Murad the Unlucky, and Other Tales

by Maria Edgeworth

  MURAD THE UNLUCKY

  CHAPTER I

  It is well known that the grand seignior amuses himself by going atnight, in disguise, through streets of Constantinople; as the caliphHaroun Alraschid used formerly to do in Bagdad.

  One moonlight night, accompanied by his grand vizier, he traversedseveral of the principal streets of the city without seeing anythingremarkable. At length, as they were passing a rope-maker's, the sultanrecollected the Arabian story of Cogia-Hassan Alhabal, the rope-maker,and his two friends, Saad and Saadi, who differed so much in theiropinion concerning the influence of fortune over human affairs.

  "What is your opinion on this subject?" said the grand seignior to hisvizier.

  "I am inclined, please your majesty," replied the vizier, "to think thatsuccess in the world depends more upon prudence than upon what is calledluck, or fortune."

  "And I," said the sultan, "am persuaded that fortune does more for menthan prudence. Do you not every day hear of persons who are said to befortunate or unfortunate? How comes it that this opinion should prevailamongst men, if it be not justified by experience?"

  "It is not for me to dispute with your majesty," replied the prudentvizier.

  "Speak your mind freely; I desire and command it," said the sultan.

  "Then I am of opinion," answered the vizier, "that people are often ledto believe others fortunate, or unfortunate, merely because they onlyknow the general outline of their histories; and are ignorant of theincidents and events in which they have shown prudence or imprudence. Ihave heard, for instance, that there are at present, in this city, twomen, who are remarkable for their good and bad fortune: one is calledMurad the Unlucky, and the other Saladin the Lucky. Now, I am inclinedto think, if we could hear their stories, we should find that one is aprudent and the other an imprudent character."

  "Where do these men live?" interrupted the sultan. "I will hear theirhistories from their own lips before I sleep."

  "Murad the Unlucky lives in the next square," said the vizier.

  The sultan desired to go thither immediately. Scarcely had they enteredthe square, when they heard the cry of loud lamentations. They followedthe sound till they came to a house of which the door was open, and wherethere was a man tearing his turban, and weeping bitterly. They asked thecause of his distress, and he pointed to the fragments of a china vase,which lay on the pavement at his door.

  "This seems undoubtedly to be beautiful china," said the sultan, takingup one of the broken pieces; "but can the loss of a china vase be thecause of such violent grief and despair?"

  "Ah, gentlemen," said the owner of the vase, suspending his lamentations,and looking at the dress of the pretended merchants, "I see that you arestrangers: you do not know how much cause I have for grief and despair!You do not know that you are speaking to Murad the Unlucky! Were you tohear all the unfortunate accidents that have happened to me, from thetime I was born till this instant, you would perhaps pity me, andacknowledge I have just cause for despair."

  Curiosity was strongly expressed by the sultan; and the hope of obtainingsympathy inclined Murad to gratify it by the recital of his adventures."Gentlemen," said he, "I scarcely dare invite you into the house of suchan unlucky being as I am; but if you will venture to take a night'slodging under my roof, you shall hear at your leisure the story of mymisfortunes."

  The sultan and the vizier excused themselves from spending the night withMurad, saying that they were obliged to proceed to their khan, where theyshould be expected by their companions; but they begged permission torepose themselves for half an hour in his house, and besought him torelate the history of his life, if it would not renew his grief too muchto recollect his misfortunes.

  Few men are so miserable as not to like to talk of their misfortunes,where they have, or where they think they have, any chance of obtainingcompassion. As soon as the pretended merchants were seated, Murad beganhis story in the following manner:--

  "My father was a merchant of this city. The night before I was born hedreamed that I came into the world with the head of a dog and the tail ofa dragon; and that, in haste to conceal my deformity, he rolled me up ina piece of linen, which unluckily proved to be the grind seignior'sturban; who, enraged at his insolence in touching his turban, commandedthat his head should be struck off.

  "My father awaked before he lost his head, but not before he had losthalf his wits from the terror of his dream. He considered it as awarning sent from above, and consequently determined to avoid the sightof me. He would not stay to see whether I should really be born with thehead of a dog and the tail of a dragon; but he set out, the next morning,on a voyage to Aleppo.

