BAHAR-DANUSH;
 
OR,
 
Garden of Knowledge.
 
CHAP. XI.
 
STORY VII.

ANOTHER of the well-meaning courtiers, the eloquently melodious night­ingale of speech, on the rose-bush of this wonder-depicting narrative, made to sing in these strains.

In the widely cultivated region of Bengal, was a monarch in the perfection of youth and vigour. In him outward beauty was mingled with internal accomplishments, and the eloquence of his oratory gave grace to the brilliancy of his wit. From his kindness, affection was impressed on the hearts of his friends, and from his wrath, terror on the minds of his enemies. He had taken to the nuptial couch a damsel of fourteen, whose aspect, like the moon at a fortnight old, shone in the sky of beauty; and regarding her society as the relish of life, he strove to observe the rules of true love. From the stores of her company he quaffed the wine of delight, and from the excessive intoxication of his passion, made his heart a sacrifice to every ringlet of the infidel side-locks of that magic-drawing idol. The artful princess, from excessive vanity in her beauty, constantly behaved with coyness, and kept him bound in obligation for her love-exciting smiles. Out of cun­ning, magnifying the high importance of her own chastity, she practised consum­mate art in the management of her illustrious husband.

The prince one day sitting in his chaste haram, looked over some choice pictures, which had received the finish of beauty from masters of nice touch, and limners possessing the pencil of Mani. This idol, mistress of art, sorcery-skilled, was also seated by him. It happened that the portrait of a handsome young man appeared among others. The prin­cess, the form of whose person had been impressed on the journal of existence in characters of art and deceit, and whose composition was formed of the mixtures of dissimulation and the leaven of hypocrisy, instantly threw her veil over her face. The king upon this circum­stance, being filled with surprize, said, “In this palace, where no stranger is present, and the admission of an unentitled* person cannot be supposed, what can be the reason for drawing the veil over thy countenance?” The cunning dame replied, “O Beloved of Egypt,* my bashfulness arose from the picture of this stranger, whose gloting eyes you might fancy are on the gaze. Modesty seized the vesture of my heart, impulsively I hid my face, and was not willing that even the semblance of a strange man’s eye should present itself to mine.” The king, on beholding the purity and chas­tity of his wife, being pleased beyond measure, became entirely confident in her virtue, and his reliance on her fidelity and innocence, from one, grew to an hundred fold.

When some time had passed in this manner, the king one night, as usual, was reclining on the pillow of repose, but in a dozing manner with his eyes half closed, and the gentle queen sitting on a corner of the bed. Suddenly, a tabby cat, having entered at the door, and made two or three springs near the bed, rose up in the form of a beautiful woman. The queen, pattern of virtue, having embraced her with great ardour, uttered many compliments, and seated her by her side. Supposing the king overcome with the fumes of sleep, with­out delay opening the lock of speech, she enquired the reason of her coming? The dame, after the manner of ambassa­dors, sharpening the tongue of message, said, “Thy sister, after expressing the usual desire and affection, represents, that to-night thy niece, quitting the chamber of celibacy, will with good luck and felicity be ushered on the bridal throne. Though all the requisites of festivity have been pre­pared, and the assemblage of good fortune with all auspiciousness and joy has found a happy connection; yet, without thy estimable presence, they can have no brilliancy, and all the ladies being desirous of thy for­tunate interview, wait thy honouring arrival.

VERSE.
“The wine, the musicians and flowers, all are prepared; but festivity cannot be had without my beloved—Where is my beloved?”

“If, observing your former kind­ness and usual favour, you will bind them in obligation, it will be highly acceptable; if you will illume the gloomy chamber of the wishes of expectants with your mirth-conjoined approach, it will be esteemed of importance. The youth also, in the bond of whose love is the heart of the queen of the world, and concerning the taming of which wild one of the forest of affection and regard, before this, the hint was given, has to-night fallen into the snare. The sparkling wine, rosy-coloured, which gives the crim­son tinge to mirth, is eager to be poured out. The melodious gurgling, like the nightingale, sits upon the chrystal branch.”

