candidate offered toexplain them. This perplexing occupation inflamed his blood, dazzled hissight, and brought on a giddiness and debility that he could not support.He failed not, however, though in so reduced a condition, to be oftencarried to his tower, as he flattered himself that he might there read inthe stars, which he went to consult, something more congruous to hiswishes. But in this his hopes were deluded; for his eyes, dimmed by thevapours of his head, began to subserve his curiosity so ill, that hebeheld nothing but a thick dun cloud, which he took for the most direfulof omens.
Agitated with so much anxiety, Vathek entirely lost all firmness; a feverseized him and his appetite failed. Instead of being one of the greatesteaters, he became as distinguished for drinking. So insatiable was thethirst which tormented him, that his mouth, like a funnel, was alwaysopen to receive the various liquors that might be poured into it andespecially cold water, which calmed him more than every other.
This unhappy prince being thus incapacitated for the enjoyment of anypleasure, commanded the palaces of the five senses to be shut up;forebore to appear in public, either to display his magnificence oradminister justice; and retired to the inmost apartment of his harem. Ashe had ever been an indulgent husband, his wives, overwhelmed with griefat his deplorable situation, incessantly offered their prayers for hishealth, and unremittingly supplied him with water.
In the mean time, the Princess Carathis, whose affliction no words candescribe, instead of restraining herself to sobbing and tears, wascloseted daily with the Vizier Morakanabad, to find out some cure ormitigation of the Caliph’s disease. Under the persuasion that it wascaused by enchantment, they turned over together leaf by leaf, all thebooks of magic that might point out a remedy; and caused the horriblestranger, whom they accused as the enchanter, to be everywhere sought forwith the strictest diligence.
At the distance of a few miles from Samarah stood a high mountain, whosesides were swarded with wild thyme and basil, and its summit overspreadwith so delightful a plain that it might be taken for the Paradisedestined for the faithful. Upon it grew a hundred thickets of eglantineand other fragrant shrubs; a hundred arbours of roses, jessamine, andhoneysuckle; as many clumps of orange trees, cedar, and citron; whosebranches, interwoven with the palm, the pomegranate, and the vine,presented every luxury that could regale the eye or the taste. Theground was strewed with violets, harebells, and pansies; in the midst ofwhich sprung forth tufts of jonquils, hyacinths, and carnations, withevery other perfume that impregnates the air. Four fountains, not lessclear than deep, and so abundant as to slake the thirst of ten armies,seemed purposely placed here to make the scene more resemble the gardenof Eden, which was watered by the four sacred rivers. Here thenightingale sang the birth of the rose, her well-beloved, and at the sametime lamented its short-lived beauty; whilst the turtle deplored the lossof more substantial pleasures and the wakeful lark hailed the risinglight that reanimates the whole creation. Here, more than anywhere, themingled melodies of birds expressed the various passions they inspired;as if the exquisite fruits, which they pecked at pleasure, had given thema double energy.
To this mountain Vathek was sometimes brought, for the sake of breathinga purer air; and especially, to drink at will of the four fountains,which were reputed in the highest degree salubrious, and sacred tohimself. His attendants were his mother, his wives, and some eunuchs,who assiduously employed themselves in filling capacious bowls of rockcrystal, and emulously presenting them to him. But it frequentlyhappened that his avidity exceeded their zeal; insomuch that he wouldprostrate himself upon the ground to lap up the water, of which he couldnever have enough.
One day when this unhappy prince had been long lying in so debasing aposture, a voice, hoarse but strong, thus addressed him:
“Why assumest thou the function of a dog, oh Caliph, so proud of thydignity and power?”
At this apostrophe he raised up his head and beheld the stranger that hadcaused him so much affliction. Inflamed with anger at the sight, heexclaimed:
“Accursed Giaour! {23} what comest thou hither to do? is it not enough tohave transformed a prince, remarkable for his agility, into one of thoseleather barrels which the Bedouin Arabs carry on their camels when theytraverse the deserts? Perceivest thou not that I may perish by drinkingto excess, no less than by a total abstinence?”
