thisimpious enterprise?”
Having said this, he bellowed like a calf, and turned himself towards anoutlet in the side of his pavilion. But alas! what objects occurred tohis view! on one side a plain of black sand that appeared to beunbounded, and on the other perpendicular crags bristled over with thoseabominable thistles which had so severely lacerated his tongue. Hefancied, however, that he perceived amongst the brambles and briars somegigantic flowers, but was mistaken, for these were only the danglingpalampores and variegated tatters of his gay retinue. As there wereseveral clefts in the rock from whence water seemed to have flowed,Vathek applied his ear with the hope of catching the sound of some latentrunnel, but could only distinguish the low murmurs of his people, whowere repining at their journey, and complaining for the want of water.
“To what purpose,” asked they, “have we been brought hither? Hath ourCaliph another tower to build? or have the relentless Afrits {67c} whomCarathis so much loves, fixed in this place their abode?”
At the name of Carathis, Vathek recollected the tablets he had receivedfrom his mother, who assured him they were fraught with preternaturalqualities, and advised him to consult them as emergencies might require.Whilst he was engaged in turning them over, he heard a shout of joy, anda loud clapping of hands. The curtains of his pavilion were soon drawnback, and he beheld Bababalouk, followed by a troop of his favourites,conducting two dwarfs, each a cubit high, who brought between them alarge basket of melons, oranges, and pomegranites. They were singing inthe sweetest tones the words that follow:
“We dwell on the top of these rocks, in a cabin of rushes and canes; theeagles envy us our nest; a small spring supplies us with abdest, and wedaily repeat prayers which the prophet approves. We love you, Ocommander of the faithful! our master, the good emir Fakreddin, loves youalso; he reveres in your person the vicegerent of Mahomet. Little as weare, in us he confides; he knows our hearts to be good, as our bodies arecontemptible, and hath placed us here to aid those who are bewildered onthese dreary mountains. Last night, whilst we were occupied within ourcell in reading the holy koran, a sudden hurricane blew out our lightsand rocked our habitation. For two whole hours a palpable darknessprevailed: but we heard sounds at a distance which we conjectured toproceed from the bells of a cafila, passing over the rocks. Our earswere soon filled with deplorable shrieks, frightful roarings, and thesound of tymbals. Chilled with terror, we concluded that the Deggial{68} with his exterminating angels had sent forth their plagues on theearth. In the midst of these melancholy reflections, we perceived flamesof the deepest red glow in the horizon, and found ourselves in a fewmoments covered with flakes of fire. Amazed at so strange an appearance,we took up the volume dictated by the blessed intelligence, and kneelingby the light of the fire that surrounded us, we recited the verse whichsays: ‘Put no trust in any thing but the mercy of heaven; there is nohelp save in the holy prophet; the mountain of Kaf itself may tremble; itis the power of Alla only that cannot be moved.’ After having pronouncedthese words, we felt consolation, and our minds were hushed into a sacredrepose. Silence ensued, and our ears clearly distinguished a voice inthe air, saying: ‘Servants of my faithful servant, go down to the happyvalley of Fakreddin; tell him that an illustrious opportunity now offersto satiate the thirst of his hospitable heart. The commander of truebelievers is this day bewildered amongst these mountains, and stands inneed of thy aid.’ We obeyed with joy the angelic mission, and ourmaster, filled with pious zeal, hath culled with his own hands thesemelons, oranges, and pomegranites. He is following us with a hundreddromedaries laden with the purest waters of his fountains, and is comingto kiss the fringe of your consecrated robe, and implore you to enter hishumble habitation, which, placed amidst these barren wilds, resembles anemerald set in lead.”
The dwarfs having ended their address, remained still standing, and withhands crossed upon their bosoms, preserved a respectful silence.
Vathek, in the midst of this curious harangue seized the basket, and longbefore it was finished, the fruits had dissolved in his mouth. As hecontinued to eat, his piety increased, and in the same breath whichrecited his prayers, he called for the koran and sugar.
Such was the state of his mind when the tablets, which were thrown by atthe approach of the dwarfs, again attracted his eye. He took them up,but was ready to drop on the ground when he beheld, in large redcharacters, these words inscribed by Carathis, which were indeed enoughto make him tremble.
