regions. It chanced
that in our infancy our father the sultan marched upon a hunting
excursion throughout his dominions, for some months, leaving his
vizier to conduct affairs at the capital. Not long after the
departure of the sultan, our mother, taking the air on the roof
of the palace, which adjoined that of the vizier, who was then
sitting upon his terrace, her image was reflected in a mirror
which he held in his hand. He was fascinated with her beauty, and
resolved, if possible, to seduce her to infidelity and compliance
with his wishes.

The day following he sent the female superintendant of his haram
with a package, containing a most superb dress, and many
inestimable jewels, to the sultana, requesting her acceptance of
them, and that she would allow him to see her either at the
palace or at his own house. My mother, when the old woman was
admitted into her apartments, received her with kindness,
supposing that she must be intrusted with some confidential
message from the vizier respecting the affairs of her husband, or
with letters from him.

The old woman having paid her obeisance, opened the bundle, and
displayed the rich dress and dazzling jewels; when my mother,
admiring them much, inquired the value, and what merchant had
brought them to dispose of. The wretched old woman, supposing
that the virtue of the sultana would not be proof against such a
valuable present, impudently disclosed the passion of the vizier:
upon which my mother, indignant with rage at this insult offered
to her virtue and dignity, drew a sabre, which was near, and
exerting all her strength, struck off the head of the procuress,
which, with the body, she commanded her attendants to cast into
the common sewer of the palace.

The vizier finding his messenger did not return, the next day
despatched another, to signify that he had sent a present to the
sultana, but had not heard whether it had been delivered. My
mother commanded the infamous wretch to be strangled, and the
corpse to be thrown into the same place as that of the old woman,
but she did not make public the vizier's baseness, hoping that he
would reform. He, however, continued every day to send a female
domestic, and my mother to treat her in the same way as the
others till the sultan's return; but my mother, not wishing to
destroy the vizier, and still trusting that he would repent of
his conduct, for in other respects he was a faithful and prudent
minister, kept his trea