[Advertisement. The readers of the Tales were tired, in the former editions, with the interruption Dinarzade gave them: This defect is now remedied; and they will meet with no more interruptions at the end of every night. It is sufficient to know the design of the Arabian author who first made this collection; and for this purpose we retained his method in the preceeding nights.

There are of these Arabian Tales where neither Scheherazade, Sultan Schahriar, Dinarzade, or any distinction by nights, is mentioned; which shows that all the Arabians have not approved the method which this author has used, and that a great number of them have been fatigued with these repetitions. This, therefore, being reformed in the following translation, the reader must be acquainted that Scheherazade goes on always without being interrupted.]



THE STORY OF THE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS; AND OF THE FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD.



In the reign of the caliph Haroun Alraschid, there was at Bagdad, the place of their residence, a porter, who, notwithstanding his mean and laborous business, was a fellow of wit and good-humour. One morning, as he was at a place where he usually plied, with a great basket, waiting for employment, a young handsome lady, covered with a great muslin veil, came to him, and said with a pleasant air, Hark ye, porter, take your basket, and follow me. The porter, charmed with those few words pronounced in so agreeable a manner, took his basket immediately, set it on his head, and followed the lady, saying, "O happy day, a day of good luck!"

The lady stopped presently before a gate that was shut, and knocked: a Christian, with a venerable long white beard, opened the gate, and she put money into his hand, without speaking one word; but the Christian, who knew what she wanted, went in, and in a little time after brought a large jug of excellent wine. Take this jug, says the lady to the porter, and put it in your basket. This being done, she commanded him to follow her; and as she went on, the porter says still, "O happy day! this is a day of agreeable surprise and joy!"

The lady stopped at a fruit-shop, where she bought several sorts of apples, apricots, peaches, quinces, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil, lilies, jessamine, and some other sorts of flowers and plants that smell well; she bid the porter put them all into his basket, and follow her. As she went by a butcher's stall, she made him weigh her twenty-five pounds of his best meat, which she ordered the porter to put also in his basket.

At another shop, she took capers, cucumbers, and other herbs preserved in vinegar; at another she bought pistachios, walnuts, small nuts, almonds, kernels of pine-apples, and other fruits; and of another she bought all sorts of confections. When the porter had put all these things into his basket, and perceiving, that it grew full, My good lady, says he, you ought to have given me notice that you had so much provision to carry, and then I would have got a horse, or rather a camel, to have carried them; for if you buy ever so little more, I shall not be able to carry it. The lady laughed at the fellow's pleasant humour, and ordered him still to follow her.

Then she went to a druggist, where she furnished herself with all manner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a great piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite filled the porter's basket, and she ordered him to follow her. They walked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned with fine columns, and which had a gate of ivory: there they stopped, and the lady knocked softly.

While the young lady and the porter staid for the opening of the gate, the porter had a thousand thoughts: he wondered that such a line lady should come abroad to buy provisions; he concluded she could not be a slave, her air being too noble for that, and therefore he thought she must needs be a woman of quality. Just as he was about to ask her some questions upon that head, another lady came to open the gate, and appeared so beautiful to him, that he was perfectly surprised, or rather so much struck with her charms, that he was like to let the basket fall, for he had never seen any beauty that came near her.

The lady, who brought the porter with her, perceiving his disorder, and the occasion of it, diverted herself with it, and took so much pleasure to examine his looks, that she forgot the gate was opened. Upon this, the beautiful lady says to her, Pray sister, come in, what do you stay for? Do you not see this poor man so heavy loaded, that he is scarcely able to stand under it?

When she entered with the porter, the lady who opened the gate shut it, and all three, after having gone through a very fine porch, came into a very spacious court encompassed with an open gallery, which had a communication with several apartments on a floor, and was extremely magnificent. There was at the further end of the court a sofa richly adorned, with a throne of amber in the middle of it, supported by four columns of ebony, enriched with diamonds and pearls of extraordinary size, and covered with satin embroidered with Indian gold, of admirable workmanship. In the middle of the court there was a great fountain faced with white marble, and full of clear water, which fell into it abundantly out of the mouth of a lion of brass.

The porter, though very heavily loaded, could not but admire the magnificence of the house, and the excellent order that every thing was placed in; but that which particularly captivated his attention was a third lady, who seemed to be a greater beauty than the second, and was set upon the throne just now mentioned: she came down from it as soon as she saw the two former ladies, and advanced towards them: He judged, by the respect which the others showed her, that she was the chief, in which he was not mistaken. This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the gate was called Safie, and Amine was the name of her who went out to buy the provisions.

Zobeide says to the two ladies, when she came to them, Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is like to sink under his burden? why do not you ease him of it? Then Amine and Safie took the basket, the one before and the other behind; Zobeide also lent her hand, mid all three set it on the ground, then emptied it; and when they had done, the beautiful Amine took out money, and paid the porter liberally.

The porter, very well satisfied with the money he had received, was to have taken up his basket and be gone; but he could not tell how to think on it. Do what he could, he found himself stopped by the pleasure of seeing three such beauties, who appeared to him equally charming; for Amine, having now laid aside her veil, was as handsome as either of them. That which surprised him most was, that he saw never a man about the house; yet most of the provisions he brought in, as dry fruits, and several sorts of cakes and confections, were fit chiefly for those who could drink and make merry.

Zobeide thought at first that the porter staid only to take his breath; but perceiving that he staid too long, What do you wait for, says she, are you not well enough paid? And turning to Amine, says, Sister, give him something more, that he may depart satisfied. Madam, replies the porter, it is not that which stays me. I am over and above paid; I am sensible that I am unmannerly to stay longer than I ought, but, I hope you will be so good as to pardon me, if I tell you that I am astonished to see that there is no man with three ladies of such extraordinary beauty; and you know that a company of women without men is as melancholy a thing as a company of men without women. To this he added several very pleasing things to prove what he said, and did not forget the Bagdad proverb, 'That one is never well at a table, unless there be four in company. And so concluded, that as there were but three, they had need of a fourth.'

The ladies fell a laughing at the porter's discourse, after which Zobeide says to him, very gravely, Friend, you are a little too bold; and though you do not deserve that I should enter into particulars with you, yet I am willing to tell you we are three sisters, who do our business so secretly that nobody knows any thing of it. We have too great reason to be cautious of acquainting indiscreet persons with it; and a good author that we have read, says, 'Keep your secret, and do not reveal it to any body.' He that reveals it is no longer master of it. If your own breast cannot keep your secret, how do you think that another person will keep it?

My ladies, replies the porter, by your very air I judged at first you were persons of extraordinary merit, and I conceive that I am not mistaken; though fortune has not given me wealth enough to raise me above my mean profession, yet I have not failed to cultivate my mind as much as I could by reading books of science and history: And allow me, if you please, to tell you, that I have also read in another author a maxim which I have always happily practised: 'We do not conceal our secrets, says he, but from such persons as are known to all the world to want discretion, and would abuse the confidence we put in them; but we make no scruple to discover them to prudent persons, because we know they can keep them.' A secret with me is as sure as if it were in a closet whose key is lost, and the door sealed up.

Zobeide, perceiving that the porter did not want sense, but conceiving that he had a mind to have a share in their treat, replies to him, smiling, You know that we are about to have a treat, and you know also that we have been at a considerable expense, and it is not just that you should have a share of it without contributing towards it. The beautiful Safie seconded her sister, and says to the porter, Friend, have you never heard that which is commonly said, "If you bring any thing with you, you shall be welcome; but if you bring nothing, you must get you gone with nothing?"

The porter, notwithstanding his rhetoric, must, in all probability, have retired in confusion, if Amine had not taken his part, and said to Zobeide and Safie, My dear sisters, I conjure you to let him stay with us; I need not tell you that he will divert us, you see well enough that he is capable of that: I must needs tell you, that unless he had been very willing, as well as nimble, and hardy enough to follow me, I could not have done so much business in so little time; besides, should I repeat to you all the obliging expressions he made to me by the way, you would not he surprised at my protecting him.

