Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/31

a few Minutes. His Death afflicted us extreamly, and for fear of being charged with it, we carried the Corps to the Jewiſh Doctor’s Houſe, and knocked at the Door, the Maid coming down and opening the Door, I deſired her to go up again forthwith, and ask her Maſter to come down and give his Advice to a ſick Perſon that we had brought along with us; and withal to incourage him, I charged her to give him a Piece of Money which I had put into her Hand. When ſhe was gone up again, I carried the Hunch-back up Stairs, and laid him upon the uppermoſt Step; and then my Wife and I made the beſt of our Way Home. The Door coming down, made the Corps roll down Stairs, and there upon he took himſelf to be the Author of his Death. Now this being the Caſe (continued he) releaſe the Doctor, and let me die in his Room.”

The chief Juſtice, and all the Spectators, could not ſufficiently admire the ſtrange Emergencies that enſued upon the Death of the little crooked Gentleman. Let the Jewiſh Doctor go, ſaid the Judge, and hang up the Taylor, ſince he confeſſes the Crime: ’Tis certain this Hiſtory is very uncommon, and ought to be recorded in Letters of Gold. The Executioner having diſmiſs’d the Doctor, made every thing ready to tye up the Taylor,———But, Sir, ſaid the Sultaneſs, I ſee Day appears, and fo I adjourn the Story till to Morrow. The Sultan agreed to her Propoſal, and ſo roſe and went about his Buſineſs,

THE Sultaneſs, waked by her Siſter, reſumed her Story as follows. While the Executioner, Sir, was making ready to hang up the Taylor, the Sultan of Caſgar, wanting the Company of the crooked Jeſter, ask’d’ where he was; and one of the Officers told him what follows. “The Hunch-back, Sir, whom you enquire after, got drunk laſt Night, and contrary to his Cuſtom, ſlipped out of the Palace, and went a ſauntering in the City and this Morning he was found dead. A Man was brought before the chief Juſtice, and charged with the Murder of him; but when he was going to be hang’d up, came a Man, and after him another who took the Charge