Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 2/The Story of Amine
The Sixty Seventh Night.
DInarzade was in a longing Condition to hear the Story of Amine, and therefore awak’d the Sultanelſs a long while before Day, ſaying, Dear Siſter, pray let us know why fair Amine had her Breaſt ſo cover’d with Scars: I conſent to it, ſays the Sultaneſs, and that no time may be loſt, you muſt know that Amine addreſs’d her ſelf to the Caliph, and began her Story after this manner.
The Story of Amine.
COmmander of the Faithful, ſays ſhe, to avoid repeating what your Majeſty has aiready heard by my Sifter’s Story, I ſhall on!y add, that after my Mother had taken a Houſe for her ſelf to live in during her Widow-hood, ſhe gave me in Marriage with the Portion my Father left me, to a Gentleman that had one of the beſt Eſtates in this City.
I had ſcarce been a Year married when I became a Widow, and was left in Poſſeſſion of all my Husband’s Eſtate, which amounted to 90 thouſand Sequins. The Intereſt of this Money was ſufficient to maintain me very honourably. In the mean time, when my firſt fix Months Mourning was over, I caus’d to be made me 10 Suits of Cloths very rich, ſo that each Suit came to a thouſand Sequins; and when the Year was paſt, I began to wear them.
One Day, as | was buſy all alone about my private Affairs, there came one and told me, that a Lady deſir’d to ſpeak to me, I order’d them to bring her in: She was a Perſon well ſtricken in Years, ſhe ſaluted me by kiſſing the Ground, and told me kneeling, Dear Lady, pray excuſe the Freedom I take to trouble you, the Confidence I have in your Charity makes me thus bold; I muſt acquaint your Ladyſhip that I have a Daughter an Orphan, who is to be married this Day; ſhe and I are both Strangers, and have no Acquaintance at all in this Town; this puts me in a mighty Perplexiry, for we would have the numerous Family with whom we are going to ally our ſelves, to think we are not altogether Strangers, and without Credit: Therefore, moſt beautiful Lady, if you would vouchſafe to honour the Wedding with your Preſence, we ſhall be infinitely oblig’d to you; becauſe the Ladies of your Country will then know that we are not look’d upon here as deſpicable Wretches, when they ſhall come to underſtand, that a Lady of your Quality did us that Honour. But alas, Madam, if you refuſe the Requeſt, we ſhall be altogether diſgrac’d and dare not addreſs our ſelves to any other.
This poor Woman’s Diſcourſe, mix’d with Tears, mov’d my Compaſſion: Good Woman; ſaid I, do not afflict your ſelf, I am willing to grant you the Favour you deſire, tell me what Place I muſt come to, and I will meet you as ſoon as I am dreſs’d; the old Woman was tranſported with Joy at my Anſwer, that ſhe kiſs’d my Feet, without my being able to hinder it. Good charitable Lady, ſaid ſhe, riſing up, God will reward the Kindneſs you have ſhew’d to your Servants, and make your Heart as joyful as you have made theirs. It’s too ſoon yet to give your ſelf that Trouble, it will be time enough when I come to call you in the Evening: So farewel, Madam, ſaid ſhe, till I have the Honour to ſee you again.
As ſoon as ſhe was gone, I took the Suit I liked beft, with a Necklace of large Pearl, Bracelets, Pendants in my Ears, and Rings ſet with the fineſt and moſt ſparkling Diamonds; for my Mind preſaged what would befal me.
When Nightdrew on, the old Woman came to call me with a Countenance full of Joy, ſhe kiſs’d my Hands, and ſaid, My dear Lady, the Relations of my son-in-law who are the principal Ladies of the Town, are now met together, you may come when you pleaſe, I am ready to wait upon you. We went immediately, ſhe going before, and I followed her with a good number of my Maids and Slaves very well dreſt: We ſtopt in a large Street, newly ſwept and water’d at a large Gate with a Lanthorn before it, by the Light of which I could read this Inſcription over the Gate in golden Letters, Here is the Abode of everlaſting Pleaſures and Content. The old Woman knock’d, and the Gate was open’d immediately.
They brought me to the lower end of the Court, in a large Hall, where I was received by a young Lady of admirable Beauty, ſhe came up to me, and after having embraced me, and made me ſit down by her upon a Sofa, where there was a Throne of precious Wood, beſet with Diamonds, Madam, ſaid ſhe, you are brought hither to aſſiſt at a Wedding; but I hope this Marriage will prove otherwiſe than what you expected. I have a Brother, one of the handſomeſt Men in the World; he is fall’n ſo much in Love with the Fame of your Beauty, that his Fate depends wholly upon you, and will be the unhappieſt of Men, if you do not take pity on him. He knows your Quality, and I can aſſure you that he is in no wiſe unworthy of your Alliance. If my Prayers, Madam, can prevail, I ſhall join them with his, and humbly beg you will not refuſe the Offer, of being his Wife.
