Murad the Unlucky and Other Tales , livre ebook

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87 pages

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. Maria Edgeworth came of a lively family which had settled in Ireland in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Her father at the age of five-and-twenty inherited the family estates at Edgeworthstown in 1769. He had snatched an early marriage, which did not prove happy. He had a little son, whom he was educating upon the principles set forth in Rousseau's "Emile, " and a daughter Maria, who was born on the 1st of January, 1767. He was then living at Hare Hatch, near Maidenhead. In March, 1773, his first wife died after giving birth to a daughter named Anna. In July, 1773, he married again, Honora Sneyd, and went to live in Ireland, taking with him his daughter Maria, who was then about six years old. Two years afterwards she was sent from Ireland to a school at Derby. In April, 1780, her father's second wife died, and advised him upon her death-bed to marry her sister Elizabeth. He married his deceased wife's sister on the next following Christmas Day. Maria Edgeworth was in that year removed to a school in London, and her holidays were often spent with her father's friend Thomas Day, the author of "Sandford and Merton, " an eccentric enthusiast who lived then at Anningsley, in Surrey

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819937852
Langue	English

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INTRODUCTION
Maria Edgeworth came of a lively family which hadsettled in Ireland in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Herfather at the age of five-and-twenty inherited the family estatesat Edgeworthstown in 1769. He had snatched an early marriage, whichdid not prove happy. He had a little son, whom he was educatingupon the principles set forth in Rousseau’s “Emile, ” and adaughter Maria, who was born on the 1st of January, 1767. He wasthen living at Hare Hatch, near Maidenhead. In March, 1773, hisfirst wife died after giving birth to a daughter named Anna. InJuly, 1773, he married again, Honora Sneyd, and went to live inIreland, taking with him his daughter Maria, who was then about sixyears old. Two years afterwards she was sent from Ireland to aschool at Derby. In April, 1780, her father’s second wife died, andadvised him upon her death-bed to marry her sister Elizabeth. Hemarried his deceased wife’s sister on the next following ChristmasDay. Maria Edgeworth was in that year removed to a school inLondon, and her holidays were often spent with her father’s friendThomas Day, the author of “Sandford and Merton, ” an eccentricenthusiast who lived then at Anningsley, in Surrey.
Maria Edgeworth— always a little body— wasconspicuous among her schoolfellows for quick wit, and was aptalike for study and invention. She was story-teller general to thecommunity. In 1782, at the age of fifteen, she left school and wenthome with her father and his third wife, who then settled finallyat Edgeworthstown.
At Edgeworthstown Richard Lovell Edgeworth nowbecame active in the direct training of his children, in theimprovement of his estate, and in schemes for the improvement ofthe country. His eldest daughter, Maria, showing skill with thepen, he made her more and more his companion and fellow-worker togood ends. She kept household accounts, had entrusted to her thewhole education of a little brother, wrote stories on a slate andread them to the family, wiped them off when not approved, andcopied them in ink if they proved popular with the home public.Miss Edgeworth’s first printed book was a plea for the education ofwomen, “Letters to Literary Ladies, ” published in 1795, when herage was eight-and-twenty. Next year, 1796, working with her father,she produced the first volume of the “Parent’s Assistant. ” InNovember, 1797, when Miss Edgeworth’s age was nearly thirty-one,her father, then aged fifty-three, lost his third wife, and hemarried a fourth in the following May. The fourth wife, at firstobjected to, was young enough to be a companion and friend, andbetween her and Maria Edgeworth a fast friendship came to beestablished. In the year of her father’s fourth marriage Mariajoined him in the production of two volumes on “PracticalEducation. ” Then followed books for children, including “Harry andLucy, ” which had been begun by her father years before inpartnership with his second wife, when Thomas Day began writing“Sandford and Merton, ” with the original intention that it shouldbe worked in as a part of the whole scheme.
In the year 1800 Miss Edgeworth, thirty-three yearsold, began her independent career as a novelist with “CastleRackrent; ” and from that time on, work followed work inillustration of the power of a woman of genius to associate quickwit and quick feeling with sound sense and a good reason forspeaking. Sir Walter Scott in his frank way declared that hereceived an impulse from Miss Edgeworth’s example as astory-teller. In the general preface to his own final edition ofthe Waverley Novels he said that “Without being so presumptuous asto hope to emulate the rich humour, pathetic tenderness, andadmirable tact, which pervade the works of my accomplished friend,I felt that something might be attempted for my own country of thesame kind with that which Miss Edgeworth so fortunately achievedfor Ireland— something which might introduce her natives to thoseof the sister kingdom in a more favourable light than they had beenplaced hitherto, and tend to procure sympathy for their virtues andindulgence for their foibles. ”
