Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/74
Night, for I cannot obſerve it: You are Men of Senſe, and all of you have Wit in abundance, you have convinc’d me of it, yet I have ſeen you do ſuch Actions as none but Mad-men could be capable of. Whatever Misfortune befal me, I cannot forbear asking, why you bedaub’d your Faces with black, how it comes that each of you has but one Eye? ſome ſingular thing muſt certainly be the Cauſe of it, therefore conjure you to ſatisfy my Curioſity. To theſe preſſing Inſtances they anſwer nothing, but that it was none of my Buſineſs to ask ſuch Queſtion, and that I ſhould do well to hold my Peace.
We paſs’d that Day in Diſcourſes upon indifferent Subjects, and when Night was come, and every Man had ſupp’d, the old Man brought in the blue Baſons, and the young Gentlemen bedaub’d their Faces, wept and beat themſelves, crying, This is the Fruit of our Idleneſs and Debauchies, as before, and continued the ſame Actions the following Night. Ar laſt, not being able to reſiſt my Curioſity, I earneſtly pray’d them to ſatisty me, or to ſhow me how to return to my own Kingdom ; for it was impoſſible for me to keep them company any longer, and to ſee every Night ſuch an odd Spectacle, without being permitted to know the Reaſon.
One of the Gentlemen anſwer’d in behalf of the reſt, do not wonder at our Conduct in regard to your ſelf; and that hitherto we have not granted your Requeſt, it’s out of meer Kindneſs, to prevent your Sorrow of being reduced to the ſame Condition with us. If you have a mind to try our unfortunate Deſtiny, you need but ſpeak, and we will give you the Satisfaction you deſire. I told them I was reſolv’d on’t, let come what will. Once more, ſaid the ſame Gentleman, we adviſe you to reſtrain your Curioſity, it will coſt you the Loſs of your Right-Eye. No matter, ſaid I, I declare to you, that if ſuch a Misfortune befal me, I will not impute it to you, but to my ſelf.
He further repreſented unto me, that when I had loſt an Eye, I muſt not hope to ſtay with them, if I were ſo minded, becauſe their Number was compleat, and no Addition could be made to it. I told them that it would be a great Satisfaction to me never to part from ſuch honeſt Gentlemen, but if there were neceſſity for it I am ready