Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/64

Journey, and brought home three Apples, whereof this was one, which he had taken from his Mother without her Knowledge. He ſaid what he cou’d to make me give it him back, but I would not, and ſo brought it home and ſold it for two Sequins to the little Lady your Daughter, and this is the whole Truth of the Matter.

Giafar could not enough admire how the Roguery of a Slave had been the Cauſe of an innocent Woman’s Death, and almoſt of his own. He carried the Slave along with him, and when he came before the Califf, he gave that Prince an exact Account of all that the Slave had told him and the Chance that brought him to the Diſcovery of his Crime.

Never was any Surprize ſo great as that of the Califf, yet he could not prevent himſelf from falling into exceſſive Fits of Laughter. At laſt he recovered himſelf, and with a ſerious Mien told the Vizier That ſince his Slave had been the Occaſion of a ſtrange Accident he deferved an exemplary Puniſhment. Sir, I muſt own it, ſaid the Vizier, but his Guilt is not iremiſſible; I remember a ſtrange Story of a Viſier of Cairo, called Noureddin Ali,^[1] and Beddreddin Haſſan^[2] of Balſora, and ſince your Majeſty delights to hear ſuch Things, I am ready to tell it, upon Condition that iſ your Majefty finds it more aſtoniſhing than that which gives me Occaſion to tell it, you will be pleaſed to pardon, my Slave. I am content, ſaid the Califf, but you undertake a hard Task, for I do not believe you can ſave your Slave, the Story of the Apples being very ſingular. Upon this Giafar began his Story thus,

COmmander of the Faithful, there was in former Days a Sultan of Egypt, a ſtrict Obſerver of Juſtice, gracious, merciful and liberal, and his Valour made him terrible to his Neighbours. He loved the Poor, and protected the Learned, whom he advanced to the higheſt Dignities. This Sultan had a Viſier, who was prudent, wiſe, ſagacious, and well yers’d in all other Sciences. This Miniſter