be needed, for its being detached from the "Morte D'Arthur." Of the translated tales, we have taken an early seventeenth century version of "Cymon and Iphigenia," and Smollett's, of the "Story of Marcella;" while a new translation has been made for us by sympathetic hands of Hans Andersen's most touching "Pebersvendens Nathue" (Pepper-Vendor's or Old Bachelor's Nightcap). E. R. Contents I THE STORY OF THE LAME YOUNG MAN FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS II THE STORY OF CYMON AND IPHIGENIA FROM THE DECAMERON PAGE I 28 The Garden of Romance I THE STORY OF THE LAME YOUNG MAN TOLD BY THE TAILOR FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS A MERCHANT, sire, of this city did me the honour two days since of inviting me to an entertainment which he gave yesterday morning to his friends; I repaired to his house at an early hour, and found about twenty people assembled. We were waiting for the master of the house, who was gone out on some sudden business, when we saw him arrive, accompanied by a young stranger, very neatly dressed, and of a good figure, but lame. We all rose, and to do honour to the master of the house, we begged the young man to sit with us on the sofa. He was just going to sit down, when, perceiving a barber, who was one of the company, he abruptly stepped back, and was going away. The master of the house, surprised at this, stopped him. "Where are you going?" said he; “I A bring you here to do me the honour of being present at an entertainment I am going to give my friends, and you are scarcely entered before you want to go away !" "In the name of God, sir," replied the stranger, "I entreat you not to detain me, but suffer me to depart. I cannot behold without horror that abominable barber who is sitting there; although he is born in a country where the complexion of the people is white, yet he bears the colour of an Ethiopian; and his mind is of a still deeper and more horrible dye than his visage." We were all very much surprised at this speech, and began to conceive a very bad opinion of the barber, without knowing whether the young stranger had any just reason for speaking of him in such terms. We even went so far as to declare that we would not suffer at our table a man of whom we had heard so shocking a character. The master of the house begged the stranger to acquaint us with the occasion of his hatred to the barber. "Gentlemen," said the young man, "you must know that this barber was the cause of my being lame, and also of the most cruel affair that you can possibly conceive, which befell me; for this reason I have made a vow to quit instantly any place where he may be, and even not to reside in any town where he lives; for this reason I left Bagdad, where he was, and undertook so long a journey to come and settle myself in this city, where, being in the centre of Great Tartary, I flattered myself I should be secure of never beholding him again. However, contrary to my hopes and expectations, I find him here; this obliges me, gentlemen, to deprive myself of the honour of partaking of your feast. I will this day leave your city, and go to hide myself, if I can, in some place |