Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
(as Will. Lilly was called). Amongst other things he wore at his
girdle an astrolabe not bigger than the hollow of a man’s hand, often
two to three inches in diameter and looking at a distance like a
medal.” These men practised both natural astrology = astronomy, as
well as judicial astrology which foretells events and of which Kepler
said that “she, albeit a fool, was the daughter of a wise mother, to
whose support and life the silly maid was indispensable.” Isidore of
Seville (A.D. 600–636) was the first to distinguish between the two
branches, and they flourished side by side till Newton’s day. Hence
the many astrological terms in our tongue, _e.g._ consider,
contemplate, disaster, jovial, mercurial, saturnine, etc.
Footnote 192:
In the H. V. “New brass lamps for old ones! who will exchange?” So in
the story of the Fisherman’s son, a Jew who had been tricked of a
cock, offers to give new rings for old rings. See Jonathan’s Scott’s
excerpts from the Wortley-Montague MSS. vol. vi. pp. 210–12. This is
one of the tales which I have translated for vol. iv.
Footnote 193:
The H. V. adds that Alaeddin loved to ride out a-hunting and had left
the city for eight days whereof three had passed by.
Footnote 194:
Galland makes her say, _Hé bien, folle, veux-tu me dire pourquoi tu
ris?_ The H. V. renders “Cease, giddyhead, why laughest thou?” and the
vulgate “Well, giggler,” said the Princess, etc.
Footnote 195:
Nothing can be more improbable than this detail, but upon such
abnormal situations almost all stories, even in our most modern
“Society-novels,” depend and the cause is clear—without them there
would be no story. And the modern will, perhaps, suggest that “the
truth was withheld for a higher purpose, for the working out of
certain ends.” In the H. V. Alaeddin, when about to go a-hunting,
always placed the Lamp high up on the cornice with all care lest any
touch it.
Footnote 196:
The H. V. adds, “The Magician, when he saw the Lamp, at once knew that
it must be the one he sought; for he knew that all things, great and
small, appertaining to the palace would be golden or silvern.”
Footnote 197:
In truly Oriental countries the Wazir is expected to know everything,
and if he fail in this easy duty be may find himself in sore trouble.
Footnote 198:
_i.e._, must be obeyed.
Footnote 199:
We see that “China” was in those days the normal Oriental “despotism
tempered by assassination.”
Footnote 200:
In the H. V. Alaeddin promises, “if I fail to find and fetch the
Princess, I will myself cut off my head and cast it before the
throne.” Hindus are adepts in suicide and this self-decapitation,
which sounds absurd further West, is quite possible to them.
Footnote 201:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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