Of the three stories in this volume, who— “Murad theUnlucky” and “The Limerick Gloves”— first appeared in three volumesof “Popular Tales, ” which were first published in 1804, with ashort introduction by Miss Edgeworth’s father. “Madame de Fleury”was written a few years later.
H. M.
MURAD THE UNLUCKY
CHAPTER I
It is well known that the grand seignior amuseshimself by going at night, in disguise, through streets ofConstantinople; as the caliph Haroun Alraschid used formerly to doin Bagdad.
One moonlight night, accompanied by his grandvizier, he traversed several of the principal streets of the citywithout seeing anything remarkable. At length, as they were passinga rope-maker’s, the sultan recollected the Arabian story ofCogia-Hassan Alhabal, the rope-maker, and his two friends, Saad andSaadi, who differed so much in their opinion concerning theinfluence of fortune over human affairs.
“What is your opinion on this subject? ” said thegrand seignior to his vizier.
“I am inclined, please your majesty, ” replied thevizier, “to think that success in the world depends more uponprudence than upon what is called luck, or fortune. ”
“And I, ” said the sultan, “am persuaded thatfortune does more for men than prudence. Do you not every day hearof persons who are said to be fortunate or unfortunate? How comesit that this opinion should prevail amongst men, if it be notjustified by experience? ”
“It is not for me to dispute with your majesty, ”replied the prudent vizier.
“Speak your mind freely; I desire and command it, ”said the sultan.
“Then I am of opinion, ” answered the vizier, “thatpeople are often led to believe others fortunate, or unfortunate,merely because they only know the general outline of theirhistories; and are ignorant of the incidents and events in whichthey have shown prudence or imprudence. I have heard, for instance,that there are at present, in this city, two men, who areremarkable for their good and bad fortune: one is called Murad theUnlucky, and the other Saladin the Lucky. Now, I am inclined tothink, if we could hear their stories, we should find that one is aprudent and the other an imprudent character. ”
“Where do these men live? ” interrupted the sultan.“I will hear their histories from their own lips before I sleep.”
“Murad the Unlucky lives in the next square, ” saidthe vizier.
The sultan desired to go thither immediately.Scarcely had they entered the square, when they heard the cry ofloud lamentations. They followed the sound till they came to ahouse of which the door was open, and where there was a man tearinghis turban, and weeping bitterly. They asked the cause of hisdistress, and he pointed to the fragments of a china vase, whichlay on the pavement at his door.
“This seems undoubtedly to be beautiful china, ”said the sultan, taking up one of the broken pieces; “but can theloss of a china vase be the cause of such violent grief anddespair? ”
“Ah, gentlemen, ” said the owner of the vase,suspending his lamentations, and looking at the dress of thepretended merchants, “I see that you are strangers: you do not knowhow much cause I have for grief and despair! You do not know thatyou are speaking to Murad the Unlucky! Were you to hear all theunfortunate accidents that have happened to me, from the time I wasborn till this instant, you would perhaps pity me, and acknowledgeI have just cause for despair. ”
Curiosity was strongly expressed by the sultan; andthe hope of obtaining sympathy inclined Murad to gratify it by therecital of his adventures. “Gentlemen, ” said he, “I scarcely dareinvite you into the house of such an unlucky being as I am; but ifyou will venture to take a night’s lodging under my roof, you shallhear at your leisure the story of my misfortunes. ”
The sultan and the vizier excused themselves fromspending the night with Murad, saying that they were obliged toproceed to their khan, where they should be expected by theircompanions; but they begged permission to repose themselves forhalf an hour in his house, and besought him to relate the historyof his life, if it would not renew his grief too much to recollecthis misfortunes.
Few men are so miserable as not to like to talk oftheir misfortunes, where they have, or where they think they have,any chance of obtaining compassion. As soon as the pretendedmerchants were seated, Murad began his story in the followingmanner:—
“My father was a merchant of this city. The nightbefore I was born he dreamed that I came into the world with thehead of a dog and the tail of a dragon; and that, in haste toconceal my deformity, he rolled me up in a piece of linen, whichunluckily proved to be the grind seignior’s turban; who, enraged athis insolence in touching his turban, commanded that his headshould be struck off.
“My father awaked before he lost his head, but notbefore he had lost half his wits from the terror of his dream. Heconsidered it as a warning sent from above, and consequentlydetermined to avoid the sight of me. He would not stay to seewhether I should really be born with the head of a dog and the tailof a dragon; but he set out, the next morning, on a voyage toAleppo.
“He was absent for upwards of seven years; andduring that time my education was totally neglected. One day Iinquired from my mother why I had been named Murad the Unlucky. Shetold me that this name was given to me in consequence of myfather’s dream; but she added that perhaps it might be forgotten,if I proved fortunate in my future life. My nurse, a very oldwoman, who was present, shook her head, with a look which I shallnever forget, and whispered to my mother loud enough for me tohear, ‘Unlucky he was, and is, and ever will be. Those that areborn to ill luck cannot help themselves; nor can any, but the greatprophet, Mahomet himself, do anything for them. It is a folly foran unlucky person to strive with their