The Virginian

From the New Arabian Nights Entertainments
STORY OF NUREDDIN AND MARIA
The story of Nureddin and Maria the girdle-maker, is one of the best in the collection. The scene is laid chiefly in Egypt, where there lived an immensely rich merchant named Tajeddin. The number of his horses mules and slaves, was past counting: he was in short, the merchant of merchants.
This Tajeddin had a son named Nureddin, who was in his fourteenth year, and beautiful as the moon when she has attained her fourteenth day. One day as he was conversing with some Youths of his own age in the bazaar, they proposed a trip to garden belonging to one of them Nureddin like a dutiful son, said he would go & ask his father's permission. Tajeddin made no objection. and gave him money into the bargain. The garden was of course most magnificent. abounding in fruits, in the description of which the author complaisantly appropriates a stanza to each till he is exhausted. The company seated themselves in a tent. to doff their turbans, and chatted together. A plentiful pic-nic dinner was served up, 'fowls and chickens geese and goslings, partridges and quails, without number.' After coffee, the keeper of the garden brought in a basket of roses ; & each of the youths. who were ten in number, took vows each with a stanza in praise the rose,--The owner of the garden now called for wine. The bowl passed round till it came to Nureddin who declined it, alleging that it was prohibited.
'Ah.' said the owner of the garden. if nothing else deters you from drinking than the idea of the sin you commit, let me tell you that God is great, gracious & merciful, and willingly pardons these petty faults. Recollect only what one of our poets says,
'Do what is agreeable to you. &
make no scruples. But beware t
two things : give God no equal, &
do no injury to men.'
Nureddin still refused for some time. but all the youths rose and besought him to drink. he was then ashamed to hold out, and drained the bowl to the last drop.
It would have been very wrong for you, Nureddin,' said the proprietor of the garden, had you refused this elixir. to the virtues and admirable qualities of which you are an utter stranger. It is a specific under every affection. a panacea for the pains of body & soul; it gives wealth to the poor, courage to the coward, and to the weak the power of enjoyment. I should never have done were I to attempt to speak all its praise.' He thereupon opened one of the cupboards in the tent. took out a large lump of sugar candy, gave it to Nureddin, and said, 'take this and put it into your glass to give milder taste to the wine in case you find it too harsh' Nureddin accordingly continued drinking, encouraged by the universal applause of his comrades. who kept constantly repeating, Nureddin, we are thy servants, thy slaves, thy brethren, Nureddin. dispose of us as thou wilt.'
--Vol. ii pp. 187. 188.
Our hero, though scarce able to stand, contrived to stammer out. that there was no pleasure in drinking without singing and music, appending as is usual, the advice of a poet. His seducer mounted his mule. cantered off, and speedily came back with an Egyptian girl, white as silver in the mine, or as an almond. with eyebrows like bows, her teeth pearly,& her lips as if wrought in marble?' She was dressed in blue and resembled, as the poet expressed it, the crescent moon amidst a wintry night.' Nureddin, who 'shone along his companions like the moon among the inferior lunaries,'* was the object on whom the fair musician lavished all her blandishments. She sung to him, cast on him the most ravishing glances, till, like Alexander, with love and wine at once oppressed, he bestowed on her the tenderest caresses.
While they were thus engaged, the stars began to glisten in the firmament and the breath of God arose in the breeze of the night., Nureddin, in spite of the remonstrances of his friends and the lady, would go home. There he met with nothing but reproaches from his father and his mother, for violating the prohibition against wine. He raised his hands. beat the Arab is they meet so and
* Velut inter ignes Luna minores.
Id est.
against his father, who swore a bitter oath, that he would the very next day either part from the mother 'undutiful child, or have his right hand cut off.
The good woman, who had some idea the old man would be more willing 'part with her than with his hand. got up early in the morning, and went to her son. who knew nothing of what had happened. & was filled with remorse when he heard what he had done. She told him he must be off till the storm had blown over. taking at the same time a purse of 100 dinars. & desiring him when that was spent to send for more ---
Nureddin rose. wept, took leave of his mother but having observed that in the chest whence his mother took the small purse, there was a large one of 1000 dinars, he secured that also under his girdle, and set out for Alexandria--Here, like all other men in eastern tales, he spent his time in walking about, admiring the city, till an old man who was shutting up his shop in the bazaar, desired him to make his house his home while he stayed.--The old man was a friend of his father. & he had seen Nureddin when a child. Nureddin was very glad of his acquaintance. gave him his big purse to keep for him. kept the other to pocket money. He walked about as usual. At length one day when his pocket cash was low. he called on the old man, but not finding him in his shop, he sat down to wait for him. Just then a crier passed, saying,
A beautiful slave, mounted on a mule, group and by a slave white as the pen of a ready scribe, or in the neighborhood jeweled in the desert. The rain did her hair but in a state of morn, adorned with gold, veiled up the veil it covered her face, when shone like a star. She was set up at 100 dinars; with the condition that she was to approve her future master. The bidding rose like lightning to 950. Are you satisfied, O Emir? said the crier. I am. But then the condition. The crier pointed out the next richest bidder to the slave, an educated old man.
Crier,' said she, 'you must be a fool to think of selling me to this old fellow, who has more than once been obliged to put up with the bitterest reproaches in his wife.