  "He was absent for upwards of seven years; and during that time myeducation was totally neglected. One day I inquired from my mother why Ihad been named Murad the Unlucky. She told me that this name was givento me in consequence of my father's dream; but she added that perhaps itmight be forgotten, if I proved fortunate in my future life. My nurse, avery old woman, who was present, shook her head, with a look which Ishall never forget, and whispered to my mother loud enough for me tohear, 'Unlucky he was, and is, and ever will be. Those that are born toill luck cannot help themselves; nor can any, but the great prophet,Mahomet himself, do anything for them. It is a folly for an unluckyperson to strive with their fate: it is better to yield to it at once.'

  "This speech made a terrible impression upon me, young as I then was; andevery accident that happened to me afterwards confirmed my belief in mynurse's prognostic. I was in my eighth year when my father returned fromabroad. The year after he came home my brother Saladin was born, who wasnamed Saladin the Lucky, because the day he was born a vessel freightedwith rich merchandise for my father arrived safely in port.

  "I will not weary you with a relation of all the little instances of goodfortune by which my brother Saladin was distinguished, even during hischildhood. As he grew up, his success in everything he undertook was asremarkable as my ill luck in all that I attempted. From the time therich vessel arrived, we lived in splendour; and the supposed prosperousstate of my father's affairs was of course attributed to the influence ofmy brother Saladin's happy destiny.

  "When Saladin was about twenty, my father was taken dangerously ill; andas he felt that he should not recover, he sent for my brother to the sideof his bed, and, to his great surprise, informed him that themagnificence in which we had lived had exhausted all his wealth; that hisaffairs were in the greatest disorder; for, having trusted to the hope ofcontinual success, he had embarked in projects beyond his powers.

  "The sequel was, he had nothing remaining to leave to his children buttwo large china vases, remarkable for their beauty, but still morevaluable on account of certain verses inscribed upon them in an unknowncharacter, which were supposed to operate as a talisman or charm infavour of their possessors.

  "Both these vases my father bequeathed to my brother Saladin; declaringhe could not venture to leave either of them to me, because I was sounlucky that I should inevitably break it. After his death, however, mybrother Saladin, who was blessed with a generous temper, gave me mychoice of the two vases; and endeavoured to raise my spirits by repeatingfrequently that he had no faith either in good fortune or ill fortune.

  "I could not be of his opinion, though I felt and acknowledged hiskindness in trying to persuade me out of my settled melancholy. I knewit was in vain for me to exert myself, because I was sure that, do what Iwould, I should still be Murad the Unlucky. My brother, on the contrary,was nowise cast down, even by the poverty in which my father left us: hesaid he was sure he should find some means of maintaining himself; and sohe did.

  "On examining our china vases, he found in them a powder of a brightscarlet colour; and it occurred to him that it would make a fine dye. Hetried it, and after some trouble, it succeeded to admiration.

  "During my father's lifetime, my mother had been supplied with richdresses by one of the merchants who was employed by the ladies of thegrand sei
gnior's seraglio. My brother had done this merchant sometrifling favours, and, upon application to him, he readily engaged torecommend the new scarlet dye. Indeed, it was so beautiful, that, themoment it was seen, it was preferred to every other colour. Saladin'sshop was soon crowded with customers; and his winning manners andpleasant conversation were almost as advantageous to him as his scarletdye. On the contrary, I observed that the first glance at my melancholycountenance was sufficient to disgust every one who saw me. I perceivedthis plainly; and it only confirmed me the more in my belief in my ownevil destiny.

  "It happened one day that a lady, richly apparelled and attended by twofemale slaves, came to my brother's house to make some purchases. He wasout, and I alone was left to attend to the shop. After she had lookedover some goods, she chanced to see my china vase, which was in the room.She took a prodigious fancy to it, and offered me any price if I wouldpart with it; but this I declined doing, because I believed that I shoulddraw down upon my head some dreadful calamity if I voluntarilyrelinquished the talisman. Irritated by my refusal, the lady, accordingto the custom of her sex, became more resolute in her purpose; butneither entreaties nor money could change my determination. Provokedbeyond measure at my obstinacy, as she called it, she left the house.

