DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11637#0313
AND LOWER EGYPT. 285
noble actions which to their honour these men
performed oftener than might hare been expected.
The following instance which took, place in the
time of Ali Bey, some years before my journey,
was related to me at Cairo.
Mehemet Bey, victorious over his father-in-law
and benefactor, put to death all who had sided
with Ali. In the atrocious exercise of his suspi-
cious cruelty he ordered a bey, whose only crime
was his refusal to share his egregious treason, and
preserving his fidelity to the man to whom he
owed his wealth and dignity, to lose his hand and
his tongue. In this miserable condition, the
wretched bey, whom one of his Mamelucs had
the generosity still to attend, made this faithful
follower sensible how burdensome his life was be-
come, and of his extreme desire of being freed from
it, conjuring him to throw him into the Nile, on
which they were then sailing to a place of exile.
" Yes, my master," said the Mameluc, " I am
" not insensible of the extent of your misfortune:
" I know that in this extreme of wretchedness life
" must be a burden which you cannot long sup-
" port: you shall be freed from it, but you shall
" not die alone." At these words the Mameluc
took his patron in his arms, enfolded him closely,
and leaped into the river with him, where they
were both drowned in each other's embrace.
More
noble actions which to their honour these men
performed oftener than might hare been expected.
The following instance which took, place in the
time of Ali Bey, some years before my journey,
was related to me at Cairo.
Mehemet Bey, victorious over his father-in-law
and benefactor, put to death all who had sided
with Ali. In the atrocious exercise of his suspi-
cious cruelty he ordered a bey, whose only crime
was his refusal to share his egregious treason, and
preserving his fidelity to the man to whom he
owed his wealth and dignity, to lose his hand and
his tongue. In this miserable condition, the
wretched bey, whom one of his Mamelucs had
the generosity still to attend, made this faithful
follower sensible how burdensome his life was be-
come, and of his extreme desire of being freed from
it, conjuring him to throw him into the Nile, on
which they were then sailing to a place of exile.
" Yes, my master," said the Mameluc, " I am
" not insensible of the extent of your misfortune:
" I know that in this extreme of wretchedness life
" must be a burden which you cannot long sup-
" port: you shall be freed from it, but you shall
" not die alone." At these words the Mameluc
took his patron in his arms, enfolded him closely,
and leaped into the river with him, where they
were both drowned in each other's embrace.
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