De faict ou de volonté, putes.
[468]. Arab. Habíbí wa tabíbí, the common jingle.
[469]. Iblis and his connection with Diabolos has been noticed in vol. i. [13]. The word is foreign as well as a P.N. and therefore is imperfectly declined, although some authorities deduce it from “ablasa” = he despaired (of Allah’s mercy). Others call him Al-Háris (the Lion) hence Eve’s first-born was named in his honour Abd al-Haris. His angelic name was Azázíl before he sinned by refusing to prostrate himself to Adam, as Allah had commanded the heavenly host for a trial of faith, not to worship the first man, but to make him a Keblah or direction of prayer addressed to the Almighty. Hence he was ejected from Heaven and became the arch-enemy of mankind (Koran xviii. 48). He was an angel but related to the Jinn: Al-Bayzáwi, however (on Koran ii. 82), opines that angelic by nature he became a Jinn by act. Ibn Abbas held that he belonged to an order of angels who are called Jinn and begot issue as do the nasnás, the Ghúl and the Kutrub which, however, are male and female, like the pre-Adamite man-woman of Genesis, the “bi-une” of our modern days. For this subject see Terminal Essay.
[470]. As usual in the East and in the West the husband was the last to hear of his wife’s ill conduct. But even Othello did not kill Emilia.
[471]. i.e. Star of the Morning: the first word occurs in Bar Cokba Barchocheba = Son of the Star, i.e., which was to come out of Jacob (Numbers xxiv, 17). The root, which does not occur in Heb., is Kaukab to shine. This Rabbi Akilah was also called Bar Cozla = Son of the Lie.
[472]. Here some excision has been judged advisable as the names of the bridegrooms and the brides recur with damnable iteration.
[473]. See the note by Lane’s Shaykh at the beginning of the tale. The contrast between the vicious wife of servile origin and the virtuous wife of noble birth is fondly dwelt upon but not exaggerated.
[474]. i.e. those of his water skins for the journey, which as usual required patching and supplying with fresh handles after long lying dry.
[475]. A popular saying also applied to men. It is usually accompanied with showing the open hand and a reference to the size of the fingers. I find this story most interesting from an anthropological point of view; suggesting how differently various races regard the subject of adultery. In Northern Europe the burden is thrown most unjustly upon the man, the woman who tempts him being a secondary consideration; and in England he is absurdly termed “a seducer.” In former times he was “paraded” or “called out,” now he is called up for damages, a truly ignoble and shopkeeper-like mode of treating a high offence against private property and public morality. In Anglo-America, where English feeling is exaggerated, the lover is revolver’d and the woman is left unpunished. On the other hand, amongst Eastern and especially Moslem peoples, the woman is cut down and scant reckoning is taken from the man. This more sensible procedure has struck firm root amongst the nations of Southern Europe where the husband kills the lover only when he still loves his wife and lover-like is furious at her affection being alienated.
Practically throughout the civilised world there are only two ways of treating women. Moslems keep them close, defend them from all kinds of temptations and if they go wrong kill them. Christians place them upon a pedestal, the observed of all observers, expose them to every danger and if they fall, accuse and abuse them instead of themselves. And England is so grandly logical that her law, under certain circumstances, holds that Mrs. A. has committed adultery with Mr. B. but Mr. B. has not committed adultery with Mrs. A. Can any absurdity be more absurd? Only “summum jus, summa injuria.” See my Terminal Essay. I shall have more to say upon this curious subject, the treatment of women who can be thoroughly guarded only by two things, firstly their hearts and secondly by the “Spanish Padlock.”