I cannot resist it, my
dear Ebn Thaher; my patience is at an end; my distemper
overwhelms me, and my courage fails. While speaking, he saw
something pass in the garden, which obliged him to keep silence,
and to turn all his attention that way.
The caliph had ordered one of the women, who was near him, to
play on her lute, and she began to sing. The words that she sung
were very passionate; and the caliph was persuaded that she sung
thus by order of Schemselnihar, who had frequently entertained
him with the like testimonies of her affection; therefore he
interpreted all in his own favour. But this was not now
Schemselnihar's meaning; she applied it to her dear Ali Ebn
Becar, and was so sensibly touched with grief, to have before her
an object whose presence she could no longer enjoy, that she
fainted and fell backwards upon her seat, which having no arms to
support her, she must have fallen down, had not some of the women
helped her in time; who took her up, and carried her into the
saloon.
Ebn Thaher, who was in the gallery, being surprised at this
accident, turned towards the prince of Persia; but, instead of
seeing him stand and look through the window as before, he was
extremely amazed to see him fall down at his feet, and without
motion. He judged it to proceed from the violence of his love to
Schemselnihar, and admired the strange effect of sympathy which
threw him into great fear, because of the place in which they
were.
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