The Pacha of Many Tales
Page 16
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER ONE.
The next morning the pacha and his minister, after the business of thedivan, with their heads aching from the doubts of Hudusi, or the meansthat they had taken to remove them, in not the best humour in the worldlistened to the continuation of them, as follows:--
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I have heard it observed, continued Hudusi, that the sudden possessionof gold will make a brave man cautious, and he who is not brave, stillmore dastardly than he was before. It certainly was the case with me;my five hundred pieces of gold had such an effect, that every thing inthe shape of valour oozed out at my fingers' ends. I reflected again,and the result was, that I determined to have nothing more to do withthe business, and that neither the sultan nor the pacha should be thebetter for my exertions. That night we made a sally; and as I wasconsidered a prodigy of valour, I was one of those who were ordered tolead on my troop. I curled my moustachios, swore I would not leave ajanissary alive, flourished my scimitar, marched out at the head of mytroop, and then took to my heels, and in two days arrived safely at mymother's house. As soon as I entered, I tore my turban, and threw dustupon my head, in honour of my father's memory, and then sat down. Mymother embraced me--we were alone.
"And your father? Is it for him that we are to mourn?"
"Yes," replied I, "he was a lion, and he is in Paradise."
My mother commenced a bitter lamentation; but of a sudden recollectingherself, she said, "but, Hudusi, it's no use tearing one's hair and goodclothes for nothing. Are you sure that your father is dead?"
"Quite sure," replied I. "I saw him down."
"But he may only be wounded," replied my mother.
"Not so, my dearest mother, abandon all hope, for I saw his head off."
"Are you sure it was his body that you saw with the head off?"
"Quite sure, dear mother, for I was a witness to its being cut off."
"If that is the case," replied my mother, "he can never come back again,that's clear. Allah acbar--God is great. Then must we mourn." And mymother ran out into the street before the door, shrieking and screaming,tearing her hair and her garments, so as to draw the attention and thesympathy of all her neighbours, who asked her what was the matter. "Ah!wahi, the head of my house is no more," cried she, "my heart is allbitterness--my soul is dried up--my liver is but as water; ah! wahi, ah!wahi," and she continued to weep and tear her hair, refusing allconsolation. The neighbours came to her assistance; they talked to her,they reasoned with her, restrained her violence, and soothed her intoquietness. They all declared that it was a heavy loss, but that a truebeliever had gone to Paradise; and they all agreed that no woman'sconduct could be more exemplary, that no woman was ever more fond of herhusband. I said nothing, but I must acknowledge that, from her previousconversation with me, and the quantity of pilau which she devoured thatevening for her supper, I _very much doubted the fact_.
I did not remain long at home; as, although it was my duty to acquaintmy mother with my father's death, it was also my duty to appear toreturn to my corps. This I had resolved never more to do. I reflectedthat a life of quiet and ease was best suited to my disposition; and Iresolved to join some religious sect. Before I quitted my mother's roofI gave her thirty sequins, which she was most thankful for, as she wasin straitened circumstances. "Ah!" cried she, as she wrapt up the moneycarefully in a piece of rag, "if you could only have brought back yourpoor father's head, Hudusi!"--I might have told her that she had justreceived what I had sold it for--but I thought it just as well to saynothing about it; so I embraced her, and departed.
There was a sort of dervishes, who had taken up their quarters aboutseven miles from the village where my mother resided; and as they neverremained long in one place, I hastened to join them. On my arrival, Irequested to speak with their chief, and imagining that I was come withthe request of prayers to be offered up on behalf of some wished-forobject, I was admitted.
"Khoda shefa midehed--God gives relief," said the old man. "Whatwishest thou, my son? Khosh amedeed--you are welcome."
I stated my wish to enter into the sect, from a religious feeling; andrequested that I might be permitted.