At these words of Amine, the porter was so much transported with joy, that he fell on his knees, kissed the ground at the feet of that charming person, and, raising himself up, says, Most beautiful lady, you began my good fortune to-day, and now you complete it by this generous action; I cannot enough testify my acknowledgment of it. As to what remains, my ladies, says he, addressing himself to all the three sisters, since you do me so great honour, do not think that I will abuse it, or look upon myself as a person who deserves it. No, I shall always look upon myself as one of your most humble slaves. When he had spoken these words, he would have returned the money he had received; but the grave Zobeide ordered him to keep it. That which we have once given, says she, to reward those who have served us, we never take again.

Zobeide would not take back the money from the porter, but said, My friend, in consenting that you stay with us, I must forewarn you, that it is not only on condition that you keep secret what we have required of you, but also that you observe exactly the rules of good manners and civility. In the mean time the charming Amine put off the apparel she went abroad with, put on her night-gown, that she might be more easy, and covered the table, which she furnished with several sorts of meat, and upon a sideboard she set bottles of wine and cups of gold. Soon after the ladies took their places, and made the porter sit down by them, who was overjoyed to see himself at the table with three such admirable beauties. After they had ate a little, Amine, who sat next the sideboard, took up a bottle and cup, filled out wine, and drank first herself, according to the custom of the Arabians; then she filled the cup to her sisters, who drank in course as they sat; and at last she filled it the fourth time to the porter, who, as he received it, kissed Amine's hand, and, before he drank, sung a song to this purpose: That as the wind brings along with it the sweet scents of the perfumed places through which it passes, so the wine he was going to drink, coming from her fair hands, received a more exquisite taste than what it had of its own nature. This song pleased the ladies so much, that each of them sung another in their turn. In short, they were extraordinary merry all the time of dinner, which lasted a long while, and nothing was wanting that could make it agreeable. The day being almost spent, Safie spoke in the name of the three ladies, and says to the porter, Arise, and be gone; it is time for you to depart. But the porter, not willing to leave so good company, cried, Alas! ladies, whither do you command me to go in the condition I am in? I am quite beside myself by what I have seen since I came hither, and having also drank above my ordinary, I shall never find the way home: Allow me this night to recover myself in any place where you please, for no less time is necessary for me to come to myself; but, go when I will, I shall leave the best part of myself behind me.

Amine pleaded a second time for the porter, saying, Sisters, he is in the right; I am pleased with the request; he having already diverted us so well; and if you will take my advice, or if you love me as much as I think you do, let us keep him to pass away the remaining part of the night. Sister, answered Zobeide, we can refuse you nothing; and then, turning to the porter, said, We are willing once more to grant your request; but upon this new condition, that whatever we do in your presence, relating to ourselves or any thing else, take heed that you do not once open your mouth to ask the reason of it; for if you ask questions about that which does not belong to you, you may come to know that which will be no way pleasing to you: Beware, therefore, and be not too curious to dive into the motives of our actions.

Madam, replies the porter, I promise to observe this condition with such exactness, that you shall have no cause to reproach me with the breaking of it, and far less to punish my indiscretion; my tongue shall be immovable on this occasion, and my eye like a looking-glass, which retains nothing of the object that is set before it. And to show you, says Zobeide, with a serious countenance, that what we demand of you is not a new thing among us, rise up and read what is over our gate in the inside.

The porter went thither, and read these words, written in large characters of gold: 'He who speaks of things that do not concern him, shall hear of things that will not please him.' Returning again to the three sisters, Ladies, says he, I give you my oath that you will never hear me speak any thing which does not concern me, or wherein you may have any concern.

This agreement being made, Amine brought in supper, and after the room was set round with tapers that were mixed with aloes and ambergris, which gave a most agreeable scent, as well as a delicate light, she sat down at table with her sisters and the porter. They began again to eat and drink, to sing and repeat verses. The ladies took pleasure to inebriate the porter, under pretext of causing him to drink their healths; and abundance of witty sentences passed on both sides. In short, as they were all in the best humour in the world, they heard one knocking at the gate.

When the ladies heard the knocking, they all three got up to open the gate; but Safie, to whom this office did particularly belong, was the nimblest; which her other two sisters perceiving, sat down till she came back to acquaint them who it could be that had any business with them so late. Safie returning, said, Sisters, we have here a very fine opportunity to pass a good part of the night with much satisfaction, and if you be of the same mind with me, we shall not let it slip. There are three calenders at our gate, at least they appear to be such by their habit; but that which you will most wonder at is, they are all three blind of the right eye, have their heads, beards, and eye-brows shaved, and, as they say, are but just come to Bagdad, where they never were before; and it being night, and not knowing where to find any lodging, they happened by chance to knock at this gate, and pray us, for the love of Heaven, to have compassion on them, and receive them into the house: They care not what place we put them in; provided they may be under shelter, they would be satisfied with a stable. They are young and handsome enough, and seem also to be men of good sense; but I cannot, without laughing, think of their pleasant and uniform figure. Here Safie fell a-laughing so heartily, that it put the two sisters and the porter into the same mood. My dear sisters, says she, are you content that they come in? it is impossible but, with such persons as I have already described them to be, we shall finish the day better than we began it; they will afford us diversion enough, and put us to no charge, because they desire shelter only for this night, and resolve to leave us as soon as day appears.

Zobeide and Amine made some difficulty to grant Safie's request, for reasons they knew well enough; but she having so great a desire to obtain this favour, they could not refuse. Go then, says Zobeide, and bring them in, but do not forget to acquaint them that they must not speak of any thing which does not concern them, and cause them to read what is written over the gate. Safie ran out with a great deal of joy, and in a little while after returned with the three calenders in company.

At their entrance they made a profound bow to the ladies. who rose up to receive them; told them most obligingly that they were very welcome, that they were glad to have met with an opportunity to oblige them, and to contribute towards relieving them from the fatigue of their journey, and at last invited them to sit down with them.

The magnificence of the place, and the civility of the ladies, made the calenders to conceive a mighty idea of their fine land-ladies: But, before they sat down, having by chance cast their eye upon the porter, whom they saw clad almost like one of those other calenders with whom they are in controversy about several points of discipline, because they neither shave their beards nor eye-brows, one of them said, Look here, I believe we have got one of our revolted Arabian brethren.

The porter, though half asleep, and having his head pretty warm with wine, was affronted at these words; and, with a fierce look, without stirring from his place, answered, Sit you down, and do not meddle with what does not concern you. Have you not read the inscription over the gate? Do not pretend to make people live after your fashion, but follow ours.

Honest man, says the calender, do not put yourself into a passion; we should be very sorry to give you the least occasion; but, on the contrary, we are ready to receive your commands. Upon which, to avoid all quarrels, the ladies interposed, and pacified them. When the calenders were set at table, the ladies served them with meat; and Safie, being most pleased with them, did not let them want for drink.

After the calenders had ate and drunk liberally, they signified to the ladies that they had a great desire to entertain them with a concert of music, if they had any instruments in the house, and would cause them to be brought them. They willingly accepted the proffer, and fair Safie, going to fetch them, returned again in a moment, and presented them with a flute of her own country fashion, another of the Persian sort, and a tabor. Each man took the instrument he liked, and all the three together began to play a tune. The ladies, who knew the words of a merry song that suited that air, joined the concert with their voices; but the words of the song made them now and then stop, and fall into excessive laughter.

At the height of this diversion, and when the company was in the midst of their jollity, somebody knocks at the gate; Safie left off singing, and went to see who it was. But, sir, says Scheherazade to the sultan, it is fit your majesty should know why this knocking happened so late at the ladies' house, and the reason was this: The caliph Haroun Alraschid was accustomed to walk abroad in disguise very often by night, that he might see with his own eyes if every thing was quiet in the city, and that no disorders were committed in it.

