When Aladdin had examined the palace from top to bottom, and particularly the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, and found it much beyond whatever he could have imagined, he said to the genie, “Genie, no one can be better satisfied than I am; and indeed I should be very much to blame if I found any fault. There is only one thing wanting, which I forgot to mention; that is, to lay from the sultan’s palace to the door of the apartment designed for the princess, a carpet of fine velvet for her to walk upon.” The genie immediately disappeared, and Aladdin saw what he desired executed that minute. Then the genie returned and carried Aladdin home, before the gates of the sultan’s palace were opened.
When the porters, who had always been used to an open prospect, came to open the gates, they were amazed to find it obstructed, and to see a carpet of velvet spread for a great way. They did not immediately see what it meant; but when they could discern Aladdin’s palace distinctly, their surprise was increased. The news of so extraordinary a wonder was presently spread through the palace. The grand vizier, who came soon after the gates were open, was no less amazed than other people at this novelty, but ran and acquainted the sultan, and endeavoured to make him believe it to be all enchantment. “Vizier,” replied the sultan, “why will you have it to be enchantment? You know as well as I, that it is Aladdin’s palace, which I gave him leave to build, to receive my daughter in. After the proof we have had of his riches, can we think it strange that he should build a palace in so short a time? He has a mind to surprise us, and let us see what wonders are to be done with ready money every day. Confess sincerely with me that that enchantment you talk of proceeds from a little envy.” The hour of going to council put an end to the conversation.
When Aladdin had been conveyed home and had dismissed the genie, he found his mother up, and dressing herself in one of those suits that were brought her. By the time the sultan came from the council, Aladdin had prepared his mother to go to the palace with her slaves, and desired her, if she saw the sultan, to tell him she came to do herself the honour to attend the princess towards evening to her palace. Accordingly she went; but though she and the women slaves who followed her were all dressed like sultanesses, yet the crowd was nothing near so great, because they were all veiled, and had each an upper garment on, agreeable to the richness and magnificence of their habits. As for Aladdin, he mounted his horse, and took leave of his paternal house for ever, taking care not to forget his wonderful lamp, by the assistance of which he had reaped such advantages, and arrived at the utmost height of his wishes, and went to the palace in the same pomp as the day before.
As soon as the porters of the sultan’s palace saw Aladdin’s mother, they went and informed the sultan, who presently ordered the bands of trumpets, cymbals, drums, fifes, and hautboys, placed in different parts of the palace, to play and beat, so that the air resounded with concerts, which inspired the whole city with joy: the merchants began to adorn their shops and houses with fine carpets and cushions, and bedeck them with boughs, and prepare illuminations against night. The artists of all sorts left their work, and the people all repaired to the great space between the sultan’s and Aladdin’s palace; which last drew all their attention, not only because it was new to them, but because there was no comparison between the two buildings. But their amazement was, to comprehend by what unheard-of miracle so magnificent a palace should be so soon built; it being apparent to all that there were no prepared materials, or any foundations laid, the day before.
Aladdin’s mother was received in the palace with honour, and introduced into the princess Badr-oul-boudour’s apartment, by the chief of the eunuchs. As soon as the princess saw her, she went and saluted her, and desired her to sit down on her sofa; and while her women made an end of dressing her, and adorned her with the jewels Aladdin had presented her with, a noble collation was served up. At the same time, the sultan, who had a mind to be as much with his daughter as possible before he parted with her, came and paid her great respect. Aladdin’s mother had often talked to the sultan in public, but he had never seen her with her veil off, as she was then; and though she was somewhat advanced in years, she had the remains of a good face, which shewed what she had been in her youth. The sultan, who had always seen her dressed very meanly, not to say poorly, was surprised to find her as richly and magnificently clothed as the princess his daughter. This made him think Aladdin equally prudent and wise in whatever he undertook.
When it was night, the princess took her leave of the sultan her father: their adieus were tender, and accompanied with tears. They embraced each other several times, and at last the princess left her own apartment, and set forward for Aladdin’s palace, with his mother on her left hand, followed by a hundred women slaves, dressed with surprising magnificence. All the bands of music, which played from the time Aladdin’s mother arrived, joined together, led the procession, followed by a hundred chiaoux, and the like number of black eunuchs, in two files, with their officers at their head. Four hundred of the sultan’s young pages carried flambeaux on each side, which, together with the illuminations of the sultan’s and Aladdin’s palaces, made it as light as day.
In this order the princess walked on the carpet, which was spread from the sultan’s palace to Aladdin’s, preceded by bands of musicians, who, as they advanced, joining with those on the terraces of Aladdin’s palace, formed a concert, which extraordinary and confused as it appeared, increased the joy not only of the crowd assembled in the great square, but of all that were in the two palaces, the town, and a great way round about it.
At length the princess arrived at the new palace. Aladdin ran with all imaginable joy to receive her at the entrance of the apartment appointed for him. His mother had taken care to point him out to the princess, in the midst of the officers that surrounded him, and she was charmed with his person as soon as she saw him. “Adorable princess,” said Aladdin to her, accosting her and saluting her respectfully, “if I have the misfortune to have displeased you by my boldness in aspiring to the possession of so lovely a princess, and my sultan’s daughter, I must tell you, that you ought to blame your bright eyes and charms, not me.”—“Prince, as I may now call you,” answered the princess, “I am obedient to the will of my father: and it is enough for me to have seen you, to tell you that I obey without reluctance.”
Aladdin, charmed with so agreeable and satisfactory an answer, would not keep the princess standing after she had walked so far, which was more than she was used to do; but took her by the hand, which he kissed with the greatest demonstrations of joy, and led her into a large hall, illuminated with an infinite number of wax candles, where, by the care of the genie, a noble feast was served up. The plates were of massy gold, and contained the most delicate meats. The vases, basins, and goblets, with which the beaufet was furnished, were gold also, and of exquisite workmanship, and all the other ornaments and embellishments of the hall were answerable to this great wealth. The princess, dazzled to see so much riches collected in one place, said to Aladdin, “I thought, prince, that nothing in the world was so beautiful as the sultan my father’s palace; but the sight of this hall alone is sufficient to shew I was deceived.”
Then Aladdin led the princess to the place appointed for her, and as soon as she and his mother were sat down, a band of the most harmonious instruments, accompanied with the voices of beautiful ladies, began a concert, which lasted without intermission to the end of the repast. The princess was so charmed, that she declared she never heard anything like it in the sultan her father’s court; but she knew not that the musicians were fairies chosen by the genie, slave of the lamp.