Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/45

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

( 155 )

When I came back to the City, I pray’d the King to allow me to return to my Country, which he granted me in the moſt obliging and molt honourable Manner. He would needs force a rich Preſent upon me; and when I went to take my Leave of him, he gave me one much more conſiderable,and at the ſame time charg’d me with a Letter to the Commander of the Faithful our Sovereign Lord, ſaying to me, I pray you give this Preſent from me, and this Letter to Califf Haroun Alrſchid and aſſure him of my Friendſhip. I took the Preſent and Letter in a very reſpectful Manner, and promis’d his Majeſty punctually to execute the Commands with which he was pleas’d to honour me. Before I embark’d, this Prince ſent to ſeek for the Captain and the Merchants that were to go with me, and order’d them to treat me with all poſſible Reſpect.

The Letter from the King of Serendib was writ on the Ski nof a certain Animal of great Value, becauſe of its being ſo ſcarce, and of a yellowiſh Colour. The Characters of this Letter were of Azure, and the Contents thus.


The King of the Indies, before whom march 1000 Elephants, who lives in a Palace that ſhines with 100000 Rubies, and who has in his Treaſury 20000 Crowns enrich’d with Diamonds, to Califf Haroun Alraſchid.

THough the Preſent we ſend you be inconſiderable, receive it however as a Brother and a Friend, in Conſideration of the hearty Friendſhip which we bear for you, and of which we are willing to give you Proof. We deſire the ſame part in your Friendſhip, conſidering that we believe it to be our Merit, being of the ſame Dignity with your Self, We conjure you this in Quality of a Brother. Adieu.


The Preſent conſiſted in the firſt Place, of one ſingle Ruby made into a Cup, about half Foot high, an Inch thick, and fil’d with round Pearls of half a Dram each. 2. Of the Skin of a Serpent whoſe Scales were as large as an ordinary Piece of Gold, and had-the Virtue to preſerve from Sickneſs thoſe who lay upon it 3. In 50000 Drams of the beſt Wood of Aloes, with 30 Grains of Camphire as big

as

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.