After the Death of my Husband I had no Thoughts of marrying again: But I had no Power to refuſe the Offer made by ſo charming a Lady. As ſoon as I had given Conſent, by ſilence, accompanied with a Bluſh, the young Lady clapt her Hands, and immediately a Cloſet-Door open’d, out of which came a young Man of a majeſtick Air, and ſo graceful a Behaviour, that I thought my ſelf happy to have made ſo great a Conqueſt. He ſat down by me, and by the Diſcourſe we had together, I found that his Merits far exceeded the Account his Siſter had gave me of him.
When ſhe ſaw that we were ſatisfied one with another, ſhe clapt her Hands a ſecond time, and out came a Cadis, or Scrivener, who wrote our Contract of Marriage, ſigned it himſelf, and caucd’it to be atteſted by four Witneſſes he brought along with him, The only thing that my new Spouſe made me promiſe was, That I ſhould not be ſeen, nor ſpeak with any other Man but himſelf; and he vowed to me upon that Condition, that I ſhould have no reaſon to complain of him. Our Marriage was concluded and finiſh’d after this manner, ſo I became the principal Actreſs of a Wedding, whereunto I was only invited as a Gueſt,
After we had been married a Month, I had occaſion for ſome Stuffs, I asked my Husband’s leave to go out and buy them, which he granted; and I took that old Woman along with me, of whom I ſpoke before, ſhe being one of the Family, and two of my own female Slaves.
When we came to the Street wherethe Merchants dwell, the old Woman told me, Dear Miſtreſs, ſince you want Silk-Stuffs, I muſt carry you to a young Merchant of my Acquaintance, he has of all ſorts, and it will prevent your wearying your ſelf, by going from one Shop to another, I can aſſure you that he is able to furniſh you with that which no body elſe can. I was eafily perſuaded, and we enter’d into a Shop belonging to a young Merchant, a Man likely enough; I ſat down, and bid the old Woman deſire him to ſhow me the fineſt Silk-Stuffs he had: The Woman bid me ſpeak my ſelf, but I told her it was one of the Articles of my Marriage-Contract, not to ſpeak to any Man but my Husband which I ought to keep.
The Merchant ſhew’d me Toatad Stuffs, of which one pleaſed me better than the reſt; I bid her ask the Price. He anſwer’d the old Woman, I will not ſell it for Gold or Money, but I will make her a Preſent of it it ſhe will give me leave to kiſs her Cheek. I bid the old Woman tell him, that he was very rude to propoſe ſuch a thing. But inſtead of obeying me, ſhe ſaid, what the Merchant deſires of you is no ſuch great matter, you need not ſpeak, but only preſent him your Check, and the Buſineſs will ſoon be done; the Stuff pleaſed me ſo much, that I was fooliſh enough to take her Advice, The old Woman and my Slaves ſtood up that no body ſhould ſee it, and I put up my Veil; but inſtead of a Kiſs, the Merchant bit me till the Blood came.
The Pain and Surprize was ſo great, that I fell down in a Swoon, and continu’d in it ſo long, that the Merchant had time to ſhut his Shop, and fly for it. When I came to my ſelf found my Cheek all Bloody: The old Woman and my Slaves took care to cover it with my Veil, that the People that came about us could not perceive it, but ſuppoſed it to be only a fainting Fit.
Scheherazade, as ſhe ſpoke theſe Words, perceiv’d Day, and held her Peace. The Sultan finding the Relation very extraordinary and pleaſant, roſe up with a Deſign to hear the reſt of it.
The Sixty Eighth Night.
WHEN next Night was near an end, Dizarzade awak’d, and called the Sultaneſs, if you pleaſe, Siſter, pray continue the Story of Amine. Scheherazade anſwered, the Lady reſum’d it thus.
The old Woman that was with me being extreamly troub’ed at the Accident, endeavour’d to comfort me; My dear Miftreſs, ſaid ſhe, I beg your Pardon, for I am the Cauſe of this Misfortune, having brought you to this Merchant, becauſe he is my Countryman but I never thought he could be capable of ſuch a villanous Action. But do not grieve, let us make haſte to go home, I will give you a Medicine that ſtall perfectly cure you in three Days time, ſo that the leaſt Mark ſhall not be ſeen. The Fit had made me ſo weak that I was ſcarce able to walk: But at laſt I got home, where I had a ſecond Fit, as I went into my Chamber. Mean while the old Woman applied her Remedy, fo that I came to my ſelf, and went to bed.