  "On my brother's return, I related to him what had happened, and expectedthat he would have praised me for my prudence; but, on the contrary, heblamed me for the superstitious value I set upon the verses on my vase;and observed that it would be the height of folly to lose a certain meansof advancing my fortune for the uncertain hope of magical protection. Icould not bring myself to be of his opinion; I had not the courage tofollow the advice he gave. The next day the lady returned, and mybrother sold his vase to her for ten thousand pieces of gold. This moneyhe laid out in the most advantageous manner, by purchasing a new stock ofmerchandise. I repented when it was too late; but I believe it is partof the fatality attending certain persons, that they cannot deciderightly at the proper moment. When the opportunity has been lost, I havealways regretted that I did not do exactly the contrary to what I hadpreviously determined upon. Often, whilst I was hesitating, thefavourable moment passed. {1} Now this is what I call being unlucky. Butto proceed with my story.

  "The lady who bought my brother Saladin's vase was the favourite of theSultan, and all-powerful in the seraglio. Her dislike to me, inconsequence of my opposition to her wishes, was so violent, that sherefused to return to my brother's house while I remained there. He wasunwilling to part with me; but I could not bear to be the ruin of so gooda brother. Without telling him my design, I left his house careless ofwhat should become of me. Hunger, however, soon compelled me to think ofsome immediate mode of obtaining relief. I sat down upon a stone, beforethe door of a baker's shop: the smell of hot bread tempted me in, andwith a feeble voice I demanded charity.

  "The master baker gave me as much bread as I could eat, upon conditionthat I should change dresses with him and carry the rolls for him throughthe city this day. To this I readily consented; but I had soon reason torepent of my compliance. Indeed, if my ill-luck had not, as usual,deprived me at this critical moment of memory and judgment, I shouldnever have complied with the baker's treacherous proposal. For some timebefore, the people of Constantinople had been much dissatisfied with theweight and quality of the bread furnished by the bakers. This species ofdiscontent has often been the sure forerunner of an insurrection; and, inthese disturbances, the master bakers frequently lose their lives. Allthese circumstances I knew, but they did not occur to my memory when theymight have been useful.

  "I changed dresses with the baker; but scarcely had I proceeded throughthe adjoining streets with my rolls before the mob began to gather roundme with reproaches and execrations. The crowd pursued me even to thegates of the grand seignior's palace, and the grand vizier, alarmed attheir violence, sent out an order to have my head struck off; the usualremedy, in such cases, being to strike off the baker's head.

  "I now fell upon my knees, and protested I was not the baker for whomthey took me; that I had no connection with him; and that I had neverfurnished the people of Constantinople with bread that was not weight. Ideclared I had merely changed clothes with a master baker for this day,and that I should not have done so but for the evil destiny which governsall my actions. Some of the mob exclaimed that I deserved to lose myhead for my folly; but others took pity on me, and whilst the officer,who was sent to execute the vizier's order, turned to speak to some ofthe noisy rioters, those who were touched by my misfortune opened apassage for me through the crowd, and thus favoured, I effected myescape.

  "I quitted Constantinople; my vase I had left in the care of my brother.At some miles' distance from the city I overtook a party of soldiers. Ijoined them, and learning that they were going to embark with the rest ofthe grand seignior's army for Egypt, I resolved to accompany them. 'Ifit be,' thought I, 'the will of Mahomet that I should perish, the soonerI meet my fate the better.' The despondency into which I was sunk wasattended by so great a degree of indolence, that I scarcely would takethe necessary means to preserve my existence. During our passage toEgypt I sat all day long upon the deck of the vessel, smoking my pipe,and I am convinced that if a storm had risen, as I expected, I should nothave taken my pipe from my mouth, nor should I have handled a rope tosave myself from destruction. Such is the effect of that species ofresignation, or torpor, whichever you please to call it, to which mystrong belief in fatality had reduced my mind.

  "We landed, however, safely, contrary to my melancholy forebodings. By atrifling accident, not worth relating, I was detained longer than any ofmy companions in the vessel when we disembarked, and I did not arrive atthe camp till late at night. It was moonlight, and I could see the wholescene distinctly. There was a vast number of small tents scattered overa desert of white sand; a few date-trees were visible at a distance; allwas gloomy, and all still; no sound was to be heard but that of thecamels feeding near the tents, and, as I walked on, I met with no humancreature.

