THE HISTORY (continued 2)

At this moment I felt so transported with joy, that I could scarcely believe myself awake. Being at length convinced that it was not a dream, I exclaimed in these Arabic words, “Invoke the Almighty, and he will come to thy assistance; thou needst not care for ought besides. Close thine eyes, and while thou sleepest, God will change thy fortune from bad to good.”

One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, having heard me pronounce these words, advanced towards me, and spoke as follows:—“Brother,” said he, “be not surprised at seeing us; we live in this country, and we came hither to-day to water our fields from this river, which flows from the neighbouring mountain, by cutting canals to admit a passage for the water.

“We observed that the current bore something along, and we immediately ran to the bank to see what it was, and perceived this raft; one of us instantly swam to it, and conducted it to shore. We fastened it as you see, and were waiting for you to wake. We entreat you to relate to us your history, which must be very extraordinary; tell us how you could venture on this river, and from whence you come.” I first requested him to give me some food, after which I promised to satisfy their curiosity.

They produced several kinds of meat, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related to them all that had happened to me, which they appeared to listen to with great admiration. As soon as I had finished my history, their interpreter told me, that I had astonished them with my relation, and I must go myself to the king, to recount my adventures; for they were of too extraordinary a nature to be repeated by any one but by him to whom they had happened. I replied that I was ready to do any thing they wished. The blacks then sent for a horse, which arrived shortly after; they placed me on it, and whilst some walked by my side to show me the way, others, of a more robust make, hawled the raft out of the water, and carried it on their shoulders, with the bales of rubies, and followed me.

We went together to the city of Serendid, for this was the name of the island: and the blacks presented me to their king. I approached his throne, where he was seated, and saluted him, as it is usual to accost the kings of India; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet, and kissed the earth. The prince made me rise, and receiving me with an affable air, he placed me by his side. He first asked me my name; I replied, that I was called Sindbad, and surnamed the sailor, from having made several voyages; and added, that I was a citizen of Bagdad. “But,” replied he, “how then came you into my dominions, from whence are you arrived?”

I concealed nothing from the king, and related to him what you have just heard; he was so pleased with it, that he ordered the history of my adventures to be written in letters of gold, that it might be preserved amongst the archives of his kingdom. The raft was then produced, and the bales were opened in his presence. He admired the aloe-wood and ambergris, but above all the rubies and emeralds, as he had none in his treasury equal to them in value.

Perceiving that he examined my precious stones with pleasure, and that he looked repeatedly at the rarest of them, I prostrated myself before him, and took the liberty of saying, “Sire, not only my person is at your commands, but the cargo of my raft also, if your majesty will do me the honour of accepting it, and disposing of it as you think fit.” He smiled, and replied, that he did not desire any thing which belonged to me; for as God had given it me I ought not to be deprived of it; that instead of diminishing my riches, he should add to them; and that when I left his dominions I should carry with me proofs of his liberality. I could only reply to this by praying for his prosperity, and by praising his generosity.

He ordered one of his officers to attend me, and gave me servants to wait upon me at his own expence. The officers faithfully fulfilled the charge they were intrusted with, and conveyed all the bales to the place destined for my lodging.

I went every day at certain hours to pay my court to the king, and employed the rest of the time in seeing the city, and whatever was most worthy of my attention.

The island of Serendid is situated exactly under the equinoctial line, so that the days and nights are of equal length. It is eighty parasangs [8] long and as many in breadth. The principal town is situated at the extremity of a beautiful valley, formed by a mountain, which is in the middle of the island, and which is by far the highest in the world; it is discernible at sea within three days navigation of it. Rubies and many sorts of minerals are found in it, and most of the rocks are formed of emery, which is a sort of metallic stone used for cutting precious stones.

All kinds of rare and curious plants and trees, particularly the cedar and cocoa-tree, grow here in great abundance, and there are pearl-fisheries on the coast, at the mouth of the rivers; some of its valleys also produce diamonds. I made a devotional journey up the mountain, to the spot where Adam was placed on his banishment from Paradise; and I had the curiosity to ascend to the summit.

