e himself, that monarch sent Asaph, the
son of Barakhia, his chief minister, to apprehend me. Asaph seized
my person, and brought me by force before his master's throne.

"Solomon commanded me to acknowledge his power, and to submit to his
commands. I bravely refused, and told him I would rather expose myself
to his resentment, than swear fealty as he required. To punish me, he
shut me up in this copper vessel; and that I might not break my prison,
he himself stamped upon this leaden cover his seal with the great name
of God engraven upon it. He then gave the vessel to one of the genies
who had submitted, with orders to throw me into the sea.

"During the first hundred years of my imprisonment, I swore that if any
one should deliver me before the expiration of that period, I would make
him rich, even after his death; but that century ran out, and nobody did
me the good office. During the second, I made an oath that I would open
all the treasures of the earth to any one that might set me at liberty;
but with no better success. In the third, I promised to make my
deliverer a potent monarch, and to grant him every day three requests,
of what nature soever they might be; but this century passed as well as
the two former, and I continued in prison. At last, being angry to find
myself a prisoner so long, I swore that if afterward any one should
deliver me, I would kill him without mercy, and grant him no favour but
to choose the manner of his death; and, therefore, since thou hast
delivered me to-day, I give thee that choice."

[Illustration]

_The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea
and upon the shore formed a great mist._

This discourse afflicted the fisherman extremely: "I am very
unfortunate," cried he, "to come hither to do such a kindness to one
that is so ungrateful. I beg you to consider your injustice, and revoke
such an unreasonable oath; pardon me, and Heaven will pardon you; if you
grant me my life, Heaven will protect you from all attempts against your
own." "No, thy death is resolved on," said the genie, "only choose in
what manner thou wilt die." The fisherman, perceiving the genie to be
resolute, was extremely grieved, not so much for himself, as on account
of his three children, and bewailed the misery they must be reduced to
by his death. He endeavoured still to appease the genie, and said,
"Alas! be pleased to take pity on me, in consideration of the service I
have done yo