Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/64

pleafing her. However ſhe ſmelt it; and wanted nothing more her ſelf, than to get out, for it was gratitude alone that made her continue with Zobeide. In fine, being a very witty Woman, ſhe repreſented in ſuch lively Terms to her Miſtreſs the Conſtraint I was under, in not living in the City with my Fellow Companions, as I had always done; this ſhe did ſo effectually that the good Princeſs choſe rather to deprive her ſelt of the Pleaſure of having her Favourite about her, than not to grant what ſhe equally deſired.

In purſuance of this Grant about a Month after Marriage, my Wife came in my Room with ſeveral Eunuchs, carrying each of them a Bag of Silver. When the Eunuchs were gone; You never told me, ſaid ſhe, that you were uneaſy in being confined to Court; but I perceived it very well and have happily found Means to make you contented. My Miſtreſs Zobeide gives us leave to go out of the Palace; and here are Fifty thouſand Sequins, of which ſhe has made us a Preſent, in order to enable us to live comfortable in the City. Prithee take ten Thouſand of them, and go and buy us a Houſe.

I quickly found a Houſe for the Money, and after furniſhing it richly, we went and lived in it; and kept a great many Slaves of both Sexes with a very pretty Equipage. In ſhort w ebegan to live after a very agreeable Manner, but it did not laſt long. At a Year’s end my wife fell ſick and died.

I might have married again and lived honourably at Bagdad; But the Curioſity of ſeeing the World put me upon other thoughts, I fold my Houſe, and after buying up ſeveral ſorts of Goods, I went with a Caravan to Perſia, from Perſia I travelled to Samaroande, and from thence hither.

This, ſaid the Purveyor to the Sultan of Caſgar, this is the Story that the Bagdad Merchant told in a Company where I was yeſterday. This Story, ſaid the Sultan, has ſomething in it that’s extraordinary; but it does not come near that of my little Hunch-back. Then the Jewiſh Phyfician proſtrated himſelf before the Sultan’s Throne, and, riſing again, addreſſed himſelf to that Prince in the following Manner. Sir, if you will be ſo good as to hear me, I flatter my ſelf you will be pleaſed with a Story I have to