e two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are your
own children, whom they exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant
of your gardens, who provided nurses for them, and took care of their
education."

This speech presently cleared up the emperor's understanding. "Bird,"
cried he, "I believe the truth which you discover to me. The inclination
which drew me to them told me plainly they must be of my own blood. Come
then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the
first marks of a father's love and tenderness." The emperor then rose,
and after having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled
his tears with theirs, said: "It is not enough, my children; you must
embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my gardens,
to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your lives, but as my
own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs of Persia, whose
glory, I am persuaded you will maintain."

After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new
satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his
meal in haste; and when he had done, said: "My children, you see in me
your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen, your mother, therefore
prepare to receive her."

The emperor afterward mounted his horse, and returned with expedition to
his capitol. The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and
entered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the queen's
two sisters. They were taken from their houses separately, convicted,
and condemned to death; which sentence was put in execution within an
hour.

In the meantime, the Emperor Kosrouschah, followed by all the lords of
his court who were then present, went on foot to the door of the great
mosque; and after he had taken the queen out of the strict confinement
she had languished under for so many years, embracing her in the
miserable condition to which she was then reduced, said to her with
tears in his eyes: "I come to entreat your pardon for the injustice I
have done you, and to make you the reparation I ought; which I have
begun, by punishing the unnatural wretches who put the abominable cheat
upon me; and I hope you will look upon it as complete, when I present to
you two accomplished princes and a lovely princess, our children. Come
and resume your former rank, with all the honours which are your due."
All this was done and said before great crowds of peo