[136]. The levée, Divan or Darbár being also a lit de justice and a Court of Cassation: see vol. i. 29.
[137]. All this is expressed by the Arabic in one word “Tamanná.” Galland adds pour marquer qu’il etait prêt à la perdre s’il y manquait; and thus he conveys a wrong idea.
[138]. This would be still the popular address, nor is it considered rude or slighting. In John (ii. 4) “Atto,” the Heb. Eshah, is similarly used, not complimentarily, but in popular speech.
[139]. This sounds ridiculous enough in English, but not in German; e.g. Deine Königliche Hoheit is the formula de rigueur when an Austrian officer, who always addresses brother-soldiers in the familiar second person, is speaking to a camarade who is also a royalty.
[140]. “Suráyyát” (lit. = the Pleiades) and “Sham’ádín” a would be Arabic plur. of the Persian “Sham’adán” = candlestick, chandelier, for which more correctly Sham’adánát is used.
[141]. i.e. betrothed to her—j’agrée la proposition, says Galland.
[142]. Here meaning Eunuch-officers and officials. In the cdlxxvith Night of this volume the word is incorrectly written Ãghát in the singular.
[143]. In the H. V. Alaeddin on hearing this became as if a thunderbolt had stricken him, and, losing consciousness, swooned away.
[144]. These calls for food at critical times, and oft-recurring allusions to eating are not yet wholly obsolete amongst the civilised of the xixth century. The ingenious M. Jules Verne often enlivens a tedious scene by Dejeunons! And French travellers, like English, are not unready to talk of food and drink, knowing that the subject is never displeasing to their readers.
[145]. The H. V. gives a sketch of the wedding. “And when the ceremonies ended at the palace with pomp and parade and pageant, and the night was far spent, the eunuchs led the Wazir’s son into the bridal chamber. He was the first to seek his couch; then the Queen, his mother-in-law, came into him leading the bride, and followed by her suite. She did with her virgin daughter as parents are wont to do, removed her wedding-raiment, and donning a night-dress, placed her in her bridegroom’s arms. Then, wishing her all joy, she with her ladies went away and shut the door. At that instant came the Jinni,” etc.