  "My pipe was now out, and I quickened my pace a little towards a firewhich I saw near one of the tents. As I proceeded, my eye was caught bysomething sparkling in the sand: it was a ring. I picked it up and putit on my finger, resolving to give it to the public crier the nextmorning, who might find out its rightful owner; but, by ill-luck, I putit on my little finger, for which it was much too large, and as Ihastened towards the fire to light my pipe, I dropped the ring. Istooped to search for it amongst the provender on which a mule wasfeeding, and the cursed animal gave me so violent a kick on the head thatI could not help roaring aloud.

  "My cries awakened those who slept in the tent near which the mule wasfeeding. Provoked at being disturbed, the soldiers were ready enough tothink ill of me, and they took it for granted that I was a thief, who hadstolen the ring I pretended to have just found. The ring was taken fromme by force, and the next day I was bastinadoed for having found it; theofficer persisting in the belief that stripes would make me confess whereI had concealed certain other articles of value which had lately beenmissed in the camp. All this was the consequence of my being in a hurryto light my pipe and of my having put the ring on a finger that was toolittle for it, which no one but Murad the Unlucky would have done.

  "When I was able to walk again, after my wounds were healed, I went intoone of the tents distinguished by a red flag, having been told that thesewere coffee-houses. Whilst I was drinking coffee I heard a stranger nearme complaining that he had not been able to recover a valuable ring hehad lost, although he had caused his loss to be published for three daysby the public crier, offering a reward of two hundred sequins to whoevershould restore it. I guessed that this was the very ring which I hadunfortunately found. I addressed myself to the stranger, and promised topoint out to him the person who had forced it from me. The strangerrecovered his ring, and, being convinced that I had acted honestly, hemade me a present of two hundred sequins, as some amends for thepunishment which I had
unjustly suffered on his account.

  "Now you would imagine that this purse of gold was advantageous to me.Far the contrary; it was the cause of new misfortunes.

  "One night, when I thought that the soldiers who were in the same tentwith me were all fast asleep, I indulged myself in the pleasure ofcounting my treasure. The next day I was invited by my companions todrink sherbet with them. What they mixed with the sherbet which I drankI know not, but I could not resist the drowsiness it brought on. I fellinto a profound slumber, and when I awoke, I found myself lying under adate-tree, at some distance from the camp.

  "The first thing I thought of when I came to my recollection was my purseof sequins. The purse I found still safe in my girdle; but on openingit, I perceived that it was filled with pebbles, and not a single sequinwas left. I had no doubt that I had been robbed by the soldiers withwhom I had drunk sherbet, and I am certain that some of them must havebeen awake the night I counted my money; otherwise, as I had nevertrusted the secret of my riches to any one, they could not have suspectedme of possessing any property; for ever since I kept company with them Ihad appeared to be in great indigence.

  "I applied in vain to the superior officers for redress: the soldiersprotested they were innocent; no positive proof appeared against them,and I gained nothing by my complaint but ridicule and ill-will. I calledmyself, in the first transport of my grief, by that name which, since myarrival in Egypt, I had avoided to pronounce: I called myself Murad theUnlucky. The name and the story ran through the camp, and I wasaccosted, afterwards, very frequently, by this appellation. Some,indeed, varied their wit by calling me Murad with the purse of pebbles.

  "All that I had yet suffered is nothing compared to my succeedingmisfortunes.

  "It was the custom at this time, in the Turkish camp, for the soldiers toamuse themselves with firing at a mark. The superior officersremonstrated against this dangerous practice, but ineffectually.Sometimes a party of soldiers would stop firing for a few minutes, aftera message was brought them from their commanders, and then they wouldbegin again, in defiance of all orders. Such was the want of disciplinein our army, that this disobedience went unpunished. In the meantime,the frequency of the danger made most men totally regardless of it. Ihave seen tents pierced with bullets, in which parties were quietlyseated smoking their pipes, whilst those without were preparing to takefresh aim at the red flag on the top.

  "This apathy proceeded, in some, from unconquerable indolence of body; inothers, from the intoxication produced by the fumes of tobacco and ofopium; but in most of my brother Turks it arose from the confidence whichthe belief in predestination inspired. When a bullet killed one of theircompanions, they only observed, scarcely taking the pipes from theirmouths, 'Our hour is not yet come: it is not the will of Mahomet that weshould fall.'

