Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/102

When Nightdrew on, the old Woman came to call me with a Countenance full of Joy, ſhe kiſs’d my Hands, and ſaid, My dear Lady, the Relations of my son-in-law who are the principal Ladies of the Town, are now met together, you may come when you pleaſe, I am ready to wait upon you. We went immediately, ſhe going before, and I followed her with a good number of my Maids and Slaves very well dreſt: We ſtopt in a large Street, newly ſwept and water’d at a large Gate with a Lanthorn before it, by the Light of which I could read this Inſcription over the Gate in golden Letters, Here is the Abode of everlaſting Pleaſures and Content. The old Woman knock’d, and the Gate was open’d immediately.

They brought me to the lower end of the Court, in a large Hall, where I was received by a young Lady of admirable Beauty, ſhe came up to me, and after having embraced me, and made me ſit down by her upon a Sofa, where there was a Throne of precious Wood, beſet with Diamonds, Madam, ſaid ſhe, you are brought hither to aſſiſt at a Wedding; but I hope this Marriage will prove otherwiſe than what you expected. I have a Brother, one of the handſomeſt Men in the World; he is fall’n ſo much in Love with the Fame of your Beauty, that his Fate depends wholly upon you, and will be the unhappieſt of Men, if you do not take pity on him. He knows your Quality, and I can aſſure you that he is in no wiſe unworthy of your Alliance. If my Prayers, Madam, can prevail, I ſhall join them with his, and humbly beg you will not refuſe the Offer, of being his Wife.

After the Death of my Husband I had no Thoughts of marrying again: But I had no Power to refuſe the Offer made by ſo charming a Lady. As ſoon as I had given Conſent, by ſilence, accompanied with a Bluſh, the young Lady clapt her Hands, and immediately a Cloſet-Door open’d, out of which came a young Man of a majeſtick Air, and ſo graceful a Behaviour, that I thought my ſelf happy to have made ſo great a Conqueſt. He ſat down by me, and by the Diſcourſe we had together, I found that his Merits far exceeded the Account his Siſter had gave me of him.

When ſhe ſaw that we were ſatisfied one with another, ſhe clapt her Hands a ſecond time, and out came a Cadis, or Scrivener, who wrote our Contract of Marriage, ſigned it