Arriving on the frontiers, one could see a pretty strong castle, from which a party of armed bandits sallied forth. They instantly surrounded travelers and cried, "All thou hast belongs to us, and thy person is the property of our master."
The master of the castle, whose name was Arbogad, having observed from a window...
"All that passes over my lands," said he, "belongs to me, as well as what I find upon the lands of others; but thou seemest to be men of such undaunted courage that I will exempt thee from the common law." He then conducted his guests to his castle, ordering his men to treat him well; and in the evening Arbogad supped with them.
The lord of the castle was one of those people who are commonly called robbers; but he now and then performed some good actions amid a multitude of bad ones. He robbed with a furious rapacity, and granted favors with great generosity; he was intrepid in action; affable in company; a debauchee at table, but gay in debauchery; and particularly remarkable for his frank and open behaviour.
"I advise thee to enroll thy name in my catalogue; thou canst not do better; this is not a bad trade; and thou mayest one day become what I am at present."
"May I take the liberty of asking thee, how long thou hast followed this noble profession?"
"From my most tender youth," replied the lord. "I was a servant to a pretty good-natured master, but could not endure the hardships of my situation. I was vexed to find that fate had given me no share of the earth, which equally belongs to everyone. I imparted the cause of my uneasiness to an old sage, who said to me: 'My son, do not despair; there was once a grain of sand that lamented that it was no more than a neglected grain in the desert; at the end of a few years it became a diamond; and is now the brightest ornament in the crown of the King.' This discourse made a deep impression on my mind. I was the grain of sand, and I resolved to become the diamond. I began by stealing two horses; I soon got a party of companions; I put myself in a condition to rob small caravans; and thus, by degrees, I destroyed the difference which had formerly subsisted between me and other men. I had my share of the good things of this world; and was even recompensed with usury for the hardships I had suffered. I was greatly respected, and became the captain of a band of robbers. I seized this castle by force. The governor of this province had a mind to dispossess me of it; but I was too rich to have any thing to fear. I gave the Governor a handsome present, a nice sum of money, by which means I preserved my castle and increased my possessions. He even appointed me treasurer of the tributes which the other province across the frontier pays to the king of kings. I perform my office of receiver with great punctuality; but take the freedom to dispense with that of paymaster.
"The Church sent hither a pretty crony in the name of the King, to have me strangled. This man arrived with his orders: I was apprised of all; I caused to be strangled in his presence the four persons he had brought with him to draw the noose; after which I asked him how much his commission of strangling me might be worth. He replied, that his fees would amount to about three hundred pieces of gold. I then convinced him that he might gain more by staying with me. I made him an inferior robber; and he is now one of my best and richest officers. If thou wilt take my advice thy success may be equal to his; never was there a better season for plunder, since the King is killed, and all the realm thrown into confusion."
"I know not," replied Arbogad. "All I know is, that His Majesty lost his senses and was killed; that all the empire is desolated; that there are some fine strokes to be struck yet; and that, for my own part, I have struck some that are admirable."
"I have heard something of a prince of Hircania; if the Queen was not killed in the tumult, she is probably one of his concubines; but I am much fonder of booty than news. I have taken several women in my excursions; but I keep none of them. I sell them at a high price, when they are beautiful, without inquiring who they are. In commodities of this kind rank makes no difference, and a queen that is ugly will never find a merchant. Perhaps I may have sold her; perhaps she is dead; but, be it as it will, it is of little consequence to me, and I should imagine of as little to thee." So saying he drank a large draught which threw all his ideas into such confusion that one could obtain no further information.
Arbogad continued drinking; told stories; constantly repeated that he was the happiest man in the world... At last the soporiferous fumes of the wine lulled him into a gentle repose.
The empire is rent in pieces; and this robber is happy. O fortune! O destiny! A robber is happy...
all those met in the castle; but they were all busy, and one received no answer. During the night they had made a new capture, and they were now employed in dividing the spoils, in this hurry and confusion.
at the castle of the robber Arbogad.
The captive Queen also mentions Arbogad:
"As I approached the frontiers, a famous robber, named Arbogad, seized me and sold me to some merchants, who brought me to this castle, where Lord Ogul resides. He bought me without knowing who I was. He is a voluptuary, ambitious of nothing but good living, and thinks that God sent him into the world for no other purpose than to sit at table. He is so extremely corpulent that he is always in danger of suffocation. His physician, who has but little credit with him when he has a good digestion, governs him with a despotic sway when he has eaten too much."
An analysis of Arbogad says:
les bontés d'un brigand cynique
Quelques personnages échappent un peu au cliché. Du moins ont-ils une vie résumable et quelques traits singuliers. Il s'agit surtout du brigand Arbogad, homme sans scrupule et sympathique, plus ambigu et plus original que tous les autres. Le bandit expérimente à l'envers un destin: sa malhonnêteté lui a donné le bonheur.
aspect du bonheur: celui qui procurent les biens de ce monde, amassés par brigandage
des crapules vivent sans scrupule ni remords, heureux et craints (Arbogad)
le sort réservé par le brigand Arbogad à ses autres prisonniers
FANATISME:
À cet aveuglement nocif, il faut opposer la sagesse des hommes du concret (Arbogad)
JUSTICE: Cette insistance est une dénonciation du règne de la force.
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