Halil the Pedlar

streets when Sultan Achmed summoned the Ulemas to the

hen it came to the turn of his little ten-year-old child, Bajazid, he saw that the lit

gst the wives of our brethren thou wilt find more than one in grey mourning weeds. Look, I prythee, at the face of Ummettulah; look at the eyes of

t," stammered Achmed, press

u shalt not save us aft

ords were to be as an eterna

nd him on the divans covered with kordofan leather. Opposite

"I have sacrificed my most faithful servants. Speak! What more do the rebels require? Why do they st

in his ears: "It is well with those who are th

to the words

hat think ye conc

her. Many of them began to nudge Sulali, who stood up as if to

u hither to look at me and at one anothe

were not living men but only embalmed corpses, such as are to be foun

cil had remained dumb for more than a quarter of an hour

spirizade rose

uch discourteous curtness

ona that thou descend from the thron

the midst of this dreadful silence the Ulemas were terrified to behold the Padishah stand on the steps of the throne,

Ispirizade felt his limbs turn to stone and the light of day grow dim before his eyes in the presence of that dreadful figure which regarded him and pointed at him. It was, as it were, a dumb curse

the Sultan's throne, crawled to his feet and

O master!

ed must be made to abdicate, and now they unanimously

gether, he thrust his hands into the girdle of his mantle, looked down for a long time upon the Ulemas, and then quietly descended th

at this moment the lords of the dominion of Osman swear that they will do no harm to my children. Let

Ulemas fixed their gaze upon the ground, not one of t

ildren also? Or is there not one of you wi

was there among them, the dervish Mohammed, a

t enough to come to terms with the burning tempest of the Samum, or who would

pon the Ulema, and his face wore

ompassion on

my master, till I return. Of a truth I tell thee that I will

th of mind to endure the gaze of the Sultan till Sulali should return. Far rather would

il sitting under his

im and delivered the

, nor mingled his request with bitter lamentations as Achmed had done, but he sp

e. "Swear, therefore, on the Alkoran that you will respect them, and swear it in the names of your comrades likewise. The Padishah is

well that such a threat as this never arose in the breast of Achmed. His gentle sou

wn in the dust before him,

mpanion. The Padishah humbly implores you f

his brow and ex

of gunpowder, and I would not that the blossoms of the Sheik-ul-Islam and the descendants of the Prophet should perish. Behold, I am ready, and my comrades also, to swear on the Alkoran to do no harm either to Sultan Achmed, or his sons, or his daughters, or

de hastened to the Aja Sophia mosque to give di

sitting down on the last step of the throne made them take their places round

hand the copy of the Alkoran, on which Halil and his associates ha

ried, "and may thy heart rejoice

f gratitude, and thanked Allah, the

hmed did not forget to extend his hand to Sulali, who firs

mud, surnamed "the White Prince," from the pal

He was the son of Mustapha II., who had renounced the throne in favour o

owards him, embraced him, an

rone. Be merciful to my children just as

, and seizing his hand, as if it were wo

pproached Mahmud, and kissed his hand. And all the time

e Prophet. There, standing in front of the throne, he took from his hand the diamond clasp, the symbol of dominion, and

that thou hatest fear thee. Be glorious and powerful while thou livest,

by the hand, with a calm and quiet dignity, he quitted the halls of dominion which he was never to b

d when he came to the door leading to the harem he handed over his children to the Kizlar-Aga, telling him to g

t whatever to do with swords or wives or children. The same fate befell Mustapha II. six-and-twenty years before. He also had to part with his sword, his wives, and his children in just the same way. And this Achmed had good

ed their heads to the ground befor

till midnight. The whole Court bent head and knee before the new Sultan, and the chief officers of state, the

ng them that Sultan Achmed had been deposed and Sultan Mahmud was reigning in his stead; l

hining through the coloured windows of the Seraglio

re-the Kizlar-Aga whose sooty face see

nd to him with a smile

apartments within which bloom the flowers of bliss and rapture,

ultan as he entered the room, the one who had the happiest, the most radiant face, was the fair Adsalis, who still remained the favourite wife, the Sultana Ass

