Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

How happily the days

Of Thalaba went by!

Years of his youth, how rapidly ye fled!

26.

Yet was the heart of Thalaba

Impatient of repose;
Restless he ponder'd still
The task for him decreed,

The mighty and mysterious work announced.
Day by day, with youthful ardor,

He the call of Heaven awaits;

And oft in visions, o'er the murderer's head,
He lifts the avenging arm;
And oft, in dreams, he sees
The Sword that is circled with fire.

27. One morn, as was their wont, in sportive mood, The youth and damsel bent Hodeirah's bow; For with no feeble hand, nor erring aim, Oneiza could let loose the obedient shaft.

With head back-bending, Thalaba Shot up the aimless arrow high in air, Whose line in vain the aching sight pursued, Lost in the depth of Heaven.

"When will the hour arrive," exclaim'd the youth, "That I shall aim these fated shafts

To vengeance long delay'd?

Have I not strength, my father, for the deed? Or can the will of Providence

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

The admiring girl survey'd His outspread sails of green; His gauzy underwings, One closely to the grass-green body furl'd, One ruffled in the fall, and half unclosed. She view'd his jet-orb'd eyes, His glossy gorget bright, Green-glittering in the sun; His plumy, pliant horns, That, nearer as she gazed, Bent tremblingly before her breath. She mark'd his yellow-circled front With lines mysterious vein'd; And, "Know'st thou what is here inscribed, My father?" said the Maid. "Look, Thalaba! perchance these lines Are in the letters of the Ring, Nature's own language written here."

34.

The youth bent down, and suddenly
He started, and his heart
Sprung, and his cheek grew red,

For these mysterious lines were legible :WHEN THE SUN SHALL BE DARKENED AT NOON, SON OF HODEIRAH, DEPART.

And Moath look'd, and read the lines aloud; The Locust shook his wings and fled, And they were silent all.

35.

Who then rejoiced but Thalaba?

Who then was troubled but the Arabian Maid? And Moath, sad of heart,

Though with a grief suppress'd, beheld the youth
Sharpen his arrows now,

And now new-plume their shafts,
Now, to beguile impatient hope,

Feel every sharpen'd point.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

;

Alectoria is a stone of a crystalline color, a little darkish, somewhat resembling limpid water; and sometimes it has veins of the color of flesh. Some call it Gallinaceus, from the place of its generation, the intestines of capons, which were castrated at three years old, and had lived seven; before which time the stone ought not to be taken out, for the older it is, so much the better. When the stone is become perfect in the capon, he don't drink. However, it is never found bigger than a large bean. The virtue of this stone is, to render him who carries it invisible. Being held in the mouth, it allays thirst, and therefore is proper for wrestlers; makes a woman agreeable to her husband; bestows honors, and preserves those already acquired; it frees such as are bewitched it renders a man eloquent, constant, agreeable, and amiable; it helps to regain a lost kingdom, and acquire a foreign one. Borax, Nosa, Crapondinus, are names of the same stone, which is extracted from a toad. There are two species; that which is the best is rarely found; the other is black or dun with a cerulean glow, having in the middle the similitude of an eye, and must be taken out while the dead toad is yet panting; and these are better than those which are extracted from it after a long continuance in the ground. They have a wonderful efficacy in poisons. For whoever has taken poison, let him swallow this; which being down, it rolls about the bowels, and drives out every poisonous quality that is lodged in the intestines, and then passes through the fundament, and is preserved.

Corvia, or Corvina, is a stone of a reddish color, and accounted artificial. On the calends of April boil the eggs, taken out of a crow's nest, till they are hard; and being cold, let them be placed in the nest as they were before. When the crow knows this, she flies a long way to find the stone; and having found it, returns to the nest; and the eggs being touched with it, they become fresh and prolific. The stone must immediately be snatched out of the nest. Its virtue is to increase riches, to bestow honors, and to foretell many future events.

Kinocetus is a stone not wholly useless, since it will cast out devils.

