Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/69

of his Diſtemper. As ſoon as he ſaw Ebn Thaher, he look’d upon him ſmiling, to ſignify that he had two Things to tell him, the one, that he was glad to ſee him; the other, how much the Phyſicians, who could not diſcover the Cauſe of his Diſtemper, were out in their Reaſonings.

His Friends and Phyſicians retired one after another, ſo that Ebn Thaher being alone with him, came near his Bed to ask him how he did, ſince he ſaw him. I muſt tell you, anſwers the Prince, that my Paſſion which continually gathers new Strength, and the Uncertainty of the lovely Schemſelnihar’s Deſtiny, augments my Diſtemper every Moment, and caſts me into ſuch a Condition, as afflicts my Kindred and Friends, and breaks the Meaſures of my Phyſicians, who don’t underſtand it. You cannot think, adds he, how much I ſuffer to ſee ſo many People about me, who importune me, and whom I cannot in Civility put away. It’s your Company alone that is comfortable to me; but in a Word, I conjure you not to diſſemble with me, what News do you bring me of Schemſelnihar, have you ſeen her Confident? What ſays ſhe to you? Ebn Thaher anfwer’d that he had not ſeen her yet; and no ſooner had he told the Prince of Perſia this ſad News, but the Tears came from his Eyes, he could not anſwer one Word his Heart was ſo oppreſs’d. Prince, adds Ebn Thaher, ſuffer me to tell you, that you are very ingenious in tormenting yourſelf, In the Name of God, wipe away your Tears if any of your People ſhould come in juſt now, they would diſcover you by this, notwithſtanding the Care you ought to take to conceal your Thoughts. Whatever this judicious Confident cou’d ſay, it was not poſſible for the Prince to reſtrain from weeping: Wiſe Ebn Thaher, ſays he, when he had recoyered his Speech, I may well hinder my Tongue from revealing the Secrets of my Heart, but I have no Power over my Tears, upon ſuch a direful Subject as Schemſelnihar’s Danger. It that adorable and only Object of my Deſires be no longer in the World, I ſhall not be one Moment after her. Reject ſo afflicting a Thought, replied Ebn Thaher, Schemſelnihar is yet alive, you need not doubt of it; if you have heard no News of her, it’s becauſe ſhe could find no Occaſion to ſend to you, and I hope you will hear from her to Day. To this he added ſeveral other comfortable Things, and then retired.