but at the sight of it I was transported with unspeakable joy.
When I beheld the characters written by your fair hand, my eyes
were enlightened by a stronger light than they lost, when yours
were suddenly closed at the feet of my rival. The words contained
in your kind epistle are so many rays which have dispelled the
darkness wherewith my soul was obscured; they shew me how much
you suffer from your love of me, and that you are not ignorant of
what I endure on your account. Thus they comfort me in my
afflictions. On the one hand they cause me to shed tears in
abundance; and on the other, inflame my heart with a fire which
supports it, and prevents my dying of grief. I have not had one
moment's rest since our cruel separation. Your letter alone gave
me some ease. I kept a mournful silence till the moment I
received it, and then recovered my speech. I was buried in
profound melancholy, but it inspired me with joy, which
immediately appeared in my eyes and countenance. But my surprise
at receiving a favour which I had not yet deserved was so great,
that I knew not how to begin to testify my thankfulness. In a
word, after having kissed it several times, as a precious pledge
of your goodness, I read it over and over, and was confounded at
the excess of my good fortune. You would have me declare that I
always love you. Ah! did I not love you so perfectly as I do, I
could not forbear adoring you, after all the marks you have given
me of an affection so uncommon: yes, I love you, my dear soul,
and shall account it my glory to burn all my days with that sweet
fire you have kindled in my heart. I will never complain of that
ardour with which I feel it consumes me: and how rigorous soever
the evils I suffer, I will bear them with fortitude, in hopes
some time or other to see you. Would to heaven it were to-day,
and that, instead of sending you my letter, I might be allowed to
come and assure you in person, that I die for you! My tears
hinder me from saying more. Adieu."
Ebn Thaher could not read these last lines without weeping. He
returned the letter to the prince of Persia, and assured him it
wanted no correction. The prince closed it, and when he had
sealed it, he desired the trusty slave to come near, and said to
her, "This is my answer to you dear mistress's letter. I conjure
you to carry it to her, and to salute her in my name." The slave
took the letter, and retired with Ebn Thaher.
After Ebn Thaher had walked some way with the slave, he left her,
and went to his house, and began to think in earnest upon the
amorous intrigue in which he found himself unhappily engaged. He
considered, that the prince of Persia and Schemselnihar,
notwithstanding their interest to conceal their correspondence,
conducted themselves with so little discretion, that it could not
be long a secret. He drew all the consequences from it, which a
man of good sense might have anticipated. "Were Schemselnihar,"
said he to himself, "a lady of common rank, I would contribute
all in my power to make her and her lover happy; but she is the
caliph's favourite, and no man can without danger attempt to
engage the affections of the objets of his choice. His anger
would fall in the first instance on Schemselnihar; it will next
cost the prince of Persia his life, and I should be involved in
his misfortune. In the mean time I have my honour, my quiet, my
family, and my property to preserve. I must, while I can,
extricate myself out of such a perilous situation."
These thoughts occupied his mind all that day. Next morning he
went to the prince of Persia, with a design of making one more
effort to induce him to conquer his passion. He represented to
him what he had before urged in vain; that it would be much
better for him to summon all his resolution, to overcome his
inclination for Schemselnihar, than to suffer himself to be
hurried away by it; and that his passion was so much the more
dangerous, as his rival was powerful. "In short, sir," added he,
"if you will hearken to me, you ought to think of nothing but to
triumph over your love; otherwise you run the risk of destroying
yourself with Schemselnihar, whose life ought to be dearer to you
than your own. I give you this advice as a friend, for which you
will some time or other thank me."
The prince heard Ebn Thaher with great impatience, but suffered
him to speak his mind, and then replied to him thus: "Ebn Thaher,
do you think I can cease to love Schemselnihar, who loves me so
tenderly? She is not afraid to expose her life for me, and would
you have me regard mine? No; whatever misfortunes befall me, I
will love Schemselnihar to my last breath."
