Forming the Conclusion of this work, and Treating of the good Effects of the Regulation of Eggs as Favourable to the Coitus

Know, O Vizir (God be good to you!), that this chapter contains the most useful instructions — how to increase the intensity of the coitus — and that the latter part is profitable to read for an old man as well as for the man in his best years and for the young man.

The Cheikh, who gives good advice to the creatures of God the Great! he the sage, the savant, the first of the men of his time, speaks as follows on this subject; listen then to his words.

He who makes it a practice to eat every day fasting the yolks of eggs, without the white part, will find in this ailment an energetic stimulant for the coitus. The same is the case with the man who during three days eats of the same mixed with onions.

He who boils asparagus,206 and then fries them in fat, and then pours upon them the yolks of eggs with pounded condiments and eats every day of this dish, will grow very strong for the coitus, and find in it a stimulant for his amorous desires.

He who peels onions, puts them into a saucepan, with condiments and aromatic substances, and fries the mixture with oil and yolk of eggs, will acquire a surpassing and invaluable vigour for the coitus, if he will partake of this dish for several days.

Camel’s milk mixed with honey and taken regularly develops a vigour for copulation which is unaccountable, and causes the virile member to be on the alert night and day.

He who for several days makes his meals upon eggs boiled with myrrh, coarse cinnamon, and pepper, will find his vigour with respect to coition and erections greatly increased. He will have a feeling as though his member would never return to a state of repose.

A man who would wish to copulate during a whole night, and whose desire, having come on suddenly, will not allow him to prepare himself and follow the regimen just mentioned, may have recourse to the following recipe. He must get a great number of eggs, so that he may eat to surfeit, and fry them with fresh fat and butter; when done he immerses them in honey, working the whole mass well together. He must eat of them as much as possible with a little bread, and he may be certain that for the whole night his member will not give him any rest.

On this subject the following verses have been composed:—

“The member of Abou el Heiloukh has remained erect

For thirty days without a break, because he did eat onions.

Abou el Heidja has deflowered207 in one night

Once eighty virgins, and he did not eat nor drink between.

Because he’d surfeited himself first with chick-peas.

And had drunk camel’s milk with honey mixed.

Mimoun, the negro, never ceased to spend his sperm, while he

For fifty days without a truce the game was working.

How proud he was to finish such a task!

For ten days more he worked it,208 nor was he yet surfeited.

But all this time he ate but yolk of eggs and bread.”209

The deeds of Abou el Heiloukh Abou el Heidja, and Mimoun, just cited, have been justly praised, and their history is truly marvelous. So I will make you acquainted with it, please God, and thus complete the signal services which this work is designed to render to humanity.
The History of Zohra

The Cheikh, the protector of religion (God, the Highest, be good to him!) records that there lived once in remote antiquity an illustrous King, who had numerous armies and immense riches.

This King had seven daughters remarkable for their beauty and perfections. These seven had been born one after another, without any male infant between them. The Kings of the time wanted them in marriage, but they refused to be married. They wore men’s clothing, rode on magnificent horses covered with gold-embroidered trappings, knew how to handle the sword and the spear, and bore men down in single combat. Each of them possessed a splendid palace with the servants and slaves necessary for the service for the preparation of meat and drink, and other necessities of the kind.

Whenever a marriage offer for one of them was presented to the King, he never failed to consult with her about it; but they always answered, “That shall never be.”

Different conclusions were drawn from these refusals; some in a good sense, some in a bad one.

For a long time no positive information could be gathered of the reasons for this conduct, and the daughters preserved in acting in the same manner until the death of their father. Then the oldest of them was called upon to succeed him, and receives the oath of fidelity from all his subjects. This accession to the throne resounded through all the countries.

The name of the eldest sister was Fouzel Djemal (the flower of beauty); the second was called Soltana el Agmar (the queen of moons); the third, Bediaat el Djemal (the incomparable in beauty); the fourth, Quarda (the rose); the fifth, Mahmouda (the praiseworthy); the sixth, Kamela (the perfect); and, finally, the seventh, Zohra (the beauty).

Zohra, the youngest, was at the same time the most intelligent and judicious.

She was passionately fond of the chase, and one day as she was riding through the fields she met on her way a cavalier, who saluted her, and she returned his salute; she had some twenty men in her service with her. The cavalier thought it was the voice of a woman he had heard, but as Zohra’s face was covered by a flap of her haik210, he was not certain, and said to himself, “I would like to know whether this is a woman or a man.” He asked one of the princes’s servants, who dissipated his doubts. Approaching Zohra, he then conversed pleasantly with her till they made a halt for breakfast. He sat down near her to partake of the repast.

Disappointing the hopes of the cavalier, the princess did not uncover her face, and, pleading that she was fasting, ate nothing. He could not help admiring secretly her hand, the gracefulness of her waist, and the amorour expression of her eyes. His heart was seized with a violent love.

The following conversation took place between them:

The Cavalier: “Is your heart insensible for friendship?”

