Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

the throat of a rayah, it was done with the same gentlemanly, flint-faced apathy. One morning he was sailing along the bazaar at the customary rate of half a knot an hour, when his son-in-law made his appearance. "This

is rather a busy morning with me, Yussuf," said the executioner: "I have no time to lose;

go and order that Caffigibashi to bring me a a cup of coffee and a pipe. I have two to kill this morning—they are only Christians; but after dinner I have one of your corps to bowstring privately. I am generally" (continued the worthy functionary, yawning a little) rather fatigued after the latter operation. I have a mind to let you try your hand on one of the rayahs, but I fear you would make a bungling business of it."

66

"O honoured father!" exclaimed Yussuf, "by your bright sword I implore you, by your powerful arm I conjure you, try my skill; if I dispatch not the infidel to your satisfaction, never give me the cutting off of another head."

"Well! be it so, my son," replied the executioner; "but I still fear your well-meant

zeal may shake your nerves. I will lay down a few rules, as we go along, for the regulation of your future official life; for one day or another you may expect to step into my place."

"Min Allah!" cried Yussuf, in a sorrowful tone of voice, "heaven forbid I should ever see the day of your death. Allah defend me from wishing for any station, however exalted it may be, which is only to be reached by passing over the grave of my dear father!"

"Well! well!" said the executioner, (with some little impatience,) "I was not talking of graves, I was only speaking to you of cutting off heads. Listen to me, young man, with the attention which the importance of my words demands, if ever you hope to attain the high post of an executioner. On the knowledge of the ten following great principles of our profession, your future respectability depends.

"In the first place. An executioner has a right to expect annual presents from every one who holds an office from the Sultan, except the Mufti, who is beyond the jurisdiction of the sword.

"Secondly. The compliment should be

always paid a criminal of rank, of asking him the night previous to his execution, how he would wish the operation performed? If he have one piastre left in the world, he will understand you.

66

Thirdly. The temper of an executioner shows the greatness or the littleness of his soul, more than is commonly imagined. Passion is the vice of our profession; pity is a less prevailing weakness, but both are to be avoided.

"Fourthly. Apathy is not more commendable in a headsman than a decorous taciturnity. He has nothing to do with the crime of the man he has to kill, neither should he ever inquire what it is. The rank of the culprit is all he ought to know; a Pacha of three tails expects a sharper sword than one of two, and if he be rich, he may as well be gratified.

66

Fifthly. An executioner who has any sense of religion, should never think of chopping off a head without repeating the Bismillah; he should not even tie his own wife (if she be a bad one) in a sack, without doing it in the name of the most merciful God.'

66

Sixthly. As coolness is the first accom

plishment of the headsman, so is dexterity the first of virtues on the scaffold.

66

Seventhly. The skill of the functionary being of more importance than his strength, it behoves the young performer first to try his hand on pumpkins, then to practice on rayahs, especially Jews, and lastly, to perfect himself on porters and Armenian bankers.

66

Eighthly. Before the operator throws the culprit on his knees, he should try the edge of the scymitar on his nails; having previously borne in mind that the haft cannot be too heavy, the blade too short, nor too little curved.

"Ninthly. When he strikes he should strike home; he is a bungler who gives the second blow. No unnecessary flourishing of the weapon in the air is to be endured. You have marked the velocity of my motion forward and backward; no more is needed.

66

Tenthly. It is beneath the dignity of a chief executioner to kick the fallen head even of a Christian: the trouble of spitting on the lifeless trunk of an infidel is too much. The women and the rabble will not fail to do both, and, while they are doing so, wipe your red

sword on the garments of the dead man, but never in the skirts of your own jebbee, as the common headsmen do."

"O honoured father!" exclaimed Yussuf, "what excellent counsel is this, flowing as it does from the fulness of experience, from the depths of wisdom. How can I ever venerate sufficiently your benign beard! A thousand blessings on it, for the favour conferred on my soul this morning. How my heart pants for the happy moment! how my hand itches for the bright sword!"

It was with difficulty the worthy executioner could restrain the ardour of his young disciple's transports, as they approached the place of execution.

"O father! could you not let me kill both," cried Yussuf; "if I do the first business to your satisfaction, you might as well grant me the favour of suffering me to slay the second unbeliever, (cursed be his father's beard !)"

"Ah, my son," replied the executioner, "did I not warn you against the common foible of our profession, that of getting into a passion with the victim, even before he is beheld.

« AnteriorContinua »