"Thou knowest not what thou askest, my son. Ours is a hard life, one ofpenitence, prostration, and prayer--our food is but of herbs and thewater of the spring; our rest is broken, and we know not where to layour heads. Depart, yaha bibi, my friend, depart in peace."
"But, father," replied I (for to tell your highness the truth,notwithstanding the old man's assertions, as to their austerities oflife, I very much doubted the fact), "I am prepared for all this, ifnecessary, and even more. I have brought my little wealth to add to thestore, and contribute to the welfare of your holy band; and I must notbe denied." I perceived that the old man's eyes twinkled at the baremention of gold, and I drew from my sash five and twenty sequins, whichI had separated from my hoard, with the intention of offering it. "See,holy father," continued I, "the offering which I would make."
"Barik Allah--praise be to God," exclaimed the dervish, "that he hassent us a true believer. Thy offering is accepted; but thou must notexpect yet to enter into the austerities of our holy order. I have manydisciples here, who wear the dress, and yet they are not as regular asgood dervishes should be; but there is a time for all things, and whentheir appetite to do wrong fails them, they will (Inshallah, pleaseGod), in all probability, become more holy and devout men. You areaccepted." And the old man held out his hand for the money, which heclutched with eagerness, and hid away under his garment. "Ali," saidhe, to one of the dervishes who had stood at some distance during myaudience, "this young man--what is your name--Hudusi--is admitted intoour fraternity. Take him with thee, give him a dress of the order, andlet him be initiated into our mysteries, first demanding from him theoath of secrecy. Murakhas, good Hudusi, you are dismissed."
I followed the dervish through a narrow passage, until we arrived at adoor, at which he knocked; it was opened, and I passed through acourt-yard, where I perceived several of the dervishes stretched on theground in various postures, breathing heavily, and insensible.
"These," said my conductor, "are holy men who are favoured by Allah.They are in a trance, and during that state, are visited by the Prophet,and are permitted to enter the eighth heaven, and see the gloriesprepared for true believers." I made no reply to his assertion, but asit was evident that they were all in a state of beastly intoxication, I_very much doubted the fact_.
I received my dress, took an oath of secrecy, and was introduced to mycompanions; whom I soon found to be a set of dissolute fellows,indulging in every vice, and laughing at every virtue; living inidleness, and by the contributions made to them by the people, whofirmly believed in their pretended sanctity. The old man, with thewhite beard, who was their chief, was the only one who did not indulgein debauchery. He had outlived his appetite for the vices of youth, andfallen into the vice of age--a love for money, which was insatiable. Imust acknowledge that the company and mode of living were more to mysatisfaction than the vigils, hard fare, and constant prayer, with whichthe old man had threatened me, when I proposed to enter the community,and I soon became an adept in dissimulation and hypocrisy, and a greatfavourite with my brethren.
I ought to have observed to your sublimity, that the sect of dervishes,of which I had become a member, were then designated by the name of_howling_ dervishes; all our religion consisted in howling like jackalsor hyenas, with all our might, until we fell down in real or pretendedconvulsions. My howl was considered as the most appalling and unearthlythat was ever heard; and, of course, my sanctity was increased inproportion. We were on our way to Scutari, where was our real place ofresidence, and only lodged here and there on our journey to fleece thosewho were piously disposed. I had not joined more than ten days whenthey continued their route, and after a week of very profitabletravelling, passed through Constantinople, crossed the Bosphorus, andr
egained their place of domiciliation, and were received with great joyby the inhabitants, to whom the old chief and many others of our troopwere well known.
