I saw honesty banished from business, the holiest contracts become void, and all the laws of the family overturned. I saw miserly debtors, insolent in their powerty, unworthy instruments of the anger of the law and of the exigency of the time, make a pretence of payment, tvhile they plunged a dagger into the bosom of their benefactors. J saw others, viler still, buy for next to nothing, %or rather gather from the ground, oak leaves,^ and give them in exchange for the substance of widows and orphans.
I saw suddenly spring up in all hearts an insatiable thirst for riches. I saw men form in a moment a detestable conspiracy to acquire wealth, not by honest labour and lfl.)eral industry, but by the ruin of the sovereign, of the state, ajjd of their fellow- citizens.
I saw a respectable citizen, in these disastrous times, never retire to rest without saying, To-day I have truined one family, to-morrow I shall ruin another.*' I am going," said another, " with a man in black who carries an inkhorn in his hand, and a pointed weapon ^ behind his car, to assassinate all my creditors."
Another said, " I find that I am prospering: it is true that when I went three days ago to make a certain payment, I left a whWc family in tears; that I have squandered the portions of two well-born girls; that I have de]:)rived a boy of the means of education — his father will die of grief, the mother pines away 2 A pen.
^ Paper money, Y PERSIAN LETTERS Iiroken-hearted: but I have only, done what the law allows* me.” ^ Wiat crime can be greater than that which a minister commits when he corrupts the morals of a whole nation, debases the loftiest spirits, tarnishes the lustre of rank, obscures virtue itself, and levels the highest born with the most despised?
What will posterity say when i^ has to blush’ for the shame of its forefathers? What will the next generation say when it compares the iron age of earlier times with the age of gold which gave it birth? I doubt not that the nobles will remove from their genealogies a degree of nobilitj^ dishonouring to them, and leave the present generation in the oblivion it has so well deserved.
LETTER CXLVII 0* llic Chief Eunuch to Usbek, at Paris Things have come to sucli a pass here that it is not to be endured; your wives imagine that your de- parture exempts them from all restraint; there has been most atrocious behaviour: I myself tremble at the harrowing story I am about to tch.
Some days ago Zelis, on her way to the mosque, let her veil fall, and appeared before the people with her face almost wholly uncovered.
I found Zachi in bed with one of her maids, a thing absolutely forbidden by ‘Ihe laws of the seraglio, I intercepted, by the merest chance in the world, a letter which I send you: I have never been able to discover to whom it was sent.
Yesterday evening a young fellow was observed in 1 That is, paid a debt in worthless paper.
LETTER CXLVIIT the garden of the seraglio; he made his escape over the wall.
Add to this all that has not come to my knowledge; for you are certainly betrayed. I await your orders; and until the happy moment of their receipt, I shall be in a state of intolerable anxicfy. But, if you do not Joave all these women to my discretion, I will not be fosponsible for^nc of them, and will have news as heartrending t^ send you every day.
Tlic Seraglio at Ispahan, ist^of tlie moon of Khegcb, 17^7.
LETTER CXLVIII Usbek!o the Chief Eunuch, at the Seraglio • at Ispahan Receive by this letter unlimited power over the whole seraglio; give j’our orders with as^rnuch authority as I do; let fear and terror accompany you; qiirr}^ penance and chastisement from room to room; let dismay he upon all, and tears flow from every eye in your presence; examine the whole seraglio, be- ginning with the slaves; spare not my love: let all bow before your dreaded tribunal; bring to light the most hidden secrets; purity that infamous place, and restore banished virtue. For, from this ii/oment, on your head shall be the slightest fault that may be committed. I imagine it was Zelis to whom the letter you intercepted was addressed: examine that matter with the eyes of a lynx.
* * *, the nth of the moon of Zilhage, 1718.
PERSIAN LETTERS LETTER CXLIX Narsit to Usbck, at Paris Magnificent lord^ithe chief eunuch has just died: as I am the oldest of your slaves I have taken his place until you make known whom you select.
Two days after his death, one of your letters addressed to him was brought to me: I refrained from opening it, but covered it up respectfully, and locked it away, until you shall have informed me of your sacred pleasure.
Yesterday a slave came to me in the middle of the night, and told me that he had seen a j^oung man in the seraglio: I rose, inquired into the matter, and found it had been a vision.
I kiss your feet, most noble lord; and beg you to confide in my zeal, my experience, and my old age.
1 The Seraglio at Ispahan, the 5th of the «. first moon of Gcmmadi, 1718.
LETTER CL Ushek (0 Narsit, at the Seraglio at Ispahan Miserarle slave! you have in your hands letters which contain orders for prompt and strong measures; the least delay may reduce me to despair; and you remain inactive under an nmpty pretext!