This night the caliph went out pretty early on his rambles, accompanied with Giafar his grand vizier, and Mesrour the chief of the eunuchs of his palace, all disguised in merchants' habits; and passing through the street where the three ladies dwelt, he heard the sound of the music, and great fits of laughter; upon which he commanded the vizier to knock, because he would go in to know the reason of that jollity. The vizier told him in vain that it was some women a merry-making; that, without question, their heads were warm with wine; and that it would not be proper he should expose himself to be affronted by them; besides, it was not yet an unlawful hour, and therefore he ought not to disturb them in their mirth. No matter, said the caliph, I command you to knock. So it was that the grand vizier Giafar knocked at the ladies' gate by the caliph's order, because he himself would not be known. Safie opened the gate, and the vizier perceived, by the light that she held in her hand, that she was an incomparable beauty. The vizier acted his part very well, and, with a very low bow and respectful behaviour, said, Madam, we are three merchants of Moussol, who arrived about ten days ago with rich merchandise, which we have in a warehouse at a khan, or inn, where we have also our lodging. We happened to-day to be with a merchant of this city, who invited us to a treat at his house, where we had a splendid entertainment; and the wine having put us in humour, he sent for a company of dancers; night being come on, and the music and dancers making a great noise, the watch came by in the mean time, caused the gate to be opened, and some of the company to be taken up; but we had the good fortune to escape by getting over a wall. Now, says the vizier, being strangers, and somewhat overcome with wine, we were afraid of meeting another, or perhaps the same watch, before we got home to our khan, which lies a good way from hence. Besides, when we come there, the gates will be shut, and not opened till morning; wherefore, madam, hearing, as we passed by this way, the sound of music, we supposed you were not yet going to rest, and made bold to knock at your gate, to beg the favour of lodging ourselves in the house till morning; and if you think us worthy of your good company, we will endeavour to contribute to your diversion what lies in our power, to make some amends for the interruption we have given you; if not, we only beg the favour of staying this night under your porch.

While Giafar held this discourse, fair Safie had time to observe the vizier and his two companions, who were said to be merchants like himself, and told them that she was not mistress of the house; but, if they would have a minute's patience, she would return with an answer.

Safie acquainted her sisters with the matter, who considered for some time what to conclude upon; but, being naturally of a good disposition, and having granted the same favour to the three calenders, they at last consented to let them in.

The caliph, his grand vizier, and the chief of the eunuchs, being introduced by the fair Safie, very courteously saluted the ladies and the calenders; the ladies returned them the like civilities, supposing them to be merchants. Zobeide, as the chief, says to them, with a grave and serious countenance, which was natural to her, You are welcome; but, before I proceed further, I hope you will not take it ill if we desire one favour of you. Alas! said the vizier, what favour? We can refuse nothing to such fair ladies. Zobeide replied, It is, that you would only have eyes, but no tongues; that you put no questions to us about the reason of any thing you may happen to see; and not to speak of any thing that does not concern you, lest you come to hear of things that will by no means please you. Madam, replied the vizier, you shall be obeyed. We are not censorious, nor impertinently curious; it is enough for us to take notice of that which concerns us, without meddling with that which does not belong to us. Upon this they all sat down, and the company being united, they drank to the health of the new comers.

While Giafar entertained the ladies in discourse, the caliph could not forbear to admire their extraordinary beauty, graceful behaviour, pleasant humour, and ready wit; on the other hand, nothing was more surprising to him than the calenders being all three blind of the right eye. He would gladly have been informed of this singularity; but the conditions so lately imposed upon himself and his companions would not allow him to speak. This, with the richness of the furniture, the exact order of every thing, and neatness of the house, made him think it was some enchanted palace.

Their entertainment happening to be upon divertisements, and different ways of making merry, the calenders rose and danced after their fashion, which augmented the good opinion the ladies had conceived of them, and procured them the esteem of the caliph and his companions.

When the three calenders had made an end of their dance, Zobeide arose, and, taking Amine by the hand, said, Pray, sister, rise up, for the company will not take it ill if we use our freedom; and their presence need not hinder our performance of what we were wont to do. Amine, by understanding her sister's meaning, rose up from her seat, carried away the dishes, the table, the flasks, and cups, together with the instruments which the calenders had played upon.

Safie was not idle, but swept the room, put every thing again in its place, snuffed the candies, and put fresh aloes and ambergris to them, and then prayed the three calenders to sit down upon the sofa on one side, and the caliph, with his companions, on the other. As to the porter, she savs to him, Get up, and prepare yourself to serve in what we are going to be about; a man like you, who is one of the family, ought not to be idle. The porter, being somewhat recovered from his wine, gets up immediately, and, having tied the sleeve of his gown to his belt, answers, Here am I, ready to obey your commands in any thing. That is very well, replied Safie; stay till you are spoken to; you shall not be idle very long. A little time after, Amine came in with a chair, which she placed in the middle of the room; and so went to a closet, which having opened, she beckoned to the porter, and says to him, Come hither and help me; which he obeying, entered the closet, and returned immediately leading two black bitches, with each of them a collar and chain; they looked as if they had been severely whipped with rods, and he brought them into the middle of the room.

Then Zobeide, rising from her seat between the calenders and the caliph, marched very gravely towards the porter, Come on, says she, with a great sigh, let us perform our duty; then tucking up her sleeves above her elbows, and receiving a rod from Safie, Porter, said she, deliver one of the bitches to my sister Amine, and come to me with the other.

The porter did as he was commanded; the bitch that he held in his hand began to cry, and, turning towards Zobeide, held her head up in a begging posture; but Zobeide, having no regard to the sad countenance of the bitch, which would have moved pity, nor her cries that sounded through ail the house, whipped her with the rod till she was out of breath; and having spent her strength that she could strike no more, she threw down the rod, and, taking the chain from the porter, lifted up the bitch by her paws, and looking upon her with a sad and pitiful countenance, they both wept; after which Zobeide, with her handkerchief, wiped the tears from the bitch's eyes, kissed her, returned the chain to the porter, bid him carry her to the place whence he took her, and bring her the other. The porter led back the whipped bitch to the closet, and receiving the other from Amine, presented her to Zobeide, who, bidding the porter hold her as he had done the first, took up the rod, and treated her after the same manner; and when she had wept over her, dried her eyes, and, kissing her, returned her to the porter; but lovely Amine spared him the trouble of leading her back into the closet, and did it herself. The three calenders and the caliph, with his companions, were extremely surprised at this execution, and could not comprehend why Zobeide, after having so furiously whipped those two bitches, that, by the Mussulman religion, are reckoned unclean animals, should cry with them, wipe off their tears, and kiss them. They muttered among themselves; and the caliph, being more impatient than the rest, longed exceedingly to be informed of the cause of so strange an action, and could not forbear making signs to the vizier to ask the question; the vizier turned his head another way; but, being pressed by repeated signs, he answered by others that it was not yet time for the caliph to satisfy his curiosity.

Zobeide sat still some time in the middle of the room, where she had whipped the two bitches, to recover from the fatigue; and fair Safie called to her, Dear sister, will you be pleased now to return to your place, that I may also act my part? Yes, sister, replies Zobeide, and then went and sat down upon the sofa, having the caliph, Giafar, and Mesrour, on her right hand, and the three calenders, with the porter, on her left.

After Zobeide sat down, the whole company was silent for a while; at last Safie, sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, spoke to her sister Amine; Dear sister, I conjure you to rise up; you know well enough what I would say, Amine rose up, and went into another closet near to that where the bitches were, and brought out a case covered with yellow satin, richly embroidered with gold and green silk; she came near Safie, and opened the case, from whence she took a lute, and presented her, and, after some time spent in tuning it, Safie began to play, and, accompanying it with her voice, she sung a song about the torments that absence creates to lovers, with so much sweetness as to charm the caliph and all the company. Having sung with a great deal of passion and action, she said to lovely Amine, Pray take it, sister, for I can do no more; my voice fails me; oblige the company with a tune and song in my room. Very willingly, replied Amine, who, taking the lute from her sister Safie, sat down in her place.

Amine, after a small trial to see whether the instrument was in tune, played and sung almost as long upon the same subject, but with so much vehemency, and was so much affected, or rather transported, by the words of the song, that her strength failed her as she made an end of it.

Zobeide, willing to testify her satisfaction, said, Sister, you have done wonders, and we may easily see that you have a feeling of the grief you have expressed so much to the life. Amine was prevented from answering this civility, her heart being so sensibly touched at the same moment, that she was obliged, for air, to uncover her neck and breast, which did not appear so fair as might have been expected from such a lady; but, on the contrary, black and full of scars, which frightened all the spectators. This, however, gave her no ease, but she fell into a fit.

