Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/77

theirs, and tho’ I ſignified that I was uneaſie: That’s your Place, ſaid they, you are at preſent our Lord, Maſter, and Judge, and we are your Slaves, ready to obey your Commands.

Nothing in the World, Madam, did ſo much aſtoniſh me, as the Paſſion and Eagerneſs of thoſe fair Ladies, to do me all poſſible Service. One brought hot Water to waſh my Feet, a ſecond pour’d ſweet ſcented Water on my Hands, others brought me all ſorts of Neceſſaries, and Change of Apparel; and others brought in a magnificent Collation; and the reſt came with Glaſſes in their Hands, to fill me delicious Wines, and all in good Order, and in the moſt charming Manner that could be: I eat and drank; after which the Ladies plac’d themſelves about me, and deſir’d an Account of my Travels, I gave them a full Relation of my Adventures, which laſted till Night came on.

Scheherazade making a Stop here, her Siſter ask’d her the Reaſon; do you not ſee ’tis Day, ſays the Sultaneſs, wherefore did you not call me ſooner?

The Sultan expecting ſome pleaſant Adventures from the Arrival of the third Callender at the Palace of the forty Ladies, would not deprive himſelf of the Pleaſure to hear them, and therefore again put off the Death of the Sultaneſs.

DInarzade ſlept as long this Night as ſhe did the laſt, and when it was almoſt Day ſhe called to the Sultaneſs Dear Siſter, if you be not aſleep, pray tell us what paſs’d in the fine Caſtle where you left us yeſterday. I will, ſaid Scheherazade, and addreſſing her Speech to the Sultan ſaid, Sir, the Callender reſum’d his Narrative after this Manner.

When I had made an end of my Story, which I related to the forty Ladies, ſome of them that ſat neareſt me, ſaid to keep me Company, whilſt the reſt, ſeeing it was dark, roſe up to fetch Tapers: They brought a prodigious Quantity, which made ſuch a marvellous Light as if it had been Day, and they were ſo proportionably diſpoſed, that nothing could be more beautiful.