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with his Brother, and continuing their Journey, they arrived in the Camp the third Night after they left it.
The News of the Sultan’s Return being ſpread, the Courtiers came betimes in the Morning before his Pavilion to wait on him. He order’d them to enter, receiv’d them with a more pleaſant Air than formerly, and gave each of them a Gratification. After which, he told ’em he would go no further, order’d them to take Horſe, and return’d ſpeedily to his Palace.
As ſoon as ever he arriv’d, he run to the Sultaneſs’s Apartment, commanded her to be bound before him, and deliyer’d her to his Grand Viſier, with an Order to ſtrangle her, which was accordingly executed by that Miniſter, without enquiring into her Crime. The enraged Prince did not ſtop here, he cut off the Heads of all the Sultaneſs’s Ladies with his own Hand. After this rigorous Puniſhment, being perſwaded that no Woman was chaſte, he reſolv’d, in order to prevent the Diſloyalty of ſuch as he ſhould afterwards marry, to wed one every Night, and have her ſtrangled next Morning. Having impos’d this cruel Law upon himſelf, he ſwore that he would obſerve it immediately after the Departure of the King of Tartary, who ſpeedly took leave of him, and being loaden with magnicent Preſents, ſet forward on his Journey.
Schahzenan being gone, Schahriar ordered his Grand Viſer to bring him the Daughter of one of his Generals. The Viſier obey’d; the Sultan lay with her, and putting her next Morning into his Hands again in order to be ſtrangled, commanded him to get him another next Night, Whatever Reluctancy the Viſier had to put ſuch Orders in Execution, as he ow’d blind Obedience to the Sultan his Maſter, he was forc’d to ſubmit. He brought him then the Daughter of a Subaltern, whom he alſo cut off next Day. After her he brought a Citizen’s Daughter; and, in a word, there was every Day a Maid married, and a Wife murdered.
The Rumour of this unparallell’d Barbarity, occaſion’d a general Conſternation in the City, where there was nothing but Crying and Lamentation. Here a Father in Tears, and unconſolable for the Loſs of his Daughter; andthere
