son fell desperately in love with me, and soon
offered me his hand and his crown. I was so taken up with the thoughts
of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not
make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time.
However, gratitude prevailing, I did not refuse to make him happy, and
our nuptials were concluded with all imaginable splendour.

"While the people were taken up with the celebration of their
sovereign's nuptials, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, made a descent
by night on the island with a great number of troops and surprised and
cut to pieces my husband's subjects. We escaped very narrowly, for he
had already entered the palace with some of his followers; but we found
means to slip away and to get to the sea-coast, where we threw ourselves
into a fishing-boat which we had the good fortune to meet with. Two days
we were driven about by the winds, without knowing what would become of
us. The third day we espied a vessel making toward us under sail. We
rejoiced at first, believing it had been a merchant-ship which might
take us aboard; but what was our consternation, when, as it drew near,
we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck. Having boarded,
five or six of them leaped into our boat, seized us, bound the prince,
and conveyed us into their ship, where they immediately took off my
veil. My youth and features touched them, and they all declared how much
they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each of
them claimed the preference, and me as his right. The dispute grew warm,
they came to blows, and fought like madmen. The deck was soon covered
with dead bodies, and they were all killed but one, who, being left sole
possessor of me, said: 'You are mine. I will carry you to Grand Cairo,
to deliver you to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful
slave. But who,' added he, looking upon the sultan, my husband, 'is that
man? What relation does he bear to you? Are you allied by blood or
love?' 'Sir,' answered I, 'he is my husband.' 'If so,' replied the
pirate, 'in pity I must rid myself of him: it would be too great an
affliction to him to see you disposed of to another.' Having spoken
these words, he took up the unhappy prince, who was bound, and threw him
into the sea, notwithstanding all my endeavours to prevent him.

"I shrieked in a dreadful manner at the sight of what he had done, and
had certainly cast myself into t