When I came back to the city, I entreated the king to grant me permission to return to my native country, which he did in the most obliging and honourable manner. He compelled me to receive a rich present, which was taken from his treasury; and when I went to take my leave, he deposited in my care another still more considerable than the first, and at the same time gave me a letter for the Commander of the Believers, our sovereign lord, saying, “I beg you to present from me this letter, and this present to the Caliph Haroun Alraschid, and to assure him of my friendship.” I took the present and the letter, with the greatest respect, and promised his majesty to execute the orders with which he was pleased to honour me, with the greatest punctuality. Before I embarked, the king sent for the captain and the merchants with whom I was to sail, and charged them to pay me all possible attention.

The letter of the king of Serendid was written on the skin of a certain animal, highly prized in that country on account of its rareness. The colour of it approaches to yellow. The letter itself was in characters of azure, and it contained the following words in the Indian language:

THE KING OF THE INDIES, WHO IS PRECEDED BY A THOUSAND ELEPHANTS; WHO LIVES IN A PALACE, THE ROOF OF WHICH GLITTERS WITH THE LUSTRE OF AN HUNDRED THOUSAND RUBIES, AND WHO POSSESSES IN HIS TREASURY TWENTY THOUSAND CROWNS ENRICHED WITH DIAMONDS, TO THE CALIPH HAROUN ALRASCHID.

“Although the present that we send you be inconsiderable, yet receive it as a brother and a friend, in consideration of the friendship we bear you in our heart; and we feel happy in having an opportunity of testifying it to you. We ask the same share in your affections, as we hope we deserve it; being of a rank equal to that you hold. We salute you as a brother. Farewell.”

The present consisted, first, of a vase made of one single ruby, pierced and worked into a cup of half a foot in height, and an inch thick, filled with fine round pearls, all weighing half a drachm each: secondly, the skin of a serpent, which had scales as large as a common piece of money, the peculiar property of which was to preserve those who lay on it from all disease: thirdly, fifty thousand drachms of the most exquisite aloe-wood, together with thirty grains of camphor as large as a pistachio-nut; and lastly, all this was accompanied by a female slave of the most enchanting beauty, whose clothes were covered with jewels.

The ship set sail, and after a long though fortunate voyage, we landed at Balsora, from whence I returned to Bagdad. The first thing I did after my arrival, was to execute the commission I had been intrusted with. I took the letter of the king of Serendid, and presented myself at the gate of the Commander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave, and some of my family, who carried the presents which had been committed to my care. I mentioned the reason of my appearance there, and I was immediately conducted before the throne of the caliph. I prostrated myself at his feet, and having made a short speech, gave him the letter and the present. When he had read the contents, he inquired of me whether it was true that the king of Serendid was as rich and powerful as he reported himself to be in his letter. I prostrated myself a second time, and when I arose, “Commander of the Faithful,” said I, “I can assure your majesty, that he does not exaggerate his riches and grandeur; I have been witness to it. Nothing can excite greater admiration than the magnificence of his palace. When this prince wishes to appear in public, a throne is prepared for him on the back of an elephant; on this he sits and proceeds between two files, composed of his ministers, favourites, and others belonging to the court. Before him, on the same elephant, sits an officer with a golden lance in his hand, and behind the throne another stands with a pillar of gold, on the top of which is placed an emerald about half a foot long and an inch thick. He is preceded by a guard of a thousand men, habited in silk and gold stuffs, and mounted on elephants richly caparisoned.

“While the king is on his march, the officer, who sits before him on the elephant, from time to time cries with a loud voice, ‘This is the great monarch, the powerful and tremendous sultan of the Indies, whose palace is covered with a hundred thousand rubies, and who possesses twenty thousand diamond crowns. This is the crowned monarch, greater than ever was Solima, or the great Mihragè.’

“After he has pronounced these words, the officer, who is behind the throne, cries, in his turn, ‘This monarch, who is so great and powerful, must die, must die, must die.’ The first officer then replies, ‘Hail to him who lives and dies not.’

