n the condition thou art justly in; and yet darest thou
say thou cost not know him?" "If I do not know him," said the
princess, "would you have me lie on purpose to ruin him?" "Oh
then," said the genie, pulling out a cimeter and presenting it to
the princess, "if you never saw him before, take this, and cut
off his head." "Alas," replied the princess, "how is it possible
that I should execute such an act? My strength is so far spent
that I cannot lift up my arm; and if I could, how should I have
the heart to take away the life of an innocent man, and one whom
I do not know?" "This refusal," said the genie to the princess,
"sufficiently informs me of your crime." Upon which, turning to
me, "And thou," said he, "dost thou not know her?"

I should have been the most ungrateful wretch, and the most
perfidious of all mankind, if I had not strewn myself as faithful
to the princess as she had been to me, who had been the cause of
her misfortunes. I therefore answered the genie, "How should I
know her, when I never saw her till now?" "If it be so," said he,
"take the cimeter and cut off her head: on this condition I will
set thee at liberty, for then I shall be convinced that thou hast
never seen her till this moment, as thou gayest." "With all my
heart," replied I, and took the cimeter in my hand.

Do not think, madam, that I drew near to the fair princess of the
isle of Ebene to be the executioner of the genie's barbarity. I
did it only to demonstrate by my behaviour, as much as possible,
that as she had strewn her resolution to sacrifice her life for
my sake, I would not refuse to sacrifice mine for hers. The
princess, notwithstanding her pain and suffering, understood my
meaning; which she signified by an obliging look, and made me
understand her willingness to die for me; and that she was
satisfied to see how ready I was also to die for her. Upon this I
stepped back, and threw the cimeter on the ground. "I should for
ever," said I to the genie, "be hateful to all mankind were I to
be so base as to murder, not only a person whom I do not know,
but a lady like this, who is already on the point of expiring: do
with me what you please, since I am in your power; I cannot obey
your barbarous commands."

"I see," said the genie, "that you both out-brave me, and insult
my jealousy; but both of you shall know by my treatment of you of
what I am capable." At these words the monster took up the
cimeter and cut off one of her han