Chapter XLVIII

Silence reigns beneath the brilliant azure of an Oriental sky;――silence, broken only by the silver tinkling of the camel’s bell. A noble creature is the camel. Compared with that Caucasian of beasts, the shapeless quadruped of the Northern, is but an ass!

Ever and anon, through the moist perfumed twilight, steals a delicious breeze. Delicious, but melancholy. For in that breeze floats a prophet’s sigh. The cypress moans as it passes; and the palm-tree bows its proud head in honour to it, as it flies along! On the holy barrenness of the saintly brow of Lebanon, the moon’s rays fall reverently, and Lebanon looks holier under their light.

In the court in front of the counting-house of an Emir, sits De Tankard. From among the round pebbles of the pavement, springs a fresh fountain. On the branches of the trees gleam ripe oranges.

The young man looked sad and solemn. He had that morning seen an angel, as usual! By his side was a lovely female, and near him the lively young Emir Baboo smoked his nargilly.

“Do you often see angels, De Tankard?” he asked, laughing.

“Peace!” was the reply.

“I have a combination!” cried out the Emir, jumping up with a violence which smashed the nargilly. “Let us get the Druses and Maronites to unite, and we’ll go down to Djouni, and seize the English frigate there! What would Palmerston say to that?”

De Tankard laughed. “The East is the cradle of glory,” said he after a pause, with an enthusiastic look.

The Emir stared.

“Ah”! said he, “I had a brave chase yesterday, and ran off with the baggage of a caravan.”

The lady frowned. The Emir fell at her feet, and began to cry.

Next day, De Tankard started off with him on an excursion.

When employed in these ennobling diversions, he learned that his rich maiden aunt had arrived at Jerusalem.

* * * * *

From _The Puppet-Showman’s Album_. London.

――――

Another parody on Tancred, written by “Cuthbert Bede” (the Rev. Edward Bradley), appeared in _The Shilling Book of Beauty_, it was entitled “Tancredi; or, the New Party.” By the Right Hon. B. Bendizzy, M.P.

In 1887, Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., London, published a shilling volume of prose burlesque novels, written by H. F. Lester. The first, entitled _Ben D’ymion_, was a parody of Lord Beaconsfield’s novel _Endymion_. The other authors imitated in this collection were William Black, George Elliot, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, and J. H. Shorthouse.

_Ben D’ymion_ had originally appeared in _Punch_ in 1880.

――――:o:――――

THE AGE OF LAWN-TENNIS.
(_After Lord Beaconsfield’s_ “SYBIL”.)