe of an emir, or governor of a province, the Princess of China, under the name, habit, and authority of King of the Isle of Ebony, introduced him into the council, where he attracted the attention of all the nobles present by his stately and majestic air; and his handsome appearance.

“The Princess Badoura herself was charmed once more to see a husband who had always appeared amiable in her eyes, and she felt additional interest in extolling him to the council. After he had taken his place in the rank of emirs, according to her directions, she said, addressing the other emirs: ‘My lords, Camaralzaman, whom I this day present to you as your colleague, is not unworthy of the position he occupies amongst you. I have in my travels had sufficient experience of his worth to be able to answer for him; and I can assure you that he will make himself celebrated and admired by all for his valour, and for a thousand other good and amiable qualities, characteristic of the greatness of his mind.’

“Camaralzaman was extremely surprised when he heard his own name mentioned by the King of the Isle of Ebony, whom he little suspected to be a woman, much less his adored princess; and when he heard the king assure the assembly that he knew the stranger, when he was himself convinced that he had never met the king in his life, he was still more astonished at the unexpected praise the monarch bestowed on him.

“This praise, however, although pronounced by royal lips, did not disconcert him; he received it with a modesty that proved he deserved it, but that it did not excite his vanity. He prostrated himself before the throne of the king, and when he rose he said: ‘O great king, I cannot find words to express my thanks to your majesty for the great honour you have conferred on me, and for all your kindness. I will exert myself to the utmost to deserve the favour you have vouchsafed to me.’

“When he left the council, the prince was conducted by an officer to a large mansion, which the Princess Badoura had already caused to be furnished and prepared for his reception. In this handsome dwelling he found officers and servants ready to receive his commands, and a stable filled with very fine horses. The whole establishment was suited to the dignity which had just been conferred on him; and when he went into his closet, his steward brought him a coffer full of gold for his expenses. Totally unable as he was to guess from what quarter this good fortune came, his surprise and admiration were intense; but he never entertained the least suspicion that it was his own princess who was thus showering benefits upon him.

“At the end of two or three days, the Princess Badoura, who wished to afford Camaralzaman more frequent access to her presence, so that she might raise him gradually to higher distinction, bestowed on him the office of grand treasurer, which had become vacant. He performed the duties of this new office with so much integrity, and was so considerate to all around him, that he not only acquired the friendship of all the nobles about the court, but also won the hearts of the common people by his rectitude and generosity.

“Camaralzaman would have been the happiest of men, on finding himself in such high favour with a king who, as he supposed, was an entire stranger to him, and thus obtaining the daily increasing esteem of every one, had he possessed his princess also. But in the midst of all his splendour he never ceased lamenting her loss, and deploring that he could gain no information respecting her in a country where he concluded she must have sojourned, since the time when he had been separated from her by the unfortunate accident of the lost talisman. He might have suspected the truth if the Princess Badoura had retained the name of Camaralzaman, which she had assumed with his dress. But when she ascended the throne, she changed her adopted name for that of Armanos, in compliment to the former king, her father-in-law; so that she was now known only by the name of King Armanos the Younger; and there were only a few courtiers who remembered the name of Camaralzaman, which she had borne on her first arrival at the Island of Ebony. Camaralzaman had not yet had sufficient communication with these courtiers to learn this circumstance; but he might in the end have been informed of it.

“As the Princess Badoura feared that the secret might be thus betrayed, and as she wished Camaralzaman to be indebted to her only for the discovery, she resolved at length to put an end to her own suspense and to the grief with which she saw the prince was oppressed. She had remarked that when she conversed with him on the affairs relating to his office, he frequently heaved deep sighs, and was evidently possessed by some mournful remembrance. She herself lived in a state of constant restraint, which she was determined to end without further delay. Moreover, the friendship of the nobles which Camaralzaman had gained by his judicious conduct, added to the zeal and affection of the people, contributed to persuade her that the crown of the Island of Ebony might be placed on his head without any risk.

 

Camaralzaman and Badoura.

“When once the Princess Badoura had formed this resolution, in concert with the Princess Haiatalnefous, she spoke to Prince Camaralzaman in private, on the same day, in the following words: ‘I wish to converse with you on an affair which will require some discussion, and on which I want your advice. Come to me this evening; tell your people not to wait for you, for you will remain here for the night.’

“Camaralzaman did not fail to repair to the palace at the hour appointed by the princess. She took him with her into the inner palace, and telling the chief of the eunuchs, who was preparing to follow her, that she did not require his attendance, but desiring him to keep the door fastened, she conducted the prince into a different apartment from that of the Princess Haiatalnefous, in which she was accustomed to sleep.