“The king of Serendid is so just, that there are no judges in his capital, nor in any other part of his dominions; his people do not want any. They know and observe with exactness the true principles of justice, and never deviate from their duty; therefore tribunals and magistrates would be useless amongst them.” The caliph was satisfied with my discourse, and said, “The wisdom of this king appears in his letter; and after what you have told me I must confess that such wisdom is worthy of such subjects, and such subjects worthy of it.” At these words he dismissed me with a rich present.

Sindbad here finished his discourse, and his visitors retired; but Hindbad, as usual, received his hundred sequins. They returned the following day, and Sindbad began the relation of his seventh and last Voyage in these terms:

THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE SAILOR.

On my return from my sixth voyage, I absolutely relinquished all thoughts of ever venturing again on the seas. I was now arrived at an age which required rest, and besides this I had sworn never more to expose myself to the perils I had so often experienced: I prepared therefore to enjoy my life in quiet and repose.

One day, when I was regaling a number of friends, one of my servants came to tell me, that an officer of the caliph wanted to speak to me. I got up from table, and went to him. “The caliph,” said he, “has ordered me to acquaint you that he wishes to see you.” I followed the officer to the palace, and he presented me to the prince, whom I saluted, by prostrating myself at his feet. “Sindbad,” said he, “I am in want of you; you must do me a service; and go once more to the king of Serendid with my answer and presents; it is but right that I should make him a proper return for the civility he has shown me.”

This order of the caliph was a thunderbolt to me. “Commander of the Faithful,” replied I, “I am ready to execute any thing that your majesty may desire; but I humbly entreat you to consider, that I am worn down with the unspeakable fatigues I have undergone; I have even made a vow never to leave Bagdad.” I then took occasion to recount the long detail of my adventures, which he had the patience to listen to attentively. When I had done speaking, “I confess,” said he, “that these are extraordinary adventures: nevertheless, they must not prevent your making the voyage I propose, for my sake; it is only to the island of Serendid; execute the commission I intrust you with, and then you will be at liberty to return. But you must go; for you must be sensible, that it would be highly indecorous, as well as derogatory to my dignity, to be under obligations to the king of that island.”

As I plainly saw, that the caliph had resolved on my going, I signified to him, that I was ready to obey his commands. He seemed much pleased, and ordered me a thousand sequins to pay the expences of the voyage.

In a few days I was prepared for my departure; and as soon as I had received the presents of the caliph, together with a letter, written with his own hand, I set off, and took the rout of Balsora, from whence I embarked. After a pleasant voyage, I arrived at the island of Serendid. I immediately acquainted the ministers with the commission I was come upon, and begged them to procure me an audience as soon as possible. They did not fail to attend to my wishes, and conducted me to the palace. I saluted the king by prostrating myself according to the usual custom.

This prince immediately recollected me, and evinced great joy at my return. “Welcome, Sindbad,” said he, “I assure you I have often thought of you since your departure. Blessed be this day in which I see you again.” I returned the compliment, and after thanking him for his kindness, I delivered the letter and present of the caliph, which he received with every mark of satisfaction and pleasure.

The caliph sent him a complete bed of gold tissue, estimated at a thousand sequins; fifty robes of a very rich stuff, an hundred more of white linen, the finest that could be procured from Cairo, Suez, Cufa, and Alexandria; another bed of crimson, also another of a different make. A vase of agate, greater in width than in depth, of the thickness of a finger; on the sides there was sculptured in bas-relief, a man, kneeling on the ground, and in his hand a bow and arrow, with which he was going to let fly at a lion: besides these he sent him a richly ornamented table, which was supposed from tradition to have belonged to the great Solomon. The letter of the caliph was written in these terms:

HEALTH IN THE NAME OF THE SOVEREIGN GUIDE OF THE RIGHT ROAD, TO THE POWERFUL AND HAPPY SULTAN, FROM THE PART OF ABDALLA HAROUN ALRASCHID, WHOM GOD HAS PLACED ON THE SEAT OF HONOUR, AFTER HIS ANCESTORS OF HAPPY MEMORY.

“We have received your letter with joy; and we send you this, emanated from the council of our porte, the garden of superior minds. We hope, that in casting your eyes over it, you will perceive our good intention, and think it agreeable. Adieu.”

