Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/79

that it was for a Trifle ſhe came ſo frequently to him; You don’t tell me the Truth, ſays the Jeweller, and give me ground to think by your Diſſimulation, that this Trifle is a more important Affair than at firſt I thought it to be. Ebn Thaher perceiving that his Friend preſſed him ſo much, ſays to him, its true, that it’s an Affair of the greateſt Conlequence; I had reſolved to keep it ſecret, but ſince I know how much you are my Friend, I chuſe rather to make you my Confidant, than to ſuffer you to be in a Miſtake about it, I don’t recommend it to you to keep the Secret, for you’ll eaſily judge by what I am going to tell you, how important it is to keep it. After this Preamble, he told him the Amour between Schemſelnihar and the Prince of Perſia. You-know, continues he, in what Eſteem I am at Court, in the City, and with Lords and Ladies of the greateſt Quality, what a Diſgrace would it be for me, ſhould this raſh Intrigue come to be diſcovered. But what do I ſay? Should not I and my Family be quite deſtroyed? That’s the Thing perplexes my Mind; but I have juſt now come to ſuch a Reſolve as I ought to make, I will go immediately and ſatisfy my Creditors, and recover my Debts, and when I have ſecured my Eſtate, will retire to Balzora, and ſtay till the Tempeſt, that I foreſee, blows over. The Friendſhip I have for Schemſelnihar and the Prince of Perſia, makes me very ſenſible to what Danger they are expos’d. I pray Heaven to diſcover it to themſelves, and to preſerve them; but if their ill Deſtiny will have their Amours come to the Knowledge of the Califf, I ſhall, at leaſt, be out of the Reach of his Reſentment; for I don’t think them ſo wicked, as to deſign to draw me into their own Misfortunes. It. would be extream Ingratitude in them to do ſo, and a ſorry Reward for the good Service I have done them, and the good Advice I have given them, particularly to the Prince of Perſia, who may ſave himſelf and his Miſtreſs, both from this Precipice, if he pleaſes; he may as eaſily leave Bagdad as I, and Abſence will inſenſibly diſengage him from a Paſſion, which will only increaſe whilſt he continues in this Place.

The Jeweller was extreamly ſurprized at what Ebn Thaher told him, What you ſay to me, ſays he, is of ſo great Importance, hat I can’t underſtand how Schemſelni-