A Night in a Moorish Harem

Published under the pseudonym “Lord George Herbert,” the novella has proved both popular and controversial as the subject of several obscenity trials. Noted for its orientalist tropes, the novella remains relevant to scholars of postcolonial literature and Victorian culture. “My first duty was to kiss the fair hands which had aided me, and then I explained the accident which had brought me among them and the plan I had formed for escape before dawn. I then gave my name and rank. While doing this I had an opportunity to observe the ladies; there were nine of them and any one of them would have been remarked for her beauty. Each one of them differed from all the others in the style of her charms: some were large and some were small; some were slender and some plump, some blonde and some brunette, but all were bewitchingly beautiful.” Tired of life onboard, a young midshipman decides to spend his afternoon off in