Abn Thaher, shocked at the obstinacy of the prince of Persia,
left him hastily, and going to his own house, recalled his former
reflections, and began to think seriously what he should do. In
the mean time a jeweller, one of his intimate friends, came to
see him. The jeweller had perceived that Schemselnihar's
confidant came oftener to Ebn Thaher than usual, and that he was
constantly with the prince of Persia, whose sickness was known to
every one, though not the cause. This had awakened the jeweller's
suspicions, and finding Ebn Thaher very pensive, he presently
judged that he was perplexed with some important affair, and
fancying that he knew the cause, he asked what Schemselnihar's
confidant wanted with him? Ebn Thaher being struck with this
question, would have dissembled, and told him, that it was on
some trifling errand she came so frequently to him. "You do not
tell me the truth," said the jeweller, "and your dissimulation
only serves to prove to me 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, said
to him, "It is true, that it is an affair of the greatest
consequence. I had resolved to keep it secret, but since I know
how much you are my friend, I choose rather to make you my
confidant, than to suffer you to be under a mistake about it. I
do not bind you to secrecy, for you will easily judge by what I
am going to tell you how impossible it is to keep it unknown."
After this preamble, he told him the amour between Schemselnihar
and the prince of Persia. "You know," he continued, "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 amour come to be discovered? But what do I say; should
not I and my family be completely ruined! That is what perplexes
my mind; but I have just formed my resolution: I will go
immediately and satisfy my creditors, and recover my debts, and
when I have secured my property, will retire to Bussorah, and
stay till the storm, that I foresee, is blown over. My friendship
for Schemselnihar and the prince of Persia makes me very sensible
to what dangers they are exposed. I pray heaven to convince them
of their peril, and to preserve them; but if their evil destiny
should bring their attachment to the knowledge of the caliph, I
shall, at least, be out of the reach of his resentment; for I do
not think them so wicked as to design to involve me in their
misfortunes. It would be the height of ingratitude, and a bad
reward for the service I have done them, and the good advice I
have given, particularly to the prince of Persia, who may save
both himself and his mistress from this precipice. He may as
easily leave Bagdad as I; and absence will insensibly disenage
him from a passion, which will only increase whilst he continues
in this place."
The jeweller was extremely surprised at what Ebn Thaher told him.
"What you say," said he, "is of so much importance, that I cannot
understand how Schemselnihar and the prince could have abandoned
themselves to such a violent passion. What inclination soever
they may have for one another, instead of yielding to it, they
ought to resist it, and make a better use of their reason. Is it
possible they can be insensible of the danger of their
correspondence? How deplorable is their blindness! I anticipate
all its consequences as well as yourself; but you are wise and
prudent, and I approve your resolution; as it is the only way to
deliver yourself from the fatal events which you have reason to
fear." After this conversation the jeweller rose, and took his
leave of Ebn Thaher.
Before the jeweller retired, Ebn Thaher conjured him by the
friendship betwixt them, to say nothing of what he had heard.
"Fear not," replied the jeweller, "I will keep this secret at the
peril of my life."
Two days after, the jeweller went to Ebn Thaher's shop, and
seeing it shut, he doubted not but he had executed his design;
but, to be more sure, he asked a neighbour, if he knew why it was
not opened? The neighbour answered that he knew not, unless Ebn
Thaher was gone a journey. There was no need of his enquiring
farther, and he immediately thought of the prince of Persia:
"Unhappy prince," said he to himself, "what will be your grief
when you hear this news? How will you now carry on your
correspondence with Schemselnihar? I fear you will die of
despair. I pity you, and must repair your loss of a too timid
confidant."
The business that obliged him to come abroad was of no
consequence, so that he neglected it, and though he had no
knowledge of the prince of Persia, only by having sold him some
jewels, he went to his house. He addressed himself to one of his
servants, and desired him to tell his master, that he wished to
speak with him about business of very great importance. The
servant returned immediately to the jeweller, and introduced him
to the prince's chamber. He was leaning on a sofa, with his head
on a cushion. As soon as the prince saw him, he rose up to
receive and welcome him, and entreated him to sit down; asked him
if he could serve him in any thing, or if he came to tell him any
thing interesting concerning himself. "Prince," answered the
jeweller, "though I have not the honour to be particularly
acquainted with you, yet the desire of testifying my zeal has
made me take the liberty to come to your house, to impart to you
a piece of news that concerns you. I hope you will pardon my
boldness for my good intention."
