tinue, his Head
Steward and his Cooks, and promis'd, in the most submissive Manner,
to be less vain, and more industrious for the future. Tho' he didn't
require so much Adulations, nor such grand Entertainments, he was
much more happy; for, as _Sadder_ has it, _One continued Scene of
Pleasure, is no Pleasure at all_.

_Zadig_ every Day gave incontestable Proofs of his wondrous
Penetration, and the Goodness of his Heart; he was ador'd by the
People, and was the Darling of the King. The little Difficulties
that he met with in the first Stage of his Life, serv'd only to
augment his present Felicity. Every Night, however, he had some
unlucky Dream or another, that gave him some Disturbance. One while,
he imagin'd himself extended on a Bed of wither'd Plants, amongst
which there were some that were sharp pointed, and made him very
restless and uneasy; another Time, he fancied himself repos'd on a
Bed of Roses, out of which rush'd a Serpent, that stung him to the
Heart with his envenom'd Tongue. Alas! said he, waking, I was one
while upon a Bed of hard and nauseous Plants, and just this Moment
repos'd on a Bed of Roses. But then the Serpent.--

CHAP. VII.

_The Force of_ JEALOUSY.

The Misfortunes that attended _Zadig_ proceeded, in a great Measure,
from his Preferment; but more from his intrinsic Merit. Every Day he
had familiar Converse with the King, his Royal Master, and his
august Consort, _Astarte_. And the Pleasure arising from thence was
greatly enhanc'd from an innate Ambition of pleasing, which, in
regard to Wit, is the same, as Dress is to Beauty. His Youth, and
graceful Deportment, had a greater Influence on _Astarte_, than she
was at first aware of. Tho' her Affection for him daily encreas'd;
yet she was perfectly innocent. _Astarte_ would say, without the
least Reserve or Apprehension of Fear, that she was extreamly
pleas'd with the Company of one, who was, not only a Favourite of
her Husband, but the Darling of the whole Empire. She was
continually speaking in his Commendation before the King: He was the
Subject of her whole Discourse amongst her Ladies of Honour, who
were as lavish of their Praises as herself. Such repeated
Discourses, however innocent, made a deeper Impression on her Heart,
than she at that Time apprehended. She would every now and then send
_Zadig_ some little Present or another; which he construed as the
Result of a greater Value for him than she intended. She said no
more of