The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XV Part 30

[FN#311] [Arab. "Yastanit," aor. to the preter. "istanat," which has been explained, supra, p. 24.--ST.]

[FN#312] The bed would be made of a carpet or thin mattress strewn upon the stucco flooring of the terrace-roof. But the ignorant scribe overlooks the fact that by Mosaic law every Jewish house must have a parapet for the "Sakf" (flat roof), a precaution neglected by Al-Islam.

[FN#313] Good old cla.s.sical English. In the "Breeches Bible"

(A.D. 1586) we read, "But a certaine woman cast a piece of millstone upon Abimelech's head and broke his brain-panne" Judges ix. 33).

[FN#314] [The words "'Irz," protection, in the preceding sentence, "Hurmah" and "Shatarah" explain each other mutually.

The formula "fi 'irzak" (vulg. "arzak"), I place myself under thy protection, implies an appeal to one's honour ("'Irz"). Therefore the youth says: "Inna hazih Hurmah lam 'alay-ha Shatarah," i.e.

"Truly this one is a woman" (in the emphatic sense of a sacred or forbidden object; "this woman" would be "hazih al-Hurmah"), "I must not act vilely or rashly towards her," both vileness and rashness belonging to the many significations of "Shatarah,"

which is most usually "cleverness." --ST.]

[FN#315] In the text "Sind," still confounding this tale with the preceding.

[FN#316] In text "Intihaba 'l furas," lit.==the s.n.a.t.c.hing of opportunities, a jingle with "Kanas."

[FN#317] [Compare with this episode the viith of Spitta Bey's Tales: Histoire du Prince qui apprit un metier.--ST.]

[FN#318] i.e. enables a man to conceal the pressure of impecuniosity.

[FN#319] In text "Al-Sadah wa al-Khatayat."

[FN#320] Subaudi, "that hath not been pierced." "The first night," which is often so portentous a matter in England and upon the Continent (not of North America), is rarely treated as important by Orientals. A long theoretical familiarity with the worship of Venus

Leaves not much mystery for the nuptial night.

Such lore has been carefully cultivated by the "young person"

with the able a.s.sistance of the ancient dames of the household, of her juvenile companions and co-evals and especially of the slave-girls. Moreover not a few Moslems, even Egyptians, the most lecherous and salacious of men, in all ranks of life from prince to peasant take a pride in respecting the maiden for a few nights after the wedding-feast extending, perhaps to a whole week and sometimes more. A brutal haste is looked upon as "low"; and, as sensible men, they provoke by fondling and toying Nature to speak ere proceeding to the final and critical act. In England it is very different. I have heard of brides over thirty years old who had not the slightest suspicion concerning what complaisance was expected of them: out of mauvaise honte, the besetting sin of the respectable cla.s.ses, neither mother nor father would venture to enlighten the elderly innocents. For a delicate girl to find a man introducing himself into her bedroom and her bed, the shock must be severe and the contact of hirsute breast and hairy limbs with a satiny skin is a strangeness which must often breed loathing and disgust. Too frequently also, instead of showing the utmost regard for virginal modesty and innocence (alias ignorance), the bridegroom will not put a check upon his pa.s.sions and precipitates matters with the rage of the bull, ruentis in venerem. Even after he hears "the cry" which, as the Arabs say, "must be cried," he has no mercy: the newly made woman lies quivering with mental agitation and physical pain, which not a few describe as resembling the tearing out of a back-tooth, and yet he insists upon repeating the operation, never supposing in his stupidity, that time must pa.s.s before the patient can have any sensation of pleasure and before the glories and delights of the sensual o.r.g.a.s.m bathe her soul in bliss. Hence complaints, dissatisfaction, disgust, mainly caused by the man's fault, and hence not unfrequently a permanent distaste for the act of carnal congress. All women are by no means equally capable of such enjoyment, and not a few have become mothers of many children without ever being or becoming thoroughly reconciled to it.

