Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/37

with great Curtains to keep out the Sun, which were open’d again when the Heat was over.

Such an agreeable Place ſtruck my Brother with Admiration, and might well have done ſo to a Man far above his Quality. He went on ’till he came into a Hall richly furniſhed, and adorned with Painting of Gold and Azure Foliage, where he ſaw a venerable Man with a long white Beard, ſitting at the upper End of an Alcove; whence he concluded him to be the Maſter of the Houſe: and in effect it was the Barmecide himſelf, who ſaid to my Brother in a very civil Manner, That he was welcome; and ask’d him what he wanted? My Lord, anſwers my Brother, in a begging Tone, I am a poor Man; who ſtand in need of the Help of ſuch rich and generous Perſons as your ſelf. He could not have addreſs’d him ſelf to a fitter Perſon than this Lord, who had a thouſand pood Qualities.

The Barmecide ſeem’d to be aſtoniſh’d at my Brother’s Anſwer, and putting both his Hands to his Stomach, as if he would rent his Cloaths for Grief, Is it poſſible, cries he, that I am at Bagdad, and that ſuch a Man as you is ſo poor as you ſay; this is what muſt never be, My Brother fancying that he was going to give him ſome ſingular Mark of his Bounty, bleſſed him a thouſand Times, and wiſhed him all ſort of Happineſs. It ſhall not be ſaid, reply’d the Barmecide, that I will abandon you, nor will I have you to leave me. Sir, reply’d my Brother, I ſwear to you I have not eaten one Bit to Day. Is that true, replies the Barmecide, that you are faſting till now? Alas for thee, poor Man! He is ready to die for Hunger: Ho, Boy, cries he, with a loud Voice, Bring a Baſon and Water preſently, that we may waſh our Hands. Tho’ no Boy appear’d that my Brother ſaw, neither with Water nor Baſon, the Barmecide fell a rubbing his Hands, as it one had poured Water upon them, and bid my Brother come and waſh with him. Schacabas judg’d by that, that the Barmecide Lord loved to be merry, and he himſelt underſtanding Raillery, and knowing that the Poor muſt be complaiſant to the Rich, if they would have any thing from them, he came forward, and did as he did.

Come on, ſays the Barmecide, bring us ſomething to eat, and don’t let us ſtay for it, When he had ſaid ſo, tho’ nothing was brought, he began to cut as if ſomething had