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this Ebn Thaher did not oppoſe his going home, but took care to accompany him thither, and when he was with him alone in his Chamber, he repreſented to him all thoſe Arguments which might influence him to a generous Endeavour to overcome that Paſſion, which in the End would neither prove lucky to himſelf nor to the Favourite, Ah! Dear Ebn Thaher cries the Prince, how eaſy is it for you to give this Advice, but how hard is it for me to follow it? I am ſenſible of its Importance, but am not able to profit by it. I have ſaid it already, that I ſhall carry to the Grave with me the Love that I bear to Schemſelnihar. When Ebn Thaher ſaw that he could gain nothing upon the Prince, he took his Leave of him and would have retired,

Scheherazade ſeeing Day begin to appear held her Peace, and next Morning reſumed her Diſcourſe thus.


The Hundred and Ninety Third Night.


THE Prince of Perſia retain’d him, and ſaid, kind Ebn Thaher, ſince I have declared yo you that it is not in my Power to follow your wiſe Counſels, I beg you would not charge it on me as a Crime, nor forbear to give me the uſual Teſtimonies of your Friendſhip, you cannot do me a greater Favour than to inform me of the Deſtiny of my dear Schemſelnihar, when you hear any News of it: The Uncertainty I am in concerning her Fate, and the mortal Apprehenſions her fainting has occaſioned in me, keeps me in this languiſhing Condition you reproach me with. My Lord anſwered Ebn Thaher, you have Reaſon to hope that her fainting was not attended with any bad Conſequence, her Confident will quickly come and inform me of the iſſue, and as ſoon as I know the Particulars, I will not fail to impart them.

Ebn Thaher left the Prince in this Hope, and returned Home, where he expected Schemſelnihar’s Confident all the reſt of the Day, but in vain, nor did ſhe come next Day: His Uneaſneisto know the State of the Prince of Perſia’s Health, would not ſuffer him to ſtay any longer without ſeeing him; he went to his Lodgings to exhort him to Patience, and found him lying on his Bed as ſick as ever, ſurrounded by a great many of his Friends, and ſeveral Phyſicians who made uſe of all their Art to diſcover the Cauſe

of

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