and the stage properties afterwards found with the holy woman, such as the gallipot of colouring ointment, justify his suspicion.
[219]. “’Ajáib” plur. of “’Ajíb,” a common exclamation amongst the populace. It is used in Persian as well as in Arabic.
[220]. Evidently la force de l’imagination, of which a curious illustration was given in Paris during the debauched days of the Second Empire. Before a highly “fashionable” assembly of men appeared a youth in fleshings who sat down upon a stool, bared his pudenda and closed his eyes when, by “force of fancy,” erection and emission took place. But presently it was suspected and proved that the stool was hollow and admitted from below a hand whose titillating fingers explained the phenomenon.
[221]. Moslems are curious about sleeping postures and the popular saying is:—Lying upon the right side is proper to Kings, upon the left to Sages; to sleep supine is the position of Allah’s Saints and prone upon the belly is peculiar to the Devils.
[222]. This “’Asá,” a staff five to six feet long, is one of the properties of Moslem Saints and reverends who, imitating that furious old Puritan, Caliph Omar, make and are allowed to make a pretty liberal distribution of its caresses.
[223]. i.e. as she was in her own home.
[224]. Arab. “Sulúk” a Sufistical expression, the road to salvation, &c.
[225]. In the H. V. her diet consisted of dry bread and fruits.
[226]. This is the first mention of the windows in the Arabic MS.
[227]. For this “Roc” of the older writers see vols. v. 122; vi. 16–49. I may remind the reader that the O. Egyptian “Rokh,” or “Rukh,” by some written “Rekhit,” whose ideograph is a monstrous bird with one claw raised, also denotes pure wise Spirits, the Magi, &c. I know a man who derives from it our “rook” = beak and parson.