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to, resist the prince’s will, and so he gave me one of the ladies of his court, a noble, beautiful, chaste, and rich lady. The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and dwelt with the lady, and for some time we lived in perfect harmony. I was not, however, very well satisfied with my condition, and therefore designed to make my escape on the first occasion, and to return to Bagdad; which my sent settlement, how advantageous soever, could not make me forget.
There is a law which is established in this island, and which is always observed inviolably. The living husband is interred with the dead wife, and the living wife with the dead husband.
I could not forbear speaking my thoughts of this matter to the king: "Sir," says I, "I cannot enough express my wonder at the strange custom in this country, of burying the living with the dead, I have been a great traveller, and seen many countries, but never heard of so cruel a law." "What do you mean, Sinbad," says the king, "it is a common law: I shall be interred with the queen, my wife, if she dies first." "But Sir," says I, "may I presume to demand of your majesty, if strangers be obliged to observe this law?" "Without doubt," replied the king, smiling at the occasion of my question, "they are not excepted, if they be married in this island."
I went home very melancholy at this answer; for the fear of my wife’s dying first, and that I should be interred with her occasioned me to have very mortifying reflections. But there was no remedy, I must have patience, and submit to this will of God I trembled, however, at every little indisposition of my wife; but alas in a short time my fears came up on me all at once, for she fell sick and died in a few days.
To be interred alive, seemed to me as deplora-