Atrocious things are going on: perhaps the half of my slaves at this very moment merit death. With this I send you the letter which the chief eunuch wrote me before he died concerning these disorders. Had you opened the despatch addressed to him, you LETTER CLI would have found bloody instiuctions. Read these instructions, and execute them, or you shall petish.
* * the 2 5 til of the moon of Chalval, 1718.
LETTER CLI ^olun to Ushek, at Paris Were I to be silent any longer, I should be as guilty as lh(i worst of the crimiiipjs in your seraglio.
I was the confidant of the chief eunuch, the most faithful of your slaves. When he felt himself near his end, he sent for me, and spoke to me as follows: '' I am (lying; but the only grief I have in leaving life, is that witli my dying eyiss I have seen the guilt of my master’s wives. May Heaven preserve him from all the misery which I foresee! After my death, may my threatening shade appear^to admonisli these faithless ones of their duty, and to keep them still in awe! Here are the keys of those dreaded plaf es; take thetn to tlie eldest of the black eunuchs. But if, after my death, he should prove a careless guardian, remember to let your master know.” He expired in my arms with these words on his lijis.
1 know that he wrote you some time before his death about the conduct of your wives: there is in the seraglio a letter which would have carried terror to every bexsom had it been opened. That which you wrote since has been intercepted three leagues from here. I know not how it is; but everything turns out badly. Meantime your wives do not main- tain the least reserve: since the death of the chief eunuch, their licence knows no limit; Roxana alone abides by lier duty, and preserves her modesty.
PERSIAN LETTERS Their morals grow more corrupt every day. The faces your wives no longer exhibit that stern and noble virtue which reigned there formerly; the unusual gaiety which prevails is in my opinion an infallible sign of some uncustomary pleasure. In the smallest trifles, I notice that liberties are taken before unknown. Even among your slaves there preyails a certain disinclination to do their. duty, and to obey rules, which surprises me; they are no longer inspired by that ardent zeal for your service, which seemed to animate the whole seragliq^ For the last eight days your wives have been in the country, at one of your most secluded scats. They say that the slave who has charge of it has been bribed; and that, on the day before your wives arrived, he concealed two men in a secret recess in the wall of the principal room, fiom which they came out at night, when we had retired. The old eunuch, who is at present our chief, is an imbecile, who can be made to believe anything.
Lam possessed with a burning desire for vengeance on these traitors: and if Heaven, in youi\ interest, ordains that you should think me capable of ruling, I {)romise you that, though your wives may not be virtuous, they shall at least be faithful.
The Seraglio at Ispahan, the 6th of the hrst moon of Rcbiab, 1719.
leto:r clii Narsit to Ushek, at Paris Roxana and Zelis were anxious to go to tlic country; and I did not think it necessary to refuse them. Happy Usbek! tiie possessor of faithful wives, and LETTER CLIII ever watchful slaves; virtue seems to have made its home ill the aboc^c which I rule. Be assured thsrt nothing shall happen of which you would not approve.
A misfortune has occurred which gives me great uneasiness. Some Armenian merchants, lately come to Ispahan, brought a letter oW yours addressed to me; I sent a slave for it, but he was robbed on his refurn and the letter lost. Write me therefore at once; because I imagine that, at this juncture, you will have matters oi importance to communicate to me. • 'J'hc Seraglio at Fatnie. 6th of the first moon of Kebiab, 1719. • LETTER CLIII Usbek to Soli^n, at the Seraglio at Ispahan I rbACE the sword in your hand. I entrust you with what is now to me the dearest thing in the world, my vengeance, to wit. In entering upon this new em- ployment, banish all feeling, all pity. I have written to my^wives to obey you implicitly; in their guilty confusion, they will sink down at your glance. I must owe to you my happiness and my peace of mind, (iive me back my seraglio as I left it. Begin by puiifying ^ it; exterminate the guilty, and make those quake with fear who are inclined to beceme so. What may you not expert from your master for such signal services? It only remains with yourself to obtain a jxxsition far ab^ve your present one, and above anything you have ever hoped for.
l\iris, the 4th of the moon of Chahban, 1719.
^ ExpicY ill the original. It is used again by Montesquieu in this unusual sense in “ L’Esprit des Lois.'’
PERSIAN LETTERS LETTER CLlV Ushck to his Wives, at the Seraglio at Ispahan May this letter fall among you like a thunderbolt from a stormy sky,* Solim is your chief eunuch, not to guard you only, but to punish you. Let the whole seraglio humble itself before him. He is empowered to judge your past deeds; and in future he will subject you to a discipline so harsli, that, if you do not regret your virtue, you will certainly regret your liberty.
Pans, the 4th of the moon of Chahban, 1719.
