The Pacha of Many Tales

an that of a pacha. Nothing, perhaps, affords us more convincing proof of the risk which men will incur, to obtain a temporary authority over their fellow-creatures, tha

lace with heads, fresh severed, each returning sun, as we renew the decoration of our apartments from our gay parterres. I make these observations, that I may not be accused of a disregard to chronology, in not precisely stating the year, or rather the months, during which

ly be obtained, by leaving others far behind in the career of virtue or of vice. In compliance with the dispositions of those who rule, faithful servi

but a life interest, for the entail is cut off by death. Aristocracy in all its varieties is as necessary, for the well binding of society, as the divers grades between the general and the co

t, by those who, perhaps, during their whole lives have never raised their hands in anger. But my thoughts have returned to days of yore-the iron days of ironed men, when it was the symbol of faithful service in the f

y-footed over the broad space of five-and-twenty years of time,-but the "d

flourished in the time of Henry V., that it is "all upon the King:" that is to say, it was all upon the king; and now our constitution has become so incomparably perfect, that "the king can do no wrong;" and he has no difficulty in fi

ty (God bless him!)

sty's ministers will

shall go---on

e in the army. Successful in detached service, while his general was unfortunate in the field, he was instructed to take off the head of his commander, and head the troops in his stead; both of which services he performed with equal skill and celerity. Success attended him, and the pacha, his predecessor, having in his opinion, as well as in that of the s

obtain matter for conversation, which, impertinent as it may sometimes be, serves to beguile the tedium of an operation which precludes the use of any organ except the ear. Moreover, we are inclined to be on good terms with a man, who has it in

in several actions, and after three years went to England, where the ship was paid off. For some time, Demetrius tried to make his fortune, but without success, and it was not until he was reduced to nearly his last shilling, that he commenced the trade of hawking rhubarb about in a box: which speculation turned so profitable, that he was enabled in a short time to take his passage in a vessel bound to Smyrna, his own country. This vessel was captured by a French privateer; he was landed, and, not being considered as a prisoner, allowed to act as he thought proper. In a short time he obtained the si

at I have taken off the heads of all those who l

the enemies of your sublime highness. Were t

nce is that I am in want of a vizier; a

s not a child equal to the office? Who s

as well be vizier myself; besides, I shall have no one to blame, if affairs go wrong wi

man, who, by offering his own head may preserve that of your s

ould be the last,"

to speak in your presence, a vizier should be a person of great tact; he should be able to draw the line as ni

rue, Mu

them and removing them from among the crowd, as I do the few white hairs wh

rue, Mu

urities from the state, as I have t

rue, Mu

of action, as I have proved myself to be in the sham

rue, Mu

ful to your highness for the disti

rue, Mustapha, but where am

want either a fool or a knave, you have not far to go to find them; b

who i

wered the barber, prostrating himself,-"your s

not see why another would not make a vizier. But then what am I to do for a barber? No, no, Mustapha;

times much more incompatible than those of barber and vizier, which are indeed closely connected. The affairs of most nations are settled by the potentates during their toilet. While I am

u continue your office of barber, I have no obje

with his tweezers in his hand. He t

a," observed the pacha,

or I should consider myself as unfit to assume the of

thought it might be requisite fo

unfortunate acquirement, than by any other; and dangerous as it is to all, it is still more dangerous to men in high power. For instance, your sublime highness sends a message in writing

rue, Mu

neral use. 'Observe, Mustapha,' said he to me one day, 'here is the curse of writing,-for all the money which is paid in, I am obliged to give a receipt. What is the consequence? that government loses many thousand sequins every year; for when I apply to them for

bserved the pacha, "then

om ourselves. I have a young Greek slave, who can be employed in these matters. He reads w

ha; "what are they about

fond of

s to hear these stories read, the slave wi

moke a pipe, and listen to them; I'm very fo

o proved how easy it is to govern, where there are not "three estates" to confuse people. They sat in the d

tioner wiped his sword, and the lives of the pacha's subjects were considered to be in a state of comparat

ternoon with the young Greek slave. The new vizier having taken a seat upon a cushion a

ehezerade commences her story, and the Sultan, who was anxious to h

from his lips; "how long before the bre

hour, your su

y in half an hour?-There's not a woman in my ha

, and his tongue almost refused its office; consequently, they were soon finished; and Mustapha not being able to procure any more, they were read a second time. After which the pacha, who felt the loss of his ev

