stay
[in the city] in their auspicious palaces. In those days, the king,
this unfortunate wretch's father, had gone into the provinces some
two or four months previously to arrange the affairs of the kingdom.

"Whilst you were gone to bring the young merchant [to the
entertainment], _Sidi Bahar_ imparted the particulars of my present
situation to the queen (who is the mother of me impure). Again I,
ashamed of my guilty conduct, went to the queen and related to her
all that happened to me. Although she, from motherly affection and
good sense, had used every means to conceal the circumstance of
my disappearance, saying, 'God knows what may be the end of it;'
she conceived it wrong to make public my disgrace for the present,
and for my sake she had concealed my errors in her maternal breast;
but she had all along been in search of me.

"When she saw me in this condition, and heard all the circumstances
[of my misfortune], her eyes filled with tears, and she said,
'O unfortunate wretch! thou hast knowingly destroyed the honour and
glory of the throne; a thousand pities that thou hadst not perished
also; if instead of thee I had been brought to bed of a stone, I
should have been patient; even now [it is not too late to] repent;
whatever was in thy unfortunate fate has happened; what wilt thou do
next? Wilt thou live or die?' I replied, with excessive shame, that
in this worthless wretch's fate it was so written, that I should live
in such disgrace and distress after escaping such various dangers; it
would have been better to have perished; though the mark of infamy is
stamped on my forehead, yet I have not been guilty of such an action
as can disgrace my parents.

"The great pain I now feel is, that those base wretches should escape
my vengeance, and enjoy their crime in each other's company, whilst
I have suffered such affliction from their hands: it is a pity that
I can do nothing [in order to punish them]. I hope one favour [from
your majesty], that you would order your steward to prepare all the
necessary articles for an entertainment at my house, that I may, under
the pretence of an entertainment, send for those two wretches, and
punish them for their deeds and also inflict vengeance for myself. In
the same manner that he lifted his hand upon me and wounded me, may
I be enabled to cut them to pieces; then my heart will be soothed;
otherwise I must continue glowing in this fire of resentment, and
ultimately I must b