Your sublime highness must be aware that the dervishes are not onlyconsulted by, but often become the bankers of, the inhabitants, whoentrust them with the care of their money. My old chief (whose name Ishould have mentioned before was Ulu-bibi), held large sums in trust formany of the people with whom he was acquainted; but his avarice inducinghim to lend the money out on usury, it was very difficult to recover itwhen it was desired, although it was always religiously paid back. Ihad not been many months at Scutari, before I found myself in highfavour, from my superior howling, and the duration of my convulsions.But during this state, which by habit soon became spasmodic, continuinguntil the vital functions were almost extinct, the mind was as active asever, and I lay immersed in a sea of doubt which was most painful. Inmy state of exhaustion I doubted every thing. I doubted if myconvulsions were convulsions, or only feigned; I doubted if I was asleepor awake; I doubted whether I was in a trance, or in another world, ordead, or--
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"Friend Hudusi," interrupted Mustapha, "we want the facts of your story,and not your doubts. Say I not well, your highness? What is all thisbut bosh--nothing?"
"It is well said," replied the pacha.
"Sometimes I thought that I had seized possession of a fact, but itslipped through my fingers like the tail of an eel."
"Let us have the facts, which did not escape thee, friend, and let themists of doubt be cleared away before the glory of the pacha," repliedMustapha.
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One day I was sitting in the warmth of the sun, by the tomb of a truebeliever, when an old woman accosted me.
"You are welcome," said I.
"Is your humour good?" said she.
"It is good," replied I.
She sat down by me; and, after a quarter of an hour, she continued: "Godis great," said she.
"And Mahomet is his Prophet," replied I. "In the name of Allah, what doyou wish?"
"Where is the holy man? I have money to give into his charge. May Inot see him?"
"He is at his devotions but what is that? Am not I the same? Do I notwatch when he prayeth--Inshallah--please God we are the same. Give methe bag."
"Here it is," said she, pulling out the money; "seven hundred sequins,my daughter's marriage portion; but there are bad men, who steal, andthere are good men, whom we can trust. Say I not well?"
"It is well said," replied I, "and God is great."
"You will find the money right," said she. "Count it."
I counted it, and returned it into the goat's-skin bag. "It is allright. Leave me, woman, for I must go in."
The old woman left me, returning thanks to Allah that her money wassafe; but from certain ideas running in my mind, I very _much doubtedthe fact_. I sat down full of doubt. I doubted if the old woman hadcome honestly by the money; and whether I should give it to the headdervish. I doubted whether I ought to retain it for myself, and whetherI might not come to mischief. I also had my doubts--
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"I have no doubt," interrupted Mustapha, "but that you kept it foryourself. Say--is it not so?"
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Even so did my doubts resolve into that fact. I settled it in my mind,that seven hundred sequins, added to about four hundred still in mypossession, would last some time, and that I was tired of the life of ahowling dervish. I therefore set up one last long final howl, to let mysenior know that I was present, and then immediately became absent. Ihastened to the bazaar, and purchasing here and there--at one place avest, at another a shawl, and at another a turban--I threw off my dressof a dervish, hastened to the bath, and after a few minutes under thebarber, came out like a butterfly from its dark shell. No one wouldhave recognised in the spruce young Turk, the filthy dervish. Ihastened to Constantinople, where I lived gaily, and spent my money; butI found that to mix in the world, it is necessary not only to have anattaghan, but also to have the courage to use it; and in several broilswhich took place, from my too frequent use of the water of the Giaour, Iinvariably proved, that although my voice was that of a lion, my heartwas but as water, and the finger of contempt was but too often pointedat the beard of pretence. One evening, as I was escaping from acoffee-house, after having drawn my attaghan, without having the courageto face my adversary, I received a blow from his weapon which cleft myturban, and cut deeply into my head. I flew through the streets uponthe wings of fear, and at last ran against an unknown object, which Iknocked down, and then fell alongside of, rolling with it in the mud. Irecovered myself, and looking at it, found it to be alive, and, in theexcess of my alarm, I imagined it to be Shitan himself; but if not thedevil himself, it was one of the sons of Shitan, for it was anunbeliever, a Giaour, a dog to spit upon; in short, it was a Frankhakim--so renowned for curing all diseases, that it was said he wasassisted by the Devil.
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"Lahnet be Shitan! Curses on the devil," said Mustapha, taking his pipeout of his mouth and spitting.