“When the prince and princess were thus left alone together, the princess fastened the door. Thereupon she took the talisman out of a little box, and showed it to Camaralzaman, saying: ‘It is not long since an astrologer gave me this talisman, and as I know you are well versed in every science, you perhaps can tell me its peculiar properties.’ Camaralzaman took the talisman, and approached a light to examine it. He at once recognised it, and exclaimed, with a cry of surprise which delighted the princess, ‘O king, do you ask me the properties of this talisman? Alas! its power is such that it will make me die with grief and sadness, if I do not shortly find the most charming and amiable princess ever beheld under heaven! To her this talisman belonged, and it was the cause of my losing her. The adventure was of so singular a nature, that the recital of it would excite your majesty’s compassion for me, the unfortunate husband and lover, if you would have the patience to listen to it.’

“To this the princess replied: ‘You shall relate it to me some other time; but I am very happy to tell you that I know something concerning the talisman. Wait for me here; I will return in a moment.’

“Thereupon the princess went into a closet, where she took off the royal turban, and in a few minutes put on a woman’s dress, together with the girdle she had worn on the day of their separation. Then she returned to the chamber where she had left the prince.

“Camaralzaman instantly knew his dear princess. He ran to her, and embraced her with the utmost tenderness, exclaiming, ‘Ah! how much I am obliged to the king for having surprised me so agreeably!’ ‘Do not expect to see the king again,’ replied the princess, embracing him in her turn, with tears in her eyes. ‘Look upon me, and you behold the king. Sit down, that I may explain this enigma to you.’

“They seated themselves, and the princess related to Camaralzaman the resolution she had formed in the plain where they had encamped together for the last time, when she discovered that she waited for him in vain. She told him how she had kept this resolution until her arrival at the Isle of Ebony, where she had been obliged to marry the Princess Haiatalnefous, and to accept the crown which King Armanos had offered her in consequence of the marriage. She related to Camaralzaman how generously the princess, whose merits she spoke of in the warmest terms, had received the declaration she had made of the sex of her supposed husband; and finally acquainted him with the adventure of the talisman, found in one of the jars of olives and gold dust which she had purchased, which had induced her to send for him to the city of idolaters.

“When the Princess Badoura had concluded her narrative, she begged the prince to inform her by what accident the talisman had occasioned his departure. He related his adventure, and when he had concluded it, he complained to her in an affectionate manner of her cruelty in making him languish so long without the hope of seeing her again. She gave him the reasons that had induced her to postpone the discovery; and now at length the loving pair were reunited.

“The next morning, as soon as it was day, the princess arose. She now no longer wore the royal robe, but resumed her own dress, and when she was ready, she despatched the chief of the eunuchs to request that King Armanos, her father-in-law, would honour her by coming to her apartment.

“When King Armanos arrived, he was very much surprised to see a lady whom he did not remember ever to have seen, and to find in her presence the grand treasurer, who was not allowed to enter the inner palace, any more than the other nobles belonging to the court. When he had taken his seat, he inquired for the king.

“The princess replied: ‘O King Armanos, yesterday I was a king; to-day I am only the Princess of China, the wife of the true Prince Camaralzaman, who is the son of King Schahzaman. If your majesty will have the patience to listen to our separate histories, I flatter myself you will not condemn me for the innocent deceit I have conceived and practised.’ King Armanos granted her an audience, and listened to her adventures with the utmost astonishment from beginning to end.

“When the Princess Badoura had concluded the history of her life, she added: ‘O great king, although the ordinance by which our religion permits men to have several wives is not very agreeable to our sex, yet if your majesty will consent to give the Princess Haiatalnefous, your daughter, in marriage to Prince Camaralzaman, I will cheerfully resign the dignity and title of queen, which properly belongs to her, and will myself be content with the second rank. Even if this preference were not her due, I should have insisted on her accepting it, after the obligation she has conferred upon me by so generously keeping the secret with which I entrusted her. If your majesty’s determination depends upon her consent, I have already obtained her acquiescence in this arrangement, and am certain she will be happy.’

“King Armanos listened with every mark of admiration to this discourse of the Princess Badoura; and when she had finished speaking, he turned to Prince Camaralzaman, and spoke in the following words: ‘My son, since the Princess Badoura your wife, whom a deception of which I cannot now complain caused me to consider as my son-in-law, has offered that you should marry my daughter, I have nothing to do but to inquire if you also are willing to marry her, and to accept the crown, which the Princess Badoura would well deserve to wear for the rest of her life, if her love for you did not induce her to resign it.’ Camaralzaman replied: ‘O king, however strong may be my desire of seeing my father, the obligations I owe to your majesty and to the Princess Haiatalnefous are so great and powerful, that I am ready to do all you wish.’

“Camaralzaman was therefore proclaimed king, and espoused the Princess Haiatalnefous the same day with the greatest magnificence; and he was thoroughly satisfied with the beauty, wit, and affection of his new wife.

“The two queens continued to live together in the same friendship and union which they had hitherto shown, and were well contented with the equality which King Camaralzaman observed in his conduct towards them.

“They each presented him with a son in the same year, and nearly at the same time, and the births of the two princes were celebrated by great public rejoicings. To the first-born son, the child of the Queen Badoura, Camaralzaman gave the name of Amgiad, or ‘The Most Glorious,’ while the babe whom the Queen Haiatalnefous had brought into the world was called Assad, or ‘The Most Happy.’ ”