Conscious of poison, &c.— 1, p. 244.

Giafar, the founder of the Barmecides, being obliged to fly from Persia, his native country, took refuge at Damascus, and implored the protection of the Caliph Soliman. When he was presented to that Prince, the Caliph suddenly changed color, and commanded him to retire, suspecting that he had poison about him. Soliman had discovered it by means of ten stones which he wore upon his arm. They were fastened there like a bracelet, and never failed to strike one against the other, and make a slight noise when any poison was near. Upon inquiry it was found, that Gjafar carried poison in his ring, for the purpose of self-destruction, in case he had been taken by his enemies. - Marigny.

These foolish old superstitions have died away, and gems are now neither pounded as poison, nor worn as antidotes. But the old absurdities respecting poisons have been renewed, in our days, by authors who have revived the calumnies alleged against the Knights-Templar, as if with the hope of exciting a more extensive persecution.

Some blunt the hostile weapon's edge. — 1, p. 244.

In the country called Panten, or Tathalamasin, "there be canes called Cassan, which overspread the earth like grasse, and out of every knot of them spring foorth certaine branches, which are continued upon the ground almost for the space of a mile. In the sayd canes there are found certaine stones, one of which stones whosoever carryeth about with him, cannot be wounded with any yron; and therefore the men of that country for the most part carry such stones with them, whithersoever they goe. Many also cause one of the armes of their children, while they are young, to be launced, putting one of the said stones into the wound, healing also, and closing up the said wound with the powder of a certain fish, (the

From the Mirror of Stones I extract a few specimens of the name where of I do not know,) which powder doth immeabsurd ideas once prevalent respecting precious stones.

The Amethyst drives away drunkenness; for, being bound on the navel, it restrains the vapor of the wine, and so dissolves the ebriety.

diately consolidate and cure the said wound. And by the vertue of these stones, the people aforesaid doe for the most part triumph both on sea and land. Howbeit there is one kind of stratageme which the enemies of this nation, knowing

the vertue of the sayd stones, doe practise against them: namely, they provide themselves armour of yron or steele against their arrowes, and weapons also poisoned with the poyson of trees; and they carry in their hands wooden stakes most sharp and hard-pointed, as if they were yron: likewise they shoot arrowes without yron heades, and so they confound and slay some of their unarmed foes, trusting too securely unto the vertue of their stones."- Odoricus in Hakluyt.

concluded, that Count Floris should send unto Count Philip, a thousand men, expert in making of ditches, to stop the hole which had beene made neere unto Dam, or the Sluce, whereby the countrey was drowned round about at everie high sea; the which the Flemings could by no means fill up, neither with wood, nor any other matter, for that all sunke as in a gulfe without any bottome; whereby, in succession of time, Bruges, and all that jurisdiction, had been in daunger to have bin lost by inundation, and to become all sea, if it were not speedily repaired. Count Floris having taken possession of the isle of Walcharen, returned into Holland, from whence hee sent the best workmen he could find in all his countries,

We are obliged to jewellers for our best accounts of the East. In Tavernier there is a passage curiously characteristic of his profession. A European at Delhi complained to him that he had polished and set a large diamond for Oreng-zebe, who had never paid him for his work. But he did not un-into Flanders, to make dikes and causeies, and to stop the derstand his trade, says Tavernier; for if he had been a skilful jeweller, he would have known how to take two or three pieces out of the stone, and pay himself better than the Mogul would have done.

•places by the abode

Of holy men holily possessed.-4, p. 244. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.-2 Kings, xiii. 20, 21.

"It happened the dead corpse of a man was cast ashore at Chatham, and, being taken up, was buried decently in the church-yard. Now there was an image or rood in the church, called our Lady of Chatham. This Lady, say the Monks, went the next night and roused up the clerk, telling him that a sinful person was buried near the place where she was worshipped, who offended her eyes with his ghastly grinning; and unless he were removed, to the great grief of good people she must remove from thence, and could work no more miracles. Therefore she desired him to go with her to take him up, and throw him into the river again: which being done, soon after the body floated again, and was taken up and buried in the church-yard; but from that time all miracles ceased, and the place where he was buried did continually sink downwards. This tale is still remembered by some aged people, receiving it by tradition from the Popish times of darkness and idolatry.”—Admirable Curiosities, Rarities, and Wonders in England.