The old man flew into a silent passion. 'Rascally crier!' said he 'hast thou brought this impudent wench hither to insult me!' The crier took the slave by the hand, and said to her: have some consideration! this man is the chief of the merchants.' 'So much the better,' said she, laughing: 'one must begin with reading lessons to the highest, if they are to do any good.'--Vol. ii. pp. 200, 201.
After several other persons had bid for her. at last she spied Nureddin. 'See.'said she to the crier. giv. mg him a glimpse of a ruby ring. I will give thee this, if thou canst prevail on that young man to pur. chase me.' The crier comes up to Nureddin: a page of poetry tells us h w he was dazzled wih her beauty. Nureddin approached the slave, & after a little talk,bid the 1000 dinars. wiich. with the pitcher of wine to the crter aud the duty to govern- mont, exaetly cut out his 1000 di- nars, so he had his beautiful slase (who was a Frank, by the way)and not a farthing in the world.' te took her home : se thought his lodgi g sery s auby; that be ex. cused by saying that Cairo was his home, and that he was bat a stran- ger here. Well, theu. I wil endea. vour to accustoim myselt to it nll you return to Cairo. but first of all let a god dinner be provided fur me.' Nureddin had 'o money. Go borrov,' said she, Nuredlin went to tis ftend. the old colour merchant. The colour merchant was amazcd at his foliy at throwing away 1000 dinars on a slase, when the best, be saud mght be bought for 200. He adyisedt hm, howover. to keep her tor that migut. and to tunk himself well off. in ae got 200 for her in the morning. te lont hun, meantime, fifry silserdrachms, charging hin by all means to loose no tie in geinng rid ot her. Wnen Nureddin got hong, the slave de- sured bim to lay out balr the moutey in prosisjons. and the remainder m silkof duilerent colons. Nwreidn did so, and cooked the provisjons: they supped aud chatled till he fel asleep. The slave then took a hus wife made of tait-leatler oat of her pocket, drose a couple of nails in the wall, and began to work a gidle with the silk, and when she finished it she retired to rest by his side.
Next morning when they had n their prayers. the slave shewed Nureddin the girdle she had made, o hid him gull it. He actually g ty twenty dinars for the girdle. 'I' my soul says he. I never knew better trade than this. It is ms a profitable to make such girdles than to be a great merchant.
Nureddin paid his old friend his debt, who wished him joy of the treasure he had got. and spake no more of selling be' ; and Maria the wme of the girdle-maker worked away every night. and every day brought in 20 dinars. At last she de sired him to buy silk of six coloursg and she worked him a neckhandkerchiel that was the admiration and envy of the whole city. To shorten the story, this handkerchier attracted the notice of an old squint-eyed Frank whom Maria particularly detested, but to whom Nureddin w w indurd in a fit of intoxication to sell her.
It is now time to inform the curious. that Maria was the daughter of a great king of the Franks. She had the best of education. had learned every kind of elegant work. and was. as may well be supposed, sought in marriage by a number of princes, who reigned over islands But her father would not part with her, though he had plenty of sons. At length she was afflicted by a severe illness. and she made a vow if she recovered, to perform a pilgrimage to a convent famous among the Franks. On her voyage thither, she was taken by a Mahomedan corsair. who carried her and all her retinue to the city of Cairo, where she was bought by a Persian merchant who was a eunuch. She attended him in a long and dangerous illness. and he promised at her request to sell her but to such a master as she should herself approve of. The good Persian merchant instructed her in Islamism. and then sold her at Alexandria.
When the king. her father, heard of her captivity he was greatly afflicted. He sent knights and patriarchs in every direction from where he was in search of her, but all to no purpose. At length he sent the squint-eyed Frank. who was his minister of police, and the devil incarnate at the business of espial. who found her, as we have seen, and brought her home sorely against her will. Nureddin. on his part, was equally disconsolate: every thing he saw recalled Maria to his mind, and he was on the verge of despair, when an old captain called, who was going with his ship to the very city to which Maria had been brought. Nureddin embarked, and after sailing fifty one days, they were taken by a Frank corsair, and carried to the residence of the king of the Frank. where they arrived at the same time as the princess Maria.
Her account of her adventures was by no means agreeable to her family. & it was decreed by the king. to wash away the stain of slavery and its consequences from the princess his daughter, at least a hundred Mussulmans ought to have their heads cut off. Accordingly it was ordered that the Mussulmans amounting to one hundred, taken by the corsair. should be forthwith executed. The captain's head was first knocked off. and so on till they came to Nureddin. who the silent barber. had the good luck to be placed last --The headsman however was approaching him. when an old woman came forward. and reminded the king of his vow. to bestow five captive Moslems on the church if he should ever get the princess again. By the Messiah. mother, (said the king) I had quite forgot that: there. i. but one left. so take him. and I remain your debtor for four. She took Nureddin home. The end is, that by diligence he obtains an interview with Maria. who contrives to escape with him from her father's dominions. and return to Alexandria. After they encountered fresh misfortunes. out after being again restored to her father's jurisdiction, she again found Nureddin. and fled with him New dangers met them in their flight, but these they surmounted through the ingenuity and Courage of Maria, and the story of course ended happily for the lovers.