But, sir,
says Scheherazade, day-light appears, which forbids me to go
further.
I am very well pleased that the Grecian king, says Dinarzade, had
so much firmness of spirit as to reject the false accusation of
his vizier. If you commend the firmness of that prince to-day,
says Scheherazade, you will as much condemn his weakness
to-morrow, if the sultan be pleased to allow me time to finish
this story. The sultan, being curious to hear wherein the Grecian
king discovered his weakness, did further delay the death of the
sultaness.
The Fourteenth Night.
An hour before day, Dinarzade awaked her sister, and says to her,
you will certainly be as good as your word, madam, and tell us
out the story of the fisherman. To assist your memory, I will
tell you where you left off; it was where the Grecian king
maintained the innocence of his physician Douban against his
vizier. I remember it, says Scheherazade, and am ready to give
you satisfaction.
Sir, continues she, addressing herself to Schahriar, that which
the Grecian king said about King Sinbad raised the vizier's
curiosity, who says to him, Sir, I pray your majesty to pardon
me, if I have the boldness to demand of you what the vizier of
King Sinbad said to his master to divert him from cutting off the
prince his son. The Grecian king had the complaisance to satisfy
him: That vizier, says he, after having represented to King
Sinbad that he ought to beware lest, on the accusation of a
mother-in-law, he should commit an action which he might
afterwards repent of, told him this story.
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