While Zobeide and Safie ran to help their sister, one of the calenders could not forbear to say, We had better have slept in the streets than have come hither, had we thought to have seen such spectacles. The caliph, who heard this, came up to him and the other calenders, and asked them what might be the meaning of all this? They answered, Sir, we know no more than you do. What, says the caliph, are you not of the family? nor can you resolve us concerning the two black bitches and the lady that fainted away, and has been so basely abused? Sir, said the calenders, this is the first time that ever we were in the house, having come in but a few minutes before you.

This increased the caliph's astonishment. It may be, says he, this other man that is with you may know something of it. One of the calenders made a sign for the porter to come near, and asked him whether he knew why those two black bitches had been whipped, and why Amine's bosom was so scarred? Sir, said the porter, I can swear by Heaven, that if you know nothing of all this, I know as little as you do. It is true I live in this city, but I never was in the house till now, and if you are suprised to see me here, I am as much to find myself in your company; and that which increases my wonder is, that I have not seen one man with these ladies.

The caliph and his company, as well as the calenders, supposed the porter had been one of the family, and hoped he could inform them of what they desired to know; but finding he could not, and resolving to satisfy his curiosity, cost what it would, he says to the rest, Look ye, we are here seven men, and have but three women to deal with; let us try if we can oblige them to satisfy us, and, if they refuse by fair means, we are in a condition to force them to it.

The grand vizier Giafar was against this method, and showed the caliph what might be the consequence of it; but, without discovering the prince to the calenders, he addressed him, as if he had been, a merchant, thus: Sir, consider, I pray you, that our reputation lies at stake; you know very well upon what conditions these ladies were ready to receive us, and we also agreed to them. What will they say of us if we break them? We shall be still more to blame if any mischief befal us; for it is not likely that they would demand such a promise of us, if they did not know themselves in a condition to make us repent the breaking of it.

Here the vizier took the caliph aside, and whispered to him thus: Sir, the night will soon be at an end, and if your majesty will only be pleased to have so much patience, I will take these ladies to-morrow morning, and bring them before your throne, where you may be informed of all you desire to know. Though this advice was very judicious, the caliph rejected it, bid the vizier hold his tongue, and said he would not stay till then, but would have satisfaction in the matter presently.

The next business was to know who should carry the message. The caliph endeavoured to prevail with the calenders to speak first; but they excused themselves, and at last they agreed that the porter should be the man. And as they were consulting how to word this fatal question, Zobeide returned from her sister Amine, who was recovered of her fit, drew near them, and having overheard them speaking pretty loud, and with some passion, says, Gentlemen, what is the subject of your discourse? what are you disputing about?

The porter answered immediately, Madam, these gentlemen pray you to let them understand wherefore you wept over your two bitches, after you whipped them so severely, and how the bosom of the lady, who lately fainted away, comes to be so full of scars? This is what I am ordered to ask in their name.

At these words, Zobeide looked with a stern countenance, and, turning towards the caliph and the rest of the company, Is it true, gentlemen, says she, that you have given him orders to ask me this question? All of them, except Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered, Yes. On which she told them, in a tone which sufficiently expressed her resentment, Before we granted you the favour of being received into our house, and to prevent all occasion of trouble from you, because we are alone, we did it upon condition that you should not speak of any thing that did not concern you, lest you might come to hear that which would not please you; and yet, after having received and entertained you as well as possibly we could, you make no scruple to break your promise. It is true that our easy temper has occasioned this, but that shall not excuse you, for your proceedings are very unhandsome. As she spoke these words, she gave three hard knocks with her foot, and, clapping her hands as often together, cried, Come quick! Upon this a door flew open, and seven strong sturdy black slaves, with scimitars in their hands, rushed in; every one seized a man, threw him on the ground, and dragged him into the middle of the room in order to cut off his head.

We may easily conceive what a fright the caliph was in; he then repented, but too late, that he had not taken his vizier's advice. In the mean time this unhappy prince, Giafar, Mesrour, the porter, and the calenders, were upon the point of losing their lives by their indiscreet curiosity. But, before they would strike the fatal blow, one of the slaves says to Zobeide and her sisters, High, mighty, and adorable mistresses, do you command us to cut their throats? Stay, says Zobeide, I must examine them first. The frightened porter interrupted her thus: In the name of Heaven, do not make me die for another man's crime. I am innocent, they are to blame. Alas! says he, crying, how pleasantly did we pass our time! those blind calenders are the cause of this misfortune; there is no town in the world but goes to ruin, wherever these inauspicious fellows come. Madam, I beg you not to destroy the innocent with the guilty, and consider that it is more glorious to pardon such a wretch as I, who have no way to help myself, than to sacrifice me to your resentment.

Zobeide, notwithstanding her anger, could not but laugh within herself at the porters lamentation; but, without answering him, she spoke a second time to the rest: Answer me, says she, and tell me who you are, otherwise you shall not live one moment longer. I cannot believe you to be honest men, nor persons of authority or distinction in your own countries; for, if you were, you would have been more modest and more respectful to us.

The caliph, who was naturally impatient, was infinitely more so than the rest, to find his life depend upon the command of a lady justly incensed; but he began to conceive some hopes when he saw she would know who they all were; for he imagined she would not take away his life when once she came to be informed who he was; therefore he spoke with a low voice to the vizier, who was near him, to declare speedily who he was; but the vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master's honour, and not to let the world know the affront he had brought upon himself by his own weakness; and therefore answered, We have what we deserve. But, if he would have spoken in obedience to the caliph, Zobeide did not give him time; for having turned to the calenders, and seeing them all three blind of one eye, she asked if they were brothers. One of them answered, No, madam, no otherwise than as we are all calenders; that is to say, as we observe the same rules. Were you born blind of the right eye? replied she. No, madam, answers he, I lost my eye in such a surprising adventure, that it would be instructive to every body, were it in writing. After this misfortune, I shaved my beard and eye-brows, and took the habit of a calender, which I now wear.

Zobeide asked the other two calenders the same question, and had the same answer; but he that spoke last added, Madam, to show you that we are no common fellows, and that you may have some consideration for us, be pleased to know, that we are all three sons of kings; and though we never met together till this evening, yet we have had time enough to make that known to one another; and I assure you that the kings from whom we derive our being made some noise in the world.

At this discourse Zobeide assuaged her anger, and said to the slaves, Give them their liberty a while, but stay here. Those who tell us their history, and the occasion of their coming, do them no hurt, let them go where they please, but do not spare those who refuse to give vis that satisfaction.

Scheherazade demanded leave of the sultan, and having obtained it, Sir, says she, the three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the eunuch Mesrour, and the porter, were all in the middle of the hall, set upon a foot-carpet, in the presence of the three ladies, who sat upon a sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their mistresses should command.

The porter, understanding that he might rid himself of his danger by telling his history, spoke first, and said, Madam, you know my history already, and the occasion of coming hither; so that what I have to say will be very short. My lady, your sister there, called me this morning at the place where I plied as a porter to see if anybody would employ me, that I might get my bread; I followed her to a vintner's, then to an herb-woman's, then to one that sold oranges, lemons, and citrons, then to a grocer's, next to a confectioner's and a druggist's, with my basket upon my head, as full as I was able to carry it; then I came hither, where you had the goodness to suffer me to continue till now; a favour that I shall never forget. This, Madam, is my history.

When the porter had done, Zobeide says to him, Go, march; let us see you no more here. Madam, replies the porter, I beg you to let me stay; it would be just, after the rest have had the pleasure to hear my history, that I should also have the satisfaction to hear theirs. And having spoken thus, he sat him down at the end of the sofa, glad to the heart to have escaped the danger that had frightened him so much. After him, one of the three calenders, directing his speech to Zobeide, as the principal of the three ladies, and the person that commanded him to speak, began his history thus;



THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER, A KING'S SON.



Madam, in order to inform you how I lost my right eye, and why I was obliged to put myself into a calender's habit, I must tell you that I am king's son born; the king my father had a brother that reigned, as he did, over a neighbouring kingdom; and the prince his son and I were almost of one age.

