Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/95

SIR, the Grand Vizier Giafar continuing his Diſcourſe to the Califf, Haroun Alraſchid, proceeded thus. Schemſeddin Mohammed ſet out for Damaſcus with his Daughter, the beautiful Lady, and Agib his Grandchild. They travelled Nineteen Days without ſtopping any where; but on the Twentieth, arriving in a very pleaſant Mead, at a ſmall diſtance from the Gate of Damaſcus, they ſtopp’d there, and pitch’d their Tents upon the Banks of a River that runs through the Town, and gives a very agreeable Proſpect to its Neighbourhood.

The Vizier Schemſeddin Mohammed declar’d he would ſtay in that pleaſant Place two Days, and purſue his Journey on the Third. In the mean time he gave Leave to his Retinue to go to Damaſcus: And almoſt all of ’em made uſe of it; ſome influenc’d by a Curioſity to ſee a City they had heard ſo much of, and others by the Opportunity of vending there the Egyptian Goods they had brought with them, or buying Stuffs, and the Rarities of the Country. The beautiful Lady deſiring her Son Agib might ſhare in the ſatisfaction of viewing the celebrated City, order’d the black Eunuch, that acted in the Quality of his Governor, to conduct him thither, and take care he came to no Harm.

Agib in magnificent Apparel, went along with the Eunuch, who had a large Cane in his Hand, They had no ſooner entred the City, than Agib, fair and glorious as the Day, attracted the Eyes of the People. Some got out of their Houſes to gain a nearer and narrower View of him; others put their Heads out at the Windows, and thoſe who paſs’d along the Streets were not ſatisfied in ftopping to look upon him; but kept pace with him, to prolong the Pleaſure of the agreeable fight. In fine, there was no Body that did not admire him, and bequeath a thousand Benedictions to the Father and the Mother, that had given Being to ſo fine a Child, By chance the Eunuch and he paſſed by a Shop where Bedreddin Haſſan was, and there the Crowd was ſo great that they were forced to halt.