My Husband came to me at Night, and ſeeing my Head bound up, ask’d me the Reaſon? I told him, I had the Head-ach, and hop’d he would enquire no farther; but he took a Candle and ſaw my Cheek was hurt: How comes this Wound, ſaid he? And tho’ I was not very guilty, yet I could not think of owning, the thing: Beſides, to make ſuch a Confeſſion to a Husband, I thought was ſomewhat undecent; therefore I told him, That as I was going to ſeek for that Stuff you gave me leave to buy, a Porter, carrying a Load of Wood, came ſo cloſe by me, as I went through a narrow Street that one of the Sticks gave me a Rub on my Cheek, but it is not much hurt. This put my Husband into ſuch a Paſſion, that he vow’d it ſhould not go unpuniſh’d; for I will to morrow give Order to the Lieutenant of the Police to ſeize upon all thoſe Brutes of Porters, and cauſe them to be hang’d. Being afraid to occaſion the Death of ſo many innocent Perſons, I told him, Sir, I ſhould be ſorry that ſo great a Piece of Injuſtice ſhould be committed. Pray don’t do it; for I ſhomld judge my ſelf unpardonable if I were the Cauſe of ſo much Miſchief. Then tell me ſincerely, ſaid He, how came you this Wound? I anſwer’d, That it came through the Inadvertency of a Broomſeller upon an aſs, who coming behind me, and looking another way, his Aſs gave me ſuoh a Puſh, that I fell down and hurt my Cheek upon ſome Glaſs: Is it ſo, ſaid my Husband? Then to morrow Morning befors Sun-riſing the Grand Viſter Giafar ſhall have an Account of this Inſolence, and he ſhall cauſe all the Broomſellers to be put to Death. For the Love of God, Sir, ſaid I, let me beg of you to pardon them for they are not guilty. How, Madam, ſaid he, what is it I muſt believe? Speak, for I am abſolutely reſolv’d to know the Truth from your own Mouth. Sir, ſaid I, I was taken with the Giddineſs, and fell down, and that’s the whole Matter.
At theſe laſt Words my Husband loſt all Patience. Oh! cry’d he, I have given ear to your lies too long; with that, clapping his Hands, in came three Slaves: Pull her out of Bed, ſaid he, and lay her on the middle of the Floor. The Slaves obeyed his Orders; one holding me by the Head, another by the Feet; he commanded the third to fetch him a Scimiter, and then he had brought it, Strike, ſaid he, cut her in two in the middle, and then throw her into the Tigris to feed the Fiſhes, This is the Puniſhment I give to thoſe to whom I have given my Heart, if they falſify their Promiſe. When he ſaw that the Slave made no haſte to obey his Orders, Why do you not ſtrike, ſaid he? Who is it that holds you? What art thou waiting for?
Madam, then, ſaid the Slave, you are near the laſt Moment of your Life, conſider if you have any thing to diſpoſe of before you die. I begg’d leave to ſpeak one Word, which was granted me. I lifted up my Head, and looking wiſhfully to my Husband, Alas! ſaid I, to what Condition am I reduced, muſt I then die in the Prime of my Yonth? I could ſay no more, for my Tears and Sighs prevented me. My Husband was not at all moved, but on the contrary went on to reproach me; ſo that to have made an Anſwer would have been in vain, I had recourſe to Intreaties and Prayers, but he had no regard to them, and commanded the Slaves to proceed to Execution. The old Woman that had been his Nurſe, came in juſt at that Moment, fell down upon her Knees, and endeavour’d to appeaſe his Wrath: My Son, ſaid ſhe, ſince I have been your Nurſe and brought you up, let me beg the Favour of you to grant me her Life; conſider, that he who kills ſhall be kill’d, and that you will ſtain your Reputation, and loſe the Eſteem of Mankind. What will not the World ſay of ſuch a bloody Rage: She ſpoke theſe Words in ſuch a taking Way, accompanied with Tears, that ſhe gained upon him at laſt.