After I had learned my exercises, and that the king my father granted me such liberty as suited my dignity, I went regularly every year to see my uncle, at whose court I diverted myself during a month or two, and then returned again to my father's. These several journies gave occasion of contracting a very firm and particular friendship between the prince my cousin and myself. The last time I saw him, he received me with greater demonstrations of tenderness than he had done at any time before; and resolving one day to give me a treat, he made great preparations for that purpose. We continued a long time at table, and after we had both supped very well, Cousin, says he, you will hardly be able to guess how I have been employed since your last departure from hence, now about a year past. I have had a great many men at work to perfect a design I have had in my mind; I have caused an edifice to be built, which is now finished so well as one may dwell in it: You will not be displeased if I show'it you. But first you are to promise me, upon oath, that you will keep my secret, according to the confidence I repose in you.

The love and familiarity existing between us would not allow me to refuse him any thing. I very readily took the oath required of me: Upon which he says to me, Stay here till I return; I will be with you in a moment: and accordingly he came with a lady in his hand, of singular beauty, and magnificently apparrelled. He did not discover who she was, neither did I think it was polite in me to make inquiry. We sat down again with this lady at table, where we continued some time entertaining ourselves with discourses upon indifferent subjects; and now and then a full glass to drink one another's health. After which the prince said, Cousin, we must lose no time, therefore pray oblige me to take this lady along with you, and conduct her to such a place, where you will see a tomb newly built in the form of a dome; you will easily know it; the gate is open; go in there together, and tarry till I come, which will be very speedily.

Being true to my oath, I made no further inquiry, but took the lady by the hand, and by the directions which the prince my cousin had given me, I brought her to the place, by the light of the moon, without losing one step of the way. We were scarcely got thither, when we saw the prince following after, carrying a little pitcher with water, a hatchet, and a little bag with plaister.

The hatchet served him to break down the empty sepulchre in the middle of the tomb; he took away the stones one after another, and laid them in a corner. When all this was taken away, he digged up the ground, where I saw a trap-door under the sepulchre, which he lifted up, and underneath perceived the head of a staircase leading into a vault. Then my cousin, speaking to the lady, said, Madam, it is by this way that we are to go to the place I told you of. Upon which the lady drew nigh and went down, and the prince began to follow after, but, turning first to me, said, My dear cousin, I am infinitely obliged to you for the trouble you have been at; I thank you: Adieu. I cried, Dear cousin, what is the meaning of this? Be content, replied he; you may return back the same way you came.

Madam, said the calender to Zobeide, I could get nothing further from him, but was obliged to take leave of him; as I returned to my uncle's palace, the vapours of the wine got up into my head; however, I got to my apartment, and went to bed. Next morning, when I awaked, I began to reflect upon what befel me the night before, and, after recollecting all the circumstances of such a singular adventure, I fancied it was nothing but a dream. Being full of these thoughts, I sent to see if the prince my cousin was ready to receive a visit from me; but when they brought back word that he did not lie in his own lodgings that night, they knew not what was become of him, and were in much trouble about it, I conceived that the strange event of the tomb was but too true. I was sensibly afflicted at it, and, stealing away privately from my people, I went to the public burying-place, where there was a vast number of tombs like that which I had seen. I spent the day in viewing them one after another, but could not find that I sought for; and thus I spent four days successively in vain.

You must know all this while the king my uncle was absent, and had been a-hunting for several days. I grew weary of staying for him, and having prayed his ministers to make my apology to him at his return, I left his palace, and set towards my father's court, from which I had never been so long absent before. I left the ministers of the king my uncle in great trouble to think what had become of the prince my cousin; but, because of the oath I had made to keep his secret, I durst not tell them any thing of what I had seen or knew, in order to make them easy.

I arrived at my father's capital, the usual place of his residence, where, contrary to custom, I found a great guard at the gate of the palace, who surrounded me as I entered. I asked the reason, and the commanding officer replied, Prince, the army proclaimed the grand vizier king instead of your father, who is dead; and I take you prisoner in the name of the new king. At these words the guards laid hold of me, and carried me before the tyrant. I leave you to judge, madam, how much I was surprised and grieved.

The rebel vizier had entertained a mortal hatred against me for a long time upon this occasion: When,I was a stripling, I loved to shoot with a cross-bow; and being one day upon the terrace of the palace with my bow, a bird happened to come by; I shot, but missed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was taking the air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his eyes. As soon as I understood it, I not only sent to make my excuse to him, but did it in person; yet he always resented it, and, as opportunity offered, made me sensible of it. But now, madam, that he had me in his power, he expressed his resentment in a very barbarous manner; for he came to me like a madman as soon as ever he saw me, and, thrusting his finger into my right eye, pulled it out himself; and so, madam, I became blind of one eye.

But the usurper's cruelty did not stop here; he ordered me to be shut up in a box, and commanded the executioner to carry me into the country to cut off my head, and leave me to be devoured by the birds of prey. The hangman and another carried me, thus shut up on horseback, into the country, in order to execute the usurper's barbarous sentence; but by my prayers and tears I moved the executioner's compassion. Go, says he, get you speedily out of the kingdom, and take heed of ever returning to it, otherwise you will certainly meet with your own ruin and be the cause of mine. I thanked him for the favour he did me; and as soon as I was left alone, I comforted myself for the loss of my eye, by considering that I had very narrowly escaped a much greater danger.

Being in such a condition, I could not travel far at a time. I retired to remote places while it was day, and travelled as far by night as my strength would allow me. At last I arrived in the dominions of the king my uncle, and came to his capital.

I gave him a long detail of the tragical cause of my return, and of the sad condition he saw me in. Alas! cried he, was it not enough for me to have lost my son; but must I have also news of the death of a brother I loved so dearly, and see you also reduced to this deplorable condition? He told me how uneasy he was; that he could hear nothing of his son, notwithstanding all the diligence and inquiry he could make. At these words, the unfortunate father burst out into tears, and was so much affected, that, pitying his grief, it was impossible for me to keep the secret any longer; so that, notwithstanding the oath I had made to the prince my cousin, I told the king his father all that I knew.

His majesty listened to me with some sort of comfort, and when I had done, Nephew, says he, what you tell me gives me some hope. I know that my son ordered that tomb to be built, and I can guess pretty near at the place, and, with the idea you still have of it, I fancy we shall find it; but since he ordered it to be built privately, and you took your oath to keep his secret, I am of opinion that we ought to go in quest of it alone, without saying any thing.

But he had another reason for keeping the matter secret, which he did not then tell me, and an important reason it was, as you will perceive by the sequel of my discourse.

We both of us disguised ourselves, and went out by a door of the garden which opened into the field, and soon found what we sought for. I knew the tomb, and was so much the more rejoiced at it, because I had formerly sought it a long time in vain. We entered, and found the iron trap pulled down upon the entrance of the stair-case; we had much ado to raise it, because the prince had fastened it on the inside with the water and mortar formerly mentioned; but at last we got it up.

The king my uncle went down first, I following, and we went down about fifty steps. When we came to the foot of the stairs, we found a sort of antichamber full of a thick smoke, and an ill scent, which obscured the lamp that gave a very faint light. From this antichamber we came into another, very large, supported by great columns, and lighted by several branched candlesticks. There was a cistern in the middle, with provisions of several sorts standing on one side of it; but we were very much surprised to see nobody. Before us there appeared a high sofa, which we mounted by several steps, and over this there appeared a very large bed, with the curtains drawn close. The king went up, and, opening the curtains, perceived the prince his son and the lady in bed together, but burnt and changed into a coal, as if they had been thrown into a great fire, and taken out again before they were consumed.

But that which surprised me most of all was, that though this spectacle filled me with horror, the king my uncle, instead of testifying his sorrow to see the prince his son in such a frightful condition, spit in his face, and says to him, with an air, "This is the punishment of this world, but that of the other will last to eternity;" and, not content with this, he pulled off his sandal, and gave his son a great blow on the cheek with it.

I cannot enough express, Madam, said the calender how much I was astonished, when I saw the king my uncle abuse the prince his son, thus, after he was dead. Sir, said I, whatever grief this dismal sight is capable to impress upon me, I am forced to suspend it, on purpose to ask your majesty what crime the prince my cousin may have committed, that his corpse should deserve this sort of treatment? Nephew, replied the king, I must tell you that my son (who is unworthy of that name) loved his sister from his infancy, and so she did him: I did not hinder their growing love, because I did not foresee the pernicious consequences of it. This tenderness increased as they grew in years, and came to such a height, that I dreaded the end of it. At last I applied such remedies as were in my power; I not only gave my son a severe reprimand in private, laying before him the foulness of the passion he was entertaining, and the eternal disgrace he would bring upon my family if he persisted in such criminal courses, but I also represented the same thing to my daughter; and besides I shut her up so close, that she could have no conversation with her brother. But that unfortunate creature had swallowed so much of the poision, that all the obstacles, which by my prudence I could lay in the way, served only the more to inflame her love.

