Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/16

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
( 16 )

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 it by fair Means we are in a Capacity to force them to it.

The Grand Viſier Giafar was againſt this Method, and ſhew’d the Califf what might be the Conſequence of it; but without diſcovering the Prince to the Callenders, 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 willing to receive us, and that we alſo agreed to them; what will they ſay of us if we break them? We ſhall be ſtill more to blame it 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 Viſier took the Califf aſide, and whiſper’d 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 ’em before your Throne, where you may be inform’d of all that you deſire to know. Tho’ this Advice was very judicious, the Califf rejected it, bid the Viſier 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 Califf endeavour’d to prevail with the Calenders to ſpeak firſt; but they excus’d 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 returning from her Siſter Amine, who was recover’d of her Fit, drew near them; having over-heard them, ſpeaking pretty loud, with ſome Paſſion, ſays, Gentlemen, what is the Subject of your Diſcourſe, what are you diſputing about?

The Porter anſwer’d immediately, Madam, theſe Gentlemen pray you to let them underſtand wherefore you wept over your two Bitches, after you whipt them ſo ſeverely, and how that Lady’s Boſom who lately ſainted a-
way,
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.