When Alboquerque wintered at the isle of Camaram, in the Red sea, a man at arms, who died suddenly, was thrown overboard. In the night the watch felt several shocks, as though the ship were striking on a sand-bank. They put out the boat, and found the dead body clinging to the keel by the rudder. It was taken up and buried on shore; and in the morning, it was seen lying on the grave. Frey Francisco was then consulted. He conjectured, that the deceased had died under excommunication, and therefore absolved him. They interred him again, and then he rested in the grave.— Joam de Barros. Dec. 2. 8. 3.

So foul, that Earth rejects him. -4, p. 244. Matthew of Westminster says, the story of the Old Woman of Berkeley will not appear incredible, if we read the dialogue of St. Gregory, in which he relates how the body of a man buried in the church was thrown out by the Devils. Charles Martel also, because he had appropriated great part of the tithes to pay his soldiers, was most miserably, by the wicked Spirits, taken bodily out of his grave.

The Turks report, as a certain truth, that the corpse of Heyradin Barbarossa was found, four or five times, out of the ground, lying by his sepulchre, after he had been there inhumed nor could they possibly make him lie quiet in his grave, till a Greek wizard counselled them to bury a black dog together with the body; which done, he lay still and gave them no farther trouble. - Morgan's History of Algiers. In supernatural affairs, seals and dogs seem to possess a sedative virtue. When peace was made, about the year 1170, between the Earls of Holland and Flanders, "it was

hole neere unto this Dam, or Sluce, and to recover the drowned land. These diggers being come to the place, they found at the entrie of this bottomless hole, a Sea-dog, the which for six dayes together, did nothing but crie out and howle very fearfully. They, not knowing what it might signifie, having consulted of this accident, they resolved to cast this dog into the hole. There was a mad-headed Hollander among the rest, who going into the bottome of the dike, tooke the dogge by the taile, and cast him into the middest of the gulfe; then speedily they cast earth and torfe into it, so as they found a bottome, and by little and little filled it up. And for that many workmen came to the repairing of this dike, who, for that they would not be far from their worke, coucht in Cabines, which seemed to be a pretie towne, Count Philip gave unto all these Hollanders, Zeelanders, and others, that would inhabit there, as much land as they could recover from Dam to Ardenbourg, for them and their successors, forever, with many other immunities and freedoms. By reason whereof many planted themselves there, and in succession of time, made a good towne there, the which by reason of this dog, which they cast into the hole, they named Hondtsdam, that is to say, a dog's sluce; Dam in Flemish signifying a sluce, and Hondt dog; and therefore at this day, the said towne (which is simply called Dam) carrieth a dog in their armes and blason."- Grimestone's Historie of the Netherlands, 1608.

The Vulture hovers yonder, &c.—4, p. 244. The Vulture is very serviceable in Arabia, clearing the earth of all carcasses, which corrupt very rapidly in hot countries. He also destroys the field mice, which multiply so prodigiously in some provinces, that, were it not for this assistance, the peasant might cease from the culture of the fields as absolutely vain. Their performance of these important services induced the ancient Egyptians to pay those birds divine honors, and even at present it is held unlawful to kill them in all the countries which they frequent.Niebuhr.

[blocks in formation]

Shapes the green basket, &c.— - 18, p. 246.

The Doum, or wild palm-tree, grows in abundance, from which these people, when necessity renders them industrious, find great advantage. The shepherds, mule-drivers, cameldrivers, and travellers, gather the leaves, of which they make mats, fringes, baskets, hats, shooaris, or large wallets to carry corn, twine, ropes, girths, and covers for their pack-saddles. This plant, with which also they heat their ovens, produces a mild and resinous fruit, that ripens in September and October. It is in form like the raisin, contains a kernel, and is astringent, and very proper to temper and counteract the effects of the watery and laxative fruits, of which these people in summer make an immoderate use. That Power which is ever provident to all, has spread this wild plant over their deserts to supply an infinity of wants that would otherwise heavily burden a people so poor. -Chenier.