  "I own that this rash security appeared to me, at first, surprising, butit soon ceased to strike me with wonder, and it even tended to confirm myfavourite opinion, that some were born to good and some to evil fortune.I became almost as careless as my companions, from following the samecourse of reasoning. 'It is not,' thought I, 'in the power of humanprudence to avert the stroke of destiny. I shall perhaps die to-morrow;let me therefore enjoy to-day.'

  "I now made it my study every day to procure as much amusement aspossible. My poverty, as you will imagine, restricted me from indulgenceand excess, but I soon found means to spend what did not actually belongto me. There were certain Jews who were followers of the camp, and who,calculating on the probability of victory for our troops, advanced moneyto the soldiers, for which they engaged to pay these usurers exorbitantinterest. The Jew to whom I applied traded with me also, upon the beliefthat my brother Saladin, with whose character and circumstances he wasacquainted, would pay my debts if I should fall. With the money I raisedfrom the Jew I continually bought coffee and opium, of which I grewimmoderately fond. In the delirium it created I forgot all mymisfortunes, all fear of the future.

  "One day, when I had raised my spirits by an unusual quantity of opium, Iwas strolling through the camp, sometimes singing, sometimes dancing,like a madman, and repeating that I was not now Murad the Unlucky. Whilstthese words were on my lips, a friendly spectator, who was in possessionof his sober senses, caught me by the arm, and attempted to drag me fromthe place where I was exposing myself. 'Do you not see,' said he, 'thosesoldiers, who are firing at a mark? I saw one of them, just now,deliberately taking aim at your turban; and observe, he is now reloadinghis piece.' My ill luck prevailed even at this instant--the only instantin my life when I defied its power. I struggled with my adviser,repeating, 'I am not the wretch you take me for; I am not Murad theUnlucky.' He fled from the danger himself; I remained, and in a fewseconds afterwards a ball reached me, and I fell senseless on the sand.

  "The ball was cut out of my body by an awkward surgeon, who gave me tentimes more pain than was necessary. He was particularly hurried at thistime, because the army had just received orders to march in a few hours,and all was confusion in the camp. My wound was excessively painful, andthe fear of being left behind with those who were deemed incurable addedto my torments. Perhaps, if I had kept myself quiet, I might haveescaped some of the evils I afterwards endured; but, as I have repeatedlytold you, gentlemen, it was my ill fortune never to be able to judge whatwas best to be done till the time for prudence was past.

  "During the day, when my fever was at the height, and when my orders wereto keep my bed, contrary to my natural habits of indolence, I rose ahundred times, and went out of my tent in the very heat of the day, tosatisfy my curiosity as to the number of the tests which had not beenstruck, and of the soldiers who had not yet marched. The orders to marchwere tardily obeyed, and many hours elapsed before our encampment wasraised. Had I submitted to my surgeon's orders, I might have been in astate to accompany the most dilatory of the stragglers; I could haveborne, perhaps, the slow motion of a litter, on which some of the sickwere transported; but in the evening, when the surgeon came to dress mywounds, he found me in such a situation that it was scarcely possible toremove me.

  "He desired a party of soldiers, who were left to bring up the rear, tocall for me the next morning. They did so; but they wanted to put meupon the mule which I recollected, by a white streak on its back, to bethe cursed animal that had kicked me whilst I was looking for the ring. Icould not be prevailed upon to go upon this unlucky animal. I tried topersuade the soldiers to carry me, and they took me a little way; but,soon growing weary of their burden, they laid me down on the sand,pretending that they were going to fill a skin with water at a springthey had discovered, and bade me lie still, and wait for their return.

  "I waited and waited, longing for the water to moisten my parched lips;but no water came--no soldiers returned; and there I lay, for severalhours, expecting every moment to breathe my last. I made no effort tomove, for I was now convinced my hour was come, and that it was the willof Mahomet that I should perish in this miserable manner, and lieunburied like a dog: 'a death,' thought I, 'worthy of Murad the Unlucky.'

  "My forebodings were not this time just; a detachment of English soldierspassed near the place where I lay: my groans were heard by them, and theyhumanely came to my assistance. They carried me with them, dressed mywound, and treated me with the utmost tenderness. Christians though theywere, I must acknowledge that I had reason to love them better than anyof the followers of Mahomet, my good brother only excepted.