Well then, ſays he to his Nurſe, for your Sake I will ſpare his Life, but ſhe ſhall carry ſome Marks along with her, to make her remember her Crime; with that one of his Slaves, by his Order, gave me ſo many Blows, as hard as he could ſtrike, with a little Cane upon my Sides and Breaſt, that he fetch’d both Skin and Fleſh away, ſo that I lay ſenſeleſs; after that he caus’d the ſame Slaves, the Executioners of his Fury, to carry me into a Houſe where the old Woman took care of me. I kept my Bed four Months; at laſt I recover’d; but the Scars you ſaw yeſterday, againſt my Will have remained ever ſince.
As ſoon as I was able to walk and go abroad, I reſolv’d to go to the Houſe which was my own by my firſt Husband, but I could net find the Place. My ſecond Husband, in the Heat of his Wrath, was not content to have razed it to the Ground, but caus’d all the Street where it ſtood to be pull’d down. I believe ſuch a violent Proceeding was never heard of before; but againſt whom ſhould I make my Complaint? The Author had taken ſuch Care, that he was not to be found, neither could I know him again if I ſaw him: And ſuppoſe I had known him, is it not eaſily ſeen that the Treatment I met with proceeded from abſolute Power; then how dared I make any Complaints?
Being deſolate and unprovided of every thing, I had recourſe to my dear Siſter Zobeide, who gave your Majeſty juſt now an Account of her Adventures; to her I made known my Misfortunes; ſhe received me with her accuſtom’d Goodneſs, and advis’d me to hear it with Patience. This is the Way of the World, ſaid ſhe, which either robs us of our Means, our Friends or our Lovers, and oftentimes of all at once: And at the ſame time, to confirm what ſhe had ſaid, ſhe gave me an Account of the Loſs of the young Prince, occafioned by the Jealouſy of her two Siſters; ſhe told me alſo by what Accident they were transformed into Bitches: And in the laſt place, after a thouſand Teſtimonies of her Love towards me, ſhe ſhew’d me my youngeſt Siſter, who had likewiſe taken ſanctuary with her, after the Death of her Mother.
Thus we gave God Thanks, that had brought us together again, reſolving to live a ſingle Life, and never to ſeparate any more, for we have enjoy’d this peaceable Way of living a good many Years: And as it was my Buſineſs to mind the Affairs of the Houſe, I always took pleaſure to go my ſelf and buy in what we wanted. I happened to go abroad yeſterday, and the Things I bought I cauſed to be brought home by a Porter, who proved to be a ſenlible and a jocoſe Fellow, and we kept him by us for a little Diverſion. Three Callenders happen’d to come to our Door, as it began to grow dark, and pray’d us to give them ſhelter till next Morning: We gave them entrance, but upon certain Conditions, which they agreed unto; and after we had made them fit down at the Table by us, they gave us a Conſort of Mulick after their Faſhion, and at the ſame time we heard knocking at our Gate. Theſe were the three Merchants of Mouſſol, Men of a very good Mein, who begg’d the ſame Favour which the Callenders had obtain’d before: We conſented to it upon the ſame Conditions, but neither of them kept their Promiſe; and though we had Power on our fide to puniſh them, yet we contented our ſelves with demanding from them the Hiſtory of their Lives, and conſequently bounded our Revenge with diſmiſſing them, after they had done, and deprived them of the Lodging they demanded.
The Califf Haroun Alraſhid was very well ſatisfied with theſe ſtrange Stories, and declared publickly his Aſtonifhment at what he had heard.
But, Sir, ſaid Scheherazade, Day begins to break, ſo that I have no time to acquaint your Majeſty what the Caliph did to put an end to the Inchantments of the two black Bitches, Schahriar ſuppoſing that the Sultaneſs would quite finiſh the Story of the five Ladies, and the three Callenders, the next Night roſe up and ſuffer’d her to live till next Morning.
The Sixty Ninth Night.
FOR the Love of Heaven, Siſter, cried Dinarzade before it was Day, it you be not aſleep, tell us how the two black Bitches were brought to their former Shape, and what became of the three Callenders. I will ſatisfy your Curioſity, ſaid Scheherazade: Then addreſſing her Diſcourſe to Schahriar, ſhe purſued it thus:
Sir, the Caliph having ſatisfied his Curioſity, thought himſelt oblig’d to give ſome Marks of Grandeur and Generoſity to the Callender-Princes, and alſo to give the three Ladies ſome Proofs of his Bounty. He himſelf, without making uſe of his Miniſter, the Grand Viſier, ſpoke to Zobeide, Madam, this Fairy, that ſhewed her felſ to you in the Shape of a Serpent, and impos’d ſuch a rigorous Command upon you, Did ſhe not tell you where her Place of Abode was? or rather, did ſhe not promiſe to come again to ſee you, and reſtore thoſe Bitches to their natural Shape?
