Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 12.djvu/18

This page needs to be proofread.

(218)

amt particularly to Prince Ahmed; ſhe immediately expreſled a Joy to ſee them, and thanked them all together; and afterwards Prince Ahmed in particular. The Princes told her, how great a Pleaſure it was to them, to come ſoon enough to contribute any Thing towards relieving her out of the imminent Danger ſhe was in, and that they had made the moſt ardent Wishes for her Health; and afterwards, as ſhe had called to be got up, they retired.

While the Princeſs was dreſing, the Princes went to throw themselves at the Sultan their Father's Feet, and pay their Reſpects to him; but when they came before him, they found he had been inform'd of their Arrival by the Chief of the Princeſs's Eunuchs, and by what Means the Princeſs had been perfectly cured. The Sultan receiv'd and embraced them with the greateſt Joy, both for their Return, and the Recovery of the Prin ceſs his Niece, whom he loved as well as it ſhe had been his own Daughter, and which had been given over by the Phyſicians. After the uſual Ceremonies and Compliments, the Princes preſented each his Rarity: Prince Houffain his Tapeſtry, which he had taken care not to leave behind him in the Princeſs's Chamber; Prince Ali his Ivory profpective Glaſs, and Prince Ahmed his artificial Apple; and after each had commended their Preſent, when they put it into the Sultan's Hands, they beg'd of him to pronounce their Fate, and declare to which of them he would give the Princess Nouronnihar for a Wife, according to his Promiſe.

The Sultan of the Indies having heard without interrupting them, all that the Princes could repreſent further about their Rarities, and being well inform'd of what had happen'd in relation to the Princeſs Nouronni bar's Cure, remain'd ſome Time ſilent, as if he was thinking on what Anſwer he ſhould make. At laſt he broke Silence, and ſaid to them: I would declare for one of you, Children, with a great deal of Pleaſure, if I could do it with Juſtice; but conſider whether I can do it, or no. 'Tis true, Prince Ahmed, the Princeſs my Niece is oblig'd to your artificial Apple for her Cure; but I muſt ask you, whether or no you could have been ſo ſerviceable to her, if you had not known

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.