aving her favourite
about her than not to grant what we both equally desired.

A month after our marriage, my wife came into my room with
several eunuchs, each carrying a bag of silver. When the eunuchs
were gone; "You never told me," said she, "that you were uneasy
in being confined to court; but I perceived it, and have happily
found means to make you contented. My mistress Zobeide gives us
permission to quit the palace; and here are fifty thousand
sequins, of which she has made us a present, in order to enable
us to live comfortably in the city. Take ten thousand of them,
and go and buy us a house."

I quickly found a house for the money, and after furnishing it
richly, we went to reside in it, kept a great many slaves of both
sexes, and made a good figure. We thus began to live in a very
agreeable manner: but my felicity was of short continuance; for
at the end of a year my wife fell sick and died.

I might have married again, and lived honourably at Bagdad; but
curiosity to see the world put me upon another plan. I sold my
house, and after purchasing several kinds of merchandize, went
with a caravan to Persia; from Persia I travelled to Samarcand,
and from thence to this city.

"This," said the purveyor to the sultan of Casgar, "is the story
that the Bagdad merchant related in a company where I was
yesterday." "This story," said the sultan, "has something in it
extraordinary; but it does not come near that of the little
hunch-back." The Jewish physician prostrated himself before the
sultan's throne, and addressed the prince in the following
manner: "Sir, if you will be so good as to hear me, I flatter
myself you will be pleased with a story I have to tell you."
"Well spoken," said the sultan; "but if it be not more surprising
than that of little hunch-back, you must not expect to live."

The Jewish physician, finding the sultan of Casgar disposed to
hear him, gave the following relation.

The Story told by the Jewish Physician.

When I was studying physic at Damascus, and was just beginning to
practise that noble profession with some reputation, a slave
called me to see a patient in the governor of the city's family.
Accordingly I went, and was conducted into a room, where I found
a very handsome young man, much dejected by his disorder. I
saluted him, and sat down by him; but he made no return to my
compliments, only a sign with his eyes that he heard me, and
thanked me. "Pray, sir,