Or lingers it a vernal brook.—20, p. 246.

We passed two of those valleys so common in Arabia, which, when heavy rains fall, are filled with water, and are then called wadi, or rivers, although perfectly dry at other times of the year. We now drew nearer to the river, of which a branch was dry, and having its channel filled with reeds growing to the height of 20 feet, served as a line of road, which was agreeably shaded by the reeds. Niebuhr.

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away.

Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

[blocks in formation]

Or at the hand-mill when she knelt. — 21, p. 246.

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have Then let my wife grind unto another. - Job xxxi. 9, 10.

What time they wax warm they vanish; when it is hot, laid wait at my neighbor's door, they are consumed out of their place.

The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. Job vi. 15.

Nor rich, nor poor, was Moath.-21, p. 246.

The simplicity, or, perhaps, more properly, the poverty, of the lower class of the Bedouins, is proportionate to that of their chiefs. All the wealth of a family consists of movables, of which the following is a pretty exact inventory: A few male and female camels, some goats and poultry, a mare and her bridle and saddle, a tent, a lance sixteen feet long, a crooked sabre, a rusty musket, with a flint or matchlock; a pipe, a portable mill, a pot for cooking, a leathern bucket, a small coffee-roaster; a mat, some clothes, a mantle of black woollen, and a few glass or silver rings, which the women wear upon their legs and arms; if none of these are wanting, their furniture is complete. But what the poor man stands most in need of, and what he takes most pleasure in, is his mare; for this animal is his principal support. With his mare the Bedouin makes his excursions against hostile tribes, or seeks plunder in the country, and on the highways. The mare is preferred to the horse, because she does not neigh, is more docile, and yields milk, which, on occasion, satisfies the thirst and even the hunger of her master. - Volney.

The Sheik, says Volney, with whom I resided in the country of Gaza, about the end of 1784, passed for one of the most powerful of those districts; yet it did not appear to me that his expenditure was greater than that of an opulent farmer. His personal effects, consisting in a few pelisses, carpets, arms, horses, and camels, could not be estimated at more than fifty thousand livres, (a little above two thousand pounds;) and it must be observed, that in this calculation,

four mares of the breed of racers are valued at six thousand livres, (two hundred and fifty pounds,) and each camel at ten pounds sterling. We must not therefore, when we speak of the Bedouins, affix to the words Prince and Lord the ideas they usually convey; we should come nearer the truth, by comparing them to substantial farmers, in mountainous countries, whose simplicity they resemble in their dress, as well as in their domestic life and manners. A Sheik, who has the command of five hundred horse, does not disdain to saddle and bridle his own, nor to give him his barley and chopped straw. In his tent, his wife makes the coffee, kneads the dough, and

With bare, wet arm, &c.—21, p. 246.

I was much amused by observing the dexterity of the Arab women in baking their bread. They have a small place built with clay, between two and three feet high, having a hole at the bottom, for the convenience of drawing out the ashes, something similar to that of a lime-kiln. The oven (which I think is the most proper name for this place) is usually about fifteen inches wide at the top, and gradually grows wider to the bottom. It is heated with wood, and when sufficiently hot, and perfectly clear from smoke, having nothing but clear embers at bottom, (which continue to reflect great heat,) they prepare the dough in a large bowl, and mould the cakes, to the desired size, on a board or stone placed near the oven. After they have kneaded the cake to a proper consistence, they pat it a little, then toss it about with great dexterity in one hand, till it is as thin as they choose to make it. They then wet one side of it with water, at the same time wetting the hand and arm, with which they put it into the oven. The wet side of the cake adheres fast to the side of the oven till it is sufficiently baked, when, if not paid sufficient attention to, it would fall down among the embers. If they were not exceedingly quick at this work, the heat of the oven would burn the skin from off their hands and arms; but with such amazing dexterity do they perform it, that one woman will continue keeping three or four cakes at a time in the oven till she has done baking. This mode, let me add, does not require half the fuel that is made use of in Europe. — Jackson.

