Zima, embrace the moment. The Aga Narkis entertains your mother, and your governess is upon the watch in a balcony for your father’s return: take, read, fear nothing. But even though the Bijoux indisc...

Hiaouf Zeles Tanzai had already reigned long in great Chechianea, and this voluptuous prince still continued to be the delight of his subjects. Acajou king of Minutia had undergone the fate predicted ...

I will pass lightly over Mangogul’s first years. The infancy of princes is the same with that of the rest of mankind; with this difference, however, that princes have the gift of saying a thousand pre...

Mirzoza had already fixed Mangogul for some years. These lovers had said, and a thousand times repeated, all that a violent passion suggests to persons who have the most wit. They were got as far as c...

The Genius Cucufa is an old hypochondriac, who fearing lest the concerns of the world, and dealings with the rest of the genii, might prove an obstacle to his salvation, took refuge in the Void; in or...

Scarcely was Mangogul in possession of Cucufa’s mysterious ring, when he was tempted to make the first trial of it on the favorite. I forgot to mention, that besides the virtue of obliging the Toys of...

Mangogul arrived before her at the great Sultana’s, and found all the ladies very busy at cards. He survey’d all those, whose reputation was established, fully resolved to try his ring on one of them,...

The next evening there was to be a private supper in Mirzoza’s apartment. The persons invited came early. Before the prodigy of the preceding day, people came by inclination; this night they came pure...

Supper was served up, the company sat down at table, and at first they diverted themselves at Monima’s charge: all the women unanimously agreed that her Toy had spoke first; and she must have sunk und...

Mangogul had scarcely quitted the recluses, among whom I left him, when a report was spread through Banza, that the virgins of the congregation of Brama’s Coccyx, spoke by their Toys. This report, to ...

By the difficulties started against Orcotomus, before he could make his experiments, it appeared, that his notions were judged to have less of solidity than ingenuity. “If Toys have the faculty of spe...

While the prattle of the Toys employed the academy, in other companies it became the news of the day, and the subject of the morrow, and of several succeeding days. It was an inexhaustible text. True ...

Most of the ladies who made the party with the Manimonbanda, play’d with great eagerness; and it was not necessary to have Mangogul’s sagacity, to perceive it. The passion of gaming is one of those th...

Of all the public diversions of Banza, none supported itself but the opera. Utmiutsol and Utremifasolasiututut, two celebrated musicians, one of whom was growing old, and the other was but just new-fl...

It was on the fifteenth of the moon of ⸻, that Orcotomus had read his memoir to the academy, and communicated his thoughts on the tattle of the Toys. As he then did with the greatest assurance promise...

After the learned had spent themselves on the Toys, the Bramins took possession of them. Religion laid claim to their chitchat, as a subject that came within its jurisdiction, and its ministers preten...

While the Bramins were making Brama speak, airing their Pagodas by processions, and exhorting the people to repentance; others were thinking how to reap benefit by the prattle of Toys. Great cities sw...

For some days past the Sultan left the Toys at rest. Important affairs, on which he was busy, suspended the effects of his ring. In this interval it was, that two women of Banza made diversion for the...

The Toyman returned, and presented the ladies with two muzzles of the best sort.⁠—“Ah! mercy!” cried Zelida. “What enormous muzzles are these! And who are the unhappy women, whom these will fit? This ...

Though the female cits of Banza doubted whether Toys of their rank would be honoured with the gift of speech; yet they all furnish’d themselves with muzzles. In Banza muzzles became as common, as a ge...

There was a time, as we have seen, when the women dreaded the prating of their Toys, were stifled, and died away; but another succeeded, when they set themselves above this dread, threw away their muz...

Mangogul returning to his palace, pondering on the ridiculous airs which women give themselves, found himself, whether through absence of mind, or some blunder of his ring, under the portico of the su...

Mangogul, impatient to see the favorite again, slept little, arose earlier than usual, and was in her apartment before sun-rising. She had already rung the bell: a servant had just opened the curtains...

Mangogul went immediately to Haria’s house; and as he took pleasure in soliloquy, he said within himself: “This woman never goes to bed without her four dogs, and either Toys know nothing of those ani...

Congo had been disturbed by bloody wars in the reigns of Kanaglou and Erguebzed; and those two monarchs had immortalized themselves by the conquests they had made over their neighbours. The emperors o...

Rapes were severely punished in Congo: and there happened a most notorious one in Mangogul’s reign. This prince, at his accession to the crown, had sworn, like all his predecessors, never to grant a p...