“Beware of thy old doctors, and their puny messengers of but one cubithigh; distrust their pious frauds; and instead of eating their melons,impale on a spit the bearers of them. Shouldst thou be such a fool as tovisit them, the portal of the subterranean palace will be shut in thyface, and with such force as shall shake thee asunder; thy body shall bespit upon, and bats will engender in thy belly.”
“To what tends this ominous rhapsody?” cries the Caliph; “and must I thenperish in these deserts with thirst, whilst I may refresh myself in thevalley of melons and cucumbers? Accursed be the Giaour with his portalof ebony! he hath made me dance attendance too long already. Besides,who shall prescribe laws to me? I, forsooth, must not enter any one’shabitation! Be it so, but what one can I enter that is not my own.”
Bababalouk, who lost not a syllable of this soliloquy, applauded it withall his heart; and the ladies, for the first time, agreed with him inopinion. The dwarfs were entertained, caressed, and seated with greatceremony on little cushions of satin. The symmetry of their persons wasthe subject of criticism; not an inch of them was suffered to passunexamined. Nick-nacks and dainties were offered in profusion, but allwere declined with respectful gravity. They clambered up the sides ofthe Caliph’s seat, and placing themselves each on one of his shoulders,began to whisper prayers in his ears. Their tongues quivered like theleaves of a poplar, and the patience of Vathek was almost exhausted, whenthe acclamations of the troops announced the approach of Fakreddin, whowas come with a hundred old grey-beards, and as many korans anddromedaries. They instantly set about their ablutions, and began torepeat the Bismillah. Vathek, to get rid of these officious monitors,followed their example, for his hands were burning.
The good Emir, who was punctiliously religious, and likewise a greatdealer in compliments, made an harangue five times more prolix andinsipid than his harbingers had already delivered. The Caliph, unableany longer to refrain, exclaimed:
“For the love of Mahomet, my dear Fakreddin, have done! let us proceed toyour valley, and enjoy the fruits that heaven hath vouchsafed you.” Thehint of proceeding put all into motion. The venerable attendants of theemir set forward somewhat slowly, but Vathek having ordered his littlepages, in private, to goad on the dromedaries, loud fits of laughterbroke forth from the cages, for the unwieldy curvetting of these poorbeasts, and the ridiculous distress of their superannuated ridersafforded the ladies no small entertainment.
They descended, however, unhurt into the valley, by the large steps whichthe emir had cut in the rock; and already the murmuring of streams andthe rustling of leaves began to catch their attention. The cavalcadesoon entered a path, which was skirted by flowering shrubs, and extendedto a vast wood of palm-trees whose branches overspread a building of hewnstone. This edifice was crowned with nine domes, and adorned with asmany portals of bronze, on which was engraven the following inscription:
“This is the asylum of pilgrims, the refuge of travellers, and thedepository of secrets for all parts of the world.”
Nine pages beautiful as the day, and clothed in robes of Egyptian linen,very long and very modest, were standing at each door. They received thewhole retinue with an easy and inviting air. Four of the most amiableplaced the Caliph on a magnificent taktrevan; four others, somewhat lessgraceful, took charge of Bababalouk, who capered for joy at the snuglittle cabin that fell to his share; the pages that remained, waited onthe rest of the train.
When every thing masculine was gone out of sight, the gate of a largeinclosure on the right turned on its
harmonious hinges, and a youngfemale of a slender form came forth. Her light brown hair floated in thehazy breeze of the twilight. A troop of young maidens, like thePleiades, attended her on tip-toe. They hastened to the pavilions thatcontained the sultanas; and the young lady gracefully bending said tothem:
“Charming princesses, every thing is ready; we have prepared beds foryour repose, and strewed your apartments with jasamine; no insects willkeep off slumber from visiting your eyelids; we will dispel them with athousand plumes. Come then, amiable ladies! refresh your delicate feetand your ivory limbs in baths of rose water, and by the light of perfumedlamps your servants will amuse you with tales.”
The sultanas accepted with pleasure these obliging offers, and followedthe young lady to the emir’s harem, where we must for a moment leave themand return to the Caliph.
Vathek found himself beneath a vast dome illuminated by a thousand lampsof rock crystal, as many vases of the same material filled with excellentsherbet sparkled on
Vathek; An Arabian Tale Page 13