22, p. 246. The Tamarind sheathes its young fruit, yet green. Tamarinds grow on great trees, full of branches, whereof the leaves are not bigger than, nor unlike to, the leaves of pimpernel, only something longer. The flower at first is like the peaches, but at last turns white, and puts forth its fruit at the end of certain strings; as soon as the sun is set, the leaves close up the fruit, to preserve it from the dew, and open as soon as that luminary appears again. The fruit at first is green, but ripening it becomes of a dark-gray, drawing towards a red, enclosed in husks, brown or tawny, of taste a little bitter, like our prunelloes. The tree is as big as a walnuttree, full of leaves, bearing its fruit, at the branches, like the

sheath of a knife, but not so straight, rather bent like a bow. - Mandelslo.

Intones the holy Book.—22, p. 246.

I have often, says Niebuhr, heard the Sheiks sing passages from the Koran. They never strain the voice by attempting to raise it too high; and this natural music pleased me very much.

The airs of the Orientals are all grave and simple. They choose their singers to sing so distinctly, that every word may be comprehended. When several instruments are played at once, and accompanied by the voice, you hear them all render the same melody, unless some one mingles a running base, either singing or playing, always in the same key. If this music is not greatly to our taste, ours is as little to the taste of the Orientals.-. Niebuhr.

Its marble walls, &c. - 22, p. 246.

The Mosques, which they pronounce Mesg-jid, are built exactly in the fashion of our churches, where, instead of such seats and benches as we make use of, they only strew the floor with mats, upon which they perform the several sittings and prostrations that are enjoined in their religion. Near the middle, particularly of the principal Mosque of each city, there is a large pulpit erected, which is balustraded round, with about half-a-dozen steps leading up to it. Upon these (for I am told none are permitted to enter the pulpit) the Mufty, or one of the Im-ams, placeth himself every Friday, the day of the congregation, as they call it, and from thence either explaineth some part or other of the Koran, or else exhorteth the people to piety and good works. That end of these Mosques, which regards Mecca, whither they direct themselves throughout the whole course of their devotions, is called the Kiblah, in which there is commonly a niche, representing, as a judicious writer conjectures, the presence, and at the same time the invisibility of the Deity. There is usually a square tower erected at the other end, with a flag-staff upon the top of it. Hither the crier ascends at the appointed times, and, displaying a small flag, advertiseth the people, with a loud voice from each side of the battlements, of the hour of prayer. These places of the Mahometan worship, together with the Mufty, Im-ams, and other persons belonging to them, are maintained out of certain revenues arising from the rents of lands and houses, either left by will or set apart by the public for that use.- Shaw.

All the Mosques are built nearly in the same style. They are of an oblong square form, and covered in the middle with a large dome, on the top of which is fixed a gilt crescent. In front there is a handsome portico covered with several small cupolas, and raised one step above the pavement of the court. The Turks sometimes, in the hot season, perform their devotions there; and between the columns, upon cross iron bars, are suspended a number of lamps, for illuminations on the Thursday nights, and on all festivals. The entrance into the Mosque is by one large door. All these edifices are solidly built of freestone, and in several the domes are covered with lead. The minarets stand on one side, adjoining to the body of the Mosque. They are sometimes square, but more commonly round and taper. The gallery for the maazeen, or criers, projecting a little from the column near the top, has some resemblance to a rude capital; and from this the spire, tapering more in proportion than before, soon terminates in a point crowned with a crescent. Russell's Aleppo.