Zohra: “It is not proper for a man to feel friendship for a woman; for if their hearts once incline towards each other, libidinous desires will soon invade them, and with Satan enticing them to do wrong, their fall is soon known by everyone.”

The Cavalier: “It is not so, when their affection is true and their intercourse pure without infidelity or treachery.”

Zohra: “If a woman gives way to the affection she feels for a man, she becomes an object of slander for the whole world, and of general contempt, whence nothing arises but trouble and regrets.”

The Cavalier: “But our love will remain secret, and in this retired spot, which may serve us as our place of meeting, we shall have intercourse together unknown to all.”

Zohra: “That may not be. Besides, it could not so easily be done, we should soon be suspected, and the eyes of the whole world would be turned upon us.”

The Cavalier: “But love, love is the source of life. The happiness, that is, the meeting, the embraces, the caresses of lovers. The sacrifice of the fortune, and even of the life for your love.”

Zohra: “These words are impregnated with love, and your smile is seductive, but you would do better to refrain from similar conversation.”

The Cavalier: “Your word is emerald and your counsels are sincere. But love has now taken root in my heart, and no one is able to tear it out. If you drive me from you I shall assuredly die.”

Zohra: “For all that you must return to your place and I to mine. If it pleases God we shall meet again.”211

They then separated, bidding each other adieu, and returned each of them to their dwelling.

The cavalier’s name was Abou el Heidja. His father, Kheiroun, was a great merchant and immensely rich, whose habitation stood isolated beyond the estate of the princess, a day’s journey distant from her castle. Abou el Heidja returned home, could not rest, and put on again his teneur212 when the night fell, took a black turban, and buckled his sword on under his teneur. Then he mounted his horse, and, accompanied by his favorite, negro, Mimoun, rode away secretly under cover of the night.

They travelled all night without stopping until, on the approach of daylight the dawn came upon them in sight of Zohra’s castle. They then made a halt among the hills, and entered with horses into a cavern which they found there.

Abou el Heidja left the negro in charge of the horses, and went in the direction of the castle, in order to examine its approaches; he found it surrounded by a very high wall. Not being able to get into it, he retired to some distance to watch those who came out. But the whole day passed away and he saw no one come out.

After sunset he sat himself down at the entrance of the cavern and kept watch until midnight; then sleep overcame him.

He was lying asleep with his head on Mimoun’s knee, when the latter suddenly awakened him. “What is it?” he asked. “O my master,” said Mimoun, “I have heard some noise in the cavern, and I saw the glimmer of a light.” He rose at once, and looking attentively, he perceived indeed a light, toward which he went, and which guided him to a recess in the cavern. Having ordered the negro to wait for him while he was going to find out where it proceeded from he took his sabre and penetrated deeper into the cavern. He discovered a subterranean vault, into which he descended.

The road to it was nearly impracticable, on account of the stones which encumbered it. He contrived, however, after much trouble to reach a kind of crevice, through which the light shone which he had perceived. Looking through it, he saw the princess Zohra, surrounded by about a hundred virgins. They were in a magnificent palace dug out in the heart of the mountain, splendidly furnished and resplendent with gold everywhere. The maidens were eating and drinking and enjoying the pleasures of the table.

Abou el Heidja said to himself, “Alas! I have no companion to assist me at this difficult moment.” Under the influence of this reflection, he returned to his servant, Mimoun, and said to him, “Go to my brother before God,213 Abou el Heiloukh, and tell him to come here to me as quickly as he can.” The servant forthwith mounted upon his horse, and rode through the remainder of the night. Of all his friends, Abou el Heiloukh was the one whom Abou el Heidja liked best; he was the son of the Vizir. This young man and Abou el Heidja and the negro, Mimoun, passed as the three strongest and most fearless men of their time, and no one ever succeeded in overcoming them in combat.

When the negro Mimoun came to his master’s friend, and had told him what had happened, the latter said, “Certainly, we belong to God and shall return to him.” Then he took his sabre, mounted his horse, and taking his favourite negro with him, he made his way, with Mimoun, to the cavern. Abou el Heidja came out to meet him and bid him welcome, and having informed him of the love he bore to Zohra, he told him of his resolution to penetrate forcibly into the palace, of the circumstances under which he had taken refuge in the cavern, and the marvellous scene he had witnessed while there. Abou el Heiloukh was dumb with surprise.

At nightfall they heard singing, boisterous laughter, and animated talking. Abou el Heidja said to his friend, “Go to the end of the subterranean passage and look. You will then make excuse for the love of your brother.” Abou el Heiloukh stealing softly down to the lower end of the grotto, looked into the interior of the palace, and was enchanted with the sight of these virgins and their charms. “O brother,” he asked, “which among these women is Zohra?”

Abou el Heidja answered, “The one with the irreproachable shape, whose smile is irresistible, whose cheeks are roses, and whose forehead is resplendently white, whose head is encircled by a crown of pearls, and whose garments sparkle with gold. She is seated on a throne encrusted with rare stones and nails of silver, and she is leaning her head upon her hand.”

“I have observed her of all the others,” said Abou el Heiloukh, “as though she were a standard or a b............