Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/45

upon him ſtedfaſtly, he fell into ſo great a Fit of Laughter, and had ſo little Command of himſeit, that he fell backwards on the Ground, without conſidering that he was before the Sultan of Caſgar. As ſoon as he came to himſelf, It is ſaid, cries he, and not without Reaſon, that no Man dies without a Cauſe. If ever any Hiſtory deſerved to be writ In Letters of Gold, ’tis this of Hump-back.

At this, all the People look’d on the Barber as a Buffoon, or a doating old Man. Silent Man, ſays the Sultan, ſpeak to me; Why do you laugh ſo hard? Sir, anſwer’d the Barber, Swear by your Majeſty’s good Humour, that Hump-back is not dead: He is yet alive, and I ſhall be willing to paſs for a Madman, if I do not let you fee it this Minute. Having ſaid theſe Words, he took a Box wherein he had ſeveral Medicines, that he carry’d about him to make uſe of on Occaſion; and he took out a little Viol with Balſom, with which he rubb’d Hump-back’s Neck a long time, then he took out of his Caſe a neat Iron Inſtrument, which he put betwixt his Teeth, and after he had opened his Mouth, he thruſt down his Throat a Pair of ſmall Pinchers, with which he took our a bit of Fiſh and Bone which he ſhewed to all the People. Immediately Hump-back ſneez’d, ſtretch’d forth his Arms and Feet, and gave ſeveral other Signs of Life.

The Sultan of Caſgar, and thoſe with him, who were Witneſſes of this Operation, were leſs ſurpriſed to fee Hump-back revive, after he had paſſed a whole Night, and great Part of a Day, without giving any Sign of Life, than at the Merjt ond Capacity of the Barber who perform’d this; and notwithſtanding all his Faults, began to look upon him as a great Perſon. The Sultan raviſh’d with Joy and Admiration, order’d the Story of Hump-back to be writ down, with that of the Barber, that the Memory of it might, as it deſerv’d, be preſerved tor ever. Nor did he ſtop here, but that the Taylor, Jewiſh Doctor, Purveyor, and Chriſtian Merchant, might remember the Adventure which the Accident of Hump-back had occaſion’d to them, with Pleaſure; he did not ſend them away ti!l he had given them each a very rich Robe, with which he cauſed them to be cloathed in his Preſence. As for the Barber, he honoured him with a great Penſion, and kept him near his Perſon.