Especially in the case of highly nervous temperaments--and these seem to be increasing in the United States and notably in New England--the fear of nine months' pains and penalties makes the s.e.x averse to the "deed of kind." The first child is perhaps welcomed, the second is an unpleasant prospect and there is a firm resolve not to conceive a third. But such conjugal chast.i.ty is incompatible, except in the case of "married saints," with a bon menage. The husband, scandalised and offended by the rejection and refusal of the wife, will seek a subst.i.tute more complaisant; and the spouse also may "by the decree of Destiny"

happen to meet the right man, the man for whom and for whom only every woman will sweep the floor. And then adieu to prudence and virtue, honour and fair fame. For, I repeat, it is the universal custom of civilised and Christian Europeans to plant their womankind upon a pedestal exposed as b.u.t.ts to every possible temptation: and, if they fall, as must often be expected, to a.s.sail them with obloquy and contempt for succ.u.mbing to trials imposed upon them by the stronger and less sensitive s.e.x. Far more sensible and practical, by the side of these high idealists, shows the Moslem who guards his jewel with jealous care and who, if his "honour," despite every precaution, insist upon disgracing him, draws the sabre and cuts her down with the general approbation and applause of society.

[FN#321] [Arab. "'Ala ghayri tarik," which I would translate "out of the way," like the Persian "bi-Rah."--ST.]

[FN#322] In text "Kababji" (for Kababji) seller of Kababs, mutton or kid grilled in small squares and skewered: see vol. vi. 225.

[FN#323] In text "Sujjadah;" vol. vi. 193.

[FN#324] In text "Faddah" all through.

[FN#325] In text "Kirsh" (==piastre) a word before explained. See Lane (M.E.) Appendix B.

[FN#326] In Arab. "Samar;" from the Pers. "Sumar"==a reed, a rush.

[FN#327] In Arab. "Diwan:" vols. vii. 340; ix. 108.

[FN#328] Scott has (vol. vi. 373), "The desired articles were furnished, and the Sultan setting to work, in a few days finished a mat, in which he ingeniously contrived to plait in flowery characters, known only to himself and his vizier, the account of his situation."

[FN#329] In Arab. "Ghirarah" (plur. "Gharair")==a sack. In Ibn Khall. (iv. pp. 90, 104) it is a large sack for grain and the especial name of a tax on corn.

[FN#330] In the text "Mohammed ibn Ibrahim," another confusion with the last tale. This story is followed in the MS. by (1) "The History of the First Brave," (2) "The History of the Second Brave," and "The Tale of the Noodle and his a.s.ses," which I have omitted because too feeble for insertion.

[FN#331] Scott (vi.375) "Story of the Good Vizier unjustly imprisoned." Gauttier (vi. 394) Histoire du bon Vizier injustement emprisonne.

[FN#332] This detail has no significance, though perhaps its object may be to affect the circ.u.mstantial, a favourite manoeuvre with the Rawi. [It may mean that the prisoner had to pa.s.s through seven gates before reaching it, to indicate its formidable strength and the hopelessness of all escape, except perhaps by a seven-warded, or as the Arabs would say, a seven-pinned key of gold. In the modern tale mentioned on p. 174 the kidnapped Prince and his Wazir are made to pa.s.s "through one door after the other until seven doors were pa.s.sed," to emphasize the utter seclusion of their hiding place.--ST.]

[FN#333] i.e. the mats and mattresses, rugs and carpets, pillows and cushions which compose the chairs, tables and beds of a well-to-do Eastern lodging.

[FN#334] The pretext was natural. Pious Moslems often make such vows and sometimes oblige themselves to feed the street dogs with good bread.

[FN#335] In text "Min hakk haza 'l-Kalam sahih."

[FN#336] In text "Kaik" and "Kaik-ji," the well-known caque of the Bosphorus, a term which bears a curious family resemblance to the "Kayak" of the Eskimos.

[FN#337] Here coffee is mentioned without tobacco, whereas in more modern days the two are intimately connected. And the reason is purely hygienic. Smoking increases the pulsations without strengthening them, and depresses the heart-action with a calming and soothing effect. Coffee, like alcohol, affects the circulation in the reverse way by exciting it through the nervous system; and not a few authorities advise habitual smokers to end the day and prepare for rest with a gla.s.s of spirits and water.

