Add Border 01
Uploaded by
a334vchhknAdd Border 01
Uploaded by
a334vchhknThe sultan, who always wore an appearance of great melancholy, whether
from the torture of his amorous passion or by reason of his great age, cared
little or nothing for recreation of any sort; but, weighed down by his
troublesome humours, would pass the time in thinking of nothing else
besides his beloved mistress. However, the mamelukes and the slaves made
so much ado about the matter, that before long the sultan was moved to
take his stand at the window one morning, and there to witness all the
various wonderful and dexterous feats of horsemanship which Porcarollo
performed with his trained palfrey, and, seeing what a good-looking youth he
was, and how well formed in his person, and finding, moreover, that what he
had seen was even more attractive than he had been led to expect, he came
to the conclusion that it was mighty ill management (which now he began
greatly to regret) to have sent so accomplished a youth to no better office
than the feeding and tending of beasts. Wherefore, having turned the matter
over in his mind, and considered it in every light, he realized to the full the
eminent qualities, hitherto concealed, of the graceful young man, and found
there was nothing lacking in him. So he resolved at once to remove him from
the office he now filled, and to place him in one of higher consideration; so,
having caused Porcarollo to be summoned into his presence, he thus
addressed him: ‘Porcarollo, it is my will that you do service no longer in the
stables, as heretofore, but that you attend me at my own table and do the
office of cupbearer, and taste everything that may be put before me, as a
guarantee that I may eat thereof without hurt.’
The young man, after he had duly entered upon the office of cupbearer to
the sultan, discharged his duties with so great art and skilfulness that he won
the approbation, not only of the sultan, but of all those about the court. But
amongst the mamelukes and slaves there 115arose against him such a bitter
hatred and envy on account of the great favour done to him by the sultan
that they could scarce bear the sight of him, and, had they not been kept
back by the fear of their master, they would assuredly have taken his life.
Therefore, in order to deprive the unfortunate youth of the favour of the
sultan, and to let him either be slain or driven into perpetual exile, they
devised a most cunning and ingenious plot for the furtherance of their
design. They made beginning in this wise. One morning a slave named
Chebur, who had been sent in his turn to do service to the sultan, said, ‘My
lord, I have some good news to give you.’ ‘And what may this be?’ inquired
the sultan. ‘It is,’ replied the slave, ‘that Porcarollo, who bears by right the
name of Livoretto, has been boasting that he would be able to accomplish for
you even so heavy a task as to give into your keeping the daughter of
Attarante, King of Damascus.’ ‘And how can such a thing as this be possible?’
asked the sultan. To whom Chebur replied, ‘It is indeed possible, O my lord!
but if you will not put faith in my words, inquire of the mamelukes and of the
other slaves, in whose presence he has boasted more than once of his power
to do this thing, and then you will easily know whether the tale I am telling
you be false or true.’ After the sultan had duly assured himself that what the
slave had told to him was just, he summoned Livoretto into his presence, and
demanded of him whether this saying concerning him which was openly
bruited about the court, was true. Then the young man, who knew nothing of
what had gone before, gave a stout denial, and spake so bluntly that the
sultan, with his rage and animosity fully aroused, thus addressed him: ‘Get
you hence straightway, and if within the space of thirty days you have not
brought into my power the Princess Bellisandra, the daughter of Attarante,
King of Damascus, I will have your head taken off your shoulders.’ The young
man, when he heard this cruel speech of the sultan, withdrew from the
presence overwhelmed with grief and confusion, and betook himself to the
stables.
