Shorter Novels, Eighteenth Century Part 36

PAGE 198. _... the stranger displayed such rarities as he had never before seen_

In the _Tales of Inatulla_, we meet with a traveller who, like this, was furnished with trinkets and curiosities of an extraordinary kind. That such were much sought after in the days of Vathek, may be concluded from the encouragement which Haroun al Raschid gave to the mechanic arts, and the present he sent by his amba.s.sadors to Charlemagne. This consisted of a clock, which, when put into motion, by means of a clepsydra, not only pointed out the hours in their round, but also, by dropping small b.a.l.l.s on a bell, struck them, and, at the same instant, threw open as many little doors, to let out an equal number of hors.e.m.e.n. Besides these, the clock displayed various other contrivances.--_Ann. Reg. Franc. Pip.

Caroli, etc._, _ad ann._ 807. WEIDLER, p. 205.

PAGE 198. _... characters on the sabres_

Such inscriptions often occur in Eastern romances. We find, in the _Arabian Nights_, a cornelian, on which _unknown characters_ were engraven; and, also, a sabre, like those here described. In the French king's library is a curious treatise, ent.i.tled _Sefat Alaclam_; containing a variety of alphabets, arranged under different heads; such as the _prophetic_, the _mystical_, the _philosophic_, the _magical_, the _talismanic_, etc., which seems to have escaped the research of the indefatigable Mr. Astle.--_Arabian Nights_, vol. ii, p. 246; vol. i, p.

143. D'HERBELOT, p. 797.

PAGE 201. _... beards burnt off_

The loss of the beard, from the earliest ages, was accounted highly disgraceful. An instance occurs, in the _Tales of Inatulla_, of one being _singed off_, as a mulct on the owner, for having failed to explain a question propounded; and, in the _Arabian Nights_, a proclamation may be seen similar to this of Vathek.--Vol. i, p. 268; vol. ii, p. 228.

PAGE 202. _The old man put on his green spectacles_

This is an apparent anachronism; but such frequently occur in reading the Arabian writers. It should be remembered, the difficulty of ascertaining facts and fixing the dates of inventions must be considerable in a vast extent of country, where books are comparatively few, and the art of printing unpractised. Though the origin of _spectacles_ can be traced back, with certainty, no higher than the thirteenth century, yet the observation of Seneca--that letters appeared of an increased magnitude when viewed through the medium of convex gla.s.s--might have been noted also by others, and _a sort of spectacles_ contrived, in consequence of it. But, however this might have been, the art of staining gla.s.s is sufficiently ancient, to have suggested in the days of Vathek the use of _green_, as a protection to the eye from a glare of light.

PAGE 204. _Accursed Giaour!_

_Dives_ of this kind are frequently mentioned by Eastern writers.

Consult their tales in general; and especially those of the Fishermen, Aladdin, and the Princess of China.

PAGE 206. _Bababalouk, the chief of his eunuchs_

As it was the employment of the _black eunuchs_ to wait upon and guard the sultanas; so the general superintendence of the harem was particularly committed to their chief.--HABESCI'S _State of the Ottoman Empire_, pp. 155, 156.

PAGE 206. _... the divan_

This was both the supreme council and court of justice, at which the caliphs of the race of the Aba.s.sides a.s.sisted in person, to redress the injuries of every appellant.--D'HERBELOT, p. 298.

PAGE 206. _The officers arranged themselves in a semicircle_

Such was the etiquette, constantly observed, on entering the divan.--_Arabian Nights_, vol. iv, p. 36. D'HERBELOT, p. 912.

PAGE 206. _... the prime vizier_

Vazir, vezir, or, as we express it, vizier, literally signifies a _porter_; and, by metaphor, the minister who bears the princ.i.p.al burden of the state, generally called the Sublime Porte.

PAGE 207. _The muezzins and their minarets_

Valid, the son of Abdalmalek, was the first who erected a _minaret_, or turret; and this he placed on the grand mosque at Damascus, for the _muezzin_, or crier, to announce from it the hour of prayer. This practice has constantly been kept to this day.--D'HERBELOT, p. 576.

PAGE 210. _Soliman Ben Daoud_

The name of _David_ in Hebrew is composed of the letter ? _Vau_ between two ? _Daleths_ ???; and, according to the Masoretic points, ought to be p.r.o.nounced _David_. Having no U consonant in their tongue, the Septuagint subst.i.tuted the letter B for V, and wrote ?a?d, _Dabid_. The Syriac reads _Dad_ or _Dod_; and the Arabs articulate _Daoud_.

