Vathek: An Arabian Tale |
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Abdest adamite admirable Æneid afrit Alboufaki amongst amused animal appeared Arabian Nights Bababalouk bath beautiful Beckford began beheld bosom brought caliph called camels Carathis charms colour commanded cried D'Herbelot dark delightful dives dwarfs earth East Eastern Eblis emir eunuchs exquisite eyes faithful Fakreddin fancied feet fell fire flowers followed Fonthill genii Giamschid Gian Giaour Gulchenrouz hands harem hath heard heart heaven Idumæas Inatulla Indian instantly Istakhar King Koran ladies length light lord Mahomet Mahometans mentioned monarch Morakanabad mountain Mussulmans mutes negresses notwithstanding Nouronihar Ottoman Empire palace paradise perfumed peris Persian person poet pomegranate portal prayers pre-adamite prince princess prophet reign replied repose resembled rock Rocnabad sabres Samarah santons Shaban sherbet Simurgh Soliman soon sovereign splendour stranger subterranean Sutlememe talismans terror thee thou hast thousand tion torches tower Vathek Virgil vizir voice whence whilst WILLIAM BECKFORD words
Popular passages
Page 180 - Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Page 149 - The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, But such as, at this day, to Indians known; In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms, Branching so broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade, High overarch'd, and echoing walks between...
Page 153 - For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grape give a good smell, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Page 2 - Mani, and statues that seemed to be alive. Here a well-managed perspective attracted the sight, there the magic of optics agreeably deceived it ; whilst the naturalist on his part exhibited, in their several classes, the various gifts that Heaven had bestowed on our globe.
Page 157 - Hue geminas nunc flecte acies, hanc aspice gentem Romanosque tuos. Hic Caesar et omnis Iuli progenies, magnum caeli ventura sub axem. 790 hic vir, hic est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis, Augustus Caesar, Divi genus, aurea condet saecula qui rursus Latio regnata per arva Saturno quondam...
Page 119 - He then conducted them into a long aisle adjoining the tabernacle, preceding them with hasty steps, and followed by his disciples with the utmost alacrity. They reached at length a hall of great extent, and covered with a lofty dome, around which appeared fifty portals of bronze, secured with as many fastenings of iron. A funereal gloom prevailed over the whole scene. Here, upon two beds of incorruptible cedar, lay recumbent the fleshless forms of the pre-Adamite kings, who had been monarchs of the...
Page 114 - ... which, alarmed at the approach of such visitants, fled away croaking. The chief of the eunuchs, trembling with fear, besought Vathek that a fire might be kindled. " No ! " replied he, " there is no time left to think of such trifles ; abide where thou art, and expect my commands.
Page 118 - They continued their way through the multitude: but, notwithstanding their confidence at first, they were not sufficiently composed to examine with attention the various perspectives of halls and of galleries that opened on the right hand and left; which were all illuminated by torches and braziers, whose flames rose in pyramids to the centre of the vault. At length they came to a place where long curtains, brocaded with crimson and gold, fell from all parts in solemn confusion.
Page 160 - Pero, con todo esto, me parece que el traducir de una lengua en otra, como no sea de las reinas de las lenguas griega y latina, es como quien mira los tapices flamencos por el revés; que aunque se ven las figuras, son llenas de hilos que las escurecen, y no se ven con la lisura y tez de la haz...
Page 168 - Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that It is for his life.