The king of Serendid was rejoiced to find, that the caliph returned a testimony of his friendship. Soon after this audience, I requested another, to take my leave, which I had some difficulty to obtain. At length I succeeded, and the king, at my departure, ordered me a very handsome present. I re-embarked immediately, intending to return to Bagdad; but had not the good fortune to arrive so soon as I expected, for God had disposed of it otherwise.

Three or four days after we had set sail, we were attacked by corsairs, who easily made themselves masters of our vessel, as we were not in a state for defence. Some persons in the ship attempted to make resistance, but it cost them their lives. I, and all those who had the prudence not to oppose the intention of the corsairs, were made slaves. After they had stripped us, and substituted bad clothes for our own, they bent their course towards a large island at a very great distance, where they sold us.

I was purchased by a rich merchant, who conducted me to his house, gave me food to eat, and clothed me as a slave. Some days after, as he was not well informed who I was, he asked me, if I knew any trade. I replied that I was not an artisan, but a merchant by profession, and that the corsairs, who had sold me, had taken from me all I was possessed of. “But tell me,” said he, “do you think you could shoot with a bow and arrow?” I replied, that it had been one of my youthful sports, and that I had not entirely forgotten how to use it. He then gave me a bow and some arrows, and making me mount behind him on an elephant, he took me to a vast forest at the distance of some hours journey from the city. We went a great way in it, and when he came to a spot where he wished to stop, he made me alight. Then showing me a large tree, “Get up in that tree,” said he, “and shoot at the elephants that pass under it, for there is a prodigious quantity in this forest: if one should fall, come and acquaint me of it.” Having said this he left me some provisions, and returned to the city: I remained in the tree on the watch the whole night.

I did not perceive any during that time, but the next day, as soon as the sun had arisen, a great number made their appearance. I shot many arrows at them, and at last one fell. The others immediately retired, and left me at liberty to go and inform my master of the success I had met with. To reward me for this good intelligence, he regaled me with an excellent repast, and praised my address. We then returned together to the forest, where we dug a pit to bury the elephant I had killed. It was my master’s intention to let it rot in the earth, and then to take possession of its teeth for commerce.

I continued this occupation for two months, and not a day passed in which I did not kill an elephant. I did not always place myself on the same tree; sometimes I ascended one, sometimes another. One morning, when I was waiting for some elephants to pass, I perceived, to my great astonishment, that instead of traversing the forest as usual, they stopped and came towards me with a terrible noise, and in such numbers, that the ground was covered with them, and trembled under their footsteps. They approached the tree where I was placed, and surrounded it with their trunks extended, having their eyes all fixed upon me. At this surprising spectacle I remained motionless, and so agitated by fright that my bow and arrows fell from my hands.

My fears were not groundless. After the elephants had viewed me for some time, one of the largest twisted his trunk round the body of the tree, and shook it with so much violence, that he tore it up by the roots, and threw it on the ground. I fell with the tree; but the animal took me up with his trunk, and placed me on his shoulders, where I remained more dead than alive. He put himself at the head of his companions, who followed him in a troop, and carried me to a spot where having set me down, he and the rest retired. Conceive my situation! I thought it a dream. At length having been seated some time, and seeing no other elephants, I arose, and perceived that I was on a little hill of some breadth, entirely covered with bones and teeth of elephants. This sight filled my mind with a variety of reflections. I admired the instinct of these animals, and did not doubt, that this was their cemetery or place of burial; and that they had brought me hither to show it me, that I might desist from destroying them, as I did it merely for the sake of possessing their teeth. I did not stay long on the hill, but turned my steps towards the city, and having walked a day and a night, at last arrived at my master’s. I did not meet any elephant in my way, which plainly evinced, that they had entered farther into the forest, to leave me an unobstructed passage from the hill.