e hands of Mustapha, in his original capacity, "that it would be as ea

visions of delight at the moment, but leaving it palsied from over-excitement, when their effect has passed away. How d

ssistance; come this evening

and appeared as if communing with himself; he then laid it down, and clapping his hands, d

l down. "Your slave attends

the pacha, "d

the dust that my

my wish that"-(here the pacha took a few whiffs from his pipe-) "

highness is in a merry humour this evening," rep

n a serious humour; I me

ou will comply

juice of the grape forbidden by our prophet? Allah K

order you?" said t

s water, at the dreadful thought!-Dishonour the harem!-Min Al

acknowledge; but sti

ted by heaven? or is he possessed by the Shitan?"-And the lady b

hem their desires and tell them to be false, they will refuse. All was arranged so well, I should have cut off all their heads, and had a f

ion, that, unless appeased, the results might prove unpleasant even to himself. It occurred to him, that a course might be pursued to gratify the pacha's wishes, without pr

by the folly and obstinacy of the other sex. May your slave venture to observe, that many very fine stories were obtained by the caliph Haroun, and his vizier Mesrour, as they walke

are two disguises, and we will set off in less than an hour-Insh

rchants, (for such, he observed, were the usual habiliments put on by the caliph and his vizier in the Arabian Night

ir assistance might be required. The strict orders which had been issued on the accession of the new pacha (to prevent any riot or

en accustomed to pedestrian exercise, began to puff and show symptoms of weariness and disappointment, when at the corner of a street they fell in with two men, who were seated in conversati

acha; "Mesrour (Mustapha, I mean), you will bring t

ion, and satisfied with the prospect of success, now directed his steps to the palace and retired to bed. Zeinab, who had lain awake until her eyes could remain open n

, he desired that the person who had b

highness the pacha, who wishes to be acquainted with your reasons for stating 'that happy was t

ighness, by the camel of the Holy Prophet," said he, in a faltering vo

hing very enigmatical in those words. Your 'hard crust' may mean his sublime highness the pacha; 'wearing away your teeth' may imply exactions from the gover

he meant anything more than what he said; and if your highness had been as often without a mou

ve only to tell you that his sublime highness the pacha will not be satisfied, unless yo

your slave should tell a sto

ve the suspicions of the pacha, and probably be rewarded with a few pieces of gold; if you cannot, you must prepare for the bastinado, if not for

his wife? Women have a great talent for storytelling. With he

her. They have indeed a talent! As the young crocodile, from instinct, runs into the Nile as soon as it bursts its shell, so does woman, fr

ment to the sex, Mustapha gav

it from being permitted to "retain counsel," will be shown by the follo

THE CAM

the possessor of many camels, which he let out for hire to the merchants of the different caravans which annually leave this city. When he died, I came into possession of his property, and the good-will of those whom he had most faithfully served. The consequence was, that I had full employ, my camels were always engaged, and, as I invariably accompanied them that they might not be

g it up. I therefore divided half of one of the loads between the other camels, and tied the foal upon the one which I had partly relieved for the purpose. We arrived safely at Cairo; and, as the little animal grew up, I had more than ever reason to be satisfied that I had saved its life. All good judges

ed him to the sheiks, and offered him as a candidate for the honour. They would have accepted him immediately, had it not been for a Maribout, who,

was nearly killed. As I hastened away, the wretch threw some sand after me, crying out, "Thus shall the caravan perish from the judgment of heaven, if that cursed camel is permitted to carry the holy word of the prophet." The consequ

e. She was equally delighted, and my beautiful camel seemed also to be aware of the honour to which he was de

assed through the streets, I pointed out to my wife the splendid animal, with his bridle studded with jewels and gold, led by the holy sheiks in their green robes, carrying on his back

e moment, and give her a farewell caress. As I lifted her in my arms, she, as usual, put her hand into the pocket of my loose jacket to search, as I thought, for the fruit that I usually brought home for her when I returned from the bazaar; but there was none there: and having replaced her in the arms of her mother, I hastened away that I might not be too late at my post. Your highness is aware that we do not march one following another

e direction of Cairo, at a very swift pace; it passed by me like a flash of lightning, but still I had sufficient time to recognise

wift dr

tened to the spot. I found him haranguing the Emir and the people who had surrounded him, denouncing woe and death to the whole caravan if my camel was not immediately destroyed, and another selected