  "Under their care I recovered; but scarcely had I regained my strengthbefore I fell into new disasters. It was hot weather, and my thirst wasexcessive. I went out with a party, in hopes of finding a spring ofwater. The English soldiers began to dig for a well, in a place pointedout to them by one of their men of science. I was not inclined to suchhard labour, but preferred sauntering on in search of a spring. I saw ata distance something that looked like a pool of water; and I pointed itout to my companions. Their man of science warned me by his interpreternot to trust to this deceitfu
l appearance; for that such were common inthis country, and that, when I came close to the spot, I should find nowater there. He added, that it was at a greater distance than Iimagined; and that I should, in all probability, be lost in the desert ifI attempted to follow this phantom.

  "I was so unfortunate as not to attend to his advice: I set out inpursuit of this accursed delusion, which assuredly was the work of evilspirits, who clouded my reason, and allured me into their dominion. Iwent on, hour after hour, in expectation continually of reaching theobject of my wishes; but it fled faster than I pursued, and I discoveredat last that the Englishman, who had doubtless gained his informationfrom the people of the country, was right; and that the shiningappearance which I had taken for water was a mere deception.

  "I was now exhausted with fatigue: I looked back in vain after thecompanions I had left; I could see neither men, animals, nor any trace ofvegetation in the sandy desert. I had no resource but, weary as I was,to measure back my footsteps, which were imprinted in the sand.

  "I slowly and sorrowfully traced them as my guides in this unknown land.Instead of yielding to my indolent inclinations, I ought, however, tohave made the best of my way back, before the evening breeze sprang up. Ifelt the breeze rising, and, unconscious of my danger, I rejoiced, andopened my bosom to meet it; but what was my dismay when I saw that thewind swept before it all trace of my footsteps in the sand. I knew notwhich way to proceed; I was struck with despair, tore my garments, threwoff my turban, and cried aloud; but neither human voice nor echo answeredme. The silence was dreadful. I had tasted no food for many hours, andI now became sick and faint. I recollected that I had put a supply ofopium into the folds of my turban; but, alas! when I took my turban up, Ifound that the opium had fallen out. I searched for it in vain on thesand, where I had thrown the turban.

  "I stretched myself out upon the ground, and yielded without furtherstruggle to my evil destiny. What I suffered from thirst, hunger, andheat cannot be described. At last I fell into a sort of trance, duringwhich images of various kinds seemed to flit before my eyes. How long Iremained in this state I know not: but I remember that I was brought tomy senses by a loud shout, which came from persons belonging to a caravanreturning from Mecca. This was a shout of joy for their safe arrival ata certain spring, well known to them in this part of the desert.

  "The spring was not a hundred yards from the spot where I lay; yet, suchhad been the fate of Murad the Unlucky, that he missed the reality,whilst he had been hours in pursuit of the phantom. Feeble andspiritless as I was, I sent forth as loud a cry as I could, in hopes ofobtaining assistance; and I endeavoured to crawl to the place from whichthe voices appeared to come. The caravan rested for a considerable timewhilst the slaves filled the skins with water, and whilst the camels tookin their supply. I worked myself on towards them; yet, notwithstandingmy efforts, I was persuaded that, according to my usual ill-fortune, Ishould never be able to make them hear my voice. I saw them mount theircamels! I took off my turban, unrolled it, and waved it in the air. Mysignal was seen! The caravan came towards me!

  "I had scarcely strength to speak; a slave gave me some water, and, afterI had drunk, I explained to them who I was, and how I came into thissituation.

  "Whilst I was speaking, one of the travellers observed the purse whichhung to my girdle: it was the same the merchant for whom I recovered thering had given to me; I had carefully preserved it, because the initialsof my benefactor's name and a passage from the Koran were worked upon it.When he give it to me, he said that perhaps we should meet again in someother part of the world, and he should recognise me by this token. Theperson who now took notice of the purse was his brother; and when Irelated to him how I had obtained it, he had the goodness to take meunder his protection. He was a merchant, who was now going with thecaravan to Grand Cairo: he offered to take me with him, and I willinglyaccepted the proposal, promising to serve him as faithfully as any of hisslaves. The caravan proceeded, and I was carried with it."