The Hundred and Ninety Sixth Night.
SIR, the Prince of Perſia, before he began to write, gave Schemſelnihar’s Letter to Ebn Thaher, and pray’d him to hold it open while he wrote, that by caſting his Eyes upon it he might ſee the better what to anſwer. He began to write; but the Tears that fell from his Eyes upon the Paper obliged him ſeveral Times to ſtop, that they might trickle down the more freely. At laſt he finiſh’d his Letter, and giving it to Ebn Thaher, read it, I pray, ſays he to him, and do me the Favour to ſee if the Diſorder of my Mind has allowed me to give a reaſonable Anſwer, Ebn Thaher took it, and read it as follows.
The Prince of Perſia’s Anſwer to Schemſelnihar’s Letter.
I WAS ſwallow’d up with mortal Grief when I receiv’d your Letter; at the Sight of which I was tranſported with unſpeakable Joy; and at the View of the Characters writ by your lovely Hand, my Eyes were enlightened more ſenlibly than they were darkened when yours were cloſed on aſudden at the Feet of my Rival. Theſe Words which your courteous Letter contains, are ſo many Rays of Light which have diſpelled the Darkneſs my Soul was obſcur’d with; they ſhew me how much you ſuffer by your Love to me, and that you are not ignorant of what I endure for you, and thereby comfort me in my Afflictions. On the one Hand they make me ſhed Tears in Abundance, and on the other, they inflame my Heart with a Fire which ſupports it, and hinders me to die of Grief. I have not had one Moment’s Reſt ſince our cruel Separation. Your Letter only gave me ſome Eaſe. I kept a ſorrowful Silence, till the Moment I receiv’d it, and then it reſtor’d me to Speech. I was buried in a profound Melancholy, but it inſpir’d me with Joy, which immediately appear’d in my Eyes and Countenance. But my Surprize at receiving a Favour which I had not deſerved, was ſo great; that I knew not which Way to begin to teſtify my Thankfulneſs for it. In a Word, after having Kiſ’d it ſeveral Times, as a valuable Pledge of your