Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/7

dies, purſued her Story as follows. Sir, the Grand Vizier Giafar, continuing the Story of Bedreddin Haſſan, Bedreddin, ſaid he, kept on the Paſtry-Trade at Damaſcus, and his Uncle Schemſeddin Mohammed went from thence three Days after his Arrival. He went by way of Emaus, Hamah, and Halep; then croſſed the Euphrates, and after paſſing through Mardin, Mouſſoul, Sengiar, Djarbeke, and ſeveral other Towns, arrived at laſt at Balſora; and immediately after his Arrival, deſired Audience of the Sultan; who was no ſooner informed of Schemſeddin’s Qualility, than he gave him Audience, received him very favourably, and asked him the Occaſion of his Journey to Balſora? Sir, replied the Vizier Schemſeddin Mohammed, I come to know what is become of the Son of Noureddin Ali my Brother, who has had the Honour to ſerve your Majeſty. Noureddin Ali, ſaid the Sultan, has been dead a long while; as for his Son, all I can tell you of him, is, that he diſappeared all on a ſudden, about Two Months after his Father’s Death, and no Body has a him ſince, notwithſtanding all the Enquiry I ordered to be made. But his Mother, who is a Daughter of one of my Viziers, is ſtill alive. Schemſeddin Mohammed deſired leave of the Sultan to ſee her, and carry her to Egypt; and having obtained his Requeſt, without tarrying till the next Day, for the ſatistaction of ſeeing her, enquired after her place of Abode, and that very Hour went to our Houſe, accompanied with his Daughter and his Grand-ſon.

The Widow of Noureddin Ali lived ſtill in the ſame Place, where her Husband had lived. ’Twas a fine ftately Houſe, adorn’d with Marble Pillars: But Schemſeddin did not ſtop to view it. At his Entry, he kiſſed the Gate, and the Piece of Marble upon which his Brother’s Name was written in Letters of Gold. He asked to ſpeak with his Siſter-in-law, and was told by, her Servants, that ſhe was in a ſmall Edifice of the Form of a Dome, which they ſhewed to him, in the Middle of a very ſpacious Court. The Matter was, this tender Mother uſed to ſpend the greateſt part of Day and Night in that Room, which ſhe had built for a Repreſentation of the Tomb of Bedreddin Haſſan, whom ſhe took to bedead after fo long Abſence. At that very Minute ſhe pouring Tears over the Thoughts