“After spending a year at Madrid, and in America, I embarked for Constantinople. There I could not relish the customs of a people, by whom Toys are lock’d up; and I soon quitted a country, in which my liberty was in danger. However, I practised sufficiently with the Mussulmans, to perceive that they are much improved by their commerce with the Europeans: and I found in them the levity of the French, the ardor of the English, the strength of the Germans, the longanimity of the Spaniards, together with strong tinctures of the Italian refinements: in a word, a single Aga is worth a cardinal, four dukes, a lord, three grandees of Spain, and two German princes.
“From Constantinople I came, as you know, gentlemen, to the court of the great Erguebzed, where I formed the most amiable of our nobility: and when at length I became good for nought, I threw myself on that odd figure there,” says the Toy, singling out Cypria’s husband by a certain familiar gesture. “Gods, what a fall!”
The African author closes this chapter with an advertisement to the ladies, who might be tempted to order a translation of those parts of the narrative, where Cypria’s Toy expressed itself in foreign languages. “I should be wanting,” says he, “to the duty of an historian, by suppressing them; and to the respect which I bear the sex, by preserving them in my work; without acquainting virtuous ladies, that Cypria’s Toy had excessively spoil’d its speech in travelling, and that its narratives are infinitely more free than any of the clandestine lectures which it ever made.”
XLV
Cydalisa
Mangogul returned to the favorite, where Selim was come before him. “Well, prince,” said Mirzoza, “has the account of Cypria’s travels done you any good?”
“Neither good nor harm,” answered the Sultan: “I understood it not.”
“Why so?” replied the favorite.
“Because,” says the Sultan, “her Toy speaks like a Polyglot, all languages but mine. It is an impertinent Storyteller, but would make a excellent interpreter.”
“What!” replied Mirzoza, “did you gather nothing at all from her narrative?”
“But one thing, madam,” answered Mangogul, “and that is, that travelling is more pernicious, if possible, to the modesty of the women, than to the religion of the men; and that there is very little merit in knowing many languages. For one may be master of Greek, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, and the language of Congo, and yet have no more sense than a Toy. Is this your opinion, madam? and what is Selim’s? Now let him begin his story: but above all, no more travels. They fatigue me to death.” Selim promised the Sultan, that the scene should be confined to one place, and spoke thus.
“I was about thirty years of age when I lost my father: I married to keep up my family, and I lived with my wife as becomes a husband; regards, attentions, politeness, decent behavior without much familiarity. The prince Erguebzed came to the throne: I had been in his good graces long before his reign: he continued me in them to his death, and I endeavour’d to do justice to this mark of distinction by my zeal and fidelity. The place of inspector general of his armies became vacant: I obtained it, and this post obliged me to take frequent journies to the frontiers.”
“Frequent journies?” cried the Sultan. “A single one is sufficient to make me sleep till tomorrow. Think of that.”
“Prince,” continued Selim, “it was in one of these tours that I became acquainted with the wife of a colonel of the Spahis, whose name was Ostaluk, a man of bravery, and a good officer, but by no means an agreeable husband, jealous as a tyger, and his person was a sufficient warrant to justify that madness: for he was horribly ugly.
“He had lately espoused Cydalisa, young, lively, handsome; one of those uncommon women, for whom, at the first interview, one feels somewhat more than politeness, from whom one parts with regret, and who return a hundred times to your thoughts, till you see them