While Mangogul was interrogating the Toys of Haria, the widows, and Fatme, Mirzoza had full time to prepare her philosophical lecture. One evening, that the Manimonbanda was performing her devotions, ...

Mangogul was the only person that had given attention to Mirzoza’s philosophic lecture without interrupting her; and as he was pretty much inclined to contradict, she was astonish’d at it. “Does the S...

I am not a great portrait-maker. I have exempted the reader from that of the favorite Sultana; but I can never condescend to remit him that of the Sultan’s mare. She was of a middling size, and had a ...

“Waa,” says Mangogul, yawning and rubbing his eyes, “my head aches. Let nobody evermore talk philosophy to me. Such conversations are unwholsome. Last night I lay on empty ideas; and instead of sleepi...

Of all the ladies, who shone at the Sultan’s court, none had more charms and wit than young Egle, the wife of his highness’s great cupbearer. She was of all Mangogul’s parties, who was much taken with...

From the time that Mangogul had received the fatal present of Cucufa, the ridicules and vices of the sex were become the eternal subject of his jokes: he was never done with them, and his favorite’s p...

The Sultan was not ignorant, that the young lords of the court had private lodges; but he was lately informed, that those retreats were likewise used by some senators. He was much surprised at this. “...

Twice a week the favorite kept a drawing room. The preceding evening she named the women whom she would willingly see, and the Sultan gave the list of the men. The company always came richly dress’d. ...

Had the taste of good declamation been known in Congo, there were some comedians who might well be spared. Of thirty persons which composed the band, there was but one great actor, and two tolerable a...

The favorite loved men of genius, without pretending to be a genius herself. On her toilette, among jewels and other female ornaments, the novels and pamphlets of the time were to be met with, and she...

“That is singular,” continued the favorite. “Till this moment, I always imagined, that the chief fault found with Toys, was their speaking too plainly.” “Oh! madam,” replied Mangogul, “these two are n...

By the time that Mangogul had finished the academical discourse of Girgiro the entangled, night came on, and the company went to bed. That night the favorite might well flatter herself with sleeping s...

The African author does not inform us what became of Mangogul, while he waited for Bloculocus. ’Tis very probable that he went out, catechized some Toys; and that satisfied with the intelligence he re...

“My lord,” said the favorite to Bloculocus, “you must render me another piece of service. Last night a crowd of extravagant fancies disturbed my head. It was a dream of a very odd kind: and I have bee...

There still remain’d a good part of the day, when this conversation was closed: which determined Mangogul to make one trial of his ring, before he retired to his apartment; though it were purely to fa...

Mangogul, whose thoughts ran solely on diversifying his pleasures, and multiplying the trials of his ring; after having interrogated the most interesting Toys of the court, had the curiosity to hear s...

The most extravagant Toys of Banza did not fail flocking whither pleasure called them. Some came in city-coaches, some in public vehicles, and some few on foot. “I should never finish,” says the Afric...

From the masquerade Mangogul went immediately to take rest; but the favorite finding that she had no inclination to sleep, sent for Selim, and pressed him to continue the history of his amours. Selim ...

While the favorite and Selim were reposing after the fatigues of the preceding day, Mangogul was viewing with astonishment the magnificent apartments of Cypria. This woman had, by means of her Toy, ma...

Mangogul returned to the favorite, where Selim was come before him. “Well, prince,” said Mirzoza, “has the account of Cypria’s travels done you any good?” “Neither good nor harm,” answered the Sultan:...

The African author, who had promised to bring Selim’s character into some part of his book, has thought fit to place it here: and I have too much esteem for the works of antiquity, to assert that it w...

The favorite was very young. Born towards the end of Erguebzed’s reign, she had scarce any idea at all of the court of Kanaglou. A word accidentally dropt had given her a curiosity to know the prodigi...

“Rejoice, madam,” says Mangogul, coming in to the favorite’s apartment. “I bring you an agreeable piece of news. The Toys are a parcel of little fools, who know not what they say. Cucufa’s ring can in...

Mangogul, without answering the favorite’s joke, departed instantly, and went to Zaide’s house. He found her retired in a closet, at a small table, on which he observed some letters, a portrait, and s...

“But is this Zaide an unique? Mirzoza is no ways inferior to her in charms, and I have a thousand proofs of her affection. I desire to be loved, I am, and who has told me that Zuleiman is more so than...

While Mangogul was entertaining himself with the favorite and Selim, news was brought him of the death of Sulamek. Sulamek’s rise began by being appointed the Sultan’s dancing-master, and that even co...

This chapter began the second volume of the original edition. ↩ My fortune was so great, that I can scarce believe it. ↩ A hill near Paris famous for asses. ↩...