Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/72

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middle of my Leg. It march’d ſo long upon the Slime and Sands that I was very weary; at laſt I got upon firm Ground, and when at a good diſtance from the Sea, I ſaw a good way before me ſomewhat like a great Fire, which gave me ſome Comfort, for I ſaid to my ſelf, I ſhall find ſome-body or other, it not being poſſible that this Fire ſhould kindle of it ſelf; but when I came nearer hand I found my Error, and ſaw that what I had taken to be Fire was a Caſtle of red Copper, which the Beams of the Sun made it look at a diſtance as if it had been in Flames.

I ſtopp’d near the Caſtle, and ſat down to admire its admirable Structure, and to reſt a while: I had not taken ſuch a full View of this magnificent Building as it deſerv’d, when I ſaw ten handſome young Men coming along, as if they bad been taking a Walk, but that which molt ſurpriz’d me was, that they were all blind of the Right-Eye; they accompany’d an old Man who was very tall, and of a venerable Aſpect.

I could not but wonder at the Sight of ſo many half blind Men altogether, and everyone of the ſame Eye: As I was thinking in my Mind, by what adventure all theſe Men could come together, they came up to me, and ſeem’d to be mighty glad to ſee me; after the firſt Complements were paſs’d, they enquired what had brought me thither? I told them my Story would be ſomewhat tedious, but if they would take the Trouble to fit down, I would ſatisfy their Requeſt, They did ſo, and I related to them all that happen’d unto me ſince I left my Kingdom, which fill’d them with Aſtoniſhment.

After I had ended my Diſcourſe, the young Gentlemen pray’d me to go with them into the Caſtle, I accepted the Proffer, and we paſs’d through a great many Halls, Anti-Chambers, Bed-Chambers and Cloſets, very well furniſh’d, and arriv’d at laſt into a ſpacious Hall, where there were ten ſmall blue Sofa’s ſet round, and ſeparate from one another, upon which they ſat by Day, and ſlept by Night. In the middle of this round there ſtood an eleventh Sofa, not ſo high as the reſt, but of the ſame Colour, upon which the old Man above mentioned ſat down, and the young Gentlemen made uſe of the other ten; whereas each Sofa could only contain one Man, one of the young Men lays to me, Comrade, ſit down upon that Carpet in the middle of the
Room,
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