“Drink then this draught,” said the stranger, as he presented to him aphial of a red and yellow mixture; “and to satiate the thirst of thy soulas well as of thy body, know that I am an Indian, but from a region ofIndia which is wholly unknown.”
The Caliph, delighted to see his desires accomplished in part, andflattering himself with the hope of obtaining their entire fulfilment,without a moment’s hesitation swallowed the potion, and instantaneouslyfound his health restored, his thirst appeased, and his limbs as agile asever.
In the transports of his joy, Vathek leaped upon the neck of thefrightful Indian, and kissed his horrid mouth and hollow cheeks, asthough they had been the coral lips, and the lilies and roses of his mostbeautiful wives; whilst they, less terrified than jealous at the sight,dropped their veils to hide the blush of mortification that suffusedtheir foreheads.
Nor would the scene have closed here, had not Carathis, with all the artof insinuation, a little repressed the raptures of her son. Havingprevailed upon him to return to Samarah, she caused a herald to precedehim, whom she commanded to proclaim as loudly as possible:
“The wonderful stranger hath appeared again; he hath healed the Caliph;he hath spoken! he hath spoken!”
Forthwith all the inhabitants of this vast city quitted theirhabitations, and ran together in crowds to see the procession of Vathekand the Indian, whom they now blessed as much as they had beforeexecrated, incessantly shouting,
“He hath healed our sovereign; he hath spoken! he hath spoken!”
Nor were these words forgotten in the public festivals, which werecelebrated the same evening to testify the general joy, for the poetsapplied them as a chorus to all the songs they composed.
The Caliph, in the mean while caused the palaces of the senses to beagain set open, and as he found himself prompted to visit that of taste,in preference to the rest, immediately ordered a splendid entertainment,to which his great officers and favourite courtiers were all invited.The Indian, who was placed near the prince, seemed to think that as aproper acknowledgment of so distinguished a privilege, he could neithereat, drink, nor talk too much. The various dainties were no soonerserved up than they vanished, to the great mortification of Vathek, whopiqued himself on being the greatest eater alive, and at this time inparticular had an excellent appetite.
The rest of the company looked round at each other in amazement, but theIndian without appearing to observe it, quaffed large bumpers to thehealth of each of them: sung in a style altogether extravagant; relatedstories at which he laughed immoderately; and poured forth extemporaneousverses which would not have been thought bad, but for the strangegrimaces with which they were uttered. In a word, his loquacity wasequal to that of a hundred astrologers; he ate as much as a hundredporters, and caroused in proportion.
The Caliph, notwithstanding the table had been thirty times covered,found himself incommoded by the voraciousness of his guest, who was nowconsiderably declined in the prince’s esteem. Vathek, however, beingunwilling to betray the chagrin he could hardly disguise, said in awhisper to Bababalouk, {26a} the chief of his eunuchs:
“You see how enormous his performances in every way are; what would bethe consequence should he get at my wives? Go! redouble your vigilance,and be sure look well to my Circassians, who would be more to his tastethan all of the rest.”
The bird of the morning had thrice renewed his song, when the hour of thedivan {26b} sounded. Vathek, in gratitude to his subjects, havingpromised to attend, immediately arose from table and repaired thitherleaning upon his vizier, who could scarcely support him, so disorderedwas the poor prince by the wine he had drank, and still more by theextravagant vaga
ries of his boisterous guest.
The viziers, the officers of the crown, and of the law, arrangedthemselves in a semi-circle about their sovereign, and preserved arespectful silence, whilst the Indian, who looked as cool as if come froma fast, sat down without ceremony on a step of the throne, laughing inhis sleeve at the indignation with which his temerity had filled thespectators.
The Caliph, however, whose ideas were confused and his head embarrassed,went on administering justice at hap-hazard, till at length the primevizier {27} perceiving his situation, hit upon a sudden expedient tointerrupt the audience, and rescue the honour of his master, to whom hesaid in a whisper:
“My lord, the princess Carathis, who hath passed the night in consultingthe planets, informs you that they portend you evil; and the danger isurgent. Beware, lest this stranger whom you have so lavishly recompensedfor his magical gewgaws, should make some attempt on your life: hisliquor, which at first had the appearance of effecting your cure, may beno more than a poison of a sudden operation. Slight