My son, being persuaded of his sister's constancy, on pretence of building a tomb, caused this subterraneous habitation to be made, in hopes to find one day or other an opportunity to possess himself of that object which was the cause of his flame, and to bring her hither. He laid hold on the time of my absence to enter by force into the place of his sister's confinement; but that is a thing which my honour would not suffer me to make public; and, after so damnable an action, he came and enclosed himself and her in this place, which he has supplied, as you see, with all sorts of provisions, that he might enjoy his detestable pleasures for a long time, which ought to be a subject of horror to all the world: but God, who would not suffer such an abomination, has justly punished them both. At these words he melted into tears, and I joined mine with his.

After a while, casting his eyes upon me, Dear nephew, cried he, embracing me, if I have lost that unworthy son, I shall happily find in you one who will better supply his place. And, upon some other reflections he made on the doleful end of the prince and princess, we both fell into a new fit of weeping.

We went up the same stairs again, and departed at last from this dismal place. We let down again the trapdoor, and covered it with earth, and such other materials as the tomb was built of, on purpose to hide, as much as lay in our power; so terrible an effect of the wrath of God.

We had not been very long got back to the palace unperceived by anyone, before we heard a confused noise of trumpets, drums, and other instruments of war: We soon understood, by the thick cloud of dust which almost darkened the air, that it was the arrival of a formidable army; and it proved to be the same vizier that had dethroned my father, and usurped his throne, who, with a vast number of troops, was also come to possess himself of that of the king my uncle.

That prince, who then had only his usual guards about him, could not resist so many enemies; they invested the city, and the gates being opened to them without any resistance, they very soon became masters of the city, and broke into the palace where the king my uncle was, who defended himself till he was killed, and sold his life at a dear rate. For my part I fought as well as I could for a while, but, seeing we were forced to submit to a superior power, I thought on my retreat and safety, which I had the good fortune to effect by some back ways, and got to one of the king's servants, on whose fidelity I could depend.

Being thus surrounded with sorrows, and persecuted by fortune, I had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save my life; I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and putting on a calender's habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city: After that, by degrees, I found it easy to get out of my uncle's kingdom by taking the byeroads.

I avoided passing through towns, until I was got into the empire of the mighty governor of the Mussulmen, the glorious and renowned Caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I thought myself out of danger; and, considering what I was to do, I resolved to come to Bagdad, intending to throw myself at the monarch's feet, whose generosity is every where applauded. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by the relation of my surprising misfortunes, and without doubt he will take pity on such an unfortunate prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance in vain.

In short, after a journey of several months, I arrived yesterday at the gate of this city, into which I entered about the dusk of the evening, and standing still a little while to revive my spirits, and to consider on which hand I was to turn, this other calender you see here next me came also along; he saluted me, and I him. You appear, said I, to be a stranger, as I am. You are not mistaken, replied he. He had no sooner returned this answer, than this third calender you see there overtook us. He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad; so that as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from one another.

Meanwhile it was late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city, where we had no acquaintance, nor had ever been before. But good fortune having brought us before your gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so much kindness, that we are incapable to return you suitable thanks. This, madam, (said he,) is, in obedience to your commands, the account I was, to give you why I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eye-brows are shaved, and how I came to be with you at this present time.

It is enough, says Zobeide, you may retire to what place you think fit. The calender made his excuse, and begged the ladies' leave to stay till he had heard the relations of his two comrades, whom I cannot, says he, leave with honour; and till he might also hear those of the three other persons that were in company.

The story of the first calender seemed very strange to the whole company, but especially to the caliph, who, though the slaves stood by with their scimitars in their hands, could not forbear whispering to the vizier, Many stories have I heard, but never any thing that came near the story of the calender. Whilst he was saying this, the second calender began, addressing himself to Zobeide.



THE STORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER, A KING'S SON.



Madam, said he, to obey your command, and to show you by what strange accident I became blind of the right eye, I must of necessity give you the whole account of my life.

I was scarcely past my infancy, when the king my father (for you must know, madam, I am a prince by birth) perceived that I was endowed with a great deal of sense, and spared nothing to improve it. He employed all the men in his dominions, who excelled in sciences and arts, to be constantly about me.

No sooner had I learned to read and write, than I learned the alcoran from the beginning to the end by heart; that admirable book, which contains the foundation, the precepts, and the rules of our religion; and, that I might be thoroughly instructed in it, I read the works of the most approved authors by whose commentaries it had been explained. I added to this study that of all the traditions collected from the mouth of our prophet by the great men that were contemporary with him. I was not satisfied with the knowledge alone of all that had any relation to our religion, but made also a particular search into our histories. I made myself perfect in polite learning, in the works of the poets, and in versification. I applied myself to geography, to chronology, and to speak our Arabian language in its purity; not forgetting, in the mean time, all such exercises as were proper for a prince to understand. But one thing I was mightily in love with, and succeeded in to admiration, was, to form the characters of our Arabian language, wherein I surpassed all the writing-masters of our kingdom, that had acquired the greatest reputation.

Fame did me more honour than I deserved, for she had not only spread the renown of my parts through all the dominions of the king my father, but carried it as far as the Indian court, whose potent monarch, desirous to see me, sent an embassador, with rich presents, to demand me of my father, who was extremely glad of this embassy for several reasons; for he was persuaded that nothing could be more commendable in a prince of my age, than to travel and see foreign courts; and, besides, he was very glad to gain the friendship of the Indian sultan. I departed with the embassador, but with no great retinue, because of the length and difficulty of the journey.

When we had travelled about a month, we discovered at a distance a great cloud of dust, and under that we saw very soon fifty horsemen well armed, that were robbers, coming towards us at full gallop.

As we had ten horses laden with baggage and other presents, which I was to present to the Indian sultan from the king my father, and that my retinue was but small, you may easily judge that these robbers came boldly up to us; and, not being in a posture to make any opposition, we told them that we were embassadors belonging to the sultan of the Indies, and hoped they would attempt nothing contrary to the honour that is due to them, thinking to save our equipage and our lives; but the robbers most insolently replied, For what reason would you have us show any respect to the sultan your master? We are none of his subjects, nor are we upon his territories. And, having spoken thus, they surrounded and fell upon us. I defended myself as well as I could; but finding myself wounded, and seeing the embassador, with his servants and mine, lying on the ground, I made use of what strength yet remained in my horse, who was also very much wounded, and separated myself from the crowd, and rode away as fast as he could carry me; but he, happening all of a sudden to fall under me by weariness and the loss of blood, fell down dead; I got rid of him in a trice; and finding that I was not pursued, it made me judge the robbers were not willing to quit the booty they had got.

Here you see me alone, wounded, destitute of all help, and in a strange country. I durst not betake myself to the high- road, fearing I might fall again into the hands of these robbers. When I had bound up my wound, which was not dangerous, I marched on the rest of the day, and arrived at the foot of a mountain, where I perceived a passage into a cave; I went in, and staid there that night with little satisfaction, after I had eaten some fruits that I had gathered by the way.

I continued my journey for several days following, without finding any place of abode; but, after a month's time, I came to a large town well inhabited, and situtate very advantageously, being surrounded with several rivers, so that it enjoyed a perpetual spring.

The pleasant objects which then presented themselves to my view, afforded me some joy, and suspended for a time the deep sorrow with which I was overwhelmed, to find myself in such a condition. My face, hands, and feet, were all tawny and sun-burnt, and by my long journey my shoes and stockings were quite worn out, so that I was forced to walk bare-footed; arid, besides, my clothes were all in rags. I entered into the town to inform myself where I was, and addressed myself to a tailor that was at work in his shop; who, perceiving by my air that I was a person of more note than my outward appearance bespoke me to be, made me sit down by him, and asked me who I was, and from whence I came, and what had brought me thither? I did not conceal any thing of all that had befallen me. nor made I any scruple to discover my quality.

