For My Part, I Could Not Help Thinking That There
Was Too Much Of The Miraculous In It.
However, I have often heard it
asserted that the lion will never touch a man who is either dead,
Or
counterfeits death; indeed here they tell me, that, unless pressed by
hunger or rage, it never molests a man; and they assure me even that
upon no account will these animals injure a woman, but, on the
contrary, will protect her, when they meet her at a
watering-place. This country abounds with lions, tigers, leopards, and
hyenas, which sometimes make nocturnal visits to the villages, and
spread desolation among the sheep and cattle.
LETTER XV.
_Sudden Departure from Fez - Arrive at Mequinez - Attend the
Emperor - Melancholy Catastrophe - Expedition against wild
Beasts - Extensive Palaces - Seraglio - Visit a Haram - Founders of the
City - A fortified Town - Inhabitants - Jewish Town - Rich Attire of the
higher Orders - Numerous Market-places - Furniture - Saints'
Houses - Imperial Field Sports - Pack of Greyhounds - Abundance of Game._
Mequinez.
No doubt, my dear D - - , you will be very much surprised to observe my
letter dated from this place. I assure you I had not the most distant
idea, when I wrote last, of removing so suddenly from Fez. On the
evening of the same day that I dispatched my letter to you, as I was
preparing for rest, an express arrived from the Emperor, begging me to
repair hither without delay. Concluding that nothing less than life or
death depended on my speedy arrival, I accordingly renounced the
pleasures of the drowsy god for a very uneasy seat on the back of a
mule, and at midnight set off for this place, leaving my baggage and
attendants to follow in the morning. I rode very fast all night, and
arrived here about nine o'clock the next day. When I dismounted, I was
so extremely stiff, that it was with the utmost difficulty I could
stand; I was most dreadfully fatigued, and stood in very great need of
repose; but waving all selfish considerations, I thought only of being
serviceable, and therefore lost no time in waiting on the Emperor. He
received me in the kindest and most flattering manner, and expressed
great pleasure at seeing me; but I found my patient's case not so very
urgent as I had imagined; a few hours delay would not have endangered
the life of any human being, and it would have saved _one_, some
aching bones. However, after dispatching the case in point as
expeditiously as possible, I soon made amends for my deprivation, by
indulging in a little longer repose than usual, and on awaking I felt
myself quite refreshed, and rather pleased than otherwise at finding
myself thus suddenly at Mequinez; for having before passed the road
more leisurely, and observed every thing worthy of remark, I did not
so much regret that my journey had been performed during the night.
I have been four days here, and yesterday I was called upon to attend
the captain of a band of huntsmen, who were that morning returned from
an expedition, in which they lost three of their companions, and only
succeeded in saving their chief, and bringing him to this place, by
little short of a miracle.
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