It is to be desired that the ignorants who write about "that filthy tobacco" would take the trouble to observe its effects on a large scale, and not base the strongest and extremest opinions, as is the wont of the Anglo-Saxon Halb-bildung, upon the narrowest and shakiest of bases. In Egypt, India and other parts of the Eastern world they will find nicotiana used by men, women and children, of all ranks and ages; and the study of these millions would greatly modify the results of observing a few hundreds at home. But, as in the case of opium-eating, populus vult decipi, the philanthrope does not want to know the truth, indeed he shrinks from it and loathes it. All he cares for is his own especial "fad."

[FN#338] Arab. "Finjal" systematically repeated for "Finjan"

p.r.o.nounced in Egypt "Fingan" see vol. viii. 200. [The plural "Fanajil," p.r.o.nounced "Fanagil," occurs in Spitta Bey's Contes Arabes Modernes, p. 92, and in his Grammar, p. 26, the same author states that the forms "Fingan" and "Fingal" are used promiscuously.--ST.]

[FN#339] For the "Khaznah" (Khazinah) or 10,000 kis each = 5, see vols. ii. 84; iii. 278.

[FN#340] A euphuism meaning some disaster. The text contains a favourite incident in folklore; the first instance, I believe, being that of Polycrates of Samos according to Herodotus (lib.

iii. 41-42). The theory is supported after a fashion by experience amongst all versed in that melancholy wisdom the "knowledge of the world." As Syr Cauline the knight philosophically says:--

Everye white will have its blacke, And everye sweete its sowre: etc.

[FN#341] Thus making the food impure and unfit for a religious Moslem to eat. Scott (vi. 378) has "when a huge rat running from his hole leaped into the dish which was placed upon the floor."

He is probably thinking of the East Indian "bandycoot."

[FN#342] In text this tale concludes, "It is ended and this (next) is the History of the Barber."

[FN#343] A dandy, a macaroni, from the Turk. Chelebi, see vol i 22. Here the word is thoroughly Arabised. In old Turk. it means, a Prince of the blood; in mod. times a gentleman, Greek or European.

[FN#344] In the text "uzbasha" or "Uzbasha," a vile Egyptianism for Yuzbashi-head of a hundred (men) centurion, captain.

[FN#345] Scil. the household, the Harem, etc. As usual, the masc.

is used for the fem.

[FN#346] [Ar. "Al-Rashakah," a word is not found in the common lexicons. In Dozy and "Engelmann's Glossary of Spanish and Portuguese words derived from the Arabic," it is said to be a fork with three p.r.o.ngs, here probably a hat-stand in the shape of such a fork.--ST.]

[FN#347] In text "Sha'il" copyist's error for "s.h.a.ghil," act.

part. of "Shughl" = business, affairs. [Here it stands probably for the fuller "Shughl s.h.a.ghil," an urgent business.--ST.]

[FN#348] In text "Ya 'Ars, ya Mu'arras": vol. i. 338.

[FN#349] In Syria most houses have a rain cistern or tank into which the terrace-roof drains and which looks from above like a well with a cover. The water must have been low when the lover hid himself in the reservoir.

[FN#350] [In the MS. "Min Hakk la-hu Asl an 'and-na huna Rajil,"

a thoroughly popular phrase. "Min Hakk" and "min Hakkan," where in the adverbial meaning of Hakkan its grammatical form as an accusative is so far forgotten that it allows itself to be governed by the preposition "min," is rendered by Bocthor "tout de bon," "serieus.e.m.e.nt." "Asl" = root has here the meaning of foundation in fact. The literal translation of the pa.s.sage would therefore be: "Forsooth, is there any truth in it that a man is here in our house?" "Min Hakk" has occurred page 183, where the text, quoted in the note, may perhaps be translated: "Of a truth, is this saying soothfast?"--ST.]