"Wallah thaib! It is well said," replied the pacha.
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I was so convinced that it was nothing of this world, that, as soon as Icould recover my legs, I made a blow at him with my attaghan, fullyexpecting that he would disappear in a flame of fire at the touch of atrue believer; but on the contrary, he had also recovered his legs, andwith a large cane with a gold top on it, he parried my cut, and thensaluted me with such a blow on my head, that I again fell down in themud, quite insensible. When I recovered, I found myself on a mat in anouthouse, and attended by my opponent, who was plastering up my head."It is nothing," said he, as he bound up my head, but I suffered so muchpain, and felt so weak with loss of blood, that in spite of hisassertions, I very much doubted the fact. Shall I describe this son ofJehanum? And when I do so, will not your highness doubt the fact? Bechesm, upon my head be it, if I lie. He was less than a man, for he hadno beard; he had no turban, but a piece of net-work, covered with thehair of other men in their tombs, which he sprinkled with the flour fromthe bakers, every morning, to feed his brain. He wore round his neck apiece of linen, tight as a bowstring, to prevent his head being takenoff by any devout true believer, as he walked through the street. Hisdress was of the colour of hell, black, and bound closely to his body,yet must he have been a great man in his own country, for he wasevidently a pacha of two tails, which were hanging behind him. He was adreadful man, to look upon, and feared nothing; he walked into the houseof pestilence--he handled those whom Allah had visited with the plague--he went to the bed, and the sick rose and walked. He warred withdestiny; and no man could say what was his fate until the hakim haddecided. He held in his hand the key of the portal which opened intothe regions of death; and--what can I say more? he said live, and thebeliever lived; he said die, and the houris received him into Paradise.
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"A yesedi! a worshipper of the devil," exclaimed Mustapha.
"May he and his father's grave be eternally defiled!" responded thepacha.
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I remained a fortnight under the hakim's hands before I was well enoughto walk about; and when I had reflected, I doubted whether it would notbe wiser to embrace a more peaceful profession. The hakim spoke ourlanguage well; and one day said to me, "Thou art more fit to cure thanto give wounds. Thou shalt assist me, for he who is now with me willnot remain." I consented, and putting on a more peaceful garb,continued many months with the Frank ph
ysician, travelling every where,but seldom remaining long in one place; he followed disease instead offlying from it, and I had my doubts whether, from constant attendanceupon the dying, I might not die myself, and I resolved to quit him thefirst favourable opportunity. I had already learnt many wonderfulthings from him; that blood was necessary to life, and that withoutbreath a man would die, and that white powders cured fevers, and blackdrops stopped the dysentery. At last we arrived in this town; and theother day, as I was pounding the drug of reflection in the mortar ofpatience, the physician desired me to bring his lancets, and to followhim. I paced through the streets behind the learned hakim, until wearrived at a mean house, in an obscure quarter of this grand city, overwhich your highness reigns in justice. An old woman, full oflamentation, led us to the sick couch, where lay a creature, beautifulin shape as a houri. The Frank physician was desired by the old womanto feel her pulse through the curtain, but he laughed at her beard (forshe had no small one), and drew aside the curtains and took hold of ahand so small and so delicate, that it were only fit to feed the Prophethimself near the throne of the angel Gabriel, with the immortal pilauprepared for true believers. Her face was covered, and the Frankdesired the veil to be removed. The old woman refused, and he turned onhis heel to leave her to the assaults of death. The old woman's lovefor her child conquered her religious scruples, and she consented thather daughter should unveil to an unbeliever. I was in ecstasy at hercharms, and could have asked her for a wife; but the Frank only asked tosee her tongue. Having looked at it, he turned away with as muchindifference as if it had been a dying dog. He desired me to bind upher arm, and took away a bason full of her golden blood, and then put awhite powder into the hands of the old woman, saying that he would seeher again. I held out my hand for the gold, but there was noneforthcoming.
