Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/78

Noureddin Ali, who had the Honour, as well as my ſelf, to be one of your Viziers. We had ſome Difference together, which was the Cauſe ot his leaving me on a ſudden, and fince that time I have had no Account of him till within theſe Four Days, that I heard he died at Balſora, being Grand Vizier to the Sultan of that Kingdom.

He has left a Son behind him, and there having been an Agreement between us to match our Children together, if ever we had any, I am perſuaded he intended that Match when he died; and being deſirous to fulfil the Promiſe on my part, I conjure your Majeſty to grant me Leave. You have in your Court many other Lords who have Daughters as well as I, on whom you may pleaſe to beſtow that Honour.

The Sultan of Egypt was incens’d againſt Schemſeddin Mohammed to the higheſt Degree.

Here Scheherazade ſtopt, becauſe Day appear’d and next Night reſum’d her Story, ſtiil perſonating the Vizier Giafar ſpeaking to Harowun Alraſchid the Califf.

THE Sultan of Egypt provoked at this bold Denial of Schemſeddin Mohammed, ſays to him in Paſſion, which he could not reſtrain; Is this the way you requite my Propoſal to ſtoop ſo low as to deſire your Alliance, I know how to revenge your daring to prefer another to me, and I ſwear that your Daughter ſhall be married to the moſt contemptible and ugly of all my Slaves. And, having ſpoke thoſe Words, he angrily bid the Vizier be gone, who went home to his Houſe full of Confuſion, and extraordinary ſad.

This very Day the Sultan ſent for one of his Grooms, who is Hump-back’d, Big-belly’d, Crook-legg’d, and as ugly as a Hobgoblin, and after having commanded Schemſeddin Mohemmed to conſent to marry his Daughter to this ghaſtly Slave, he cauſed the Contract to be made, and ſigned by Witneſſes in his own Preſence. The Preparations for this Fantaſtical Wedding are all ready, and this very Moment all the Slaves belonging to the Lords of the Court of Egypt,are waiting at the Door of a Bagnio, each with a