As soon as my master saw me, “Ah! poor Sindbad,” exclaimed he, “I was in pain to know what could be become of you. I have been to the forest, and found a tree newly torn up by the roots, and a bow and arrows on the ground; after having sought you every where in vain, I despaired of ever seeing you again. Pray relate to me what has happened to you, and by what happy chance you are still alive.” I satisfied his curiosity, and the following day, having accompanied me to the hill, he was, with great joy, convinced of the truth of my history. We loaded the elephant on which we had come with as many teeth as he could carry, and when we returned, he thus addressed me, “Brother, for I will no longer treat you as a slave, after the discovery you have imparted to me, and which cannot fail to enrich me, may God pour on you all sorts of blessings and prosperity! Before him I give you your liberty. I had concealed from you what I am now going to relate. The elephants of our forest destroy annually an infinite number of slaves, whom we send in search of ivory. Whatever advice we give them, they are sure, sooner or later, to lose their lives by the wiles of these animals. God has delivered you from their fury, and has conferred this mercy on you alone. It is a sign that he cherishes you, and that he wants you in the world to be of use to mankind. You have procured me a surprising advantage: we have not hitherto been able to get ivory without risking the lives of our slaves, and now our whole city will be enriched by your means. Do not suppose, that I think I have sufficiently recompensed you, by giving you your liberty; I intend to add to it considerable presents; I might engage the whole city to join, and make your fortune, but that is an honour I will enjoy alone.”

To this obliging discourse I replied, “Master, God preserve you; the liberty you grant me, acquits you of all obligation towards me; and the only recompense I desire for the service I have had the good fortune to procure for you, and the inhabitants of your city, is permission to return to my country.”—“Well,” resumed he, “the monsoon will soon bring us vessels, which come to be laden with ivory. I will then send you away, with a sufficiency to pay your expences home.” I again thanked him for the liberty he had given me, and for the good will he showed me. I remained with him till the season for the monsoon, during which we made frequent excursions to the hill, and filled his magazines with ivory. All the other merchants in the city did the same, for it did not long remain a secret.

The ships at length arrived, and my master having chosen that in which I was to embark, loaded it with ivory, half of which was on my own account. He did not omit an abundance of provisions for my voyage, and he obliged me to accept some rare curiosities of that country besides. After I had thanked him, as much as possible, for all the obligations he had conferred on me, I embarked. We set sail, and as the adventure which had procured me liberty was very extraordinary, it was always on my mind.

We touched at several islands to procure refreshments. Our vessel having sailed from a port of the Indian Terra Firma, we went there to land: and, fearful of the dangers of the sea to Balsora, I landed the ivory, which belonged to me, and resolved to continue my journey by land. I sold my share of the cargo for a large sum of money, and purchased a variety of curious things for presents: when I was equipped, I joined a caravan of merchants. I remained a long time on the road, and suffered a great deal, but I bore all with patience, when I reflected, that I had neither tempests nor corsairs, serpents, nor any other peril, that I had before encountered, to fear.

All these fatigues being at last concluded, I arrived happily at Bagdad. I went immediately and presented myself to the caliph, and gave him an account of my embassy. This prince told me, that my long absence had occasioned him some uneasiness; but that he always hoped that God would not forsake me.

When I related the adventure of the elephants, he appeared much surprised, and would scarcely have believed it, had not my sincerity been well known to him. He thought this, as well as the other histories I had detailed to him, so curious, that he ordered one of his secretaries to write it in letters of gold, to be preserved in his treasury. I retired well satisfied with the presents and honours he conferred on me: and then resigned myself entirely to my family, my relations, and friends.

Sindbad thus concluded the recital of his seventh and last voyage; and addressing himself to Hindbad, “Well, my friend,” added he, “have you ever heard of one who has suffered more than I have, or been in so many trying situations? Is it not just, that after so many troubles I should enjoy an agreeable and quiet life?” As he finished these words, Hindbad approaching him, kissed his hand, and said, “I must confess, sir, that you have encountered frightful perils; my afflictions are not to be compared with yours. If I feel them heavily at the time I suffer them, I console myself with the small profit which they produce. You not only deserve a quiet life, but are worthy of all the riches you possess; since you make so good a use of them, and are so generous. May you continue to live happily till the hour of your death!”

