Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/56

Reaſon, and put your ſelf in a Condition to appear before her, as good Breeding requires. Lo! There ſhe comes; were the Matter to begin again, I would take other Meaſures; but ſince the Thing is done, I wiſh we may not repent it. What I have ſarther to ſay to you, is this, That Love is a Traytor, who may throw you into a Pit you will never get out of.

Ebn Thaher had no Time to ſay any more, becauſe Schemſelnihar came, and ſitting down upon her Throne, ſaluted them both, with bowing her Head; but ſhe fix’d her Eyes on the Prince of Perſia, and they ſpoke to one another in a ſilent Language intermix’d with Sighs; by which, in a few Moments, they ſpoke more than they could have done by Words in a great deal of Time. The more Schemſelnihar look’d upon the Prince, the more ſhe found by his Looks that he was in Love with. her, and being thus perſwaded of his Paſſion, thought herſelf the happieſt Woman in the World; at laſt ſhe turn’d her Eyes from him to command the Women who began to ſing firſt, to come near; they got up, and whilſt they advanc’d, the black Women who came out of the Walk into which they retir’d, brought their Seats, and ſet them near the Window, in the jet of the Dome, where Ebn Thaher, and the Prince of Perſia ſtood, and their Seats were ſo diſpoſed on each Side the Favourite’s Throne, that they form’d a Semicircle.

The Women, who were ſitting before ſhe came, took each of them their Places again, with the Permiſſion of Schemſelnihar, who ordered them by a Sign. That charming Favourite choſe one of thoſe Women to ſing, who after ſhe had ſpent ſome Moments in tuning her Lute, play’d a Song, the Meaning whereof was, That two Lovers who entirely loved one another, whoſe Affection was boundleſs, their Hearts, though in two Bodies, were one and the ſame; and when any thing oppos’d their Deſires, could ſay with Tears in their Eyes, If we love becauſe we find one another amiable, ought we to be blam’d for that? Let Deſtiny bear the Blame.

Schemſelnihar diſcover’d ſo well by her Eyes and Gefture, that thoſe Sayings ought to be apply’d to her, and the Prince of Perſia, that he could not content himſelf: He aroſe and came to a Baliſter, which he lean’d upon, and