"

Alla ad Deen went out of the sultan's presence with great
humiliation, and in a condition worthy of pity. He crossed the
courts of the palace, hanging down his head, and in such great
confusion, that he durst not lift up his eyes. The principal
officers of the court, who had all professed themselves his
friends, and whom he had never disobliged, instead of going up to
him to comfort him, and offer him a retreat in their houses,
turned their backs to avoid seeing him. But had they accosted him
with a word of comfort or offer of service, they would have no
more known Alla ad Deen. He did not know himself, and was no
longer in his senses, as plainly appeared by his asking everybody
he met, and at every house, if they had seen his palace, or could
tell him any news of it.

These questions made the generality believe that Alla ad Deen was
mad. Some laughed at him, but people of sense and humanity,
particularly those who had had any connection of business or
friendship with him, really pitied him. For three days he rambled
about the city in this manner, without coming to any resolution,
or eating anything but what some compassionate people forced him
to take out of charity.

At last, as he could no longer in his unhappy condition stay in a
city where he had lately been next to the sultan, he took the
road to the country; and after he had traversed several fields in
wild uncertainty, at the approach of night came to the bank of a
river. There, possessed by his despair, he said to himself,
"Where shall I seek my palace? In what province, country, or part
of the world, shall I find that and my dear princess, whom the
sultan expects from me? I shall never succeed; I had better free
myself at once from fruitless endeavours, and such bitter grief
as preys upon me." He was just going to throw himself into the
river, but, as a good Moosulmaun, true to his religion, he
thought he should not do it without first saying his prayers.
Going to prepare himself, he went to the river's brink, in order
to perform the usual ablutions. The place being steep and
slippery, from the water beating against it, he slid down, and
had certainly fallen into the river, but for a little rock which
projected about two feet out of the earth. Happily also for him
he still had on the ring which the African magician had put on
his finger before he went down into the subterraneous abode to
fetch the precious lamp. In slipping down the bank he rubbed the