ugh for the caliph to
hear him, "Alas! I am fallen again into the same dream and
illusion that happened to me a month ago, and must expect again
the bastinado and grated cell at the mad-house. Almighty God,"
added he, "I commit myself into the hands of thy divine
providence. He was a wicked man that I entertained at my house
last night, who has been the cause of this illusion, and the
hardships I must again undergo. The base wretch swore to shut the
door after him, but did not, and the devil came in and has turned
my brain with this wicked dream of being commander of the
faithful, and other phantoms which bewitch my eyes. God confound
thee, Satan? and crush thee under some mountain of stones."

After these words, Abou Hassan closed his eyes, and remained some
time thoughtful and much perplexed; then opening them again, and
looking about him, cried out a second time with less surprise,
and smiling at the various objects before him, "Great God! I
commit myself into the hands of thy providence, preserve me from
the temptation of Satan." Then shutting them again, he said, "I
will go to sleep until Satan leaves me, and returns as he came,
were I to wait till noon." They did not give him time to go to
sleep again as he promised himself; for Strength of Hearts, one
of the ladies whom he had seen before, approached, and sitting
down on the sofa by him, said to him respectfully, "Commander of
the faithful, I entreat your majesty to forgive me for taking the
liberty to tell you not to go to sleep; day appears, and it is
time to rise." "Begone, Satan!" answered Abou Hassan, raising his
voice; but looking at the lady, he said, "Is it me you call the
commander of the faithful? Certainly you take me for somebody
else." "It is to your majesty I give that title," replied the
lady, "to whom it belongs, as you are sovereign of the world, and
I am your most humble slave. Undoubtedly," added she, "your
majesty means to divert yourself by pretending to have forgotten
yourself, or this is the effect of some troublesome dream; but if
you would but open your eyes, the mists which disturb your
imagination would soon be dispelled, and you would find yourself
in your own palace, surrounded by your officers and slaves, who
all wait your commands: and that your majesty may not be
surprised to find yourself in this hall, and not in bed, I beg
leave to inform you, that you fell so suddenly asleep last night,
that we were unwilling to awake you, to