The tailor listened with attention to my words; but after I had done speaking, he, instead of giving me any consolation, augmented my sorrow. Take heed, says he, how you discover to any person what you have now declared to me; for the prince of this country is the greatest enemy that the king your father has, and he will certainly do you some mischief when he comes to hear of your being in this city. I made no doubt of the tailor's sincerity when he named the prince; but since that enmity which is between my father and him has no relation to my adventures, I must beg your pardon, madam, to pass it over in silence.

I returned the tailor thanks for his good advice, and showed myself inclinable wholly to follow his counsel, and assured him that his favours should never be forgotten by me. And as he believed I could not but be hungry, he caused them to bring me somewhat to eat, and offered me at the same time a lodging—in his house, which I accepted. Some days after, finding me pretty well recovered of the fatigue I had endured by a long and tedious journey, and, besides, being sensible that most princes of our religion did apply themselves to some art or calling that might stand them in stead upon occasion, he asked me if I had learned any thing whereby I might get a livelihood, and not be burdensome to any man? I told him that I understood the laws both divine and human; that I was a grammarian and poet; and, above all, that I understood writing perfectly well. By all this, says he, you will not be able, in this country, to purchase yourself one morsel of bread; nothing is of less use here than those sciences: But if you will be advised by me, says he, dress yourself in a labourer's habit; and since you appear to be strong, and of a good constitution, you shall go into the next forest, and cut down fire-wood, which you may bring to the market to be sold; and I can assure you it will turn to so good an account, that you may live by it without dependence upon any man: By this means you will be in a condition to wait for the favourable minute when Heaven shall think fit to dispel those clouds of misfortune that thwart your happiness, and oblige you to conceal your birth: I will take care to supply you with a rope and a hatchet.

The fear of being known, and the necessity I was under of getting a livelihood, made me agree to this proposal, notwithstanding all the meanness and hardships that attend it. The day following, the tailor brought me a rope, a hatchet, and a short coat, and recommended me to some poor people that gained their bread after the same manner, that they might take me into their company. They conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought in as much upon my head as brought me half a piece of gold, which is the money of that country; for though the wood is not far distant from the town, yet it was very scarce there, by reason that few or none would be at the trouble to go and cut it. I gained a good sum of money in a short time, and repaid my tailor what he had advanced for me.

I continued this way of living for a whole year; and one day that by chance I had gone further into the wood than usual, I happened to light on a very pleasant place, where I began to cut down wood; and, in pulling up the root of a tree, I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap-door of the same metal. I took away the earth that covered it, and, having lifted it up, saw stairs, which I descended, with my axe in my hand.

When I was come to the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a large palace, which put me into a mighty consternation, because of the great light which appeared as clear in it as if it had been above ground in the open air. I went forward along a gallery supported by pillars of jasper, the bases and chapiters of massy gold; but seeing a lady of a noble and free air, and of extraordinary beauty, coming towards me, this turned my eyes from beholding any other object but her alone.

Being desirous to spare the lady the trouble to come to me, I made haste to meet her; and as I was saluting her with a low bow, she asked me, What are you? a man or a genie? A man, madam, said I; I have no correspondence with genies. By what adventure, said she, (fetching a deep sigh,) are you come hither? I have lived here these twenty-five years, and never saw any man but yourself during that time.

Her great beauty, which had already smitten me, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she received me, made me bold to say to her, Madam, before I have the honour to satisfy your curiosity, give me leave to tell you that I am infinitely satisfied with this unexpected rencounter, which offers me an occasion of consolation in the midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity to make you also more happy than you are. I gave her a true account by what strange accident she saw me, the son of a king, in such a condition as I then appeared in her presence; and how fortune would have it that I should discover the entrance into that magnificent prison, where I had found her, but in an uneasy condition, according to appearance.

Alas! prince, said she, (sighing once more,) you have just cause to believe this rich and pompous prison cannot be otherwise than a most wearisome abode; the most charming place in the world being nowise delightful when we are detained in it contrary to our will. It is not possible but you have heard of the great Epitimarus, king of the isle of Ebone, so called from that precious wood it produces in abundance; I am the princess his daughter.

The king my father had chosen for me a husband, a prince that was my cousin; but, on my wedding-night, in the midst of the rejoicing there was in the court and the capital city of the kingdom of the isle of Ebone, before I was given to my spouse, a genie took me away. I fainted at the same moment, and lost all my senses; but, when I came to myself again, I found myself in this place. I was a longtime inconsolable; but time and necessity have accustomed me to see and receive the genie. It is twenty-five years, as I told you before, that I have continued in this place, where, I must confess, I have every thing that I can wish for necessary to life; and also every thing that can satisfy a princess that loves nothing but fine dress and fashions.

Every ten days, says the princess, the genie comes hither to lie with me one night, which he never exceeds; and the excuse he makes for it is, that he is married to another wife, who would grow jealous if she came to know how unfaithful he was to her. Meanwhile, if I have any occasion for him by day or night, as soon as I touch a talisman, which is at the entrance of my chamber, the genie appears. It is now the fourth day since he was here, and I do not expect him before the end of six more; so, if you please, you may stay five days and keep me company, and I will endeavour to entertain you according to your quality and merit. I thought myself too fortunate to have obtained so great a favour without asking it, to refuse so obliging a proffer. The princess made me go into a bagnio, which was the most handsome, the most commodious, and the most sumptuous, that could be imagined; and when I came forth, instead of my own clothes, I found another very costly suit, which I did not esteem so much for its richness as that it made me look worthy to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich tapestry, with cushions to lean upon, of the rarest Indian brocade; and, some time after, she covered a table with several dishes of delicate meats. We ate together, and passed the remainder of the day with very great satisfaction; and at night she received me to her bed.

The next day, as she contrived all manner of ways to please me, she brought in at dinner a bottle of old wine, the most excellent that ever was tasted, and, out of complaisance, she drank part of it with me. Whan my head grew hot with the agreeable liquor, Fair princess, said I, you have been too long thus buried alive; come follow me, and enjoy the real day from which you have been deprived of so many years, and abandon this false light that you have here. Prince, replied she with a smile, leave this discourse; if you, out of the days, will grant me nine, and resign the last to the genie, the fairest day that ever was would be nothing in my esteem. Princess, said I, it is the fear of the genie that makes you speak thus; for my part, I value him so little that I will break his talisman, with the conjuration that is written about it, in pieces. Let him come then, I will expect him, and how brave or redoubtable soever he be, I will make him feel the weight of my arm. I swear solemnly that I shall extirpate all the genies in the world, and him first. The princess, who knew the consequence, conjured me not to touch the talisman, for that would be a mean, said she, to ruin both you and me; I know what belongs to genies better than you. The fumes of the wine did not suffer me to hearken to her reasons, but I gave the talisman a kick with my foot, and broke it in several pieces.

The talisman was no sooner broken than the palace began to shake, and was ready to fall, with a hideous noise like thunder, accompanied with flashes of lightning, and a great darkness. This terrible noise in a moment dispelled the fumes of my wine, and made me sensible, but too late, of the folly I had committed. Princess, cried I, what means all this? She answered in a fright, and without any concern for her own misfortune, cries, Alas! you are undone, if you do not escape presently.

I followed her advice, and my fears were so great that I forgot my hatchet and cords. I was scarcely got to the stairs by which I came down, when the enchanted palace opened at once, and made a passage for the genie. He asked the princess, in great anger, what has happened to you, and why did you call me? A qualm at my stomach, said the princess, made me fetch this bottle which you see here, out of which I drank twice or thrice, and by mischance made a false step, and fell upon the talisman, which is broken, and that is all the matter.

At this answer the furious genie told her, You are a false woman and a liar. How came that axe and those ropes there? I never saw them till this moment, said the princess. Your coming in such an impetuous manner has, it may be, forced them up in some place as you came along, and so brought them hither without your knowing it.

