Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/41

THE Barmecide careſſed Schacabac mightily, and told him, I not only forgive the Blow you have given me, but I am willing henceforward we ſhould be Friends, and that you take my Houſe for your Home: You have been ſo complaiſant as to accommodate your ſelf to my Humour, and have had the Patience to bare the Jeſt out to the laſt, we will now eat in good earneſt. When he had finiſhed theſe Words, he clapp’d his Hands, and commanded his Servants, who when appear’d, to cover the Table; which was ſpeedily done, and my Brother was treated with all theſe in Reality, which he eat of betore in Fancy. At laſt they took away, and brought Wine, and at the ſame Time, a Number of handſome Slaves richly apparell’d came in and ſung ſome agreeable Airs to their muſical Inſtruments. In a Word, Schacabac had all the reaſon in the World to be ſatisfied with the Barmecide’s Civility, and Bounty; for he treated him as his familiar Friend, and ordered him a Suit out of his Wardrobe.

The Barmecide found my Brother to be a Man of ſo much Wit and Underſtanding, that in a few Days after, he truſted him with his Houſhold, and all his Affairs. My Brother acquitted himſelf very well in that Employment for twenty Years, at the End of, which, the generous Barmecide died, and leaving no Heirs, ail his Eſtate was confiſcated to the Uſe of the Prince: Upon which my Brother was reduced to his firft Condition, and joyn’d with a Caravan of Pilgrims going to Mecca, deſigning to accompliſh that Pilgrimage upon their Charity; but by Misfortune the Caravan was attacked and plundered by a Number of Bedoins^[1], ſuperior to that of the Pilgrims. My Brother was then taken as a Slave by one of the Bedoins who put him under the Baſtinado for ſeveral Days, to oblige him to ranſom himſelf. Schacabac proteſted to him that it was all in vain. I am your slave, ſays he, you may diſpoſe of me as you pleaſe; but I de-