was afraid that they would listen to the suggestions of the Maribout; and, alarmed

ould have been guilty of the basest ingratitude by seducing the mother of my children; I drove him from my d

ut were disregarded, and that night we procee

here the tracks of those who pass over it are obliterated by the wind,-a vast sea without water,-an expanse of desolation. We plunged into the desert; and

el, where we replenished our exhausted water-skins. Those whom I knew joked with me, when we met at the wells, at the false prophecies of my

out tents, that the fatal prophecy of the Maribout, and the judgment of Al

in a hurricane which carried every thing before it, cutting off mountains of sand at the base, and hurling them upon our devoted heads. The splendid tent of the Emir which first submitted t

ence and trepidation. But the simoom had not yet poured upon us all its horrors: in a few minutes nothing was to be distinguished, all was darkness, horrible darkness, rendered more horrible by the ravings o

space of time. The burning sand forced itself into my garments, the pores of my skin were closed, I hardly ventured to breathe the hot blast which was offered as the only means of protracted existence. At last I fetched my respiration with greater freedom, and no more heard the howling of the blast. Gradually I lif

uninterrupted as before; but the thousands who accompanied me, the splendid gathering of men and beasts, where were they? Where was the Emir Hadjy and his guards? where the mamelukes, the agas, the janissaries, and the holy sheiks? the sacred camel, the singers, and musicians? the varieties of nations and tribes who had joined the caravan? All perished!! Mountains of

might be even more terrible. But my wife and children rushed to my memory, and I resolved for their sakes to save, if possible, a life which had no ot

still have remaining in its stomach. This I effected, and having quenched my thirst-to which even the heated element which I poured down, seemed delicious-I hastened to open the remainder of the animals before putrefaction should take place, and collect the scanty supplies in the water-skins. I procured more than half a skin of water, and then returned to m

night of toil. Although I had sufficient water, I had no food. When the sun rose, I sat down upon a hillock of burning sand, to be exposed to his rays for twelve everlasting hours. Before the hour of noon arrived, my brain became heated-I nearly lost my reason. My vision was imperfect, or rather I saw what did not exist. At one time lakes of wat

s and horses of former caravans which had perished in the desert, and when the day dawned, I perceived the castle of Akaba at a short distance. Inspired with new life, I threw away the water-skin, redoubled my speed, and in half an hour had thrown myself down by the side of the fountain from which I had previously imbibed large draughts o

sang, and the cool breeze fanned my cheeks, I thought that it would have been better to have been swallowed up in the desert than to be tantalised by expiring in such a paradise. I laid myself down to die, for I could sit up no more; and as I turned round to take a last view of the running water, which had prolonged my existence, something hard pressed against my side. I thought it was a stone, and stretched out my hand to remove it, that I might be at ease in my last moments; but when I felt, there was no stone there; it was something in the pocket of my jacket. I put my hand in, unconscious what it c

ss, tied me on one of the camels, and I once more embraced my family, whom I had never thought to see again. Since that I have b

was justified in making use of the expression, that "Happy

*

not a bad story: Mustapha, give him five

joyed at the fortunate termination of what had threatened so much danger. The pach

; I never thought that we should have heard so good a story about a 'crust of bread.' His description of the simoom parched

, should do so, as the path will be rendered easier. Min Allah! God forbid! Has your

er that, Wallah! I had enough to do, splitting them; and now am not I fully occup

er said, that a visit to the holy shrine would be a passport to heaven, it was intended to employ

," replied the pacha, "why, if every body

slave, if such were to take place, that a

and of that simoom-Sherbet I cannot drink, Rakee I must not

the wine of Shiraz given by Allah to be thrown away? Allah Karim! God is most merciful; and the wine was s

words are those of wisdom. Is a pacha to be fed on water-melons? Staffir Allah! do we believe the less,

forbidden? because it makes men drunk. If then we are not drunk, we keep within the law. Why was the law made? Laws cannot be made for all; they must therefore be made for the control of the majority-Is it not so? Who are the majority? Why th

pacha, lifting the pitcher to his mouth fo

rame to the extremities, so does your slave participate in your bounty. Do I not sit in your sublime presence? Can the sun shine without throwing out heat; therefore if your highness

itten down," observed the pacha,

about it, improving the language to render it more pleasing to the ears of your sub

Haroun used to command them to be written in letters of go

nger exists, y

ink," replied the pacha, lifting the

be down, Mustapha,