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My little Lord, ſaid he, be ſo kind as to come once more with your Governour into my Houſe, and taſte a Cream Tart. I beg your Lordſhip’s Pardon for the Trouble I gave you in following you out of Town; I was at that time not my ſelf, I did not know what I did. You dragged me after you, and the Violence of the Pull was ſo ſoft that I could not withſtand it.

Scheherazade, obſerving the approaching Day, ſtopped here; and the next Night reſumed her Diſcourſe to the following Purpoſe.

The hundred and Sixteenth Night.

AGib, continued the Vizier Giafar, aſtoniſhed at what Bedreddin ſaid, replied thus: “There’s an Exceſs in the Kindneſs you expreſs, and unleſs you engage under Oath not to follow me when 1 go from hence, I will not enter into your Houſe. If you give me your Promiſe, and prove a Man of your Word, I’ll viſit you again to Morrow, ſince the Vizier my Grand-father is ſtill employed in buying up Things for a Preſent to the Sultan of Egypt.” “My little Lord, (replied Bedreddin) I’ll do whatever you would have me to do.” This ſaid, Agib and the Ennuch went into the Shop.

Preſently after, Bedreddin ſet before them a Cream Tart, that was full as good as what they had eat of when they ſaw him before; “Come, (ſays Agib addreſſing himſelf to Bedreddin) ſit down by me and eat with us.” Bedredden ſat down, and made Offers to embrace Agib, as a Teſtimony of the Joy he conceived upon his ſitting by him. But Agib ſhoved him off; defiring him to be eaſy, not to run his Friendſhip too cloſe, and to content himſelf with ſeeing and entertaining him. Bedreddin obeyed and fell a ſinging a Song, the Words of which he compoſed off

Hand, in the Praiſe of Agib: He did not eat, but made it his Buſineſs to ſerve his Gueſts. When they had done eating he brought them Water to[1] waſh with, and a very white Napkin to wipe their Hands. Then he filled a large China Cup with Sher-

bet,

  1. ↑ The Mahometans having a Cuſtom of waſhing their Hands five times a day, when they go to Prayers, they reckon they have no occaſion to waſh before eating, but they always waſh after eating, becauſe they eat without Forks.
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