Sultan hastened full of tender infatuation; she it was whom he raised to his breast and in who

dear enchanting Sultana, the most precious of all the treasures he had won that day; but the fair Sultana shuddered from time to time in the midst of h

epless far, far below that bower of rapture, in one of the cold vaults

and the Sheiks, appeared in the Seraglio to greet the new Su

of gunpowder, they did not so much as venture to draw near it, and when the public criers recited the inv

ll not

listen to the invita

. "They only want to entice us into a mouse-trap to

, despite his office of softa, did not hesitate to speak disrespectfully

" Ibrahim gave the

or escaped gaol-birds for instance; call them Halil, Musli, and Suleiman, deck them out in the garments of Agas, Begs, and

general applause. Everyone approved

silence. Only when "crazy" Ibrahim's proposal

ill go to t

ment, others laughed. Musli clapped

the Princes of the Thousand and One Nights who can hew his way through monsters and spect

nd if I am not afraid what need is the

o adventure thyself in the sulphur holes of Balsorah, or cause thyself to be let down, for the sake of a bet, into the coral-beds at the bottom of the Sea of Candia to pick up a bronze asper,

afraid of them. They may tear my limbs to pieces, but when it comes to be recorded in the Chronicles that the rabble of Constantinople were cowards, it shall be recorded a

ast that I have so much as winked an eye before its glittering point. But what is the use of valour in a place where you know that the very ground beneath your feet has Hell beneath it, and it only needs a spark no bigger than tha

o come? Did I not say

shall fall to pieces and perish like the rush-roof of a cottage when the joists are suddenly pulled from beneath it. An

ay enter the Seraglio) and handing it to Musli; "take care of it for me til

to go?" inquired Musli. "Well

d him right up to the Seraglio. Into it indeed they did not go; but, anyhow, they surrounded the huge building which forms a w

nfamiliar rooms, and at every door armed resplendent sentries made way before him, cl

eized him by the arm, and led him into the Cupola Chamber w

fa placed on an elevated da?s glistened a coverlet of pure pearls. On each side of this sofa stood a little round writing-table inlaid with gold. On one of these tables lay an open portfolio encrusted with precious stones and writing materials flashing with rubies and emeralds; on the other lay a copy of the Alkoran, bound in black velvet and studded with rose brilliants. Another copy of the Alkoran lay open on a smaller table, written in the Talik script in letters of gold, cinnabar, and ultramarine; and there were

ecretaries, the presenters of petitions according to rank, in splendid robes, and wit

ds. Whichever way he turned the roses embroidered on his dress, the girdle which encircled his loins, the clasp of his turban, and every weapon ab

s as large as nuts, stood a whole army of ministering

his room that

rs released his arm, and Halil ad

other times, he stepped forth as boldly an

ith divided sleeves, without any ornament, a short salavari, or jerkin, reaching to the

gaze. With head erect he advanced in front of the Sultan, and placing his muscular, half-naked foot on the footstool before the throne stood there, for a moment, like a figur

! The grace of G

he flung himself down before the throne

im, and raised him from th

o for thee?" he aske

It was my wish that the sword of Mahomet should pass into worthy hands; behold it is accomplished, thou dost sit on the th

onately inte

ll thee. Ask thine own reward, and it shall be granted thee

d down the whole row of them, and he took them all in one by one. Everyone of them believed that he was seeking a victim whose place he

urden is Malikane. It is the farming out of the taxes for the lives of the holders thereof which puts money into the pockets of the high officers of state and the pashas, so that the Sublime Po

s hand defiantly in the directio

the multitudes assembled around the Seraglio. Those within it trembled, and Halil Patr

people with a trumpet-blast at the gates of the Seraglio, that at the

ry walls of the Seraglio tremble was ample evidence o

vitation of thy people to go to the Ejub mosque, in order that the Silihdar

n an hour's time he would proceed to the mosque of Ej

sound of martial music, Mahmud held his triumphal progress through the streets of his capital on horseback; and the people waved rich tapestries at him from the house-tops and scattered flowers in his path. Behind him came radiant knightly viziers and nobles, and venerable councillors in

ted the name of Halil just as often and just

announced that the Sultan h

ht bless the new Sultan, and Halil had granted his request. Since he had ventured into the Seraglio everyone had obe

lpit when Mahmud and his suite took their p

lah. And when he had thus thrice called upon the name of God, his lips suddenly grew dumb, and there for a few moments he s

ed!" whispered the awe-stric

TNO

Fart