After this introduction, the jeweller entered upon the matter,
and continued: "Prince, I shall have the honour to tell you, that
it is a long time since conformity of disposition, and some
business we have had together, united Ebn Thaher and myself in
strict friendship. I know you are acquainted with him, and that
he has employed himself in obliging you to his utmost. I have
learnt this from himself, for he keeps nothing secret from me,
nor I from him. I went just now to his shop, and was surprised to
find it shut. I addressed myself to one of his neighbours, to ask
the reason; he answered me, that two days ago Ebn Thaher took
leave of him, and other neighbours, offering them his service at
Bussorah, whither he is gone, said he, about an affair of great
importance. Not being satisfied with this answer, my concern for
his welfare determined me to come and ask if you knew any thing
particular concerning this his sudden departure."
At this discourse, which the jeweller accommodated to the
subject, the better to compass his design, the prince of Persia
changed colour, and looked at the jeweller in a manner which
convinced him how much he was disconcerted at the intelligence.
"I am surprised at what you inform me," said he; "a greater
misfortune could not befall me: Ah!" he continued, with tears in
his eyes, "if what you tell me be true, I am undone! Has Ebn
Thaher, who was all my comfort, in whom I put all my confidence,
left me? I cannot think of living after so cruel a blow."
The jeweller needed no more to convince him fully of the prince
of Persia's violent passion, which Ebn Thaher had told him of:
mere friendship would not make him speak so; nothing but love
could produce such lively sensations.
The prince continued some moments absorbed in melancholy
thoughts; at last he lifted up his head, and calling one of his
servants, said, "Go, to Ebn Thaher's house, and ask some of his
domestics if he be gone to Bussorah: run, and come back quickly
with the answer." While the servant was gone, the jeweller
endeavoured to entertain the prince of Persia with indifferent
subjects; but the prince gave little heed to him. He was a prey
to fatal grief: sometimes he could not persuade himself that Ebn
Thaher was gone, and at others he did not doubt of it, when he
reflected upon the conversation he had had with him the last time
he had seen him, and the abrupt manner in which he had left him.
At last the prince's servant returned, and reported that he had
spoken with one of Ebn Thaher's servants, who assured him that he
had been gone two days to Bussorah. "As I came from Ebn Thaher's
house," added the servant. "a slave well dressed met me, and
after she had asked me if I had the honour to belong to you, told
me she wanted to speak with you, and begged at the same time that
she might accompany me: she is in the outer room, and I believe
has a letter to deliver to you from some person of consequence."
The prince commanded her to be immediately introduced, not
doubting but it was Schemselnihar's confidant slave, as indeed it
was. The jeweller knew her, having seen her several times at Ebn
Thaher's house: she could not have come at a better time to save
the prince from despair. She saluted him. The prince of Persia
returned the salute of Schemselnihar's confidant. The jeweller
arose as soon as he saw her and retired, to leave them at liberty
to converse together. The confidant, after she had spoken some
time with the prince, took her leave and departed. She left him
quite another person from what he was before; his eyes appeared
brighter, and his countenance more gay, which satisfied the
jeweller that the good slave came to tell him something
favourable to his amour.
The jeweller having taken his place again near the prince, said
to him smiling, "I see, prince, you have business of importance
at the caliph's palace." The prince of Persia, astonished and
alarmed at these words, answered the jeweller, "What leads you to
suppose that I have business at the caliph's palace?" "I judge
so," replied the jeweller, "by the slave who has just left you."
"And to whom, think you, belongs this slave?" demanded the
prince. "To Schemselnihar the caliph's favourite," answered the
jeweller: "I know," continued he, "both the slave and her
mistress, who has several times done me the honour to come to my
house, and buy jewels. Besides, I know that Schemselnihar keeps
nothing secret from this slave; and I have seen her pass
backwards and forwards for several days along the streets, as I
thought very much troubled; I imagined that it was for some
affair of consequence concerning her mistress."
The jeweller's words greatly troubled the prince of Persia. "He
would not say so," said he to himself, "if he did not suspect, or
rather were not acquainted with my secret." He remained silent
for some time, not knowing what course to take. At last he began,
and said to the jeweller, "You have told me things which make me
believe that you know yet more than you have acquainted me with;
it concerns my repose that I be perfectly informed; I conjure you
therefore not to conceal any thing from me."
Then the jeweller, who desired nothing more, gave him a
particular account of what had passed betwixt Ebn Thaher and
himself. He informed him that he was apprised of his
correspondence with Schemselnihar. and forgot not to tell him
that Ebn Thaher, alarmed at the danger of being his confidant in
the matter, had communicated to him his intention of retiring to
Bussorah, until the storm which he dreaded should be blown over.