Sindbad ordered him to have another hundred sequins; he admitted him to his friendship, told him to quit the profession of a porter, and to continue to eat at his table, for that he should all his life have reason to remember Sindbad the sailor.

THE THREE APPLES.

Sire (said Scheherazadè) I have already had the honour of relating to your majesty one excursion that the caliph Haroun Alraschid made from his palace. I will now tell you of another.

One day, this prince desired his grand vizier Giafar to be with him the following evening. “I wish,” said he, “to visit all parts of the city, and make myself acquainted with the opinions generally formed of my officers of justice. If there be any who are deservedly complained of, we will discharge them, and place others in their situation, who will perform their duty more successfully. If, on the contrary, there be any who are praised, we will reward them according to their deserts.” The grand vizier having repaired to the palace at the appointed time, the caliph, himself, and Mesrour, the chief of the eunuchs, disguised themselves that they might not be known, and set out together.

They passed through several squares, and many market-places; and coming into a small street, they perceived, by the light of the moon, a man with a white beard, and of tall stature, carrying nets on his head. He had on his arm a basket, made of palm leaves, and in his hand a stick. “To see this old man,” said the caliph, “one should not suppose him rich; let us address him, and ask him the state of his fortune.”—“Good man,” said the vizier, “what art thou?”—“My lord,” replied the old man, “I am a fisherman, but the poorest, and most miserable of my trade. I went out at noon to go and fish, and from that time till now I have not taken one. And yet I have a wife and young children, but have not sufficient means of supporting them.”

The caliph, touched with compassion, said to the fisherman, “Should you have courage to return and throw your nets once more? We will give you an hundred sequins for what you bring us.” The fisherman, taking the caliph at his word, and forgetting all the troubles of the past day, returned towards the Tigris, in company with him, Giafar, and Mesrour, saying to himself, “These gentlemen appear too civil, and too reasonable, not to recompense me for my pains; and even should they give me only an hundredth part of what they promise me, it will still be a great sum for me.”

They arrived on the banks of the river, and the fisherman, having thrown his nets, drew out a case well closed, and very heavy. The caliph immediately ordered the vizier to count him his hundred sequins, and discharged him. Mesrour took the case on his shoulders by order of his master, who in his curiosity to know what it could contain, returned immediately to the palace. The case being opened, they found a large basket made of palm leaves, and sewn at the opening with a bit of red worsted. To satisfy the impatience of the caliph, they cut the worsted with at knife, and drew out of the basket a packet, wrapped in a piece of old carpet, and tied with cord. The cord being untied, and the packet undone, they perceived with horror, the body of a young lady, whiter than snow, and cut into pieces. The caliph’s astonishment at this dismal spectacle cannot be described; but his surprise was instantly changed to anger, and casting a furious look at the vizier, “Wretch,” cried he, “is this the way you inspect the actions of my people? Assassinations are committed with impunity under your administration, and my subjects are thrown into the Tigris, that they may rise in vengeance against me on the day of judgment. If you do not speedily revenge the death of this woman, by the execution of her murderer, I swear by the holy name of God, that I will have you hanged together with forty of your relations.”—“Commander of the Faithful,” replied the grand vizier, “I entreat your majesty to grant me time to make proper inquiries.”—“I give you three days,” returned the caliph; “take care of yourself.”

The vizier Giafar returned home in the greatest confusion; “Alas!” thought he, “how is it possible for me, in so large and vast a city as Bagdad, to discover a murderer, who no doubt has committed this crime secretly, and without witness, and has now in all probability fled from the city? Another in my place might perhaps take any wretch out of prison, and have him executed, to satisfy the caliph; but I will not charge my conscience with such a deed; I will rather die, than save my life on such terms.”

He ordered the officers of police and justice, who were under his command, to make a strict search for the criminal. They not only sent out their dependants, but went themselves on this affair, which was not less interesting to them, than it was to the vizier. But all their diligence was fruitless; they could discover no traces by which to apprehend the perpetrator of the murder, and the vizier concluded, that his death was inevitable, without the interference of Heaven.

