The Arabian Nights Entertainments, vol 1 | Page 6

But, without my being able to contribute any thing towards it, I
find now, upon my return, that you are in the best humour that can be,
and that your mind is entirely delivered from that black vapour which
disturbed it. Pray do me the favour to tell me why you were so
melancholy, and how you came to be rid of it.
Upon this, the king of Tartary continued for some time as if he had
been in a dream, and contrived what he should answer; but at last
replied as follows: You are my sultan and master; but excuse me, I
beseech you, from answering your question. No, dear brother, said the
sultan, you must answer, I will take no denial. Schahzenan, not being
able to withstand these pressing instances, answered, Well, then,
brother, I will satisfy you, since you command me; and, having told
him the story of the queen of Samarcande's treachery, this, says he, was
the cause of my grief; pray judge whether I had not reason enough to
give myself up to it.
Oh! my brother, says the sultan, (in a tone which showed that he had
the same sentiments of the matter with the king of Tartary,) what a
horrible story do you tell me! How impatient was I till I heard it out! I
commend you for punishing the traitors who put such an outrage upon
you. Nobody can blame you for that action: it was just; and for my part,
had the case been mine, I could scarce have been so moderate as you, I
should not have satisfied myself with the life of one woman; I verily
think I should have sacrificed a thousand to my fury. I cease now to
wonder at your melancholy. The cause of it was too sensible, and too
mortifying, not to make you yield to it. O heaven! what a strange
adventure! nor do I believe the like of it ever befel any man but
yourself. But, in short, I must bless God, who has comforted you; and

since I doubt not but your consolation is well grounded, be so good as
let me know what it is, and conceal nothing from me. Schahzenan was
not so easily prevailed upon in this point as he had been in the other,
because of his brother's concern in it; but, being obliged to yield to his
pressing instances, answered, I must obey you then, since your
command is absolute; yet am afraid that my obedience will occasion
your trouble to be greater than ever mine was. But you must blame
yourself for it, since you force me to reveal a thing which I should have
otherwise buried in eternal oblivion. What you say, answers Schahriar,
serves only to increase my curiosity. Make haste to discover the secret,
whatever it may be. The king of Tartary, being no longer able to refuse,
gave him the particulars of all that he had seen of the blacks in disguise,
of the lewd passion of the sultaness and her ladies; and, to be sure, he
did not forget Masoud. After having been witness to those infamous
actions, says he, I believed all women to be that way naturally inclined,
and that they could not resist those violent desires. Being of this
opinion, it seemed to me to be an unaccountable weakness in men to
make themselves uneasy at their infidelity. This reflection brought
many others along with it; and, in short, I thought the best thing I could
do was to make myself easy. It cost me some pain indeed, but at last I
effected it; and, if you will take my advice, you shall follow my
example.
Though the advice was good, the sultan could not take it, but fell into a
rage. What! says he, is the sultaness of the Indies capable of
prostituting herself in so base a manner? No, brother, I cannot believe
what you say,--unless I saw it with my eyes: yours must needs have
deceived you; the matter is so important, that I must be satisfied of it
myself. Dear brother, answers Schahzenan, that you may without much
difficulty. Appoint another hunting-match, and when we are out of
town with your court and mine, we will stop under our pavilions, and at
night let you and I return alone to my apartment. I am certain that next
day you will see what I saw. The sultan, approving the stratagem,
immediately appointed a new hunting-match; and that same day the
pavilions were set up at the place appointed.
Next day the two princes set out with all their retinue; they arrived at
the place of encampment, and staid there till night. Then Schahriar
called his grand vizier, and, without acquainting him of his design,

commanded him to