Till then Aladdin, who had never seen any woman’s face but his mother’s, who was old, and never could boast of any such features, thought that all women were like her, and could hear people talk of the most surprising beauties without being the least moved; for whatever words are made use of to set off the merit of a beauty, they can never make the same impression as the beauty herself.
But as soon as Aladdin had seen the princess Badr-oul-boudour, his sentiments were very much changed, and his heart could not withstand all those inclinations so charming an object inspires. The princess was the most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion and without a fault; her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red, and charmingly agreeable symmetry; in a word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not therefore surprising that Aladdin, who had never seen, and was a stranger to so many charms, was dazzled, and his senses quite ravished with such an assemblage. With all these perfections the princess had so delicate a shape, so majestic an air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire respect.
After the princess had passed by Aladdin and entered the baths, he remained some time astonished, and in a kind of ecstasy, retracing and imprinting the idea of so charming an object deeply in his mind. But at last considering that the princess was gone past him, and that when she returned from the bath her back would be towards him, and then veiled, he resolved to quit his post and go home. But when he came there, he could not conceal his uneasiness so well but that his mother perceived it, and was very much surprised to see him so much more thoughtful and melancholy than usual; and asked him what had happened to him to make him so, or if he was ill. Aladdin returned her no answer, but sat carelessly down on the sofa, and remained in the same condition, full of the image of the charming Badr-oul-boudour. His mother, who was dressing supper, pressed him no more. When it was ready, she set it on the table before him; but perceiving that he gave no attention to it, she bid him eat, and had much ado to persuade him to change his place; and when he did, he ate much less than usual, and all the time cast down his eyes, and observed so profound a silence, that she could not possibly get the least word out of him in answer to all the questions she put, to find the reason of so extraordinary an alteration.
After supper, she asked him again, why he was so melancholy, but could get no information, and he determined to go to bed, rather than give her the least satisfaction. Without examining how Aladdin passed the night, his mind full as it was with the beautiful charms of the princess Badr-oul-boudour, I shall only observe that as he sat next day on the sofa, over against his mother, as she was spinning cotton, he spoke to her in these words: “I perceive, mother, that my silence yesterday has very much troubled you; I was not, nor am I sick, as I fancy you believed; but I can tell you, that what I felt then, and now endure, is worse than any disease. I cannot tell what ails me, but doubt not what I am going to tell you will inform you.
“It was not known in this quarter of the town, and therefore you could know nothing of it, that the princess Badr-oul-boudour, the sultan’s daughter, was to go to the baths after dinner. I heard this as I walked about the town, and an order was issued, that, to pay all the respect that was due to that princess, all the shops should be shut up in her way thither, and everybody keep within doors, to leave the streets free for her and her attendants. As I was not then far from the bath, I had a great curiosity to see the princess’s face; and as it occurred to me that the princess, when she came nigh the door of the bath, would pull her veil off, I resolved to get behind that door. You know the situation of the door, and may imagine that I must have a full view of her, if it happened as I expected. The princess threw off her veil, and I had the happiness of seeing her lovely face with the greatest satisfaction imaginable. This, mother, was the cause of my melancholy and silence yesterday; I love the princess with so much violence, that I cannot express it; and as my lively passion increases every moment, I cannot live without the possession of the amiable princess Badr-oul-boudour, and am resolved to ask her in marriage of the sultan her father.”
Aladdin’s mother listened with attention to what her son told her; but when he talked of asking the princess Badr-oul-boudour in marriage of the sultan, she could not help bursting out into a loud laugh. Aladdin would have gone on with his discourse, but she interrupted him. “Alas! child,” said she, “what are you thinking of? You must be mad to talk so.”
“I assure you, mother,” replied Aladdin, “that I am not mad, but in my right senses: I foresaw that you would reproach me with this folly and extravagance; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to demand the princess Badr-oul-boudour of the sultan in marriage, and your remonstrances shall not prevent me.”
“Indeed, son,” replied the mother, seriously, “I cannot help telling you, that you have quite forgot yourself; and if you would put this resolution of yours in execution, I do not see who you can get to venture to propose it for you.” “You yourself,” replied he immediately. “I go to the sultan!” answered the mother, amazed and surprised. “I shall take care how I engage in such an affair. Why, who are you, son,” continued she, “that you can have the assurance to think of your sultan’s daughter? Have you forgot that your father was one of the poorest tailors in the capital, and that I am of no better extraction? and do not you know that sultans never marry their daughters but to princes, sons of sultans like themselves?”
“Mother,” answered Aladdin, “I have already told you that I foresaw all that you have said, or can say: and tell you again, that neither your discourse nor your remonstrances shall make me change my mind. I have told you that you must ask the princess Badr-oul-boudour in marriage for me: it is a favour I desire of you, with all the respect I owe you; and I beg of you not to refuse me, unless you would rather see me in my grave, than by so doing give me new life.”
The good old woman was very much embarrassed, when she found Aladdin so obstinately persisting in so foolish a design. “My son,” said she again, “I am your mother, who brought you into the world, and there is nothing that is reasonable but I would readily do for you. If I was to go and treat about your marriage with some neighbour’s daughter, whose circumstances were equal with yours, I would do it with all my heart: and then they would expect you should have some little estate or fortune, or be of some trade. When such poor folks as we are have a mind to marry, the first thing they ought to think of is how to live. But without reflecting on the meanness of your birth, and the little merit and fortune you have to recommend you, you aim at the highest pitch of fortune; and your pretensions are no less than to demand in marriage the daughter of your sovereign, who with one single word can crush you to pieces. I say nothing of what respects yourself. I leave you to reflect on what you have to do, if you have ever so little thought. I come now to consider what concerns myself. How could so extraordinary a thought come into your head, as that I should go to the sultan, and make a proposal to him, to give his daughter in marriage to you? Suppose I had, not to say the boldness, but the impudence to present myself before the sultan, and make so extravagant a request, to whom should I address myself to be introduced to his majesty? Do you not think the first person I should speak to would take me for a mad woman, and chastise me as I should deserve? Suppose there is no difficulty in presenting myself to an audience of the sultan, as I know there is none to those who go to ask justice, which he distributes equally among his subjects; I know too that to those who ask some favour, he grants it with pleasure when he sees it is deserved, and the persons are worthy of it. But is that your case? And do you think you have deserved the favour you would have me ask for you? Are you worthy of it? What have you done to deserve such a favour? What have you done either for your prince or country? How have you distinguished yourself? If you have done nothing to merit so great a favour, nor are worthy of it, with what face shall I ask it? How can I open my mouth to make the proposal to the sultan? His majestic presence and the lustre of his court would presently silence me, who used to tremble before my late husband your father, when I asked him for anything. Here is another reason, my son, which you do not think of, which is, nobody ever goes to ask a favour of the sultan without a present; for by a present, they have this advantage, that if for some particular reasons the favour is denied, they are sure to be heard. But what presents have you to make? And if you had any that was worthy of the least attention of so great a monarch, what proportion could it bear to the favour you would ask? Therefore, reflect well on what you are about, and consider, that you aspire to a thing which is impossible for you to obtain.”