PAGE 210. _I require the blood of fifty of the most beautiful sons of the viziers_

Amongst the infatuated votaries of the powers of darkness, the most acceptable offering was _the blood of their children_. If the parents were not at hand to make an immediate offer, _the magistrates did not fail to select those who were most fair and promising_, that the demon might not be defrauded of his dues. On one occasion, _two hundred of the prime n.o.bility were sacrificed together_.--BRYANT'S _Observations_, p.

279, etc.

PAGE 213. _... bracelet_

The bracelet, in the East, was an emblem of royalty.--D'HERBELOT, p.

541. For want of a more proper term to denominate the ornament _serkhooj_, the word _aigret_ is here used.

PAGE 214. _... mutes_

It has been usual, in Eastern courts, from time immemorial, to retain a number of mutes. These are not only employed to amuse the monarch, but also to instruct his pages in an art to us little known, of communicating everything by signs, lest the sounds of their voices should disturb the sovereign.--HABESCI'S _State of the Ottoman Empire_, p. 164. The mutes are also the secret instruments of his private vengeance, in carrying the fatal string.

PAGE 215. _Prayer announced at break of day_

The stated seasons of public prayer, in the twenty-four hours, were five: daybreak, noon, midtime between noon and sunset, immediately as the sun leaves the horizon, and an hour and a half after it is down.

PAGE 216. _Skulls and skeletons_

Both were usually added to the ingredients already mentioned. These magic rites sufficiently resemble the witch scenes of Middleton, Shakespeare, etc., to show their Oriental origin. Nor is it to be wondered if, amongst the many systems adopted from the East, this should have been in the number. It may be seen, from the Arabian Tales, that magic was an art publicly taught; and Father Angelo relates of a rich enchanter, whom he knew at Ba.s.sora, that his pupils were so numerous as to occupy an entire quarter of the city.

PAGE 219. _Flagons of wine and vases of sherbet reposing on snow_

Sir John Chardin speaks of a wine much admired in the East, and particularly in Persia, called _roubnar_; which is made from the juice of the pomegranate, and sent abroad in large quant.i.ties. The Oriental sherbets, styled by St. Jerome, _sorbitiunculae delicatae_, consisted of various syrups (such as lemon, liquorice, capillaire, etc.) mixed with water. To these, Ha.s.selquist adds several others, and observes, that the sweet-scented violet is a flower greatly esteemed, not only for its smell and colour, but, especially, for its use in _sherbet_; which, when the Easterns intend to entertain their guests in an elegant manner, is made of a solution of violet-sugar. Snow, in the _rinfrescos_ of a hot climate, is almost a constant ingredient. Thus, in the _Arabian Nights_, Bedreddin Ha.s.san, having filled a large porcelain bowl with sherbet of roses, put snow into it.

PAGE 219. _... a parchment_

Parchments of the like mysterious import are frequent in the writings of the Easterns. One in particular, amongst the Arabians, is held in high veneration. It was written by Ali, and Giafar Sadek, in mystic characters, and is said to contain the destiny of the Mahometan religion, and the great events which are to happen previous to the end of the world. This parchment is of _camel's skin_; but it was usual with Catherine of Medicis to carry about her person, a legend, in cabalistic characters, inscribed on the skin of a dead-born infant.--D'HERBELOT, p.

366. WRAXALL'S _House of Valois_.

PAGE 219. _Istakar_

This city was the ancient Persepolis, and capital of Persia, under the kings of the three first races. The author of _Lebtarikh_ writes, that Kischtab there established his abode, erected several temples to the element of fire, and hewed out for himself and his successors sepulchres in the rocks of the mountain contiguous to the city. The ruins of columns and broken figures which still remain, defaced as they were by Alexander and mutilated by time, plainly evince that those ancient potentates had chosen it for the place of their interment. Their monuments, however, must not be confounded with the superb palace reared by Queen Homai, in the midst of Istakhar; which the Persians distinguish by the name of _Tchilminar_, or the forty watch-towers. The origin of this city is ascribed by some to Giamschid, and others carry it higher; but the Persian tradition is, that it was built by the _Peris_, or Fairies, when the world was governed by Gian Ben Gian.--D'HERBELOT, p.