Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 eBook

Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 804 pages of information about Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1.

Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 eBook

Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 804 pages of information about Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1.

  Part, like Ajut, never to return. 
  Campbell, Pleasures of Hope, ii. (1799).

ALA’CIEL, the genius who went on a voyage to the two islands, Taciturnia and Merry land [London and Paris].—­De la Dixmerie L’isle Taciturne et l’isle Enjouee, ou Voyage du Genie Alaciel dans les deux Iles (1759).

ALADDIN, son of Mustafa, a poor tailor, of China, “obstinate, disobedent, and mischievous,” wholly abandoned “to indolence and licentiousness.”  One day an African magician accosted him, pretending to be his uncle, and sent him to bring up the “wonderful lamp,” at the same time giving him a “ring of safety.”  Aladdin secured the lamp, but would not hand it to the magician till he was out of the cave, whereupon the magician shut him up in the cave, and departed for Africa.  Aladdin, wringing his hands in despair, happened to rub the magic ring, when the genius of the ring appeared before him, and asked him his commands.  Aladdin requested to be delivered from the cave, and he returned home.  By means of his lamp, he obtained untold wealth, built a superb palace, and married Badroul’boudour, the sultan’s daughter.  After a time, the African magician got possession of the lamp, and caused the palace, with all its contents, to be transported into Africa.  Aladdin was absent at the time, was arrested and ordered to execution, but was rescued by the populace, with whom he was an immense favorite, and started to discover what had become of his palace.  Happening to slip, he rubbed his ring, and when the genius of the ring appeared and asked his orders, was instantly posted to the place where his palace was in Africa.  He poisoned the magician, regained the lamp, and had his palace restored to its original place in China.

Yes, ready money is Aladdin’s lamp.

Byron, Don Juan, xii. 12.

Aladdin’s Lamp, a lamp brought from an underground cavern in “the middle of China.”  Being in want of food, the mother of Aladdin began to scrub it, intending to sell it, when the genius of the lamp appeared, and asked her what were her commands.  Aladdin answered, “I am hungry; bring me food;” and immediately a banquet was set before him.  Having thus become acquainted with the merits of the lamp, he became enormously rich, and married the sultan’s daughter.  By artifice the African magician got possession of the lamp, and transported the palace with its contents to Africa.  Aladdin poisoned the magician, recovered the lamp, and retranslated the palace to its original site.

Aladdin’s Palace Windows.  At the top of the palace was a saloon, containing tweny-four windows (six on each side), and all but one enriched with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.  One was left for the sultan to complete, but all the jewellers in the empire were unable to make one to match the others, so Aladdin commanded “the slaves of the lamp” to complete their work.

Aladdin’s Ring, given him by the African magician, “a preservative against every evil.”—­Arabian Nights ("Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp").

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Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.