ir
design, but deferred the execution of it till the following day. In the
meantime, the night being far spent, the sultan took some rest; but the
young prince passed the night as usual, without sleep, never having
slept since he was enchanted.

[Illustration]

_When he came to this part of his narrative the young king could not
restrain his tears._

Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to execute his
design, by proceeding to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up
with an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold of admirable
workmanship. As soon as he perceived the bed where the Indian lay, he
drew his cimeter and deprived him of his wretched life, dragged his
corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it into a well. After
this he went and lay down in the black's bed, placed his cimeter under
the covering, and waited to complete his design.

The queen arrived shortly after. She first went into the chamber of her
husband, the king of the Black Islands, stripped him, and with
unexampled barbarity gave him a hundred stripes. The unfortunate prince
filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
affecting tone to take pity on him; but the cruel wretch ceased not till
she had given the usual number of blows. "You had no compassion," said
she, "and you are to expect none from me."

After the enchantress had given her husband a hundred blows with the
whip, she put on again his covering of goat's hair, and his brocade gown
over all; she went afterward to the Palace of Tears, and as she entered
renewed her tears and lamentations; then approaching the bed, where she
thought the Indian lay: "Alas!" said she, addressing herself to the
sultan, conceiving him to be the black, "My sun, my life, will you
always be silent? Are you resolved to let me die without affording me
the comfort of hearing your voice?"

The sultan, as if he had awaked out of a deep sleep, and counterfeiting
the pronunciation of the blacks, answered the queen with a grave tone:
"There is no strength or power but in God alone, who is almighty." At
these words the enchantress, who did not expect them, uttered a loud
exclamation of joy. "My dear lord," cried she, "do I not deceive myself;
is it certain that I hear you, and that you speak to me?" "Unhappy
woman," said the sultan, "art thou worthy that I should answer thee?"
"Alas!"