Madam, says the young man, you have given me to understand you
have the knowledge of a true God, by the prayer you have just now
addressed to him. I will acquaint you with a most remarkable
effect of his greatness and power. You must know that this city
was the metropolis of a mighty kingdom, over which the king my
father reigned. That prince, his whole court, the inhabitants of
the city, and all his other subjects, were magi, worshippers of
fire, and of Nardoun, the ancient king of the giants, who
rebelled against God. Though I was begotten and born of an
adulterous father and mother, I had the good fortune in my youth
to have a woman-governess who was a good Mussulman; I had the
alcoran by heart, and understood the explanation of it perfectly
well. Dear prince, would she oftentimes say, there is but one
true God; take heed that you do not acknowledge or adore any
other. She learned me to read Arabic, and the book she gave me to
exercise upon was the alcoran. As soon as I was capable of
understanding it, she explained to me all the heads of this
excellent book, and infused piety into my mind, unknown to my
father or any body else. She happened to die, but not before she
had perfectly instructed me in all that was necessary to convince
me of the Mussulman religion. After her death, I persisted with
constancy in the belief I was in; and I abhor the false god
Nardoun, as well as the adoration of fire.
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