sing to discover herself till she should hear their
adventures, she withdrew into her chamber, and being relieved by
tears prostrated herself on the earth, and offered up
thanksgivings to the protector of the just, who had rewarded her
patience under affliction by succeeding blessings, and at length
restored to her the partner of her heart. Having finished her
devotions, she sent to the sultan requesting him to send her a
confidential officer, who might witness the relations of five
visitors whom she was going to examine. On his arrival she placed
him where he could listen unseen; and covering herself with a
veil, sat down on her stool to receive the pilgrims, who being
admitted, bowed their foreheads to the ground; when requesting
them to arise, she addressed them as follows: "You are welcome,
brethren, to my humble abode, to my counsel and my prayers,
which, by God's mercy, have sometimes relieved the repentant
sinner; but as it is impossible I can give advice without hearing
a case, or pray without knowing the wants of him who entreats me,
you must relate your histories with the strictest truth, for
equivocation, evasion, or concealment, will prevent my being of
any service; and this you may depend upon, that the prayers of a
liar tend only to his own destruction." Having said this, she
ordered the cauzee to remain, but the other four to withdraw; as
she should, to spare their shame before each other, hear their
cases separately. The good cauzee having no sins to confess
related his pilgrimage to Mecca; the supposed infidelity of his
wife; and his consequent resolve to spend his days in visiting
sacred places and holy personages, among whom she stood so
famous, that to hear her edifying conversation, and entreat the
benefit of her prayers for his unhappy wife, was the object of
his having travelled to her sacred abode. When he had finished
his narrative the lady dismissed him to another chamber, and
heard one by one the confessions of his companions; who not
daring to conceal any thing, related their cruel conduct towards
herself, as above-mentioned; but little suspecting that they were
acknowledging their guilt to the intended victim of their evil
passions. After this the cauzee's wife commanded the officer to
conduct all five to the sultan, and inform him of what he had
heard them confess. The sultan, enraged at the wicked behaviour
of the cauzee's brother, the camel-driver, the young man, and the
master of the v