He considered, however, that if she possessed but few good
qualities, her son had still fewer; and that the alternative on the whole
would be in her favour. Consoled, therefore, with this reflection, he
went in good spirits to soothe the populace, and make the proper
arrangements for his master's journey.
Vathek, to conciliate the Spirits of the subterranean palace, resolved
that his expedition should be uncommonly splendid. With this view he
confiscated on all sides the property of his subjects, whilst his worthy
mother stripped the seraglios she visited of the gems they contained. She
collected all the sempstresses and embroiderers of Samarah and other
cities to the distance of sixty leagues, to prepare pavilions,
palanquins, sofas, canopies, and litters for the train of the monarch.
There was not left in Masulipatam a single piece of chintz, and so much
muslin had been bought up to dress out Bababalouk and the other black
eunuchs, that there remained not an ell in the whole Irak of Babylon.
During these preparations Carathis, who never lost sight of her great
object, which was to obtain favour with the Powers of Darkness, made
select parties of the fairest and most delicate ladies of the city; but
in the midst of their gaiety she contrived to introduce serpents amongst
them, and to break pots of scorpions under the table; they all bit to a
wonder; and Carathis would have left them to bite, were it not that, to
fill up the time, she now and then amused herself in curing their wounds
with an excellent anodyne of her own invention, for this good princess
abhorred being indolent.
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