The Stars of Heaven their point of prayer.-22, p. 246. The Keabê is the point of direction, and the centre of union for the prayers of the whole human race, as the Beïth-mâmour * is for those of all the celestial beings; the Kursy for those

Beith-mamour, which means the house of prosperity and felicity, is the ancient Keabe of Mecca; which, according to tradition, was taken up into Heaven by the Angels at the deluge, where it was placed perpendicu larly over the present sanctuary.

Kursy, which signifies a seat, is the eighth firmament.

of the four Arch-angels, and the Arsch* for those of the cherubims and seraphims who guard the throne of the Almighty. The inhabitants of Mecca, who enjoy the happiness of contemplating the Keabê, are obliged, when they pray, to fix their eyes upon the sanctuary; but they who are at a distance from this valuable privilege, are required only, during prayer, to direct their attention towards that hallowed edifice. The believer who is ignorant of the position of the Keabê must use every endeavor to gain a knowledge of it; and after he has shown great solicitude, whatever be his success, his prayer is valid. — D' Ohsson.

Rest on the pillar of the Tent. -23, p. 246.

The Bedoweens live in tents, called Hymas, from the shade they afford the inhabitants, and Beet el Shar, Houses of Hair, from the matter they are made of. They are the same with what the antients called Mapalia, which being then, as they are to this day, secured from the heat and inclemency of the weather, by a covering only of such hair-cloth as our coal sacks are made of, might very justly be described by Virgil to have thin roofs. When we find any number of them together, (and I have seen from three to three hundred,) then they are usually placed in a circle, and constitute a Dou-war. The fashion of each tent is the same, being of an oblong figure, not unlike the bottom of a ship turned upside down, as Sallust hath long ago described them. However, they differ in bigness, according to the number of people who live in them; and are accordingly supported, some with one pillar, others with two or three; whilst a curtain or carpet placed, upon occasion, at each of these divisions, separateth the whole into so many apartments. The pillar, which I have mentioned, is a straight pole, 8 or 10 feet high, and 3 or 4 inches in thickness, serving not only to support the tent, but being full of hooks fixed there for the purpose, the Arabs hang upon it their clothes, baskets, saddles, and accoutrements of war. Holofernes, as we read in Judith, xiii. 6, made the like use of the pillar of his tent, by hanging his fauchion upon it: it is there called the pillar of the bed, from the custom, perhaps, that hath always prevailed, of having the upper end of the carpet, mattrass, or whatever else they lie upon, turned from the skirts of the tent that way. But the Kovoɛtov, Canopy, as we render it, (ver. 9,) should, I presume, be rather called the gnat or muskeeta net, which is a close curtain of gauze or fine linen, used all over the Levant, by people of better fashion, to keep out the flies. The Arabs have nothing of this kind; who, in taking their rest, lie horizontally upon the ground, without bed, mattrass, or pillow, wrapping themselves up only in their Hykes, and lying, as they find room, upon a mat or carpet, in the middle or corner of the tent. Those who are married, have each of them a corner of the tent, cantoned off with a curtain.— Shaw.

The tents of the Moors are somewhat of a conic form, are seldom more than 8 or 10 feet high in the centre, and from 20 to 25 in length. Like those of the remotest antiquity, their figure is that of a ship overset, the keel of which is only seen. These tents are made of twine, composed of goat's hair, camel's wool, and the leaves of the wild palm, so that they keep out water; but, being black, they produce a disagreeable effect at a distant view. Chenier.

Knitting light palm-leaves for her brother's brow. -23, p. 246.

In the kingdom of Imam, the men of all ranks shave their heads. In some other countries of Yemen, all the Arabs, even the Sheiks themselves, let their hair grow, and wear neither bonnet nor Sasch, but a handkerchief instead, in which they tie their hair behind. Some let it fall upon their shoulders, and bind a small cord round their heads instead of a turban. The Bedouins, upon the frontiers of Hedsjas and of Yemen, wear a bonnet of palm-leaves, neatly platted. - Niebuhr.

Arsch is the throne of the Almighty, which is thought to be placed on the ninth, which is the highest of the firmaments.

« AnteriorContinuar »