he began to
pray for resignation to submit to the decrees of Heaven, however
painful. He then walked to the edge of the mountain overhanging
the sea, which he observed to wash the base of the rock without
any beach, at sight of which a desperate chance of escape struck
his mind: this was, to throw himself from the precipice into the
ocean, in hopes, should he survive the fall and rise to the
surface, he might reach land. He commended himself to God, shut
his eyes, held in his breath, and giving a desperate spring,
plunged headlong into the dreadful abyss, which providentially
received him unhurt, and a friendly wave drove him on shore;
where, however, he remained some minutes in a lifeless stupor,
owing to the rapidity of his descent from the brain-sickening
precipice.

When his senses returned Mazin looked wildly around him, at first
scarcely able to bear the light from the recollection of the
dizzy eminence from which he had plunged; and an uneasy interval
elapsed before he could persuade himself that the certainty of
death was past. Convinced at length of this, he prostrated
himself to the earth, and exclaimed, "In God alone is our refuge
and support! I thought I should have perished, but his providence
has sustained me." He then wept exceedingly, entreated
forgiveness of his offences, read several passages from the
Koran, which he had preserved in his vestband, repeated the whole
of his rosary, and besought the intercession of the prophet for
his deliverance from future dangers. After this he walked onwards
till evening, the fruits of the forest his food, his drink the
water of the streams, and his resting place the green turf. Such
was his progress, that after three days he reached the spot under
the mountain where he had been taken up by the roc in the camel's
skin. He now recognized the road he had come; and after measuring
back his steps for nine days, beheld on the last the superb
palace, concerning which he had inquired of the magician, who had
informed him it was inhabited by evil genii, his most bitter
enemies.

For some time Mazin hesitated whether he should advance to the
gates of the palace; but considering that no greater calamity
could happen to him than he had already endured, he contemned
danger, and boldly advanced to a grand lodge built of white
marble exquisitely polished. He entered, and beheld on one of the
raised platforms which skirted the passage into the court two
beautiful damsels pla