Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/47

if the envious Man did not die for Spite, and got up with an Intention to hear it next Night.

DInarzade, when it was time, addreſſed her Speech to the Sultaneſs, thus: My dear Siſter, ſaid ſhe, if you be not aſleep, I would pray you to conclude the Story of the hated and envious Man. With all my Heart, anſwers Scheherazade. The ſecond Callender continued his Story thus: The honeſt Dervis, ſaid he, being mounted on the Throne of his Father-in-law, as he was one Day in the midſt of his Courtiers upon a March, he eſpied the envious Man among the Crowd of People that ſtood as he paſt along, and calling one of the Viſiers that attended him, whiſper’d in his Ear thus; Go bring me that Man you ſee there; but have a care you do not frighten him. The Viſier obey’d, and when the envious Man was brought into his Preſence, the Sultan ſaid, Friend, I am extream glad to ſee you: Upon which he called to an Officer, Go immediately, ſays he, and cauſe to be paid this Man out of my Treaſury 100 Pieces of Gold, let him have alſo 20 Load of the richeſt Merchandize in my Store-houſe, and a ſufficient Guard to conduct him to his Houſe. After he had given this Charge to the Officer, he bid the envious Man farewel, and proceeded on his March.

When I had finiſhed the Recital of this Story to the Genie, the Murtherer of the Princeſs of the Iſle of Ebene, I made the Application to himſelf thus, O Genie! You ſee here that this bountiful Sultan did not content himſelf to have forgot the Deſign of the envious Man to take away his Life, but treated him kindly, and ſent him back with all the Favours which I juſt now related, In ſhort, I made uſe of all my Eloquence, praying him to imitate ſuch a good Example, and to grant me Pardon: But it was impoſſible for me to move his Compaſſion.

All that I can do for thee, ſaid he, is, that I will not take thy Life; don’t flatter thy ſelf that I will ſend thee ſafe and ſound back, I muſt let thee feel what I am able to do by my