"We are poor," cried the old woman, to the hakim, "but God is great."
"I do not want your money, good woman," replied he; "I will cure yourdaughter." Then he went to the bedside and spoke comfort to the sickgirl, telling her to be of good courage, and all would be well.
The girl answered in a voice sweeter than a nightingale's, that she hadbut thanks to offer in return, and prayers to the Most High. "Yes,"said the old woman, raising her voice, "a scoundrel of a howling dervishrobbed me at Scutari of all I had for my subsistence, and of mydaughter's portion, seven hundred sequins, in a goat's-skin bag!" andthen she began to curse. May the dogs of the city howl at her ugliness!How she did curse! She cursed my father and mother--she cursed theirgraves--flung dirt upon my brother and sisters, and filth upon the wholegeneration. She gave me up to Jehanum, and to every species ofdefilement. It was a dreadful thing to hear that old woman curse. Ipulled my turban over my eyes, that she might not recognise me, andlifted up my garment to cover my face, that I might not be defiled withthe shower of curses which were thrown at me like mud, and sat therewatching till the storm was over. Unfortunately, in lifting up mygarment, I exposed to the view of the old hag the cursed goat's-skinbag, which hung at my girdle, and contained, not only her money, but theremainder of my own. "Mashallah--how wonderful is God!" screamed theold beldame, flying at me like a tigress, and clutching the bag from mygirdle. Having secured that, she darted at me with her ten nails, andscored down my face, which I had so unfortunately covered in the firstinstance, and so unfortunately uncovered in the second. What shall Isay more? The neighbours came in--I was hurried before the cadi, incompany with the old woman and the Frank physician. The money and bagwere taken from me--I was dismissed by the hakim, and after receivingone hundred blows from the ferashes, I was dismissed by the cadi. Itwas my fate--and I have told my story. Is your slave dismissed?
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"No," replied the pacha; "by our beard, we must see to this, Mustapha;say, Hudusi, what was the decision of the cadi? Our ears are open."
"The cadi decided as follows:--That I had stolen the money, andtherefore I was punished with the bastinado; but, as the old womanstated that the bag contained seven hundred sequins, and there werefound in it upwards of eleven hundred, that the money could not belongto her. He therefore retained it until he could find the right owner.The physician was fined fifty sequins for looking at a Turkish woman,and fifty more for shrugging up his shoulders. The girl was orderedinto the cadi's harem, because she had lost her dowry; and the old womanwas sent about her business. All present declared that the sentence waswisdom itself; but, for my part, _I very much doubted the fact_."
"Mustapha," said the pacha, "send for the cadi, the Frank physician, theold woman, the girl, and the goat's-skin bag; we must examine into thisaffair."
The officers were despatched; and in less than an hour, during which thepacha and his vizier smoked in silence, the cadi with the others madetheir appearance.
"May your highness's shadow never be less!" said the cadi, as heentered.
"Mobarek! may you be fortunate!" replied the pacha. "What is this wehear, cadi? there is a goat's-skin bag, and a girl, that are not knownto our justice. Are there secrets like those hid in the well ofKashan--speak! what dirt have you been eating?"
"What shall I say?" replied the cadi; "I am but as dirt; the money ishere, and the girl is here. Is the pacha to be troubled with everywoman's noise, or am I come before him with a piece or two of gold--MinAllah--God forbid! Have I not here the money, and _seven more purses_?Was not the girl visited by the angel of death; and could she appearbefore your presence lean as a dog in the bazaar? Is she not here?Have I spoken well?"
"It is well said, cadi. Murakhas--you are dismissed."
The Frank physician was then fined one hundred sequins more; fifty forfeeling the pulse, and fifty more for looking at a Turkish woman'stongue. The young woman was dismissed to the pacha's harem, the oldwoman to curse as much as she pleased, and Hudusi with full permissionto _doubt_ any thing but the justice of the pacha.