ess. When he saw the tomb, the wax-lights
round it, and the magnificence of the mausoleum, he was amazed that
Zobeide should have performed the obsequies of her rival with so much
pomp; and being naturally of a jealous temper, suspected his wife's
generosity and fancied his mistress might perhaps be yet alive; that
Zobeide, taking advantage of his long absence, might have turned her
out of the palace, ordering those she had entrusted to conduct her, to
convey her so far off that she might never more be heard of. This was
all he suspected; for he did not think Zobeide wicked enough to have
attempted the life of his favourite.

The better to discover the truth himself, he ordered the tomb to
be removed, and caused the grave and the coffin to be opened in
his presence; but when he saw the linen wrapped round the wooden
image, he durst not proceed any farther. This devout caliph
thought it would be a sacrilegious act to suffer the body of the
dead lady to be touched; and this scrupulous fear prevailed over
his love and curiosity. He doubted not of Fetnah's death. He
caused the coffin to be shut up again, the grave to be filled,
and the tomb to be made as it was before.

The caliph thinking himself obliged to pay some respect to the
grave of his favourite, sent for the ministers of religion, the
officers of the palace, and the readers of the Koraun; and,
whilst they were collecting together, he remained in the
mausoleum, moistening with his tears the marble that covered the
phantom of his mistress. When all the persons he had sent for
were come, he stood before the tomb, and recited long prayers;
after which the readers of the Koraun read several, chapters.

The same ceremony was performed every day for a whole month,
morning and evening, the caliph being always present, with the
grand vizier, and the principal officers of the court, all of
them in mourning, as well as the caliph himself, who all the time
ceased not to honour the memory of Fetnah with his tears, and
would not hear of any business.

The last day of the month, the prayers and reading of the Koraun
lasted from morning till break of day the next morning. The
caliph, being tired with sitting up so long, went to take some
rest in his apartment, and fell asleep upon a sofa, between two
of the court ladies, one of them sitting at the bed's-head, and
the other at the feet, who, whilst he slept, were working some
embroidery, and observed a profound silence.

S