Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/71

Slaves, to give him Air, brought him up in their Arms, and laid him at the Foot of the Tree where I was; but notwithſtanding all the Pains they took to recover him, the unfortunate Father continued a long while in that Condition, and made them, oftener than once, deſpair of his Life; but at laſt he came to himſelf. Then the Slaves brought up his Son’s Corpſe, dreſt in his beſt Apparel, and when they had made a Grave, they put him into it. The old Man ſupported by two Slaves, and his Face all covered with Tears, threw the firſt Earth upon him, after which the Slaves fill’d up the Grave.

This being done, all the Furniture was brought up from under Ground, and with the remaining Proviſions, put on board he Veſſel. The old Man overcome with Sorrow, and not being able to ſtand, was laid upon a ſort of Litter and carry’d to the Ship, which put forth to Sea, and in a ſhort time ſail’d quite out of fight, The Day-light, which began to enter the Sultan’s Apartment, oblig’d Scheherazade to ſtop here. Schahriar aroſe at his uſual Hour, and for the ſame Reaſon as before, he prolong’d the Sultaneſs’s Life, and left her with Dinarzade.

THE next Morning before Day, Dinarzade addreſſed her ſelf to the Sultaneſs in theſe Words, My dear Siſter, if you be not aſleep, be pleaſed to continue the Adventures of the third Callender. You muſt know then, Siſter, ſaid Scheherazade, that the Prince went on with the Relation of this Story to Zobeide and the Company as follows:

After the old Man and his Slaves were gone with the Veſſel, I was left alone upon the Iſland. I lay that Night in the ſubterranean Dwelling, which they had ſhut up, and when the Day came, I walk’d round the Iſle, and ſtopt in ſuch Places as I thought moſt proper to repoſe in, when I had need.

I led this weariſome Life for a Month together; after which I perceiv’d the Sea to be mightily fall’n, the Iſland to be much larger, and the main Land ſeem’d to be drawing nearer me. In effect, the Water grew ſo low, that there was but a ſmall Stream between me and the Terra firma, I croſs’d it, and the Water did not come above the