She had successfully applied
herself to philosophy, physic, history, and the liberal arts, and
for verse exceeded, the best poets of her times; besides this,
she was a perfect beauty, and all her fine qualifications were
crowned by solid virtue.
The vizier passionately loved a daughter so worthy of his tender
affection; and one day, as they were discoursing together, she
says to him, Father, I have one favour to beg of you, and must
humbly pray you to grant it me. I will not refuse it, answered
he, provided it be just and reasonable. For the justice of it,
says she, there can be no question, and you may judge of it by
the motive which obliges me to demand it of you. I have a design
to stop the course of that barbarity which the sultan exercises
upon the families of this city. I would dispel those unjust fears
which so many mothers have of losing their daughters in such a
fatal manner. Your design, daughter, replies the vizier, is very
commendable; but the disease you would remedy seems to be
incurable; how do you pretend to effect it? Father, says
Scheherazade, since by your means the sultan makes every day a
new marriage, I conjure you, by the tender affection you bear to
me, to procure me the honour of his bed. The vizier could not
hear this without horror. O heavens! replies he, in a passion,
have you lost your senses, daughter, that you make such a
dangerous request to me? You know the sultan has sworn by his
soul that he will never lie above one night with the same woman,
and to order her to be killed the next morning; and would you
that I should propose you to him? Pray consider well to what your
indiscreet zeal will expose you.
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