CHAMBERS' EDINBURGH JOURNAL
CONTENTS
THE SULTAN'S BEAR.
THE ZODIACAL LIGHT.
WHO WROTE SHAKSPEARE?
A NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAINS OF JAMAICA.
NATIONAL PROSPERITY AND INDIVIDUAL PANIC.
FRENCH COTTAGE COOKERY.
AMUSEMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
CORINNA AT THE CAPITOL.
GOING AHEAD.
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF 'CHAMBERS'SINFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,' 'CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE,' &c.
| No. 449. New Series. | SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1852. | Price 1½d. |
THE SULTAN'S BEAR.[1]
The sultan being one day rather out of sorts, sent for his Jewishphysician, a man very eminent for skill in his profession, and notless distinguished by his love of his own nation and his desperateenmity to the Christians. Finding that his patient had not really muchthe matter with him, and thinking a little gossip would not only bemore agreeable, but more likely to do him good, than any medicinewhich could be prescribed, the doctor began to discourse on the veryfamiliar topic of his highness's favourite bear, which was lying athis feet, and whose virtues and abilities he was never tired ofextolling.
'You would wonder,' said the sultan, 'not only at the natural sagacityof the creature, and the tact which he shews in a thousand differentways, but at the amount of knowledge he has collected, and the logicalcorrectness with which he uses it. He is really a very knowing beast.'The Jew politely acquiesced in all this and much more; but at lengthadded: 'It is well that such a clever animal is in such good hands. Ifhis extraordinary talents are not developed to the utmost, they are atleast not perverted and made a bad use of.'
'I hope not, indeed,' said the sultan. 'But what do you mean by histalents not being developed? or in what way would they be likely to beperverted in bad hands?'
'Pardon me,' said the Jew; 'I have spoken rashly before your sublimehighness—such things should not be talked of; but it is natural that,although I know very little about them, I should consider the practiceand the purpose bad, when they belong to what I consider a bad people:at the same time, if your sublime highness thinks fit to toleratethem, it is not for your faithful slave to say a word about it. Ishould be sorry that your sublime hi