Commander of the Faithful, anſwer’d Zobeide, I forgot to tell your Majeſty, that the Fairy left with me a Bundle of Hair, ſaying withal, that her Preſence would one Day ſtand me in ftead, and then, if I only burnt two Tufts of this Hair, ſhe would be with me in a Moment, though ſhe were beyond Mount Caucaſus. Madam, ſays the Calif, where is the Bundle of Hair? She anſwer’d, ever ſince that Time, I have had ſuch a particular Care of it, that I always carry it about me: Upon which ſhe pull’d it out, open’d the Cafe a little where it was, and ſhew’d it him. Well then, ſaid the Califf, let us make the Fairy come hither, you could not call her in a better time, for I long to ſee her.
Zobeide having conſented to it, Fire was brought in, and ſhe threw the whole Bundle of Hair into it: The Palace begun to ſhake at that very inſtant, and the Fairy appear’d before the Califf in the Shape of a Lady very richly dreſs’d.
Commander of the Faithful, ſaid ſhe, to the Prince, you fee I am ready to come and receive your Commands. The Lady who gave me this Call, by your Order did me a particular piece of Service; to wake my Gratitude appear, I reveng’d her of her Siſters Inhumanity, by changing them into Bitches: But if your Majeſty commands it, I will restore them to their natural Shape.
Handſome Fairy ſaid the Calif, you cannot do me a greater Pleaſure, vouchſafe them that Favour, and after that I will find out ſome means to comfort them for their hard Penance: But beſides, I have another Boon to ask in ſavour of that Lady, who has had ſuch cruel Uſage from an unknown Husband: And as you undoubtedly know a great many things, we have Reaſon to believe that you cannot be ignorant of this, oblige me with the name of this barbarous Fellow, that could not be contented to exerciſe this barbarous Cruelty upon her Perſon, but has alſo moſt unjuſtly taken from her all the Subſtance ſhe had; I only admire how ſuch an unjuſt and inhuman Action could be perform’d in ſpight of my Authority, and not come to my Ears.
To ſerve your Majeſty, anſwer’d the Fairy, I will reſtore the two Bitches to their former State, and I will cure the Lady of her Scars that it ſhali never appear ſhe was ſo beat; and at laſt I will tell you who it was that did it.
The Ca’iff ſent tor the two Bitches from Zobeide’s Houſe, and when they came a Glaſs of Water was brought to the Fairy, upon her Deſire; ſhe pronounc’d ſome Words over it, which no body undesſtood; Then throwing ſome part of it upon Amine, and the reſt upon the Bitches, the latter became two Ladies of ſurprizivg Beauty, and the Scars that were upon Amin vaniſh’d away, After which the Fairy ſaid to the Califf; Commander of the Faithful, I muſt now diſcover to you the unknown Husband you inquire after; he is very near related to your ſelf for it is Prince Amine your eldeſt Son, who ſalling pafſionately in love with this Lady, by the Fame, he had heard of her Beauty, he, by an Intrigue, got her brought to his Houſe, when he he married her. As to the Strokes he caus’d to be given her, he is in ſome manner excuſable; for the Lady his Spouſe had been a little too eaſy, and the Excuſes ſhe had made were capable to make him believe ſhe was more faulty than really ſhe was. This is all I can ſay to ſatisfy your Curioſity; and at theſe Words ſhe ſaluted the Califf and vaniſh’d.
The Prince being fill:d with Admiration, and having much ſatisſaction in the changes that had happened through his Means, did ſuch things as will perpetuate his Memory to all Ages, Firſt, he ſent for his Son Amin, and told him, that he was inform’d of his ſecret Marriage, and how he had wounded Amine upon a very ſlight Cauſe. Upon this the Prince did not wait for his Father’s Commands, but receiv’d her again immediately.
After which the Califf declared, that he would give his own Heart and Hand to Zobeide, and offer’d the other three Siſters to the Callenders, that were Kings Sons, who accepted them for their Brides with a great deal of Joy. The Califf aſſigned each of them a magnificent Palace in the City of Bagdad, promoted them to the higheſt Dignities of his Empire, and admitted them to his Councils.
The Town Clerk of Bagdad being call’d, with Witnefſes, wrote the Contracts of Marriage; and the famous Califf Haroun Alraſbid, by making the Fortunes of ſo many Perſons that had undergone ſuch incredible Calamities, drew a thouſand Bleſſings upon himſelf.
Finis.
