Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/50

Sauce, which indeed was very delicious, and palatable to every body: Only we obſerved that one of the Gueſts did not offer to touch it, though it ſtood juſt before him, and there upon we invited him to do as we did. But he conjured us not to preſs him upon that Head: I’ll take care, ſaid he, not to touch any thing that has Garlick in it; I remember well what the taſting of ſuch a Thing coſt me once before. We intreated him to tell us what was the Occaſion of his ſo ſtrong Averſion to Garlick: But before he had time to make Anſwer; [s it thus, ſaid the Maſter of the Houſe, that you honour my Table? This Ragoo is excellent, do not you pretend to be excus’d from eating of it; you muſt do me that Favour as well as the reſt. Sir, ſaid the Gentleman, who was a Bagdad Merchant, I hope you do not think I refuſe to eat of it, out of a miſtaken Nicety; if you will have me eat of it, I will do it; but ſtill upon this Condition, that after eating of it I may waſh my Hands, with your good Leave forty times with Alcali^[1], forty times more with the Aſhes of the ſame Plant, and forty times again with Soap. I hope you will not take it ill that I ſtipulate this Condition, in Purſuance of an Oath I have made never to taſte Garlick without obſerving it.

Scheherazade, perceiving Day, ſtopped here, and ſo Schahriar roſe with a Curioſity to know why the Merchant had ſworn to waſh himſelf 120 Times, after eating of a Ragoo with Garlick. Towards the Cloſe of the next Night, the Sulianeſs ſatisficd his Curioſity in the following Words.

THE Maſter of the Houſe, continued the Purveyor of the Sultan of Caſgar, would not diſpenſe with the Merchant from eating of the Ragoo with Garlick; and therefore order’d his Servant to get ready a Baſon with water, together with Alcali, the Aſhes of the ſame Plant, and Soap, that the Merchant might waſh as often as he pleas’d, When every thing was got ready, Now, ſaid he to the Merchant, I hope you’ll do as we do.