When the
ladies were placed, the caliph turned towards them, and said,
When I shall acquaint you, that I came last night, disguised in a
merchant's habit, into your house, it will certainly alarm you,
and make you fear that you have offended me; and perhaps you
believe that I have sent for you to no other end but to show some
marks of my resentment: But be not afraid; you may rest assured
that I have forgotten all that has passed, and am very well
satisfied with your conduct. I wish that all the ladies of Bagdad
had as much discretion as you have given proof of before me. I
shall always remember the moderation you made use of, after the
incivility we had committed. I was then a merchant of Moussol,
but am at present Haroun Alraschid, the seventh caliph of the
glorious house of Abbas, who holds the place of our great
prophet. I have only sent for you to know who you are, and to ask
for what reason one of you, after severely whipping the two black
bitches, did weep with them? and I am no less curious to know why
another of you has her bosom full of scars? Though the caliph
pronounced these words very distinctly, so that the three ladies
heard them well enough, yet the vizier Giafar did, out of
ceremony, repeat them over again.
Zobeide, after the caliph by his discourse encouraged her,
satisfied his curiosity in this manner.
Pages:
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261