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ſee you to Night, and I come before-hand to give you Notice, that you may be ready to receive him; He hopes, Madam, that you long as much to ſee him, as he is impatient to ſee you.
Upon this Diſcourſe of Meſrour, the Favourite Schemſelnihar proſtrated herſelf to the Ground, as a Mark of that Submiſſion with which ſhe received the Califf’s Order; when ſhe roſe up again, ſhe ſays, Pray tell the Commander of the Faithful, That I ſhall always reckon it my Glory to execute his Majeſty’s Command, and that his Slave will doher utmoſt to receive him with all the ReſpeCt that is due to him. At the ſame time ſhe ordered the Slave, her Confident, to tell the black Women appointed tor that Service, to get the Palace ready to receive the Califf, and diſmiſſingthe chief of the Eunuchs, ſays to him, You ſee it requires ſome Time to get all things ready, therefore I pray you to take care, that his Majeſty may have a little Patience, that when he arrives he may not find Things out of Order.
The chief of the Eunuchs and his Retinue being gone, Schemſelnihar returned to the Saloon, extreamly concerned at the Neceſſity ſhe was under of ſending back the Prince of Perſia ſooner than ſhe thought to have done. She came up to him again with Tears in her Eyes, which heighten’d Ebn Thaher’s Fear, who thought it no good Omen. Madam, ſays the Prince to her, I perceive you are come to tell me that we muſt part; provided there be nothing more to dread, I hope Heaven will give me the Patience which is neceſſary to ſupport your Abſence. Alas! My dear Heart, my dear Soul, replies tender-hearted Schemſelnihar, How happy do I think you, and how unhappy do-I think my ſelf, when I compare your Lot with my ſad Deſtiny! No doubt you will ſuffer by my Abſence; but that’s all, and you may comfort your ſelf with Hopes of ſeeing me again but as for me, juſt Heaven, what a terrible Trial am I brought to! I muſt not only be deprived of the ſight of the only Perſon whom I love, but I muſt be tormented with the ſight of one whom you have made hateful to me; Will not the Arrival of the Califf put me in mind of your Departure? And how can, when I am taken up with thinking your ſweet Face, entertain the Prince with that Joy which he always obſerv’d in my Eyes, whenever he came