Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/29

ter, and refuſe to come near her; I aſſure you that her chief Buſinels is to pleaſe you, and that ſhe loves you with all her Heart. But my Mother-in-Law had as good hold her Peace, I wont anſwer her one Word, but keep my Gravity. Then ſhe will throw herſelf at my Feet, kiſs them, and Gay to me, Sir, is it poſſible that you can ſuſpect my Daughter’s Chaſtity ? I aſſure you, I never let her go out of my Sight. You are the firſt Man that ever ſaw her Face, don’t mortify her ſo much, do her the Favour to look upon her, to ſpeak to her, and to confirm her in her good Intentions to ſatisfy you in every thing. But nothing of this ſhall prevail with me; upon which my Mother-in-Law will take a Glaſs of Wine, and putting it in the Hand of her Daughter, my Wife, will ſay, go, preſent him his Glaſs of Wine yourſelf; perhaps he won’t be fo cruel as to refuſe it from ſo fair a Hand. My Wife will come with the Glaſs, and ſtand trembling before me; and when ſhe finds that I don’t look towards her, that I continue to diſdain her, ſhe will ſay to me with Tears in her Eyes, My Heart, my dear Soul, my amiable Lord, I conjure you, by the Favours which Heaven beſtows upon you, to receive this Glaſs of Wine from the Hand of your moſt humble Servant; but I won’t look upon her ſtill, nor anſwer her. My charming Spouſe will ſhe ſay, redoubling her Tears, and putting the Glaſs to my Mouth, I will never leave off till I prevail with you to drink; then being fatigu’d with her Entreaties, I will dart a terrible Look at her, give her a good Box on the Cheek, and give her ſuch a puſh with my Foot, as ſhall throw her quite off the Alcove.

My Brother was ſo full of thoſe chimerical Viſions, that he acted with his Foot as if ſhe had been really before him, and by Misfortune he gave ſuch a Puſh to his Basket and and Glaſſes, that they were thrown down in the Street, and broke in a thouſand Pieces.

A Taylor, who was his Neighbour, and heard his extravagant Diſcourſe, fell into a Fit of Laughter when he ſaw the Basket fall. O what an unworthy Fellow art thou, ſays he, to my Brother! Ought you not to be aſhamed to abuſe thus a young Spouſe, who gaveyou no Cauſe of Complaint? You muſt be a very brutiſh Fellow to deſpite the Tears and Charms of ſuch a beautiful Lady. Were