whom
she had given her heart and faith; or die, rather than marry the
sultan, whom she neither loved, nor could ever love.
The prince of Persia then asked her, if she knew what became of
the horse, after the death of the Hindoo magician. To which she
answered, that she knew not what orders the sultan had given; but
supposed, after the account she had given him of it, he would
take care of it as a curiosity.
As Firoze Shaw never doubted but that the sultan had the horse,
he communicated to the princess his design of making use of it to
convey them both into Persia; and after they had consulted
together on the measures they should take, they agreed that the
princess should dress herself the next day, and receive the
sultan civilly, but without speaking to him.
The sultan of Cashmeer was overjoyed when the prince of Persia
stated to him what effect his first visit had had towards the
cure of the princess. On the following day, when the princess
received him in such a manner as persuaded him her cure was far
advanced, he regarded him as the greatest physician in the world;
and seeing her in this state, contented himself with telling her
how rejoiced he was at her being likely soon to recover her
health. He exhorted her to follow the directions of so skilful a
physician, in order to complete what he had so well begun; and
then retired without waiting for her answer.
The prince of Persia, who attended the sultan of Cashmeer out of
the princess's chamber, as he accompanied him, asked if, without
failing in due respect, he might inquire, how the princess of
Bengal came into the dominions of Cashmeer thus alone, since her
own country was far distant? This he said on purpose to introduce
some conversation about the enchanted horse, and to know what was
become of it.
The sultan, who could not penetrate into the prince's motive,
concealed nothing from him; but informed him of what the princess
had related, when he had delivered her from the Hindoo magician:
adding, that he had ordered the enchanted horse to be kept safe
in his treasury as a great curiosity, though he knew not the use
of it.
"Sir," replied the pretended physician, "the information which
your majesty has given your devoted slave affords me a means of
curing the princess. As she was brought hither on this horse, and
the horse is enchanted, she hath contracted something of the
enchantment, which can be dissipated only by a certain incense
which I am a
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