n began to proclaim: "Inhabitants of Rocnabad!
prostrate yourselves on the brink of your pure waters, and tender your
thanksgivings to Heaven, that vouchsafeth to show you a ray of its glory;
for lo! the Commander of the Faithful draws near."

The poor Santons, filled with holy energy, having bustled to light up wax
torches in their oratories and expand the Koran on their ebony desks,
went forth to meet the Caliph with baskets of honeycomb, dates, and
melons. But, whilst they were advancing in solemn procession and with
measured steps, the horses, camels, and guards wantoned over their tulips
and other flowers, and made a terrible havoc amongst them. The Santons
could not help casting from one eye a look of pity on the ravages
committing around them, whilst the other was fixed upon the Caliph and
heaven. Nouronihar, enraptured with the scenery of a place which brought
back to her remembrance the pleasing solitudes where her infancy had
passed, entreated Vathek to stop; but he, suspecting that each oratory
might be deemed by the Giaour a distinct habitation, commanded his
pioneers to level them all; the Santons stood motionless with horror at
the barbarous mandate, and at last broke out into lamentations; but these
were uttered with so ill a grace, that Vathek bade his eunuchs to kick
them from his presence. He then descended from the litter with
Nouronihar; they sauntered together in the meadow, and amused themselves
with culling flowers, and passing a thousand pleasantries on each other.
But the bees, who were staunch Mussulmans, thinking it their duty to
revenge the insult on their dear masters the Santons, assembled so
zealously to do it with effect, that the Caliph and Nouronihar were glad
to find their tents prepared to receive them.

Bababalouk, who in capacity of purveyor had acquitted himself with
applause as to peacocks and turtles, lost no time in consigning some
dozens to the spit, and as many more to be fricasseed. Whilst they were
feasting, laughing, carousing, and blaspheming at pleasure on the banquet
so liberally furnished, the Moullahs, the Sheiks, the Cadis and Imams of
Schiraz (who seemed not to have met the Santons) arrived, leading by
bridles of riband inscribed from the Koran, a train of asses, which were
loaded with the choicest fruits the country could boast; having presented
their offerings to the Caliph, they petitioned him to honour their city
and mosques with his presence.

"Fancy not,