Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/36

charming Places in the World, being no wiſe delightful when we are detained there contrary to our Will, It’s not poſſible but you have heard of the great Epitimarus, King of the Iſle of Ebene, 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 Capitol City of the Kingdom, of the Iſle of Ebene, before I was given to my Spouſe, a Genie, who took me away; I ſainted at the ſame Moment, and loſt all my Senſes; but when I came to my ſelf again, I found my ſelf in this Place. I was a long time inconſolable, but Time and Neceſſity hath accuſtom’d me to ſee and receive the Genie. ’Tis 25 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 Lite, and alſo every thing that can ſatisfy a Princeſs that loves nothing but fine Dreſſes 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: Mean while, if I have occaſion for him by Day or Night, as ſoon as I touch a Taliſman, which is at the Entrance into 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 my ſelf 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 imagin’d; and when I came forth, inſtead of my own Cloaths, 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 cover’d with rich Tapeſtry, with Cuſhions to lean upon of the rareſt In-