LETTER CLV i Ushek to Nessir, at Ispahan Happy is he, who, l-stirnating at its full value a life of ease and tranquillity, makes his own famil}'^ the centre of his thought, and knows no other land save that in which he was born!
I live in a barbarous country, surrounded by every- thing that offends me, and al>sent from all in wliich I am interested. A sombre melancholy holds me; I am dreadfully depressed: I feel as if 1 w(‘re about to be annikdated; and I only recover myself when some dismal jealousy awakes within me, and brings in its train fear, suspicion, liatred, and regret.
You understand me, Nessir; my heart is as open to you as your own. You would pity me, if you knew my deplorable condition. Sometimes I have to wait six whole months for news of the seraglio; I count every moment as it passes, prolonging them by my LETTER CLV impatience; and when the expected moment is about to arrive, a sudden revolution takes j^lace fn my heart; my hand trembles to open a letter that may be fatal; the anxiety which caused my despair seems to me the happiest frame of mind in which I could be, and I dread to be fenced from it by some stroke more cruel than a thousand deaths.
•I3ut, whatever reason I may have had to leave my country, and although I owe my life to my flight, I can no longer, Nessir, endure this dreadful exile. Should I not die all the same*a prey to grief? I have pressed Rica a thousand times to leave this foreign land, but he always tlnvarts m^^ purpose, and keeps me here under a tlioiisand pretexts: he seems to have forgotten his country, or rather he seems to have forgotten me, he is so indifferent to my grief.
How wrelclied \ am! 1 wish to see my country again, perhaps only to become more wretched. Ah! what shall I do there? •! shall but hand my head to my enemies. That is not all: I shall enter the seraglio, where I must demand an account 4)f the disastrous tin\e of my absence; and should I find any criminals, wliat am I to do? And if the idea of it alone overcomes me at such a distance, how will it be when my jiresence brings it home to me? How shall it be, if I must see, if I must hear what I dare not imagine without a shudder? How shall it be, in short, if I myself must order the infliction (?i punish- ments, which shall be everlasting witnesses to my own vexation and despair?
1 shall shut myself up within walls more terrible to me than to the women which they guard; 1 shall take with me all my suspicions; the eagerness of my wives will not remove them in the least; in my bed, in their arms, I shall only possess my anxiety: at a PERSIAN LETTERS time so unsuitable for reflection, my jealousy will make oc'casioiif for it. Worthless scum of human kind, vile slaves whose hearts are for ever closed to all the feelings of love, you would no longer grumble at your condition, if you knew the misery of mine.
Paris, the 4 th of the riioon of Chahban, 1719.
LETTER CLVI Roxana to Usbe*", at Paris Horror, darkness, and terror reign in the seraglio; a dreadful affliction is upon us: at every moment a tiger vents on us all his reige. He has tortured two white eunuchs, who have only confessed their inno- cence; he has sold part of our j^laves, and forced us to share among us the services of those which remained, Zachi and Zelis have received in their chambers, in the darkness of the night, most uri- worthr treatment; the wretch has not feared to lay his sacrilegious hands upon them. He keeps us shut up each in her apartment; and although we are alone there, he forces us to wear our veils. We are no longer allowed to speak; to write would be a crime: we have no liberty except to weep.
A crowd of new eunuchs have entered the seraglio, and beset ' us night and day: our sleep is constantly interrupted by their real or feigned suspicions. What consoles me is, that all this cannot last for ever, and that my troubles will end with my life. And the end is not far distant, cruel Usbek: I will not give you time to put an end to all these outrages.
The Seraglio at Ispahan, the 2nd of the moon of Maharram, 1720.
LETTER CLVII LETTER CLVII 1 Zachi to Usbek, at Paris Oh, Heaven! a savage has ^outraged me even in the very manner of punishing me! He has inflicted ilpon me that chastisement, the first effect of which is to shock one's* modesty; that most humiliating of chastisements, which takes one back to one's child- hood.
My soul, at first overpowered by shame, recovered consciousness and began to be^ exasperated, when my cries resounded through the vaults of my apartments. They heard me asking mercy from the vilest of human beings, and trying to excite his pity, in proportion as he became inexorable.
« Since that time his insolent and slavish mind dominates mine. His presence, his looks, his words, all horrible things, overwhelm nie. When I am alone, I have at least the consolation of weeping; but when he appears before me, frenzy seizes me: I find myself impcflent, and I sink into despair.
'Fhe tiger dares to tell me that you are the author of all these barbarities. He wishes to deprive me of my love, and even to desecrate the feelings of my heart. When he utters the name of him whom I love, I am unable to complain; I can onl^die.
