four islands
that gave name to this kingdom. I learned all this from the
enchantress, who, to add to my affliction, related to me these
effects of her rage. But this is not all; her revenge not being
satisfied with the destruction of my dominions, and the
metamorphosis of my person, she comes every day, and gives me
over my naked shoulders a hundred lashes with a whip until I am
covered with blood. When she has finished this part of my
punishment, she throws over me a coarse stuff of goat's hair, and
over that this robe of brocade, not to honour, but to mock me.

When he came to this part of the narrative, the young king could
not restrain his tears; and the sultan was himself so affected by
the relation, that he could not find utterance for any words of
consolation. Shortly after, the young king, lifting up his eyes
to heaven, exclaimed, "Mighty creator of all things, I submit
myself to thy judgments, and to the decrees of thy providence: I
endure my calamities with patience, since it is thy will things
should be as they are; but I hope thy infinite goodness will
ultimately reward me."

The sultan, greatly moved by the recital of this affecting story,
and anxious to avenge the sufferings of the unfortunate prince,
said to him, "Inform me whither this perfidious sorceress
retires, and where may be found her vile paramour, who is
entombed before his death." "My lord," replied the prince, "her
lover, as I have already told you, is lodged in the Palace of
Tears, in a superb tomb constructed in the form of a dome: this
palace joins the castle on the side in which the gate is placed.
As to the queen, I cannot tell you precisely whither she retires,
but every day at sun-rise she goes to visit her paramour, after
having executed her bloody vengeance upon me; and you see I am
not in a condition to defend myself. She carries to him the
potion with which she had hitherto prevented his dying, and
always complains of his never having spoken to her since he was
wounded."

"Prince," said the sultan, "your condition can never be
sufficiently deplored: no one can be more sensibly affected by
your misfortunes than I am. Never did any thing so extraordinary
befall any man, and those who write your history will have the
advantage of relating what surpasses all that has hitherto been
recorded. One thing only is wanting; the revenge to which you are
entitled, and I will omit nothing in my power to effect it."

In his subsequent con