Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/33

that I have not the Honour to be born in a Place that retains to your Majeſty’s Empire. I am a Stranger, born at Cairo in Egypt, one of the Coptick Nation, and a Profeſſor of the Chriſtian Religion. My Father was a Broker, and got a good Eſtate which he left me at his Death. I followed his Example, and took up the ſame Employment. And one Day at Cairo, as I was ſtanding in the publick Apartment for the Corn Merchants, there comes up to me a young handſome Man, well clad, and mounted upon an Aſs. He ſaluted me, and pulling out an Handkerchief where he had a Sample of Seſame and Turkey Corn, asked me what a Buſhel of ſuch Seſame would fetch.

Scheherazade, perceiving Day, ſtopp’d here, but the next Night went on in the following manner.

SIR, continued the Chriſtian Merchant to the Sultan of Caſgar; I examined the Corn that the Young Man ſhewed me, and told him it ’twas worth an Hundred Drams of Silver per Buſhel. Pray, ſaid he, look out for ſome Merchant to take it at that Price, and come to me at the Victory Gate, where you’ll ſee a Hut at a Diftance from the Houſes. So he left me, and I ſhewed the Sample to ſeveral Merchants, who told me that they would take as much as I could ſpare at an Hundred and Ten Drams per Buſhe!, ſo that I made an account to get Ten Drams per Buſhel for my Brokerage. Full of the Expecttation of this Profit, I went forthwith to the Victory Gate, where I found the young Merchant ſtaying for me, and he carried me into his Granary, which was full of Seſame. He had an Hundred and Fifty Buſhels of it, which I meaſured out, and having carried them off upon Aſſes, ſo!d them for Five thousand Drams of Silver. Now out of this Sum, ſaid the young Man, there’s Five Hundred Drams coming to you, at the Rate of Ten Drams. per Buſhel. I order you to take and apply it to your own Uſe, and as for the reſt which is come to me, do you take it out of the Merchant’s Hand, and keep it till I call for it, for I have no Occaſion for it at preſent. I made Anſwer, it would be ready for him whenever he pleaſed to call for it; and ſo took leave of him, with a grateful Senſe of his Generoſity.