Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/65

to ſupport her, ſhe muſt have fell down, had not ſome of the Women helped her in Time; after which they took her up, and carried her into the Saloon.

Ebn Thaher, who was in the Gallery, being ſurpriz’d at this Accident, turned towards the Prince of Perſia, but inſtead of ſeeing him ſtand and look thro’ the Window as before, he was extreamly amazed to ſee him fallen down at his Feet, and without Motion. He judged it to proceed from the Violence of that Prince’s Love to Schemſelnihar, and admired the ſtrange Effect of Sympathy, which put him into a mortal Fear, becauſe of the Place they were in, in the mean time he did all he cou’d to recover the Prince, but in vain. Ebn Thaher was in this Perplexity, when Schemſelnihar’s Confident open’d the Gallery Door, and came in out of Breath, as one who knew not where ſhe was. Come ſpeedily, cries ſhe, that I may let you out, all is in Confuſion here, and I fear this will be the laſt of our Days. Ah! how would you have us to go, replies Ebn Thaher with a mournful Voice, come near I pray you, and ſeewhat a Condition the Prince of Perſia is in. When the Slave ſaw him in a Swoon, ſhe ran for Water in all haſte, and return’d in an inſtant,

At laſt the Prince of Perſia, after they had thrown Water on his Face, recovered his Spirits. Prince, ſays Ebn Thaher to him, we run the Riſque of being deſtroyed it we ſtay here any longer, let us therefore endeavour to ſave our Lives. He was ſo feeble that he could not riſe alone; Ebn Thaher and the Confident lent him their Hands, and ſupported him on each Side. They came to a little Iron Gate which opens towards the Tygris, went out at it, and came to the Side of a little Canal which has a Communication with the River. The Confident clapp’d her Hands, and immediately a little Boat appear’d and came towards them with one Rower. Ali Ebn Becar and his Comrade went aboard, and the truſty Slave ſtayed at the Side of the Canal. As ſoon as the Prince ſat down in the Boat, he ſtretched one Hand towards the Palace, and laid his other upon his Heart: Dear Object of my Soul, cries he with a feeble Voice, receive my Faith with this Hand, while I aſſure you with the other that my Heart ſhall for eyer preſerve the Fire with which it burns for you.