Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/27

to the Place of his Siſter’s Confinement: But that is a thing which my Honour would not ſuffer me to make publick. And after ſo damnable an Action, he came and inclos’d himſelf and her in this Place, which he has ſupplied, as you ſee, with all Sorts of Proviſions, that he might enjoy his deteſtable Pleaſures for along Time, which ought to be a Subject of Horror to all the World: But God that would not ſuffer ſuch an Abomination, has juſtly puniſh’d them both. At theſe Words he melted into Tears, and I joined mine with his.

After a while, caſting his Eyes upon me, dear Nephew, cry’d he, embracing me, if I have loſt that unworthy Son, I ſhall happily find in you what will better ſupply his Place. And upon ſome other Reflections he made on the doleful End of the Prince and Princeſs his Daughter, we both fell into a new Fit of weeping.

We went up the ſame Stairs again, and departed at laſt from that diſmal Place, We let down again the Trap-Door, and cover’d it with Earth and ſuch other Materials as the Tomb was built of, on purpoſe to hide, as much as lay in our Power, ſo terrible an Effect of the Wrath of God.

We had not been very long got back to the Palace, unperceiv’d by any one, but we heard a confuſed Noiſe of Trumpets, Drums, and other Inſtruments of War: We ſoon underſtood by the thick Cloud of Duſt, which almoſt darkned the Air, that it was the Arrival of a formidable Army. And it prov’d to be the ſame Viſier that had dethron’d my Father, and uſurped his Throne, who with a vaſt Number of Troops, was come alſo to poſſeſs himſelf of that of the King my Uncle.

That Prince, who then had only his uſual Guards about him, could not refit ſo many Enemies; they inveſted the City, and the Gates being open’d to them without any Reſiſtance, they very ſoon became Maſters of the City, and broke into the Palace where the King my Uncle was, who defended himſelf till he was kill’d, and ſold his Life at a dear Rate: For my part, I fought as well as I could for a while, but ſeeing we were forc’d to ſubmit to a ſuperior Power, I thought on my Retreat and Safety, which I had