"This he has executed," added the jeweller, "and I am surprised
how he could determine to abandon you, in the condition he
informed me you were in. As for me, prince, I confess, I am moved
with compassion towards you, and am come to offer you my service.
If you do me the favour to accept of it, I engage myself to be as
faithful to you as Ebn Thaher; besides, I promise to be more
resolute. I am ready to sacrifice my honour and life for you:
and, that you may not doubt of my sincerity, I swear by all that
is sacred in our religion, to keep your secret inviolable. Be
persuaded then, prince, that you will find in me the friend whom
you have lost." This declaration encouraged the prince, and
comforted him under Ebn Thaher's absence. "I am glad," said he to
the jeweller, "to find in you a reparation of my loss; I want
words to express the obligations I am under to you. I pray God to
recompense your generosity, and I accept your obliging offer with
all my heart. Believe me," continued he, "Schemselnihar's
confidant came to speak to me concerning you. She told me that it
was you who advised Ebn Thaher to go from Bagdad; these were the
last words she spoke to me, as she went away, and she seemed
persuaded of what she said; but they do not do you justice. I
doubt not, after what you have told me, she is deceived."
"Prince" replied the jeweller, "I have had the honour to give you
a faithful account of my conversation with Ebn Thaher. It is
true, when he told me he meant to retire to Bussorah, I did not
oppose his design; but let not this prevent your putting
confidence in me. I am ready to serve you with all imaginable
zeal. If you do not use my service, this shall not hinder me from
keeping your secret religiously, according to my oath." "I have
already told you," replied the prince, "that I did not believe
what the confidant said: it is her zeal which inspired her with
this groundless suspicion, and you ought to excuse it, as I do."
They continued their conversation for some time, and consulted
together about the most convenient means to keep up the prince's
correspondence with Schemselnihar. They agreed to begin by
undeceiving the confidant, who was so unjustly prepossessed
against the jeweller. The prince engaged to remove her mistake
the first time he saw her again, and to intreat her to address
herself to the jeweller whenever she might bring letters, or any
other information from her mistress to him. In short, they
determined, that she ought not to come so frequently to the
prince's house, because thereby she might lead to the discovery
of what it was of so great importance to conceal. At last the
jeweller arose, and, after having again intreated the prince of
Persia to place an unreserved confidence in him, withdrew.
The jeweller returning to his house perceived before him a
letter, which somebody had dropped in the street. He took it up,
and as it was not sealed, he opened it, and read as follows:
Letter from Schemselnihar to the Prince of Persia.
"I have received from my confidant intelligence which gives me no
less concern than it must give you. In Ebn Thaher, we have indeed
sustained a great loss; but let this not hinder you, dear prince,
from thinking of your own preservation. If our friend has
abandoned us through fear, let us consider that it is a
misfortune which we could not avoid. I confess Ebn Thaher has
left us at a time when we most needed his assistance; but let us
bear this unexpected stroke with patience, and let us not forbear
to love one another constantly. Fortify your heart under this
misfortune. The object of our wishes is not to be obtained
without trouble. Let us not be discouraged, but hope that heaven
will favour us, and that, after so many afflictions, we shall see
a happy accomplishment of our desires. Adieu."
While the jeweller was conversing with the prince of Persia, the
confidant had time to return to the palace and communicate to her
mistress the ill news of Ebn Thaher's departure. Schemselnihar
immediately wrote this letter, and sent back her confidant with
it to the prince of Persia, but she negligently dropped it on her
way.
The jeweller was glad to find it, for it furnished him with an
opportunity of justifying himself to the confidant, and bringing
her to the point he desired. When he had read it, he perceived
the slave seeking for it with the greatest anxiety. He closed it
again quickly, and put it into his bosom; but the slave observed
him, and running to him, said, "Sir, I have dropped a letter,
which you had just now in your hand; I beseech you to restore
it." The jeweller, pretending not to hear her, continued his way
till he came to his house. He left his door open, that the
confidant, who followed him, might enter after him. She followed
him in, and when she came to his apartment, said, "Sir, you can
make no use of that letter you have found, and you would not
hesitate to return it to me, if you knew from whom it came, and
to whom it is directed. Besides, allow me to tell you, you cannot
honestly keep it."
