The young Emir had
pushed on, and gained an opportunity which he had long desired.
They were speaking of the Lebanon; Fakredeen had been giving Astarte,
at her request, a sketch of Canobia, and intimating his inexpressible
gratification were she to honour his castle with a visit; when, somewhat
abruptly, in a suppressed voice, and in a manner not wholly free from
embarrassment, Astarte said, 'What ever surprises me is, that Darkush,
who is my servant at Damascus, should have communicated, by the faithful
messenger, that one of the princes seeking to visit Gindarics was of our
beautiful and ancient faith; for the Prince of England has assured me
that nothing was more unfounded or indeed impossible; that the faith,
ancient and beautiful, never prevailed in the land of his fathers; and
that the reason why he was acquainted with the god-like forms is, that
in his country it is the custom (custom to me most singular, and indeed
incomprehensible) to educate the youth by teaching them the ancient
poems of the Greeks, poems quite lost to us, but in which are embalmed
the sacred legends.'
'We ought never to be surprised at anything that is done by the
English,' observed Fakredeen; 'who are, after all, in a certain sense,
savages.
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