The History of Caliph Vathek | Page 5

all bounds on finding the prison empty,
the gates burst asunder, and his guards lying lifeless around him. In the
paroxysm of his passion he fell furiously on the poor carcases, and
kicked them till evening without intermission. His courtiers and vizirs
exerted their efforts to soothe his extravagance, but finding every
expedient ineffectual, they all united in one vociferation: "The Caliph is
gone mad! the Caliph is out of his senses!"
This outcry, which soon resounded through the streets of Samarah, at
length reaching the ears of Carathis, his mother, she flew in the utmost
consternation to try her ascendency on the mind of her son. Her tears
and caresses called off his attention, and he was prevailed upon by her
entreaties to be brought back to the palace.
Carathis, apprehensive of leaving Vathek to himself, caused him to be
put to bed, and seating herself by him, endeavoured by her conversation
to heal and compose him. Nor could any one have attempted it with
better success, for the Caliph not only loved her as a mother, but
respected her as a person of superior genius; it was she who had
induced him, being a Greek herself, to adopt all the sciences and
systems of her country, which good Mussulmans hold in such thorough
abhorrence. Judicial astrology was one of those systems in which
Carathis was a perfect adept; she began, therefore, with reminding her
son of the promise which the stars had made him, and intimated an
intention of consulting them again.
"Alas!" sighed the Caliph, as soon as he could speak, "what a fool have
I been! not for the kicks bestowed on my guards who so tamely
submitted to death, but for never considering that this extraordinary
man was the same the planets had foretold, whom, instead of
ill-treating, I should have conciliated by all the arts of persuasion."

"The past," said Carathis, "cannot be recalled, but it behoves us to think
of the future; perhaps you may again see the object you so much regret;
it is possible the inscriptions on the sabres will afford information. Eat,
therefore, and take thy repose, my dear son; we will consider
to-morrow in what manner to act."
Vathek yielded to her counsel as well as he could, and arose in the
morning with a mind more at ease. The sabres he commanded to be
instantly brought, and poring upon them through a green glass, that
their glittering might not dazzle, he set himself in earnest to decipher
the inscriptions; but his reiterated attempts were all of them nugatory;
in vain did he beat his head and bite his nails, not a letter of the whole
was he able to ascertain. So unlucky a disappointment would have
undone him again had not Carathis by good fortune entered the
apartment.
"Have patience, son!" said she; "you certainly are possessed of every
important science, but the knowledge of languages is a trifle at best,
and the accomplishment of none but a pedant. Issue forth a
proclamation that you will confer such rewards as become your
greatness upon any one that shall interpret what you do not understand,
and what it is beneath you to learn; you will soon find your curiosity
gratified."
"That may be," said the Caliph; "but in the meantime I shall be horribly
disgusted by a crowd of smatterers, who will come to the trial as much
for the pleasure of retailing their jargon as from the hope of gaining the
reward. To avoid this evil it will be proper to add that I will put every
candidate to death who shall fail to give satisfaction; for, thank Heaven!
I have skill enough to distinguish between one that translates and one
that invents."
"Of that I have no doubt," replied Carathis; "but to put the ignorant to
death is somewhat severe, and may be productive of dangerous effects;
content yourself with commanding their beards to be burnt--beards in a
state are not quite so essential as men."
The Caliph submitted to the reasons of his mother, and sending for

Morakanabad, his prime vizir, said: "Let the common criers proclaim,
not only in Samarah, but throughout every city in my empire, that
whosoever will repair hither, and decipher certain characters which
appear to be inexplicable, shall experience the liberality for which I am
renowned; but that all who fail upon trial shall have their beards burnt
off to the last hair. Let them add also that I will bestow fifty beautiful
slaves, and as many jars of apricots from the Isle of Kirmith, upon any
man that shall bring me intelligence of the stranger."
The subjects of the Caliph, like their Sovereign, being great admirers of
women and apricots from Kirmith, felt their mouths water at these
promises, but were totally