Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/46

Thus the Sultaneſs finiſhed this long Train of Adventures, to which the pretended Death of Hump-back gave Occaſion: Then held her Peace, becauſe Day appear, Upon which her Siſter, Dinarzade, ſays to her, My Princeſs, my Sultaneſs, I am ſo much the more charm’d with the Story, you juſt now told, becauſe it concludes with an Incident I did not expect: I verily thought Hump-back was dead. This Surprize pleaſes me, ſays Schahriar, as much as the adventures of the Barber’s Brothers. The Story of the lame young Man of Bagdad, diverted me alſo very much, replies Dinarzade. I am very glad of it, dear Sitter, ſays the Sultaneſs, and ſince I have the good Fortune not to tire out the Patience of the Sultan, our Lord and Maſter, if his Majeſty will ſtill be ſo gracious as to preſerve my Life, I ſhall have the Honour to give him an Account to Morrow of the Hiſtory of the Amours of Aboulhaſſen Ali Ebn Becar, and Schemſelnihar, Favourites of the Califf Haroun Alraſchid, which is no leſs worthy of your Notice, than the Hiſtory of Hump-back. The Sultan of the Indies, who was very well ſatisfied with the Stories that Scheherazade had told him hitherto, was willing to hear that Hiſtory which ſhe promiſed. He roſe however to go to Prayers, and hold his Council, without giving any Signification of his Pleaſure towards the Sultaneſs.

DInarzade being always careful to awake her Siſter, called this Night at the ordinary Hour: My dear Siſter, ſays ſhe, Day will ſoon appear, I earneſtly beg of you to tell us ſome of your fine Stories, We need no other, ſaid Schahriar, but that of the Amours of Aboulhaſſen Ali Ebn Becar, and Schemſelnihar, the Favourite of Califf Haroun Alraſchid. Sir, ſays Scheherazade, I will ſatisfy your Curioſity: And began thus,