After this prayer, the
hogress entered the ruins again, and the prince rode off with all
possible haste. He happily found his way again, and arrived safe
and sound at his father's court, to whom he gave a particular
account of the danger he had been in through the vizier's
neglect; upon which the king, being incensed against that
minister, ordered him to be strangled that very moment.
Sir, continues the Grecian king's vizier, to return to the
physician Douban, if you do not take care, the confidence you put
in him will be fatal to you: I am very well assured that he is a
spy sent by your enemies to attempt your majesty's life. He has
cured you, you will say: But, alas! who can assure you of that?
He has perhaps cured you only in appearance, and not radically;
who knows but the medicines he has given you may in time have
pernicious effects?
The Grecian king, who had naturally very little sense, was not
able to discover the wicked design of his vizier, nor had he
firmness enough to persist in his first opinion. This discourse
staggered him: Vizier, says he, thou art in the right; he may be
come on purpose to take away my life, which he may easily do by
the very smell of some of his drugs. We must consider what is fit
for us to do in this case.
When the vizier found the king in such a temper as he would have
him, Sir, says he, the surest and speediest method you can take
to secure your life, is to send immediately for the physician
Douban, and order his head to be cut off as soon as he comes.
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