I have endured your absence, and my love has been preserved by its own strength. The nights, the days, the moments were all dedicated to you. I was even ])roud of my love, and yours made me respected here, liut now...No, I can no longer bear the humilia- tion which has overtaken me. If I am innocent, ^ The ninth letter added in 1754.
PERSIAN LETTERS return to love me; return, if I am gnilty, that I may die at yovr feet.
The Sereiglio at Ispahan, the 2nd of the moon of Maharram, 1720.
LETTER CLVIII ^ Zelis to Ushck, at Park You are a thousand leagues from me, and yet you condemn me! A thousand leagues from me, and yet you punish me!
When a barbarous eunuch lays his vile hands upon me, it is by your order: it is the tyrant who outrages me, and not the instrument of his tyranny.
You may, if you choose, redouble your cruel treat- ment. My heart is at peace, since.it can no longer love you. Your soul is debased, and you heive become cruel. Rest assured that you are not beloved. Farewell. ' The Scuaglio at Ispahan, the 2nd of the moon of Maharram, 1720.
LETTER CLIX Solim to Ushek, at Paris Magnificent lord, I lament for myself, and I lament for you: never did faithful servant sink into such an abyss of despair. Behold your misfortunes and mine; I write them with a t.^’ernbling hand.
I swear, by all the prophets of heaven, that since you confided your wives to me, 1 have watched them night and day; that my anxiety has never left me for a single moment. When I assumed ofhee I com- ^ The tenth of 1754.
* LETTER CLX menced with chastisement, which I have discon- tinued without relaxing my accustomed aiis^erity. ' But what am I saying? Why do I boast of fidelity which has been useless to you? Forget all my past services: look upon me as a traitor, and punisli me for all the crimes which I have \0cen unable to prevent. Roxana, the haughty Roxana — Oh, Heaven! in whom can wc^ trust henceforth? You suspected Zclis, and never for a moment doubted Roxana; but her fierce virtue was a cruel imposture: it was the veil of her treachery^ Tsurprised her in the arms of a young man, who, when he saw himself discovered, ran at me, and struck me tvtdce with Jiis dagger: the eunuchs came at the noise and surrounded him: he made a long defence, and wounded several of them; he wished even to re-enter the room to die, he said, in the presence of JRoxana. But at last he yielded to numbers, and fell at our feet.
I know not, sublime lord, if I shall wait for your stern commands. You have placed your vengeance in my hands; and I ouglit not to deier it.
The ’icrap^lio at Ispahan, the 8lh of the first moon of Kcbiab, 1720.
LETTER CLXi Salim to Vshek, at Paris I HAVE made up my mind: your misfortunes shall disappear; I am going totpunish.
Already I feel a secret joy: my soul and yours will soon be appeased: we shall exterminate crime, and make innocence turn pale.
Oh, all you who seem made only to be unconscious ^ The eleventh and last of the letters added in 1754.
PERSIAN LETTERS of your own fedings, and to be indignant even at your owp - desires, everlasting slaves of shame and modesty, would that I could bring you in crowds into this unhappy seraglio, to astonish you with the torrent of blood I am about to shed!
The Seraglio at Ispahan, the 8th of the first moon of Kcbiab, 1720.
LETTER CLXI Roxana to Usheii, at Paris Yes, I have deceived you; I have led away your eunuchs: I have made sport of your jealousy; and I have known how to turn your friglitful seraglio into a place of pleasure and delight.
I am at the point of death; the poison courses through my veins: for what should I do here, since the only man who bound me to life is no more? I die; but my spirit shall not pass unaccompanied: I have despatched before me those sacrilegious gaolers who spilt the sweetest blood in the world.
How could you think that I was such a weakling as to imagine there was nothing for me in the world but to worship your caprices; that while you indulged all your desires, you should have the right to thwart me in all mine? No: I have lived in slavery, and yet always retained my freedom: I have remodelled your laws upon those of nature; and my mind has always maintained its independence.
You ought to thank me, then, for the sacrifice I made you; for having sunk so low as to seem to be yours; for having, like a coward, hidden in my heart what I ought to have published to all the earth; finally, for having profaned virtue, by permitting LETTER CLXI my submission t% yoifr humours to b« called by that name.
You were amazed never to find in me the transports of love: had you known me better you would have found all the violence of hate.
For a long time you have IRd the satisfaction of b^'lieving that you had conquered a heart like mine: ifow we are both delighted: you thought me deceived, and I have deceived you.
Doubtless such a letter as this you little expected to receive. Can it be poe^iblc that after having over- whelmed you with affliction I shall still force you to admire my courage? Ihit all is ended now; the poison destroys me, my strength leaves me, my pen drops from my hand; even my hate grows weaker: I die.
% The Seraglio at Ispahan, the 8th of the first moon of Rcbiab, 1720.