The genie made no other answer but what was accompanied with reproaches and blows, of which I heard the noise. I could not endure to hear the pitiful cries and shouts of the princess so cruelly abused; I had already laid off the suit she made me put on, and taken my own, which I had laid on the stairs the day before, when I came out of the bagnio. I made haste up stairs, being so much the more full of sorrow and compassion that I had been the cause of so great a misfortune; and that, by sacrificing the fairest princess on earth to the barbarity of a most merciless genie, I was become the most criminal and ungrateful of mankind. It is true, said I, she has been a prisoner these twenty-five years; but, setting liberty aside, she wanted nothing that could make her happy. My madness has put an end to her happiness, and brought upon her the cruelty of an unrelenting devil. I let down the trap-door, covered it again with earth, and returned to the city with a burden of wood, which I bound up without knowing what I did, so great were my trouble and sorrow.

My landlord, the tailor, was very much rejoiced to see me. Your absence, said he, has disquieted me very much, by reason you had intrusted in with the secret of your birth, and I knew not what to think. I was afraid that somebody had known you; God be thanked for your return. I thanked him for his zeal and affection, but never a word durst I say of what had passed, nor the reason why I came back without my hatchet and cords.

I retired to my chamber, where I reproached myself a thousand times for my excessive imprudence. Nothing, said I, could have paralleled the princess's good fortune and mine, had I foreborn to break the talisman.

While I was thus giving myself over to melancholy thoughts, the tailor came in and told me, An old man, said he, whom I do not know, brings me your hatchet and cords, which he found in his way, as he tells me, and understood, by your comrades that go along with you to the woods, that you lodge here. Come out and speak to him, for he will deliver them to none but yourself.

At this discourse I changed colour, and fell a-trembling. While the tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber-door opened at once, and the old man, having no patience to stay, appeared to us with my hatchet and cords. This was the genie, the ravisher of the fair princess of the isle of Ebone, who had thus disguised himself, after he had treated her with the utmost barbarity. I am a genie, said he, son of the daughter of Ebis, prince of genies. Is not this your hatchet? said he, speaking to me, and are not these your cords?

After the genie had put the question to me, he gave me no time to answer, nor was it in my power, so much had his terrible aspect put me beside myself. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out of the chamber, and, mounting into the air, carried me up as high as the skies, with such swiftness, that I perceived I was got so high as not to be able to take notice of the way, being carried in so few moments. He descended again in like manner to the earth, which, on a sudden, he caused to open with a knock of his foot, and so sunk down at once, where I found myself in the enchanted palace before the fair princess of the isle of Ebone. But, alas! what a spectacle was there; I saw that which pierced me to the heart; this poor princess was quite naked, all in blood, and laid upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with her cheeks all bathed in tears.

Perfidious wretch, said the genie to her, pointing at me, is not this your gallant? She cast her languishing eyes upon me, and answered mournfully, I do not know him; I never saw him till this moment. What, said the genie, he is the cause of thy being in the condition thou art justly in; and yet darest thou say thou dost not know him? If I do not know him, said the princess, would you have me to make a lie on purpose to ruin him? O then, said the genie, pulling out a scimitar, and presenting it to the princess, if you never saw him before, take the scimitar and cut off his head. Alas! replied the princess, how is it possible I should execute what you would force me to do? My strength is so far spent that I cannot lift my arm; and if I could, how should I have the heart to take away an innocent man's life, and one I do not know? This refusal, said the genie to the princess, sufficiently informs me of your crime. Upon which, turning to me, And thou, said he, dost thou hot know her?

I should have been the most ungrateful wretch, and the most perfidious of all mankind, if I had not shown myself as faithful to the princess as she was to me, who had been the cause of her misfortunes. Therefore I answered the genie, How should I know her, that never saw her till now? If that be so, said he, take the scimitar and cut off her head. On this condition I will set thee at liberty, for then I will be convinced that thou never saw her till this very moment, as thou sayest thyself. With all my heart, replied I, and took the scimitar in my hand.

Do not think, madam, that I drew near to the fair princess of the isle of Ebone, to be the executioner of the genie's barbarity; I did it only to demonstrate by my behaviour, as much as possible, that as she had shown her resolution to sacrifice her life for my sake, so I would not refuse to sacrifice mine for her's. The princess, notwithstanding her pain and suffering, understood my meaning, which she signified by an obliging look, and made me understand her willingness to die for me; and that she was satisfied to see also how willing I was to die for her. Upon this I stepped back, and threw the scimitar on the ground. I shall for ever, says I to the genie, be hateful to all mankind, should I be so base as to murder, I do not only say a person whom I do not know, but also a lady like this, who is ready to give up the ghost; do with me what you please since I am in your power; I cannot obey your barbarous commands.

I see, said the genie, that you both out-brave me, and insult my jealousy; but both of you shall know, by the treatment I give you, what I am capable to do. At these words, the monster took up the scimitar and cut off one of her hands, which left her only so much life as to give me a token with the other, that she bid me for ever adieu. For the blood she had lost before, and that which gushed out then, did not permit her to live above one or two moments after this barbarous cruelty, the sight of which threw me into a fit. When I was come to myself again, I expostulated with the genie, why he made me languish in expectation of death. Strike, cried I, for I am ready to receive the mortal blow, and expect it as the greatest favour you can show me. But instead of agreeing to that, Look ye, says he, how genies treat their wives whom they suspect of unfaithfulness; she has received thee here, and were I certain that she had put any other affront upon me, I would make thee die this minute; but I will content myself to transform thee into a dog, ape, lion, or bird: take thy choice of any of these, I will leave it to thyself.

These words gave me some hopes to mollify him. O genie; said I, moderate your passion, and since you will not take away my life, give it me generously; I shall always remember your clemency, if you pardon me, as one of the best men in the world pardoned one of his neighbours who bore him a mortal hatred. The genie asked me what had passed between those two neighbours, and said, he would have patience till he heard the story, which I told him thus: And I believe, madam, you will not take it ill if I also relate it to you.



THE STORY OF THE ENVIOUS MAN, AND OF HIM WHOM HE ENVIED.



In a considerable town, two persons dwelt next door to each other; one of them conceived such a violent hatred against the other, that he who was hated resolved to remove his dwelling further off, being persuaded that their being neighbours was the only cause from whence his animosity did arise; for, though he had done him several pieces of service, he found, nevertheless, that his hatred was nothing diminished; therefore he sold his house, with what goods he had left, and retired to the capital city of that kingdom, which was not far distant. He bought a little spot of ground, which lay about half a league from the city; he had a house convenient enough, with a fine garden, and a pretty spacious court, wherein was a deep well, which was not in use.

The honest man, having made this purchase, put on a dervize's or monk's habit to lead a retired life, and caused several cells to be made in the house, where in a short time he established a numerous society of dervizes. He came soon to be publicly known by his virtue, through which he acquired the esteem of a great many people, as well of the commonalty as of the chief of the city. In short, he was extremely honoured and cherished by every one. People came from far to recommend themselves to his prayers; and all those that came to live with him published what blessings they received through his means.

The great reputation of that honest man having spread to the town from whence he came, it touched the envious man so much to the quick, that he left his house and affairs, with a resolution to go and ruin him. With this intent he went to the new convent of dervizes, of which his former neighbour was the head, who received him with all imaginable tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come on purpose to communicate a business of importance to him, which he could not do but in private; and because that nobody shall hear us, let us, says he, take a walk in your court, and seeing night begins to draw on, command your dervizes to retire to their cells. The head of the dervizes did as he required.

When the envious man saw that he was alone, with this good man, he began to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court until he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it, without any body being witness to so wicked an action. Having done this, he marched off immediately, got out at the gate of the convent without being known to any one, and came home to his own house, well satisfied with his journey, being fully persuaded that the object of his hatred was no more in this world.

This old well was inhabited by fairies and genies, which happened luckily for the relief of the head of the convent; for they received and supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no hurt. He perceived well enough that there was something extraordinary in his fall, which must otherwise have cost him his life; whereas he neither saw nor felt any thing. But he soon heard a voice, which said, Do you know what honest man this is to whom we have done this piece of service? Another voice answered, No. To which the first replied, Then I will tell you. This man, out of charity the greatest that ever was known, left the town he lived in, and has established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his neighbours of the envy he had conceived against him; he has acquired such a general esteem, that the envious man, not able to endure it, came hither on purpose to ruin him, which he had performed, had it not been for the assistance which we have given this honest man, whose reputation is so great, that the sultan, who keeps his residence in the neighbouring city, was to pay him a visit to-morrow, and to recommend the princess his daughter to his prayers.