he found no stranger with her so said she to him, “O man, thou hast sinned against me, saying, ’Verily, some one is riding thee’; and thou hast slandered me by falsely charging me with folly.”  Quoth he, “By Allah I saw thee with my own eyes;” but quoth she, “Do thou sit here the while I have a look.”  Hereupon she arose and swarmed up the trunk and sat upon one of the branches, and as she peered at her spouse she shrieked aloud crying, “O man, do thou have some regard for thine honour.  Why do on this wise and lie down and allow a man to ride thee, and at this moment he worketh his will on thee.”  Said her husband, “Beside me there is neither man nor boy.”  And said she, “Here I am[FN#171] looking at thee from the top of this tree.”  Quoth he, “O woman, this place must be haunted,[FN#172] so let us remove hence;” and quoth she, “Why change our place? rather let us remain therein.”  Hereupon the Caliph said to Manjab, “By Allah, verily, this woman was an adulteress;” and the youth replied, “Amongst womankind indeed are many more whorish than this.  But of that anon; and now do thou hear from me and learn of me this marvellous tale anent

NOTE CONCERNING THE “TIRREA BEDE,” NIGHT 655.

Scott refers to a tale in the “Bahar-Danush” (Bahar-i-Danish); or, “Garden of Knowledge,” translated by himself, story viii. lesson 4; chapter xii. vol. iii. pp. 64-68.  Cadell & Co., Strand, London, 1799.  Five women come from a town to draw water at a well; and, finding there a young Brahmin, become his teachers and undertake to instruct him in the “Tirrea” or fifth “Veda”—­there being only four of these Hindu Scriptures.  Each lesson consists of an adventure showing how to cornute a husband, and the fourth runs as follows.  I leave them in Scott’s language:—­

The fourth lady through dread of the arrow of whose cunning the warrior of the fifth heaven[FN#173] trembled in the sky, like the reed, having bestowed her attention on the pilgrim bramin (Brahman), despatched him to an orchard; and having gone home, said to her husband, “I have heard that in the orchard of a certain husbandman there is a date tree, the fruit of which is of remarkably fine flavour; but what is yet stranger, whoever ascends it, sees many wonderful objects.  If to-day, going to visit this orchard, we gather dates from this tree, and also see the wonders of it, it will not be unproductive of amusement.”  In short, she so worked upon her husband with flattering speeches and caresses, that nolens volens he went to the orchard, and at the instigation of his wife, ascended the tree.  At this instant she beckoned to the bramin, who was previously seated, expectantly, in a corner of the garden.

The husband, from the top of the tree, beholding what was not fit to be seen, exclaimed in extreme rage, “Ah! thou shameless Russian-born[FN#174] wretch, what abominable action is this?” The wife making not the least answer, the flames of anger seized the mind of the man, and he began to descend from the tree; when the bramin with activity and speed having hurried over the fourth section of the Tirrea Bede,[FN#175] went his way.