, and the weather sultry, they retired to sleep on the open
terrace of the house, which was very lofty. In the dead of night,
when the Jew and his family were fast locked in the arms of
slumber, the prince, who had purposely kept himself awake, seized
the sabre of the treacherous infidel, and with a dexterous blow
struck off his head; then snatching up the two children, hurled
them headlong from the terrace, so that their brains were dashed
out on the stone pavement of the court below. He then uplifted
the sabre to destroy the Jew's wife, but the thought that she
might be of use to him withheld his hand. He awoke her gently,
commanded her to make no noise, and follow him down stairs,
where, by degrees, he informed her of his adventures, the
discovery he had made of the murder of his brothers, and his
revenge on her treacherous husband and ill-fated children, whom,
however, he would not have destroyed had he not been apprehensive
of their cries alarming the neighbourhood. The Moosulmaun woman,
for such she secretly was, did not regard the death of the wicked
Jew, who had married her against her will, and often used her
with great harshness, and her sorrows for the children were
softened by the salvation of her own life. She also felt
sentiments of tenderness towards the prince, whose injuries in
the murder of his unfortunate brothers had compelled him to
revenge, and felt herself obliged to his mercy in letting her
live. She now informed him that in the Jew's laboratory were many
valuable medicines, and among them the very water of life he was
in search of; which intelligence was most gratifying to the
prince, who offered to take the woman under his protection, and
she willingly consented to accompany him to a country inhabited
by true believers. Having packed up the medicines, with some
valuable jewels, and put them, with various refreshments and
necessaries, on two camels, they mounted and left the city
undiscovered, nor did any accident occur on their journey; but on
reaching the capital of China, the prince found that his father
was dead, while his mother, contrary to expectation, lingered in
painful existence. The ministers, who had with difficulty, in
hopes of the three brothers' arrival, kept the next relations of
the throne from disputing their right to ascend it, were rejoiced
at his return; and on being informed of the untimely end of the
two elder princes, immediately proclaimed him sultan. His first
care wa