Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/58

Beauty, to go on with the Recital of her Combat. And when ſhe had done, he ſpoke to her in a Tone that ſufficiently teſtified his Grief. My Daughter ſaid he, you ſee in what Condition your Father is; alas! I wonder that I am yet alive! Your Governor, the Eunuch, is dead, and the Prince whom you have delivered from his Enchantment has loſt one of his Eyes. He could ſpeak no more, for his Tears, Sighs, and Sobs made him Speechleſs; his Daughter and I were exceeding ſenſible of his Sorrow, and wept with him.

In the mean Time, while we were ſtriving to out-do one another in Grief, the Princeſs cry’d, I burn, Oh I burn. She found that the Fire which conſumed her, had at laſt ſeiz’d upon her whole Body, which made her ſtill cry, I burn, until Death had made an end of her intolerable Pains. The Effect of that Fire was ſo extraordinary, that in a few Moments ſhe was wholly reduc’d to Aſhes, as was the Genie.

I can’t tell you, Madam, how much I was grieved at ſo diſmal a Spectacle: I had rather all my Life have continued an Ape or a Dog, than to have ſeen my Benefactreſs thus miſerably periſh. The Sultan being afflited beyond all that can be imagin’d, cried out piteouſly, and beat himſelf on his Head and Stomach until ſuch time as, being quite overcome with Grief, he fainted away, which made me Fear his Life. In the mean time the Eunuchs and Officers came running at the Sultan’s Cries, and with very much ado brought him to himſelf again, There was no need of that Prince and me to give them a long Narrative of this Adventure, in order to convince them of their great Grief. The two Heaps of Aſhes, into which the Princeſs and the Genie had been reduc’d, was Demonſtration enough. The Sultan was hardly able to ſtand upright, but was forced to be ſupported by them till he could get to his Apartment.

When the Noiſe of the tragical Event had ſpread itſelf through the Palace and the City, all the People bewail’d the Misfortune of the Princeſs, the Lady of Beauty, and were ſenſible of the Sultan’s Affliction, Every one was in deep Mourning for ſeven Days, and a great many Ceremonies were perform’d: The Aſhes of the Genie were thrown into the Air, but thoſe of the Princeſs were gather’d into a precious Urn to be kept, and the Urn was ſet