On the third day, an officer of the sultan’s came to the house of this unhappy minister, and summoned him to follow him. The vizier obeyed, and the caliph having inquired of him for the murderer, he replied, with tears in his eyes, “O, Commander of the Faithful, I have found no one who could give me any intelligence concerning him.” The caliph reproached him in the most angry terms, and commanded him to be hanged before the gates of the palace, together with forty of the Barmecides. [8]

Whilst they were preparing the gibbets, and the officers went to seize the forty Barmecides, at their different houses, a public crier was ordered by the caliph to proclaim, in all the quarters of the city, that, “Whoever wished to have the satisfaction of seeing the grand vizier Giafar, and forty of his family, the Barmecides, hanged, was to repair to the square before the palace.”

When every thing was ready, the criminal judge, and a great number of attendants and guards, belonging to the palace, conducted the grand vizier, together with the forty Barmecides, each under the gibbet that was destined for him; and passed the cord round his neck, by which they were to be elevated. The people, who crowded the square, could not be present at such a spectacle, without feeling pity, and shedding tears; for the vizier Giafar, and his relations, the Barmecides, were much beloved for their probity, liberality, and disinterestedness, not only at Bagdad, but throughout the whole empire of the caliph.

Every thing was ready for the execution of the irrevocable order of the prince, in this instance too severe, and they were on the point of taking away the lives of some of the worthiest inhabitants of the city, when a young man, of comely appearance, and well dressed, pressed through the crowd till he reached the grand vizier; having kissed his hand, “Sovereign vizier,” said he, addressing Giafar, “chief of the emirs of this court, the refuge of the poor; you are not guilty of the crime for which you are going to suffer; retire, and let me expiate the death of the lady who was thrown into the Tigris; I am her murderer, I alone ought to be punished.”

Although this discourse created great joy in the vizier, he nevertheless felt pity for a youth, whose countenance, far from expressing guilt, had something engaging in it; he was going to reply, when a tall man, of an advanced age, having also pushed through the crowd, came up, and said to the vizier, “My lord, do not believe what this young man says to you. I was the only person that killed the lady who was found in the case; I only am to be punished. In the name of God, I conjure you not to confuse the innocent with the guilty.”—“My lord,” interrupted the young man, addressing himself to the vizier, “I assure you, that it was I who committed this wicked action, and that no person in the world is my accomplice.”—“Alas! my son,” replied the old man, “despair has led you hither, and you wish to anticipate your destiny; as for me, it is a long time that I have lived in this world, I ought to quit it without regret; let me sacrifice my life to save yours. My lord,” continued he, addressing the vizier, “I repeat it, I am the assassin; sentence me to death, and do not defer it.”

The contest between the old man and the youth obliged the vizier Giafar to conduct them before the caliph, with the permission of the attending officer of justice, who was happy in an opportunity of obliging him.

When he was arrived in the presence of the sovereign, he kissed the ground seven times, and then spoke in these terms: Commander of the Faithful, I bring to you this old man, and this youth, who each avers himself to be the murderer of the lady.” The caliph then asked the accused, which of the two had murdered the lady in so cruel a manner, and then thrown her into the Tigris. The youth assured him, that he had committed the deed; the old man sustained the contrary. “Go,” said the caliph to the vizier, “give orders for them both to be hanged.”—“But, sire,” replied the vizier, “if one only is criminal, it would be unjust to execute the other.”

At these words the young man replied, “I swear by the great God, who has elevated the heavens to where they now are, that it is I who killed the lady, who cut her in pieces, and then threw her into the Tigris four days since. I do not hope for mercy on the day of judgment, if what I say be not true; therefore, I am the person who is to be punished.” The caliph was surprised at this solemn oath, which he was inclined to believe, as the old man made no reply. Therefore, turning to the youth, “Unhappy wretch,” cried he, “for what reason hast thou committed this detestable crime? and what motive canst thou have for coming to offer thyself for execution!” “Commander of the Faithful,” returned he, “if all that has passed between this lady and myself could be written, it would form a history, which might be serviceable to mankind.”—“Relate it then,” replied the caliph, “I command you to do it.” The young man obeyed, and began in these words.