Before the jeweller returned her any answer he made her sit down,
and then said to her, "Is not this letter from Schemselnihar, and
is it not directed to the prince of Persia?" The slave, who
expected no such question, blushed. "The question embarrasses
you," continued he; "but I assure you I do not put it rashly: I
could have given you the letter in the street, but I wished you
to follow me, on purpose that I might come to some explanation
with you. Is it just, tell me, to impute a misfortune to persons
who have no ways contributed towards it? Yet this you have done,
in telling the prince of Persia that it was I who advised Ebn
Thaher to leave Bagdad for his own safety. I do not intend to
waste time in justifying myself; it is enough that the prince of
Persia is fully persuaded of my innocence; I will only tell you,
that instead of contributing to Ebn Thaher's departure, I have
been extremely afflicted at it, not so much from my friendship to
him, as out of compassion for the condition in which he left the
prince of Persia, whose correspondence with Schemselnihar he has
discovered to me. As soon as I knew certainly that Ebn Thaher was
gone from Bagdad, I went and presented myself to the prince, in
whose house you found me, to inform him of this event, and to
offer to undertake the service in which he had been employed; and
provided you put the same confidence in me, that you did in Ebn
Thaher, it will be your own fault if you do not make my
assistance of use to you. Inform your mistress of what I have
told you, and assure her, that though I should die for engaging
in so dangerous an intrigue, I should not repent of having
sacrificed myself for two lovers so worthy of one another."
The confidant, after having heard the jeweller with great
satisfaction, begged him to pardon the ill opinion she had
conceived of him, for the zeal she had for her mistress's
interest.? I am beyond measure glad," she added, "that
Schemselnihar and the prince have found in you a person so fit to
supply Ebn Thaher's place I will not fail to convince my mistress
of the good-will you bear her."
After the confidant had testified to the jeweller her joy to see
him so well disposed to serve Schemselnihar and the prince of
Persia, the jeweller took the letter out of his bosom, and
restored it to her, saying, "Go, carry it quickly to the prince,
and return this way that I may see his reply. Forget not to give
him an account of our conversation."
The confidant took the letter and carried it to the prince, who
answered it immediately. She returned to the jeweller's house to
shew him the answer, which was in these words:
The Prince of Persia's Answer to Schemselnihar.
"Your precious letter has had a great effect upon me, but not so
great as I could have wished. You endeavour to comfort me for the
loss of Ebn Thaher; alas! however sensible I am of this, it is
but the least of my troubles. You know these troubles, and you
know also that your presence alone can cure me. When will the
time come that I shall enjoy it without fear of a separation? How
distant does it seem to me! or shall we flatter ourselves that we
may ever see it? You command me to preserve myself; I will obey
you, since I have renounced my own will to follow only yours.
Adieu."
After the jeweller had read this letter, he returned it to the
confidant, who said, as she was going away, "I will desire my
mistress to put the same confidence in you that she did in Ebn
Thaher. You shall hear of me to-morrow." Accordingly, next day
she returned with a pleasant countenance. "Your very looks," said
he to her, "inform me that you have brought Schemselnihar to the
point you wished." "It is true," replied the confidant, "and you
shall hear how I succeeded. I found yesterday, on my return,
Schemselnihar expecting me with impatience, I gave her the prince
of Persia's letter, and she read it with tears in her eyes. When
she had done, I saw that she had abandoned herself to her usual
sorrow. Madam,' said I to her, it is doubtless Ebn Thaher's
removal that troubles you; but suffer me to conjure you in the
name of God, to alarm yourself no farther on this account. We
have found another Ebn Thaher, who offers to oblige you with
equal zeal; and, what is yet more important, with greater
courage.' Then I spoke to her of you," continued the slave, "and
acquainted her with the motive which led you to the prince of
Persia's house. In short, I assured her that you would keep
inviolably the secret betwixt her and the prince of Persia, and
that you were resolved to favour their amour with all your might.
She seemed to be much relieved by my discourse. Ah! what
obligations,' said she, are the prince of Persia and I under to
that honest man you speak of! I must be acquainted with him and
see him, that I may hear from his own mouth what you tell me, and
thank him for such unheard-of generosity towards persons on whose
account he is no way obliged to interest himself. The sight of
him will give me pleasure, and I shall omit nothing to confirm
him in those good sentiments. Fail not to bring him to me to-
morrow.' Therefore, sir, be so good as to accompany me to the
palace."