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he, permit me once more to implore your Majeſty’s Clemency; for God’s Sake grant my Requeſt, I proteſt to you that I am innocent. Your Prayers, anſwers the King, are in vain; and were it for nothing but to hear your Head ſpeak after your Death, it’s my Will you ſnould die. As he ſaid this, he took the Book out of the Phyſician’s Hand, and order’d the Executioner to do his Duty.
The Head was ſo dextrouſly cut off, that it fell into the Baſon, and was no ſooner laid upon the Cover of the Book, but the Blood ſtopped; then, to the great Surprize of the King and all the Spectators, it open d its Eyes, and ſaid, Sir, will your Majeſty be pleas’d to open the Book? The King open’d it, and finding that one Leaf was as it were glew’d to another, that he might turn it with the more Eaſe, he put his Finger to his Mouth, and wet it with Spittle. He did ſo till he came to the ſixth Leaf, and finding no Writing on the Place where he was bid look for it, Phyſician, ſays he, to the Head, here’s nothing writ. Turn over ſome more Leaves, replies the Head. The King continu’d to turn over, putting always his Finger to his Mouth, until the Poiſon, with which each Leaf was imbru’d, coming to have its Effect; the Prince finding himſelf, all of aſudden, taken with an extraordinary Fit, his Eye-ſight ſail’d, and he fell down at the Foot of his Throne in great Convulſions. At theſe Words, Scheherazade perceiving Day, gave the Sultan Notice of it, and forbore ſpeaking.
Ah, dear Siſter, ſays Dinarzade, how grieved am I that you have not time to finiſh this Story; I ſhould be inconſolable if you loſe your Life to Day. Siſter, replies the Sultaneſs; that muſt be as the Sultan pleaſes; but I hope he will be ſo good as to ſuſpend my Death till to morrow. And accordingly Schahriar, ſar from ordering her Death that Day, expected next Night with much Impatience; ſo earneſt was he to hear out the Story of the Grecian King, and the Sequel of that of the Fiſherman and the Genie.
The
