Anastasius Author:Thomas Hope Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: with a countenance clouded by sadness, " Selim,n said he, " I leave you : for ever I must leave the house of Suleiman.," " What motive, cried I, " can induce ... more »the Bey to part with a favorite ?" " Listen," answered Rashooan. " Othman kiachef had an elder brother in Georgia, settled at a distant place. The kiachef has just discovered that I am that brother's son. He has consequently requested of Suleiman to purchase me. But, as you may suppose, our patron did not think himself warranted by any circumstance, however singular, to listen to the proposal. " Such a disgrace," cried he, " as that of bartering my Mamluke for money, shall lie neither on his head nor on mine. Suleiman may inflict death on an undutiful son, but his enemies shall never say " he exchanged him for gold!" " Othman upon this looked exceedingly dejected, and Suleiman for awhile seemed rather to enjoy his distress. At last he proceeded thus: " since, however, Rashooan is your nephew, God forbid I should keep him from his uncle's longing arms. Receive the young man as my gift, and let the donor ever remain near your heart." " Othman," pursued the Georgian, " would fain have excused himself from accepting me in the Vol. n. C burthensome form of a present; but unable to obtain his nephew on any other terms, he submits. I therefore leave you; I leave all that is dear to me! Torn in my childhood from my natural friends, I now in my youth am wrested from all my adoptive brethren. But the will of God be done!" We accompanied Rashooan back to the palace, where he took an affectionate leave of his patron and his friends. All regretted the young Mamluke sincerely ; and Suleiman himself appeared greatly moved. Little did he foresee what luck his gift one day would bring him ! The removal of Rashooan left me...« less