The angel-resembling queen placed the finger of compliance on her eyes, and shewing much delight and satisfaction, exclaimed, “Since a night which I have sought for in a thousand matin prayers has arrived, the dawn of wakeful prosperity has gleamed from the horizon of my desires, and the garden of my friend’s wishes has received freshness from the wavings of the gale of enjoy­ment; nergus like, should I hasten on the foot of my eyes, it is allowable. Added to this, the attainment of the auspicious company of the glorious youth, who has plundered the wealth of my heart, and to whose amber locks my soul is captive, will be a cause of twofold happiness. How acceptable will it be for two objects to be attained by one smile! With such happiness and delight, God has not blessed my lot with any evening equal to this, nor has night ever before assumed such a love-inspiring form, on each dark lock of which thousands of musk-bags of Tartary are lavished. It must be this night which the retired name The night of Kudder.* As, on account of the king’s sleep my heart is at rest, I will by the assistance of my wakeful fortune convey myself in the twinkling of an eye to the paradisiacal assembly.” Having said this, she dismissed the messenger.

As the place to which the queen intended going was distant six hundred miles from the king’s palace, he became involved in the depth of astonish­ment, and the treasure of comprehension dropped from his hand, how this demon in angel’s form, in one night’s journey, could travel such a distance beyond the reach of human ability, and how return. Even allowing that she could mount the charger of the western breeze, still it could not be conceived accomplishable. At all events, resigning his foot to the path of discovery of this mysterious business, and the develope­ment of such a strange miracle, he guarded his limbs from motion, and like one in sound sleep began to snore. The queen, from whose hypocrisy the devil himself would have run a journey of an hundred years, forthwith dressed herself in royal robes and princely orna­ments, and took uncommon pains in adjusting them. Then calling the vizier’s wife to her, they both together tumbling a little upon the carpet, became transformed into tabby cats, and leaping out of the palace, hastened from the city. The king also, at the same instant, having risen from the bed, followed the cats.

In the environs of the city was a tree of wonderful size and height, its foliage thick, and its branches as it were touching the sky, into which the two cats ascended. The king embracing the trunk, fixed his feet in the upper fibres of the root. All at once the tree began to shake, and moving from its place, mounted rapidly into the air; then, in the twinkling of an eye, becoming fixed again, ceased from motion.* As the sound of trumpets, drums, and flutes, now reached the ears of the king, he supposed that the marriage-feast and assembly of joy was here prepared. Instantly quitting the trunk of the tree, he retired to a little distance. The two cats, having descended, ran towards a city, and the king followed; till at length they reached a palace, where all ranks were assembled in numerous crowds. The cats went into the haram, and the king sat down in the assembly on a corner of the carpet, where no one, from his being a stranger, took notice of him. His attention was wholly bent towards the return of the cats, lest they should escape, he become a wanderer in a foreign country, and, on account of the want of conveyance or a guide, reach not again his own dominions.

When half of the night had elapsed, a young man, bearing a wreath of flow­ers in a tray set with jewels, entered the assembly; for such was the usage in that country, that they first cast a garland of flowers over the shoulders of the bride­groom, and then taking him into the private apartments, performed the mar­riage ceremony, and the usual shug­goon.* It happened that the bridegroom was deformed and ugly. The youth entrusted with the wreath, not thinking it fit to introduce such a misshapen wretch into an assembly of Hoories, and to seat him on the throne with the angel-formed bride, intended, that having chosen a handsome youth from the com­pany, he would throw the wreath upon his shoulders, and, having introduced him into the angel-like assembly, per­form the customs of the shuggoon and the usual ceremonials. It happened that the elegant form and beautiful countenance of the king struck his view; and, without hesitation, casting the wreath upon him, he took him by the hand, and begged him to arise. The king, who from fear of the escape of the cats, trembled like a mouse, regarding the wreath of flowers as a coil of blood-devouring snakes, was confounded, and overwhelmed in the abyss of astonish­ment. As, however, he had not power to refuse, remediless, having submitted his neck to the commands of fate, he arose from the assembly of safety, and resigned his footsteps to the jaws of the crocodile, namely, entered the royal apartments.

Here he beheld a concourse of Hoories and Peries met together; on every side heaps on heaps of the Nusse­reen and Nusterrun,* of the flowers and shrubs of beauty blooming, and smiles and glances, like the leaves of the rose in spring, waving over the surface of the carpet. In short, they seated the young king on the throne of honour; and, according to the custom of the natives of Hindoostan, resembling para­dise, tied round his arms a wreath of pearls and jewels, like the chain of the Pleiades. All the Hoori and Peri-like ladies formed a circle around him, as clusters of stars round the moon. They now performed the shuggoon and customary ceremonies, according to the rules and usages of their tribes.